Evaporator, evaporator, and method for manufacturing an evaporator

Abstract

The present invention provides an evaporator, an evaporator, and a method for manufacturing an evaporator that can be easily handled by suppressing chipping of the outer surface during transportation, storage, or use. [Solution] The vaporizer 110 comprises a porous vaporizer body 111 made of a resin sintered body. The vaporizer body 111 has a hole-shaped supply body connecting portion 120 into which a liquid supply body 140, which draws up a liquid W consisting of a fragrance by capillary action and guides it to the vaporizer 110, is inserted. The supply body connecting portion 120 has an overhanging portion 121 that protrudes from the vaporizer body 111. In addition, the vaporizer body 111 has a low porosity portion 131 formed on its outer surface layer, where the porosity is lower than that of the region inside the outer surface layer. The low porosity portion 131 is formed on the upper surface portion 112, the tip portion 115, and the lower surface portion 116 of the vaporizer body 111, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaporator, an evaporation device, and a method for manufacturing an evaporator for evaporating a liquid sucked up by capillary action to the surroundings.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been an evaporator for evaporating a liquid sucked up by capillary action to the surroundings. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a diffuser that attaches a porous body made of a polyethylene sintered body as an evaporator to the tip of a suction rod that sucks up a liquid fragrance by capillary action to volatilize the liquid fragrance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] However, in the diffuser described in Patent Document 1 above, since the evaporator is composed of a porous body made of a polyethylene sintered body, there is a problem that the outer surface is easily chipped during transportation, storage, or use, making it difficult to handle.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made to address the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an evaporator, an evaporation device, and a method for manufacturing an evaporator that can suppress chipping of the outer surface during transportation, storage, or use and facilitate handling.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention is characterized by an evaporation body for evaporating a liquid drawn up by capillary action into the surroundings, comprising a porous evaporation body made of a resin sintered body, the evaporation body having a hole-shaped supply body connecting portion into which a liquid supply body that draws up the liquid by capillary action and guides it to the evaporation body is inserted, and having a low-porosity portion formed on the outer surface layer of the evaporation body in which the porosity is lower than that of the region inside the outer surface layer.

[0007] According to this, the vaporizer according to the present invention has a low-porosity portion formed in the outer surface layer, where the porosity is lower than that of the region inside the outer surface layer. As a result, the density of the resin material in this low-porosity portion is improved, which enhances the rigidity of the outer surface layer. This suppresses chipping of the outer surface during transportation, storage, or use of the vaporizer, making it easier to handle.

[0008] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the evaporator, the evaporator body is formed with its upper surface spreading horizontally, with the supply connection portion opening downwards.

[0009] According to this, the evaporator according to the present invention is formed with the evaporator body having a downward opening for the supply connection and the upper surface spreading horizontally. Therefore, the reduction in the amount of liquid evaporated due to the low porosity portion, or the feeling that the amount of evaporation is insufficient, can be suppressed by the upper surface that spreads horizontally upward.

[0010] Here, the upper surface of the evaporator body being formed to extend horizontally means that, in the orientation of the evaporator body with the supply connection opening downwards, the upper surface is formed to extend in at least one direction horizontally, preferably in two mutually orthogonal directions, so that it faces upwards. This includes not only shapes that extend flat horizontally, but also shapes that extend horizontally as a whole, even if they have portions that protrude or inclined upwards or downwards.

[0011] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the evaporator, the evaporator body has an uneven surface formed on its upper surface.

[0012] According to this, the evaporator according to the present invention has an uneven surface formed on the upper surface of the evaporating body, which increases the area of ​​liquid evaporation and suppresses the decrease in the amount of liquid evaporated due to the low porosity portion or the perception of a decrease in the amount of liquid evaporated by a person.

[0013] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the evaporator, the evaporator body is formed in a plate shape that extends horizontally.

[0014] According to this, the evaporator according to the present invention is formed in a plate shape that extends horizontally, making it easier to manufacture, transport, store, or use the evaporator body. Here, the evaporator body being formed in a plate shape means that, in a posture in which the supply body connection part is open downwards, the evaporator body is formed to extend horizontally with a length greater than or equal to the vertical thickness of the evaporator body, so that the upper surface faces upwards.

[0015] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the evaporator, the evaporating body is formed to extend radially in a horizontal direction from the center of the evaporating body.

[0016] According to this, the evaporator according to the present invention is formed with the evaporator body extending radially horizontally from the center of the evaporator body. Therefore, even if a crack occurs in a part of the evaporator body, it is possible to prevent the crack from spreading throughout the entire evaporator body, and the range of design variations for the evaporator body can be broadened.

[0017] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the evaporator, the evaporator body is formed such that the porosity of the portion forming the supply connection portion is higher than the porosity of the low-porosity portion.

[0018] According to this, in the evaporator according to the present invention, the porosity of the portion forming the supply connection part of the evaporator body is formed to be higher than the porosity of the low-porosity portion. Therefore, if it is difficult to insert the liquid supply, the liquid supply can be made easier to insert by deforming or shaving a part of the supply connection part. In addition, the evaporator can secure the holding capacity of the liquid supplied from the liquid supply and stably supply it to the outer surface. In this case, the porosity of the portion forming the supply connection part of the evaporator body may be formed to be the highest compared to the porosity of the remaining portion.

[0019] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the evaporator, the supply connection portion is formed to protrude convexly from the evaporator body.

[0020] According to this, the vaporizer according to the present invention has a supply connection portion that protrudes convexly from the vaporizer body, so the portion that holds the liquid supply at the supply connection portion can be made longer, allowing the vaporizer body to be stably held on the liquid supply. Furthermore, because the supply connection portion of the vaporizer according to the present invention protrudes convexly from the vaporizer body, it is easy to grasp the position of the supply connection portion, and the liquid supply can be easily inserted and removed by grasping or hooking the supply connection portion with a finger.

[0021] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the evaporator, the supply connection portion has a notch in which a part of the opening into which the liquid supply is inserted is cut out.

[0022] According to this, the vaporizer according to the present invention has a supply connection portion in which a part of the circumferential direction is cut out at the opening into which the liquid supply is inserted, thereby reducing frictional resistance when inserting the liquid supply into the supply connection portion and making insertion easier.

[0023] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented not only as an invention of an evaporator, but also as an invention of an evaporator equipped with an evaporator and an invention of a method for manufacturing an evaporator.

[0024] Specifically, the transpiration device is a transpiration device for transpiring the liquid sucked up by capillary action to the surroundings, and preferably includes the transpiration body described in any one of claims 1 to 8 and a liquid supply body for sucking up the liquid by capillary action and guiding it to the transpiration body.

[0025] In this case, the transpiration device preferably has a liquid supply body composed of a synthetic fiber aggregate bonded with a resin material, which is a synthetic fiber core.

[0026] Further, the method for manufacturing the transpiration body is a method for manufacturing a transpiration body for transpiring the liquid sucked up by capillary action to the surroundings, and includes a filling step of filling a resin powder into a mold, and a sintering step of heating the resin powder filled in the mold to form a porous transpiration main body composed of a sintered body in which the respective particles constituting the resin powder are fused together. In the filling step, vibration is applied to the mold so that a low-porosity portion having a porosity lower than that of the region inside the outer surface layer of the transpiration main body is formed on the outer surface layer of the transpiration main body, and the filling rate of the resin powder located near the inner surface of the mold is made higher than the filling rate of the resin powder located inside the resin powder located near the inner surface of the mold.

[0027] According to each of these inventions of the transpiration device and the method for manufacturing the transpiration body, the same operational effects as those of the invention of the transpiration body can be expected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the evaporator and the evaporator equipped with the evaporator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a front view showing the external configuration of the evaporator 100 according to the present invention in a state of use.

[0030] This vaporizer 100 is a device (generally referred to as a "fragrance agent") for vaporizing the aromatic liquid W, which has been drawn up by capillary action, into the surrounding environment.

[0031] (Configuration of the vaporizer 100) The evaporation device 100 mainly consists of an evaporation body 110 and a liquid supply body 140. The evaporation body 110 is a component for evaporation of the liquid W supplied via the liquid supply body 140 into the atmosphere, and includes an evaporation body 111.

[0032] The evaporation body 111 is the part that evaporates the liquid W supplied via the liquid supply body 140 into the atmosphere, and is composed of a porous resin sintered body made by sintering resin powder (including granular powder). Here, as the resin powder, various resin powders such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, or polysulfone can be used.

[0033] In this embodiment, the transpiration body 110 consists only of the transpiration body 111, but it can also be constructed by assembling other components made of wood, resin, metal, or paper to the transpiration body 111. As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the transpiration body 111 is formed in a flower shape that imitates the shape of a cherry blossom, and mainly comprises an upper surface portion 112, a lower surface portion 116, and a supply body connecting portion 120.

[0034] The upper portion 112 is the part that faces upward in the orientation of the transpiration body 111, which has the supply body connection portion 120 opening downward, and is formed to extend horizontally. More specifically, the upper portion 112 is mainly composed of a central part 113 and a petal portion 114.

[0035] The central part 113 is the portion formed in the center of the evaporator 110 in a plan view, and is formed to protrude convexly outward (upward) from the evaporator 110. In this embodiment, the central part 113 protrudes in a hemispherical shape, and a plurality of concave bottomed holes 113a are formed radially on its outer surface. Note that the central part 113 does not refer only to the exact center of the evaporator 110 in a plan view, but includes positions that appear to be located approximately in the center.

[0036] The petal portion 114 is the part that forms the petals of the transpiration body 111, which is formed in a flower shape as a whole, and is formed to extend radially from the central part 113 when viewed from above. In this embodiment, the petal portion 114 is formed in five petal shapes. Each of these petal portions 114 is formed in a heart shape, with the width of each petal shape widening from the central part 113 towards the tip 115, and the tip 115 being concave towards the central part 113.

[0037] In this case, the petal portion 114 is formed by the adjacent petal-shaped parts on the central part 113 side being integrally connected to each other, and the parts outside of these connected parts are formed to protrude outward, separating from the adjacent petal-shaped parts. In addition, each petal-shaped part of the petal portion 114 is formed to become thinner from the central part 113 towards the tip 115, and the tip 115 is formed to be pointed in the thickness direction.

[0038] The upper surface (upper surface portion 112 of the petal portion 114) of this petal portion 114 is formed as a gently convex curved surface along the horizontal direction. In this case, the petal portion 114 is formed as a gently convex curved surface that rises from the base portion of the central part 113 and does not exceed the height of the top of the central part 113. In this case, the central part in the width direction of each petal-shaped portion of the petal portion 114 is formed as a linearly concave recess between the central part 113 and the tip portion 115. As a result, the upper surface portion 112 is formed to extend horizontally with a length greater than or equal to the vertical thickness of the transpiration body 111 so as to face upward.

[0039] On the other hand, the lower surface portion 116, which is the lower surface of the petal portion 114, is formed as a gently convex curved surface that extends upward from the supply body connecting portion 120 side toward the tip portion 115 side.

[0040] The supply unit connecting section 120 is the part into which the liquid supply unit 140 is inserted and which supports the evaporation body 111, and mainly comprises a protruding section 121, a fitting section 122, and a notched section 123.

[0041] The protruding portion 121 is the part in which a part of the fitting portion 122 is formed, and is formed on the lower surface portion 116 of the evaporation body 111, which is opposite to the upper surface portion 112, and protrudes downward. This protruding portion 121 is formed integrally with the evaporation body 111, protruding from the evaporation body 111. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 121 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than the diameter of the liquid supply body 140, extending in the same downward direction at a position directly below the central part 113 of the evaporation body 111. A notch portion 123 is formed at the tip (lower end) of this protruding portion 121.

[0042] The fitting portion 122 is the part into which the liquid supply body 140 is inserted, and is composed of a bottomed hole with one end opening to the protruding portion 121 and the other end extending into the interior of the evaporation body 111. In this embodiment, the fitting portion 122 is formed to a depth (length) that reaches half the vertical thickness of the evaporation body 111. Furthermore, the fitting portion 122 has a circular cross-sectional shape, which is an interference fit with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the liquid supply body 140.

[0043] The notch 123 is a portion of the opening in the fitting portion 122 that has been cut out, and is formed as a groove that opens onto the end face of the tip (lower end) of the protruding portion 121. In this embodiment, the notch 123 is formed by creating two cross-shaped grooves on the end face of the tip (lower end) of the protruding portion 121, thereby cutting out the opening in the fitting portion 122 in a cross shape. In this case, the depth of the notch 123 may extend along the entire length of the protruding portion 121, but in this embodiment, it is formed to a depth of about 1 / 3 of the entire length of the protruding portion 121. As shown in Figure 4, the evaporative body 111 has a high porosity portion 130 and a low porosity portion 131 formed thereon.

[0044] The high-porosity section 130 is formed in the inner portion of the evaporation body 111, below the low-porosity section 131, and on the outer surface and interior of the protruding portion 121 of the supply body connecting portion 120, respectively, and is formed with a porosity that is relatively higher than that of the low-porosity section 131. The porosity of this high-porosity section 130 is appropriately set according to the specifications of the evaporation body 110 (size, shape, or amount of liquid W evaporated), but is preferably set to 80% or less, more preferably to 60% or less and 30% or more. In this embodiment, the porosity of the high-porosity section 130 is set to 44%.

[0045] The low porosity section 131 is a portion formed on the outer surface layer of the transpiration body 111, and is a portion in which the porosity is relatively lower than that of the high porosity section 130 located inside the low porosity section 131. In this case, the porosity of the low-porosity portion 131 should be lower than that of the high-porosity portion 130, but preferably it should be set to a low porosity in the range of more than 0% and 30% or less relative to the porosity of the high-porosity portion 130 (i.e., less than 100% and 70% or more relative to the porosity of the high-porosity portion 130), more preferably a low porosity in the range of 5% or more and 25% or less relative to the porosity of the high-porosity portion 130 (i.e., 95% or less and 80% or more relative to the porosity of the high-porosity portion 130), and even more preferably a low porosity in the range of 10% or more and 20% or less relative to the porosity of the high-porosity portion 130 (i.e., 90% or less and 80% or more relative to the porosity of the high-porosity portion 130). In this embodiment, the porosity of the low-porosity section 131 is set to 39%, which is approximately 11.4% lower than the porosity of the high-porosity section 130 (44%).

[0046] Here, various methods are known for calculating the porosity (%) of the high-porosity section 130 and the low-porosity section 131. For example, it can be calculated using the weight change when a liquid such as water is absorbed into high-porosity section pieces (not shown) and low-porosity section pieces (not shown) cut to a predetermined size from the transpiration body 111. Specifically, the porosity (%) can be calculated using the following equation 1.

[0047] (Math 1) Porosity = (Water content weight of the core - Dry weight of the core) / ((Dry core weight / Resin material specific gravity) + (Water content weight of the core - Dry core weight)) x 100 (%)

[0048] Here, "water-containing weight" is the weight of the high-porosity or low-porosity piece after it has absorbed liquid, "core-dry weight" is the weight of the high-porosity or low-porosity piece before it has absorbed liquid, and "resin material specific gravity" is the specific gravity of the resin material constituting the high-porosity or low-porosity piece.

[0049] In this embodiment, the low porosity portion 131 is formed in the outer surface layer to a predetermined depth from the entire outer surface of the evaporation body 111. In this case, the thickness of the low porosity portion 131 is appropriately set according to the size of the evaporation body 111, but if the evaporation body 111 has a volume of 20 cubic centimeters or less, it is preferable to set the thickness to 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less, and even more preferably 3 mm or less from the outer surface of the evaporation body 111.

[0050] In Figure 4, the boundary between the high-porosity section 130 and the low-porosity section 131 within the evaporating body 110 is clearly shown, but in reality, there is no clear boundary between the high-porosity section 130 and the low-porosity section 131, as the porosity changes gradually.

[0051] The liquid supply unit 140 is a component for drawing up the liquid W stored in the liquid container 150 by capillary action and supplying it to the evaporation body 111, and is composed of a porous rod-shaped body. This liquid supply unit 140 is a known material and is composed of fibrous material, synthetic resin, sintered material, polyolefin foam, dried plant material such as reeds, etc.

[0052] When a fibrous material is used as the liquid supply body 140, it can be constructed by bundling synthetic fibers or soft hairs. The fibrous material can be constructed by bonding fiber bundles, in which fibers are bundled in the longitudinal direction, with a thermosetting resin. Alternatively, the liquid supply body 140 may be constructed by mixing a synthetic fiber with a synthetic fiber having a melting point lower than that synthetic fiber, and then melting the low-melting-point synthetic fiber to bond the high-melting-point synthetic fibers together.

[0053] Here, the synthetic fiber can be composed of various resin materials such as polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, or polystyrene. Furthermore, as the thermosetting resin, polyurethane, phenoxy, epoxy, or melamine resin can be used.

[0054] Furthermore, when using synthetic resin as the liquid supply body 140, it can be constructed by extruding a thermoplastic resin into a rod shape with the required cross-sectional shape and dimensions. Here, as the thermoplastic resin, various elastomers such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyacetal, polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, polyurethane, Teflon (registered trademark), ABS resin, AS resin, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyetheretherketone, polyimide, polyester, or polycarbonate can be used.

[0055] Furthermore, when a sintered body is used as the liquid supply body 140, a sintered body of metal powder or a sintered body of thermoplastic resin powder (including granular form) can be used. A sintered body of thermoplastic resin powder is formed by a sintering method in which each powder (or particle) of thermoplastic resin is partially fused to each other and continuous pores that communicate with each other are formed between each powder particle, and can be constructed in the same manner as the evaporation body 111.

[0056] As thermoplastic resins, materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, or polysulfone can be used. Furthermore, polyolefin foams are thermoplastic products that have a three-dimensional network structure with interconnected continuous pores and possess both shape retention and appropriate flexibility.

[0057] Furthermore, the liquid supply body 140 is formed such that countless pores constituting a porous structure are exposed across the entire outer surface of the rod-shaped liquid supply body 140, allowing the liquid W to be absorbed or evaporated from the entire outer surface. Alternatively, the liquid supply body 140 can be formed such that countless pores constituting a porous structure are exposed only at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped liquid supply body 140, allowing the liquid W to be absorbed or evaporated only from both ends in the longitudinal direction. The porosity of the liquid supply body 140 is preferably set to 5% to 75%, more preferably to 10% to 65%.

[0058] Furthermore, the length of the liquid supply unit 140 is set appropriately according to the specifications of the evaporator 100, but is preferably set to 60 mm to 250 mm, and more preferably to 100 mm to 150 mm.

[0059] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply body 140 can be formed into any shape, but in this embodiment, it is formed into a circular shape. In this case, the outer diameter of the liquid supply body 140 is preferably set to 0.8 mm to 3.0 mm, more preferably to 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm, but it is formed to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the fitting portion 122 in the supply body connecting portion 120.

[0060] The cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply body 140 can be any shape, including a circle, an ellipse, a square or hexagon, a star, a heart, or any other shape. Furthermore, the thickness or cross-sectional shape of the liquid supply body 140 may be constant between its longitudinal ends, or it may vary in thickness or cross-sectional shape as long as the capillary force is not impaired. In addition, the liquid supply body 140 can be configured to extend in a straight line, or to branch into an arc, wave, or branched shape.

[0061] The liquid container 150 is a container for storing the liquid W to be evaporated from the evaporator 110. This liquid container 150 is made of resin, metal, ceramic (such as glass or pottery), or wood. The liquid container 150 also has an opening 151 into which a rod-shaped liquid supply body 140 can be inserted and removed, and is formed to a depth that can hold the inserted liquid supply body 140.

[0062] (Method for producing the vaporized material 110) Next, a method for manufacturing the vaporizer 110 configured in this way will be described. First, the worker prepares the mold 200 and the vibrating device 300, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, respectively.

[0063] The mold 200 is a component for molding the evaporation body 111, which is made of a sintered body, and mainly comprises a pair of first molds 201 and second molds 210.

[0064] The first mold 201 is a component for molding a part of the transpiration body 111, and is constructed by forming a concave first molding portion 202 on one surface of a metal block. In this embodiment, the first mold 201 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first molding portion 202 has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the upper part (upper surface 112 side) of the tip portion 115 in the thickness direction of the petal portion 114 of the transpiration body 111 (i.e., the opposite shape), and has an upper surface molding portion 203 and a tip molding portion 204, respectively.

[0065] The upper surface molding section 203 is the part that molds the upper surface 112 (central part 113 and petal part 114) of the transpiration body 111. The tip molding section 204 is the part that molds the upper surface 112 side of the tip 115 of the transpiration body 111.

[0066] The second mold 210 is a component for molding another part of the transpiration body 111, and is constructed by forming a concave second molding section 211 on one surface of a metal block. In this embodiment, the second mold 210 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Furthermore, the second molding section 211 has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the part of the petal section 114 of the transpiration body 111 that is below the center of the thickness direction of the tip section 115 (towards the bottom surface 116 side) (i.e., the opposite shape). In this case, the second molding section 211 has a tip molding section 212, a bottom surface molding section 213, a protruding section molding section 214, a fitting section molding section 215, a notched section molding section 216, and an input port 217 formed therein.

[0067] The tip molding section 212 is the part that molds the lower half of the tip 115 of the evaporation body 111, on the side of the lower surface 116. The lower surface molding section 213 is the part that molds the lower surface 116 of the evaporation body 111. The protruding section molding section 214 is the part that molds the protruding section 121 of the evaporation body 111.

[0068] Furthermore, the fitting portion molding portion 215 is a part for molding the fitting portion 122 in the supply body connecting portion 120, which is part of the evaporation body 111, and is formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the fitting portion 122. In addition, the notch portion molding portion 216 is a part for molding the notch portion 123 in the supply body connecting portion 120, which is part of the evaporation body 111, and for supporting the fitting portion molding portion 215, and is formed in a cross-shaped rod that crosses in a cross shape corresponding to the notch portion 123.

[0069] The input port 217 is an opening for introducing resin powder into the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211 of the mold 200, and is composed of four openings formed between the cross-shaped rod portions that constitute the notched molding section 216. The mold 200 is constructed with the first mold 201 and the second mold 210 in close contact with each other via clamps (not shown), with the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211 facing each other.

[0070] The vibration device 300 is a mechanical device that applies vibration to the mold 200 to make the filling rate of resin powder located near the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211, which are the inner surfaces of the mold 200, higher than the filling rate of resin powder located further inside than the filling rate of resin powder located near the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211. In this embodiment, the vibration device 300 is composed of an air rotary vibrator. The operation of this vibration device 300 is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0071] Next, the worker prepares the resin powder and fills the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211, which serve as cavities, through the input port 217 of the mold 200. In this embodiment, the worker prepares polyethylene resin powder with an average particle size of 115 μm. However, resin powder with a particle size of 30 μm to 330 μm can be suitably used. When filling the resin powder, the worker ensures that the filling rate of resin powder located near the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211 of the mold 200 is higher than the filling rate of resin powder located further inside these sections.

[0072] Specifically, the operator can improve the filling rate of the resin powder located near the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211 by vibrating the vibrating device 300 and bringing it into contact with the mold 200. In this embodiment, the operator fills the resin powder while bringing the vibrating part of the vibrating device 300 into contact with the outer surface of the first mold 201 facing the first molding section 202, or more specifically, the outer surface of the first molding section 202 facing the upper molding section 203.

[0073] As a result, vibrations applied to the mold 200 propagate from the upper molding section 203 through the tip molding sections 204 and 212 and the lower molding section 213 towards the protruding molding section 214, while being attenuated. In this case, the operator adjusts the output of the vibration device 300 appropriately so that strong vibrations do not propagate to the resin powder located further inside than to the resin powder located near the first molding section 202 and the second molding section 211. In this embodiment, the operator also adjusts the output of the vibration device 300 appropriately so that vibrations applied to the outer surface opposite the upper molding section 203 are attenuated near the lower molding section 213 and strong vibrations do not propagate to the protruding molding section 214. The position, time, and intensity of vibration applied to the mold 200 can be determined experimentally in advance.

[0074] As a result, the resin powder filling rate of the resin powder located adjacent to the upper molding section 203, the tip molding sections 204, 212, and the lower molding section 213 is higher than that of the resin powder located further inside the mold. In this embodiment, the resin powder filling the protruding molding section 214 of the mold 200 has a lower filling rate because strong vibrations are attenuated. The process of filling the cavity of the mold 200 with resin powder corresponds to the filling process according to the present invention.

[0075] Next, the worker sinters the resin powder filled into the mold 200. Specifically, the worker places the mold 200 filled with resin powder into a heating furnace and heats it. In this embodiment, the worker heats the mold 200 at a temperature of 180°C for 30 minutes. After this, the worker allows the mold 200 to cool naturally to separate the first mold 201 and the second mold 210, thereby obtaining the vaporization body 111 made of resin sintered material.

[0076] In this case, the evaporation body 111 is integrally molded with an upper surface portion 112, a lower surface portion 116, and a supply body connecting portion 120. Furthermore, the evaporation body 111 has a low porosity portion 131 formed on the outer surface layer from the upper surface portion 112 to the lower surface portion 116, while the other parts, specifically the parts inside the low porosity portion 131 and the supply body connecting portion 120, have a high porosity portion 130.

[0077] The reason why the low porosity portion 131 is formed in this way is thought to be that the resin powder located near the upper molding portion 203 and the lower molding portion 213 of the mold 200 has a high filling rate, so sufficient pores are not secured when the resin powder melts. The process of sintering the resin powder filled in this mold 200 corresponds to the sintering process according to the present invention. It goes without saying that the temperature or time for heating the resin powder filled in the mold 200 is set appropriately according to the specifications of the evaporation body 111.

[0078] (Operation of the vaporizer 100) The operation of the vaporizer 100 configured in this way will now be explained. The user of the vaporizer 100 prepares the vaporizer 110, liquid supply unit 140, liquid container 150, and liquid W. In this case, the user can prepare multiple vaporizers 110 and prepare a liquid supply unit 140 corresponding to the number of vaporizers 110. In addition, one or more vaporizers 110 are stored in a single box or bag.

[0079] Next, the user pours a predetermined amount of liquid W into the liquid container 150. Then, the user inserts one end of the liquid supply unit 140 into the supply unit connection part 120 of the vaporizer 110, attaching the vaporizer 110 to one end of the liquid supply unit 140. After that, the other end of the liquid supply unit 140 is inserted through the opening 151 of the liquid container 150 and immersed in the liquid W. As a result, the liquid supply unit 140 draws the liquid W from the other end to the first end by capillary action.

[0080] The liquid W drawn up to one end of the liquid supply body 140 (the upper end in the figure) is drawn into the evaporator 110 via the fitting portion 122 by capillary action and evaporates into the atmosphere via the high-porosity portion 130 and the low-porosity portion 131. In this case, the evaporator body 111 can receive liquid W drawn up by the liquid supply body 140 not only from the upper end surface but also from the outer circumferential surface, so it receives liquid W from the entire supply body connecting portion 120 and evaporates into the atmosphere via the high-porosity portion 130 and the low-porosity portion 131.

[0081] As a result, the user can perceive the fragrance of the liquid W around the vaporizer 110. In this case, the user can use the vaporizer 100 in rooms in their home, workplaces such as offices or factories, rooms such as toilets in public facilities, or in their car, as well as outdoors.

[0082] Furthermore, when the user has finished using the vaporizer 110, they can separate the vaporizer 110 from the liquid supply unit 140 by pulling one end of the liquid supply unit 140 out of the supply unit connection part 120 on the vaporizer 110, and then store the vaporizer 110 for disposal or reuse. In this case, the user can pull out the liquid supply unit 140 while preventing damage to the vaporizer body 111 by hooking their finger or nail onto the tip (lower end) of the protruding part 121. The user can also prevent the vaporizer body 111 from coming into contact with the surface and being damaged by placing the protruding part 121 of the vaporizer 110, which has been separated from the liquid supply unit 140, on a surface such as a shelf. In addition, when the user has finished using the vaporizer 110, they can also keep it inserted into the liquid container 150 and use it as a decorative item for the space.

[0083] As can be understood from the above description of operation, according to the above embodiment, a low-porosity portion 131 is formed on the outer surface layer of the vaporizer 100 and vaporizer 110, where the porosity is lower than that of the region inside the outer surface layer. This improves the density of the resin material in this low-porosity portion 131, thereby improving the rigidity of the outer surface layer. This suppresses chipping of the outer surface during transport, storage, or use of the vaporizer 110, making it easier to handle.

[0084] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the purpose of the present invention. In the description of the modified examples, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as those in the embodiments described above and are not given new reference numerals.

[0085] For example, in the above embodiment, the evaporator 110 has low porosity portions 131 formed on the upper surface portion 112 and the lower surface portion 116 of the evaporator body 111, and high porosity portions 130 formed on the other parts, specifically the parts inside the low porosity portions 131 and the supply body connecting portion 120. However, the low porosity portions 131 only need to be formed on part or all of the outer surface layer of the evaporator body 111, depending on the specifications of the evaporator 110.

[0086] Therefore, the evaporator 110 may have low porosity sections 131 formed on all outer surface layers of the evaporator body 111, specifically the upper surface 112, the lower surface 116, and the supply body connecting section 120, while having high porosity sections 130 formed on other parts, specifically the parts inside the low porosity sections 131. Alternatively, the evaporator 110 may have low porosity sections 131 formed on any one of the upper surface 112, the lower surface 116, and the supply body connecting section 120 of the evaporator body 111.

[0087] In particular, the low porosity portion 131 is preferably formed at the tip (for example, tip 115) of the evaporation body 111, where the width or thickness tapers to a point. In this case, the evaporation body 111 may be composed entirely of the low porosity portion 131 at the tip, or it may be composed of the low porosity portion 131 on the outer surface layer of the tip and the high porosity portion 130 inside it. The low porosity portion 131 can be formed by increasing the filling rate of the resin powder at a desired position on the outer surface layer of the evaporation body 111 by appropriately adjusting the position, time, or intensity of vibration applied when the vibrator 300 is in contact with the mold 200.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the evaporation body 111 is formed with a higher porosity in the supply body connection portion 120, designated as the high-porosity portion 130, than the porosity in the low-porosity portion 131. This makes it easier to insert the liquid supply body 140 into the evaporation body 111 by deforming or scraping a part of the supply body connection portion 120 when the liquid supply body 140 is difficult to insert. In addition, the evaporation body 111 can secure the holding capacity of the liquid W supplied from the liquid supply body 140 and stably supply it to the outer surface. In this case, the evaporation body 111 can also have the highest porosity in the supply body connection portion 120. However, by forming the porosity of the supply body connection portion 120 to be the same as the low-porosity portion 131, the evaporation body 111 can be made less prone to deformation or damage.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the evaporation body 111 is formed such that the upper surface portion 112 widens horizontally when the supply body connection portion 120 is open downwards. In this case, the upper surface portion 112 is not flat in the vertical direction but has an uneven shape and is formed radially from the center 113 in a plan view. As a result, the evaporation body 111 can suppress the decrease in the amount of evaporation of liquid W due to the low porosity portion 131, or the feeling that the amount of evaporation is low, by the upper surface portion 112 that widens horizontally upwards. In addition, the evaporation body 111 can increase the evaporation area of ​​liquid W due to the uneven shape, thereby suppressing the decrease in the amount of evaporation of liquid W due to the low porosity portion 131, or the feeling that the amount of evaporation is low. Furthermore, because the evaporation body 111 is formed radially, even if a crack occurs in a part of the evaporation body 111, it is possible to prevent the crack from spreading throughout the entire evaporation body 111, and the range of design variations for the evaporation body 111 can be broadened.

[0090] However, it goes without saying that the evaporative body 111 may be formed in a shape other than one in which the upper surface portion 112 extends horizontally. For example, the evaporative body 111 can be made up of a spherical shape, a rod shape extending vertically with a length longer than its cross-sectional area, or a cone shape (such as a pyramid) in which the cross-sectional area decreases from bottom to top. Furthermore, the evaporative body 111 can be formed as a plate shape extending flat horizontally without irregularities, or as a plate shape extending horizontally in a radial pattern without being separated into multiple sections.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transpiration body 111 was formed in a shape based on the cherry blossom. However, the transpiration body 111 may be formed in a shape based on a flower other than a cherry blossom, or in a shape based on something other than a flower, or in a unique shape that does not use any motif.

[0092] For example, the transpiration body 111 can be formed in the shape of a bellflower or a rose, as shown in Figure 8 or Figure 9, respectively. Alternatively, the transpiration body 111 can be formed in the shape of a bird, as shown in Figure 10. In this case, the transpiration body 111 shown in Figure 10 has an upper surface 112 where the top of the bird and the upper surface of the wings are located, a tip 115 where the tip of the bird's tail, beak, and wingtips are located, and a lower surface 116 where the bird's belly is located. Note that, as with the embodiments described above, the transpiration body 111 shown in Figures 8 to 10 has an upper surface 112 that extends horizontally. The motifs for the shape of the transpiration body 111 can also include the shapes of people, animals, plants, characters, buildings, vehicles (such as cars, trains, airplanes, or ships), works of art, or food.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transpiration body 111 is constructed by forming a plurality of bottomed holes 113a on the surface of the central part 113. This increases the surface area of ​​the central part 113, thereby increasing the amount of transpiration, and also allows the transpiration body 111 to be constructed to resemble an actual flower. However, the transpiration body 111 can also be formed with a smooth surface without providing bottomed holes or protrusions on the surface of the central part 113.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the evaporation body 111 is configured to have an overhanging portion 121 that protrudes downward as part of the supply body connection portion 120. This allows the evaporation body 111 to stably hold the evaporation body 111 on the liquid supply body 140 by lengthening the portion that holds the liquid supply body 140 in the supply body connection portion 120. Also, since the supply body connection portion 120 is formed to protrude convexly from the evaporation body 111, it becomes easier to grasp the position of the supply body connection portion 120, and the liquid supply body 140 can be easily inserted and removed by grasping or hooking the supply body connection portion 120 with a finger. However, the evaporation body 111 can also be configured without the overhanging portion 121 in the supply body connection portion 120. In this case, the supply body connection portion 120 may be formed by directly opening a fitting portion 122 on the surface of the evaporation body 111.

[0095] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the evaporation body 111 has a notch 123 formed in the opening as part of the supply body connecting portion 120. This makes it easier to insert the liquid supply body 140 into the fitting portion 122 of the evaporation body 111 by reducing frictional resistance. However, the evaporation body 111 can also be constructed without the notch 123 in the supply body connecting portion 120. Also, even if the protruding portion 121 in the supply body connecting portion 120 is omitted, the notch 123 can be formed around the fitting portion 122 that opens on the surface of the evaporation body 111 (i.e., formed by cutting out a part of the evaporation body 111).

[0096] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, liquid W was composed of a fragrance. However, liquid W is not limited to a fragrance, as long as it is a liquid that you want to evaporate from the vaporizer 110. Therefore, liquid W can be, for example, a deodorant, insecticide, disinfectant, repellent, or tap water (water for humidity control). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] W...liquid, 100... Evaporation equipment, 110...transpiration body, 111...transpiration body, 112...upper surface part, 113...center part, 113a...bottomed hole, 114...petal part, 115...tip part, 116...lower surface part, 120... Supply body connection part, 121... Overhanging part, 122... Fitting part, 123... Notch part, 130...High porosity section, 131...Low porosity section, 140...liquid supply body, 150...liquid container, 151...opening, 200... Mold, 201...First mold, 202...First molding section, 203...Upper surface molding section, 204...Tip molding section 210...Second mold, 211...Second molding section, 212...Tip molding section, 213...Bottom molding section, 214...Protruding section molding section, 215...Matching section molding section, 216...Notch molding section, 217...Input opening, 300...Vibration device.

Claims

1. A vaporizer for evaporating a liquid drawn up by capillary action into the surroundings, It has a porous evaporation body made of a resin sintered body, The aforementioned evaporative body is, A hole-shaped supply body connecting section into which a liquid supply body is inserted to draw up the liquid by capillary action and guide it to the vaporizer, The evaporative body is characterized in that a low-porosity portion is formed on the outer surface layer of the evaporative body, where the porosity is lower than that of the region inside the outer surface layer.

2. In the vaporizer described in claim 1, The aforementioned evaporative body is, The evaporator is characterized in that the upper surface is formed to spread horizontally when the supply connection portion is open downwards.

3. In the evaporative body described in claim 2, The aforementioned evaporative body is, A vaporizer characterized by having an uneven surface formed on its upper surface.

4. In the evaporative body described in claim 2, The aforementioned evaporative body is, A transpiration body characterized by being formed in a plate-like shape extending horizontally.

5. In the evaporative body described in claim 2, The aforementioned evaporative body is, A evaporator characterized by being formed to extend radially in a horizontal direction from the central part of the evaporator body.

6. In the vaporizer described in claim 1, The aforementioned evaporative body is, The evaporator is characterized in that the porosity of the portion forming the supply body connection is higher than that of the low-porosity portion.

7. In the vaporizer described in claim 1, The evaporator is characterized in that the supply body connecting portion is formed to protrude convexly from the evaporator body.

8. In the vaporizer described in claim 1, The evaporator is characterized in that the supply body connecting portion has a notch in which a part of the opening into which the liquid supply body is inserted is cut out.

9. A vaporization device for vaporizing a liquid drawn up by capillary action into the surroundings, A vaporizer described in any one of claims 1 to 8, A vaporization device characterized by comprising a liquid supply body that draws up the liquid by capillary action and guides it to the vaporizer.

10. In the vaporization device described in claim 9, The aforementioned liquid supply Continuous, A vaporization device characterized by being composed of a synthetic fiber core formed by bonding bundles of synthetic fibers with a resin material.

11. A method for producing an evaporator that vaporizes a liquid drawn up by capillary action into the surroundings, A filling process in which resin powder is filled into the mold, The process includes a sintering step of heating the resin powder filled in the mold to fuse the individual particles constituting the resin powder together and forming a porous evaporation body made of a sintered body, The aforementioned filling process is A method for manufacturing an evaporative body, characterized by applying vibration to the mold so that a low-porosity portion is formed on the outer surface layer of the evaporative body, where the porosity is lower than that of the region inside the outer surface layer, thereby making the filling rate of the resin powder located near the inner surface of the mold higher than that of the resin powder located further inside.

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