This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 100221054 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Nov. 8, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nebulization structure, in particular to the nebulization structure that uses a nebulization plate and a piezoelectric annular plate in a nebulization process.
2. Description of the Related Art
As science and technology advance and consumers have increasing higher requirements on a light, thin, short and compact design of various different products, different technical areas including medicine, bio-tech, computer technology, printing or energy industry tend to develop products with a fine and miniaturized design.
With reference to
When an electric field is applied to the piezoelectric annular plate 11 from the lateral side of the piezoelectric annular plate 11, the piezoelectric annular plate 11 produces a transverse contraction and induces the deformation of the nebulization plate 12 to link the nebulization plate 12 and deform accordingly. Since the piezoelectric contraction produced by the piezoelectric annular plate 11 and the deformation of the nebulization plate 12 vary, the nebulization plate 12 of nebulization structure 1 is induced a curved movement to produce up and down oscillations of the nebulization plate 12.
When the operating frequency of the piezoelectric annular plate 11 is exactly equal to the vibration frequency of the overall structure, spray holes 121 formed on the nebulization plate 12 produce a very high speed of a spray, so that the inertia force of droplets formed on the spray holes 121 of the nebulization plate 12 is greater than the surface tension of the spray holes to spray micro droplets from the spray holes in order to achieve a fluid nebulization effect.
Since metal has a better effect of transmitting the vibration energy, the conventional nebulization plate 12 is generally made of a metal material. Due to the limitation of the metal material, the metal nebulization plate 12 may become fatigued, embrittled, or gradually weaken in the oscillation effect easily to result in cracking the nebulization plate 12, after the nebulization plate 12 has been operated at a high frequency oscillation for a long time.
If the nebulization plate 12 is made of a polymer material instead, the drawbacks of the metal nebulization plate 12 can be overcome, but the polymer material has a loosened structural arrangement of molecules and an insufficient rigidity, the efficiency for the nebulization plate to receive the energy transmitted from the piezoelectric driving element becomes too low, so that the nebulization plate fails to transmit the vibration energy and results in a poor nebulization effect.
In addition, the conventional structure annular plate 13 is an annular structure, so that when it is combined with the piezoelectric annular plate 11 and the nebulization plate 12 to form a nebulization structure, most of the vibration energy produced by the piezoelectric annular plate 11 can only be transmitted to the nebulization plate 12 which is relative to the inner side of the structure annular plate 13, and thus causing the vibration energy failing to be transmitted to the center position of the nebulization plate 12 effectively. As a result, the center position of the nebulization plate 12 cannot be oscillated effectively, and the nebulization effect becomes low.
Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a nebulization structure, particularly the nebulization structure that is applicable to corrosive liquids and has a nebulization plate capable of producing vibration energy up to a level that can achieve the expected nebulization effect.
To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention provides a nebulization structure comprising a driving element, a structure plate and a nebulization plate. The structure plate is installed on a side of the driving element, and the structure plate is in a circular disc shape and has a plurality of through holes, and at least one rib formed between two adjacent through holes. The nebulization plate is clamped between the driving element and the structure plate.
Wherein, the through holes are arranged radially into a circular shape with respect to the center position of the structure plate.
Wherein, the driving element is a piezoelectric annular plate.
Wherein, the structure plate further includes a plurality of glue overflow passages, each formed at the external periphery of each respective through hole and at a position corresponding to the internal periphery of the piezoelectric annular plate.
Wherein, the nebulization plate and the structure plate are coupled and combined by an adhesive.
Wherein, the nebulization plate is made of a polymer material or a metal material.
Wherein, if the nebulization plate is made of a polymer material, the polymer material is polyimide, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).
Wherein, the structure plate is made of a metal material or a polymer material.
Wherein, if the structure plate is made of a polymer material, the polymer material is polyimide, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).
Wherein, if there are three or four through holes, each through hole is arranged radially into a circular shape with respect to the center position of the structure plate.
Wherein, if there are four through holes, one of the four through holes is formed at the center position of the structure plate and the other three through holes are arranged radially into a circular shape with respect to the center position of the structure plate.
Wherein, if there are five through holes, one of the five through holes is formed at the center position of the structure plate and the other four through holes are arranged radially into a circular shape with respect to the center position of the structure plate.
The technical content of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of preferred embodiments and the illustration of related drawings as follows.
With reference to
In this preferred embodiment, the driving element 21 is a piezoelectric annular plate made of a piezoelectric ceramic material.
The structure plate 22 is installed on a side of the driving element 21. In this preferred embodiment, the structure plate 22 is in a circular disc shape and includes a plurality of through holes 221, and at least one rib 222 formed between two adjacent through holes. In this preferred embodiment, there are five through holes 221, wherein one of the five through holes 221 is formed at the center position of the structure plate 22, and the other four through holes 221 are arranged radially in a circular shape with respect to the center of the structure plate 22. In this preferred embodiment, the structure plate 22 is preferably made of metal to provide a better effect of transmitting vibration energy. Of course, the material is not limited to metal only, but it also can be a polymer such as polyimide, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).
The nebulization plate 23 is clamped between the driving element 21 and the structure plate 22 and has a plurality of firing holes 231. In this preferred embodiment, the nebulization plate 23 is made of a polymer such as polyimide, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK) to prevent the nebulization plate 23 from being embrittled or having metal fatigue by high frequency oscillations for a long time which results in a gradually decreasing oscillation effect or a crack of the nebulization plate 23. However, the material used for making the nebulization plate 23 is not limited to the aforementioned polymers only, but it can also be made of metal depending on actual requirements. Wherein, at least one rib 222 formed on the structure plate 22 can support the nebulization plate 23 and combine with the nebulization plate 23 more securely, so that the vibration energy produced by the driving element 21 can be transmitted to the structure plate 22 directly, and then the structure plate 22 produces vibrations directly to drive the nebulization plate 23 to nebulize a liquid. Therefore, the oscillation frequency for the operation of the combined nebulization plate 23 and structure plate 22 is close to the oscillation frequency of the driving element 21, so that a better nebulization effect can be achieved.
With reference to
In other implementation modes, the structure plate 22 has three, four or more through holes, and the through holes 221 are symmetrically and radially arranged with respect to the center of the structure plate 22, and one of the through holes 221 is formed at the center position of the structure plate 22, but the invention is not limited to such arrangement only, but it can also be arranged as shown in
With reference to
In this preferred embodiment, the structure and functions of the driving element 31, the rib 322 and the nebulization plate 33 are the same as those of the first preferred embodiment, and thus will not be described. The difference of this preferred embodiment and the first preferred embodiment resides on that the structure plate 32 further includes a plurality of glue overflow passages 35 formed thereon and disposed with an interval apart at the external periphery of the through holes 321 and at positions corresponding to the internal periphery of the piezoelectric element 31. The glue overflow passages 35 are provided for extra glues to overflow therein in order to prevent the extra glues from flowing into the through holes 321 or affecting the nebulization effect.
In other implementation modes, the shape and arrangement of the through holes 321 and the glue overflow passage 35 can be as shown in
In one of the characteristics of the nebulization structure of the present invention, the nebulization plate is made of a polymer material instead, so that the metal nebulization plate can have a better stability and improve the chemical resistance.
In another characteristic of the nebulization structure of the present invention, the rib formed between two adjacent through holes on the structure plate can support the nebulization plate and combine the nebulization plate closely, so that the oscillation frequency of the nebulization plate is close to the vibration frequency of the driving element.
In a further characteristic of the nebulization structure of the present invention, the ribs formed on the structure plate can be used as a passage for transmitting vibration energy and the liquid to be nebulized. Compared with the prior art, the present invention can transmit energy and liquid to be nebulized to the whole area of the nebulization plate more effectively and efficiently, so as to improve the nebulization effect.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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100221054 | Nov 2011 | TW | national |