Atomizer

• US 6,273,342 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2000
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuura, Kuniaki, Asai, Kei, Terada, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWU, DAVIS D
• Application Number:
  US09/509,993
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 239/65, 239/74, 239/102.1, 239/102.2, 239/310, 310/317, 310/321-325, 128/200.14, 128/200.16
• US Class Current: 239/102.2
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0638 spray being produced by discharging the liquid or other fluent material through a plate comprising a plurality of orifices

Abstract

An atomizer includes a piezoelectric element 50 with comb-type electrodes having one electrode and the other electrode formed alternately at one side, a mesh member 40 having many small holes arranged in the proximity of a no-electrode formation plane of piezoelectric element 50, a liquid reagent bottle 20 storing a liquid L, and a solenoid 26 supplying the liquid L of liquid reagent bottle 20 between piezoelectric element 50 and mesh member 40. The vibratory wave of piezoelectric element 50 by an oscillation circuit is a bulk wave that travels within the piezoelectric element, not the surface wave propagating at the surface of the piezoelectric element defined by the comb-type electrode pitch. As a result, an atomizer can be provided improved in atomization efficiency and stabilized in atomization.

Claims

1. An atomizer comprising:

a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately,

oscillation means driving said piezoelectric element,

a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to said piezoelectric element,

a reservoir storing a liquid, and

liquid supply means for supplying the liquid in said reservoir between said piezoelectric element and said mesh member,

wherein a vibratory wave of said piezoelectric element used for atomization by said oscillation means is mainly a wave traveling within the piezoelectric element.

2. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric element is of a material of lithium niobate, and has a 41±

15°

rotation Y cut and Y axis projection propagation direction.

3. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric element has a thickness so that an oscillation frequency of a surface wave and the oscillation frequency of a bulk wave differ from each other.

4. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein comb-type electrodes of said piezoelectric element are arranged so that an oscillation frequency of a surface wave differs from the oscillation frequency of a bulk wave.

5. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of said piezoelectric element crossing at least an advancing direction of a surface wave is of a configuration that does not cause interference between a wave reflected at the end portion and said surface wave.

6. The atomizer according to claim 5, wherein the configuration that does not cause interference between said wave reflected at an end portion and said surface wave have both end planes asymmetric/or having at least the end plane of one said end portion nonplanar.

7. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric element has two opposite planes, said comb-type electrode being provided only at one plane side of said piezoelectric element.

8. The atomizer according to claim 7, wherein said comb electrode is provided at a plane opposite to the plane facing said member.

9. The atomizer according to claim 7, wherein said piezoelectric element includes a liquid detection electrode detecting absence/presence of said liquid, provided adjacent to one side of said comb-type electrode.

10. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the vibratory wave used for said atomization is formed and generated by said piezoelectric element formed to reduce effect by a surface wave traveling through a surface of said piezoelectric element.

11. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein a cross sectional configuration of said small hole is of a horn configuration determined by an ultrasonic vibration frequency and a sound speed of said liquid.

12. An atomizer comprising a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately, oscillation means driving said piezoelectric element, a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to said piezoelectric element, a reservoir storing a liquid, and liquid supply means for supplying the liquid in said reservoir between said piezoelectric element and said mesh member, wherein a cross sectional configuration of the small hole of said mesh member is of a horn configuration formed according to an oscillation frequency of the piezoelectric element and a sound speed of the liquid.

13. An atomizer comprising a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately, oscillation means driving said piezoelectric element, a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to said piezoelectric element, a reservoir storing a liquid, and liquid supply means supplying the liquid in said reservoir between said piezoelectric element and said mesh member, wherein said piezoelectric element and mesh member are arranged so that their facing planes cross at an acute angle, and the liquid from the liquid supply means is supplied from an opening side therebetween.

14. An atomizer comprising a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately, oscillation means driving said piezoelectric element, a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to said piezoelectric element, a reservoir storing a liquid, and liquid supply means supplying the liquid in said reservoir between said piezoelectric element and said mesh member, wherein said piezoelectric element and said mesh member are arranged so that their facing planes cross at an acute angle, and said reservoir includes a liquid supply pipe extending to an opening side between said piezoelectric element and mesh member.

15. An atomizer comprising a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately, oscillation means driving said piezoelectric element, a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to said piezoelectric element, a reservoir storing a liquid, and liquid supply means supplying the liquid in said reservoir between said piezoelectric element and said mesh member, wherein said piezoelectric element includes a liquid sense electrode sensing liquid from the reservoir at a comb-type electrode formation plane, a liquid sense circuit substrate sensing absence/presence of liquid according to a signal from the liquid sense electrode is provided, the liquid sense circuit substrate arranged below the comb-type electrode formation plane of the piezoelectric element, and the liquid sense electrode of the piezoelectric element and the liquid sense circuit substrate are electrically connected by a conductive resilient body.

16. An atomizer comprising a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately, oscillation means driving said piezoelectric element, a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to said piezoelectric element, a reservoir storing a liquid, and liquid supply means supplying the liquid in said reservoir between said piezoelectric element and said mesh member, wherein said liquid supply means supplies the liquid in said reservoir by urge-operating a diaphragm.

17. An atomizer comprising a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately, oscillation means driving the piezoelectric element, a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to the piezoelectric element, a reservoir storing the liquid, liquid supply means supplying the liquid in the reservoir between the piezoelectric element and the mesh member, and liquid amount sense means sensing an amount of liquid on the piezoelectric element, wherein said liquid supply means supplies the liquid in the reservoir by urge-operating a diaphragm, and the urge-operation of the diaphragm is controlled according to an output of said liquid amount sense means.

18. An atomizer comprising a piezoelectric element including comb-type electrodes having one electrode and another electrode formed alternately, oscillation means driving the piezoelectric element, a mesh member including many small holes arranged in close proximity to the piezoelectric element, a reservoir storing the liquid, liquid supply means supplying liquid in the reservoir between the piezoelectric element and the mesh member, and a mesh member case holding the mesh member, wherein said mesh member case is formed of metal or ceramic.