ULTRASOUND LIQUID ATOMIZER

• US 20100044460A1
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telemaq
• Original Assignee: Telemaq
• Inventors: Sauzade, Jean-Denis
• Granted Patent: US 9,533,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/102.200
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0085 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/063 having an internal channel for supplying the liquid or other fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0646 Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto

Abstract

The invention relates to an ultrasound liquid atomiser comprising: a rigid piezoelectric transducer body (1) having a first end defining an opening and a second end, the inside of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) comprising a cavity for containing a liquid to be atomised and said body (1) further comprising a symmetry axis; a micro-perforated membrane (3) attached on said first end and covering said opening; a piezoelectric member (2, 9) adapted and provided so as to vibrate the piezoelectric transducer body (1); characterised in that the piezoelectric member (2, 9) is located towards said second end in order to vibrate the piezoelectric transducer body (1) in a direction parallel to its symmetry axis.

Claims

1. An ultrasound liquid atomizer comprising:

a rigid piezoelectric transducer body (1) having a first end defining an opening and a second end, the inside of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) comprising a cavity for containing a liquid to be atomized and said body (1) further comprising a symmetry axis,

a micro-perforated membrane (3) attached to said first end and covering said opening,

a piezoelectric member (2, 9) adapted and arranged so as to vibrate the piezoelectric transducer body (1),

characterized in that the piezoelectric member (2, 9) is located toward said second end in order to vibrate the piezoelectric transducer body (1) in a direction parallel to its symmetry axis.

2. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the section of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) varies over its length.

3. The atomizer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the section varies discontinuously.

4. The atomizer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the section varies abruptly at a single point.

5. The atomizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the thickness of the walls of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) toward said second end is greater than the thickness of the walls of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) toward the first end.

6. The atomizer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the piezoelectric transducer body is solid toward said second end.

7. The atomizer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the piezoelectric transducer body is hollow toward said second end.

8. The atomizer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the internal diameter of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) is constant.

9. The atomizer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the internal diameter of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) is variable.

10. The atomizer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the internal diameter toward said first end is greater than the internal diameter toward said second end.

11. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric member (2, 9) is located against the external face of said second end.

12. The atomizer as claimed in claim 11, comprising a rear mass (5) located against the external face of the piezoelectric member (2, 9).

13. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external diameter of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) is constant.

14. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external diameter of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) is variable.

15. The atomizer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the external diameter toward said second end is greater than the external diameter toward said first end.

16. The atomizer as claimed in claim 15, of which the external face of the piezoelectric transducer body is defined by a first diameter and a second diameter, the transition zone between the two diameters forming an abrupt discontinuity.

17. The atomizer as claimed in claim 16, wherein the piezoelectric member (2) is positioned in the discontinuity and bears on the portion of the piezoelectric transducer body (1) that includes the second end.

18. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio between the length and the diameter of said cavity is greater than 0.5.

19. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro-perforated membrane (3) at least partially forms a protuberance making it possible to increase its rigidity.

20. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro-perforated membrane (3) has a thickness between 20 and 200 μ

m and includes holes of a diameter between 1 μ

m and 100 μ

m.

21. The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric member is a multi-layer ceramic (9).