NL2003044C2 - SPRAY DEVICE, AIR TREATMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPRAYING A LIQUID. - Google Patents

Description

Atomizing device, air treatment system and method for atomizing a liquid

The present invention relates to a spraying device, an air treatment system and a method for spraying a liquid. More specifically, the invention relates to the aromatization of ventilation air in buildings.

In order to aromatize air, nowadays air treatment systems have spray nozzles which are used for atomizing a liquid such as an aroma liquid. The resulting liquid spray is mixed with air that can be blown into user spaces with the aid of a ventilation system 15. This method has the disadvantage that the concentration of the liquid in the air cannot be accurately controlled and is only suitable for relatively large spaces. Furthermore, the spray nozzles cause a mist with relatively large drops, whereby the liquid is used up quickly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spraying device with which a liquid spray is introduced into the air in a more economic manner.

This object is achieved by a spraying device (1) for spraying a liquid, such as an essential oil, comprising: - at least one liquid container for holding a specific amount of the liquid - a vibrating member arranged on or in a bottom - wall of the container, and at least in use in contact with the liquid, wherein the vibrating member is arranged to cause at least a part of the liquid to vibrate such that a spray of liquid is created above the liquid; - a heating element for heating the liquid in the liquid container.

The vibrating member can be adjusted to produce an optimum mist that can be mixed with air for an air treatment system. The invention saves fluid compared to existing systems. The viscosity and the surface tension of the liquid can be reduced by means of the heating element. This is very suitable for atomizing essential oils for the flavoring of air.

In one embodiment, the vibrator comprises a piezoelectric element adapted to vibrate at a frequency between 20 kHz and 500 MHz, preferably between 1 MHz and 3 MHz, and more preferably between 1.5 MHz and 1.7 MHz. These ultrasonic frequencies produce a fine mist that can be mixed well with air and is easily controllable and therefore reproducible.

The height of the liquid in the container is preferably between 3-5 cm, and more preferably between 3.5 - 4.5 cm. These heights gave good results.

In one embodiment the device comprises a temperature control for controlling a temperature of the liquid. This allows the temperature to be adjusted, and also the temperature can be set for a particular oil, because different oils require different temperatures.

In one embodiment the device comprises a control which is adapted to determine an activation pattern of the vibrating member depending on the air speed in the ventilation duct. In this way the intensity of the aroma in the ventilation air can be properly regulated.

3

In a special embodiment, the device comprises at least one replenishing system for replenishing the liquid in the liquid container, the replenishing system comprising: an air inlet for admitting air; - a coupling member for coupling a liquid vessel with the refilling system; - an elongated hollow tube which is in fluid communication with the air inlet, for at least in use, introducing the air into the liquid vessel; - a chamber for storing part of the liquid from the liquid vessel; - a fluid outlet that is in fluid communication with the chamber.

The invention also relates to an air treatment system comprising a local spraying device as described above, and a central spraying device comprising a control system adapted to communicate with a communication module of the local spraying device for controlling at least one parameter of the local spraying device. nebulizer.

The invention further relates to a method for atomizing a liquid, according to claim 17.

25

Further advantages, features and details of the present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of a description of some embodiments with reference to the attached figures, in which: - Figure 1 schematically shows an air treatment device according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 schematically shows the device of Figure 1 connected to a ventilation duct of an air treatment system; Figure 3 schematically shows an embodiment of the invention with a plurality of aroma containers; Figure 4 is a graph with an example of the control of the vibrator by the control unit; Figure 5 shows schematically a refill system according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 shows schematically a part of an air treatment system according to an embodiment.

Figure 1 shows schematically an air treatment device 1 for providing an aroma in air according to an embodiment of the invention. The device 1 is provided with an aroma container 2 for holding a certain amount of aroma liquid 4, such as an essential oil 4. The aroma container 2 is also referred to as the atomizing chamber 2. The inner wall of the nebulizing chamber 2 is, for example, made of P300 material. This material is light and also resistant to essential oils.

The aroma liquid 4 can reach the atomizing chamber 2 from a liquid vessel 10 via an inlet 6. In order to provide the required pressure, the liquid vessel 10 itself is pressurized with the aid of an adjustable air pump 20 which is controlled by means of a control unit 22. The air pump 20 is connected via a valve 60 and a vent valve 29 to the liquid vessel 10. The vent valve 29 serves to vent the liquid vessel 10 after filling, so that no pressure remains on it. The pressure is preferably vented to the atomizing chamber 2 so that no unwanted aroma is released in the vicinity of the apparatus.

It is noted that dimensions of the elements shown in Figure 1 are not to scale and that the ratios also do not describe reality. Both containers 2, 10 are preferably cylindrical. The liquid vessel 10 will in reality often be larger than the aroma container 2. A typical dimension of the aroma container 2 is between 5-15 cm in diameter and 15-30 cm high. A typical size of the liquid vessel 5 is between 10-25 cm in diameter and 15-40 cm high.

The aroma container 2 of Figure 1 further comprises an air inlet 14 and an air outlet 16. Air is pumped into a space 18 above the oil 4 by means of the air pump 20 under the control of the control unit 22. To measure the height, an altimeter 24 arranged on a side wall of the aroma container 2. The height meter 24 is, for example, an optical meter which transmits signals to the control unit 22.

A vibration member 25 is provided on the underside of the aroma container 2 for causing the oil 4 to vibrate. The vibration member 25 vibrates at such a frequency that a mist of oil is created above the oil 4. Preferably, the vibrator 25 comprises a piezo-electric element vibrating at a frequency between 1.5 MHz and 1.7 MHz. Broader values are possible, such as between 1-3 MHz.

The mist that forms above the oil surface is blown with the air through the air outlet 16 with the aid of the air pump 20. The air leaving the aroma container 2 in this way is now provided with an aroma that can be determined by the choice of the aroma liquid 4 that has been used. The vibrating member 25 is preferably periodically vibrated. A period consists of an active duration and a non-active duration. Because a part of the oil 4 is atomized, the height of the oil 4 in the aroma container 2 will decrease after a time of 5. In one embodiment, the control unit 22 is adapted to activate the pump 8 so that the liquid 4, if necessary, returns to a desired height. Preferably, the pump is activated in the inactive duration of a period. A typical height h 10 of the oil 4 is between 3-5 cm and is preferably approximately 4 cm. These stated values were found to give good results when atomizing essential oils.

In order to obtain a desired mist, the oil 4 is heated with the aid of a heating element 26 arranged in the interior of the aroma container 2. It is noted that the heating element 26 can also be located on an outside of the aroma container 2, but this is, however, less favorable from an energy point of view. In order to be able to properly regulate the temperature, a temperature sensor 28 is preferably provided which is adapted to measure the temperature of the oil 4 (or other liquid). The control unit 22 receives measurement signals from the temperature sensor 28 and controls the heating element 26 depending on the measured temperature. By appropriately bringing the oil 4 to temperature 25, the surface tension and the viscosity of the oil 4 are reduced, as a result of which the oil 4 on the surface vibrates with the aid of the vibrating member 25 such that a fine mist can be formed. The fine mist provides a certain aroma in the air which is expelled from the aroma container 2 by means of an overpressure caused by the pump 20 by means of an overpressure. The controllable air quantity thus obtained is flavored and can be introduced into an air treatment system for providing an aroma in a specific ventilated room. In one embodiment the device 1 comprises an air speed meter 30 which can be arranged in a ventilation duct of an air treatment system. The air speed meter 30 is coupled to the control unit 22 which, with the aid of the measured speed, determines how often the liquid must be sprayed per unit of time in order to obtain the desired concentration C. The frequency to be determined in this description is referred to as drive frequency 10 fa, while the frequency with which the vibrator 25 itself vibrates is referred to as the vibration frequency ft.

Figure 2 shows schematically a device 1 that is connected to a ventilation channel 32 of an air treatment system. The air provided with an aroma by the device 1 is blown into the channel 32. Here the air mixes with ventilation air, see arrow 33, of the ventilation channel 32. Through this mixing, the ventilation air 32 obtains the same aroma, but in a lower concentration. Eventually the ventilation air, see arrow 35, will enter a space 34 to be ventilated, where attendees 36 can perceive the aroma with their sense of smell.

This observation can take place consciously or unconsciously. If an aroma is introduced into the space 34 for a certain time, those present will no longer consciously perceive the aroma. However, research has shown that aroma is a very important factor in human well-being. A well-chosen aroma with the right concentration can increase the production of the people. It has also been found that, for example, detainees at a police station asked less for soothing medication and more often applied for permission to shower and went to the toilet less.

8

Figure 3 shows very schematically an embodiment of the invention in which a spraying device 38 comprises a plurality of aroma containers 2,40,42,44 and a container 46 for disinfecting liquid. The container 46 also has a vibrating member, not shown, but a heating element is not necessarily required here, and is dependent on the composition of the disinfecting liquid.

A disinfecting liquid is often less viscose than an essential oil, and does not require heating for a correct spray. By spraying a disinfecting liquid, it is possible to disinfect the ventilation ducts of an air treatment system. By appropriately controlling the vibration member, the concentration can be accurately determined and waste of the liquid is a thing of the past. The embodiment with both one or more aroma containers and a disinfecting container makes it possible for the air to be provided with a pleasant odor, while also the air and the air ducts can be disinfected. Preferably, the disinfecting fluid is atomized at times when people are not present in the rooms, such as at night, and the aroma fluid is atomized during the day. It is noted that in Figure 3 only the discharge of the air from the containers 2,40,42,44,46 is shown. Via a pump 48, at each container 2.40.42.44.46 and airflow to be regulated is established outside. The pumps 48 are controlled by the control unit 22 which in this embodiment is accommodated in the housing of the atomizing device 38. It is noted that the control unit can also be placed at a distance from the atomizing device 38. It is also conceivable that a computer is coupled to the control unit so that a person can control and adjust the device remotely. The desired concentration in a specific room can also be set via a software program, whereby, for example, the temperature of a specific room to be ventilated can also be mentioned as an input parameter. The device 1; 38 is preferably provided with an insulated wall so that the device is low-noise and is not noticed by bystanders.

Figure 4 shows an example of a control of the vibrator 25 by the control unit 22. In the first 20 seconds, the liquid is made to vibrate. Then the vibrating organ comes to rest and there is time to take a height measurement. This can be done, for example, with the same control unit 22. It is also conceivable that different control units are used. After an inactive duration of 40 seconds, the vibrator is reactivated and in this example will vibrate with a frequency of 1.65 MHz. In this example, the driving frequency is 1/60 = 0.016 Hz. In one embodiment, the control unit 20 is arranged such that the control frequency fa is determined depending on the desired concentration C and the air speed in the ventilation channel 32. Preferably, the vibration frequency ft is constant. The best vibration frequency ft for a particular aroma liquid can optionally be obtained empirically. This also applies to a temperature of the liquids in the various containers 2,40,42,44.

Figure 5 schematically shows a spraying device with a refilling system according to an embodiment of the invention. In Figure 5, the refill system has been enlarged to better show the various components. The vent valve 29, see Figure 1, is not shown in Figure 5. The refilling system is connected to the liquid container 2 of the atomizing device so that the liquid container can be refilled if necessary. In this embodiment, the refill system comprises an air inlet 51 for admitting air, a coupling member 52 for coupling a liquid vessel 53. The liquid vessel 53 is preferably a glass or plastic transparent vessel which comprises a neck with a threaded coupling. The liquid vessel 53 can be placed on the top-up system by turning / screwing. The refilling system further comprises an elongated conical hollow tube 54 which is in fluid communication with the air inlet 51. The hollow tube 54 serves for introducing the air into the liquid vessel 53. Furthermore, a chamber 55 is present in which the liquid runs. once the vessel 53 is connected. The chamber 55 serves to store part of the fluid and is in fluid communication with a fluid outlet that is in contact with chamber 55 via a tube system 57. In the tube system 57, a recoil ball 59 is arranged to prevent fluid from coming out of the fluid. container 2 returns to the chamber 55.

In one embodiment, the hollow tube 54 comprises a sharp point for puncturing a sealing foil, not shown, of the liquid vessel 53. When connecting, the liquid vessel 53 is tilted such that the sealing foil is located on the underside of the vessel 53. Then the vessel 53 is screwed around the coupling 52 with the tube 54 penetrating through the foil and protruding above the liquid as can be seen in Figure 5. With the aid of a pump, preferably pump 20, which is also used for pumping away the mist from the container 2, air is introduced into the vessel 53 under pressure. Preferably, a valve 60 is present in a branch of a pipe system 61, which is controlled by the control unit 22, not shown in Figure 5. In this way, with the aid of a single pump, ie pump 22, both the mist suction and 11 the liquid supply can also be regulated. Figure 5 furthermore shows a float 62 that can move up and down and serves to generate a message when the vessel 53 is empty.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a special air treatment system is provided. Figure 6 schematically shows a part of the air treatment system according to an embodiment of the invention. The air treatment system 70 of Figure 6 comprises at least one atomizing device 71 which comprises a communication module 72. Furthermore, a liquid container 73 is present which has already been described in detail above. A control unit 74 is also arranged in the atomizing device 71. Also shown in Figure 6 is a central nebulizer device 76 which includes a control system 77 adapted to communicate with the communication module 72 and to control at least one parameter of the local nebulizer device 71. The nebulizer device 71 is called "local" nebulizer device because this is intended to produce an aroma in ventilation air that is transported to a specific room in a building. The local device 71 can be provided with an aroma liquid that is personalized for the user of the specific room. It will be clear that a building can be provided with several local nebulizing devices.

The central nebulizer device 7 preferably also comprises one or more liquid containers with the vibrating members present therein, not shown in Figure 6. The central nebulizer device 76 is intended to be installed such that the nebulized liquid can be introduced into a central tube 80 from a ventilation system. In Fig. 6, with reference numeral 81, a branch of the tube 80 is drawn, which runs to the specific chamber.

The control system 77 of the central nebulizer can determine one or more parameters of the local nebulizer by sending suitable signals, which may be transmitted wirelessly. An example is the temperature of the liquid in the liquid container 73, the frequency of the vibrating element in the liquid container 73 or the active and inactive duration of the vibrating element. With the help of the system it is possible to install a distributed spray system in which the correct liquid atomization is achieved at the right place. A saving of the amount of liquid is hereby achieved, and also the possibility is offered to satisfy the wishes of the users.

An advantage of the above-mentioned nebulizing devices is that it is easy to connect to any existing air treatment system and is suitable for every room. However, it is also conceivable that the device works autonomously and immediately releases the aroma to the environment. The air supply and discharge may possibly be omitted here, whereby an aroma container is open at the top. Optionally, the supply of aroma liquid may also be omitted. In this embodiment a manual addition of the liquid is then desired so that the height of the liquid remains at an arrow.

Through the control unit 22, the atomizing device is fully automatic and can be adjusted to the second. By spraying the liquid through vibration, little energy and liquid is used and is economical to use. Furthermore, as already mentioned, the device can be controlled and controlled both locally and remotely via the PC. By using multiple containers, odor combinations of different aromas are also possible. In this way, the right atmosphere can be created for every occasion.

In the foregoing, the present invention has been described with reference to a few preferred embodiments. Different aspects of different embodiments can be combined, whereby all combinations that can be made by a person skilled in the art on the basis of this document must be read. These preferred embodiments are not limitative of the scope of this text. The rights requested are defined in the appended claims.

Claims (17)

A spraying device (1) for atomizing a liquid, such as an essential oil, comprising: 5. at least one liquid container (2) for holding a specific amount of the liquid (4) - a vibrating member (25) arranged on or in a bottom wall of the container (2), and at least in use in contact with the liquid, wherein the vibrating member is arranged to cause at least a part of the liquid to vibrate such that a spray of liquid is created above the liquid; - a heating element (26) for heating the liquid (4) in the liquid container. 15 Device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element (26) is arranged in the liquid container (2). Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the device comprises a temperature sensor which is arranged in the liquid container (2). 4. Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the device comprises a temperature control for controlling a temperature of the liquid. 5. Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the container comprises an inner wall comprising P300 material. Device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vibrating member (25) is adapted to vibrate with a frequency between 20 kHz and 500 MHz, preferably between 1 MHz and 3 MHz, and more preferably between 1.5 MHz and 1.7 MHz . 5 Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the height of the liquid in the container, at least in use, is between 3-5 cm, and preferably between 3.5 - 4.5 cm. 10 Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the device comprises an adjustable air pump (20) for pumping away the mist from the container (2). Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the device comprises a height control for controlling a height of the liquid in the container. 20 Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the device comprises an air speed meter (30) for measuring an air speed in a ventilation duct of a ventilation system. 25 Device according to claim 10, wherein the device comprises a control unit (22) which is adapted to determine an activation pattern of the vibrating member depending on the measured air speed. 30 Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the device comprises at least one refilling system for refilling the liquid in the liquid container, the refilling system comprising: - an air inlet for admitting air; - a coupling member for coupling a liquid vessel with the refilling system; - an elongated hollow tube which is in fluid communication with the air inlet, for introducing the air into the liquid vessel at least in use; - a chamber for storing part of the liquid from the liquid vessel; - a fluid outlet that is in fluid communication with the chamber. 13. Device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hollow tube comprises a sharp point for causing an opening in a sealing foil of the liquid container. Device as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the device comprises an air pump which is connected to the container (2) for pumping away the mist from the container (2) and is also connected to the air inlet of the refill system. Air treatment system comprising: - at least one atomizing device according to one or more of the preceding claims comprising a communication module; - a central atomizing device comprising a control system which is adapted for communication with the communication module and for controlling at least one parameter of the at least one atomizing device. The air treatment system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one parameter comprises one or more of the following parameters: - temperature of the liquid in the liquid container (2); - frequency of the vibrating member; - active and inactive duration of the vibrator. A method for atomizing a liquid, the method comprising: - filling a container with a liquid, such as an essential oil; - heating the liquid to a specific temperature; - vibrating at least a part of the liquid with the aid of a vibrating member arranged in or on a bottom wall of the container, such that a spray of liquid is created above the liquid. 20 • k'k'k'k'k'kic'k