Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – With means to vibrate or jiggle discharge
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-15
2003-09-16
Evans, Robin O. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
With means to vibrate or jiggle discharge
C239S067000, C239S070000, C239S071000, C239S338000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06619562
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to atomizers such as ultrasonic inhalers having an oscillator incorporated in the main body and oscillating to atomize liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventionally well known, ultrasonic atomizer uses an ultrasonic oscillator oscillated to atomize a liquid in the reagent reservoir and uses a fan to externally discharge the atomized liquid from the reagent reservoir to have a patient or the like inhaling the atomized liquid. Atomizers of this type often have two modes, a timer mode using a timer to set a period of time and atomizing a liquid for the set period of time and a continuous mode allowing a liquid to be continuously atomized.
Conventional ultrasonic atomizers as described above in the continuous mode do not have a distinction between active and inactive states. As such the user can hardly determine the current state of the atomizer and thus often believes that it is operating while it actually is not, or vice versa. It is therapeutically not preferable if an atomizer that is believed to be operating is actually not, since the reagent to be introduced through an inhaler for a therapeutical purpose is not introduced. Furthermore, if the atomizer that is not believed to be operating is actually operating, the reagent would be used wastefully or in some case have run out and consequently the atomizer would be driven without the reagent, which is also not preferable to the atomizer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore one object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic atomizer that can be distinguished between active and inactive states.
The present ultrasonic atomizer has a continuous mode allowing the atomizer to continue to operate until a stop command is entered, wherein the atomizer in the continuous mode provides a first displaying indicating an active state and a second displaying distinguished from the first displaying and indicating an inactive state.
The present ultrasonic atomizer provides the first displaying when the atomizer in the continuous mode has the active state, and the atomizer provides the second displaying, distinguished from the first display, when the atomizer in the continuous mode has the inactive state. By confirming these displayings the user can immediately determine which state the atomizer currently has.
This can prevent the ultrasonic atomizer from providing excessive atomization. Such a disadvantage can also be avoided as failing to provide atomization as the atomizer continues to have the inactive state when atomization is to be provided.
In addition to providing the first displaying, the present ultrasonic atomizer operating in the continuous mode may audibly, periodically notify the user that the atomizer has the active state.
Furthermore it may be adapted to indicate the inactive state in response to having detected an error introduced when the atomizer is operating in the continuous mode.
In addition to indicating the inactive state the atomizer may audibly notify the user that it has the inactive state.
Furthermore the present ultrasonic atomizer may have other than the continuous mode a timer mode deactuating the atomizer when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since its operation started, wherein when an error is introduced in the timer mode, the period of time left is responsively indicated, flashing on and off.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4352248 (1982-10-01), Kobayashi
patent: 5452711 (1995-09-01), Gault
patent: 5551416 (1996-09-01), Stimpson et al.
patent: 5825975 (1998-10-01), Privas
patent: 5881716 (1999-03-01), Wirch et al.
patent: 6442236 (2002-08-01), Utaka
patent: 0 933 138 (1999-08-01), None
Hamaguchi Takehiro
Minamikawa Susumu
Nishizawa Norihito
Evans Robin O.
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Omron Corporaton
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