Fragrance reminder device

Abstract

This perfume presentation device has: an enclosing body supporting part for supporting a perfume enclosing body enclosing a perfume material; a working body that abuts on the perfume enclosing body and causes the perfume material inside the perfume enclosing body to be released; and a lead-out fan that forms an air current towards a predetermined direction for drawing the released perfume material.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a perfume presentation device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various types of fragrance presentation devices have been devised, including, for example, a device in which a liquid fragrance is sealed in a fragrance cartridge, and the cartridge is heated to vaporize the liquefied fragrance and present a scent. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Meanwhile, in recent years, a technology has been developed in which an inclusion body in which a fragrance is encapsulated in a microcapsule or the like is used and the inclusion body is fixed to a sheet-like medium or the like. Although such a medium is easy to handle, the current situation is that no consideration has been given to mechanically presenting the fragrance.

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as an object to provide a fragrance presentation device capable of presenting a fragrance using an enclosed body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention for solving the problems of the above-mentioned conventional examples is a fragrance presentation device which has an inclusion body support part which supports a fragrance inclusion body containing a fragrance material, an actuator which physically acts on the fragrance inclusion body to release the fragrance material within the fragrance inclusion body, and an exhaust fan which forms an airflow in a predetermined direction to extract the released fragrance material. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the perfume presentation device of one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to present a perfume using an inclusion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a fragrance presentation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a tray unit included in a fragrance presentation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a fragrance carrier to be set in the fragrance presentation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a mechanism of a fragrance presentation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of an action unit included in the perfume presentation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 2A to 2C are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration and operation of an action unit included in the perfume presentation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A fragrance presentation device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used by being connected to an information processing device such as a home game machine or a personal computer, and includes a tray unit 10, a mechanism unit 20, and a control circuit unit 30, as shown in Fig. 1. Note that the sizes and ratios in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and may be changed as appropriate when put into practice.

[0009] 1, the tray unit 10 is connected to the side of the mechanism unit 20 via a hinge 101, and when the side opposite the hinge 101 is closed, the mechanism unit 20 and the tray unit 10 are integrated to form a container body (FIG. 1(a)), and the whole from the tray unit 10 to the mechanism unit 20 has a columnar shape. In the figure, the positive direction of the Y axis is the upward direction in the following explanation, and the negative direction of the Y axis is the downward direction.

[0010] Furthermore, when the hinge 101 is opened (FIG. 1(b)), the side surfaces of the mechanism unit 20 and the tray unit 10 facing the hinge 101 are open, allowing access to the inside of the tray unit 10.

[0011] 2, the tray portion 10 of the present embodiment functions as an enclosure support portion, and includes a substantially rectangular bottom surface portion 11, a wall portion 12 formed on the periphery of the bottom surface portion 11, and a biasing portion 13. The biasing portion 13 includes a sheet-like pressing body 131 having substantially the same shape as the inner periphery of the bottom surface portion 11 surrounded by the wall portion 12, and an elastic body 132 interposed between the pressing body 131 and the bottom surface portion 11 and biasing the pressing body 131 toward the mechanism portion 20.

[0012] In addition, in one example of an embodiment, a part of the wall portion 12 of the tray portion 10 may be formed with a convex portion that is convex toward the inside of the tray portion 10, so as to prevent the pressing body 131 from coming off the tray portion 10.

[0013] In one example of this embodiment, the tray portion 10 contains a flavor carrier 200 as shown in Fig. 3. The flavor carrier 200 is in the form of a sheet, and has a substantially rectangular shape, but may have notches 200a, b... formed at asymmetric positions.

[0014] At least one layer (generally stacked in multiple layers) of microcapsules encapsulating fragrance is fixed to the surface side of the fragrance carrier 200. In the example of Fig. 3, layers of microcapsules encapsulating fragrance (hereinafter referred to as fragrance fixing parts) 201a,b... are formed in a disk shape at four locations. However, this is only one example and is not limiting. The types of fragrance contained in the fragrance fixing parts 201a,b... formed at each location may be different from each other or may be the same.

[0015] Such fixing of the microcapsules to the perfume carrier 200 may be performed by a widely known method, such as applying the microcapsules onto the perfume carrier 200 together with an adhesive.

[0016] The bottom surface 11 of the tray unit 10 of the fragrance presentation device 100 of this embodiment may be formed with an engaging protrusion 111 that engages with the notches 200a, b... of the fragrance carrier 200. In this case, the pressing body 131 is shaped to avoid the engaging protrusion 111. As a result, the upper part of the engaging protrusion 111 reaches a position closer to the mechanism unit 20 than the pressing body 131, and when the fragrance carrier 200 is stored in the tray unit 10, the fragrance carrier 200 is arranged so that its asymmetrically formed notches 200a, b... engage with the corresponding engaging protrusions 111, so that it is not stored with the wrong front, back, or orientation.

[0017] Fig. 4 shows the configuration of the mechanism 20. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the mechanism 20 includes a mechanism housing 21, action units 22a, b... provided according to the number of aromatic fixing units 201a, b... formed on the aromatic carrier 200, drive units 23a, b... for driving each of the action units 22a, b..., and an airflow control unit 24.

[0018] The mechanism housing 21 has a bottom 211 with openings 210a, b... into which the action parts 22a, b... are respectively inserted, and supports the drive part 23 and the airflow control part 24 above this bottom surface.

[0019] This action portion 22 (hereinafter, for configurations common to each of the action portions 22a, b . . . , the reference numerals will be omitted and the action portion 22 will be described) includes a circular outer peripheral body 221 as exemplified in FIG. 5 and FIG.

[0020] Furthermore, this outer circumferential body 221 is integrally formed with a plurality of spoke bodies 222a, b... (hereinafter referred to as spoke bodies 222 when there is no need to distinguish between them) which form a radial or radial curved shape starting from a point near the center of the outer circumferential body 221 (for example, as illustrated in Figure 6, the center point of the outer circumferential body 221, or a plurality of points P, Q, R equally spaced circumferentially on an imaginary circle C which is concentric with the outer circumferential body 221 and has a radius smaller than that of the outer circumferential body 221) and have their terminal ends fixed to the outer circumferential body 221. Furthermore, the lower surface (tray portion 10 side) of this spoke body 222 is provided with a plurality of columnar (cylindrical in the example of Figures 5 and 6) protrusions 223.

[0021] The spokes 222 extend in the height direction (Y-axis direction) from the outer circumferential body 221, and the heads of the protrusions 223 (the lower tops, which come into contact with the aromatic substance-carrying body 200 as described later) may be rounded off. The diameter of the outer circumferential body 221 is set to be equal to the diameter of the disk-shaped aromatic substance-fixing portion 201 formed on the aromatic substance-carrying body 200.

[0022] The protrusion 223 of the action part 22 protrudes further towards the tray part 10 than the bottom of the opening 210 of the mechanism housing 21 (FIG. 4(b)). When the fragrance carrier 200 is stored in the tray part 10 and the tray part 10 is closed, the protrusion 223 comes into contact with the fragrance fixing part 201 of the fragrance carrier 200 at a corresponding position. That is, in this embodiment, the action part 22 having the protrusion 223 corresponds to the action body.

[0023] Outer ends 2221 of spoke bodies 222 are connected to outer peripheral body 221, and inner ends of spoke bodies 222 are connected to each other to form central body 2222. Furthermore, it is preferable that convex portions 223 arranged on spoke bodies 222 are arranged so that the movement trajectories of all convex portions do not overlap when outer peripheral body 221 rotates around its center (FIG. 6). In FIG. 6, the movement trajectory of convex portion 223 on spoke body 222a is shown by a dashed line, the movement trajectory of convex portion 223 on spoke body 222b by a dashed line, and the movement trajectory of convex portion 223 on spoke body 222c by a dashed line.

[0024] The drive unit 23 (hereinafter, components common to the drive units 23a, b, ... will be described with the reference numerals omitted, such as drive unit 23) includes a rotary actuator such as a motor. The rotation shaft of the drive unit 23 is connected to the center of the outer circumferential body 221 of the action unit 22, and drives the outer circumferential body 221 of the action unit 22 to rotate. Specifically, in the example of FIG. 5, the multiple spoke bodies 222 extend to the vicinity of the center of the outer circumferential body 221, and these spoke bodies 22 2 The rotation shaft of the drive unit 23 is fixed to the center of the central body 2222 formed by the central body 2223, that is, to a position 2223 corresponding to the center of the outer peripheral body 221.

[0025] In one example of this embodiment, the driving unit 23 includes a stepping motor, and drives the outer peripheral body 221 of the action unit 22 to rotate in accordance with instructions input from a control circuit unit 30, which will be described later. The method of controlling this rotation will be described later.

[0026] The airflow control unit 24 includes a pair of outlet fan 241a and exhaust fan 241b arranged on each of two opposing sides of the mechanism housing 21. The outlet fan 241a outlets the vaporized fragrance that is released in the tray unit 10 and flows out through the openings 210a, b... of the mechanism housing 21 in a predetermined direction, for example, to the outside of the mechanism housing 21. The exhaust fan 241b outlets the vaporized fragrance that flows out through the openings 210a, b... of the mechanism housing 21 in a direction different from the predetermined direction, for example, a direction different from the outlet fan 241a, to the outside of the mechanism housing 21.

[0027] 4, the outlet fan 241a and the exhaust fan 241b are disposed at positions facing each other across the mechanical unit housing 21, so that the outlet fan 241a and the exhaust fan 241b generate airflows in opposite directions. In one example of this embodiment, the outlet fan 241a generates an airflow toward the user's nose, and the exhaust fan 241b generates an airflow away from the user's nose.

[0028] The reason why exhaust fan 241b that generates an airflow away from the user's nose is provided in this manner is to quickly remove the components of the fragrance that has been currently presented from the user's nose when switching the fragrance being presented or when ending the presentation of the fragrance; however, if this is not necessary, exhaust fan 241b that generates an airflow away from the user's nose is not necessarily required.

[0029] Next, an example of the rotation control of the drive unit 23 by the control circuit unit 30 will be described. The control circuit unit 30 is configured to include a microcomputer and the like, and operates according to a program stored therein. The control circuit unit 30 is connected to an information processing device by wire or wirelessly, and receives input from the information processing device of information specifying the drive units 23a, b... to be rotated and information specifying the odor intensity of the fragrance to be released, and controls the rotation of the drive units 23a, b... specified by the information in a predetermined manner.

[0030] Here, the information specifying the fragrance intensity specifies the duration or number of rotations, etc., and the control circuit unit 30 repeats reciprocating rotation by rotating the specified drive units 23a, b... by F degrees in a predetermined direction and by B degrees in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction for the specified duration or number of times. As a result, the control circuit unit 30 moves the convex portion 223 of the action unit 22, which is the action body, relative to the fragrance carrier 200 and the tray unit 10 that supports it, and the convex portion 223 grinds the fragrance microcapsules formed on the fragrance carrier 200, releasing the fragrance.

[0031] However, here, F>B>0 (note that F and B do not have to be integers), and with one reciprocating rotation, the drive units 23a, b... rotate by FB degrees in the above-mentioned predetermined direction. This makes it possible to prevent the same spot from being rubbed multiple times. As an example, F=5 degrees, B=4 degrees, and the predetermined direction is the clockwise rotation direction when the drive unit 23 is viewed from below. Also, the reciprocating rotation is set to 4 times per second (4 reciprocations).

[0032] [Operation] This embodiment has the above configuration and operates as follows. The fragrance presentation device 100 of this embodiment is attached to, for example, an HMD (head mounted display) that a user wears on his / her head, and is oriented so that the nose of the user is located downstream of the airflow generated by the outlet fan 241a. The fragrance presentation device 100 is also connected to an information processing device such as a home game machine.

[0033] The user opens the hinge 101 connecting the mechanism unit 20 and the tray unit 10, and places the aromatic carrier 200, which has been prepared in advance, on the pressing body 131 inside the tray unit 10. In this example, aromatics with different scents are fixed to the aromatic fixing parts 201a, b... formed on the aromatic carrier 200, and it is assumed that the type of aromatic scent fixed to each of the aromatic fixing parts 201a, b... is set in advance in the information processing device.

[0034] At this time, the fragrance carrier 200 is biased upward together with the pressing body 131 by the elastic body 132, so that when the user closes the hinge 101, the fragrance fixing portions 201a, b... formed on the fragrance carrier 200 are in contact with the convex portions 223 formed on the spoke bodies 222 of the corresponding action portions 22a, b...

[0035] For example, when an application such as a game is being executed and an instruction is given by the application to present an odor to a user, the information processing device generates an instruction for controlling the perfume presentation device 100 in accordance with the instruction.

[0036] Here, the instructions generated by the information processing device include drive target identification information that identifies the drive unit 23a, b... corresponding to the action unit 22a, b... that is in contact with one of the fragrance fixing units 201a, b... that contains the fragrance of the scent to be presented, and drive time information that specifies the drive time.

[0037] The control circuit unit 30 of the fragrance presentation device 100 of this embodiment receives this instruction from the information processing device and repeats reciprocating rotation of the specified drive units 23a, b... by rotating them 5 degrees in a predetermined direction and then 4 degrees in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction for a specified duration or number of times. The control circuit unit 30 also rotates the outlet fan 241a to generate an airflow from inside the fragrance presentation device 100 toward the nose of the user.

[0038] For example, if the type of fragrance to be presented here is the fragrance fixed to the fragrance fixing unit 201a (therefore, the drive target identification information is information identifying the drive unit 23a) and the rotation duration is set to 2 seconds, the control circuit unit 30 of the fragrance presentation device 100, upon receiving an instruction to that effect from the information processing device, selects the drive unit 23a and controls the selected drive unit 23a to rotate it 5 degrees in a specified direction and then 4 degrees in the direction opposite to the specified direction, repeating this reciprocating rotational motion for 2 seconds (e.g., 8 times).

[0039] As a result, the convex portion 223 of the drive portion 23a, which abuts against the fragrance fixing portion 201a, physically scratches the fragrance fixing portion 201a while maintaining the abutment state, and at least a portion of the fragrance microcapsule fixed to the fragrance fixing portion 201a is crushed 12 times, releasing the fragrance enclosed therein.

[0040] The released fragrance is discharged from the fragrance presentation device 100 to the tip of the user's nose by the airflow generated by the discharge fan 241a. In this way, the odor of the released fragrance is presented to the user.

[0041] [deodorant] After that, when the information processing device receives an instruction to stop presenting an odor to the user through an application such as a game, the information processing device generates an instruction for controlling the fragrance presentation device 100 according to the instruction.

[0042] This instruction is output as a deodorization instruction to the control circuit unit 30 of the fragrance presentation device 100. Upon receiving the deodorization instruction, the control circuit unit 30 of the fragrance presentation device 100 stops the outlet fan 241a (and stops the operation of the drive unit 23 if it is operating) and rotates the exhaust fan 241b. This generates an airflow from inside the fragrance presentation device 100 in the direction away from the user's nose. As a result, the released fragrance remaining inside the fragrance presentation device 100 is discharged in the direction away from the user's nose.

[0043] In addition, when the information processing device instructs the presentation of a type of fragrance different from the type of fragrance instructed to be presented last time, that is, when drive target identification information is input that specifies a drive unit 23 different from the drive target identification information included in the last input instruction, the control circuit unit 30 first stops the exhaust fan 241a as a deodorizing operation (and stops the operation of drive unit 23 if it is operating) and rotates the exhaust fan 241b.

[0044] After the exhaust fan 241b has exhausted air for a predetermined period of time, the exhaust fan 241b is stopped, and the drive unit 23 specified by the above-mentioned instructed information is controlled to perform reciprocating rotation, and the exhaust fan 241a is rotated to generate an airflow from inside the fragrance presentation device 100 toward the user's nose.

[0045] Such control by the control circuit unit 30 prevents the odors from mixing. However, when an instruction is given to intentionally mix multiple types of fragrances (such as when there are multiple drive units 23 specified by the drive target specification information), the control circuit unit 30 simultaneously controls the multiple drive units 23 specified by the drive target specification information to perform reciprocal rotational motion and rotates the outlet fan 241a to generate an airflow from inside the fragrance presentation device 100 toward the nose of the user.

[0046] [Controlling the amount of fragrance released] In the explanation so far, the control circuit unit 30 receives designation of the duration and number of rotations, etc., and repeats reciprocating rotation by rotating the drive units 23a, b... specified by the instruction by F degrees in a predetermined direction and by B degrees in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned predetermined direction for the designated duration or number of rotations. However, depending on the type of fragrance, the smell may be stronger or weaker than other types of fragrance.

[0047] In this embodiment, the control circuit 30 may receive the setting of the rotation amounts F and B (where F>B>0) for each of the driving units 23a, b... in one round trip, based on an instruction inputted in advance from the information processing device. For example, the information processing device may set the rotation amounts F=3 degrees and B=2 degrees for one round trip of the driving unit 23a, and the rotation amounts F=5 degrees and B=4 degrees for the other driving units 23b, c... in one round trip. Note that the magnitude Δ of FB may be kept constant in all settings. In this case, the information processing device may set one of F and B, and the control circuit 30 may set the other by calculating using a predetermined Δ.

[0048] [One-way movement] In the above explanation, the control circuit unit 30 controls the drive unit 23 to rotate back and forth, but it may be set to B=0 (i.e., one-way movement instead of back and forth). In this case, only the setting of the amount of rotation F is accepted from the information processing device (FB is not necessarily constant).

[0049] [Fragrance Recognition] In addition, the fragrance presentation device 100 of this embodiment may be equipped with a code image reader that reads a code image (a barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, or other computer-readable image) formed at a predetermined location on the fragrance carrier 200 when the fragrance carrier 200 is stored in the tray section 10 and closed, and outputs the read data to an information processing device, etc.

[0050] In this example, different codes are assigned in advance according to the type (or combination) of fragrance formed on the fragrance carrier 200, and a code image corresponding to the code is formed at a predetermined position on the fragrance carrier 200. This allows an information processing device or the like to acquire information on the type of fragrance on the fragrance carrier 200 set in the fragrance presentation device 100.

[0051] The information associating the code with the type of fragrance may be registered in a server (not shown) and the information processing device may acquire the information by inquiring of the server via a network. This information is not limited to the type of fragrance, and may also be associated with information related to the strength of the odor of each fragrance (such as information on the angle at which the fragrance should be scratched at one time). This allows the information processing device to instruct control corresponding to the fragrance carrier 200 that has been set. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100 fragrance presentation device, 200 fragrance carrier, 10 tray portion, 11 bottom portion, 12 wall portion, 13 biasing portion, 20 mechanism portion, 21 mechanism portion housing, 22 action portion, 23 drive portion, 24 airflow control portion, 30 control circuit portion.

Claims

1. an inclusion support part for supporting a fragrance inclusion in which a fragrance is enclosed; an agent that physically acts on the fragrance encapsulated body to release the fragrance in the fragrance encapsulated body; an outlet fan that forms an airflow in a predetermined direction to outlet the released aromatic substance; A drive unit that moves the enclosed body support unit and the operating body relative to each other; having The fragrance presentation device has an action body that contacts the fragrance inclusion and, when moved relative to the inclusion support part by the drive part, scratches the fragrance inclusion while maintaining the contact state, releasing the fragrance.

2. The perfume presentation device according to claim 1, The driving section reciprocates the inclusion body support section and the action section relative to each other when releasing the fragrance.

3. The fragrance presentation device according to claim 1, The inclusion body support section supports a plurality of types of fragrance inclusion bodies each containing a plurality of types of fragrance, The acting body is provided corresponding to each type of the fragrance-containing body, A fragrance presentation device that receives information identifying the driving unit and information on the driving time, and moves the acting body corresponding to the driving unit identified by the information relative to the corresponding fragrance-enclosed body, thereby releasing the fragrance within the fragrance-enclosed body.

4. The perfume presentation device according to claim 1, further comprising: The fragrance presentation device has an exhaust fan that exhausts the released fragrance in a direction different from a predetermined direction of the air current formed by the outlet fan.

5. The perfume presentation device according to claim 1, The outlet fan of the fragrance presentation device forms an air current for guiding the fragrance released within the enclosure support portion in the predetermined direction.

6. The perfume presentation device according to claim 5, The fragrance presentation device has an exhaust fan that exhausts the released fragrance in a direction different from a predetermined direction of the airflow formed by the outlet fan.

7. An inclusion body support part for supporting a fragrance inclusion body in which a fragrance is enclosed; an agent that physically acts on the fragrance encapsulated body to release the fragrance in the fragrance encapsulated body; an outlet fan that forms an airflow in a predetermined direction to outlet the released fragrance; Has The inclusion body support part is a sheet-shaped inclusion body support part having a fragrance inclusion body fixed to its surface, The fragrance presentation device further comprises a biasing member for biasing the inclusion support portion against the action member.

8. The perfume presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The inclusion body support part is a sheet-shaped inclusion body support part having a fragrance inclusion body fixed to its surface, The fragrance presentation device further comprises a biasing member for biasing the inclusion support portion against the action member.

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