Dispersion device

Abstract

The present invention provides a volatilization device that prevents the drug inside a drug container from leaking out of the casing via the intrusion opening after the drug container has been opened. [Solution] The volatilization device 1 comprises a housing 2 capable of housing a drug container 4 containing a drug 1Y, an operating unit 31, and a movable body 3 that is movable relative to the housing 2. The movable body 3 moves in conjunction with the operating unit 31 and has a movable part 32 formed with an intrusion part 321 that opens the drug container 4 when the operating unit 31 reaches the opening position of the drug container 4. The movable part 32 is configured to move away from the drug container 4 after the drug container 4 has been opened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a volatilization device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional volatilization device (referred to as a volatile composition dispenser in Patent Document 1). In the volatile composition dispenser described in Patent Document 1, a cartridge is housed inside a housing. A button is attached to the housing. The cartridge includes a membrane arranged at a position directly pressed against the button, a base material covering the volatile composition, and a rupturing element arranged between the membrane and the base material.

[0003] By pushing the button into the housing, the rupturing element moves together with the membrane, and the rupturing element breaks the base material, so that the volatile composition wets the membrane. As a result, the volatile composition volatilizes from the membrane and diffuses into the space where the volatile composition dispenser is placed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, in the volatile composition dispenser described in Patent Document 1, after the rupturing element breaks the base material, the rupturing element returns to its original position, but the button remains in contact with the membrane. For this reason, in the volatile composition dispenser described in Patent Document 1, the volatile composition that wets the membrane may travel along the button before volatilizing and leak out of the housing.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a volatilization device that can prevent the drug inside the drug container from leaking out of the housing through the intrusion after the drug container has been opened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The volatilization apparatus of this disclosure comprises a housing capable of housing a drug container containing a drug, an operating unit, and a movable body that is movable relative to the housing. The movable body moves in conjunction with the operating unit and has a movable part having a protrusion portion formed therein that opens the drug container when the operating unit reaches the opening position of the drug container. The movable part is configured to move away from the drug container after the drug container has been opened. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The volatilization device of this disclosure has the advantage of preventing the drug inside the drug container from leaking out of the housing through the intrusion section after the drug container has been opened. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the volatilization apparatus according to the embodiment, taken from the rear side. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the volatilization apparatus according to the embodiment, taken from the front. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the volatilization apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4(A) is an exploded perspective view of the frame and movable body of the volatilization device according to the embodiment. Figure 4(B) is a perspective view of Figure 4(A) assembled. [Figure 5] Figure 5(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 4(B). Figure 5(B) is a cross-sectional view taken in Figure 5(A) with the operating section moved to the second position. [Figure 6] Figure 6(A) is a perspective view of the movable body of the volatilization device according to the embodiment, viewed from the front. Figure 6(B) is a perspective view of the movable body of the volatilization device according to the embodiment, viewed from the rear. [Figure 7]Figure 7(A) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the movement of the movable body in the volatilization device according to the embodiment. Figure 7(B) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the movement of the movable body when the operating unit is in the second position in the volatilization device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figures 8(A) and 8(B) are enlarged views illustrating the function of the guide section in the volatilization apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the vibrating section in the volatilization apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] Figures 10(A) to (G) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the movement of the vibrator and the contact part in a volatilization device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the chemical container of the volatilization apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of a drug container according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drug container according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] Figures 14(A) to (C) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the state when a hole is made in the broken membrane of the drug container according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <Embodiment> (1) Overall The volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment is a device that volatilizes a drug 1Y from a drug container 4 (see Figure 3, etc.) housed inside and diffuses the drug 1Y into the space in which the volatilization device 1 is located. As shown in Figure 1, the volatilization device 1 comprises a housing 2 that houses the drug container 4 and a movable body 3 that moves relative to the housing 2. When the movable body 3 moves relative to the housing 2, the drug container 4 is opened and the drug 1Y inside the drug container 4 begins to volatilize.

[0011] The chemical 1Y is a volatile liquid chemical. The chemical 1Y is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include fragrances, deodorants, insect repellents, or mixtures thereof. Further, the chemical 1Y may contain additives according to the purpose. Examples of the additives include perfumes, deodorant components, insect repellent components, colorants, and the like.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the volatilization device 1 according to the present embodiment is used by being placed on a placement surface 1G. However, the installation mode of the volatilization device 1 is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be installed by being suspended from a ceiling or the like, hooked on a handle or the like, or attached to a glass surface, a mirror surface or the like with a suction cup or the like. Here, as an example of the installation mode, an example in which the device is placed on a horizontal placement surface 1G will be described.

[0013] (2) Housing The housing 2 constitutes the outer shell of the volatilization device 1. The housing 2 includes a main body portion 21 and leg portions 22. The front surface and the back surface of the main body portion 21 are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. Here, when the main body portion 21 is viewed along the direction orthogonal to the front surface of the main body portion 21 (this is referred to as "front view" of the main body portion 21), the direction parallel to the left-right direction is defined as the "width direction", and the direction orthogonal to the width direction is defined as the "length direction". Further, the direction orthogonal to the width direction and the length direction (that is, the direction orthogonal to the front surface of the main body portion 21) is defined as the "thickness direction". In the following description, the length direction of the main body portion 21 is simply referred to as "length direction". The width direction of the housing 2 is simply referred to as "width direction". The thickness direction of the housing 2 is simply referred to as "thickness direction".

[0014] The main body portion 21 is formed in a flat box shape, and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in front view. The term "flat" as used herein means a shape in which the dimension in the thickness direction is shorter than the dimension in the width direction and the dimension in the length direction. The length direction is inclined with respect to the lower surface of the leg portion 22 placed on the placement surface 1G (may be referred to as the bottom portion of the housing 2). The angle formed by the length direction and the lower surface of the leg portion 22 (the angle formed in side view) is, for example, 45° or more and less than 90°.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, the housing 2 comprises a frame 23 that forms the back and side surfaces of the legs 22 and the main body 21, and a cover 29 that forms the front of the main body 21. The housing 2 is constructed in a hollow form by assembling the frame 23 and the cover 29. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the housing 2, and examples include synthetic resin, metal, pulp, carbon, ceramic, etc.

[0016] (2.1) Frame The frame 23 is the structural frame of the housing 2. The frame 23 is formed in a container shape with an opening on the front surface in the thickness direction. The frame 23 comprises a back plate portion 24 and side plate portions 28.

[0017] The back panel 24 is the part that makes up the back of the main body 21. The back panel 24 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and the main surface of the back panel 24 is oriented in the thickness direction. As shown in Figure 4, the back panel 24 is equipped with a plurality of ventilation holes 25 and a mounting portion 26.

[0018] The vent 25 is an opening through which the chemical 1Y dispersed from the chemical container 4 passes. The vent 25 penetrates the back plate portion 24. Multiple vents 25 are formed in the back plate portion 24 except for the central portion (i.e., the mounting portion 26). The shape of each vent 25 is formed in a rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal shape depending on the location, but is not limited to these, and can also be formed in a circular, elliptical, pentagonal, hexagonal, or mesh-like shape, for example.

[0019] The mounting portion 26 is the part for attaching the movable body 3. The mounting portion 26 is composed of a portion that forms a range in the center of the width direction and the center of the length direction of the back plate portion 24. As shown in Figure 4(A), the mounting portion 26 includes an operating opening 261, a pair of holding portions 262, a plurality of guide portions 263, and a vibrating portion 27.

[0020] The operating section opening 261 is an opening through which the operating section 31 of the movable body 3 passes. The operating section opening 261 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The operating section 31, described later, passes through the operating section opening 261 from the inside to the outside of the housing 2 and is exposed from the housing 2. Within the operating section opening 261, the operating section 31 can move along the thickness direction.

[0021] The holding portion 262 is the part that holds a part of the elastic portion 33 of the movable body 3 on the mounting portion 26. As described above, the movable body 3 can move along the thickness direction, but the holding portion 262 holds the elastic portion 33, restricting the range of movement of the movable body 3 to a certain range. The operation of the elastic portion 33 will be explained later in "(3.3) Elastic portion".

[0022] As shown in Figure 4(A), the pair of holding parts 262 are separated in the longitudinal direction. In the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment, the pair of holding parts 262 are formed at positions corresponding to both ends of the movable body 3 in the longitudinal direction. However, the pair of holding parts 262 may be separated in the width direction, in which case they may be formed at positions corresponding to both ends of the movable body 3 in the short direction.

[0023] In this embodiment, each retaining portion 262 is composed of a hook-shaped claw that holds a part of the elastic portion 33 so that it does not move in the thickness direction. However, the retaining portion 262 is not limited to claws, and may be composed of, for example, welding, pinning, screwing, a bearing with a C-shaped cross-section, etc.

[0024] The mounting section 26 includes an operating section opening 261 and a pair of holding sections 262, as well as a plurality of guide sections 263 and a vibrating section 27. The guide sections 263 and vibrating section 27 will be described after the movable body 3 is described.

[0025] The side plate portion 28 is a portion that protrudes in the thickness direction from the outer circumference of the back plate portion 24. The protruding tip of the side plate portion 28 forms the opening surface of the frame 23. The side plate portion 28 forms the side circumferential surface of the housing 2. In the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment, no vents 25 are formed in the side plate portion 28, but vents 25 may be formed.

[0026] (2.2) Cover The cover 29 is a member that closes the opening on the front of the frame 23. As shown in Figure 3, the cover 29 closes the opening of the frame 23 with the movable body 3 and the drug container 4 housed inside the frame 23. The cover 29 has a remaining amount display window 291 that allows the remaining amount of drug 1Y in the drug container 4 to be visually checked. The remaining amount display window 291 consists of a vertically extending through hole 294 formed in the cover 29 body and a transparent plate 293 that covers the through hole 294. The through hole 294 is formed at a position corresponding to the drug container 4 housed inside the housing 2.

[0027] (3) Movable body The movable body 3 is a component that is movably mounted on the housing 2. As shown in Figure 6, the movable body 3 comprises an operating section 31, a movable section 32, and a pair of elastic sections 33. As shown in Figure 5, the operating section 31 can move along the thickness direction. The operating section 31 is configured to move between an initial position (the position where the movable section 32 contacts the back plate section 24; see Figure 5(A)) and a position where the movable section 32 opens the drug container 4 (see Figure 5(B)). In this embodiment, the initial position within the range of movement of the operating section 31 is defined as the "first position," and the position where the movable section 32 opens the drug container 4 is defined as the "second position."

[0028] In this embodiment, the operating section 31, the movable section 32, and the elastic section 33 are integrally molded. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the movable body 3, and examples include synthetic resin, metal, pulp, carbon, etc.

[0029] (3.1) Operation section The operating section 31 is the part operated by the user. As described above, the operating section 31 is exposed from the housing 2 through the operating section opening 261 in the back plate portion 24 of the housing 2. In this embodiment, the operating section 31 is movable along the thickness direction from a first position to a second position. The movable body 3 can be moved by the user pushing the operating section 31 in the first position toward the housing 2.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6(B), the operating section 31 protrudes from the movable section 32 toward the back side in the thickness direction. The operating section 31 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, but it can take various shapes such as cylindrical, columnar, hemispherical, frustoconical, or truncated pyramidal shape.

[0031] (3.2) Movable parts The movable part 32 is the main body of the movable body 3. The movable part 32 moves together with the operating part 31. The movable part 32 is formed in an oval shape with a major axis (in other words, "longitudinal axis") parallel to the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 6(A), the movable part 32 comprises a plurality (two in this case) of protruding parts 321 formed apart in the direction along the longitudinal axis, and a pair of guided parts 322 formed apart along the transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5(A), each intrusion 321 is separated from the drug container 4 when the operating unit 31 is in the first position. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5(B), each intrusion 321 punctures the drug container 4 and opens it when the operating unit 31 moves to the second position. The multiple intrusions 321 are formed at both ends of the movable unit 32 in the direction along its longitudinal axis, as shown in Figure 6(A). Each intrusion 321 protrudes from the face of the movable unit 32 on the first position side in the direction of movement. The shape of each intrusion 321 can be, for example, a cone shape (conical, pyramidal), a needle shape, a rod shape, etc., but a conical shape is preferred.

[0033] In this specification, "conical" refers to a three-dimensional shape with a pointed tip. The tip of the intrusion does not necessarily have to be sharp; it may be a hemispherical tip with a small radius of curvature.

[0034] The multiple intrusions 321 are spaced apart in the longitudinal axis direction (i.e., length direction) of the movable part 32. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, holes can be made in the drug container 4 both above and below the center of the drug container 4, and holes can be made in both the part corresponding to the gas phase and the part corresponding to the liquid phase within the drug container 4. As a result, the upper holes among the multiple holes can be used as air intake holes, and the lower holes can be used as holes for drug passage. Therefore, the drug container 4 can easily discharge the drug 1Y and maintain a stable volatilization rate of the drug 1Y. It is preferable that the lower intrusions 321 among the intrusions 321 arranged in the longitudinal axis direction of the movable part 32 be made as close as possible to the opening edge of the container body 41. Note that "above" means above when the volatilization device 1 is placed on the mounting surface 1G. "Below" means below when the volatilization device 1 is placed on the mounting surface 1G.

[0035] As shown in Figure 6(A), the guided portion 322 is the part that fits with the guide portion 263 and is guided by the guide portion 263. In this embodiment, the guided portion 322 is composed of a pair of concave grooves 3221 that are separated in the short axis direction (width direction). Each groove 3221 extends along the direction of movement of the movable portion 32 (thickness direction). The opening surfaces of the pair of grooves 3221 face in opposite directions.

[0036] The movable part 32 has an opening 323 for passing the vibrating part 27, which will be described later. The opening 323 is formed above the operating part 31 in the longitudinal axis direction. The opening 323 will be described later in "(5) Vibrator, Contact Part".

[0037] (3.3) Elastic part The pair of elastic parts 33 connect the movable part 32 to the housing 2. As shown in Figure 6(A), the elastic part 33 is composed of an arc portion 331 and a pair of arm portions 332 extending from both ends of the arc portion 331, and is formed in a substantially U-shape. As shown in Figure 4(B), the arc portion 331 is the part held by the holding portion 262 of the housing 2. As shown in Figure 6, the arm portions 332 connect the arc portion 331 to the movable part 32. The arc portion 331 is positioned with a gap between it and the edge of the movable part 32 in the longitudinal direction. The pair of arm portions 332 are positioned with a gap between them and the edge of the movable part 32 in the short direction. The ends of the arm portions 332 opposite to the arc portion 331 in the longitudinal direction are connected to the central part of the movable part 32 in the longitudinal direction.

[0038] The connection portions of the pair of elastic portions 33 to the movable portion 32 are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction. Here, the guided portion 322 is positioned between the connection portions. The dimension D1 between the connection portions is preferably 2 mm to 30 mm, and more preferably 5 mm to 10 mm.

[0039] When the movable body 3 is attached to the mounting portion 26 of the frame 23, the operating portion 31 is positioned in the first position, as shown in Figure 7(A). When an external force is applied to the operating portion 31 while it is in the first position (pushed into the housing 2), the elastic portion 33 undergoes elastic deformation, as shown in Figure 7(B). The movable portion 32 moves in conjunction with the movement of the operating portion 31 from the first position to the second position (Figure 7(A) → Figure 7(B)). In this state, when the external force applied to the operating portion 31 is removed, the elastic portion 33 returns to its original state. The movable portion 32 returns in conjunction with the movement of the operating portion 31 from the second position to the first position (Figure 7(B) → Figure 7(A)).

[0040] (4) Guide section As shown in Figure 4(B), when the movable body 3 is attached to the frame 23, the guided portion 322 of the movable body 3 engages with the guide 265 of the guide portion 263. The guide portion 263 is formed on the frame 23 and engages with a part of the movable portion 32 (the guided portion 322) to guide the movement of the movable portion 32. As a result, the movable portion 32 can move in parallel when the operating portion 31 moves between the first position and the second position. The multiple guide portions 263 are arranged apart in the width direction as shown in Figure 4(A) and are formed on both sides of the operating portion opening 261. Each guide portion 263 comprises an upright wall 264, a guide 265, and a stopper 266 as shown in Figure 8.

[0041] The upright wall 264 rises from the front surface of the back plate portion 24 along the thickness direction. The upright wall 264 is formed along both sides in the width direction of the periphery of the opening edge of the operating section opening 261.

[0042] The guide 265 engages with the guided portion 322 formed on the movable portion 32 and guides the movement of the movable portion 32. The guide 265 is composed of protrusions 2651 extending along the direction of movement of the movable portion 32. Here, the guide 265 is composed of one protrusion 2651, but it may be composed of multiple protrusions 2651.

[0043] The guide 265 fits into the groove 3221 (guided portion 322) formed in the movable portion 32. In this embodiment, since both the projection 2651 (guide 265) and the groove 3221 (guided portion 322) extend along the direction of movement of the movable portion 32, the movable portion 32 can achieve stable parallel movement when moving along the direction from the first direction to the second direction.

[0044] However, in this embodiment, the guide 265 is composed of a ridge 2651 and the guided portion 322 is composed of a groove 3221. For example, the guide 265 may be composed of a plurality of cylindrical protrusions spaced apart in the direction from the first direction to the second direction. Alternatively, the guide 265 may be composed of a single protrusion. Furthermore, the guide 265 may be composed of a groove 3221 and the guided portion 322 may be composed of a ridge 2651 or one or more protrusions.

[0045] The stopper 266 prevents the movable part 32 from moving further when the operating part 31 moves to the second position. As shown in Figure 8(A), the stopper 266 is composed of a claw formed at the protruding tip of the upright wall 264. When the movable part 32 moves to the second position, the stopper 266 comes into contact with a part of the movable part 32 (restricting surface 3222), as shown in Figure 8(B). As a result, even if the operating part 31 is pushed in, the movement of the movable part 32 beyond that point is restricted.

[0046] (5) Vibrator, contact part In this embodiment, as described above, when the operating unit 31 moves to the second position, the stopper 266 prevents the operating unit 31 from moving. In addition, a mechanism is in place to make it clear that the movable body 3 has moved to the second position through sound. As shown in Figure 5, a contact portion 324 is formed on the movable body 3 and a vibrator 272 is formed on the housing 2. The vibrator 272 is configured to vibrate when the operating unit 31 moves to the second position due to the contact portion 324, thereby generating sound.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4(A), a vibrating section 27 is provided on the frame 23 of the housing 2. The vibrating section 27 is formed between the operating section opening 261 and the upper holding section 262. As shown in Figure 9, the vibrating section 27 comprises a base section 271 and a vibrator 272 provided on the base section 271.

[0048] The base portion 271 is the part that serves as the base for the transducer 272. The base portion 271 protrudes from the inner surface of the housing 2 (the front surface of the frame 23). The base portion 271 passes through the opening 323 in the movable portion 32 when the operating portion 31 is in the first position (Figure 4(B)).

[0049] The vibrator 272 is the part that vibrates when the contact portion 324 makes contact and is then repelled by the vibrator 272. The vibrator 272 is formed at the tip of the base portion 271. The vibrator 272 has a fixed end connected to the base portion 271 and a free end, and is formed in a cantilever beam shape. The vibrator 272 is formed such that the lengthwise dimension L1 between the fixed end and the free end is longer than the widthwise dimension L2 of the fixed end. In addition, the vibrator 272 is formed to become narrower towards the free end. This makes it possible to configure the vibrator 272 to vibrate more easily.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6, the contact portion 324 is formed on the peripheral edge of the opening 323 in the movable body 3. The contact portion 324 is composed of a projection formed on the peripheral edge of the opening 323, but it may also be composed of a part of the peripheral edge of the opening if it can be designed to come into contact with the vibrator 272. The contact portion 324 can flick the vibrator 272 when the operating portion 31 comes into contact with the free end of the vibrator 272 slightly closer to the first position than the second position, and the movable body 3 reaches the second position.

[0051] The vibrator 272 vibrates when struck by the contact portion 324, thereby producing a sound such as a "snap." The vibrator 272 does not necessarily have to produce sound; it may also produce a click sensation through vibration, indicating that the movable body 3 has moved to the second position.

[0052] As shown in Figure 10, when the operating part 31 is pushed in while it is in the first position, the movable part 32 moves towards the second position, and just before the operating part 31 reaches the second position, the contact part 324 makes contact with the vibrator 272 (Figure 10(A)→(B)). If the operating part 31 is pushed in further from this position, the contact part 324 flicks the vibrator 272, generating sound, and the operating part 31 reaches the second position (Figure 10(C)→(D)).

[0053] After this, when the external force applied to the operating part 31 is removed, the elastic part 33 returns to its original position and the movable part 32 moves to the first position. At this time, the contact part 324 makes contact with the vibrator 272 again, and then the contact part 324 flicks the vibrator 272, generating sound again (Figure 10(E)→(F)), and the operating part 31 returns to the first position (Figure 10(G)).

[0054] As described above, the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment includes a vibrator 272 and a contact part 324, so that the user can be notified when the operating part 31 has moved to the position where the drug container 4 has been opened. As a result, the drug container 4 can be reliably opened.

[0055] Furthermore, the transducer 272 is positioned above the operating unit 31. Here, the transducer 272 is positioned close to the lid 44 of the drug container 4. After the rupture membrane 441, which will be described later, ruptures, the lower part of the lid 44 bulges due to the weight of the drug. If the transducer 272 is below the operating unit 31, there is a possibility that the transducer 272 will come into contact with the lid 44. By positioning the transducer 272 above the operating unit 31, contact between the transducer 272 and the lid 44 can be avoided.

[0056] (6) Drug container The drug container 4 is a container that holds the drug 1Y. As shown in Figure 11, the drug container 4 comprises a container body 41, a lid 44, and a plate member 45.

[0057] (6.1) Container body The container body 41 is the main component of the drug container 4. The container body 41 is made of a rigid resin. There are no particular restrictions on the rigid resin, and examples include polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, or laminates thereof. In this embodiment, it is made of a laminate of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene.

[0058] The container body 41 according to this embodiment is made of a transparent resin so that the remaining amount of drug 1Y can be seen. Here, "transparent" means that the transparency is such that the remaining amount of drug 1Y can be seen, and so-called translucent resin is also included. In this invention, the container body 41 may be made of an opaque material.

[0059] The container body 41 comprises a storage section 42 and a flange section 43. The storage section 42 is the part of the container body 41 in which the drug 1Y is stored. The storage section 42 is formed in a container shape with an opening on one side. As shown in Figure 12, the storage section 42 comprises a drug storage section 421 and a plate material storage section 422.

[0060] The agent storage section 421 is the part that mainly houses the agent 1Y. As shown in Figure 13, the agent storage section 421 comprises a bottom wall 4211 that is roughly rectangular in plan view and a first side wall 4212 that rises from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 4211. The plate material storage section 422 is the part that houses the plate member 45 and is formed between the agent storage section 421 and the flange section 43. The plate material storage section 422 comprises a support section 4221 connected to the first side wall 4212 of the agent storage section 421 and a second side wall 4222 that rises from the outer peripheral edge of the support section 4221. The end of the second side wall 4222 on the flange section 43 side forms the opening surface of the storage section 42.

[0061] The thickness dimension (internal dimension) of the material storage section 421 is not particularly limited, but is set to, for example, 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The thickness dimension (internal dimension) of the plate material storage section 422 is set appropriately according to the thickness dimension of the plate member 45, but is set to, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

[0062] The flange portion 43 is the part to which the lid 44 is joined. The flange portion 43 is provided along the entire circumference of the outer periphery of the opening surface of the housing portion 42. The surface of the flange portion 43 to which the lid 44 is joined is a flat surface. The entire surface of the flange portion 43 to which the lid 44 is joined lies on the same plane.

[0063] (6.2) Lid The lid 44 is joined to the flange portion 43 so as to close the opening surface of the container body 41. The method of joining the lid 44 to the flange portion 43 can be, for example, welding or bonding. The lid 44 is flexible. The lid 44 is composed of a broken film 441 and a volatilization film 442 superimposed on each other. The lid 44 is arranged in the order of broken film 441 and volatilization film 442 from the inside to the outside of the drug container 4.

[0064] The fractured film 441 is configured to rupture with less elongation than the volatilizing film 442 when an external force is applied to the volatilizing film 442 from the outside in the thickness direction. The fractured film 441 is made of a liquid-impermeable material. An example of the fractured film 441 is a thin film in which a polyethylene layer, an aluminum layer, and a polyethylene terephthalate layer are laminated.

[0065] A specific example of the fractured film 441 is a thin film in which a first polyethylene layer, an aluminum layer, a second polyethylene layer, and a polyethylene terephthalate layer are laminated in this order from the inside out. In this case, for example, the thickness of the first polyethylene layer is set to 5 μm or more and 30 μm, the thickness of the aluminum layer is set to 5 μm or more and 25 μm or less, the thickness of the second polyethylene layer is set to 5 μm or more and 25 μm or less, and the thickness of the polyethylene terephthalate layer is set to 5 μm or more and 25 μm or less.

[0066] The volatilization film 442 retains the drug 1Y that has passed through the holes (rupture holes) formed in the fractured film 441, and volatilizes the drug 1Y. The volatilization film 442 is positioned on the outer surface of the fractured film 441 (the surface opposite to the container body 41 in the thickness direction). The volatilization film 442 is less likely to rupture than the fractured film 441 when an external force is applied to the volatilization film 442 from the outside in the thickness direction. Examples of the volatilization film 442 include porous films such as Teslin (trademark) and Dalamic (trademark).

[0067] In the drug container 4 with this configuration, as shown in Figure 14, when the operating part 31 moves from the first position to the second position, the intrusion part 321 pushes against the volatilization film 442. Subsequently, the intrusion part 321 pushes against the ruptured film 441. At this time, the volatilization film 442 and the ruptured film 441 stretch, but the ruptured film 441 ruptures first, creating a hole in the ruptured film 441 (Figure 14(A)→(B)). After this, when the external force on the operating part 31 is removed, the elastic part 33 causes the operating part 31 to return from the second position to the first position, and the movable part 32 and the intrusion part 321 separate from the volatilization film 442.

[0068] As a result, the drug 1Y inside the drug container 4 exits through the lower hole. The drug 1Y permeates the volatilization film 442 and volatilizes. When the drug 1Y exits, the pressure inside the container decreases, and air is drawn in through the upper hole. Therefore, the drug container 4 can maintain a stable rate of volatilization of the drug 1Y.

[0069] (6.3) Plate members The plate member 45 is a member that partially prevents the elongation of the lid 44 when an external force is applied to the lid 44. The plate member 45 makes the fractured film 441 more likely to fracture when an external force is applied. As shown in Figure 12, the plate member 45 is formed in the shape of a plate that is roughly rectangular. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate member 45, and examples include polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, or laminates thereof.

[0070] Multiple (two in this case) through holes 451 are formed in the plate member 45. The multiple through holes 451 are formed at both ends of the plate member 45 in the longitudinal direction (length direction). The through holes 451 are formed at positions corresponding to the parts to which external forces are expected to be applied.

[0071] (7) Effects As described above, in the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment, the elastic part 33 is configured to apply an elastic force to the operating part 31 and the movable part 32, which are in the second position, so as to move them to the first position. Therefore, when a force is applied to the operating part 31 and the operating part 31 moves from the first position to the second position, and then the force applied to the operating part 31 is removed, the operating part moves to the first position by the elastic part 33. As a result, the movable part 32 and the intrusion part 321 move away from the drug container 4. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the drug 1Y from flowing out through the movable part 32 and the intrusion part 321.

[0072] Furthermore, because the connection points of the pair of elastic parts 33 to the movable part 32 are spaced apart from each other, the movable part 32 can be easily moved in parallel. As a result, the insertion part 321 can be easily inserted straight into the drug container 4.

[0073] Furthermore, since the housing 2 has a guide section 263 that guides the movement of the movable section 32, the operating section 31 can move smoothly, and the movable section 32 can move smoothly in parallel.

[0074] Furthermore, the movable part 32 has multiple intrusion sections 321, with one intrusion section 321 creating a hole at a position corresponding to the liquid phase of the drug container 4, and the other intrusion sections 321 creating holes at positions corresponding to the gas phase. As a result, the drug container 4 can maintain a stable rate of volatilization of the drug 1Y.

[0075] Furthermore, since the housing 2 has a stopper 266 that restricts the movement of the movable part 32 beyond the second position when the operating part 31 moves to the second position, it is possible to prevent the operating part 31 from moving beyond the second position when the user operates the operating part 31.

[0076] Furthermore, since the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment includes a vibrator 272 and a contact part 324, the operating unit 31 can inform the user when it has moved to the position where the drug container 4 has been opened. As a result, the drug container 4 can be reliably opened.

[0077] Furthermore, since the vibrator 272 is configured to emit sound when vibrated by the contact portion 324, it can more effectively inform the user that the movable body 3 has moved to the position where the drug container 4 has been opened.

[0078] Furthermore, since the housing 2 has the transducer 272, the transducer 272 can be positioned far from the user's fingers. Also, the transducer 272 is located inside the housing 2, meaning it can be positioned in a location where it is not exposed. Therefore, for example, when stacking and transporting the frames 23, damage to the transducer 272 can be prevented.

[0079] Furthermore, the vibrator 272 and the contact portion 324 are configured such that the contact portion 324 vibrates after the operating portion 31 makes contact with the operating portion 31 during its movement from the first position to the second position, and then vibrates when the operating portion 31 reaches the second position. Therefore, when the operating portion 31 moves back and forth, two vibrations can be generated near the second position.

[0080] <Variation> The above embodiments are merely one of many embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the objectives of the present invention are achieved. The following lists some modifications of the embodiments. The modifications described below can be combined and applied as appropriate.

[0081] In the above embodiment of the volatilization device 1, the movable body 3 is made of a separate component from the housing 2, but the housing 2 and the movable body 3 may be formed as a single unit.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the operating section 31 is configured to be movable along the thickness direction. However, in the present invention, the direction of movement of the operating section 31 is not limited to the thickness direction, but may be configured to be movable along, for example, the length direction or the width direction. In this case, the operating section 31 may protrude from, for example, the side surface of the housing 2. The movable part 32 may move in a direction intersecting the pushing direction in conjunction with the movement of the operating section 31. Furthermore, the operating section 31 may be operated not only by pushing, but also by sliding, rotating, pulling, etc.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the movable part 32 is formed in an oval shape, but it may also be rectangular, strip-shaped, square-shaped, or disc-shaped, for example. The number of protruding parts 321 on the movable part 32 may be one or three or more.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the guide 265 and the guided portion 322 were composed of a ridge 2651 or projection and a concave groove 3221, but in the present invention, they may be composed of, for example, a rod and a hole, and there are no particular restrictions on the shape.

[0085] In the above embodiment, a stopper 266 is provided to restrict the movement of the movable part 32 when the operating part 31 moves to the second position, but the stopper 266 is not required. That is, the operating part 31 may be configured to move further after moving from the first position to the second position.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the vibrator 272 was provided only above the operating section 31, but in the present invention, it may be provided on both sides in the vertical direction relative to the operating section 31, or it may be provided only below it.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the vibrator 272 is provided on the housing 2 and the contact portion 324 is provided on the movable body 3. However, the vibrator 272 may be provided on the movable body 3 and the contact portion 324 may be provided on the housing 2. In this case as well, the user can be notified that the movable body 3 has moved to the position where the drug container 4 has been opened.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the length direction of the main body 21 was inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, but in the present invention, the length direction of the main body 21 may be parallel to the vertical direction. Also, in the above embodiment, the length direction dimension of the main body 21 was formed to be longer than the width direction dimension, but in the present invention, the length direction dimension and the width direction dimension may be the same, or the width direction dimension may be longer than the length direction dimension. In the above embodiment, the embodiment was described based on the "thickness direction," "length direction," and "width direction" of the housing 2, but the "thickness direction," "length direction," and "width direction" of the housing 2 can also be rephrased as the "first direction," "second direction," and "third direction," respectively.

[0089] In the volatilization device 1 according to the above embodiment, the drug container may be a cartridge-type drug container that allows only the drug container to be replaced with a new one. Note that "ruptured film 441" and "volatilization film 442" can also be referred to as "first film" and "second film," respectively.

[0090] In this specification, expressions containing "approximately" or "approximately perpendicular" may be used. For example, "approximately parallel" means substantially parallel, and includes an error of a few degrees, not just strictly parallel. The same applies to other expressions containing "approximately".

[0091] Furthermore, in this specification, expressions such as "end" and "end" are distinguished by the presence or absence of "...part". For example, "end" means the very end of an object, while "end" means a certain range that includes the "end". Any point that is within a certain range that includes the "end" is considered an "end". The same applies to other expressions that include "...part". [Explanation of Symbols]

[0092] 1 Volatilization device 1Y Pharmaceutical 2 cabinets 263 Guide Section 265 Guide 266 Stopper 272 transducer 3 Movable body 31 Operation section 32 Moving parts 321 Assault Section 324 Contact area 33 Elastic part 4. Medication container

Claims

[Claim 1] A housing capable of accommodating drug containers containing drugs, Control panel and, A movable body that can move relative to the housing, Equipped with, The aforementioned movable body is It has a movable part that moves in conjunction with the operating part, and when the operating part reaches the opening position of the drug container, it has a protruding part that opens the drug container, The movable part is configured to move away from the drug container after the drug container has been opened. Volatilization device.

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