Patent Application
20220055061
The present disclosure relates to the field of atomizers, and more particularly to ultrasonic atomizers.
In daily life, essential oils are often used to improve the surrounding environment or to perform medical treatment, such as sterilization, disinfection or changing environmental odor, etc. When using the essential oils, an atomizer is often used to atomize the essential oils for facilitating diffusion of the essential oils into the environment.
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an atomizer device including a container for storing liquid for atomization, wherein the container can define a top portion and a bottom portion and the top portion can define a mist opening, an ultrasonic transducer located at the bottom portion of the container and configured to generate waves in the liquid, and a sleeve extending from the bottom portion toward the top portion of the container and having a longitudinal axis, with the sleeve being configured to direct the waves along the longitudinal axis.
In some embodiments, a float can be located within the sleeve and can be configured to move along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The float can define a through hole, wherein the waves can be concentrated toward a surface of the liquid by passing through the through hole. The atomizer device can further include a splash cover located at the top portion of the container and configured to prevent liquid from exiting the mist opening. The splash cover can be attached to at least one of the container or the sleeve.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer can configured to atomize liquid at a depth of about 55 mm, such as when operating at 24V. The sleeve can define slits configured to allow liquid to enter the sleeve. An output of atomized liquid can be substantially equal across a plurality of operating depths per unit time. The ultrasonic transducer can oscillate in the vertical direction. A liquid depth inside the sleeve can be the same as a liquid depth outside of the sleeve.
In some embodiments, the hole defined by the float tapers upward along the longitudinal axis. An outer diameter of the float can be less than inner diameter of sleeve. The mist opening, the splash cover, the float, and the ultrasonic transducer can be centered along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The splash cover can prevent the float from exiting the sleeve. The sleeve can partially constrain the waves from expanding beyond a predetermined radius from the longitudinal axis.
Another aspect of the disclosure relates to an ultrasonic atomizer including a container for storing liquid, a piezoelectric transducer configured to propagate vibrations in the liquid, and a guide wall positioned in the container and configured to constrain the vibrations.
In some embodiments, the atomizer further includes a cover configured to couple with the container to define an internal volume for storing the liquid, the cover defining an aperture for expelling atomized liquid, and a float defining a through hole configured to concentrate the vibrations toward a surface of the liquid, the float being constrained by the guide wall.
In some embodiments, the guide wall constrains the vibrations from expanding beyond a projection of the piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric transducer and the guide wall can be offset from a central axis of the container. The atomizer can further include a floating nozzle that defines a hole that opens at a surface of the liquid across a plurality of liquid depths.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The Figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify one or more preferred embodiments.
The accompanying drawings and figures illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments and are part of the specification. Together with the present description, these drawings demonstrate and explain various principles of this disclosure. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the following drawings. In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label.
While the embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the instant disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.
The working principle of ultrasonic atomization involves positioning a transducer at the bottom of the tank or container configured to hold liquid. A printed circuit board assembly can be communicatively coupled with the transducer and can apply electrical energy to the transducer. In response to the electrical energy, the transducer can oscillate to generate vibrations or waves in the liquid. In some embodiments, the transducer oscillates in the vertical direction, which in turn propagates waves in the vertical direction. Under the proper depth, the energy propagation produces a liquid column at the surface, and a large number of tiny tension waves occur at the top of the liquid column, greatly reducing surface tension. Once the amplitude of the capillary waves reaches a critical height, they become too tall to support themselves and tiny droplets fall off the tip of each wave into the air to form a mist, resulting in atomization of the liquid.
However, the energy produced by the transducer can be attenuated, absorbed, or diffused, resulting in variations in the energy transmitted to the liquid surface at different liquid depths, which affects the amount of atomization. Thus, traditional ultrasonic aromatherapy devices are limited in that the depth of the liquid is highly restricted to ensure proper performance of the device. For example, the liquid depth of a 24V ultrasonic aromatherapy machine usually cannot exceed around 38 mm, and the liquid depth of a 5V ultrasonic aromatherapy machine usually cannot exceed around 20 mm. Thus, conventional ultrasonic atomizers are restricted in the amount of liquid that is able to be contained in the device. Additionally, conventional atomizers experience a large variance in the amount of mist generated when the liquid depth is large versus when the liquid depth is small. The present disclosure introduces a device capable of overcoming the limitations and shortcomings of conventional ultrasonic atomizers. For instance, many of the complications that arise due to attenuation can be overcome by introducing one or more of the focusing or concentrating features as disclosed herein.
It will be appreciated that while the present disclosure focuses on essential oil atomizers, the components and principles discussed herein can be applied to a wide range of fields, such as spray painting, humidifiers, electronic cigarettes, fuel cells, wafers, solar panels, similar devices, and combinations thereof.
A printed circuit board assembly 117 can be communicatively coupled with the transducer 115 and can apply electrical energy to the transducer 115. In response to the electrical energy, the transducer 115 can oscillate to generate vibrations or waves 120 in the liquid. In some embodiments, the transducer 115 oscillates in the vertical direction, which in turn, generates pulses or waves 120 that propagate in the vertical direction (i.e., from the bottom of the tank 104 toward the cover 108). Under the proper liquid depth, and with the proper vibration strength and frequency, the vibrational waves can produce a liquid column 124 at the surface 118, resulting in atomization of the liquid. In some embodiments, the atomizer 100 can be configured such that the ultrasonic transducer 115 is configured to atomize liquid at a depth of about 38 mm when operating at 24V. A depth indicator 128 can be attached or formed into the tank 104 to prevent overfilling the tank 104. The depth indicator 128 can serve as a visual reference of the max fill line for the user. In some embodiments, the depth indicator 128 includes an overspill reservoir to prevent overfilling the tank 104 which can reduce the effectiveness of the atomization. For example, the atomizer 100 may only be able to atomize liquid when the liquid depth is no greater than a depth d1. A top-most position the depth indicator 128 in the tank 104 can be substantially equal to the top of the depth d1.
In some embodiments, the atomizer 200 can include a guide, baffle, or sleeve 236 positioned in the tank 104. The sleeve 236 can have an inner surface configured to come into contact with the waves 120 produced by the transducer 115 as they radiate through the fluid in the tank 104. The sleeve 236 can be shaped and/or positioned to concentrate or reflect the waves 120. For instance, the sleeve 236 can be configured to restrict or constrain the waves 120 such that the waves 120 are directed upward along the sleeve 236 toward the surface of the liquid. In this manner, the sleeve 236 at least partially constrains the propagation of the waves 120 from expanding beyond a predetermined radius from the longitudinal axis 237, wherein the radius is defined by the inner radius of the sleeve 236. In some embodiments, the sleeve 236 can completely constrain the waves 120 from propagating laterally beyond the inner radius of the sleeve 236. In other words, the waves can be driven into the inner surface of the sleeve 236 and can be at least partially reflected or absorbed by the sleeve such that along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the sleeve 236, the waves do not significantly escape the sleeve 236 or pass unhindered into the remaining liquid in the tank 104. In some embodiments, only a portion of the waves 120 are constrained by the sleeve 236, while some of the waves 120 propagate beyond the internal radius of the sleeve 236, for example, through slits 238, as discussed below with reference to
The sleeve 236, as shown in
In some embodiments, the atomizer 200 includes a float or nozzle 240. The float 240 can be buoyant so that it floats on or near the surface 118 of the liquid. The float 240 can be positioned inside the sleeve 236. For instance, the float 240 can have a periphery cross section that has the same cross-sectional shape as the internal walls of the sleeve 236. In some embodiments, an outermost diameter of the float 240 is less than an innermost diameter of the sleeve 236 such that the float 240 can freely move along the longitudinal axis 237 of the sleeve. In other words, a slight gap can exist between the outer peripheral surface of the float 240 and the inner wall surface(s) of the sleeve 236 to ensure that the float 240 can move freely in the sleeve 236 along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 236. The float 240 can be configured to fit securely in the sleeve 236 such that the float 240 cannot travel in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, as the fluid level in the tank 104 changes, the float 240 can remain at the top surface of the fluid level over time.
As shown in
The float 240 can include a through hole or aperture 242 that extends through the float 240. The through hole 242 can be any shape, for example, the through hole 242 can be a circular or conical through hole in the middle of the float 240 for constraining and focusing waves of vibrational energy travelling through the liquid. In some embodiments, the through hole 242 is tapered upward (i.e, toward the cover 108), such that a lower diameter of the through hole 242 is larger than an upper diameter of the through hole 242. The tapered through hole 242 can be configured to concentrate or focus the waves 120 as they propagate upward through the float 240. Thus, the waves can agitate the fluid at the surface 118 more powerfully than if there had been no float 240.
The float 240 can be made of a buoyant material. For example, the float 240 can have a buoyancy sufficient to position a top surface of the float 240 substantially in plane or flush with the surface of the liquid (i.e., the float 240 can be substantially submerged while remaining near the surface of the liquid). In some examples, the float 240 can have a buoyancy sufficiently high to cause the float 240 to sit atop the surface 118 of the liquid (i.e., with a majority of the float 240 above the surface of the liquid). In any case, the buoyancy of the float 240 can enable the float 240 to remain at the surface 118 irrespective of the amount of liquid in the tank 104. This property can help ensure more consistent atomization of the liquid, whether the tank is full or nearing empty.
In some embodiments, the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 236 is aligned with a center of the transducer 115 such that the through hole 242 in the float 240 and the center of the transducer 115 are on roughly the same axis (i.e., the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 236).
The incorporation of the sleeve 236 and/or the float 240 can allow for an increase of at least 70% in the liquid depth. For instance, the ultrasonic transducer 115 can be configured to atomize liquid at a depth of about 55 mm when operating at 24V (as compared to a conventional ultrasonic atomizer, which can only effectively atomize up to 38 mm of liquid depth at 24V). Further, because the sleeve 236 and/or the float 240 cause an energy focusing effect, the atomizer can output atomized droplets at a much more consistent rate, even with drastic changes in the liquid depth. Thus, an output of atomized liquid can be substantially equal across a plurality of operating depths.
Due to the advantageous effects of the sleeve 236 and/or float 240, the atomizer 200 has a greater maximum operating depth d2 than the maximum operating depth d1 of the atomizer 100. Advantageously, this allows a user to beneficially operate the atomizer 200 with a greater amount of liquid in the tank 104 than would be possible in the atomizer 100. Consequently, the atomizer 200 requires the tank 104 to be refilled less than the atomizer 100, and an equal rate of atomization can be achieved for a longer duration. Further, such a configuration reduces energy demands of the transducer 115 by more efficiently transferring the vibrational energy to the surface 118.
In some examples, the atomizer 200 includes a splash guard 244 positioned between the sleeve 236 and the cover 108. The splash guard 244 can be configured to block liquid from exiting the opening 116, while still allowing atomized mist to exit the opening 116. In some embodiments, the splash guard 244 is attached to the cover 108 by means of any suitable attachment mechanism (e.g., fasteners, tabs, threads, etc.). In some embodiments, the splash guard 244 is integrally formed with the cover 108. For instance, the splash guard 244 and the cover 108 can be formed from a single mold and as a single, integral piece. The splash guard 244 can prevent the float 240 from exiting the sleeve 236. For instance, the splash guard 244 can be separated from the top of the sleeve 236 by a distance that is less than a height of the float 240 such that the float 240 comes into mechanical interference with the splash guard 244 before the float 240 is able to become dislodged from the sleeve 236.
As illustrated in
It is noted that when a component is referred to as being “fixed to,” “installed on,” “arranged on” or “disposed on” another component, it can be directly or indirectly fixed on another component. When a component is referred to as being “connected to” another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other component.
In addition, the terms “first” and “second” are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or indicating the quantity of technical features. Therefore, a feature that is qualified as “first” and “second” may expressly or implicitly include one or more of such a feature. In the description of the present invention, “multiple” means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.
Unless specified otherwise, it should be understood that, “length”, “width”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left” and “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside” and other terms indicating the orientation or positional relationship are used to refer to orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, only for the purpose of facilitating and simplifying the description of the invention, instead of indicating or implying that the indicated device or component must have a specific orientation and constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be construed as limiting.
In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms “install,” “connected,” and “connect” should be interpreted broadly unless specifically defined or limited otherwise. For example, the components may be fixedly connected or they may be detachable connected, or integral connected. The connection can be mechanical or electrical. The connection can be direct or indirect (connected through an intermediary). It can also be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure according to specific circumstances.
The present description provides examples, and is not limiting of the scope, applicability, or configuration set forth in the claims. Thus, it will be understood that changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements discussed without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add other procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, the methods described may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described with respect to certain embodiments may be combined in other embodiments.
Various inventions have been described herein with reference to certain specific embodiments and examples. However, they will be recognized by those skilled in the art that many variations are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventions disclosed herein, in that those inventions set forth in the claims below are intended to cover all variations and modifications of the inventions disclosed without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The terms “including:” and “having” come as used in the specification and claims shall have the same meaning as the term “comprising.”
