CA1101382A

CA1101382A - Atomizer for liquid

Info

Publication number: CA1101382A
Application number: CA323,619A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Walter Eck
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-03-15
Filing date: 1979-03-15
Publication date: 1981-05-19
Also published as: DE2811248C3; EP0004039A2; JPS5832618B2; JPS54132811A; US4301093A; DE2811248A1; DE2811248B2; ATA154079A; EP0004039B1; EP0004039A3; AT377915B

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure:

Liquid atomizer having a vibration generator for generating vibrations, an atomizer element receiving the vibrations, and a container with liquid to be atomized. Liquid is transported solely and directly from the container to the atomizer element by a wick of elastically resilient material in contact with liquid in the container and at a point remote from the liquid in the container, mechanically coupled to the atomizer element by disposing the wick against the atomizer element. A tube may surround the wick until almost to the coupling point.

Description

Background of -the Inv~ntion Field of the Invention The invention relates ~o an atomizer for llquids having ~
vibration generator pre~erably generating ultrasonic flex~ral vibrations, an atomizer element to which the vibration~ are transmitted, and a liquid container as well as a liquid feed means arranged between the container and the atomizer element~

Description of the Prior Art In one known liquid atomizer as shown in Unites States Patent No. 3glO3,310~ a liquid feed means for the tran~port of the liquid to be atomized out of the liquid container con~ist~ o~
a distributor element which is rotatable or movable in the manner of a conveyer belt and of a feed wick for the liquid.
The wick give~ of~ lts l1qu1d to the di~tributor element out-side the zone of the atomizer whereupon the distributor element urges the liquld fed to it into the zone of the vibration :
gener~tor which then atomizes the liquid. It i~ a di~advantage .
here that driving and support device~ are necessary for moving the distributor e-lement. Also during extended operation~ the wick~ which rest~ against the distributor element in a ~ ding relat~onship~ i~ gradually used up whereby an exac~ transit~on o~ the liquid is jeopardized. Not the lea~t of the difficultles which can arise in this known liquid atomizer is that during.

the feeding mo~ion~ the liquid rece~ved ~y the wick accumulates to form major droplets on the d-1stributor element which make~

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a very f:ine fog-like atomization questionable.

Summary of the Invention It is now an object of the present invention to provi~e a llquid at~mizer OI` the type mentloned ~t the outset in which the liquid ~eed is s~bstantially simplified and the atomization is impsoved.

With the ~oregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an atomiæer for liquids comprising a ~ibration generator for generating vibrations, an atomizer e~e-ment to which the ~ibrations are transmitted~ said atomizer ele-ment having a surface onto which liquid is fed and from which surface atomize~ liquid is released, a container ~or holding a body of liquid below the atomizer elemenb, a housing supporting the vibra-tion generator, the atomizer element, and the container~ a rod-shaped wick of elastically resilient material in contact with-the body o~ liquid in the container to cause the liquid to move up-wardly along the ~ick, means for elastically pressing the wick against the atomizer-elemen~ at a point remote from the b~dy of liquid in the container to cause liquid ~rom the wick to discharge -: .
directly onto the atomizer element, said wick alone feeding liquid from the container directly to the atomizer element.

Other features which are considered as characteristic fo~ the invention are set forth-in the appended claimsO

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein -as embodiedin atomizer for liquid, it is nevertheless not .~, .
1, 3~2 intended to be limlted to the deta~ hown, ~ince various modi:Eicatlons may be made therein wlthout departing ~rom the spirit of the invention and within the scope and r~nge o~
equ~valents of the clalms, Brief Description o:~ the Drawing ~ ~ . . .

The in~ention, however, together with ~ddltional obJec ts and advantages thereo~ will be best understood ~rom the ~ollowing description when read ln connection with the accompanying drawlng which diagram~atically illu~trates in sect~on, an atomizer for liquid in accordance with the present invention.

Detalled Description o~ the Inve~tion In accordance with the invention, a wick conslsting of elastical-ly resilient mQterial serves alone for ~eedlng and making ava~lable a liquid. The w~ck is in communicatlon on the one hand with a liquid in a liquid contalner and on the other hand rests or presse~ elasticall~ aga~nst the atomizer elemen~
Contrary to kno~ liquid atomizers, only a single element is required for feeding and making available a liquid, namely a wick. This not only repre~ents a design simplification but lt also ensures that all the liquid taken from the liquid :
container actually get~ to the atomizer element avoid~ng the formation of larger droplets at the end of the wick. Tests.
have shown that due tc the mechan~cal coupling of the wick to ~ibrati~g atom~zer element, such as the atomizer plate, the ~ree end of the wic~ is included in the v~brating 3ystems, i.e. it co-vibrates with a more or less damped vlbration ~ ~

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~1313~2 ampl~tude, resulting in a partlcularly f`ine fog-like atomization o~ the liquid.

According to a ~urther development of the invention, a pre-determined position and secure mechanical coupling of the wick to the atomizer element can be obtalned by~ until immediately ahead o~ the coupling point of the wick, running and guiding the wick in a dirnensionally v~ry stable wick tube.

According to a further embodlment o~ the invention, the liqu~d container which ls preferably transparent ha~ an opening wh~ch serves as the ~illing opening as well as the opening for introducing the wick or its wick tube. The wick tube together with the wick, can be taken out of the housing of the liquid atomizer and can be replaced therein too. The opening in the liquid container ls prePerably so small that no liquid can Plow out unintentionally between the rlm of the opening and the wick or the wick tube even i~ the equipmen~ is in inclhn~d po~ition. The llquid atomlzer is completely independent o~
position which mean~ ~h~inhalation equlpment can~ for in~tance~
also be used in a^lying position~ It is, in particular~ also possible within the scope of the invention to store complete, sa~èa~le units consisting of the liquid or a liquid container with atomizer liqu~d and with the wick inserted.

Such units can be placed in the liquid atomizer~ for instance~
the inhalation equipment or the room sprayin~ equipment and the like, in a very simple mannerO

According to an other e~bodiment of the invention3 good and '~
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3~2 exac-t contac-t of the wick at the atomizer element is ensured by the provision that a ~praying head which can be placed on the liquid atomizer and is pre~erably ~unnel shaped has a cutout for the atom~zer element ~nd for the wick re~ting against the atomizer element, with a stopping edge whlch presses the wick or its wick tube and thereb,y the contalned wlck against the atomizer element.

Further advantageou~ de ta~l~ of th~ invention will be se~n *rom the embodiment example shown in the drawing:

Tha in~ention wil~ be illustr~ted with the aid of an lnhalation set for treating the bronchial traet. Spraying head 3 is de~ign-ed as an inhalation funnel placed, in the direction of the arrows, on the inclined frontside 1 of the equlpment housing 2 In the interior 4 of the equipment housing 2 are attached a pluggable circuit board 5 and electrical connecting element~ 7 connecting the board 5 to pins 8 which are acces~lble through ~ :
a connecting open~ng 6, as well as a vibration generator ~
for ultrasonic flexural v1bra~ion~. Vibration generator~ are o* course known. Vibration generator 9 which is equipped for instance with a low voltage excitation el~ctronic circuit, not further discussed, connected via lines lO.to a conical sound tran~mitter 11 compri~es a piezo-ceramic layer 12 as well as at the end facing the spraying head 3~ an atomizer plate 13~ The ultrasonic flexural vibrations occurring at the layer 12 are transmitted to the atomizer plate 13. At the ~ower end of the frontside 1 ofthe equipment~ a cavity 15 iæ pro~ided~ Inside the cav~ty 15, a~trough-like-- .,~

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receptacle 16 for a l:Lquid container 17 ls arranged, The cavity 15 is covered up against the outslde atmosphere by placing the spraying head 3 on it. A l~qu~d container 17 can be placed in the trough-like receptacle 16.Gontainer 17 consist~
of transparent pla3tic material which has, at :Its upper end, a ~lange openlng 18 through wh~ch a wick 20 which ls in lts ma~or part surrounded by a wick tube 193 is introduced into the lnterlor of the llquid container 17. One end of th~ wick 20 extends to the bottom o~ the liquid conkainer 17~ and on the other end, rests with its other ~ree wick end which protrudes be~ond the wick tube 19 again~t a stop edge 24 or against ~he plate-like atomizer element 13 under ten~ion~ The dimensional very stnble wick tube 19 hold~ a wick 20 which cons~sts ak least to a large part of elastic material such a~ a textile - . .
fabric which, while flex~ble, has sufficient rigidit~ to be sel~ ~ustaining at least in that section where i~ couples~with the atom~zer element. Spraying head 3 which is designed as an nhalation funnel has ~n its base plate 21 a round opening 22 for insertion o~ ~he atomizer plate 139 There is also an elongated opening 23 for the free end oP the wick 20 or its wick tube 19 leading into the last ment~oned opening~ The last mentioned elongated opening 23 has an ~nclined stopping edge 24 wh~ch presses again~t the wick tube 1~ when the spraying head 3 is placed on the equipment hous~ng 2 thereb~
clamping the free end of~.the wick 20 elastic~lly rela~e. .~Q
the atomizer plate 13~ so that an exact mechanlcal coupling between the atomlzer plate 13 and the wick 20 is ensured. The liquid container 17~ the wick tube 19 and wick 20 can be kept in stock as complete saleable units and can be placed in the ~ .

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equipm~nt as required~ As soon as the wick 20 comes into contact with the liquid 259 this liquid is trar~sported due to capillary action toward the free end of the wick 20 and is atomized due to the high frequency vibrat~ons o~ the atomizer plate 13 and therefore also of the end of the w:Lck. Thl~
results in the spraying head 3 receiving a very fine dis-~ributlon o~ li.quid~ of for instance particles~ having a size of a few khousand~ o~ a millimeter per sprayed particle~ The liquid 25 is transported wlthout ~n~ ~urther act~on, partic-ularly with~ut additlonal power consumption, uninterruptedly until the liquid container 17 is empt~r. The liquid is tran~-ported here in accordance with the demand~ ~e. in accordance with the atomization of -the finely divided liquid .

t An~ other arrangement and embodiment o~ the liquid container ~ :, within the scope o:f the inventlon is conceivable, of course.
Thus, it is posslble to arrange a transparent liqu1d cantainer in a niche-like recess of the ~quipment housing in such a ~-manner that~ putting the container into p~ace is made even easier and the liquid level can be seen at any time. This is of advantage especially if' the liquid ato~l~zer is designed -as room spraying-equipment or the like; in that case, larger :
liquid containers which are su~c~ent for a large number o~ :~
spraying operations are then usedO A switch, for instance, designed as a pushbutton switch may be provided a~ the periphery of the equipment housing 2~ to switch the equipment on or Of~r ~ .

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

Claim 1. An atomizer for liquids comprising a vibration generator for generating vibrations, an atomizer element to which the vibra-tions are transmitted, said atomizer element having a surface onto which liquid is fed and from which surface atomized liquid is re-leased, a container for holding a body of liquid below the atomizer element, a housing supporting the vibration generator, the atomizer element, and the container, a rod-shaped wick of elastically re-silient material in contact with the body of liquid in the container to cause the liquid to move upwardly along the wick, means for elastically pressing the wick against the atomizer element at a point remote from the body of liquid in the container to cause liquid from the wick to discharge directly onto the atomizer ele-ment, said wick alone feeding liquid from the container directly to the atomizer element.
Claim 2. Liquid atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the wick is run and guided in a dimensionally stable wick tube from the container until immediately before its contact point with the atomizer element.
Claim 3. Liquid atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the atom-izer element is an atomizer plate, and wherein the wick presses elastically against the atomizer plate with point or line contact.
Claim 4. Liquid atomizer according to claim 2, wherein the atomizer element is an atomizer plate, and wherein the wick presses elastically against the atomizer plate with point or line contact.
Claim 5. Liquid atomizer according to claim 3, including a stopping edge disposed against the wick to cause the wick to press elasti-cally against the atomizer plate.
Claim 6. Liquid atomizer according to claim 2, including a stop-ping edge disposed against the wick to cause the wick to press elastically against the atomizer plate.
Claim 7. Liquid atomizer according to claim 1, wherein the con-tainer is transparent to permit sight of liquid therein, and where-in the container has an opening which serves as a filling opening for the liquid as well as for introducing the wick together with its wick tube, if any, into the container, and wherein the con-tainer with the liquid and wick can be taken and replaced into the housing of the liquid container.
Claim 8. An atomizer for liquids comprising a vibration generator for generating vibrations, an atomizer element to which the vibra-tions are transmitted, said atomizer element having a surface onto which liquid is fed and from which surface atomized liquid is re-leased, a container for holding a body of liquid below the atom-izer element, a housing supporting the vibration generator, the atomizer element, and the container, a rod-shaped wick of elasti-cally resilient material in contact with the body of liquid in the container to cause the liquid to move upwardly along the wick, means for elastically pressing the wick against the atomizer element at a point remote from the body of liquid in the container to cause liquid from the wick to discharge directly onto the atomizer element, said wick alone feeding liquid from the container directly to the atomizer element and, wherein a spraying head is adapted to be placed on the housing of the liquid atomizer, said spraying head having a base plate with a cutout aligned for the atomizer element to spray liquid into the spraying head, and a cutout for the wick disposed against the atomizer element, and a stopping edge on the baseplate impeding movement through the cutout which causes the wick to press against the atomizer element.