Volatilization device

Abstract

To provide a volatilization device having high designability.SOLUTION: A volatilization device 10 has a cartridge 60 having a microporous film 80 capable of passing a chemical solution Y in an opening 711 of a transparent container 70 storing the chemical solution Y, and a case 20 capable of mounting the cartridge 60 therein. The case 20 has a translucent cover 50 at a position separated by a constant distance from a bottom surface 713 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60.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, a volatilization device is known in which a cartridge containing a chemical solution is attached to a main body, and the sealant of the cartridge is broken to start volatilization of the chemical solution. The cartridge is formed by sealing the opening of a container containing the 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, since a cartridge containing a fixed amount of chemical solution is used and attached to the main body, the container and the front cover of the cartridge are formed of a transparent resin material so that the remaining amount of the chemical solution in the cartridge can be seen from the outside. Therefore, the remaining amount of the chemical solution can be easily judged by looking from the outside of the volatilization device, and the end time of using the volatilization device can be appropriately judged.

[0005] However, when the front cover is made transparent, when the volatilization device is viewed from the front, the state in which the cartridge is attached to the main body can be clearly seen, resulting in low design quality and poor appearance.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a volatilization device with high design quality.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] One aspect of the volatilization device of the present invention includes a cartridge provided with a membrane through which a chemical solution can pass at an opening of a transparent container containing the chemical solution, and a case in which the cartridge can be mounted inside. The case includes a translucent cover at a position spaced a certain distance from the bottom surface of the container of the cartridge.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, since the outline of the cartridge is seen blurred through the translucent cover, the remaining amount of the chemical solution can be judged from the outside of the cover, and moreover, the design property of the volatilization device can be enhanced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the volatilizer 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, with the volatilizer 10 placed on the horizontal plane F (hereinafter, this state is referred to as the upright state), the up - down, left - right, and front - back directions are defined. The direction from the rear to the front is indicated by arrow X, the direction from the left to the right is indicated by arrow Y, and the direction from the bottom to the top is indicated by arrow Z.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the volatilizer 10 has a case 20 and a cartridge 60. The case 20 has a rear case 30 and a front case 40. The front case 40 has a cover 50. The cartridge 60 has a container 70, a microporous membrane 80, and a sealing material 90 (Fig. 6). The cartridge 60 contains a chemical solution Y such as a fragrance or a deodorant. The cartridge 60 is detachable within the case 20.

[0012] 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-and-down width slightly larger than the left-and-right width. The rear case 30 has a space inside that can accommodate the cartridge 60 inserted through the opening 301.

[0013] The rear case 30 has a bulging portion 31 bulging 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 edge 311 protruding at the rear of the bulging portion 31 is curved in a substantially arc shape such that the center in the left-and-right direction protrudes rearward. On the outer surface of the bulging portion 31, there are two protruding ridges 312 for anti-slip when a finger is placed on the upper surface of the bulging portion 31. The two protruding ridges 312 are spaced apart vertically and longitudinally and extend horizontally.

[0014] Inside the bulging portion 31, there is a pocket 32 that can accommodate the chemical solution Y leaking from the cartridge 60. The bottom wall 321 of the pocket 32 has a flat upper surface 322 that slopes slightly downward rearward in a state where the volatilization device 10 is upright. Above the pocket 32, there is an upper wall 323 protruding 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 behind 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.

[0015] The rear case 30 integrally includes four L-shaped ribs 331, 332, 333, and 334 on the inner surface side above the bulging portion 31. The four ribs 331, 332, 333, and 334 protrude forward from the inner surface of the rear case 30, and the leading 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 leading edge 3231 of the upper wall 323.

[0016] 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 leading edges 335 of the four ribs 331, 332, 333, and 334 are laid out at positions where they contact 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.

[0017] 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 in an imaginary plane including the opening 301. The support portions 341 and 342 have a curved support surface 343 that contacts the curved lower end edge 733 (FIG. 6) of the flange portion 73 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 described later and supports the cartridge 60 from below. The support surface 343 is a cylindrical surface formed by moving an arc-shaped curve following 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.

[0018] 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 upper and lower sides 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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 closing 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, the rear case 30 may be provided with the engagement claw 44 and the front case 40 may be provided with the engagement groove 37. 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.

[0021] The above-described two protruding ridges 312, hinge portion 36, engaging claws 44, engaging grooves 37, and two notch portions 38 are configured to 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 disposed at the closed position shown in FIG. 1 for replacing the cartridge 60, hook a finger on the two notch portions 38 of the rear case 30 and 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.

[0022] On the inner edge of the opening 301, there are four fitting claws 391, 392, 393, 394 that fit into the stepped portion 45 on the outer peripheral edge of the front case 40. The fitting claws 391, 392, 393, 394 each protrude forward from the edge of the opening 301. The fitting claw 391 is between the left notch portion 38 and the engaging groove 37. The fitting claw 392 is between the engaging groove 37 and the right notch portion 38. The fitting claw 393 is between the right notch portion 38 and the right support portion 342. The fitting claw 394 is between the left support portion 341 and the left notch portion 38. Alternatively, the front case 40 may be provided with the fitting claws 391, 392, 393, 394 and the rear case 30 may be provided with the stepped portion 45.

[0023] 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 volatilization device 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 volatilization device 10 is placed on the horizontal plane F in a three-point support state in which 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 a state where the volatilization device 10 is placed on the horizontal plane F, the lower end of the front case 40 does not contact the horizontal plane F.

[0024] 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, for example, a translucent member made of resin, glass, etc., with a matte finish applied to the entire front surface to adjust the light transmittance. The matte finish is formed by imparting unevenness to the surface by performing physical removal with abrasive materials such as sandblasting or shot blasting, or chemical removal by etching with chemicals, either directly on the cover 50 or on the mold of the cover 50. When the processing is performed on the mold surface, the unevenness is transferred to the surface of the cover 50. The matte finish may be provided on the entire back surface side of the cover 50, or may be provided on both sides of the cover 50, that is, the entire surface. The "translucent" mentioned here and the "translucent" in the claims mean a transparency such that when an object on the front side of the cover 50 is viewed through the cover 50 from the front side to the back side, the outline of this object appears blurred, and does not include a "transparent" state where the outline of the object can be clearly seen, such as the lens of glasses. Also, the way of seeing when viewing an object through this cover 50 changes depending on the distance between the cover 50 and the object. That is, when the object is close to the cover 50, the outline of the object is likely to be clearly visible, and when the distance between the object and the cover 50 increases, the outline of the object appears more blurred. The relationship between the transparency of the cover 50 and the distance from the cartridge 60 will be described later.

[0025] 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 and the design property can be enhanced. In this embodiment, in order to make it easier to see the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y in the cartridge 60 through the cover 50, a blue coloring agent is mixed into the chemical solution Y to color the chemical solution Y light blue. The color of the chemical solution Y is not limited to light blue, and it may be colored in any color.

[0026] The front case 40 has a substantially circular recess 41 for attaching 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. Inside the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41, there is an annular groove 411. In the middle of the groove 411, there are two slits 412 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) penetrating the front case 40. The two slits 412 are located at positions spaced apart left and right of the recess 41.

[0027] The cover 50 has, on its outer peripheral edge, an annular protrusion 51 that fits into the annular groove 411 provided on 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 the two slits 412 of the front case 40. The engaging claws 511 are provided on the left and right 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 on the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41 and inserting and engaging the two engaging claws 511 through the slits 412. In the state where the cover 50 is attached to the recess 41, the surface of the cover 50 constitutes a continuous curved surface with the outer surface of the recess 41 of the front case 40.

[0028] The front case 40 has a substantially circular exposure hole 42 penetrating the bottom 413 of the recess 41. The size of the exposure hole 42 is even smaller than the size of the recess 41. The exposure hole 42 is a hole for receiving the accommodation portion 71 (FIG. 6) of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 housed in the case 20 from the rear and projecting 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 accommodation portion 71. The exposure hole 42 is located behind the outer peripheral edge of the recess 41.

[0029] On the upper half of the annular outer peripheral edge of the exposure hole 42, there is a substantially semi-circular rib 421 protruding rearward. The tip in the protruding direction of the rib 421, that is, the rear edge 422 of the rib 421, faces the front surface 723 of the step portion 72 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60. The outer peripheral edge 423 of the lower half of the exposure hole 42 without the rib 421 overlaps the outer surface 7121 in front of a pocket 712 (to be described later) of the container 70 of the cartridge 60. For this reason, the step portion 72 (that is, the pocket 712) of the container 70 is hidden by the outer peripheral edge of the exposure hole 42 and is not visible from the front.

[0030] The front case 40 includes, near its lower end, two protruding pieces 43 having shaft holes 431 that are components of the hinge portion 36 described above. The protruding pieces 43 protrude rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the front case 40. The two protruding pieces 43 are provided at a distance from each other left and right. The shaft holes 431 of the two protruding pieces 43 are coaxially arranged. Two rotation pins 361 of the rear case are inserted into the shaft holes 431 of the two protruding pieces 43 from the outside respectively. 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.

[0031] The front case 40 includes, at the tip of rotation, an engaging claw 44 that engages with the engaging groove 37 of the rear case 30. The engaging claw 44 protrudes 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 in the closed position. The front case 40 includes, on its outer peripheral edge, a substantially annular step portion 45 for fitting 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.

[0032] The front case 40 is provided with an annular liquid receiving portion 46 on the rear surface side outside the exposure hole 42. The liquid receiving portion 46 is located 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.

[0033] 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 for accommodating 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. Here, "transparent" means a state in which the chemical solution Y can be clearly seen including its liquid level from the outside of the container 70.

[0034] The opening 711 of the accommodating portion 71 is a substantially oval shape with the vertical direction slightly longer than the horizontal direction. The stepped portion 72 is located outside the opening 711. The stepped portion 72 has an annular flat attachment surface 722 for attaching the microporous membrane 80. The attachment surface 722 is a surface continuous with the outside of the opening 711. The flange portion 73 is located outside the stepped portion 72. The flange portion 73 has an annular flat attachment surface 731 for attaching the sealing material 90. 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.

[0035] 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 front outer surface 7121 of the pocket 712 is located behind the bottom surface 713 of the accommodating portion 71. When the volatilizing device 10 is placed upright to volatilize the chemical solution Y, the chemical solution Y contained 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.

[0036] The flange portion 73 integrally has two plate-like protruding pieces 74, 75 of a size that can be pinched with fingers at the upper end on the side opposite to the pocket 712. The protruding pieces 74, 75 project from the upper end of the flange portion 73 while being spaced apart left and right. The protruding pieces 74, 75 can be of any shape, not limited to the illustrated shape. The protruding pieces 74, 75 are located in front of the pasting surface 731 of the sealing material 90. That is, there is a step between the pasting surface 731 and the rear surfaces 741, 751 of the protruding pieces 74, 75. This step is preferably about 3 to 4 mm, for example. Protrusions 742, 752 are respectively provided on the rear surfaces 741, 751 of the respective protruding pieces 74, 75. The protruding height of the protrusions 742, 752 from the rear surfaces 741, 751 is lower than the step between the pasting surface 731 and the rear surfaces 741, 751 of the protruding pieces 74, 75.

[0037] The microporous membrane 80 has substantially the same outer shape as the outer shape of the pasting surface 722 of the stepped portion 72 of the container 70. After putting a predetermined amount of the chemical solution Y into the accommodating portion 71, the microporous membrane 80 seals the space in the accommodating portion 71 including the pocket 712 by, for example, pasting it on the pasting surface 722 with an adhesive. 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. For this reason, in a state where only the opening 711 of the accommodating portion 71 is blocked by the microporous membrane 80, the chemical solution Y contained in the accommodating portion 71 passes through the microporous membrane 80 and volatilizes. The microporous membrane 80 has a substantially circular outer peripheral edge instead of a square shape or the like so that when the chemical solution Y is absorbed and bent, stress does not concentrate on a part.

[0038] In this embodiment, since the structure is adopted in which the chemical solution Y in the cartridge 60 contacts the microporous membrane 80, a thickening agent is mixed into the chemical solution Y to adjust the viscosity, and the rate at which the chemical solution Y passes through the microporous membrane 80 is made at least as fast as the rate at which the chemical solution Y that has passed through the microporous membrane 80 volatilizes. Thereby, the problem that the chemical solution Y stored in the storage portion 71 leaks out in a liquid state through the microporous membrane 80 is suppressed. The rate at which the chemical solution Y passes through the microporous membrane 80 depends on environmental temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, etc., but by selecting a microporous membrane 80 having an appropriate transmittance and adjusting the viscosity of the chemical solution Y, it can be set to a desired value.

[0039] 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 volatilization of the chemical solution Y proceeds, only the thickening agent cannot pass through the microporous membrane 80 and remains, 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 cannot pass through the microporous membrane 80, then the further volatilization of the chemical solution Y is substantially eliminated, and a small amount of the highly viscous chemical solution Y remains in the storage portion 71.

[0040] In this embodiment, after the volatilization of the chemical solution Y ends in this way, the capacity of the pocket 712 is designed so that all of the highly viscous chemical solution Y that could not pass through the microporous membrane 80 remains 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.

[0041] The sealing material 90 is formed of a material that does not allow the chemical solution Y, such as an aluminum seal or a resin film, to pass through. After the sealing material 90 is welded, for example, by heat to the attachment surface 731 of the flange portion 73 of the container 70, it is formed into the same outer shape as the flange portion 73 by punching the container 70. Since the two protruding pieces 74 and 75 protruding from the flange portion 73 are located at positions spaced 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 and 75. The protrusions 742 and 752 protruding from the rear surfaces 741 and 751 of the protruding pieces 74 and 75 prevent the sealing material 90 from being in close contact with the protruding pieces 74 and 75 and prevent the sealing material 90 from being heat-welded to the rear surfaces 741 and 751 of the protruding pieces 74 and 75.

[0042] By heat-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 chemical solution Y that has passed through the microporous membrane 80 from volatilizing. In other words, when the cartridge 60 is attached to the case 20 and the use of the volatilization device 10 is started, it is only necessary to attach the cartridge 60 with the sealing material 90 peeled off to 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 and 751 sides of the two protruding pieces 74 and 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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. Also, 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. Further, 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.

[0045] Next, an example of the procedure for mounting the cartridge 60 in the case 20 will be described. First, the engagement between the engagement claw 44 at the upper end of the front case 40 arranged in the closed position and the engagement groove 37 of the rear case 30 is released, and the front case 40 is rotated forward about the hinge portion 36 at the lower end of the case 20, and the front case 40 is arranged in the open position to open the opening 301 of the rear case 30.

[0046] Then, the sealing material 90 attached to the flange portion 73 of the cartridge 60 is peeled off, and the cartridge 60 is attached to the internal space through the opening 301 of the rear case 30. At this time, the two protruding pieces 74, 75 provided on the flange portion 73 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 are directed upward, and the cartridge 60 is attached into the rear case 30 with the microporous membrane 80 closing the accommodating portion 71 of the container 70 facing the inner surface of the rear case 30.

[0047] When the cartridge 60 is thus placed in 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 that supports the cartridge 60.

[0048] If the cartridge 60 is to be attached to the rear case 30 with the top and bottom reversed, the two projecting 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 projecting 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 with the top and bottom reversed.

[0049] 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 contacts 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.

[0050] After the cartridge 60 is attached to the rear case 30, the front case 40 is rotated to the closed position about the hinge portion 36, and the engaging claws 44 of the front case 40 are engaged with the engaging grooves 37 of the rear case 30. Thereby, the front case 40 is fixed to the rear case 30. When the front case 40 is arranged 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.

[0051] 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. Therefore, with the cartridge 60 mounted in the case 20, the distance between the bottom surface 713 of the accommodating portion 71 of the container 70 and the cover 50 can be kept substantially constant.

[0052] The leading edges 335 of the ribs 331 to 334 of the rear case 30, the upper surface 322 of the bottom wall 321 of the pocket 32, the curved support surfaces 343 of the two support portions 341, 342, the exposed hole 42 of the front case 40, the rear end edge 422 of the rib 421 on the upper half of the outer peripheral edge of the exposed hole 42, and the outer peripheral edge 423 of the lower half of the outer peripheral edge of the exposed hole 42 function as holding portions for positioning and holding the cartridge 60 within the case 20. By positioning and holding the cartridge 60 within the case 20, the movement of the cartridge 60 in the front-rear direction can be restricted, and the distance between the bottom surface 713 of the container 70 of the cartridge 60 and the cover 50 can be kept substantially constant.

[0053] Since the cover 50 is semi-transparent by means of embossing, the distance between the bottom surface 713 at the foremost part of the container 70 and the cover 50 affects the appearance of the chemical solution Y within the accommodating portion 71. Therefore, by restricting the movement of the cartridge 60 in the front-rear direction 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 a moderate degree of blurring, which can improve the aesthetic appearance and also accurately determine the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y. Here, the "constant distance" mentioned herein and the "constant distance" in the claims refer to the distance at which the liquid level of the chemical solution Y accommodated within the container 70 of the cartridge 60 appears blurred through the cover 50.

[0054] 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 above-described two left and right notch portions 38 of the rear case 30 also function as volatilization holes for volatilizing the chemical solution Y.

[0055] 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. For this reason, 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. Therefore, 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 out 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 out through the microporous membrane 80.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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 outside 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 outside 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 will flow into the liquid receiving portion 46 of the front case 40 and will not leak outside the case 20.

[0058] 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 outside the case 20 can be prevented. Therefore, by a simple operation of simply peeling off the sealing material 90 and attaching the cartridge 60 to 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 users can be provided.

[0059] Further, 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. For this reason, 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.

[0060] Also, according to this embodiment, since the chemical solution Y stored in the cartridge 60 contains a thickener, 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 this embodiment hides the pocket 712 of the cartridge 60 from being visible from the outside via 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 viscosity that cannot be volatilized is not visible.

[0061] For this reason, the user can determine that the volatilization has ended by visually recognizing that there is no chemical solution Y in the storage portion 71 protruding forward through the exposure hole 42, can accurately determine the timing when the volatilization of the chemical solution Y has ended, and can accurately determine the replacement timing of the cartridge 60. If the pocket 712 that allows the chemical solution Y to flow through is not provided below the storage portion 71, the chemical solution Y that could not pass through the microporous membrane 80 and remains will remain visible in the storage portion 71 protruding forward through the exposure hole 42. In this case, the user will misrecognize that the chemical solution Y that will be volatilized later still remains even though the volatilization has ended, and will not be able to accurately determine the appropriate replacement timing of the cartridge 60. Therefore, it is effective to provide the pocket 712 hidden by a part of the case 20 below the storage portion 71.

[0062] Incidentally, 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 there is a possibility that 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 when distributing it 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 and the layout with respect to the case 20.

[0063] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14, a blister package 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as the package 100) for packaging 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 packaged body 300 in which the case 20 of the volatilization device 10 and one cartridge 60 are packaged using the package 100 and the mount 200. FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the packaged body 300 as viewed from the direction of arrow F12 in FIG. 11. In FIG. 12, the illustration of the case 20 and the mount 200 is omitted. FIG. 13 is a developed view of the package 100 as viewed from the inside after it is opened, and FIG. 14 is a plan view of the mount 200.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 11, the package 300 has a structure that can be placed in a self-standing state on the horizontal plane F. Here too, the state of standing upright on the horizontal plane F is referred to as the upright state. Further, the case 20 of the package 300 has 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 upright state shown in FIG. 11 where the package 300 is placed on the horizontal plane F. In other words, the package 100 packages 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 package 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 illustrated.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 13, the package 100 integrally includes 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 straight line 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.

[0066] The front portion 110 has two accommodation recesses 112 and 113 having a shape in which the plate-like portion 111 bulges forward. One accommodation recess 112 close to 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 housed in the package 100 in a posture in which the sealing material 90 attached to the flange portion 73 of the container 70 faces upward and the right protruding piece 75 enters the left side in the accommodation recess 112 of the front portion 110. For this reason, the accommodation recess 112 has a shape that can accommodate a part of the cartridge 60 arranged in this posture and has a shape that cannot accommodate the cartridge 60 in a different posture.

[0067] The other receiving recess 113 is a portion that receives the entire front case 40 and a part of the bulging portion 31 of the rear case 30 excluding it. This receiving recess 113 also has a shape capable of accommodating the case 20 arranged in a predetermined posture, for example, has a shape incapable of accommodating the case 20 with the top and bottom reversed. The predetermined posture mentioned here is the posture shown in FIG. 11, and it is the posture 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.

[0068] In addition, the front portion 110 has two fitting recesses 114 and 115 for fitting two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 (described later) of the rear portion 120. The two fitting recesses 114 and 115 are substantially cylindrical bottomed holes formed by partially bulging the plate-like portion 111 forward, and are provided at positions separated left and right near the upper end of the plate-like portion 111.

[0069] The rear portion 120 has two receiving recesses 122 and 123 having a shape in which the plate-like portion 121 bulges rearward. One receiving 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. The receiving recess 122 functions as a receiving portion for receiving the cartridge 60 in cooperation with the receiving recess 112 of the front portion 110. That is, when the package 100 is placed in the upright state shown in FIG. 11, the receiving recesses 112 and 122 can hold the cartridge 60 in a posture in which the chemical solution Y is in a non-contact state with the microporous membrane 80 with the opening 711 of the container 70 facing upward.

[0070] Since the cartridge 60 is arranged in a horizontally extending posture as described above, the receiving recess 122 of the rear portion 120 that receives most of the cartridge 60 bulges greatly rearward. In addition, since a space for receiving the bulging portion 31 above the cartridge 60 is required, the receiving recess 122 has a predetermined size in the vertical direction as well.

[0071] The accommodation recess 123 above the accommodation recess 122 is a part for receiving a part at 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. The accommodation recess 123 functions as another accommodation part for accommodating the case 20 in cooperation with the accommodation recess 113 of the front part 110 described above.

[0072] Also, at the bottom of this accommodation recess 123, there are two support convex portions 1231 and 1232 with a part of them protruding 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 support convex portions 1231 and 1232 function as support portions for supporting the case 20 in a non-contact state and spaced apart above the cartridge 60 accommodated in the accommodation recesses 112 and 122. The two accommodation recesses 122 and 123 are arranged side by side vertically, and their inner surfaces are smoothly connected so that a part overlaps.

[0073] Also, the rear part 120 has two fitting convex portions 124 and 125 that fit into the two fitting recesses 114 and 115 of the front part 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 spaced apart 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 part 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.

[0074] 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. 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 configuration of the present invention, it may be omitted.

[0075] 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).

[0076] 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.

[0077] Next, insert the cartridge 60 through the opening hole 202 of the mount 200 into the predetermined posture shown in FIG. 15, and accommodate and dispose 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 enters the accommodation recess 122 through the opening hole 202. At this time, the two support protrusions 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.

[0078] 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 protrusions 124 and 125 of the rear portion 120 into the two fitting recesses 114 and 115 of the front portion 110. Thereby, a part in front of the cartridge 60 fits into the accommodation recess 112 of the front portion 110, and the front portion of the case 20 fits into the accommodation recess 113, and the package 300 shown in FIG. 11 is assembled.

[0079] The package 300 can be arranged in the upright state 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. The hinge portion 1150 of the package 100 and the lower end of the accommodation recess 122 function as feet having a lower end that contacts the horizontal plane F when the package 300 is arranged in the upright state.

[0080] 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 with the package 300 standing upright. 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 upright and circulate, 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. Therefore, by circulating the cartridge 60 in this way, when the cartridge 60 is mounted on the case 20 and used, the chemical solution Y passing through the microporous membrane 80 can be substantially eliminated, and the problem of the chemical solution Y leaking from the case 20 can be suppressed.

[0081] Further, when the case 20 is packaged using the package 100, the case 20 can be arranged in the same posture as the use state in the upright state where the package 300 is arranged in the standing position. For this reason, 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.

[0082] Hereinafter, the transparency of the cover 50 and the distance from the cartridge 60 will be described. In the present embodiment, as described above, the cover 50 is made of a resin in which the entire front surface side is embossed to make the entire cover translucent. The embossing of the cover 50 was performed by suppressing the depth of the embossing pattern of the product number having a maximum depth of 30 μm to 30%. When the light transmittance of the cover 50 embossed in this way was examined, the light transmittance of the light having a wavelength of 600 nm in the middle of the visible light (400 nm to 760 nm) passing through the cover 50 was 6.4%. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the distance between the cartridge 60 mounted in the case 20 and the cover 50 was about 5.4 mm.

[0083] When the cartridge 60 at a distance of about 5.4 mm was viewed through the cover 50 having the above light transmittance, the contour of the cartridge 60 appeared blurred and the liquid level of the chemical solution Y appeared blurred. That is, in the volatilization device 10 of the present embodiment, the inside of the case 20 appears blurred when viewed from the front of the cover 50, and it can be said that it has high design quality and good appearance. On the other hand, the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y accommodated in the cartridge 60 in the case 20 can be visually recognized from the outside of the cover 50, and the replacement timing of the cartridge 60 can be appropriately determined.

[0084] On the other hand, for comparison, samples with excessive embossing were prepared, and the light transmittance of visible light was examined for each of them. The results are shown in FIG. 16. The light transmittance of light with a wavelength of 600 nm passing through the sample with excessive embossing was 2.8%. When the cartridge 60 in the case 20 was viewed through this sample, almost nothing inside the case 20 could be seen, and the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y could not be visually recognized either.

[0085] The inventors of the present application changed the degree of embossing of the cover 50 and the distance from the cover 50 to the cartridge 60 in various ways, and examined how the cartridge 60 in the case 20 looks from the outside of the cover 50. As a result, it was found that when the embossing is provided such that the light transmittance of the cover 50 at a wavelength of 600 nm is 5 to 30%, and the distance from the cartridge 60 is 3 to 10 mm, the contour of the cartridge 60 appears blurred, the liquid level of the chemical solution Y appears blurred, and the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y can be visually recognized from the front of the cover 50. That is, when the light transmittance of the cover 50 at a wavelength of 600 nm is set to 5 to 30%, and the distance between the cover 50 and the cartridge 60 is set to 3 to 10 mm, it was found that the design quality of the volatilization device 10 can be improved and the remaining amount of the chemical solution Y can be surely grasped.

[0086] In the present embodiment, the case where the entire front surface of the cover 50 is embossed to adjust the light transmittance to an appropriate value has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The embossing may be performed on the entire back surface of the cover 50, or may be performed on the entire front and back surfaces of the cover 50, as long as the light transmittance can be adjusted to a desired value. Alternatively, instead of embossing, another means capable of adjusting the light transmittance of the cover 50 may be used. For example, the light transmittance may be adjusted by means such as using a resin with low transparency for the cover 50, increasing the thickness, lightly coloring, or providing unevenness or patterns.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described based on one embodiment, 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

[0088] 10... Volatilization device, 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... Volatilization holes, 36... Hinge portion, 37... Engagement groove, 38... Notch portion, 40... Front case, 41... Recess, 42... Exposure hole, 421... Rib, 422... Rear edge, 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, 723... Front surface, 73... Flange portion, 731... Attachment surface, 733... Lower end 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... Packaged body, 302... Support feet, F... Horizontal plane.

Claims

1. A cartridge having a film through which a chemical solution can pass provided at an opening of a transparent container containing the chemical solution, and a case in which the cartridge can be mounted inside, wherein the case includes a translucent cover at a position spaced apart from the bottom surface of the container of the cartridge by a certain distance, a volatilization device.

2. The certain distance is a distance at which the liquid level of the chemical solution in the cartridge can be seen blurred through the cover, The volatilization device according to Claim 1.

3. The cover is formed by subjecting at least one entire surface of both surfaces of a resin plate-like body to embossing, The volatilization device according to Claim 2.

4. The case has a holding portion for positioning and holding the cartridge so that the certain distance between the case and the cover is maintained, The volatilization device according to Claim 3.

5. The chemical solution contained in the container of the cartridge contains a coloring agent, The volatilization device according to Claim 4.

6. The certain distance is 3 to 10 mm, and the light transmittance of the cover at a wavelength of 600 nm is 5 to 30%, The volatilization device according to Claim 1.

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