Atomization device

Abstract

To provide an atomization device in which remaining of liquid can be suppressed.SOLUTION: A nebulizer 10 being an atomization device comprises: a compressed air introduction pipe 43 which has on an upper end face 431, a nozzle hole 431a ejecting compressed air, and in which an outlet region of the nozzle hole 431a is an atomization region 70; a liquid storage portion 42 which is provided in such a manner as to surround the compressed air introduction pipe 43, and stores liquid W; a cap which is attached to the compressed air introduction pipe 43 and sucks the liquid W from the liquid storage portion 42 and supplies the liquid to the atomization region 70; and a cover 50 covering the atomization region 70. The cover 50 has: an aerosol discharge portion 53 discharging an aerosol AS; a flow channel formation portion 52 forming a flow channel which guides the aerosol AS to the aerosol discharge portion 53; and a liquid return portion 54 returning the liquid W adhered to the aerosol discharge portion 53 to the liquid storage portion 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an atomization device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a nebulizer kit is known as an atomizing device for generating an aerosol by atomizing liquid such as water, saline solution, or a medicinal liquid for treating a disease in the bronchus, etc. The aerosol generated by the nebulizer kit is inhaled by the user through the mouth or nose and taken into the body.

[0003] As such a nebulizer kit, for example, the nebulizer kit described in Patent Document 1 is known. As shown in FIG. 1, this nebulizer kit 9 ​​has a case body 91, an atomization part forming body 92, a flow path forming body 93, and a cap body 94.

[0004] The case body 91 has a liquid storage section 912 for temporarily storing liquid W1 such as saline, a medicinal liquid for curing a disease such as a bronchial tube, or a vaccine. Furthermore, the case body 91 has a compressed air introduction tube 911 formed by penetrating the center of the liquid storage section 912. The compressed air introduction tube 911 is cylindrical in shape with a tapered diameter decreasing toward the upper side, and has a nozzle hole 911a on the upper end surface. Compressed air is introduced into the compressed air introduction tube 911 from a compressor (not shown), and the compressed air introduced into the compressed air introduction tube 911 is ejected from the nozzle hole 911a. Furthermore, an aerosol outlet 913 for discharging aerosol generated in the case body 91 is provided at the upper end of the case body 91, and a mouthpiece (not shown) is connected to this portion.

[0005] The atomizing part forming body 92 covers the compressed air introduction tube 911 and has a cylindrical liquid suction tube forming part 921 that forms a suction path 99 for the liquid W1 between the compressed air introduction tube 911 and the liquid suction tube forming part 921. The liquid suction tube forming part 921 has a shape similar to that of the compressed air introduction tube 911, and is cylindrical with a tapered diameter decreasing toward the upper side. The suction path 99 is formed by a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the liquid suction tube forming part 921 and the outer peripheral surface of the compressed air introduction tube 911. The atomizing part forming body 92 also has a baffle 922 provided directly above the nozzle hole 911a. As shown in FIG. 2, the atomizing part 98 is formed between the compressed air introduction tube 911 and the baffle 922.

[0006] 1, the flow path forming body 93 divides the internal space of the case body 91 and forms a flow path for outside air. The cap body 94 is fitted into the flow path forming body 93, and a pressure adjustment gap 96 that communicates between the inside and outside of the case body 91 is provided between the cap body 94 and the flow path forming body 93.

[0007] In such a nebulizer kit 9, compressed air introduced from a compressor into a compressed air introduction pipe 911 is ejected from a nozzle hole 911a and sprayed onto a baffle 922 located directly above it. Then, the atomization section 98 is put into a negative pressure state (a state in which the pressure is lower than the surroundings). Therefore, the liquid W1 stored in the liquid storage section 912 is sucked up from the suction path 99 and sprayed onto the baffle 922 together with the compressed air. The liquid W1 becomes fine droplets (atomized particles) by colliding with the baffle 922. Furthermore, the outside air introduced into the case body 91 from the pressure adjustment gap 96 is applied to the fine droplets, and the fine droplets are dispersed into the outside air to generate an aerosol. The generated aerosol is then discharged to the outside of the case body 91 through the aerosol discharge port 913. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-229709 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, in the nebulizer kit 9 ​​of Patent Document 1, a step 95 is formed just before the aerosol outlet 913. For this reason, for example, as shown in Fig. 3, liquid W1 contained in the aerosol may adhere to the inner surface of the flow path forming body 93 just before it is discharged from the aerosol outlet 913, and the adhered liquid W1 may hang down and accumulate in the step 95. If liquid W1 accumulates in the step 95, the amount of liquid W1 supplied to the user's body is reduced accordingly, making it impossible to perform appropriate suction and treatment.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide an atomization device, particularly a nebulizer kit, that can suppress residual liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] Such an object can be achieved by the present invention described below in (1).

[0012] (1) a compressed air introduction pipe having a nozzle hole at an upper end surface thereof for ejecting compressed air, the outlet area of ​​the nozzle hole being an atomization area for generating an aerosol; a liquid storage section that is provided to surround the compressed air introduction pipe and that stores a liquid; a cap that is placed over the compressed air introduction pipe and that sucks up the liquid from the liquid storage portion and supplies it to the atomization area; A cover that covers the atomization area, The cover is an aerosol discharge unit that discharges the aerosol; a flow path forming portion that forms a flow path that guides the aerosol to the aerosol discharge portion; a liquid returning section that returns the liquid that has been introduced into the aerosol discharge section as the aerosol and that has adhered to the aerosol discharge section to the liquid storage section. Effect of the Invention

[0013] In the atomizing device of the present invention, the cover has an aerosol discharge part that discharges the aerosol, a flow path forming part that forms a flow path that guides the aerosol to the aerosol discharge part, and a liquid return part that returns the liquid attached to the aerosol discharge part to the liquid storage part. In this way, by returning the liquid attached to the aerosol discharge part to the liquid storage part via the liquid return part, it is possible to suppress the liquid from remaining in the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional nebulizer kit. [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the atomization portion and its periphery of the nebulizer kit of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a problem with the nebulizer kit of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a spray device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the nebulizer kit as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the nebulizer kit as viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a compressed air introduction pipe. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper end of the compressed air introduction pipe. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the compressed air introduction pipe as seen from above. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cap as viewed from the negative Y-axis direction. [Figure 12] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the cap as viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cap seen from below. [Figure 14] 11 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. [Figure 15]13 is a cross-sectional view of a modified aerosol generating projection as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a modified aerosol generating projection as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the aerosol-forming projection as viewed from above. [Figure 18] 13 is a plan view showing a modified example of the aerosol-forming projection as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 19] 11 is a plan view of the aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction. FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. [Figure 21] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the nebulizer kit. [Figure 22] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the nebulizer kit. [Diagram 23] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the nebulizer kit. [Figure 24] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the nebulizer kit. [Diagram 25] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the nebulizer kit. [Figure 26] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the nebulizer kit. [Figure 27] 13 is a plan view of an aerosol forming projection included in a nebulizer according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the atomization device of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0016] First Embodiment FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the atomization device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the nebulizer kit as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the nebulizer kit as viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the compressed air introduction tube. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper end of the compressed air introduction tube. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the compressed air introduction tube as viewed from the top. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cap. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cap as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cap as viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the cap as viewed from the bottom. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a modified aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a modified aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the negative side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the top. FIG. 18 is a plan view of a modified aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the top. Fig. 19 is a plan view of the aerosol-forming projection as viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction. Fig. 20 is a sectional perspective view of the cover. Figs. 21 to 26 are sectional views for explaining the operation of the nebulizer kit.

[0017] For ease of explanation, each figure shows three mutually orthogonal axes: the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. In the following, the direction along the X-axis will be referred to as the "X-axis direction," the direction along the Y-axis as the "Y-axis direction," and the direction along the Z-axis as the "Z-axis direction." The arrow side of each axis will also be referred to as the "plus side," and the opposite side as the "minus side." In particular, the Z-axis runs vertically, and the plus side of the Z-axis direction will also be referred to as the "upper" and the negative side as the "lower."

[0018] 4, the atomization device of this embodiment is applied to a nebulizer 10 that atomizes liquids such as water, saline, and medicinal liquids for treating bronchial diseases to generate aerosol AS. The aerosol AS generated by the nebulizer 10 is inhaled by the user through the mouth or nose and taken into the body.

[0019] Nebulizer 10 as a nebulization device has a main body 11, a nebulizer kit 20, a tube 13 which is a compressed air tube connecting main body 11 and nebulizer kit 20, and a mouthpiece 15 connected to nebulizer kit 20.

[0020] The main body 11 has a compressor 111 that sends out compressed air, and a control unit 112 that controls the operation of the compressor 111. The main body 11 also has an outlet 113 that discharges the compressed air sent out from the compressor 111. The pressure of the compressed air sent out from the compressor 111 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, about 50 KPa to 70 KPa. The flow rate of the compressed air sent out from the compressor 111 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, about 1.0 L to 2.0 L / min.

[0021] The tube 13 is flexible, and one end of the tube 13 is connected to the outlet 113, and the other end of the tube 13 is connected to the nebulizer kit 20. The compressed air sent out from the compressor 111 is introduced into the nebulizer kit 20 through the tube 13.

[0022] The mouthpiece 15 is connected to the upper end of the nebulizer kit 20 and is used for inhalation by the user. The mouthpiece 15 is detachable from the nebulizer kit 20 and may be either washed and reused or discarded after use. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 15 is an L-shaped tube bent midway, but the shape of the mouthpiece 15 is not particularly limited and may be changed as appropriate depending on the application.

[0023] Above was a brief explanation of each part of nebulizer 10 other than nebulizer kit 20. Next, nebulizer kit 20 will be explained in detail.

[0024] 5 and 6, it is recommended that nebulizer kit 20 be used in a position where its central axis J is aligned along the Z axis (vertical direction), specifically, where the inclination of central axis J with respect to the Z axis is 15° or less. However, the position of nebulizer kit 20 during use is not particularly limited.

[0025] The nebulizer kit 20 also has a case body 30 and a cap 60 provided inside the case body 30. The case body 30 also has a bottle 40 that constitutes the lower end side of the case body 30, and a cover 50 that constitutes the upper end side of the case body 30.

[0026] The nebulizer kit 20 is disassembled. Therefore, each part can be easily washed. Therefore, the hygiene of the nebulizer kit 20 can be easily maintained. As described later, the cap 60, which is a relatively small part, can be fixed to the cover 50, so that loss of parts during disassembly can be suppressed. The bottle 40, the cover 50, and the cap 60 will be described below in order.

[0027] <Bottle 40> As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the bottle 40 has a cylindrical tube portion 41, a compressed air introduction tube 43 provided in the tube portion 41, and a liquid storage portion 42 provided so as to surround the periphery of the compressed air introduction tube 43. The tube portion 41 is tapered so that the diameter increases toward the upper side, and has openings at both the upper and lower ends. In addition, a fitting hole (not shown) is formed at the upper end of the tube portion 41, and a fitting protrusion (not shown) of the cover 50 fits into this fitting hole, thereby attaching the cover 50 to the bottle 40. However, the method of attaching the cover 50 is not particularly limited, and may be configured to be attached by, for example, screwing, press-fitting, or the like.

[0028] The liquid storage section 42 temporarily stores liquid W, such as water, saline solution, medicine for curing bronchial diseases, or a vaccine. The liquid storage section 42 is provided inside the tube section 41 and divides the internal space of the tube section 41 into upper and lower sections. The liquid storage section 42 is also bowl-shaped facing upward and is inclined from the outer edge side toward the center so that the liquid W gathers in the center (around the compressed air introduction tube 43). With this configuration, the volume of the liquid W stored in the liquid storage section 42 can be maintained high, and a decrease in the amount of liquid W sprayed can be suppressed.

[0029] In particular, in this embodiment, the inclination of the central portion is stronger than the inclination of the outer edge portion, and the above-mentioned effect is more pronounced. Note that in this embodiment, the inclination angle of the outer edge portion with respect to the XY plane is about 20°, and the inclination angle of the central portion is about 60°. This allows the liquid W to be collected in the center of the liquid storage portion 42 even if the central axis J is inclined within the recommended range.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 7, the compressed air introduction tube 43 extends along the central axis J, penetrating the center of the liquid storage section 42. A protruding portion 430, which is a portion of the compressed air introduction tube 43 protruding from the liquid storage section 42, is cylindrical and tapers upward. An upper end surface 431 of the protruding portion 430 is perpendicular to the central axis J. A nozzle hole 431a is formed in the upper end surface 431 along the central axis J, communicating the inside and outside of the compressed air introduction tube 43. The area (space) directly above the nozzle hole 431a, that is, the outlet area of ​​the nozzle hole 431a, becomes the atomization area 70 that generates the aerosol AS.

[0031] Furthermore, the upper end surface 431 and the outer circumferential surface 432 are chamfered to form an inclined surface 433 therebetween. Therefore, the upper end surface 431 and the outer circumferential surface 432 are smoothly connected via the inclined surface 433.

[0032] As described below, when starting the operation of nebulizer 10, liquid W is held on upper end surface 431 and inclined surface 433. Therefore, in this embodiment, the surface roughness of upper end surface 431 and inclined surface 433 is made larger than the surface roughness of outer circumferential surface 432 to increase the ability to hold liquid W. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, fine irregularities are formed on the surfaces of upper end surface 431 and inclined surface 433 by, for example, graining or embossing, to increase the ability to hold liquid W.

[0033] Therefore, a larger amount of liquid W can be held on upper end surface 431 and inclined surface 433, and aerosol AS can be stably generated. Note that the same effect can be achieved by roughening the surfaces of upper end surface 431 and inclined surface 433 by polishing, for example. However, the configuration of upper end surface 431 and inclined surface 433 is not particularly limited, and they may be flat surfaces with substantially no unevenness formed thereon.

[0034] 7, the tube 13 is connected to the lower end of the compressed air introduction pipe 43. Then, the compressed air introduced from the compressor 111 into the compressed air introduction pipe 43 via the tube 13 is forcefully ejected out of the compressed air introduction pipe 43 from the nozzle hole 431a.

[0035] 9, nozzle hole 431a is oval-shaped (small coin-shaped) and extends along the X-axis direction. The oval shape refers to a shape in which both ends of two semicircular arcs are connected by a straight line or a shape similar thereto. By forming nozzle hole 431a in an elongated shape extending in the X-axis direction in this way, it becomes easier to tolerate positional deviation (particularly positional deviation in the X-axis direction) of cap 60 with respect to nozzle hole 431a caused by manufacturing errors (individual differences) of each part of nebulizer kit 20. Therefore, it is difficult to be affected by manufacturing errors and aerosol AS can be stably generated.

[0036] However, the shape of the nozzle hole 431a is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an oval, ellipse, rectangle, etc. extending along the X-axis direction. Also, the nozzle hole 431a may be a shape such as a circle, a square, etc., whose lengths in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are equal, that is, a shape that is not elongated.

[0037] Such a bottle 40 is a resin molded product in which each part is integrally molded using various resin materials such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), PC (polycarbonate), PPA (polyphthalamide), POM (polyoxymethylene), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PP (polypropylene), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), etc. However, the constituent material of the bottle 40 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, various metal materials such as aluminum and stainless steel, or various ceramics such as alumina and titania.

[0038] Furthermore, the bottle 40 is optically transparent, and the liquid W stored in the liquid storage section 42 can be visually confirmed from outside the bottle 40. With such a configuration, the user can easily check the remaining amount of liquid W stored in the liquid storage section 42, and can appropriately determine the end of suction. However, this is not limited to this, and the bottle 40 does not have to be optically transparent. Also, for example, the bottle 40 may be configured so that only a portion of it is optically transparent, so that the remaining amount of liquid W stored in the liquid storage section 42 can be confirmed.

[0039] <Cap 60> As shown in Figure 10, the cap 60 has a tubular portion 61, a bulging portion 62 that bulges upward from the upper end of the tubular portion 61, an aerosol forming protrusion 63 that protrudes from an end surface 620 of the bulging portion 62, a pair of legs 641, 642 extending from the tubular portion 61, and a suction flow path 69 that sucks up the liquid W in the liquid storage portion 42 up to the upper end surface 431.

[0040] 11 and 12, the tube portion 61 is cylindrical and tapers downward, and covers the protruding portion 430 of the compressed air introduction tube 43. The inner peripheral surface of the tube portion 61 has a shape following the outer peripheral surface 432 of the protruding portion 430. A step 619 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tube portion 61, and the portion above the step 619 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 430, thereby positioning the cap 60 coaxially with respect to the protruding portion 430. The tube portion 61 is shorter than the protruding portion 430, and the upper end of the protruding portion 430 protrudes from the upper opening of the tube portion 61.

[0041] 13, six protrusions 68 protruding from the inner peripheral surface toward the center are provided at equal intervals at the lower end of the tube portion 61. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, each of these protrusions 68 abuts against the outer peripheral surface 432 of the protruding portion 430, thereby suppressing the inclination of the cap 60 with respect to the protruding portion 430.

[0042] 11 and 12, the bulging portion 62 bulges upward from the upper end of the tube portion 61 and is placed on the upper end surface 431. In this manner, the bulging portion 62 is placed on the upper end surface 431, whereby the cap 60 is positioned with respect to the compressed air introduction tube 43. The bulging portion 62 has a half truncated cone shape, that is, a shape like a truncated cone cut in half vertically, and is provided on the negative side of the X-axis direction with respect to the central axis J. Therefore, the bulging portion 62 has an end surface 620 facing the positive side in the X-axis direction, that is, toward the nozzle hole 431a side.

[0043] Moreover, the bulging portion 62 is provided so as not to overlap with the nozzle hole 431a. Therefore, the nozzle hole 431a is not blocked by the bulging portion 62, and a predetermined amount of compressed air is stably ejected from the nozzle hole 431a. However, this is not limited thereto, and for example, the bulging portion 62 may block a part of the nozzle hole 431a.

[0044] Further, aerosol forming projection 63 protrudes from the center of end surface 620 of bulging portion 62 toward the positive side in the X-axis direction, that is, toward nozzle hole 431a. The size of aerosol forming projection 63 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, a height (length in the Z-axis direction) of about 0.1 mm to 2 mm, a width (length in the Y-axis direction) of about 1 mm to 5 mm, and a length (length in the X-axis direction) of about 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0045] 14, the aerosol forming projection 63 is provided in the atomization region 70 and overlaps with about half of the nozzle hole 431a in a plan view from the Z-axis direction. The aerosol forming projection 63 has a tapered shape in which the thickness (length in the Z-axis direction) gradually decreases from the base end side to the tip end side, and has a tip surface 631, a lower inclined surface 632 connected to the lower side of the tip surface 631, and an upper inclined surface 633 connected to the upper side of the tip surface 631.

[0046] The tip surface 631 is configured as a flat surface inclined about the Y axis of the YZ plane so as to face slightly upward. In other words, the tip surface 631 is a flat inclined surface that approaches the end surface 620 as it approaches the upper side. However, the configuration of the tip surface 631 is not particularly limited, and may face straight to the side or downward, for example. The tip surface 631 may also be a curved surface. The tip surface 631 may also be omitted.

[0047] The lower inclined surface 632 is configured as a flat surface inclined about the Y axis from the YZ plane so as to face downward (toward the nozzle hole 431a). That is, the lower inclined surface 632 is a flat inclined surface that faces the end surface 620 as it faces downward. The inclination angle of the lower inclined surface 632 with respect to the X axis is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 29° to 50°. This makes it easier for the liquid W on the upper end surface 431 to move along the lower inclined surface 632 to the upper inclined surface 633, as described later. However, the configuration of the lower inclined surface 632 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a configuration in which a plurality of flat surfaces facing different directions are connected as shown in FIG.

[0048] In contrast, the upper inclined surface 633 is a concave surface formed by further recessing a flat surface obtained by inclining the YZ plane around the Y axis so as to face upward. That is, the upper inclined surface 633 is a concave inclined surface that faces the end surface 620 as it faces upward. In particular, the upper inclined surface 633 of this embodiment is a concave surface curved in an arc shape as a whole. By making it arc-shaped, the configuration of the upper inclined surface 633 is simplified. However, the configuration of the upper inclined surface 633 is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, a concave surface formed by connecting a plurality of flat surfaces with different orientations, as shown in FIG. 16. The upper inclined surface 633 may also be a flat surface.

[0049] 17, the tip 630 of the aerosol-forming projection 63 is curved in an arc shape in plan view from the Z-axis direction. However, this is not limited thereto, and for example, the tip 630 of the aerosol-forming projection 63 may be straight as shown in FIG.

[0050] 11 and 13, the suction flow passage 69 has a first suction flow passage 691 formed in the tube portion 61 and a second suction flow passage 692 formed in the bulging portion 62. A groove 612 extending from the lower end to the upper end is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tube portion 61, and the first suction flow passage 691 is formed from a gap between this groove 612 and the outer peripheral surface 432 of the compressed air introduction tube 43. Similarly, a groove 622 extending from the upper end of the first suction flow passage 691 to the end face 620 is provided on the inner surface of the bulging portion 62, and the second suction flow passage 692 is formed from a gap between this groove 622 and the outer peripheral surface 432 of the compressed air introduction tube 43.

[0051] 13, the second suction flow path 692 branches into two on the way from the upper end of the first suction flow path 691 toward the end face 620. Then, each of the branches opens at the end face 620 of the bulging portion 62, forming a pair of discharge ports 671, 672 at the end face 620. Therefore, the liquid W sucked up from the liquid storage portion 42 through the suction flow path 69 is discharged from each of the discharge ports 671, 672 and supplied to the atomization region 70.

[0052] The volume of the suction passage 69 is not particularly limited and may vary depending on the material of the cap 60 and the surface roughness of the grooves 612 and 622. For example, the volume of the suction passage 69 may be 50 mm 3 ~200mm 3 The larger the volume of the suction flow passage 69, the greater the amount of aerosol AS sprayed (amount produced), and the larger the particle size of the liquid W contained in the aerosol AS tends to be. Conversely, the smaller the volume of the suction flow passage 69, the smaller the amount of aerosol AS sprayed (amount produced), and the smaller the particle size of the liquid W contained in the aerosol AS tends to be. Therefore, by adjusting the volume of the suction flow passage 69 depending on the purpose of use, it is possible to produce an appropriate amount and particle size of aerosol AS.

[0053] 19, a pair of outlets 671, 672 are located on both sides of the aerosol forming projection 63. Furthermore, outlets 671, 672 each have lower end portions 671a, 672a aligned with tip surface 631 and lower inclined surface 632, and upper end portions 671b, 672b aligned with upper inclined surface 633, in plan view from the X-axis.

[0054] In plan view from the X-axis direction, the lower ends 671a, 672a have a constant width (length in the Y-axis direction) and extend straight up and down. In contrast, the upper ends 671b, 672b are wider toward the upper inclined surface 633 than the lower ends 671a, 672a, and are also open on the upper inclined surface 633. In other words, the upper ends 671b, 672b are formed across the end surface 620 and the upper inclined surface 633. In addition, the upper ends 671b, 672b have a right-angled trapezoid shape with rounded corners in plan view from the X-axis direction.

[0055] In the cap 60, the liquid W sucked up from the liquid storage section 42 by the suction flow path 69 is supplied to the atomization region 70 from the pair of discharge ports 671, 672. Then, the liquid W supplied to the atomization region 70 collides with the compressed air ejected from the nozzle hole 431a and is blown away, generating the aerosol AS.

[0056] The cap 60 has a pair of guide parts 661, 662 that are provided protruding from the end face 620 toward the positive side in the X-axis direction and are located on both sides of the aerosol forming projection 63. The guide part 661 is provided so as to sandwich the discharge port 671 between the guide part 661 and the aerosol forming projection 63, and the guide part 662 is provided so as to sandwich the discharge port 672 between the guide part 661 and the aerosol forming projection 63. The guide part 661 has a guide surface 661a facing the aerosol forming projection 63, and the guide part 662 has a guide surface 662a facing the aerosol forming projection 63. The guide surfaces 661a, 662a are provided so as to be inclined so as to have a tapered shape in which the distance between them increases with increasing distance from the end face 620.

[0057] The guide surfaces 661a, 662a configured in this manner can guide the liquid W discharged from the discharge ports 671, 672 to the upper end surface 431. Therefore, the liquid W can be stably supplied to the upper end surface 431. Furthermore, the guide surfaces 661a, 662a can straighten the compressed air ejected from the nozzle hole 431a. Therefore, the aerosol AS can be generated more stably.

[0058] The cap 60 is a resin molded product in which each part is integrally molded with various resin materials such as ABS, PC, PPA, POM, PMMA, PP, PBT, etc., like the bottle 40. However, the material of the cap 60 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, various metal materials such as aluminum and stainless steel, or various ceramics such as alumina and titania.

[0059] <Cover 50> The cover 50 is attached to the bottle 40 so as to cover the atomization region 70. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the cover 50 has a base 51 attached to the bottle 40, a flow path forming portion 52 extending vertically through the base 51, and an aerosol discharge portion 53 and a liquid return portion 54 protruding upward from the flow path forming portion 52. The mouthpiece 15 is connected to the aerosol discharge portion 53.

[0060] The base 51 is disk-shaped. A fitting protrusion (not shown) is provided on the side of the base 51, and the cover 50 is attached to the bottle 40 by fitting the fitting protrusion into a fitting hole (not shown) of the bottle 40. The base 51 also has a recess 511 that opens on the upper surface. The recess 511 also has an outside air introduction hole 511a that communicates between the inside and the outside of the cover 50. Outside air is introduced into the case body 30 through the outside air introduction hole 511a. Here, in this embodiment, a flow path forming portion 52 is provided penetrating the center of the recess 511. Therefore, a pair of outside air introduction holes 511a are provided on both sides of the flow path forming portion 52 in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, outside air can be introduced into the case body 30 in a balanced manner from both sides of the flow path forming portion 52.

[0061] The flow path forming part 52 is provided so as to vertically penetrate the center part of the recessed part 511. The flow path forming part 52 is tubular with a closed top end and a bottom, and its lower opening is located directly above the atomization region 70. That is, in a plan view from the Z-axis direction, the lower opening of the flow path forming part 52 overlaps with the atomization region 70. The flow path forming part 52 forms a flow path that guides the aerosol AS generated in the atomization region 70 located directly below it to the aerosol discharge part 53 located above it.

[0062] The internal space of the flow passage forming part 52 is a rectangle extending in the X-axis direction in a cross-sectional view from the Z-axis direction. The internal space is tapered such that the cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the upper side. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the width Dy of the internal space of the flow passage forming part 52 in the Y-axis direction gradually decreases slightly toward the upper side. As shown in FIG. 5, the width Dx of the internal space of the flow passage forming part 52 in the X-axis direction gradually decreases toward the upper side at a rate of change greater than that of the width Dy. In this way, by making the flow passage forming part 52 tapered, the aerosol AS generated in the atomization region 70 can be smoothly guided to the aerosol discharge part 53.

[0063] The flow path forming portion 52 has a ceiling portion 522 constituting the ceiling portion thereof, and a first side wall portion 523, a second side wall portion 524, a third side wall portion 525, and a fourth side wall portion 526 constituting the side wall portion. The first side wall portion 523 is located on the positive side of the ceiling portion 522 in the X axis direction, the second side wall portion 524 is located on the negative side of the ceiling portion 522 in the X axis direction, the third side wall portion 525 is located on the positive side of the ceiling portion 522 in the Y axis direction, and the fourth side wall portion 526 is located on the negative side of the ceiling portion 522 in the Y axis direction.

[0064] An inner surface 522a of the ceiling portion 522 is formed of a single flat surface along the XY plane. Also, inner surfaces 525a, 526a of the third and fourth side walls 525, 526 are each formed of a single flat surface whose XZ plane is slightly inclined around the X axis.

[0065] 6, mounting portions 591, 592 to which the cap 60 is attached are provided at the lower ends of the third and fourth side walls 525, 526. The cap 60 is attached to the cover 50 by engaging the mounting portions 591, 592 with engagement protrusions 641a, 642a provided at the tips of the legs 641, 642 of the cap 60.

[0066] In this way, by attaching the cap 60 to the cover 50, the cap 60 and the cover 50 can be attached to the bottle 40 together. This makes it easy to assemble the nebulizer kit 20. In addition, since the cap 60 can only be placed on the compressed air introduction tube 43 in a predetermined direction, it is possible to prevent the cap 60 from being attached incorrectly. As shown in FIG. 10, the engagement protrusions 641a and 642a provided at the tip portions of the legs 641 and 642 have different shapes. Accordingly, the mounting portion 591 is shaped so that only the engagement protrusion 641a can be engaged, and the mounting portion 592 is shaped so that only the engagement protrusion 642a can be engaged. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the cap 60 from being attached to the cover 50 in the opposite direction.

[0067] 5 and 20, the inner surface of the first side wall portion 523 has a plurality of flat surfaces that face in different directions. The inner surface of the first side wall portion 523 has five flat surfaces, specifically, a first flat surface 523a located at the lowest side, a second flat surface 523b connected to the upper end of the first flat surface 523a, a third flat surface 523c connected to the upper end of the second flat surface 523b, a fourth flat surface 523d ​​connected to the upper end of the third flat surface 523c, and a fifth flat surface 523e connected to the upper end of the fourth flat surface 523d.

[0068] The first to fifth flat surfaces 523a to 523e are all flat surfaces inclined around the Y-axis from the YZ plane, and face downward. The inclination angles (hereinafter also simply referred to as "inclination angles θ1") with respect to the Z-axis increase in order from the first flat surface 523a to the fourth flat surface 523d. That is, the inclination angle θ1 of the second flat surface 523b is larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the first flat surface 523a, the inclination angle θ1 of the third flat surface 523c is larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the second flat surface 523b, and the inclination angle θ1 of the fourth flat surface 523d ​​is larger than the inclination angle θ1 of the third flat surface 523c. In contrast, the inclination angle θ1 of the fifth flat surface 523e is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the fourth flat surface 523d. In particular, in this embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the fifth flat surface 523e is approximately the same as the inclination angle θ1 of the first flat surface 523a, and is smaller than the inclination angles θ1 of the second, third and fourth flat surfaces 523b, 523c and 523d.

[0069] The inclination angle θ1 of the first to fifth flat surfaces 523a to 523e is appropriately set so that the aerosol AS generated in the atomization region 70 can be efficiently transported to the aerosol discharge section 53. Specifically, the inclination angle θ1 is appropriately set so that the aerosol AS flows smoothly along the first to fifth flat surfaces 523a to 523e toward the aerosol discharge section 53, or the aerosol AS colliding with the first to fifth flat surfaces 523a to 523e bounces back toward the aerosol discharge section 53. In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the first flat surface 523a is set to about 10°, the inclination angle θ1 of the second flat surface 523b is set to about 30°, the inclination angle θ1 of the third flat surface 523c is set to about 45°, the inclination angle θ1 of the fourth flat surface 523d ​​is set to about 60°, and the inclination angle θ1 of the fifth flat surface 523e is set to about 10°.

[0070] In this way, since the inner surface of the first side wall portion 523 has a plurality of flat surfaces (first to fifth flat surfaces 523a to 523e) with different attitudes, the aerosol AS can be caused to collide appropriately with the inner surface of the first side wall portion 523, for example, to an extent that does not hinder the flow to the aerosol discharge portion 53. Then, due to this collision, the liquid W having a relatively large particle size contained in the aerosol AS adheres to the inner surface of the first side wall portion 523 and is removed from the aerosol AS. Therefore, a good quality aerosol AS with a small average particle size can be generated.

[0071] Similarly to the first side wall portion 523, the inner surface of the second side wall portion 524 also has a plurality of flat surfaces facing in different directions. The second side wall portion 524 has three flat surfaces, specifically, a first flat surface 524a located at the lowest position, a second flat surface 524b connected to an upper end of the first flat surface 524a, and a third flat surface 524c connected to an upper end of the second flat surface 524b.

[0072] The first flat surface 524a is a flat surface along the YZ plane. The second and third flat surfaces 524b and 524c are flat surfaces inclined from the YZ plane around the Y axis and face downward. The inclination angle (hereinafter also simply referred to as "inclination angle θ2") with respect to the Z axis increases in order from the first flat surface 524a to the third flat surface 524c. That is, the inclination angle θ2 of the second flat surface 524b is larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the first flat surface 524a, and the inclination angle θ2 of the third flat surface 524c is larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the second flat surface 524b.

[0073] The inclination angle θ2 of the first to third flat surfaces 524a to 524c is appropriately set so that the aerosol AS generated in the atomization region 70 can be efficiently transported to the aerosol discharge section 53. Specifically, the inclination angle θ2 is appropriately set so that the aerosol AS flows smoothly along the first to third flat surfaces 524a to 524c toward the aerosol discharge section 53, or the aerosol AS colliding with the first to third flat surfaces 524a to 524c bounces back toward the aerosol discharge section 53. In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ2 of the first flat surface 524a is set to about 0°, the inclination angle θ2 of the second flat surface 524b is set to about 10°, and the inclination angle θ2 of the third flat surface 524c is set to about 45°.

[0074] In this way, since the inner surface of the second side wall portion 524 has a plurality of flat surfaces (first to third flat surfaces 524a to 524c) with different attitudes, for example, the aerosol AS can be caused to collide appropriately with the inner surface of the first side wall portion 523 to an extent that does not hinder the flow to the aerosol discharge portion 53. Then, due to the collision, the liquid W having a relatively large particle size contained in the aerosol AS adheres to the inner surface of the first side wall portion 523 and is removed from the aerosol AS. Therefore, a good quality aerosol AS with a small average particle size can be generated.

[0075] The aerosol discharge part 53 is provided to protrude upward from the flow path forming part 52. The aerosol discharge part 53 has a cylindrical shape extending in the Z-axis direction, and has an aerosol discharge port 530 at its upper end for discharging the aerosol AS to the outside of the case body 30.

[0076] The lower end of the aerosol discharge section 53 overlaps with the inner surface 522a, the fifth flat surface 523e, and the fourth flat surface 523d ​​of the ceiling section 522. Among these, the inner surface 522a and the fifth flat surface 523e are provided so as to intersect with the side wall portion of the aerosol discharge section 53, and the fourth flat surface 523d ​​is provided so as to intersect with the lower opening of the aerosol discharge section 53. The flow path forming section 52 has a first communication hole 59 formed across the inner surface 522a and the fifth flat surface 523e and communicating with the inside of the aerosol discharge section 53 via the side wall portion of the aerosol discharge section 53. Therefore, the aerosol AS generated in the atomization region 70 is introduced into the aerosol discharge section 53 through the first communication hole 59 from the flow path forming section 52, and is further discharged to the outside of the case body 30 from the aerosol discharge port 530. With this configuration, the aerosol AS can be smoothly guided to the aerosol discharge section 53. Therefore, retention of the aerosol AS within the cover 50 can be suppressed.

[0077] Here, the fourth flat surface 523d ​​does not have the first communication hole 59. The fourth flat surface 523d ​​also blocks at least a part of the lower opening of the aerosol discharge part 53. In this embodiment, the lower opening is entirely blocked. The fourth flat surface 523d ​​is located above the atomization region 70 and is provided to face the atomization region 70, so that it is easy to contact with the aerosol AS. Such a fourth flat surface 523d ​​functions as a sorting part 500 that sorts particles of the liquid W contained in the aerosol AS (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "particles"). Specifically, relatively large particles (for example, particles with a particle size of 10 μm or more) are attached to the fourth flat surface 523d ​​and removed from the aerosol AS. This allows a high-quality aerosol AS with a small average particle size to be supplied to the user.

[0078] The liquid W attached to the fourth flat surface 523d ​​repeatedly combines with the surrounding liquid W to gradually become larger droplets, which are then dropped back into the liquid storage section 42 and become the aerosol AS again in the atomization region 70. In particular, since the fourth flat surface 523d ​​is an inclined surface, the liquid W naturally gathers at the lower end of the fourth flat surface 523d ​​by its own weight, and quickly becomes large droplets at that portion and naturally falls into the liquid storage section 42. Therefore, the liquid W attached to the fourth flat surface 523d ​​can be efficiently collected. In other words, the liquid W remaining on the fourth flat surface 523d ​​without being used for suction can be reduced. Therefore, an appropriate amount of liquid W can be suctioned.

[0079] However, the configuration of the fourth flat surface 523d ​​is not particularly limited. For example, like the upper end surface 431 of the compressed air introduction tube 43 described above, fine irregularities may be formed by graining, embossing, or the like. In other words, the surface roughness may be greater than that of other inner surfaces of the flow path forming part 52. With such a configuration, the particle size of the particles to be attached to the fourth flat surface 523d ​​can be adjusted, and the sorting function is further improved. Also, for example, the first communication hole 59 may be formed to extend over a part of the fourth flat surface 523d.

[0080] The liquid returning section 54 has a function of returning the liquid W attached to the aerosol discharging section 53 to the liquid storing section 42. By providing such a liquid returning section 54, the liquid W is less likely to remain in the nebulizer kit 20, and the user can inhale an appropriate amount of liquid W.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 20, the liquid return section 54 is provided so as to protrude upward from the flow path forming section 52. The liquid return section 54 is arranged in line with the aerosol discharge section 53 in the X-axis direction and is provided in contact with the side wall of the aerosol discharge section 53. The liquid return section 54 has a second communication hole 57 that communicates with the inside of the aerosol discharge section 53 through the side wall of the aerosol discharge section 53. The liquid return section 54 is provided so as to overlap with the third flat surface 523c of the flow path forming section 52. The flow path forming section 52 has a third communication hole 56 in the third flat surface 523c that communicates with the inside of the liquid return section 54 through the bottom of the liquid return section 54. Therefore, the liquid W in the aerosol discharge section 53 is returned to the liquid storage section 42 through the second communication hole 57 and the third communication hole 56. With this configuration, the liquid W attached to the aerosol discharge portion 53 can be easily returned to the liquid storage portion .

[0082] In particular, the liquid W can be returned to the liquid storage section 42 via a recovery route R2 (a route from the aerosol discharge section 53 returning to the liquid storage section 42 through the second communication hole 57 and the third communication hole 56) which is different from the discharge route R1 for discharging the aerosol AS (a route from the flow path forming section 52 toward the aerosol discharge section 53 through the first communication hole 59). Therefore, the aerosol AS heading toward the aerosol discharge section 53 and the liquid W returning to the liquid storage section 42 are less likely to collide or interfere with each other. This enables smooth discharge of the aerosol AS from the aerosol discharge port 530 and smooth recovery of the liquid W into the liquid storage section 42.

[0083] In particular, in this embodiment, the first communication hole 59 and the second communication hole 57 are located on opposite sides to each other with respect to the center of the aerosol discharge portion 53. Specifically, the first communication hole 59 is located on the negative side of the center in the X-axis direction, and the second communication hole 57 is located on the positive side of the X-axis direction. Therefore, the discharge route R1 and the recovery route R2 can be formed on opposite sides to each other. Therefore, the above-mentioned effect becomes more remarkable, and the aerosol AS can be discharged more smoothly from the aerosol discharge port 530 and the liquid W can be recovered more smoothly into the liquid storage portion 42.

[0084] Further, the aerosol discharge part 53 has a guide part 532 that guides the liquid W in the aerosol discharge part 53 to the second communication hole 57. The guide part 532 has a guide surface 532a that is inclined toward the second communication hole 57. Therefore, the liquid W that adheres to the inner surface of the aerosol discharge part 53 and hangs down can be received by the guide surface 532a, and further guided to the second communication hole 57 by the guide surface 532a. By having such a guide part 532, it is possible to return more liquid W in the aerosol discharge part 53 to the liquid storage part 42 with a simple configuration.

[0085] In particular, in this embodiment, the guide portion 532 and the sorting portion 500 are used together, and the upper surface thereof serves as the guide surface 532a and the lower surface thereof serves as the fourth flat surface 523d. With this configuration, the configuration of the cover 50 is simplified, and the cover 50 can be made smaller.

[0086] In addition, since the liquid return section 54 is in communication with the flow path forming section 52 through the third communication hole 56, there is a risk that the aerosol AS in the flow path forming section 52 may be introduced into the liquid return section 54 through the third communication hole 56, and further into the aerosol discharge section 53 through the second communication hole 57. Therefore, the liquid return section 54 has a restricting section 541 that restricts the aerosol AS from being introduced into the aerosol discharge section 53 through the second communication hole 57. By providing such a restricting section 541, it is possible to effectively prevent the aerosol AS from flowing back through the recovery route R2 and being introduced into the aerosol discharge section 53. Therefore, it is possible to discharge a high-quality aerosol AS. In addition, interference with the liquid W moving through the recovery route R2 is suppressed, and the liquid W can be smoothly returned to the liquid storage section 42.

[0087] The restricting portion 541 has a guide surface 541a that is provided on the ceiling of the liquid return portion 54 and guides the aerosol AS introduced into the liquid return portion 54 through the third communication hole 56 to the third communication hole 56. The guide surface 541a is formed of a concave surface that is concave upward in a cross-sectional view from the Y-axis direction, and is curved in a semicircular arc shape. With such a guide surface 541a, the aerosol AS introduced into the liquid return portion 54 through the third communication hole 56 can be made to make a U-turn and be directed toward the third communication hole 56 with a simple configuration and more reliably. Therefore, the aerosol AS can be more effectively prevented from flowing backward through the recovery route R2 and being introduced into the aerosol discharge portion 53. Furthermore, the movement of the liquid W in the aerosol discharge portion 53 is promoted by being attracted to the airflow generated by the aerosol AS that makes a U-turn at the guide surface 541a and returns to the flow path forming portion 52 through the vicinity of the second communication hole 57. Therefore, the liquid W can be smoothly returned to the liquid storage portion 42.

[0088] Similarly to the above-described sorting unit 500, the restricting unit 541 also functions as a sorting unit that sorts out particles contained in the aerosol AS. Specifically, relatively large particles (for example, particles with a particle size of 10 μm or more) are adhered to the guide surface 541a and removed from the aerosol AS. Therefore, even if a part of the aerosol AS flows back through the recovery route R2 and is introduced into the aerosol discharge unit 53, the deterioration of the quality of the aerosol caused by this can be suppressed. The liquid W that has adhered to the guide surface 541a repeatedly combines with the surrounding liquid W to gradually become larger droplets, which are then dropped back into the liquid storage unit 42 and become the aerosol AS again in the atomization region 70.

[0089] The cover 50 is a resin molded product in which each part is integrally molded with various resin materials such as ABS, PC, PPA, POM, PMMA, PP, PBT, etc., like the bottle 40 and the cap 60. However, the material of the cover 50 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, various metal materials such as aluminum and stainless steel, or various ceramics such as alumina and titania.

[0090] Above, we have described the configuration of nebulizer kit 20. Next, we will explain the operation of nebulizer kit 20.

[0091] First, the cover 50 is removed, and the liquid W is supplied to the liquid storage section 42. At this time, it is preferable to supply the liquid W so that it comes into contact with the upper end surface 431 of the compressed air introduction tube 43. As a result, a part of the liquid W is held on the upper end surface 431 and the inclined surface 433, as shown in FIG.

[0092] Next, the cover 50 with the cap 60 attached is attached to the bottle 40. As a result, the cap 60 covers the compressed air introduction tube 43, and a part of the liquid W held on the upper end surface 431 and the inclined surface 433 flows around into the suction flow path 69 and reaches the liquid storage section 42, and the liquid W reaches the upper end surface 431 by capillary action. As a result, as shown in FIG. 22, the liquid W stored in the liquid storage section 42 can be sucked up to the atomization region 70 before the compressed air is ejected from the nozzle hole 431a.

[0093] Next, compressed air is introduced from the compressor 111 into the compressed air introduction pipe 43. Then, as shown in FIG. 23, the compressed air is ejected from the nozzle hole 431a of the compressed air introduction pipe 43 toward the atomization region 70. Then, as shown in FIG. 24, the liquid W held on the upper end surface 431 reaches the surface of the aerosol-forming projection 63, that is, the upper inclined surface 633 along the lower inclined surface 632 and the tip surface 631, and is held on the upper inclined surface 633 in a thin film shape. In particular, since the aerosol-forming projection 63 has the lower inclined surface 632, a liquid pool W0 is formed between the lower inclined surface 632 and the upper end surface 431, and the liquid W is easily moved to the upper inclined surface 633. In addition, when the compressed air collides with the tip of the aerosol forming projection 63, the space between the aerosol forming projection 63 and the upper end surface 431 becomes negative pressure, and the effect of this negative pressure also makes it easier for the liquid W to move to the upper inclined surface 633.

[0094] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 25, the film-like liquid W held on the upper inclined surface 633 is blown away by collision with the compressed air, and is broken into fine droplets (mist particles). Then, the fine droplets are given the outside air introduced into the case body 30 from the outside air introduction hole 511a, and the aerosol AS is generated. In particular, since the upper inclined surface 633 is concave, an appropriate amount of liquid W can be stably held on the upper inclined surface 633. Also, since the aerosol forming projection 63 overlaps a part of the nozzle hole 431a, the compressed air ejected from the nozzle hole 431a can be more reliably collided with the liquid W held on the upper inclined surface 633. Therefore, the aerosol AS can be stably generated.

[0095] During the generation of the aerosol AS, the suction flow passage 69 continues to suck up the liquid W in the liquid storage section 42 due to the negative pressure and capillary phenomenon described above. Then, a part of the sucked up liquid W is supplied to the upper end surface 431 from the lower ends 671a, 672a of the discharge ports 671, 672, and then flows down the surface of the aerosol forming projection 63 to reach the upper inclined surface 633. In particular, since the discharge ports 671, 672 are provided on both sides of the aerosol forming projection 63, the liquid W is supplied in a balanced manner without excess or deficiency around the aerosol forming projection 63, and is easily moved to the upper inclined surface 633. In addition, a part of the remaining liquid is directly supplied to the upper inclined surface 633 from the upper ends 671b, 672b of the discharge ports 671, 672. In this way, by providing a plurality of routes for supplying the liquid W to the upper inclined surface 633, the liquid W can be stably supplied to the upper inclined surface 633. Therefore, the aerosol AS can be stably generated.

[0096] As described above, the tip 630 of the aerosol forming projection 63 is curved in an arc shape. Therefore, the compressed air diffuses radially along the tip 630, and the aerosol AS also diffuses accordingly. Therefore, it is possible to suppress aggregation of particles contained in the aerosol AS.

[0097] 26, the aerosol AS thus generated rides on an airflow formed based on the compressed air ejected from the nozzle hole 431a or the user's exhalation, is introduced into the aerosol discharge part 53 through the flow path forming part 52, and is discharged from the aerosol discharge port 530. The aerosol AS discharged from the aerosol discharge port 530 is then supplied into the user's body via the mouthpiece 15. At this time, the aerosol AS flows smoothly along the inner surface of the flow path forming part 52 toward the aerosol discharge port 530, and on the way there, the particles in the aerosol AS are selected by the sorting part 500 and the regulating part 541, and a high-quality aerosol AS with a small average particle size is discharged from the aerosol discharge port 530.

[0098] The operation of the nebulizer kit 20 has been described above. With such a nebulizer kit 20, it is not necessary to collide compressed air with a baffle, as in the conventionally known baffle-type nebulizer. Therefore, the operating noise can be reduced compared to the baffle-type nebulizer. Also, the pressure of the compressed air can be reduced compared to the baffle-type nebulizer, and accordingly, a small compressor 111 with a low output can be used. Therefore, the main body 11 can be made smaller and quieter, and accordingly, the nebulizer 10 as a whole can be made smaller and quieter.

[0099] The above describes the nebulizer 10. As described above, the nebulizer 10 includes the compressed air introduction tube 43 having the nozzle hole 431a for ejecting compressed air in the upper end surface 431, and the outlet region of the nozzle hole 431a becomes the atomization region 70 for generating the aerosol AS, the liquid storage section 42 that is provided to surround the compressed air introduction tube 43 and stores the liquid W, the cap 60 that is placed on the compressed air introduction tube 43 and sucks up the liquid W from the liquid storage section 42 and supplies it to the atomization region 70, and the cover 50 that covers the atomization region 70. The cover 50 includes an aerosol discharge section 53 having an aerosol discharge port 530 for discharging the aerosol AS, a flow path forming section 52 that forms a flow path that leads the aerosol AS to the aerosol discharge section 53, and a liquid return section 54 that returns the liquid W that has been introduced into the aerosol discharge section 53 as the aerosol AS and that has adhered to the aerosol discharge section 53 to the liquid storage section 42. According to this configuration, the liquid W in the aerosol discharge portion 53 is collected in the liquid storage portion 42 via the liquid return portion 54. Therefore, the liquid W is unlikely to remain in the nebulizer kit 20, and an appropriate amount of the liquid W can be aspirated.

[0100] As described above, the aerosol discharge section 53 is cylindrical and protrudes upward from the flow path forming section 52, and the flow path forming section 52 has a first communication hole 59 that communicates with the inside of the aerosol discharge section 53 via the side wall of the aerosol discharge section 53. The aerosol AS is introduced from the flow path forming section 52 to the aerosol discharge section 53 via the first communication hole 59. With this configuration, the aerosol AS generated in the atomization region 70 can be smoothly guided from the flow path forming section 52 to the aerosol discharge section 53 via the first communication hole 59. This makes it possible to suppress retention of the aerosol AS in the cover.

[0101] As described above, the liquid return section 54 is disposed on the upper side of the flow path forming section 52 in contact with the aerosol discharge section 53, and has a second communication hole 57 that communicates with the inside of the aerosol discharge section 53 through the side wall of the aerosol discharge section 53. The flow path forming section 52 also has a third communication hole 56 that communicates with the inside of the liquid return section 54 through the bottom of the liquid return section 54. The liquid W that adheres to the aerosol discharge section 53 is returned to the liquid storage section 42 through the second communication hole 57 and the third communication hole 56. With this configuration, the liquid W that adheres to the aerosol discharge section 53 can be easily returned to the liquid storage section 42. In particular, since the liquid W can be returned to the liquid storage section 42 through a recovery route different from the discharge route that discharges the aerosol AS, the aerosol AS heading toward the aerosol discharge port 530 and the liquid W heading toward the liquid storage section 42 are unlikely to collide or interfere with each other. Therefore, the aerosol AS can be smoothly discharged from the aerosol outlet 530 and the liquid W can be smoothly collected in the liquid storage section 42.

[0102] As described above, the first communication hole 59 and the second communication hole 57 are located on opposite sides of the central axis of the aerosol discharge section 53. In this embodiment, the first communication hole 59 is located on the negative side of the center in the X-axis direction, and the second communication hole 57 is located on the positive side of the X-axis direction. This allows the discharge route for discharging the aerosol AS and the recovery route for recovering the liquid to be separated by a larger distance. This allows for smoother discharge of the aerosol AS from the aerosol discharge port 530 and smoother recovery of the liquid W into the liquid storage section 42.

[0103] As described above, the nebulizer kit 20 has the guide portion 532 that guides the liquid W in the aerosol discharge portion 53 to the second communication hole 57. Therefore, more liquid W in the aerosol discharge portion 53 can be returned to the liquid storage portion 42.

[0104] As described above, the liquid return section 54 has a restriction section that restricts the introduction of the aerosol AS into the aerosol discharge section 53 via the second communication hole 57. This makes it difficult for the aerosol AS to flow back through the recovery route and be introduced into the aerosol discharge section 53. This reduces interference with the liquid W moving through the recovery route, allowing the liquid W to be smoothly recovered in the liquid storage section 42.

[0105] As described above, the restriction portion has the guide surface 541a that guides the aerosol AS introduced into the liquid return portion 54 through the third communication hole 56 toward the third communication hole 56. This makes it possible to restrict the introduction of the aerosol AS into the aerosol discharge portion 53 through the second communication hole 57 with a simple configuration. In addition, the movement of the liquid W in the aerosol discharge portion 53 is promoted by being attracted by the aerosol AS that makes a U-turn at the guide surface 541a and passes near the second communication hole 57 toward the lower side (the flow path forming portion 52 side). Therefore, the liquid W can be smoothly collected in the liquid storage portion 42.

[0106] As described above, the flow path forming part 52 is provided to close at least a part of the lower opening of the aerosol discharge part 53, and has a sorting part that sorts particles of the liquid W contained in the aerosol AS. This makes it possible to generate a high-quality aerosol AS with a small average particle size.

[0107] As described above, the flow path forming section 52 has the first side wall section 523 and the second side wall section 524 arranged opposite to each other. The inner surface of the first side wall section 523 has a plurality of flat surfaces (first to fifth flat surfaces 523a to 523e) arranged in a line toward the upper side and facing in different directions. Similarly, the inner surface of the second side wall section 524 has a plurality of flat surfaces (first to third flat surfaces 524a to 524c) arranged in a line toward the upper side and facing in different directions. The width Dx, which is the separation distance between the first side wall section 523 and the second side wall section 524, gradually decreases toward the upper side. With this configuration, the aerosol AS can be smoothly guided to the aerosol discharge section 53. Furthermore, the aerosol AS can be appropriately collided with the inner surfaces of the first and second side wall sections 523 and 524 to such an extent that the flow to the aerosol discharge section 53 is not hindered. Then, due to this collision, the liquid W1 with a relatively large particle size contained in the aerosol AS adheres to the inner surfaces of the first and second side wall portions 523 and 524 and is removed from the aerosol AS. Therefore, a high-quality aerosol AS with a small average particle size can be generated.

[0108] As described above, the nebulizer 10 has a mouthpiece 15 that is connected to the aerosol outlet 530 and guides the aerosol AS discharged from the aerosol outlet 530 into the body of the user. With this configuration, the aerosol AS can be efficiently supplied into the body of the user through the mouthpiece 15.

[0109] As described above, the compressor 111 is provided to introduce compressed air into the compressed air introduction pipe 43. With this configuration, the compressed air to be introduced into the compressed air introduction pipe 43 can be easily generated by the compressor 111.

[0110] <Second embodiment> FIG. 27 is a plan view of the aerosol forming projection included in the nebulizer according to the second embodiment, viewed from the positive side in the X-axis direction.

[0111] The nebulizer 10 of this embodiment is similar to the nebulizer 10 of the first embodiment described above, except for the configuration of the cap 60. Therefore, in the following description, the differences between this embodiment and the previously described embodiment will be mainly described, and the description of the similarities will be omitted. In addition, in the drawings of this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as the previously described embodiment.

[0112] 27, in the cap 60 of this embodiment, the suction flow path 69 has three discharge ports 671, 672, and 673 that open to the end surface 620 of the bulging portion 62. Of these, the discharge ports 671 and 672 are provided on both sides of the aerosol forming projection 63. The liquid W discharged from the discharge ports 671 and 672 is supplied to the upper end surface 431, and then moves to the upper inclined surface 633. Compared to the discharge ports 671 and 672, the discharge port 673 opens above the upper inclined surface 633. The liquid W discharged from the discharge port 673 is directly supplied to the upper inclined surface 633.

[0113] For example, in the first embodiment described above, the discharge ports 671, 672 also open into the upper inclined surface 633, which reduces the area of ​​the upper inclined surface 633. In contrast, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the area of ​​the upper inclined surface 633 does not decrease, and the upper inclined surface 633 can be made wide. Therefore, the amount of liquid W that the upper inclined surface 633 can hold increases, and the aerosol AS can be generated more stably.

[0114] The second embodiment as described above can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0115] Although the atomization device of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. In addition, any other configuration may be added to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 10...Nebulizer 11...Main body 111...Compressor 112...Control unit 113...Outlet 13...Tube 15...Mouthpiece 20...Nebulizer kit 30...Case body 40...Bottle 41...Cylindrical portion 42...Liquid storage portion 43...Compressed air introduction tube 430...Protruding portion 431...Upper end surface 431a...Nozzle hole 432...Outer peripheral surface 433...Inclined surface 50...Cover 500...Sorting portion 51...Base 511...Recess 511a...Outside air introduction hole 52...Flow path forming portion 522...Ceiling portion 522a...Inner surface 523...First side wall portion 523a...First flat surface 523b...Second flat surface 523c...Third flat surface 523d...Fourth flat surface 523e...Fifth flat surface 524...second side wall portion 524a...first flat surface 524b...second flat surface 524c...third flat surface 525...third side wall portion 525a...inner surface 526...fourth side wall portion 526a...inner surface 53...aerosol discharge portion 530...aerosol discharge port 532...guide portion 532a...guide surface 54...liquid return portion 541...regulation portion 541a...guide surface 56...third communication hole 57...second communication hole 59...first communication hole 591...mounting portion 592...mounting portion 60...cap 61...tubular portion 612...groove 619...step 62...bulge portion 620...end surface 622...groove 63...aerosol forming protrusion 630...tip 631...tip surface 632...lower inclined surface 633...Upper inclined surface 641...Leg 641a...Engagement protrusion 642...Leg 642a...Engagement protrusion 661...Guide portion 661a...Guide surface 662...Guide portion 662a...Guide surface 671...Discharge port 671a...Lower end 671b...Upper end 672...Discharge port 672a...Lower end 672b...Upper end 673...Discharge port 68...Protrusion 69...Suction flow path 691...First suction flow path 692...Second suction flow path 70...Atomization area 9...Nebulizer kit 91...Case body 911...Compressed air introduction tube 911a...Nozzle hole 912...Liquid storage portion 913...Aerosol discharge port 92...Atomization portion forming body 921...Liquid suction tube forming portion 922...Baffle 93...Flow path forming body 94...Cap body 95...Step 96...Pressure adjustment gap 98...Atomization section 99...Suction path AS...Aerosol J...Central axis R1...Discharge route R2...Recovery route W...Liquid W0...Liquid pool W1...Liquid W2...Liquid θ1...Tilt angle θ2...Tilt angle

Claims

1. a compressed air introduction pipe having a nozzle hole at an upper end surface thereof for ejecting compressed air, the outlet region of the nozzle hole being an atomization region for generating an aerosol; a liquid storage section that is provided to surround the compressed air introduction pipe and that stores a liquid; a cap that is placed over the compressed air introduction pipe and that sucks up the liquid from the liquid storage portion and supplies it to the atomization area; A cover that covers the atomization area, The cover is an aerosol discharge unit that discharges the aerosol; a flow path forming portion that forms a flow path that guides the aerosol to the aerosol discharge portion; a liquid returning section that returns the liquid that has been introduced into the aerosol discharge section as the aerosol and that has adhered to the aerosol discharge section to the liquid storage section.

2. the aerosol discharge portion has a cylindrical shape protruding upward from the flow path forming portion, the flow path forming portion has a first communication hole communicating with an inside of the aerosol discharge portion via a side wall portion of the aerosol discharge portion, The atomization device according to claim 1 , wherein the aerosol is introduced from the flow passage forming portion to the aerosol discharge portion through the first communication hole.

3. the liquid returning section is disposed above the flow path forming section in contact with the aerosol discharge section, and has a second communication hole communicating with an interior of the aerosol discharge section via the side wall section of the aerosol discharge section, the flow path forming portion has a third communication hole communicating with an interior of the liquid return portion via a bottom portion of the liquid return portion, The atomization device according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid adhering to the aerosol discharge portion is returned to the liquid storage portion via the second communication hole and the third communication hole.

4. The atomization device according to claim 3 , wherein the first communication hole and the second communication hole are located on opposite sides to each other with respect to a central axis of the aerosol discharge portion.

5. The atomizing device according to claim 3 , further comprising a guide portion that guides the liquid in the aerosol discharge portion to the second communication hole.

6. The atomization device according to claim 3 , wherein the liquid returning portion has a restricting portion that restricts the aerosol from being introduced into the aerosol discharging portion via the second communication hole.

7. The atomization device according to claim 6 , wherein the restriction portion has a guide surface that guides the aerosol introduced into the liquid returning portion through the third communication hole toward the third communication hole.

8. The atomization device according to claim 3 , wherein the flow passage forming portion is provided to close at least a part of a lower opening of the aerosol discharge portion, and includes a sorting portion that sorts particles of the liquid contained in the aerosol.

9. The flow path forming portion has a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion disposed opposite to each other, The atomization device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the first side wall portion and the inner surface of the second side wall portion each have a plurality of flat surfaces arranged side by side facing upward and facing in different directions.

10. The atomizing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mouthpiece connected to the aerosol outlet and configured to guide the aerosol discharged from the aerosol outlet into the body of a user.

11. 2. The atomizing device according to claim 1, further comprising a compressor for introducing the compressed air into the compressed air introduction pipe.

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