# US 8,740,107 B2 · Liquid atomiser with piezoelectric vibration device having an improved electronic control circuit, and activation method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,740,107 B2 - Document ID: US8740107B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/763,377 - Filed: 2010-04-20 - Published: 2010-10-21 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2009-04-20 - Assignees: Zobele Holding SPA - Applicants: Fabio Marchetti; Daniel Mosconi - Inventors: Fabio Marchetti; Daniel Mosconi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8740107B2 ## CPC - H10N 30/802: {Circuitry or processes for operating piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices not otherwise provided for, e.g. drive circuits} - B05B 17/0607: {generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers} - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract A liquid atomizer (1) with battery-powered (1) piezoelectric vibration device (4), of the type timed to occur between alternate activation cycles and rest cycles and including a first electronic supply circuit (2) with an impulse current generator (9) at a relatively high voltage and a second supply circuit (5a) of the piezoelectric vibration device (4) at a relatively low voltage, as well as a switch device (10, 11) apt to connect in alternate phases the supply of the piezoelectric vibration device (4)—in a same actuation cycle—to the first circuit and to the second circuit. An actuation method of the atomizer is also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid atomizer that operates between alternate activation cycles and rest cycles, comprising: a piezoelectric vibration device (4); a first supply circuit (2) with an impulse current generator (9) for activating said piezoelectric vibration device (4) with a relatively high voltage during the activation cycles; a second supply circuit (5a) for supplying energy to the piezoelectric vibration device (4) at a relatively low voltage; and a switch device (10, 11) that connects in alternate phases the piezoelectric vibration device (4) to one of said first circuit or said second circuit in order to alternately supply energy to the piezoelectric vibration device (4) through said first or said second circuit within a same activation cycle, wherein said second supply circuit (5a) consists of a direct connection to a power source (1). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at a beginning of each activation cycle, an energy supply of said piezoelectric vibration device (4) is provided by said second circuit (5a) at the relatively low voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The atomizer as claimed in claim 2, wherein, within a single activation cycle of the piezoelectric vibration device (4), said switch device (10, 11) alternates the energy supply between said first supply circuit and second supply circuit in subsequent phases, each phase having a duration of 1-2 ms. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first supply circuit (2) further comprises a microcontroller (6), and wherein both the impulse current generator (9) and the microcontroller (6) are powered by a battery (1) through a step-up DC/DC converter (7). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The atomizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said microcontroller (6) controls the impulse current generator (9) and the switch device (10, 11). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The atomizer as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: a voltage elevator (3) arranged between a common exit of said first and second circuit (2, 5a) and the piezoelectric vibration device (4). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The atomizer as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: an intensity selector (8) for changing the duration of said rest cycles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The atomizer as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first supply circuit provides an impulse current with a relatively high initial voltage with respect to the voltage of the second supply circuit and with an exponentially decreasing trend. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The atomizer as claimed claim 8, wherein said second supply circuit provides a constant current at a relatively low voltage with respect to the initial voltage of the first supply circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The atomizer as claimed claim 8, wherein said second supply circuit provides a constant current at a relatively low voltage with respect to the initial voltage of the first supply circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The atomizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first supply circuit provides an impulse current with a relatively high initial voltage with respect to the voltage of the second supply circuit and with an exponentially decreasing trend. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The atomizer as claimed claim 11, wherein said second supply circuit provides a constant current at a relatively low voltage with respect to the initial voltage of the first supply circuit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The atomizer as claimed in claim 12, wherein said relatively low voltage is a voltage ranging between 40 Volts peak-to-peak and 10 Volts peak-to-peak, and wherein said relatively high voltage is a voltage between 2 and 20 times greater than the relatively low voltage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The atomizer as claimed in claim 11, wherein said relatively low voltage is a voltage ranging between 40 Volts peak-to-peak and 10 Volts peak-to-peak, and wherein said relatively high voltage is a voltage between 2 and 20 times greater than the relatively low voltage. ### Claim 15 An activation method for a liquid atomizer with a battery-powered piezoelectric vibration device (4), comprising: alternating between activation cycles and rest cycles, wherein, each activation cycle comprises performing multiple alternate energy supply phases of the piezoelectric vibration device (4), said multiple alternate energy supply phases comprising relatively low voltage phases and relatively high voltage phases, wherein during the relatively low voltage phases, the piezoelectric vibration device (4) is directly connected to a battery (1), and wherein during the relatively high voltage phases, the piezoelectric vibration device (4) is connected to an impulse current generator (9). ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The activation method claimed in claim 15, wherein a switch device (10, 11) controlled by a microcontroller (6) determines the alternating between said multiple alternate energy supply phases. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The activation method as claimed in claim 15, wherein a first supply phase at a beginning of each atomizer activation cycle, supplies energy at the relatively low voltage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The activation method as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of said alternate energy supply phases within a single atomizer activation cycle has a duration of 1-2 ms. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The activation method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising: providing a voltage elevator (3) immediately upstream of the piezoelectric vibration device (4), wherein, in said relatively low-voltage phases, the voltage on the piezoelectric device 4 ranges between 40 Volts peak-to-peak and 10 Volts peak-to-peak, and wherein, in said relatively high-voltage phases, the voltage is between 2 and 20 times greater than said relatively low voltage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The activation method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: providing a voltage elevator (3) immediately upstream of the piezoelectric vibration device (4), wherein, in said relatively low-voltage phases, the voltage on the piezoelectric device 4 ranges between 40 Volts peak-to-peak and 10 Volts peak-to-peak, and wherein, in said relatively high-voltage phases, the voltage is between 2 and 20 times greater than said relatively low voltage.