Ultrasonic type mist generator

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic type mist generator which can efficiently jet mist to an area below the device.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic type mist generator includes: a liquid storage tank 12 in which a liquid to generate mist is stored; mist generating means 20 which is disposed so as to seal a through hole 16 provided on a bottom surface of the liquid storage tank 12; and control means 26 which controls the mist generating means 20. The mist generating means 20 includes: a diaphragm having a spray hole on a main surface; and an oscillation element disposed at an outer periphery of the diaphragm. On the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank 12, an impregnation material 22 which may be impregnated with the liquid is provided in at least an arrangement range of the diaphragm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device that generates mist by ultrasonic waves, and more particularly to an ultrasonic mist generating device that is suitable for generating mist from above downward. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, ultrasonic mist generating devices such as humidifiers generally have a sub-tank for generating mist that is provided separately from a main tank for storing water, and an ultrasonic vibrator is placed at the bottom of the sub-tank. The mist is generated when the vibrations emitted by the ultrasonic vibrator are transmitted to the surface of the water (liquid) stored in the sub-tank by adjusting the water level in the sub-tank. For this reason, it has been difficult to spray mist below the device with mist generating devices using ultrasonic vibrators.

[0003] In contrast, the mist generating device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a flow path for releasing the mist generated in the sub-tank routed below the device, making it possible to eject an airflow containing mist below the device.

[0004] However, in a mist generator such as that disclosed in Patent Document 2, the flow path from mist generation to spraying becomes longer, and curved or bent parts are formed in the flow path. This causes concerns that mist may adhere to the wall surface of the flow path or evaporate in the flow path, resulting in a decrease in the amount of mist contained in the airflow sprayed out from the device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-112314 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-2053 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic mist generating device that can efficiently spray mist downward. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the ultrasonic mist generating device of the present invention comprises a liquid storage tank for storing a liquid to be turned into a mist, mist generating means arranged to seal a through hole provided in the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank, and control means for controlling the mist generating means, wherein the mist generating means comprises a diaphragm having a spray hole on its main surface, and an oscillation element arranged on the outer periphery of the diaphragm.

[0008] In addition, in an ultrasonic mist generator having the above-mentioned characteristics, it is preferable that an impregnating material capable of impregnating the liquid is provided on the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank at least in the area where the diaphragm is disposed. By having such characteristics, it is possible to stabilize the amount of mist generated by the mist generating means.

[0009] In addition, it is preferable that an ultrasonic mist generator having the above-mentioned characteristics is provided with a blowing means below the liquid storage tank, which makes it possible to send and flow the mist sprayed below the ultrasonic mist generator in a desired direction.

[0010] In addition, it is desirable that the blowing means in the ultrasonic mist generator having the above-mentioned characteristics is arranged so that the spray hole is located on the airflow ejection side. With such characteristics, there is no risk of the mist being sucked into the blowing means. Therefore, it is possible to avoid problems caused by the mist adhering to the blowing means.

[0011] In addition, in the ultrasonic mist generator having the above-mentioned characteristics, it is preferable that the liquid storage tank is provided with an engagement groove extending in the direction along the arrangement direction of the bottom surface. With such a characteristic, it is possible to insert something into the engagement groove to fix the ultrasonic mist generator in place.

[0012] Furthermore, in an ultrasonic mist generator having the above characteristics, it is preferable that the engagement groove is curved with respect to a straight line along the length direction of the opening. With such a characteristic, the engagement groove has at least three contact points with the part that engages the ultrasonic mist generator. This allows the engagement groove to reliably engage with the part even in the absence of a clamping mechanism, etc., and the ultrasonic mist generator can be stably held. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the ultrasonic mist generating device having the above-mentioned characteristics, it is possible to efficiently eject mist below the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a configuration of an ultrasonic mist generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the configuration of the ultrasonic mist generating device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of an ultrasonic mist generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the ultrasonic mist generating device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the ultrasonic mist generating device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of an ultrasonic mist generator according to an embodiment when a movable element is raised. FIG. [Figure 8]1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an ultrasonic mist generator according to an embodiment is attached to the brim of a cap worn by a user. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an ultrasonic mist generator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of an ultrasonic mist generator according to the embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a right side view. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 4 is a bottom view, and Fig. 5 is a rear view. Furthermore, Fig. 6 is a view showing a cross section taken along line AA in Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a view showing a cross-sectional configuration of an ultrasonic mist generator according to the embodiment with a movable element standing upright.

[0016] [composition] The ultrasonic mist generator according to this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as mist generator 10) has a liquid storage tank 12, mist generating means 20, air blowing means 24, and control means , and is powered by a battery .

[0017] The liquid storage tank 12 is an element for storing a liquid based on water to be turned into mist. The liquid storage tank 12 according to this embodiment is an irregular tank having a liquid supply section 14 on the top surface, a through hole 16 on the bottom surface, and an engagement groove 18 on the side surface. The liquid supply section 14 is an opening for supplying liquid into the liquid storage tank 12. The liquid supply section 14 can be sealed by engaging a lid body 32, the details of which will be described later, with the liquid supply section 14. The through hole 16 is an opening for arranging a mist generating means 20, the details of which will be described later. By arranging the mist generating means 20 in the through hole 16, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 12 does not leak out unexpectedly from the through hole 16.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 8, the engagement groove 18 is an element for attaching the mist generator 10 to the brim 102 of a cap 100 (hat) or the like. For this reason, the engagement groove 18 is arranged so as to be aligned with the arrangement direction of the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank 12, with an opening provided on the side surface of the liquid storage tank 12. In addition, the engagement groove 18 of the mist generator 10 according to the embodiment is curved with respect to a straight line along the length direction of the opening (width direction of the liquid storage tank 12). By forming the engagement groove 18 in this manner, the brim 102 of the cap 100 or the like can be attached in a curved state. In addition, by making the curvature of the curve of the brim 102 different from the curvature of the curve of the engagement groove 18, the brim 102 can be attached so as to be bitten into, and at least three contact points can be obtained. For this reason, it is possible to stabilize the engagement state with the brim 102 without providing a clamping mechanism or the like in the engagement groove 18.

[0019] The mist generating means 20 is an element for converting the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 12 into mist and releasing it. The mist generating means 20 has at least a diaphragm and an oscillation element. The diaphragm is a metal plate having unevenness in the oscillation part, and the diaphragm of the mist generating means 20 according to the embodiment is formed in a disk shape, and a spray hole is provided in the oscillation part provided on the center side. The spray hole is a minute through hole, and when the diaphragm oscillates, the liquid that passes through this spray hole is scattered as mist. Note that since the spray hole has a small diameter, in the case of ordinary liquids such as water, it will not leak due to the influence of surface tension unless pressure or vibration is applied.

[0020] The oscillation element is an element for oscillating the diaphragm (ultrasonic vibration), and an example of such an oscillation element is a piezoelectric element. The oscillation element is disposed on the outer edge of the diaphragm, which is formed in a disk shape. The mist generating means 20 configured in this way is disposed so as to seal the through hole 16 provided on the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank 12.

[0021] Here, in the mist generator 10 according to the embodiment, the impregnating material 22 is disposed on the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank 12. The impregnating material 22 is a material capable of being impregnated with the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 12, and may be, for example, a fiber mass such as a nonwoven fabric, and may be made of polyester or the like. The range of the arrangement of the impregnating material 22 is not limited, but it is arranged so as to cover at least the range of the diaphragm. Even if the impregnating material 22 is not provided, there is no significant effect on the generation of mist by the mist generating means 20, but by providing the impregnating material 22, it is possible to stabilize the amount of mist sprayed from the spray hole. This can also prevent the occurrence of liquid dripping from the periphery of the spray hole due to excess mist.

[0022] The blower means 24 is an element that plays a role in blowing the mist ejected from the mist generating means 20 in a predetermined direction, and may be, for example, a fan. The blower means 24 is disposed below the liquid storage tank 12, closer to the tip of the engagement groove 18 than the mist generating means 20, and the airflow ejection direction is determined so as to blow air toward the mist generating means 20. With this configuration, the mist generated by the mist generating means 20 is not sucked into the blower means 24. This makes it possible to avoid problems such as corrosion caused by the mist adhering to current-carrying parts and mechanical parts.

[0023] The control means 26 is an element for outputting command signals and supplying power for operating the mist generating means 20 and the air blowing means 24, the details of which are described above. In this embodiment, the control means 26 is disposed inside a movable element 30 that engages with a part of the liquid storage tank 12 and can be raised and lowered by rotating around the engagement part. The movable element 30 is also provided with a lid 32 for sealing the liquid supply part 14 of the liquid storage tank 12 described above, and the lid 32 can be opened and closed by raising and lowering the movable element 30. The lid 32 is provided with a packing 32a such as an O-ring, and is configured to prevent liquid from leaking from the liquid supply part 14.

[0024] In addition, where the control means 26 is arranged in the movable element 30, a switch 34 and a control button 34a for controlling operation are provided, and a battery 28 is also arranged. A control program corresponding to the operation of the switch 34 and the control button 34a is recorded in the control means 26, and it is possible to control the timing of mist generation and the operation of the blowing means 24. The arrangement part of the movable element 30 where the control means 26 is arranged has an airtight structure and is configured to prevent the intrusion of liquid from the outside. This is to prevent a short circuit due to water leakage. The battery 28 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery, and the power supply means for the battery 28 and various wiring may be of a general configuration.

[0025] [Actions and Effects] The mist generator 10 configured as described above can provide a cooling sensation to the user by using it in the following manner. First, liquid for generating mist is supplied to the liquid storage tank 12 of the mist generator 10. Supply of liquid to the liquid storage tank 12 can be performed by raising the movable element 30 to open the liquid supply section 14, and supplying the liquid into the liquid storage tank 12. After an appropriate amount of liquid has been supplied into the liquid storage tank 12, the movable element 30 is tilted, and the liquid supply section 14 is sealed with the lid 32.

[0026] Next, the mist generator 10 is attached to the brim 102 of the cap 100 worn by the user. The mist generator 10 can be attached by engaging the engagement groove 18 provided in the liquid storage tank 12 with the brim 102 of the cap 100. When engaging the mist generator 10, the mist generating means 20 and the blowing means 24 are positioned on the underside of the brim 102.

[0027] After the mist generator 10 is attached to the cap 100, the switch 34 or control button 34a provided on the movable element 30 is operated to start the supply of power from the battery 28 to the control means 26, and a control signal is output from the control means 26 to the mist generating means 20 and the air blowing means 24. The mist generating means 20 and the air blowing means 24 each operate upon receiving the control signal, and mist is sprayed from the mist generating means 20 downward in the liquid storage tank 12. The sprayed mist is blown onto the face of the user wearing the cap 100 by the wind generated by the air blowing means 24. The mist blown out by the wind evaporates in the atmosphere or after adhering to the user's skin, removing heat from the surroundings and providing the user with a feeling of coolness.

[0028] In this way, according to the mist generating device 10 of this embodiment, the nozzle of the mist generating means 20 is arranged facing downward, and mist can be sprayed directly downward. This makes it possible to efficiently spray mist even below the device. [Industrial Applicability]

[0029] In the above embodiment, the mist generator 10 is described as being attached to the brim 102 of the cap 100 worn by the user. However, the mist generator 100 according to the present invention is characterized in that it can spray mist directly from the liquid storage tank 12 to the lower side of the device. For this reason, the attachment location is not limited. In other words, by placing the mist generator 10 above a place where people pass through, such as a gate, it is possible to easily send a large amount of mist below the gate without installing piping or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 10....Mist generating device, 12....Liquid storage tank, 14....Liquid supply section, 16....Through hole, 18....Engagement groove, 20....Mist generating means, 22....Impregnating material, 24....Blowing means, 26....Control means, 28....Battery, 30....Movable element, 32....Cover body, 32a....Gasket, 34....Switch, 34a....Control button, 100....Cap, 102....Brim.

Claims

1. A liquid storage tank for storing the liquid to be turned into mist; a mist generating means arranged to seal a through hole provided on a bottom surface of the liquid storage tank; A control means for controlling the mist generating means, The mist generating means comprises a diaphragm having a spray hole on a main surface thereof, and an oscillation element disposed on the outer periphery of the diaphragm.

2. 2. The ultrasonic mist generating device according to claim 1, wherein an impregnating material capable of being impregnated with the liquid is provided on the bottom surface of the liquid storage tank at least in an area where the diaphragm is disposed.

3. 3. The ultrasonic mist generating device according to claim 2, further comprising an air blowing means provided below said liquid storage tank.

4. 4. The ultrasonic mist generating device according to claim 3, wherein the blowing means is disposed so that the spray holes are located on the air current jetting side.

5. 5. The ultrasonic mist generator according to claim 1, wherein the liquid storage tank is provided with an engagement groove extending in a direction parallel to the arrangement direction of the bottom surface.

6. 6. The ultrasonic mist generator according to claim 5, wherein the engagement groove is curved with respect to a straight line along the length of the opening.

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