Vibration transducer and sprayer

Abstract

To provide a vibration transducer and the like in which vibration of a vibration element can be efficiently transmitted.SOLUTION: A vibration transducer is provided, comprising a vibration element, a vibration transmitting portion, and a vibration plate. The vibration element is formed in a plate shape and is vibrated in a thickness direction when applied with voltage. The vibration transmitting portion has a reflection surface which adheres to the surface of the vibration element and transmits vibration received from the surface and reflects the vibration. The reflection surface is formed in such a shape that the reflected vibration concentrates on a predetermined position. An end portion of the vibration plate is provided in the vicinity of the predetermined position, and is vibrated by force received from the vibration transmitting portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration transducer and an atomizer. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a piezoelectric actuator capable of transmitting vibrations of a piezoelectric element to an object to be driven. Patent Document 2 discloses an ultrasonic generator that transmits ultrasonic waves generated by an ultrasonic source to a waveguide. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-222385 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7265977 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Elements such as PZT (Lead Titanate Zirconate) that vibrate when a voltage is applied are known, and the vibration of such elements can be converted into a different vibration depending on the application.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a vibration converter and the like capable of efficiently transmitting vibration of a vibration element. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vibration converter. This vibration converter includes a vibration element, a vibration transmission unit, and a vibration plate. The vibration element is plate-shaped and vibrates in the thickness direction when a voltage is applied. The vibration transmission unit is in close contact with the surface of the vibration element to transmit vibrations received from the surface, and has a reflecting surface that reflects the vibrations. The reflecting surface is shaped to concentrate the reflected vibrations at a predetermined position, and the vibration plate has an end provided near the predetermined position and vibrates due to the force it receives from the vibration transmission unit.

[0007] According to this embodiment, the vibration of the vibration element can be transmitted efficiently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a sprayer 1. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of a vibrating member 30 as viewed from above and below. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a vibration member 30. [Figure 4] 2 is an enlarged view of a vibration transmitting part 31 and a diaphragm 32. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating vibrations transmitted through a vibration transmitting section 31. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the magnitude of vibration at the center E1. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a vibration member 30a. [Figure 8] 3 is an enlarged view of a vibration transmitting part 31a and a diaphragm 32a. FIG. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating vibrations transmitted through a vibration transmitting part 31a. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a diaphragm 32b. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the size of each component is shown differently from the actual size as necessary to make the description easier to understand. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0010] First Embodiment 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a sprayer 1. The sprayer 1 is a device that sprays liquid such as water in the form of a mist. The sprayer 1 includes a vibration converter 10, an airflow generator 2, and a housing 3. The vibration converter 10 includes a vibration element 20 and a vibration plate 32, which will be described later, and converts vibrations generated by the vibration element 20 into vibrations of the vibration plate 32.

[0011] The airflow generator 2 is, for example, a pump, and generates an airflow that blows away the atomized liquid by the vibrations generated by the vibration converter 10. The housing 3 is a container that houses the vibration converter 10 and keeps the liquid atomized (in atomized form) by the vibration converter 10 from dispersing. The housing 3 has a gas inlet section 4 and a jetting section 5. The gas inlet section 4 is an opening that allows the airflow generated by the airflow generator 2 to flow into the inside of the housing 3. The jetting section 5 is an opening through which the atomized liquid is jetted out of the housing 3 by the airflow that has flowed in.

[0012] The vibration converter 10 includes a vibration element 20, a vibration member 30, and an AC power supply 40. The vibration element 20 is plate-shaped and vibrates in the thickness direction when a voltage is applied. The vibration element 20 is, for example, PZT (lead zirconate titanate). The vibration element 20 may be a piezoelectric material other than PZT or a piezoelectric ceramic. The AC power supply 40 is a power supply that applies an AC voltage to the vibration element 20. Although the AC power supply 40 is provided inside the housing 3 in FIG. 1, it may be provided outside the housing 3.

[0013] The vibration member 30 is made of a metal that satisfies the required level of performance such as rigidity, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and rust resistance. The vibration member 30 forms a container portion 6 capable of storing liquid, and vibrates the liquid stored in the container portion 6 to generate cavitation and atomize the liquid. In order to store liquid in the container portion 6, the vibration member 30 is used in a state in which the container portion 6 faces vertically upward (hereinafter referred to as the "installed state"). FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the vibration member 30 in the installed state as viewed horizontally. The shape of the vibration member 30 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the vibration member 30 as viewed from above and below. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the vibration member 30 as viewed obliquely. As shown in FIG. 2, the vibration element 20 has a circular ring shape with the central part of the disk removed. The vibration element 20 has an upward vibration surface 201. The vibration member 30 is in close contact with the vibration surface 201. The vibration member 30 includes a vibration transmission part 31, a vibration plate 32, and a fixed part 33. When viewed from above and below, the vibration transmission part 31, the vibration plate 32, and the fixed part 33 all have outer ends in the shape of a circle, and are formed so that their outer circumferences form concentric circles.

[0015] The diaphragm 32 is formed on the innermost side, the vibration transmission part 31 is formed so as to surround the outside of the diaphragm 32, and the fixing part 33 is formed so as to surround the vibration transmission part 31. The diaphragm 32 is in the shape of a disk, and the outer end 323 of the diaphragm 32 is connected to the inner end of the vibration transmission part 31. The vibration transmission part 31 is in the shape of a thick circular ring, and the outer end of the vibration transmission part 31 is connected to the inner end of the fixing part 33. The fixing part 33 is in the shape of a plate and a circular ring, and is provided with a screw hole for fixing the vibration member 30 to the housing 3.

[0016] The vibration transmitting unit 31 has a contact surface 311 that faces downward when installed, and a reflecting surface 312 that faces upward when installed. The contact surface 311 is flat, while the reflecting surface 312 is curved. The vibration transmitting unit 31 has a thickness on the upper side having the reflecting surface 312. The vibration transmitting unit 31 has a side surface 313 on the inside. The side surface 313 is a part of the container unit 6, and forms a cylindrical space D1 on the inside. The liquid to be atomized is stored in this space D1.

[0017] The vibration transmission unit 31 has a contact surface 311 that is in close contact with the vibration surface 201 of the vibration element 20, and transmits the vibration received from the vibration surface 201. The vibration transmitted inside the vibration transmission unit 31 reaches the reflection surface 312. The reflection surface 312 reflects the vibration that has reached it, i.e., the vibration transmitted from the vibration element 20. The vibration reflected by the reflection surface 312 reaches the end 323 of the diaphragm 32. The end 323 of the diaphragm 32 refers to the outer periphery of the diaphragm 32 and a certain range from the outer periphery. The reflection of vibration will be explained in detail later.

[0018] The vibration plate 32 receives a force due to the vibration reaching the end portion 323, and vibrates due to the transmitted force, i.e., the force received from the vibration transmission portion 31. The vibration plate 32 has a circular vibration surface 321. The vibration surface 321 forms the bottom surface of the container portion 6 capable of storing liquid. When the vibration surface 321 vibrates, the liquid stored in the space D1 formed by the container portion 6 vibrates, causing cavitation and atomization. Next, the transmission of vibration will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.

[0019] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the vibration transmitting section 31 and the diaphragm 32. FIG. 5 is a view showing vibrations transmitted through the vibration transmitting section 31. The vibration element 20 has a vibration surface 201 that faces vertically upward when installed, and a back surface 202 that faces vertically downward when installed. When the vibration element 20 vibrates due to a voltage applied from the AC power supply 40, the vibration surface 201 vibrates in the thickness direction A1 as shown by the arrow V11. Due to the force applied from the vibration element 20, vibrations are transmitted inside the vibration transmitting section 31 in the perpendicular direction A2 of the vibration surface 201. These vibrations in the perpendicular direction A2 are generated by a force applied perpendicularly to the contact surface 311 of the vibration transmitting section 31, and are transmitted as longitudinal waves.

[0020] The vibration transmitted inside vibration transmission unit 31 reaches reflecting surface 312. Since this vibration travels in perpendicular direction A2 at any position, parallel vibration is incident on reflecting surface 312. Reflecting surface 312 has a shape whose cross section describes a parabola. Therefore, when the parallel vibration that reaches reflecting surface 312 is reflected by reflecting surface 312, it travels as a longitudinal wave toward focal point F1, as indicated by the arrow in the figure. In this way, reflecting surface 312 has a shape that concentrates the reflected vibration at a predetermined position (focal point F1 in the example of FIG. 4).

[0021] At the reflecting surface 312, not only is the reflected vibration reflected as a longitudinal wave, but also as a transverse wave. However, in the first embodiment, the transverse wave vibration does not fundamentally contribute to the vibration of the diaphragm 32 (it may be that it is unintentionally transmitted to the diaphragm 32 and contribute thereto), and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0022] Although focal point F1 is shown as a dot in Fig. 5, since vibration transmission part 31 has a circular ring shape, focal point F1 also exists continuously so as to form a circular ring shape in the entire vibration transmission part 31. When vibrating member 30 is viewed from below, focal point F1 appears to overlap with outer periphery 324 of vibration plate 32, as shown in Fig. 2. Outer periphery 324 is the outermost part of end part 323 of vibration plate 32. The position of focal point F1 coincides with the position of outer periphery 324.

[0023] The position of the focal point F1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4. The diaphragm 32 has a vibration surface 321 that faces vertically upward when installed, a back surface 322 that faces vertically downward when installed, and an end 323 that is an end in the horizontal direction when installed. The end 323 of the diaphragm 32 has a shape that is partly connected to the vibration transmitting unit 31. In the embodiment, a connection part 325 that is a part of the outer circumferential part 324 is connected to the vibration transmitting unit 31. The outer circumferential part 324 has a connection part 325 that is connected to the vibration transmitting unit 31, and an outer circumferential surface 326 that is not connected to the vibration transmitting unit 31.

[0024] The outer peripheral surface 326, which is a portion of the end portion 323 that is not connected to the vibration transmitting unit 31, forms a recessed corner C1 together with a downward surface 314 of the vibration transmitting unit 31. The downward surface 314 faces downward in an installed state, and in the embodiment, is a surface that is connected to the contact surface 311. In the example of FIG. 5, the focal point F1 is located at this corner C1. That is, the reflecting surface 312 of the vibration transmitting unit 31 is formed in a shape such that the focal point F1 coincides with the corner C1. The diaphragm 32 vibrates due to the force it receives from the vibration transmitting unit 31 at the corner C1.

[0025] According to this embodiment, the vibration generated by the vibration element 20 can be concentrated at the focal point F1 and converted into vibration of the vibration plate 32, so that the vibration of the vibration element 20 can be converted into vibration of the vibration plate 32 more efficiently than in the case where there is no configuration for concentrating the vibration.

[0026] In addition, since focal point F1 is located at corner C1, when connection portion 325 is displaced in the horizontal direction, outer peripheral surface 326 is displaced in the opposite direction, thereby serving to increase vibration. According to this embodiment, diaphragm 32 can be vibrated more greatly than when outer peripheral portion 324 is entirely connected to vibration transmission portion 31, for example.

[0027] Further, the vibration transmission part 31 has a shape surrounding the diaphragm 32 and is connected to the entire area of the end part 323 of the diaphragm 32. And the reflecting surface 312 of the vibration transmission part 31 reflects the vibration so that the entire area of the end part 323 becomes the focal part F1. The diaphragm 32 generates a vibration of a transverse wave (a vibration that travels in the horizontal direction in the installed state and whose amplitude appears in the vertical direction) due to the force received from the vibration transmission part 31 over the entire area of the end part 323.

[0028] In FIG. 5, the vertical amplitudes V21, V22, and V23 generated by the transverse wave V20 transmitted through the diaphragm 32 are shown. The transverse wave V20 is in a higher-order vibration mode, and the amplitudes V21, V22, and V23 are the amplitudes at the positions where the amplitude appears largely. The amplitude V21 is the maximum amplitude in the region near the end part 323, and the amplitude V23 is the maximum amplitude at the center E1. The center E1 is a region including the rotation axis of the disk-shaped diaphragm 32 and its vicinity. Also, the amplitude V22 is the maximum amplitude in the region between them.

[0029] The relationship of the magnitudes of these amplitudes is V21 < V22 < V23. Thus, the vibrations generated over the entire area of the end part 323 overlap and the amplitude increases as they approach the center E1. Note that the transverse wave V20 is in the third-order vibration mode, but it is not limited to this and can be in various orders of vibration modes of the first order or higher. However, according to such a mode, regardless of the order of the vibration mode, the vibration of the center E1 of the diaphragm 32 can be increased compared to the case where the entire area of the end part 323 does not become the focal part F1.

[0030] In the example shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the position of the focal part F1 coincides with the corner C1, but the position of the focal part F1 may deviate slightly from the corner C1. In that case, the focal part F1 may be located anywhere on the end part 323, or may be located anywhere on the vibration transmission part 31 in front of the end part 323. However, the position of the focal part F1 is preferably closer to the end part 323. This is because the closer the position of the focal part F1 is to the end part 323, the more the force concentrated on the focal part F1 is transmitted to the diaphragm 32 without remainder.

[0031] In either case, the diaphragm 32 may be provided so that the end 323 is located near the focal point F1. In other words, the reflecting surface 312 may be formed in a shape that places the focal point F1 near the end 323. In this case as well, the vibration of the vibration element 20 can be converted into the vibration of the diaphragm 32 more efficiently than in the case where there is no configuration for concentrating the vibration.

[0032] In the embodiment, the focal point F1 may be located near the corner C1, in other words, the reflecting surface 312 may be formed in a shape that positions the focal point F1 near the corner C1. In this case, the diaphragm 32 can be vibrated more strongly than when the entire outer circumferential portion 324 is connected to the vibration transmitting portion 31.

[0033] Furthermore, the reflecting surface 312 of the vibration transmitting unit 31 only needs to reflect the vibration so that the entire area of ​​the end 323 is in the vicinity of the focal point F1. For example, not only when the focal points F1 are continuously present to form a continuous ring, but also when the focal points F1 are intermittently present to form a ring with breaks here and there, it is sufficient that the entire area of ​​the end 323 is in the vicinity of these focal points F1. Even in this case, the vibration of the center E1 of the diaphragm 32 can be made larger than when the end 323 includes a portion that is not in the vicinity of the focal point F1.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the magnitude of vibration at the center E1. In FIG. 6, a graph is shown in which the horizontal axis indicates the frequency (unit: MHz) of the AC voltage applied to the vibration element 20, and the vertical axis indicates the admittance (unit: siemens (S)) and the vertical velocity (unit: (m / s)pp: meters per second peak-to-peak value) of the center E1 of the diaphragm 32. In the example of FIG. 6, when the frequency is 1.65 MHz, the vertical velocity of the center E1 of the diaphragm 32 is maximum at 1.8 (m / s)pp. In this way, by applying an AC voltage of an optimal frequency that matches the overall shape of the vibration member 30, the vibration of the center E1 of the diaphragm 32 can be maximized.

[0035] In addition to 1.65 MHz, the vertical velocity of the center E1 of the diaphragm 32 is large at 1.75 MHz, 1.9 MHz, 2.1 MHz, etc. In this way, there are multiple vibration modes of the diaphragm 32, and by changing the frequency of the AC voltage applied to the vibration element 20, the diaphragm 32 can be vibrated in various vibration modes.

[0036] Moreover, in the vibration converter 10, by vibrating the diaphragm 32 with a transverse wave, the vibration can be propagated to the liquid more efficiently than when vibrating with a longitudinal wave. Moreover, in the vibration converter 10, the vibration of the vibration surface 201 of the vibration element 20 is converted into the vibration of the vibration surface 321 of the diaphragm 32. Since the entire vibration surface 321 of the diaphragm 32 is in contact with the liquid, the vibration can be propagated to the liquid more efficiently than when, for example, a rod-shaped vibration part is vibrated.

[0037] <Second embodiment> A second embodiment of the vibration member will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an example of a vibration member 30a. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a vibration transmitter 31a and a vibration plate 32a. Fig. 9 is a view showing vibration transmitted through the vibration transmitter 31a. The vibration converter 10a includes a vibration member 30a, which includes a vibration transmitter 31a, a vibration plate 32a, and a fixed portion 33a.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the vibration transmitting section 31 has a larger horizontal dimension than the vertical dimension, but the vibration transmitting section 31a has a larger vertical dimension than the horizontal dimension. In addition, the diaphragm 32 in the first embodiment is connected to the lowermost part of the vibration transmitting section 31 in the installed state, but the diaphragm 32a is connected to the vibration transmitting section 31a at a position that is vertically separated by a distance L1 from the vibration surface 201a of the vibration element 20a. The diaphragm 32a is provided at a position where the distance L1 is larger than, for example, half the vertical dimension of the vibration transmitting section 31a.

[0039] The end portion 323a of the diaphragm 32a is connected to the side surface 313a of the vibration transmission portion 31a. More specifically, the entire outer peripheral portion 324a of the diaphragm 32a is connected to the side surface 313a. When the vibration surface 201a of the vibration element 20a vibrates in the thickness direction A1 as indicated by the arrow V11a, inside the vibration transmission portion 31a, the vibration is transmitted in a longitudinal wave in the direction A2 perpendicular to the vibration surface 201a. The vibration transmitted inside the vibration transmission portion 31a reaches the reflecting surface 312a.

[0040] The reflecting surface 312a has a shape in which a cross section depicts a part of an arc of an ellipse. When the vibration advancing as a longitudinal wave is reflected by the reflecting surface 312a, a vibration advancing as a longitudinal wave and a vibration advancing as a transverse wave are generated. Among these, the vibration advancing as a transverse wave converges on the focal point F1a. Thus, similar to the reflecting surface 312 of the first embodiment, the reflecting surface 312a also has a shape in which the reflected vibration converges at a predetermined position (the focal point F1a in the example of FIG. 9).

[0041] The reflecting surface 312a has a shape that reflects the vibration so that the focal point F1a coincides with the outer peripheral portion 324a of the vibration transmission portion 31a. The diaphragm 32a vibrates by the force transmitted by the vibration reaching the end portion 323a in this way, that is, the force received from the vibration transmission portion 31a. According to such an aspect, similar to the first embodiment, compared with the case of not having a configuration for concentrating the vibration, the vibration of the vibration element 20a can be efficiently converted into the vibration of the diaphragm 32a.

[0042] In FIG. 9, the vertical amplitudes V21a, V22a, V23a generated by the transverse wave V20a transmitted through the diaphragm 32a are shown. The transverse wave V20a is in a higher-order (third order in the example of FIG. 9) vibration mode, and the amplitudes V21a, V22a, V23a are the amplitudes at the positions where the amplitudes appear large. The relationship between the magnitudes of these amplitudes is V21a < V22a < V23a, and the vibration generated over the entire region of the end portion 323a overlaps and the amplitude increases as it approaches the center E1a. According to such an aspect, similar to the first embodiment, compared with the case where the entire region of the end portion 323a is not the focal point F1a, the vibration of the center E1a of the diaphragm 32a can be increased.

[0043] The vibration plate 32a has a circular vibration surface 321a. The vibration surface 321a forms the bottom surface of the container portion 6a capable of storing liquid. In the vibration converter 10a, similarly to the first embodiment, the entire vibration surface 321a of the vibration plate 32a is in contact with the liquid, so that the vibration can be propagated to the liquid more efficiently than in the case of vibrating a rod-shaped vibration portion, for example.

[0044] The vibration transmitting section 31a has a shape surrounding the diaphragm 32a and is connected to the entire end 323a of the diaphragm 32a. The reflecting surface 312a of the vibration transmitting section 31a reflects the vibration so that the entire end 323a becomes the focal point F1a. According to this aspect, as in the first embodiment, the vibration of the center E1a of the diaphragm 32a can be made larger than when the entire end 323a does not become the focal point F1a.

[0045] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the vibration plate 32a may be provided so that the end 323a is located near the focal point F1a. In other words, the reflection surface 312a may be formed in a shape that places the focal point F1a near the end 323a. In this case, the vibration of the vibration element 20a can be converted into the vibration of the vibration plate 32a more efficiently than in the case where there is no configuration that concentrates the vibration.

[0046] In the vibration converter 10a, vibration is transmitted from the vibration element 20a to the reflection surface 312a by longitudinal waves. On the other hand, vibration is transmitted from the reflection surface 312a to the focal point F1a by transverse waves generated at the reflection surface 312a. When a longitudinal wave is reflected by a transverse wave, the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection are equal, but when a longitudinal wave is reflected by a transverse wave, the angle of reflection is larger than in the case of a longitudinal wave due to the difference in the traveling speed of the longitudinal wave and the transverse wave. Therefore, the focal point F1a can be positioned farther away from the vibration element 20a than when reflection of a longitudinal wave is used.

[0047] That is, according to this embodiment, the vibration plate 32a can be provided at a position farther away from the vibration element 20a than when reflection of a longitudinal wave is used, and as a result, heat generated in the vibration element 20a can be less likely to be transmitted to the vibration plate 32a. Also, when reflecting a longitudinal wave with a transverse wave, by adjusting the reflection angle, it is possible to reflect the vibration with higher efficiency than when reflecting a longitudinal wave with a longitudinal wave.

[0048] On the other hand, in the first embodiment, vibration is transmitted from the vibration element 20 to the reflecting surface 312 by longitudinal waves, and from the reflecting surface 312 to the focal point F1 by longitudinal waves generated at the reflecting surface 312. In this way, when reflection of longitudinal waves is used, the vibration plate 32 can be provided at a lower position than when reflection of transverse waves is used, and the thickness of the vibration transmitting section 31 can be made thinner when the depth of the space D1 formed by the container section 6 is the same. As a result, the vibration converter 10 can be made thinner than when reflection of transverse waves is used. In addition, since the vibration plate 32 can be provided at the bottom of the vibration transmitting section 31, a corner C1 can be formed, and excitation can be made easier than when reflection of transverse waves is used.

[0049] <Example of change: diaphragm> The diaphragm 32 is not limited to a disk shape, and may be, for example, a plate-like ellipse, or a plate-like polygon such as a triangle, a rectangle, or a pentagon. Although the diaphragm 32 is plate-like, the thickness is not limited to a constant one, and the thickness may be changed. For example, by changing the thickness of the diaphragm 32 in a concentric circle shape, the vibration can be made larger than when the thickness is constant.

[0050] The vibration plate may also be provided with a hole for supplying liquid. 10 is an enlarged view of the vibration plate 32b. The vibration plate 32b has a vibration surface 321b (an example of a first surface) and a back surface 322b (an example of a second surface) on the opposite side of the vibration surface 321b. The vibration plate 32b has a hole 327b that penetrates from the back surface 322b to the vibration surface 321b. The vibration surface 321b, together with the side surface 313b of the vibration transmission part 31b, constitutes the container part 6b and forms a space D1b.

[0051] Liquid LQ1 is stored in space D1b. When vibration plate 32b vibrates and liquid LQ1 is atomized and ejected, the amount of liquid LQ1 decreases. Hole 327b is connected to a water supply pipe and a pump (not shown), and liquid LQ1 is supplied through hole 327b. If hole 327b were not provided, liquid would have to be supplied from the opening side of container part 6, and the water supply pipe would have to be fixed above vibration member 30 so as not to touch the vibrating member 30, which is difficult.

[0052] In contrast, if hole 327b is provided, a water supply pipe may be provided below hole 327b, and the water supply pipe does not need to be fixed in the air, but may simply be installed in housing 3. By providing hole 327b in this way, water can be more easily supplied to container 6b than when hole 327b is not provided. Note that hole 327b is provided in the center of diaphragm 32b in the example of FIG. 10, but may be provided in another position.

[0053] <Examples of variations: composition variations> The configurations described in the first and second embodiments are merely examples, and other configurations may be used as long as they are not inconvenient for implementation. For example, the second vibration transmitting section 31 may be attached to not only the vibration surface 201 of the vibration element 20 but also the back surface 202 to transmit vibration to the vibration plate 32. In this case, a part of the vibration surface 321 side of the vibration plate 32 is connected to the vibration transmitting section 31, and a part of the back surface 322 side of the vibration plate 32 is connected to the second vibration transmitting section 31.

[0054] In addition, vibration transmitting unit 31 has a ring shape surrounding end 323 of disk-shaped diaphragm 32, but is not limited to a rotationally symmetric shape such as a ring. For example, if diaphragm 32 has a rectangular shape, vibration transmitting unit 31 may have an annular shape surrounding the four sides of the rectangle.

[0055] In addition, the vibration transmission unit 31 has a shape that surrounds the entire end 323 of the vibration plate 32, but is not limited thereto, and may have a shape that is connected to a part of the end 323 of the vibration plate 32. For example, the vibration plate 32 may have a rectangular shape, and only the end 323 that forms one side of the rectangular shape may be connected to the vibration transmission unit 31, and the other three sides may be free ends. Also, two sides may be connected and two sides may be free ends, or three sides may be connected and one side may be free ends. In either case, the reflection surface 312 has a shape that concentrates the reflected vibration on the focal point F1, and the end 323 is provided to be located near the focal point F1, so that the vibration of the vibration element 20 can be converted into the vibration of the vibration plate 32 more efficiently than when there is no configuration that concentrates the vibration.

[0056] Furthermore, vibration transmitting unit 31 has a shape that surrounds end 323 of diaphragm 32, but the portion connected to end 323 does not have to cover the entire area, and may have a shape that is connected only partially. For example, diaphragm 32 may have a square shape, and vibration transmitting unit 31 may have a shape that is not connected to the corners and the vicinity of the corners of the square (i.e., a shape that is connected to the sides of the square excluding the edges).

[0057] Moreover, the reflecting surface 312 may reflect the vibration so that a certain percentage or more of the end portion 323 is in the vicinity of the focal point F1. The certain percentage is, for example, the minimum percentage at which the output required for the vibration converter 10 can be obtained by the vibration of the diaphragm 32. For example, when the certain percentage is 50%, the reflecting surface 312 may reflect the vibration reflected at a quarter of the circumference so as to concentrate it at an eighth of the circumference. In this case, the focal point F1 is distributed to four places, but 50% of the end portion 323 is in the vicinity of the focal point F1. Even in this case, the vibrations generated at the four places overlap at the center E1 of the diaphragm 32, so that the vibration at the center E1 of the diaphragm 32 can be increased.

[0058] In short, it is desirable that the vibration transmission unit 31 is connected to the entire area of ​​the end 323 of the diaphragm 32 as described in the first embodiment, but even if there is an unconnected part, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the vibration converter 10. Also, it is desirable that the reflection surface 312 reflects the vibration so that the entire area of ​​the end 323 is in the vicinity of the focal point F1, but even if a part of the end 323 is not in the vicinity of the focal point F1, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the vibration converter 10.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the contact surface 311 and the downward surface 314 of the vibration transmitting part 31 are on the same plane, but they may be on different planes. In the first embodiment, a part of the outer circumferential part 324 of the diaphragm 32 is connected to the vibration transmitting part 31, but the entire outer circumferential part 324 may be connected to the vibration transmitting part 31.

[0060] Furthermore, as long as the vibration surface 321 of the vibration plate 32 serves as the bottom surface of the container portion 6, the vibration transmission portion 31 does not have to serve as the side surface, and a dedicated member for forming the space D1 for storing liquid may be provided separately from the vibration transmission portion 31.

[0061] The vibration converter 10 may also be used in devices other than the sprayer 1. For example, the vibration converter 10 can efficiently convert the vibration of the vibration element 20 into the vibration of the vibration plate 32, and therefore can vibrate the vibration plate 32 in a wide vibration frequency band from 20 kHz to 20 MHz, and can also be used in devices such as ultrasonic cleaners that transmit the vibration to a cleaning liquid to clean an object to be cleaned. The vibration converter 10 may also be used in devices (such as speakers) that generate high sound pressure at high frequencies (in the MHz band) and devices that generate liquids with cavitation.

[0062] <Additional Notes> Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects:

[0063] (1) A vibration converter comprising a vibration element, a vibration transmission unit, and a vibration plate, the vibration element being plate-shaped and vibrating in the thickness direction when voltage is applied, the vibration transmission unit being in close contact with a surface of the vibration element to transmit vibrations received from the surface, and having a reflective surface that reflects the vibrations, the reflective surface being shaped to concentrate the reflected vibrations at a predetermined position, the vibration plate having an end located near the predetermined position and vibrating due to the force it receives from the vibration transmission unit.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the vibration of the vibration element can be efficiently converted into the vibration of the diaphragm.

[0065] (2) A vibration converter as described in (1) above, wherein an end of the diaphragm is connected to the vibration transmission part at a portion thereof, a recessed corner is formed by the surface of the part of the end that is not connected to the vibration transmission part and a surface of the vibration transmission part, and the reflecting surface is shaped so that the specified position is near the corner.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the diaphragm can be vibrated more strongly.

[0067] (3) A vibration converter as described in (1) or (2) above, wherein vibration is transmitted from the vibration element to the reflecting surface by longitudinal waves, and vibration is transmitted from the reflecting surface to the specified position by transverse waves generated at the reflecting surface.

[0068] According to this aspect, the diaphragm can be provided at a position separated from the vibration element.

[0069] (4) A vibration converter as described in (1) or (2) above, wherein vibration is transmitted from the vibration element to the reflecting surface by longitudinal waves, and vibration is transmitted from the reflecting surface to the specified position by longitudinal waves generated at the reflecting surface.

[0070] According to this embodiment, the vibration converter can be made thinner.

[0071] (5) A vibration converter as described in any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the vibration transmission part has a shape surrounding the vibration plate and is connected to an end of the vibration plate, and the reflecting surface reflects vibrations so that a certain percentage or more of the end is in the vicinity of the specified position.

[0072] According to this embodiment, it is possible to increase the vibration at the center of the diaphragm.

[0073] (6) A vibration converter as described in any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the vibration plate has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface forms a bottom surface of a container capable of storing liquid, and the vibration plate has a hole penetrating from the second surface to the first surface.

[0074] According to this embodiment, water can be easily supplied to the container.

[0075] (7) A sprayer comprising a vibration converter described in any one of (1) to (6) above, and an airflow generator that generates an airflow that blows away the atomized liquid by the vibration generated by the vibration converter.

[0076] According to this embodiment, the vibration of the vibration element can be efficiently converted into the vibration of the diaphragm. Of course, this is not the case. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined in any desired manner.

[0077] Finally, although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The new embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1: Sprayer 2: Airflow generator 3: Housing 4: Gas inlet 5: Spout part 6: Container part 10: Vibration converter 20: Vibration element 30: Vibration member 31: Vibration transmission part 32: Vibration plate 33:Fixed part 40: AC power supply 201: Vibration surface 202: Back side 311: Contact surface 312: Reflective surface 313: Side 314: Downward facing 321: Vibration surface 322: Back side 323: End 324: Outer periphery 325: Connection 326: Outer surface 327b :hole

Claims

1. 1. A vibration converter comprising: The vibration sensor includes a vibration element, a vibration transmission unit, and a vibration plate, The vibration element is plate-shaped and vibrates in a thickness direction when a voltage is applied. the vibration transmission section is in close contact with a surface of the vibration element to transmit vibrations received from the surface and has a reflection surface that reflects the vibrations; The reflecting surface is shaped to concentrate reflected vibrations at a predetermined position, The vibration plate has an end provided near the predetermined position and vibrates due to a force received from the vibration transmission unit. Vibration transducer.

2. 2. The vibration converter according to claim 1, An end portion of the diaphragm is partly connected to the vibration transmitting portion, a recessed corner is formed by a surface of a portion of the end portion that is not connected to the vibration transmission portion and a surface of the vibration transmission portion, The reflecting surface is shaped so that the predetermined position is in the vicinity of the corner. Vibration transducer.

3. 2. The vibration converter according to claim 1, Vibrations are transmitted from the vibration element to the reflection surface by longitudinal waves, Vibrations are transmitted from the reflecting surface to the predetermined position by transverse waves generated on the reflecting surface. Vibration transducer.

4. 2. The vibration converter according to claim 1, Vibrations are transmitted from the vibration element to the reflection surface by longitudinal waves, Vibrations are transmitted from the reflecting surface to the predetermined position by longitudinal waves generated on the reflecting surface. Vibration transducer.

5. 2. The vibration converter according to claim 1, The vibration transmission part has a shape surrounding the diaphragm and is connected to an end part of the diaphragm, The reflection surface reflects vibrations so that a certain percentage or more of the end portion is in the vicinity of the predetermined position. Vibration transducer.

6. 2. The vibration converter according to claim 1, The diaphragm has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface forms a bottom surface of a container capable of storing a liquid; The diaphragm has a hole penetrating from the second surface to the first surface. Vibration transducer.

7. 1. A sprayer comprising: A vibration converter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, an airflow generator that generates an airflow that blows the atomized liquid by the vibration generated by the vibration converter; A sprayer comprising:

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