Granted Patent B2

US 9,551,996 · App. 15/080,376 · Granted Jan 24, 2017

Inventors: Paul Baumgartner (Port St. Lucie, FL); Jonathan J. Ricciardi (West Richland, WA)

G05D7/0629A61L2/22A61L9/122A61L9/14G01F23/00G01K7/02G05B15/02

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. An ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus comprising:

tank includes a transducer chamber, said transducer chamber is capable of containing a liquid;

at least one ultrasonic transducer is located in said transducer chamber;

at least one outlet pipe includes an outer base tube and an inner tube, said inner tube is located inside said outer base tube, an inner air chamber is formed between said inner tube and said outer base tube; and

an air feed manifold includes an inlet tube, at least one transducer chamber supply tube and at least one exhaust supply tube, said at least one transducer chamber supply tube and said at least one exhaust supply tube extend from said inlet tube, said inlet tube is connected to a source of positive air flow, said at least one transducer chamber supply tube communicates with said transducer chamber, said at least one exhaust supply tube communicates with said inner air chamber of said at least one outlet pipe, wherein the positive air flow moves through said transducer chamber and carries aerosol generated by said at least one ultrasonic transducer from the liquid through said inner tube, the positive air flow also flows through said inner air chamber and through said inner tube to extract the aerosol.

2. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a microprocessor based controller controlling power supplied to said at least one transducer.

3. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a level sensor for detecting a level of the liquid in said transducer chamber.

4. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a heater element for heating the liquid in said transducer chamber.

5. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

at least one thermocouple is located in said transducer chamber.

6. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

a transducer supply chamber is formed below a bottom of said transducer chamber.

7. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

a liquid valve for controlling a flow of the liquid from said transducer supply chamber to said transducer chamber.

8. An ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus comprising:

tank includes a transducer chamber, said transducer chamber is capable of containing a liquid;

at least one ultrasonic transducer is located in said transducer chamber;

at least one outlet pipe includes an outer base tube and an inner tube, said inner tube is located inside said outer base tube, a top of said inner tube is attached to an inside surface of said outer base tube, an inner air chamber is formed between said inner tube and said outer base tube; and

an air feed manifold includes an inlet tube, at least one transducer chamber supply tube and at least one exhaust supply tube, said at least one transducer chamber supply tube and said at least one exhaust supply tube extend from said inlet tube, said inlet tube is connected to a source of positive air flow, said at least one transducer chamber supply tube communicates with said transducer chamber, said at least one exhaust supply tube communicates with said inner air chamber of said at least one outlet pipe, wherein the positive air flow moves through said transducer chamber and carries aerosol generated by said at least one ultrasonic transducer from the liquid through said inner tube, the positive air flow also flows through said inner air chamber and through said inner tube to extract the aerosol.

9. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

a microprocessor based controller for controlling power supplied to said at least one transducer.

10. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

a level sensor for detecting a level of the liquid in said transducer chamber.

11. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

a heater element for heating the liquid in said transducer chamber.

12. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

at least one thermocouple is located in said transducer chamber.

13. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

a transducer supply chamber is formed below a bottom of said transducer chamber.

14. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

a liquid valve for controlling a flow of the liquid from said transducer supply chamber to said transducer chamber.

15. An ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus comprising:

a transducer tank includes a transducer chamber, said transducer chamber is capable of containing a liquid;

at least one ultrasonic transducer is located in said transducer chamber;

at least one outlet pipe includes an outer base tube and an inner tube, said inner tube is located inside said outer base tube, a top of said inner tube is attached to an inside surface of said outer base tube, an inner air chamber is formed between said inner tube and said outer base tube, a gap is formed between a bottom of said inner tube and an inside surface of said outer base tube; and

an air feed manifold includes an inlet tube, at least one transducer chamber supply tube and at least one exhaust supply tube, said at least one transducer chamber supply tube and said at least one exhaust supply tube extend from said inlet tube, said inlet tube is connected to a source of positive air flow, said at least one transducer chamber supply tube communicates with said transducer chamber, said at least one exhaust supply tube communicates with said inner air chamber of said at least one outlet pipe, wherein the positive air flow flows through said gap and carries aerosol generated by said at least one ultrasonic transducer from the liquid through said inner tube, the positive air flow flows through said inner air chamber and through said inner tube to extract the aerosol, the positive air flow also flows through said transducer chamber and through the inner tube to extract the aerosol generated by said at least one ultrasonic transducer.

16. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

said at least one transducer chamber supply tube is sized to supply more air into said transducer chamber than said at least one exhaust supply tube supplies into said inner air chamber, or said at least one transducer chamber supply tube is sized to supply less air into said transducer chamber than said at least one exhaust supply tube supplies into said inner air chamber.

17. An ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus comprising:

a transducer tank includes a transducer chamber, said transducer chamber is capable of containing a liquid;

at least one ultrasonic transducer is located in said transducer chamber;

at least one tube is located over said at least one ultrasonic transducer chamber;

at least one air supply tube communicates with said at least one tube;

at least one transducer chamber supply tube communicates with said transducer chamber, said at least one transducer chamber supply tube and said at least one air supply tube are connected to at least one source of positive air flow, wherein the positive air flow flows through said at least one air supply tube and into and through said at least one tube to extract and move the aerosol generated by said at least one ultrasonic transducer from the liquid out of the said at least one tube, the positive air flow also flows through said at least one transducer chamber supply tube and into and through the said transducer chamber and said at least one tube to also extract and move the aerosol generated by said at least one ultrasonic transducer out of said at least one tube.

18. The ultrasonic aerosol generation apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

one of said at least one transducer chamber supply tube is sized to supply more air into said transducer chamber than said at least one air supply tube supplies into said at least one tube, or said at least one transducer chamber supply tube is sized to supply less air into said transducer chamber than said at least one air supply tube supplies into said at least one tube.

Continuity (10)