CN212262076U - Atomizer - Google Patents

Abstract

A nebulizer (10) is provided with: a housing (11) in which a compressed air supply source (14) is built; an atomizer assembly (12) containing a liquid medicament; and a tube (13) having one end connected to a compressed air supply source and the other end connected to the atomizer assembly, for supplying compressed air generated by the compressed air supply source to the atomizer assembly, wherein the housing includes: a power switch (26) disposed on a side surface of the housing; a connecting part (34) for connecting one end of the tube; and a holding portion (28) for holding the atomizer assembly, wherein one and the other of the connecting portion and the holding portion are respectively disposed in regions of the upper portion of the housing facing each other with the power switch interposed therebetween.

Description

Atomizer

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an atomizer for a medical device for atomizing a liquid medicine and delivering the liquid medicine to a bronchus and a lung for treating asthma.

Background

Japanese patent document 1 discloses an atomizer. The atomizer roughly includes: a housing in which a member for generating compressed air is built; the atomizer component is held by a patient to operate during treatment; and a pipe connecting the housing and the atomizer assembly, and supplying the compressed air generated in the housing to the atomizer assembly. In this way, from the viewpoint of hygiene, it is preferable that the atomizer in the form in which the housing and the atomizer assembly are separated from each other is provided with some mechanism capable of holding the atomizer assembly when not in use. In view of operability, it is preferable that a connection portion between the tube connecting the housing and the atomizer assembly and the housing and a position of a power switch attached to the housing be determined from an ergonomic viewpoint.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-322

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Problem to be solved by the utility model

An object of the utility model is to provide a health and excellent atomizer of operability.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the object, an atomizer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a housing having a compressed air supply source therein; an atomizer assembly containing a liquid medicine; and a tube having one end connected to the compressed air supply source and the other end connected to the atomizer assembly, the tube supplying compressed air generated by the compressed air supply source to the atomizer assembly, the atomizer being characterized in that the housing includes: a power switch disposed on a side surface of the housing; a connection part for connecting one end of the tube; and a holding portion that holds the atomizer assembly, wherein one and the other of the connecting portion and the holding portion are disposed in regions of the upper portion of the housing where the one and the other face each other with the power switch interposed therebetween.

Effect of the utility model

According to the nebulizer of the embodiment of the present invention, since the connecting portion and the holding portion are disposed in the region of the one side and the other side facing each other with the power switch interposed therebetween, respectively, in the state where the power switch is viewed from the front, there are advantages as follows: when the device is used, the actions of the right hand and the left hand of a user cannot interfere with each other, and the device is easy to use.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an atomizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2A is an exploded perspective view of the atomizer shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 2B is a perspective view showing the connection of the atomizer assembly and the tube.

Fig. 2C is a perspective view showing the connection of the housing and the pipe.

Fig. 3A is a perspective view showing a state where the cover is detached from the housing.

Fig. 3B is a perspective view showing a state where the air filter is removed from the air suction cylinder of the atomizer.

Fig. 3C is a perspective view showing a state in which an air filter is attached to an air suction cylinder of the atomizer.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the atomizer assembly.

Description of reference numerals:

10: an atomizer;

11: a housing;

12: an atomizer assembly;

13: an air tube;

14: a compressed air supply source;

21: a top wall;

22: a peripheral edge;

23: an outer peripheral wall;

26: a power switch;

28: a component holding portion;

33: an air intake cylinder (air intake port);

34: an exhaust funnel (exhaust port, pipe connection);

36: a filter holding section;

37: an air filter;

41: a cover;

42: a top wall cover portion;

43: an outer peripheral wall cover portion;

44: an aperture;

46: a gap;

47: a space.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, an atomizer 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention generally includes a housing 11, an atomizer assembly 12, and a pipe 13 connecting these components. The housing 11 houses a compressed air supply source 14 (for example, a compressor) that generates compressed air.

The housing 11 has a top wall 21 and an outer peripheral wall 23 extending downward (in the direction opposite to the Z direction in the drawing) from a peripheral edge 22 of the top wall 21. The top wall 21 has a substantially racetrack shape when viewed from above. Accordingly, the outer peripheral wall 23 has: a front surface wall portion 24 and a rear surface wall portion extending in the long axis direction (X direction in the drawing); and a pair of substantially cylindrical side wall portions 25 connecting the front wall portion 24 and the rear wall portion to each other. However, the external shape of the housing 11 is not limited to the present embodiment, and may be any shape, for example, a cylindrical shape or a substantially box shape.

A power switch 26 is disposed at a central upper portion of the front wall portion 24. When the nebulizer 10 is viewed from the direction (the direction of the broken-line arrow Y' in fig. 1) opposed to the front wall portion 24, the air suction and discharge portion 27 and the module holding portion 28 are provided in the upper regions of the housing, which are present above the right and left sides of the power switch 26, respectively.

The air suction/discharge unit 27 will be explained. As shown in fig. 3A to 3C, a concave portion 31 that is recessed inward toward the inside of the housing 11 is formed in a connecting portion that includes a portion of the peripheral edge 22 of the top wall 21 and connects the portion of the top wall and a portion of the outer peripheral wall adjacent to the portion. The recess 31 has a bottom wall 32 formed at a position lower than the outer surface (top surface) of the top wall 21. Two cylindrical portions extending upward from the bottom wall are integrally formed in the bottom wall 32. One of the two cylindrical portions is an intake cylinder 33, and the other is an exhaust cylinder (pipe connecting portion) 34. An intake port and an exhaust port are formed at the upper ends of the intake cylinder 33 and the exhaust cylinder 34, respectively. The upper end of the exhaust funnel 34 is located at substantially the same height as the outer top surface of the ceiling wall 21. The upper end of the suction cylinder 33 is located lower than the inner top surface of the top wall 21. As shown in fig. 3B and 3C, the configuration is: a plurality of ribs 35 are formed inside the air intake cylinder 33 at a position slightly lower than the upper end of the air intake cylinder 33, and an air filter 37 is detachably held in a space (filter holding portion 36) formed above the ribs 35 (see fig. 3C).

As shown in fig. 3A, the recess 31 is covered with a plate-like cover 41 having an outer surface shape corresponding to the top wall 21 and the outer peripheral wall 23. Preferably, the cover 41 and the recess 31 are provided with engaging portions that engage with each other in a state where the cover 41 is attached to the recess 31, so that the cover 41 attached to the recess 31 is less likely to fall off from the recess 31.

The lid 41 has a top wall cover portion 42 and a peripheral wall cover portion 43 which form a part of the top wall 21 and a part of the peripheral wall 23, respectively, in a state where the lid 41 is attached to the recess 31. In a state where the lid 41 is attached to the recess 31, the top wall lid portion 42 is substantially flush with the top wall 21, and the outer peripheral wall lid portion 43 is substantially flush with the outer peripheral wall 23. A hole 44 having the same size as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the exhaust funnel 34 is formed in the top wall lid portion 42. Therefore, in a state where the cover 41 is attached to the recess 31, the upper end of the exhaust pipe 34 is positioned in the hole 44. Further, the outer peripheral wall cover portion 43 has the following size and shape: in a state where the cover 41 is attached to the recess 31, a gap 46 is formed between a lower end portion of the outer peripheral wall cover portion 43 and a recess lower end portion 45 opposed thereto (see fig. 3A). The gap 46 can also function as an air intake hole that communicates the space 47 formed between the recess 31 and the cover 41 with the atmosphere. Note that an opening (hole or groove) may be formed in the cover 41 or the housing 11, and the opening may be used as a suction hole instead of the gap 46 or in addition to the gap 46.

Referring again to fig. 1, the nebulizer assembly 12 has a canister 51 containing a lower container portion of a medical fluid and an inhalation cap 52 of an upper container portion. As shown in fig. 4, the canister 51 and the suction cap 52 can be separated. A nozzle 53 whose diameter gradually decreases upward is formed at the central bottom of the canister 51. An atomizing top cover 54 is detachably attached to the nozzle 53. The lower portion of the nozzle 53 extends downward through the bottom of the canister 51 to form an air line connector 55 shown in fig. 2B. A cylindrical wall (holding engagement portion) 56 is integrally formed at the bottom of the medicine tank 51 so as to surround the air tube connector 55. As shown in fig. 2A, the module holding portion 28 of the housing 11 has a vertical groove 57 formed therein corresponding to the cylindrical wall 56 and having the same curvature as the cylindrical wall 56, from the upper top surface of the top wall 21 downward. When the atomizer 10 is not in use, the atomizer assembly 12 can be kept clean by inserting the cylindrical wall 56 of the atomizer assembly 12 into the longitudinal groove 57. Further, since the cylindrical portion 56 is vertically held by the vertical groove 57, the atomizer assembly 12 is stable in a held state without being displaced in the lateral direction.

As shown in fig. 4, the suction top cover 52 is integrally provided with a suction pipe 58. The suction pipe 58 has: a vertical pipe portion 59 extending along the vertical central axis of the suction top cover 52; and a horizontal pipe portion 60 extending in the lateral direction from the upper end of the vertical pipe portion 59 and protruding laterally from the suction top cover 52. The vertical tube portion 59 has a size and a shape that surround the upper portion of the atomizing cap 54 in a state where the inhalation cap 52 is assembled to the canister 51. As shown in fig. 2A, a suction nozzle 61 for suction or a mask (not shown) is detachably attached to an end of the horizontal tube portion 60.

As shown in fig. 2A, the air tube 13 includes air plugs 62 and 63 at both ends. One air tube plug 62 is connected to the exhaust cylinder (tube connection part) 34 of the air intake/exhaust part 27 (see fig. 2A), and the other air tube plug 63 is connected to the air tube connector 55 of the atomizer assembly 12 (see fig. 2B).

In the case of using the nebulizer having the above configuration, the user separates the canister 51 of the nebulizer kit 12 from the inhalation cap 52, and fills the canister 51 with the chemical solution. When the liquid medicine injection is completed, the user turns on the power switch with his right hand, for example, in a state where the nebulizer assembly 12 is held with his left hand, and activates the compressed air supply source 14 in the housing 11. Thereby, the compressed air supply source 14 sucks air through the suction cylinder 33 to generate compressed air. The generated compressed air is supplied to the atomizing cap 54 of the canister 51 through the exhaust pipe 34, the pipe 13, and the nozzle 53. Thereby, the chemical liquid contained in the chemical tank 51 is atomized. The atomized liquid medicine is supplied from the suction tube 58 to the user through the suction nozzle 61.

As described above, the air sucked through the air intake tube 33 is removed of foreign matters (dust and the like in the air) by the air filter 37. The air filter 37 is cleaned or replaced at regular intervals. At this time, the user inserts a finger or a rod-like or plate-like object into the gap 46, removes the cover 41, takes out the air filter 37, and replaces it with a new air filter.

In this manner, according to the nebulizer 10 of the embodiment, the cover 41 can be easily detached. Further, the air filter can be easily replaced with the cover 41 removed.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, in a state where the atomizer assembly 12 is held on one hand (e.g., the left hand), the power switch 26 can be operated with the opposite hand (e.g., the right hand). Therefore, the left and right hands do not interfere with each other during operation.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, since the exhaust pipe 34 is directed upward, the user can easily attach and detach the pipe.

In the above-described embodiment, the vertical groove 57 is formed in the housing 11, and the cylindrical wall 56 of the nebulizer kit 12 is engaged with the vertical groove 57, but the configuration for holding the nebulizer kit 12 in the housing 11 is not limited to the above configuration.

Claims (2)

1. An atomizer, comprising: a housing having a compressed air supply source therein; an atomizer assembly containing a liquid medicine; and a tube connected at one end to the compressed air supply source and at another end to the atomizer assembly, supplying compressed air generated by the compressed air supply source to the atomizer assembly, the atomizer being characterized in that,

the housing includes: a power switch disposed on a side surface of the housing; a connection part for connecting one end of the tube; and a holding portion that holds the atomizer assembly,

one and the other of the connecting portion and the holding portion are disposed in regions of the upper portion of the housing facing each other with the power switch interposed therebetween.

2. Nebulizer according to claim 1,

the connecting portion and the holding portion are located above the power switch.

Images