JP3656423B2 - Steam inhaler - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steam-type inhaler used for treating inflammation and the like occurring in a respiratory system such as a throat and a nose by inhaling an inhaled liquid atomized and sprayed using steam.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A conventional steam inhaler is, for example, as shown in FIG. In this steam type inhaler, an inhalation liquid tank 71 is detachably attached to a main body 70, and an inhalation liquid atomizing means (water tank) for sucking inhalation liquid (chemical solution) from the inhalation liquid tank 71 using steam. , A heater, a nozzle, etc. (not shown) are built in the main body 70. The spray generated by the inhalation liquid atomizing means is discharged to the outside of the main body 70 by the cylindrical portion 72 provided in the main body 70. In addition, a lid 73 that can be opened and closed is screwed to the main body 70, and a switching lever 74 having a function of selecting power OFF, throat, and nose is provided.
[0003]
In the inhaler shown in FIG. 7, the spray is released from the cylindrical portion 72 by setting the switching lever 74 to “throat”, and the inhalation of the spray into the throat treats inflammation of the throat. When treating inflammation of the nose or the like, a nose attachment 75 is attached to the cylindrical portion 72 as shown in FIG. 8, and the switching lever 74 is set to “nose”.
On the other hand, in the steam type inhaler, another type for switching between the throat and the nose is as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 (schematic diagrams of the internal structure). In this steam-type inhaler, a shielding plate 81 that guides the flow of the atomized spray 100 using the steam ejected from the nozzle 80 is provided in the spray path in the cylindrical portion 77 of the main body 70. A control plate 82 for switching between throat use and nose use is displaceably disposed. By changing the position of the control plate 82 by operating a lever (not shown), the throat inhalation state (FIG. 9) and the nasal inhalation state (FIG. 10) are switched.
[0004]
On the other hand, there is also one using an attachment 90 as shown in FIG. The attachment 90 includes a throat / nose switching mechanism and a spray temperature adjustment mechanism independently, and has a throat / nose switching lever 92 and a temperature adjustment knob 93 corresponding to each mechanism. The temperature of the spray coming out from the suction port 99 is adjusted by operating the temperature adjustment knob 93 and adjusting the amount of steam coming out from the steam outlet 95 to increase or decrease. The attachment 90 is provided with an air intake 96 in addition to the attachment guide 91.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional steam inhaler as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8,
a) It is necessary to attach and detach the nasal attachment 75 every time the throat and the nose are switched.
b) When inhaling into the throat, the removed nasal attachment 75 needs to be stored.
c) The parts of the nasal attachment 75 are required as products.
For this reason, there are the following problems (1) to (3).
(1) Take time to switch between throat and nose.
(2) The removed nasal attachment 75 may be lost, and hygiene problems are likely to occur during storage.
(3) The parts cost of the nose attachment 75 is required.
[0006]
Further, in the conventional steam type inhaler as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, even if the control plate 82 switches between the throat and the nose, the spray 100 discharged from the cylindrical portion 77 spreads over a wide range. Since the spray reaches the region, there is the following problem (4).
(4) The amount of spray that is wasted due to leakage from the mouth and nose cannot be inhaled, and the face from the mouth to the nose gets wet.
[0007]
Furthermore, in the steam type inhaler using the attachment 90 as shown in FIG. 11, the parts for switching the throat and nose and the parts for adjusting the spray temperature are separately required, and therefore there is the following problem (5). .
(5) Parts costs for two functions are required.
The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems (1) to (5). The throat and nose switching mechanism is simple and easy to operate, the cost is reduced by reducing the number of parts, the throat and It aims at providing the steam type inhaler which implement | achieves exact inhalation to a nose.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a steam type inhaler according to the present invention comprises an inhalation liquid tank, an inhalation liquid atomizing means for sucking and atomizing the inhalation liquid in the inhalation liquid tank using steam, and an inhalation liquid fog A cylindrical portion having a path for guiding the spray generated by the atomizing means to the outside, and the cylindrical portion biases the spray generated by the inhalation liquid atomizing means in the spray path toward one side of the path; And a path switching mechanism that switches the spray biased to one side of the path, and the path switching mechanism is provided between the shielding part and the opening that is the spray outlet of the cylinder part, and one side in the path by the shielding part A deflection plate that switches between a state in which the spray biased to the flow is unobstructed and a state in which the direction of the flow of the spray is changed to the other side in the spray path, and a cylindrical knob that is rotatably attached to the cylindrical portion The deflection plate rotates with the knob. And switches the spray path by switching to a predetermined rotational position.
The shielding part is provided so as to bias the spray toward the lower side of the path, and the path switching mechanism includes a throat path that flows below the path without blocking the spray, and a nose that changes the direction of the spray to the upper side in the path. It is preferable to switch to the use route.
As a result, the throat route and the nasal route are switched near the spray outlet, and the spray is likely to concentrate toward the throat and nose, respectively. However, since the path is deflected by the deflecting plate for the nose, weak spraying is performed, and the spraying path can be switched to the throat / nose by rotating the knob with a simple operation.
[0009]
It is preferable that the cylindrical portion further includes an air intake between the shielding portion and the opening, and the knob is attached so as to be movable in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion so as to open and close the air intake. . Thereby, it is possible to switch the spray path and adjust the spray temperature by operating one knob.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a steam inhaler according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the internal structure. In this steam type inhaler, an inhalation liquid tank 2 for containing an inhalation liquid (chemical solution) L1 is detachably provided on the main body 1, and a water tank 3 for containing water L2 is disposed inside the main body 1. A heater 5 that heats and evaporates the water L2 in the water tank 3 is disposed on the side of the water tank 3. The lid 6 of the water tank 3 can be opened and closed so that water can be replenished. Further, the water tank 3 is provided with a nozzle 7 for ejecting steam generated by heating by the heater 5 to the outside of the water tank 3, and is attached to the tip of a tube 9 for sucking up the suction liquid inserted into the suction liquid tank 2. The nozzle 8 is in close proximity to the nozzle 7. The main body 1 includes a power supply OFF / OF switching lever 10 and a power cord 11.
[0011]
A cover 20 is attached to the upper part of the main body 1, and the cover 20 has a spray guide 21 that guides the spray generated by the interaction of the nozzles 7, 8. The shielding part 22 which is biased to the side is provided. A spray pipe 40 is fitted into the spray guide 21 of the cover 20, and the spray pipe 40 has a suction port 41 and a plurality of air intake ports 42, and a cap 45 is put on the suction port 41 when the inhaler is not used. In this embodiment, the spray guide 21 and the spray pipe 40 constitute a cylindrical portion having a path for guiding the spray to the outside.
[0012]
At the connecting portion between the spray guide 21 and the spray pipe 40, a cylindrical throat / nose switching knob 30 that can be rotated over the outer periphery of the spray guide 21 and the spray pipe 40 is provided between the spray guide 21 and the spray pipe 40. It is attached so as to be movable in the axial direction (see FIG. 4). The switching knob 30 integrally includes a deflection plate 31 as a path switching mechanism that switches between the throat and the nose in the vicinity of the suction port 41 (opening) of the spray pipe 40. When the switching knob 30 is rotated, the deflection plate 31 is also rotated accordingly, and the spray path is switched between the throat and the nose depending on the position of the deflection plate 31.
[0013]
The switching knob 30 also has a spray temperature adjusting function. As shown in FIG. 4, when the switching knob 30 is rotated and moved back and forth in the axial direction, the air intake 42 of the spray pipe 40 is opened. It can be opened and closed, thereby adjusting the spray temperature.
That is, when the switching knob 30 is moved toward the spray guide 21 as shown in FIG. 4A, the air intake 42 appears, and air enters the spray pipe 40 from the air intake 42, thereby Air mixes and spraying temperature decreases. On the other hand, when the switching knob 30 is moved to the inlet 41 side as shown in FIG. 4B, the air intake 42 is blocked by the switching knob 30, the air and the spray are not mixed, and the temperature is high. The spray is discharged from the suction port 41 as it is. Therefore, the spray temperature can be adjusted to be high or low by changing the degree of appearance of the air intake 42 by the switching knob 30.
[0014]
In this embodiment, the switching knob 30 having the deflection plate 31 is an example, and other modes may be used. For example, an embodiment as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram simply showing the structure in the cylindrical portion 49 composed of the spray guide 21 and the spray pipe 40. Here, the shielding part 22 in the spray guide 21 is arranged on the upstream side of the spraying path in the cylindrical part 49, and the two deflecting plates 35 and 36 are arranged close to the shielding part 22 so as to block the spraying path. Has been. The deflection plate 35 has a large hole 35a and four small holes 35b, and is fixed so as not to move. The deflection plate 36 has only a large hole 36a, is rotatably supported, and can be rotated by a switching knob (not shown) provided around the cylinder portion 49.
[0015]
In the structure of FIG. 5, when the throat is inhaled, the hole 36 a of the deflection plate 36 is opposed to the hole 35 a of the deflection plate 35 as shown in FIG. In this way, most of the spray 100 that flows biased to one side of the spray path in the cylindrical portion 49 by the shielding portion 22 passes through the holes 35a and 36a as it is, and exits from the suction port 41. When inhaling the nose, the hole 36a of the deflection plate 36 is made to face the hole 35b of the deflection plate 35 as shown in FIG. Then, the spray 100 by the shielding part 22 is diverted and weakened by the flow passing through the holes 35a and 35b, and the momentum of the spray 100 passing through the hole 36a and exiting from the suction port 41 is weakened. That is, the flow of the spray 100 can be changed in strength by the combination of the deflection plates 35 and 36. Therefore, by moving the deflection plate 36 by operating the switching knob, it is possible to switch between strong spray for the throat and weak spray for the nose.
[0016]
Next, the operation of the steam inhaler configured as described above will be described. When inhaling the nose, the switching knob 30 is set to the “Hana” position. At this time, the deflection plate 31 of the switching knob 30 is in a state as shown in FIG. When the switching lever 10 is set to “ON”, the heater 5 is energized, the water L2 in the water tank 3 is heated and boiled, and steam is generated. Although the steam is ejected from the nozzle 7, the nozzle 8 is positioned so as to be close to and opposed to the nozzle 7, so that a negative pressure is generated at the tip of the nozzle 8. 9 is sucked up through 9 and atomized by steam ejected from the nozzle 7 at the same time as it exits the nozzle 8.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 6A, the mixture (spray) 100 of the vapor and the atomized inhalation liquid is biased to one side of the spray path by the shielding portion 22 of the spray guide 21 and further flows by the deflecting plate 31. The direction changes upward and is discharged from the spray pipe 40 (suction port 41) toward the nose. The spray 100 at this time is suitable for inhalation of the nose because the momentum of the flow is weakened by the deflection plate 31.
[0018]
On the other hand, when the throat is inhaled, the switching knob 30 is set to the “throat” position. At this time, the deflection plate 31 of the switching knob 30 is in a state as shown in FIG. When the switching lever 10 is set to “ON”, the spray 100 is similarly generated by the interaction of the nozzles 7 and 8. The spray 100 flows toward the one side of the spray path by the shielding part 22 and passes through the deflecting plate 31 without being blocked by the deflecting plate 31 as shown in FIG. It is released toward the throat. The spray 100 at this time remains in a strong flow momentum, and is suitable for inhalation of the throat.
[0019]
Thus, by a simple operation of the switching knob 30, not only can the spray be easily switched between the throat and the nose, but also the temperature of the spray can be adjusted. In addition, the structure is a simple structure that changes the direction of the deflection plate 31 of the switching knob 30 for one part, and the number of parts and the cost can be reduced.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
Since the steam inhaler according to the present invention is configured as described above , the spray path to the throat and nose and the spray intensity can be switched efficiently with a simple configuration, and the operation for switching is also simple. The effect that it can be performed is produced. Furthermore, there is an effect that the spraying path and the spraying temperature adjustment can be operated with one knob.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a steam inhaler according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the steam inhaler.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an internal structure of the steam inhaler.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining spray temperature adjustment by a switching knob in the steam-type inhaler; FIG. It is.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view briefly showing another embodiment of the deflecting plate in the steam type inhaler, and is a schematic view in the case of throat inhalation (a) and a schematic view in the case of nasal inhalation (b).
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram (a) showing a case of nasal inhalation and a schematic diagram (b) showing a case of throat inhalation in the spray action of the steam type inhaler.
FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of a steam type inhaler according to a conventional example in the case of throat inhalation.
8 is an external perspective view of the steam inhaler of FIG. 7 with a nasal attachment attached for nasal inhalation.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view in the case of throat inhalation of a steam inhaler according to another conventional example.
10 is a schematic view of the steam inhaler of FIG. 9 in the case of nasal inhalation.
FIG. 11 is a side view of an essential part of a steam inhaler according to still another conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Suction liquid tank 3 Water tank 5 Heater 7, 8 Nozzle 20 Cover 21 Spray guide 22 Shielding part 30 Switching knob 31 Deflection plate 40 Spray pipe 41 Suction port 42 Air intake 100 Spray L1 Suction liquid L2 Water

Claims (3)

An inhalation liquid tank, an inhalation liquid atomizing means for sucking up the inhalation liquid in the inhalation liquid tank using steam and atomizing, and a cylindrical portion having a path for guiding the spray generated by the inhalation liquid atomizing means to the outside In the steam inhaler provided,
The cylinder part includes a shielding part that biases the spray generated by the inhalation liquid atomizing means in the spray path toward one side of the path, and a path switching mechanism that switches the spray biased to one side of the path by the shielding part. And
The path switching mechanism is provided between the shielding part and an opening that is a spray outlet of the cylinder part, and the sprayed state is allowed to flow without blocking the spray biased to one side in the path by the shielding part. A deflection plate for switching the flow direction to the other side in the spray path, and a cylindrical knob attached to the cylinder portion so as to be rotatable. The deflection plate rotates together with the knob. A spray- type inhaler , wherein the spray path is switched by switching to a predetermined rotation position . The shield is provided to bias the spray to the lower side of the path,
The path switching mechanism switches between a throat path that flows below the path without blocking the spray and a nasal path that changes the direction of the spray to the upper side in the path. Steam inhaler. The cylindrical portion further includes an air intake between the shielding portion and the opening,
The steam type inhaler according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the knob is attached so as to be movable in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion so as to open and close the air intake port .

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