Volatilization device

Abstract

To provide a volatilization device capable of preventing a defect that a chemical solution leaks to the outside.SOLUTION: A volatilization device 10 has a cartridge 60, and a case 20 capable of mounting the cartridge 60. The cartridge 60 has a microporous film 80 capable of passing a chemical solution Y in an opening 711 of a container 70 storing the chemical solution Y. The case 20 has a bottom wall 321 for supporting the cartridge 60, and a pocket 32 for recovering the chemical solution flowing along an upper face 322 of the bottom wall 321.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a volatilization device for volatilizing a chemical solution such as a fragrance or a deodorant, for example.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a volatilization device in which a cartridge containing a chemical solution is attached to a main body, and a sealant of the cartridge is broken to start volatilization of the chemical solution. The cartridge is obtained by sealing an opening of a container containing a chemical solution with a sealant, and a microporous membrane is provided inside the sealant. Therefore, by breaking the sealant, the chemical solution that has passed through the microporous membrane can be volatilized.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described conventional volatilization device, after the sealant of the cartridge is broken, the chemical solution can pass through the microporous membrane, so there is a possibility of liquid leakage.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a volatilization device capable of preventing a problem that a chemical solution leaks to the outside.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the volatilization device of the present invention has a cartridge and a case to which the cartridge can be attached. The cartridge is provided with a membrane through which a chemical solution can pass at an opening of a container containing the chemical solution. The case has a support member for supporting the cartridge and a pocket for collecting the chemical solution that has flowed along the support member.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a volatilization device that can prevent the problem of the chemical solution leaking to the outside.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Figure 15

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, the volatilization device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, in a state where the volatilization device 10 is placed on the horizontal plane F (hereinafter, this state is referred to as an upright state), the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions are defined. The direction from the rear to the front is indicated by an arrow X, the direction from the left to the right is indicated by an arrow Y, and the direction from the bottom to the top is indicated by an arrow Z.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the volatilization device 10 includes a case 20 and a cartridge 60. The case 20 includes a rear case 30 and a front case 40. The front case 40 has a cover 50. The cartridge 60 includes a container 70, a microporous membrane 80, and a sealing material 90 (FIG. 6). The cartridge 60 stores a chemical solution Y such as a fragrance or a deodorant. The cartridge 60 is detachable within the case 20.

[0011] First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the structure of the case 20 will be described. The rear case 30 has a substantially oval opening 301 for inserting and removing the cartridge 60 on the front side facing the front case 40. The opening 301 has an up-down width slightly larger than the left-right width. The rear case 30 has a space inside that can accommodate the cartridge 60 inserted through the opening 301.

[0012] The rear case 30 has a bulging portion 31 that bulges rearward at its lower part. The bulging portion 31 bulges in a direction to expand the internal space of the rear case 30. The rearmost trailing edge 311 of the bulging portion 31 is curved in a substantially arc shape such that the center in its left - right direction protrudes rearward. On the outer surface of the bulging portion 31, there are two ridge portions 312 for anti - slip when a finger is placed on the upper surface of the bulging portion 31. The two ridge portions 312 extend left - right while being spaced apart vertically and front - rearward.

[0013] Inside the bulging portion 31, there is a pocket 32 capable of accommodating the chemical solution Y leaked from the cartridge 60. The bottom wall 321 of the pocket 32 has a flat upper surface 322 that is slightly inclined downward rearward in a state where the volatilization device 10 is upright. Above the pocket 32, there is an upper wall 323 that protrudes integrally forward from the inner surface of the rear case 30. The upper wall 323 extends substantially parallel to the bottom wall 321 at a position spaced above the bottom wall 321. The tip in the protruding direction of the upper wall 323, that is, the front edge 3231 of the upper wall 323, is located rearward of the front edges 335 of the ribs 331, 332, 333, 334 described below. That is, the height at which the upper wall 323 protrudes from the inner surface of the rear case 30 is lower than the protruding height of the ribs 331, 332, 333, 334. The front edge 3231 of the upper wall 323 is included in the edge of the opening of the pocket 32.

[0014] The rear case 30 integrally includes four L - shaped ribs 331, 332, 333, 334 on the inner surface side above the bulging portion 31. The four ribs 331, 332, 333, 334 protrude forward from the inner surface of the rear case 30, and the front edges 335 in the protruding direction terminate in the same plane. This plane is an imaginary flat surface obtained by tilting the YZ plane parallel to the Y direction and the Z direction in a direction orthogonal to the upper surface 322 of the bottom wall 321 of the pocket 32. There is a gap between this plane and the front edge 3231 of the upper wall 323.

[0015] The four ribs 331, 332, 333, and 334 are provided at positions spaced apart from each other vertically, horizontally, and diagonally such that the L-shaped corners face the center of the rear case 30. In other words, when the cartridge 60 is mounted in the rear case 30, the four ribs 331, 332, 333, and 334 are laid out at positions where their respective leading edges 335 abut against the attachment surface 731 of the flange portion 73 of the container 70 described later. That is, the leading edges 335 of the four ribs 331, 332, 333, and 334 constitute a part of the support surface that supports the rear surface of the cartridge 60.

[0016] The rear case 30 includes two support portions 341 and 342 at positions that define the left and right ends of the pocket 32 inside the bulging portion 31. The front ends 3411 and 3421 of the respective support portions 341 and 342 terminate at an imaginary plane including the opening 301. The support portions 341 and 342 have a curved support surface 343 that abuts against the curved lower end edge 733 (FIG. 6) of the flange portion 73 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 described later to support the cartridge 60 from below. The support surface 343 is a cylindrical surface formed by moving an arc-shaped curve conforming to the shape of the lower end edge 733 in a direction orthogonal to the imaginary plane including the opening 301. When attempting to attach the cartridge 60 upside down to the rear case 30, the support portions 341 and 342 interfere with two protruding pieces 74 and 75 (FIG. 6) of the container 70 described later, preventing the cartridge 60 from being attached in the reverse direction.

[0017] The rear case 30 is provided with a plurality of volatilization holes 35. The plurality of volatilization holes 35 penetrate through the rear case 30 at positions deviated from the bottom wall 321 and the upper wall 323 that define the top and bottom of the pocket 32, the bulging portion 31 having two support portions 341 and 342 inside, and the four ribs 331, 332, 333, and 334. In this embodiment, almost all of the volatilization holes 35 are substantially rectangular holes, but the size, shape, layout, etc. of the volatilization holes 35 can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, as many volatilization holes 35 as possible are provided in the rear case 30. Among the plurality of volatilization holes 35, two specific volatilization holes 351 arranged side by side left and right at approximately the center of the rear case 30 function as fitting holes for fitting two support convex portions 1231 and 1232 (FIG. 11) of the blister package 100 described later.

[0018] The case 20 has a hinge portion 36. The hinge portion 36 rotatably connects the lower end edge of the opening 301 of the rear case 30 and the lower end edge of the front case 40. The rear case 30 includes two rotation pins 361 (only one is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) that are components of the hinge portion 36. The two rotation pins 361 protrude left and right in a direction facing each other at a position near the front of the lower side of the pocket 32 and are coaxially arranged.

[0019] The rear case 30 is provided with an engagement groove 37 at the upper end edge of the opening 301 for engaging an engagement claw 44 of the front case 40 described later. When the front case 40 is arranged at the closed position shown in FIG. 1 that closes the opening 301 of the rear case 30, the engagement claw 44 engages with the engagement groove 37 and the front case 40 is fixed to the rear case 30. Alternatively, an engagement claw 44 may be provided on the rear case 30 and an engagement groove 37 may be provided on the front case 40. In addition, the rear case 30 is provided with substantially rectangular notch portions 38 on both the left and right sides of the opening 301.

[0020] The above-described two protruding ridges 312, hinge portion 36, engaging claws 44, engaging grooves 37, and two notches 38 are components that function when the front case 40 is opened and closed with respect to the rear case 30. For example, when opening the front case 40 arranged in the closed position shown in FIG. 1 for replacing the cartridge 60, hook a finger on the two notches 38 of the rear case 30, hold the rear case 30 with one hand, and release the engagement between the engaging claw 44 and the engaging groove 37 with the other hand. At this time, you may hook a finger on the two protruding ridges 312 and press the bulging portion 31 from above to rotate the front case 40 forward.

[0021] On the inner edge of the opening 301, there are four fitting claws 391, 392, 393, and 394 that fit into the stepped portion 45 on the outer peripheral edge of the front case 40. The fitting claws 391, 392, 393, and 394 each protrude forward from the edge of the opening 301. The fitting claw 391 is between the left notch 38 and the engaging groove 37. The fitting claw 392 is between the engaging groove 37 and the right notch 38. The fitting claw 393 is between the right notch 38 and the right support portion 342. The fitting claw 394 is between the left support portion 341 and the left notch 38. Alternatively, the front case 40 may be provided with fitting claws 391, 392, 393, and 394 and the rear case 30 may be provided with a stepped portion 45.

[0022] The rear case 30 includes two support feet 302 that protrude downward near the two rotation pins 361. The two support feet 302 are located at positions spaced apart left and right. When the volatilizer 10 is placed on the horizontal plane F, the lower ends of the two support feet 302 of the rear case 30 contact the horizontal plane F, and a part 313 of the lower surface near the rear edge 311 of the bulging portion 31 contacts the horizontal plane F. That is, the volatilizer 10 is placed on the horizontal plane F in a three-point support state where only the two support feet 302 and a part 313 of the lower surface of the bulging portion 31 are in contact with the horizontal plane F. In the state where the volatilizer 10 is placed on the horizontal plane F, the lower end of the front case 40 does not contact the horizontal plane F.

[0023] The front case 40 is provided with a cover 50 on its front side. The cover 50 is a component of the front case 40. The cover 50 is a translucent member made of resin, glass, etc. with, for example, a matte finish applied to its front surface to adjust the light transmittance. The matte finish is formed by imparting irregularities to the surface by performing physical removal with abrasive materials such as sandblasting or shot blasting, or chemical removal by etching with a chemical agent, either directly on the cover 50 or on the mold of the cover 50. When the processing is performed on the mold surface, the irregularities are transferred to the surface of the cover 50. The cover 50 has a shape in which the center of a substantially circular resin plate bulges forward and is curved into a substantially spherical shape. The cover 50 only needs to have a transparency such that the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y in the cartridge 60 housed in the case 20 can be visually judged from the front of the cover 50, and its material, shape, size, etc. can be arbitrarily set. In other words, the cover 50 is made translucent in order to make the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y in the cartridge 60 visible from the front of the volatilizer 10. By blurring the outline of the cartridge 60 with the cover 50, the aesthetic appearance of the volatilizer 10 can be improved. Note that in order to make it easier to see the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y in the cartridge 60 through the cover 50, the chemical solution Y may be colored (for example, light blue).

[0024] The front case 40 has a substantially circular recess 41 for mounting the cover 50. The recess 41 is recessed in a bowl shape from the front to the rear of the front case 40. The recess 41 is provided to keep the distance between the cartridge 60 and the cover 50 constant, and its inner surface shape can be arbitrarily changed. The size of the recess 41 is slightly smaller than the size of the front case 40. The shape of the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41 substantially coincides with the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the cover 50. There is an annular groove 411 inside the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41. There are two slits 412 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) penetrating the front case 40 in the middle of the groove 411. The two slits 412 are located at positions spaced apart left and right in the recess 41.

[0025] The cover 50 has, at its outer peripheral edge, an annular protrusion 51 that fits into an annular groove 411 provided at the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41 of the front case 40. The protrusion 51 has two engaging claws 511 that are inserted through and engaged with two slits 412 of the front case 40. The engaging claws 511 are provided on the left and right sides of the cover 50 and project integrally rearward from the edge of the cover 50. The cover 50 can be attached to the recess 41 by fitting the protrusion 51 into the groove 411 at the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41 and inserting and engaging the two engaging claws 511 into the slits 412.

[0026] The front case 40 has a substantially circular exposure hole 42 that penetrates the bottom 413 of the recess 41. The size of the exposure hole 42 is slightly smaller than the size of the recess 41. The exposure hole 42 is a hole for receiving, from the rear, a housing portion 71 (FIG. 6) of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 accommodated in the case 20 and projecting it forward toward the cover 50. Therefore, the shape of the outer peripheral edge of the exposure hole 42 substantially coincides with the outer peripheral shape of the housing portion 71. The exposure hole 42 is located behind the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41.

[0027] On the upper half of the annular outer peripheral edge of the exposure hole 42, there is a substantially semi-circular rib 421 that projects rearward. The tip of the rib 421 in the protruding direction, that is, the rear edge 422 of the rib 421, faces the front surface 723 of the stepped portion 72 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60. The outer peripheral edge 423 of the lower half of the exposure hole 42 where the rib 421 is not provided overlaps the front outer surface 7121 of a pocket 712 (to be described later) of the container 70 of the cartridge 60. For this reason, the stepped portion 72 (that is, the pocket 712) of the container 70 is hidden behind the outer peripheral edge of the exposure hole 42 and cannot be seen from the front.

[0028] The front case 40 is provided with two projecting pieces 43 having shaft holes 431 which are components of the hinge portion 36 described above, near its lower end. The projecting pieces 43 project rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the front case 40. The two projecting pieces 43 are provided at a distance from each other left and right. The shaft holes 431 of the two projecting pieces 43 are coaxially arranged. The two rotation pins 361 of the rear case are respectively inserted into the shaft holes 431 of the two projecting pieces 43 from the outside. Alternatively, the front case 40 may be provided with the shaft holes 431 and the rear case 30 may be provided with the rotation pins 361. The front case 40 is rotatable between a closed position (FIG. 2) where it fits with the rear case 30 via the hinge portion 36 and an open position (not shown) where the opening 301 of the rear case 30 is opened.

[0029] The front case 40 is provided with an engaging claw 44 at the tip of rotation, which engages with the engaging groove 37 of the rear case 30. The engaging claw 44 projects rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the front case 40. When the front case 40 is rotated to the closed position, the engaging claw 44 fits into the engaging groove 37 of the rear case 30, and the front case 40 is fixed to the closed position. The front case 40 is provided with a substantially annular stepped portion 45 on its outer peripheral edge for fitting the four fitting claws 391, 392, 393, 394 of the rear case 30. When the engagement of the engaging claw 44 is released, the front case 40 can be rotated toward the open position.

[0030] The front case 40 is provided with an annular liquid receiving portion 46 on the rear surface side outside the exposed hole 42. The liquid receiving portion 46 is outside the recess 41 of the front case 40 and inside the outer peripheral edge of the front case 40, and has a shape that is recessed from the rear to the front of the front case 40. In a state where the front case 40 is rotated to the closed position and fitted with the rear case 30, the front edge 3211 of the bottom wall 321 and the front edge 3231 of the upper wall 323 of the pocket 32 of the rear case 30 face the liquid receiving portion 46. When the case 20 falls forward with the chemical solution Y in the pocket 32, the chemical solution Y in the pocket 32 flows into the liquid receiving portion 46, preventing the chemical solution Y from leaking out of the case 20.

[0031] Next, with reference to FIGS. 1, 6 to 10, the structure of the cartridge 60 will be described. The container 70 has a bottomed substantially cylindrical accommodating portion 71 that accommodates the chemical solution Y, a substantially annular stepped portion 72 continuous with the edge of the opening 711 at the rear of the accommodating portion 71, and a substantially annular plate-shaped flange portion 73 continuous with the end portion 721 of the stepped portion 72 on the side opposite to the accommodating portion 71. The container 70 is integrally formed of a transparent resin with the accommodating portion 71, the stepped portion 72, and the flange portion 73.

[0032] The opening 711 of the accommodating portion 71 is a substantially oval shape whose vertical direction is slightly longer than the horizontal direction. The stepped portion 72 is outside the opening 711. The stepped portion 72 has an annular flat attachment surface 722 to which the microporous membrane 80 is attached. The attachment surface 722 is a surface continuous with the outside of the opening 711. The flange portion 73 is outside the stepped portion 72. The flange portion 73 has an annular flat attachment surface 731 to which the sealing material 90 is attached. The bottom surface 713 of the accommodating portion 71, the attachment surface 722 of the stepped portion 72, and the attachment surface 731 of the flange portion 73 are substantially parallel to an imaginary plane including the opening 711 of the accommodating portion 71. The attachment surface 722 of the stepped portion 72 is behind the bottom surface 713 of the accommodating portion 71. The attachment surface 731 of the flange portion 73 is behind the attachment surface 722 of the stepped portion 72.

[0033] The container 70 has a pocket 712 along the lower edge of the opening 711 of the accommodating portion 71. The pocket 712 is inside the opening 711. The pocket 712 is a portion that partially shallows the depth of the accommodating portion 71. For this reason, the outer surface 7121 in front of the pocket 712 is located behind the bottom surface 713 of the accommodating portion 71. When the volatilization device 10 is placed in an upright state to volatilize the chemical solution Y, the chemical solution Y accommodated in the accommodating portion 71 decreases and its liquid level drops, and finally a predetermined amount of the chemical solution Y remains in the pocket 712.

[0034] The flange portion 73 integrally has two plate-like protruding pieces 74 and 75 of a size that can be pinched with a finger at the upper end on the side opposite to the pocket 712. The protruding pieces 74 and 75 project from the upper end of the flange portion 73 while being spaced apart from each other left and right. The protruding pieces 74 and 75 can have any shape, not limited to the shape shown in the figure. The protruding pieces 74 and 75 are located in front of the attachment surface 731 of the sealing material 90. That is, there is a step between the attachment surface 731 and the rear surfaces 741 and 751 of the protruding pieces 74 and 75. This step is preferably about 3 to 4 mm, for example. Protrusions 742 and 752 project from the rear surfaces 741 and 751 of the respective protruding pieces 74 and 75. The protruding height of the protrusions 742 and 752 from the rear surfaces 741 and 751 is lower than the step between the attachment surface 731 and the rear surfaces 741 and 751 of the protruding pieces 74 and 75.

[0035] The microporous membrane 80 has substantially the same outer shape as the outer shape of the attachment surface 722 of the stepped portion 72 of the container 70. After putting a predetermined amount of the chemical solution Y into the storage portion 71, the microporous membrane 80 seals the space in the storage portion 71 including the pocket 712 by being attached to the attachment surface 722 with an adhesive, for example. The microporous membrane 80 has a plurality of fine pores that allow the vaporized chemical solution Y to pass through and also allow a liquid having a viscosity lower than a predetermined viscosity to pass through. Therefore, in a state where only the opening 711 of the storage portion 71 is blocked by the microporous membrane 80, the chemical solution Y stored in the storage portion 71 passes through the microporous membrane 80 and volatilizes. The microporous membrane 80 is formed in a substantially circular shape rather than a square shape or the like so that stress does not concentrate on a part when the chemical solution Y is absorbed and the membrane bends.

[0036] In the present embodiment, since a structure is adopted in which the chemical solution Y in the cartridge 60 contacts the microporous membrane 80, a thickening agent is mixed in the chemical solution Y to adjust the viscosity so that the rate at which the chemical solution Y that has passed through the microporous membrane 80 volatilizes is at least faster than the rate at which the chemical solution Y passes through the microporous membrane 80. Thereby, a problem that the chemical solution Y stored in the storage portion 71 passes through the microporous membrane 80 and leaks out while remaining in a liquid state is suppressed. The rate at which the chemical solution Y passes through the microporous membrane 80 depends on the environmental temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, etc., but can be set to a desired value by selecting a microporous membrane 80 having an appropriate permeability and adjusting the viscosity of the chemical solution Y.

[0037] When a thickening agent is mixed into the chemical solution Y to adjust the rate at which the chemical solution Y passes through the microporous membrane 80, as the evaporation of the chemical solution Y progresses, only the thickening agent remains unable to pass through the microporous membrane 80 and the viscosity of the chemical solution Y in the storage portion 71 gradually increases. For this reason, it is difficult to use up all of the chemical solution Y stored in the storage portion 71. That is, when the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y decreases, the viscosity of the chemical solution Y increases and it becomes unable to pass through the microporous membrane 80, further evaporation of the chemical solution Y is substantially eliminated, and a small amount of highly viscous chemical solution Y remains in the storage portion 71.

[0038] In the present embodiment, after the evaporation of the chemical solution Y has ended in this manner, the capacity of the pocket 712 is designed such that all of the highly viscous chemical solution Y that remains unable to pass through the microporous membrane 80 is stored in the pocket 712. The capacity of the pocket 712 is the amount that can be stored in the pocket 712 when the volatilization device 10 is in an upright state, and is, for example, about 3% of the volume of the storage portion 71.

[0039] The sealing material 90 is formed of a material that cannot pass the chemical solution Y, such as an aluminum seal or a resin film, for example. After the sealing material 90 is welded to the attachment surface 731 of the flange portion 73 of the container 70 by heat, for example, it is formed into the same outer shape as the flange portion 73 by punching the container 70. Since the two protruding pieces 74, 75 protruding from the flange portion 73 are located at positions separated forward from the attachment surface 731, a gap is formed between the sealing material 90 heat-welded to the flange portion 73 and the protruding pieces 74, 75. The protrusions 742, 752 protruding from the rear surfaces 741, 751 of the protruding pieces 74, 75 prevent the protruding pieces 74, 75 and the sealing material 90 from adhering closely and prevent the sealing material 90 from being heat-welded to the rear surfaces 741, 751 of the protruding pieces 74, 75.

[0040] By thermally welding the sealing material 90 to the flange portion 73 of the container 70 to seal the rear side of the stepped portion 72, it is possible to prevent the volatilization of the chemical solution Y that has passed through the microporous membrane 80. In other words, when mounting the cartridge 60 in the case 20 and starting the use of the volatilization device 10, it is only necessary to mount the cartridge 60 with the sealing material 90 peeled off in the case 20. When peeling the sealing material 90 from the flange portion 73 of the container 70, a part of the sealing material 90 that is spaced apart and overlaps on the rear surface 741, 751 sides of the two protruding pieces 74, 75 can be easily pinched with a finger, and the sealing material 90 can be easily peeled off with either the left or right hand.

[0041] Since the container 70 has the stepped portion 72, the sealing material 90 is attached to the flange portion 73 in a state of being spaced apart behind the microporous membrane 80. In this way, by separating the sealing material 90 from the microporous membrane 80, it is possible to make it difficult for the chemical solution Y that has passed through the microporous membrane 80 to adhere to the front surface of the sealing material 90, and it is possible to suppress the problem that the chemical solution Y gets on the hand when peeling the sealing material 90. Further, by arranging the sealing material 90 in a non-contact state with the microporous membrane 80, it is possible to suppress the problem of promoting the passage of the chemical solution Y through the microporous membrane 80 due to capillary action caused by contact.

[0042] The distance between the microporous membrane 80 and the sealing material 90, that is, the depth of the stepped portion 72 in the front-rear direction, is set to a value such that the sealing material 90 does not contact the microporous membrane 80 even when the sealing material 90 is pushed from the outside. Further, the depth of the stepped portion 72 is set in consideration of the deflection of the microporous membrane 80 that has absorbed the chemical solution Y. That is, the stepped portion 72 is set to a depth such that the sealing material 90 does not contact the microporous membrane 80 even when the microporous membrane 80 is deflected by the chemical solution Y. Furthermore, the depth of the stepped portion 72 is set to a value such that the sealing material 90 does not contact the microporous membrane 80 even when a negative pressure is generated inside the container 70 and the sealing material 90 is sucked inward.

[0043] Next, an example of the procedure for mounting the cartridge 60 in the case 20 will be described. First, disengage the engaging claw 44 at the upper end of the front case 40 disposed in the closed position from the engaging groove 37 of the rear case 30, and pivot the front case 40 forward about the hinge portion 36 at the lower end of the case 20 to dispose the front case 40 in the open position and open the opening 301 of the rear case 30.

[0044] Then, peel off the sealing material 90 attached to the flange portion 73 of the cartridge 60, and attach the cartridge 60 to the internal space through the opening 301 of the rear case 30. At this time, with the two protruding pieces 74, 75 provided on the flange portion 73 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 facing upward and the microporous membrane 80 closing the accommodating portion 71 of the container 70 facing the inner surface of the rear case 30, attach the cartridge 60 into the rear case 30.

[0045] When the cartridge 60 is thus placed into the rear case 30, the attachment surface 731 of the flange portion 73 of the container 70 contacts the leading edges 335 of the four ribs 331, 332, 333, 334 of the rear case 30, and the curved lower edge 733 of the flange portion 73 abuts against the upper surface 322 of the bottom wall 321 of the pocket 32 and the curved support surfaces 343 of the two support portions 341, 342. In this state, the cartridge 60 is positioned with respect to the rear case 30. The four ribs 331, 332, 333, 334 of the rear case 30, the bottom wall 321 of the pocket 32, and the two support portions 341, 342 are an example of a support member for supporting the cartridge 60.

[0046] If an attempt is made to attach the cartridge 60 to the rear case 30 with the cartridge 60 upside down, the two protruding pieces 74, 75 of the container 70 interfere with the two support portions 341, 342 of the rear case 30, and the attachment surface 731 of the flange portion 73 cannot contact the leading edges 335 of the four ribs 331, 332, 333, 334. That is, the protruding pieces 74, 75 of the cartridge 60 and the support portions 341, 342 of the rear case 30 function as a structure for preventing the problem of attaching the cartridge 60 upside down.

[0047] When the cartridge 60 with the sealing material 90 peeled off is attached to the rear case 30 in the normal orientation, only the flange portion 73 comes into contact with the rear case 30, and the microporous membrane 80 is in a non-contact state with respect to the rear case 30. For this reason, the amount (passage rate) of the chemical solution Y passing through the microporous membrane 80 can be stabilized as designed, and the volatilization of the chemical solution Y can be stabilized in a desired state.

[0048] After attaching the cartridge 60 to the rear case 30, the front case 40 is rotated to the closed position about the hinge portion 36, and the engaging claw 44 of the front case 40 is engaged with the engaging groove 37 of the rear case 30. Thereby, the front case 40 is fixed to the rear case 30. When the front case 40 is disposed in the closed position, the housing portion 71 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 fits into the exposed hole 42 of the front case 40, and the outer peripheral edge 423 of the exposed hole 42 overlaps the outer surface 7121 of the pocket 712.

[0049] In this state, the rear surface of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 is supported by the leading edges 335 of the ribs 331, 332, 333, 334 of the rear case 30, and the outer surface 7121 of the pocket 712 of the container 70 is pressed by the outer peripheral edge 423 of the exposed hole 42, so that the cartridge 60 cannot move substantially in the front-rear direction within the case 20. For this reason, in a state where the cartridge 60 is attached to the case 20, the distance between the bottom surface 713 of the housing portion 71 of the container 70 and the cover 50 can be kept substantially constant.

[0050] Since the cover 50 is semi-transparent by embossing, the distance between the bottom surface 713 at the foremost part of the container 70 and the cover 50 affects the visibility of the chemical solution Y in the housing portion 71. Therefore, by restricting the front-rear movement of the cartridge 60 and keeping the distance between the bottom surface 713 and the cover 50 constant, the outline of the cartridge 60 can be seen from the outside of the volatilization device 10 with an appropriate degree of blurring, the aesthetic appearance can be improved, and the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y can also be accurately judged.

[0051] As described above, with the cartridge 60 mounted in the case 20, the chemical solution Y passes through the microporous membrane 80 of the cartridge 60, and the volatilization of the chemical solution Y starts through the plurality of volatilization holes 35 of the rear case 30. Note that the two left and right notch portions 38 described above of the rear case 30 also function as volatilization holes for volatilizing the chemical solution Y.

[0052] Next, countermeasures against liquid leakage in the volatilization device 10 of the present embodiment will be described. The cartridge 60 has a structure in which the chemical solution Y is stored in the storage portion 71 of the container 70, the microporous membrane 80 is attached to the stepped portion 72, and the sealing material 90 is attached to the flange portion 73. Therefore, before the sealing material 90 is peeled off, it is conceivable that the chemical solution Y that has come into contact with the microporous membrane 80 passes through the microporous membrane 80 and exists in the space between the sealing material 90. Thus, for example, when the cartridge 60 is stored for a long time with the sealing material 90 facing down, there is a possibility that the chemical solution Y will leak undesirably when the sealing material 90 is peeled off. Also, for example, even when the volatilization device 10 in a state where the cartridge 60 with the sealing material 90 peeled off is mounted in the case 20 is left lying on its back for a long time, there is a possibility that the chemical solution Y will leak through the microporous membrane 80.

[0053] The volatilization device 10 of the present embodiment has taken countermeasures against liquid leakage in consideration of such a slight possibility of liquid leakage. For example, when the chemical solution Y leaks from the cartridge 60 with the volatilization device 10 arranged in an upright state, the leaked chemical solution Y is transmitted to the upper surface 322 of the bottom wall 321 of the pocket 32 of the rear case 30 through the lower end edge 733 of the flange portion 73 of the container 70 and is collected in the pocket 32 due to the inclination of the upper surface 322. Therefore, even if the chemical solution Y flows out from the cartridge 60 with the volatilization device 10 in an upright state, there is no need to worry about the chemical solution Y leaking out of the case 20.

[0054] Even if the volatilization device 10 falls down with the chemical solution Y contained in the pocket 32, the chemical solution Y will not leak out of the case 20 of the volatilization device 10. For example, when the volatilization device 10 falls backward with the chemical solution Y contained in the pocket 32, the arc-shaped rear edge 311 of the bulging portion 31 of the rear case 30 rolls on the horizontal plane F, and the cover 50 balances and stops in a posture facing upward. Therefore, the chemical solution Y in the pocket 32 will not leak out of the case 20. Or, when the volatilization device 10 falls forward with the chemical solution Y contained in the pocket 32, the chemical solution Y in the pocket 32 flows into the liquid receiving portion 46 of the front case 40 and will not leak out of the case 20.

[0055] As described above, according to the volatilization device 10 of the present embodiment, an apparatus configuration for volatilizing the chemical solution Y that has passed through the microporous membrane 80 of the cartridge 60 is adopted, and the problem of the chemical solution Y leaking out of the case 20 can be prevented. Therefore, by a simple operation of only peeling off the sealing material 90 and mounting the cartridge 60 on the case 20, the volatilization of the chemical solution Y can be started, and there will be no problem of soiling the surroundings or hands due to liquid leakage, and a highly convenient volatilization device 10 for the user can be provided.

[0056] Also, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, since the microporous membrane 80 of the cartridge 60 is opposed to the inner surface of the rear case 30 in a non-contact state and many volatilization holes 35 are provided in the rear case 30, the entire surface of the microporous membrane 80 can be exposed to the outside air, and the volatilization efficiency of the chemical solution Y can be increased. If the front edge 3231 of the upper wall 323 of the pocket 32 of the rear case 30 is arranged on an imaginary plane where the front edges 335 of the four ribs 331 to 334 are arranged, the portion of the microporous membrane 80 below the upper wall 323 that overlaps the front edge 3231 of the upper wall 323 will be difficult to contact the outside air, and accordingly, the volatilization efficiency of the chemical solution Y will be lowered. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the front edge 3231 of the upper wall 323 of the pocket 32 is arranged behind the front edges 335 of the four ribs 331 to 334, and a gap is provided between the front edge 3231 and the flange portion 73 of the container 70.

[0057] Further, according to the present embodiment, since the chemical solution Y stored in the cartridge 60 contains a thickening agent, when the volatilization of the chemical solution Y ends, a highly viscous and non-volatile chemical solution Y remains in the pocket 712 of the container 70. When the chemical solution Y remains in the container 70 in this way, it becomes difficult for the user of the volatilization device 10 to visually determine that the volatilization of the chemical solution Y has ended. Therefore, the volatilization device 10 of the present embodiment hides the pocket 712 of the cartridge 60 from view through the cover 50 by the outer peripheral edge 423 of the exposure hole 42 of the front case 40, so that the chemical solution Y having a non-volatile viscosity is not visible. For this reason, the user can accurately determine the timing when the volatilization of the chemical solution Y ends, and can accurately determine the replacement timing of the cartridge 60.

[0058] Note that the above-described cartridge 60 has a structure in which the chemical solution Y is stored in the storage portion 71 of the container 70, the microporous membrane 80 is attached to the stepped portion 72, and the sealing material 90 is attached to the flange portion 73. Since the chemical solution Y may come into contact with and pass through the microporous membrane 80, it is preferable to keep the chemical solution Y from coming into contact with the microporous membrane 80 as much as possible even when it is distributed on the market as a product. As the distribution form of the cartridge 60, there are a case where it is distributed as the volatilization device 10 including the case 20 and a case where only the replacement cartridge 60 is distributed. When only the replacement cartridge 60 is distributed, simply stacking a plurality of cartridges 60 with the sealing material 90 facing upward can prevent the problem that the chemical solution Y comes into contact with the microporous membrane 80. However, when it is distributed as a set with the case 20, it is necessary to devise the packaging posture of the cartridge 60.

[0059] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14, a blister package 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as package 100) for packing the case 20 of the volatilization device 10 and the cartridge 60 as a set will be described. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a packed body 300 in which the case 20 of the volatilization device 10 and one cartridge 60 are packed using the package 100 and the mount 200. FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the packed body 300 as viewed from the direction of arrow F12 in FIG. 11. In FIG. 12, the case 20 and the mount 200 are not shown. FIG. 13 is a developed view of the package 100 as viewed from the inside after opening, and FIG. 14 is a plan view of the mount 200.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 11, the packed body 300 has a structure that can be placed in a self-standing state on the horizontal plane F. Further, the case 20 of the packed body 300 is in substantially the same posture as the posture shown in FIG. 1 in which only the case 20 is placed on the horizontal plane F in the state shown in FIG. 11 where the packed body 300 is placed on the horizontal plane F. In other words, the package 100 packs the case 20 in the same posture as the posture in which the case 20 is placed on the horizontal plane F. Therefore, also in the following description, in the same manner as the description so far, with the packed body 300 placed on the horizontal plane F, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are defined, and in each drawing, an arrow X indicating the direction from the rear to the front, an arrow Y indicating the direction from the left to the right, and an arrow Z indicating the direction from the bottom to the top are shown.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 13, the package 100 integrally has a front portion 110 that covers the front of the case 20 and a rear portion 120 that houses the cartridge 60 and covers the bulging portion 31 of the case 20. The package 100 can be formed of, for example, a transparent resin. The package 100 has a hinge portion 1150 that connects the lower end edge 1111 of the substantially rectangular plate-like portion 111 of the front portion 110 and the lower end edge 1211 of the substantially rectangular plate-like portion 121 of the rear portion 120. The hinge portion 1150 has a structure in which a plurality of slits 1151 that are intermittently arranged in a linear portion connecting the lower end edges 1111 and 1211 of the two plate-like portions 111 and 121 are provided so as to be foldable.

[0062] The front portion 110 has two receiving recesses 112 and 113 with a shape in which a plate-like portion 111 bulges forward. One of the receiving recesses 112 near the lower end edge 1111 of the plate-like portion 111 is a portion for receiving a part of the cartridge 60. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the cartridge 60 is accommodated in the package 100 in a posture where the sealing material 90 attached to the flange portion 73 of the container 70 faces upward and the protruding piece 75 on the right side enters the left side within the receiving recess 112 of the front portion 110. Therefore, the receiving recess 112 has a shape capable of accommodating a part of the cartridge 60 arranged in this posture and has a shape incapable of accommodating the cartridge 60 in a different posture.

[0063] The other receiving recess 113 is a portion for receiving all of the front case 40 and a part excluding the bulging portion 31 of the rear case 30. This receiving recess 113 also has a shape capable of accommodating the case 20 arranged in a predetermined posture and has a shape incapable of accommodating the case 20 with, for example, the top and bottom reversed. The predetermined posture mentioned here is the posture shown in FIG. 11, in which the cover 50 (not shown in FIG. 11) of the front case 40 faces forward. The two receiving recesses 112 and 113 are arranged side by side vertically, and their inner surfaces are smoothly connected so that a part overlaps.

[0064] In addition, the front portion 110 has two fitting recesses 114 and 115 for fitting two fitting convex portions 124 and 125, which will be described later, of the rear portion 120. The two fitting recesses 114 and 115 are substantially cylindrical bottomed holes in which the plate-like portion 111 bulges partially forward, and are provided at positions spaced apart left and right near the upper end of the plate-like portion 111.

[0065] The rear portion 120 has two accommodation recesses 122 and 123 in a shape where a plate-like portion 121 bulges rearward. One accommodation recess 122 near the lower end edge 1211 of the plate-like portion 121 has a shape and size for receiving the bulging portion 31 of the rear case 30 and the remaining portion of the cartridge 60. Since the cartridge 60 is accommodated in the posture with the accommodation portion 71 facing downward as described above, the accommodation recess 122 bulges greatly rearward so as to be able to accommodate most of the cartridge 60 extending in the horizontal direction. Also, since a space for receiving the bulging portion 31 above the cartridge 60 is required, the accommodation recess 122 also has a predetermined size in the vertical direction.

[0066] The accommodation recess 123 above the accommodation recess 122 is a portion for receiving a part of the rear of the rear case 30. This accommodation recess 123 also has a shape capable of receiving the rear surface of the rear case 30 of the case 20 arranged in the above-described posture. Also, at the bottom of this accommodation recess 123, there are two support convex portions 1231 and 1232 that project a part of them forward. These two support convex portions 1231 and 1232 are for fitting into two specific volatilization holes 351 of the rear case 30 to position and support the case 20. The two accommodation recesses 122 and 123 are arranged vertically side by side, and their inner surfaces are smoothly connected so that a part overlaps.

[0067] Also, the rear portion 120 has two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 that fit into the two fitting recesses 114 and 115 of the front portion 110 described above. The two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 are protrusions formed by partially bulging the plate-like portion 121 forward, and are provided at positions separated left and right near the upper end of the plate-like portion 121, that is, positions facing the two fitting recesses 114 and 115 of the front portion 110. The two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 are formed in a shape and size that can be press-fitted and fitted into the two fitting recesses 114 and 115.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 14, the backing sheet 200 is formed of a substantially rectangular cardboard that is long in the vertical direction, and for example, characters and patterns such as product names are printed on its front surface. The backing sheet 200 is sandwiched and attached between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120 of the package 100. About the lower half of the rectangular portion of the backing sheet 200 in the vertical direction is sandwiched between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120. About the upper half of the rectangular portion of the backing sheet 200 in the vertical direction protrudes upward from the upper end of the package 100 as shown in Fig. 11. Since the backing sheet 200 is not an essential component of the present invention, it may be omitted.

[0069] When the backing sheet 200 is overlaid on the inner surface of the rear portion 120 of the package 100, it has an opening hole 202 that exposes substantially the entire upper accommodation recess 123 and a part of the lower accommodation recess 122 of the rear portion 120 toward the front. Further, the backing sheet 200 has two notches 204 and 205 at the center in the vertical direction and at the left and right ends for passing through the two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 of the rear portion 120 of the package 100. Further, the backing sheet 200 has a circular hanging hole 206 near the upper end of the upper rectangular portion protruding above the package 100 for hanging and suspending the package 300 on a hook (not shown).

[0070] Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of the assembly procedure of the package 300. Hereinafter, the assembly procedure of the package 300 will be mainly described with reference to Fig. 15. When assembling the package 300, first, the package 100 is unfolded in the posture shown in Fig. 15 with the inner surfaces of the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120 of the package 100 facing upward, and the backing sheet 200 (not shown in Fig. 15) is overlaid and attached to the inner surface of the rear portion 120. At this time, the two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 of the rear portion 120 are inserted through the two notches 204 and 205 at the left and right ends of the backing sheet 200 to position the backing sheet 200 with respect to the rear portion 120.

[0071] Next, insert the cartridge 60 through the opening hole 202 of the mount board 200 into the predetermined posture shown in FIG. 15, and accommodate and arrange most of the cartridge 60 in the accommodation recess 122 of the rear portion 120. After that, arrange the rear surface of the rear case 30 in the accommodation recess 123 of the rear portion 120 so that the bulging portion 31 of the case 20 is inserted into the accommodation recess 122 through the opening hole 202. At this time, the two support convex portions 1231 and 1232 of the accommodation recess 123 are fitted into the two volatilization holes 351 of the rear case 30, and the case 20 is positioned with respect to the rear portion 120.

[0072] Finally, rotate the front portion 110 of the package 100 about the hinge portion 1150, overlap the inner surface of the plate-like portion 111 of the front portion 110 with the inner surface of the plate-like portion 121 of the rear portion 120, and fit the two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 of the rear portion 120 into the two fitting recesses 114 and 115 of the front portion 110. As a result, a part in front of the cartridge 60 is fitted into the accommodation recess 112 of the front portion 110, and the front portion of the case 20 is fitted into the accommodation recess 113, and the package 300 shown in FIG. 11 is assembled. The package 300 can be arranged in the standing posture shown in FIG. 11 by bringing the hinge portion 1150 and the lower end surface of the accommodation recess 122 into contact with the horizontal plane F.

[0073] As described above, when the cartridge 60 is packaged using the package 100 of the present embodiment, the cartridge 60 can be held in a predetermined posture in a state where the package 300 is arranged in the standing position. The predetermined posture referred to here is a posture in which the sealing material 90 attached to the flange portion 73 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 faces upward, and a posture in which the chemical solution Y in the container 70 does not contact the microporous membrane 80. That is, by making the package 300 stand and flow, the possibility of the chemical solution Y contacting the microporous membrane 80 can be reduced, and the problem that the chemical solution Y contacting the microporous membrane 80 passes through the microporous membrane 80 and adheres to the sealing material 90 can be suppressed.

[0074] In addition, when the case 20 is packaged using the package 100 of the present embodiment, the case 20 can be arranged in the same posture as the use state with the package 300 placed in an upright position. Therefore, when the package 300 is displayed on a horizontal product shelf in a store, a customer who intends to purchase the diffuser 10 can easily imagine the use state of the diffuser 10, and an effect of enhancing the purchasing desire can be expected.

[0075] As described above, the present invention has been described based on one embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0076] 10... Diffuser, 20... Case, 30... Rear case, 31... Bulging portion, 311... Rear edge, 32... Pocket, 321... Bottom wall, 3211... Front edge, 322... Upper surface, 323... Upper wall, 3231... Front edge, 331, 332, 333, 334... Ribs, 335... Tip edge, 341, 342... Support portions, 343... Support surface, 35, 351... Diffusion holes, 36... Hinge portion, 37... Engagement groove, 38... Notch portion, 40... Front case, 41... Recess, 42... Exposed hole, 423... Outer peripheral edge, 44... Engagement claw, 46... Liquid receiving portion, 50... Cover, 60... Cartridge, 70... Container, 71... Accommodating portion, 711... Opening, 712... Pocket, 7121... Outer surface, 713... Bottom surface, 72... Step portion, 722... Attachment surface, 73... Flange portion, 731... Attachment surface, 733... Lower edge, 74, 75... Protruding pieces, 741, 751... Rear surfaces, 742, 752... Protrusions, 80... Microporous membrane, 90... Sealing material, 100... Blister package, 110... Front portion, 111... Plate-like portion, 112, 113... Accommodating recesses, 114, 115... Fitting recesses, 1150... Hinge portion, 1151... Slit, 120... Rear portion, 121... Plate-like portion, 122, 123... Accommodating recesses, 1231, 1232... Support convex portions, 124, 125... Fitting convex portions, 200... Mounting board, 202... Opening hole, 204, 205... Notches, 300... Package, 302... Support feet, F... Horizontal plane.

Claims

1. A cartridge having a membrane through which a chemical solution can pass provided at an opening of a container containing the chemical solution, and a case to which the cartridge can be attached, and the case includes a support member that supports the cartridge, a pocket that collects the chemical solution that has flowed along the support member, and is a volatilization device having the above.

2. The case has a volatilization hole for volatilizing the chemical solution that has passed through the membrane, and the support member supports the cartridge in a posture in which the chemical solution in the container is brought into contact with the membrane and the membrane faces the volatilization hole, The volatilization device according to Claim 1.

3. The pocket has a bottom wall that contacts the lower end of the cartridge and constitutes a part of the support member that supports the cartridge from below, and the bottom wall has an upper surface inclined downward in the direction of gravity through a portion where the lower end of the cartridge contacts, The volatilization device according to Claim 1.

4. The case includes a rear case having the support member and the pocket, and a front case that has a space capable of accommodating the cartridge between the front case and the rear case and is provided to be openable and closable with respect to the rear case, The volatilization device according to Claim 3 having the above.

5. The rear case has an arc-shaped rear edge for stationary the case in a posture in which the opening of the pocket faces upward when the case placed on a horizontal plane falls to the rear case side, The volatilization device according to Claim 4.

6. The front case has a liquid receiving portion disposed below the opening of the pocket when the case falls to the front case side, The volatilization device according to Claim 5.

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