JP2024108698A - Sprayer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sprayer which can be switched between the usage state connected to a movable body and the single usage state.

SOLUTION: A sprayer comprises a housing, a foldable handle provided on the housing via a hinge part, a wheel, a spray unit, and a connection mechanism.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a sprayer.

As a conventional sprayer, Patent Document 1 discloses a chemical spraying device that removes hydrogen sulfide and decomposes resident bacteria and organic matter in sewer pipes. This chemical spraying device is configured to install a gas cleaner mount unit in the sewer pipe, and while moving the gas cleaner mount unit inside the sewer pipe by pulling it with a cable, spray a chemical from the spray unit installed on the gas cleaner mount unit, thereby removing hydrogen sulfide and decomposing resident bacteria and organic matter in the sewer pipe.

JP 2020-65888 A

Airports, large commercial facilities, office buildings, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other facilities are used by many people, and in recent years, these facilities have seen scenes of spraying chemicals to prevent the spread of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. These facilities generally use sprayers in which the worker carries a chemical tank and pump device on their back and sprays chemicals from a handheld spray nozzle, rather than the cable-towed spraying device described above, which is not very maneuverable. However, carrying a heavy sprayer on one's back while walking around a large facility while spraying is a heavy burden for the worker and also results in low work efficiency.

The present invention provides a sprayer that includes a housing, a retractable handle attached to the housing via a hinge, wheels, a spray unit, and a connecting mechanism.

According to the present invention, the housing is connected to the moving body using a connection mechanism, so that the sprayer can travel together with the moving body, and the sprayer can also be used alone.

1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first embodiment of the sprayer according to the present invention is connected to a movable body. FIG. FIG. 2 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of the sprayer of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a detachment device is removed from the housing of the sprayer of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a detachment device in the sprayer of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic left sectional view showing a detachment device in the sprayer of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the sprayer of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sprayer of FIG. 1 can be used alone. FIG. 11 is a view of the installation/removal device of the third modified example of the first embodiment, as viewed from the left side. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the detachment device is removed from the housing of the sprayer of the second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a sprayer according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a view from the left side showing the sprayer of FIG. 10 in a state where it can be used alone. FIG. 13 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a sprayer according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a first spray state of the detachable spray nozzle in the sprayer of FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a second spray state of the detachable spray nozzle in the sprayer of FIG. 12.

The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the sprayer according to the present invention connected to a moving body. In Fig. 1, arrows indicate front, rear, left, right, up and down directions when the moving body and the sprayer are used, and the configurations of the moving body and the sprayer will be explained based on these front, rear, left, right, up and down directions.

As shown in FIG. 1, a sprayer 11 of the first embodiment is connected to a moving body 12 called a balance scooter, and sprays a chemical (medicinal solution) around while being pulled by the moving body 12.
Here, the moving body 12 is a small vehicle equipped with a rotating body (including wheels, crawlers, etc.) for moving that rolls on the ground by power, and on which a user rides in a standing or seated position. Specific examples of the moving body 12 include a balance scooter, a bicycle (including an electric bicycle), an electric scooter, and an electric kickboard.

In this embodiment, the moving body 12 is exemplified by a balance scooter on which a user rides in an upright position and which can move forward, turn, and stop by shifting the user's own center of gravity. The balance scooter includes a running section 13, a support section 15 having a lower end connected to the upper surface of a base 14 of the running section 13, a handle 16 provided at the upper end of the support section 15, and a display section 17. To explain in more detail, the running section 13 includes a base 14 having a battery and a pair of drive motors (not shown), and a pair of left and right wheels 18 provided at the left and right ends of the base 14 so as to rotate independently by the pair of drive motors. The display section 17 is a display device that can display the remaining battery level, speed, etc. The moving body 12 is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 1, and may be a moving body whose rotating body is a crawler, a moving body with multiple wheels arranged in front and rear, a moving body on which the user rides in a seated position, a moving body with three or more rotating bodies, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sprayer 11 includes a box-shaped housing 19, a pair of wheels 110 rotatably mounted on the same left-right axis on the left and right side walls of the housing 19, a handle 112 attached to the rear end of the top side of the housing 19 via a hinge portion 111 extending in the left-right direction, a connecting mechanism 113 provided at the front end of the top side of the housing 19 at a central position in the left-right direction, a spray unit 21 (see FIG. 2) provided inside the housing 19, and a detachment device 114 that detachably connects the moving body 12 and the connecting mechanism 113.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handle 112 has a base end connected to the hinge portion 111, a straight portion extending in the front-rear direction from the base end, and a tip end bent relative to the straight portion. In this embodiment, a pair of handles 112 are provided on the left and right.

2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the sprayer of FIG. 1 as seen from the left side. As shown in FIG. 2, the spray unit 21 includes an electric pump 22, a control unit 23 for controlling the electric pump 22 to be rotatable, a battery 24 for supplying power to the electric pump 22 via the control unit 23, a liquid tank 26 connected to the intake port of the electric pump 22 via a connecting pipe 25, and a spray nozzle 28 connected to the outlet port of the electric pump 22 via a connecting pipe 27. In this embodiment, the spray nozzle 28 is an elongated elliptical cylinder or a rectangular cylinder, stands approximately vertically at the approximately center position of the upper surface of the housing 19, and has spray holes 29 at multiple locations on the left and right sides of the spray nozzle 28. The spray holes 29 may be one small hole, or may be composed of a group of multiple fine holes.

The housing 19 has an upwardly opening storage recess 210 for storing the liquid tank 26 at a position rearward of the spray nozzle 28 on its top surface, and a convex connector 211 is provided at the bottom of the storage recess 210 to connect to the upstream end of the connection pipe 25. Meanwhile, the liquid tank 26 has a handle 212 on its top surface, and a connection port 214 with a valve 213 into which the convex connector 211 can be inserted is provided at its bottom surface. When the liquid tank 26 containing the chemical liquid is not stored in the storage recess 210 of the housing 19, the connection port 214 is closed by the valve 213, so that the chemical liquid does not leak out. When the liquid tank 26 containing the chemical liquid is stored in the storage recess 210 of the housing 19, the convex connector 211 is inserted into the connection port 214 and connected, and the valve 213 is pushed up by the convex connector 211 to open the connection port 214, and the liquid tank 26 and the connection pipe 25 are connected.

The liquid tank 26 contains a liquid according to the purpose. For example, when trying to suppress the spread of pathogenic bacteria or viruses in facilities such as airports, large commercial facilities, office buildings, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, a medicinal liquid that suppresses the growth of pathogenic bacteria or viruses is contained in the liquid tank 26. Alternatively, an aromatic liquid may be contained in the liquid tank 26 and the aromatic liquid may be sprayed by the sprayer 11 so that people in the vicinity can feel a sense of relief or refreshment. Alternatively, water may be contained in the liquid tank 26 and the water may be sprayed by the sprayer 11 to increase the humidity of the surrounding dry air or to lower the surrounding temperature by evaporating the mist. When spraying water with the sprayer 11, it is possible to use it, for example, to spray it on people walking outdoors at a theme park or waiting in line for a ride when the temperature is high to relieve the heat, or to spray it to water plants in a garden or bonsai for sale. An opening and closing lid (not shown) is provided on the top surface of the liquid tank 26, and the opening and closing lid can be opened to refill the liquid in the liquid tank 26. A liquid tank 26 with a low amount of liquid medicine remaining can be removed from the storage recess 210 and replaced with a liquid tank 26 that is full of liquid medicine.

The battery 24 is provided below the storage recess 210 inside the housing 19, and may be detachable from the housing 19 or fixed within the housing 19, and can be charged from an external commercial power source via a charging cable. In this embodiment, the battery 24 is built into the housing 19, but may be exposed to the outside. Also, if the battery 24 is detachable from the housing 19, the battery 24 may be removed and placed on a charging stand for charging.

In this embodiment, the liquid tank 26 filled with the liquid medicine and the battery 24 are positioned toward the rear of the housing 19 as heavy objects, so that the front-to-rear direction position 215 of the center of gravity of the housing 19 when the liquid tank 26 filled with almost full liquid medicine is installed in the housing 19 is behind the middle position of the housing 19 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, in order to easily achieve a front-to-rear weight balance (horizontal balance) in the housing 19 when moving, the axles 216 of the pair of left and right wheels 110 are positioned so as to roughly coincide with the front-to-rear direction position 215 of the center of gravity.

2, a connection mode detector 217 is provided on the upper wall of the housing 19. The connection mode detector 217 detects the handle 112 when the handle 112 is in a handle storage state in which the handle 112 is folded along the upper wall of the housing 19. In other words, when the connection mode detector 217 cannot detect the handle 112, it can be said that it detects that the handle 112 is not stored. Alternatively, a protrusion may be provided on the movable part of the hinge part 111, and the protrusion of the hinge part 111 may be detected when the handle is stored. The connection mode detector 217 detects the connection mode by detecting these handle storage states. In this embodiment, the connection mode means a method in which the sprayer 11 can be connected to the moving body 12 (see FIG. 1) and traveled without any problems.

2, the handle 112 can be switched between a handle stored state shown by a solid line and a handle deployed state shown by a dotted line. When the handle is deployed, the handle 112 protrudes rearward from the housing 19. If the sprayer 11 is connected to the mobile unit 12 (see FIG. 1) and traveled at this time, the handle 112 may get caught on some object. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connected mode is detected by detecting the handle stored state using the connected mode detector 217, so that the sprayer 11 can be safely towed by the mobile unit 12. In other words, when the control unit 23 does not detect the connected mode and the sprayer 11 is towed by the mobile unit 12, the control unit 23 informs the user that the handle is not stored. This will be described in detail later.

When the handle 112 is mostly stored (not completely stored), the connected mode detector 217 may not detect the connected mode. In this case, it is expected that the handle 112 will be unstable and wobbly when the housing 19 moves, so the connected mode is not detected by the connected mode detector 217. For example, a mechanical switch (contact type) such as a limit switch or a microswitch, or a proximity sensor (non-contact type) can be used as the connected mode detector 217. In this embodiment, a case is illustrated where a mechanical switch is used to detect the left handle 112.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the detachable device has been removed from the housing of the sprayer in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the connecting mechanism 113 has a hole into which the arm portion 31 of the detachable device 114 is inserted, and a locking mechanism 32. The locking mechanism 32 includes, for example, an engagement claw that can engage with a recess 33 provided at the rear end of the arm portion 31 of the detachable device 114, a biasing member (e.g., a compression coil spring) that biases the engagement claw in a direction to engage with the recess 33, and a push button that is operated in a direction to disengage the engagement claw from the recess 33 against the biasing force of the biasing member. The push button of the locking mechanism 32 is shown in Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the detachment device in the sprayer of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a schematic left-side cross-sectional view showing the detachment device in the sprayer of Figure 1. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the detachment device 114 has an arm portion 31 having a front end capable of gripping the support portion 15 of the moving body 12 and a rear end capable of connecting to the connecting mechanism 113 (see Figure 1). To explain in more detail, in this embodiment, the front end side of the straight arm portion 31 has a grip portion 41 that detachably grips the support portion 15 of the moving body 12, and a horizontal adjustment portion 51 that connects the front end of the arm portion 31 and the grip portion 41 (see Figure 5).

The gripping portion 41 has a vertical shaft portion 52 (see FIG. 5), a block portion 42 provided at the upper end of the shaft portion 52, a shaft portion 43 penetrating the block portion 42 in the left-right direction, and a pair of clamping pieces 44 attached to both the left and right ends of the shaft portion 43. The shaft portion 43 has an intermediate portion rotatably held by the block portion 42, and a pair of male screw portions formed in opposite directions on both the left and right sides of the intermediate portion. The pair of clamping pieces 44 have screw holes at their rear ends that screw into the pair of male screw portions of the shaft portion 43. When the shaft portion 43 is rotated in one direction, the pair of clamping pieces 44 approach each other while maintaining approximately parallelism, and when the shaft portion 43 is rotated in the other direction, the pair of clamping pieces 44 move away from each other while maintaining approximately parallelism. This allows the pair of clamping pieces 44 to grip the support portion 15 or release the grip. An anti-slip pad may be provided on the inner surface of the pair of clamping pieces 44 that contacts the support portion 15 at the front end.

The front end of the arm 31 is provided with a vertical hole 53, and a horizontal adjustment unit 51 is provided on the underside of the front end of the arm 31. The horizontal adjustment unit 51 is connected to the lower part of the shaft 52 of the gripping unit 41, which is inserted from above through the hole 53 at the front end of the arm 31. This horizontal adjustment unit 51 has, for example, an outer member fixed to the front end of the arm 31, and a spherical inner member rotatably provided inside the outer member so as to be connected to the lower part of the shaft 52, and the outer member and the inner member are provided with an insertion hole through which the shaft 52 is inserted. In addition, the inner member can rotate in all directions relative to the outer member. When the moving body 12 travels over steps or uneven ground, the horizontal adjustment unit 51 works to make it difficult for vertical and horizontal vibrations of the moving body 12 to be transmitted to the housing 19.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the control system of the sprayer of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 6, when the connection mode detector 217 detects the connection mode, a detection signal is input to the control unit 23. The sprayer 11 further includes a movement stop detector 61 that detects the moving state and the stopped state of the housing 19, a communication unit 62 that communicates information about the sprayer 11 to the outside of the sprayer 11, and an operation unit 63 that manually switches the electric pump 22 between driving and stopping. For example, a rotary encoder provided on the axle of the wheel 110 can be used as the movement stop detector 61. When the movement stop detector 61 detects the stopped state of the housing 19, a detection signal is input to the control unit 23.

The communication unit 62 can wirelessly (e.g., Bluetooth) transmit information about the sprayer 11 transmitted from the control unit 23 (e.g., remaining battery level, remaining liquid level, detection of clogging, etc.) to the external communication means 64. As the external communication means 64, a communication unit (see FIG. 1) provided near the display unit 17 of the mobile object 12 or a mobile information communication terminal (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc.) carried by the user can be used. The communication unit 62 receives a command signal from the external communication means 64 and transmits the necessary information about the sprayer 11 (e.g., remaining battery level) to the external communication means 64 based on the command signal, thereby displaying the information about the sprayer 11 on the display unit of the external communication means 64.

The remaining battery level can be detected by the battery level gauge IC. When the remaining liquid level is to be included as information about the sprayer 11, a capacitance type liquid level sensor is provided on the inner surface (see FIG. 2) of the storage recess 210 of the housing 19 facing the liquid tank 26, and the liquid level sensor detects the amount of liquid in the liquid tank 26, and the detection signal is input to the control unit 23. When the remaining battery level and the remaining liquid level each fall below a certain level, the control unit 23 may display a warning message on the display unit of the external communication means 64.

The operation unit 63 is a mechanism for manually switching between driving and stopping the electric pump 22, and has, for example, a drive stop switch 115 provided at the tip of the right handle 112 (see FIG. 1). The drive stop switch 115 is a switch for switching between driving and stopping the electric pump 22 (see FIG. 2). For example, an alternate operation switch can be used as the drive stop switch 115. The drive stop switch 115 may also be provided at the tip of the left handle.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sprayer in Figure 1 can be used alone. The sprayer 11 (see Figure 1) connected to the moving body 12 can be used alone as shown in Figure 7 by releasing the lock by the lock mechanism 32 (see Figure 3) of the connection mechanism 113 and detaching the housing 19 from the detachment device 114. It is preferable to provide the connection mechanism 113 with a detachment device attachment detector that detects whether the detachment device 114 is attached to the connection mechanism 113. At this time, the pair of handles 112 are switched to a handle deployment state in which they are tilted backward of the housing 19, and the user can grasp the tips of the pair of handles 112 to operate them, so that the drive stop switch 115 can be pressed once to drive the stopped electric pump 22, and the drive stop switch 115 can be pressed again to stop the electric pump 22.

Next, the operation of the sprayer 11 of the first embodiment configured as described above when in use will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, in the connected mode in which the sprayer 11 with the handle stored is connected to the mobile body 12, the control unit 23 shown in FIG. 6 determines that the mode is the connected mode based on the detection signal from the connected mode detector 217. In this connected mode, when a user riding on the mobile body 12 presses the drive stop switch 115 located near the rear once, the electric pump 22 (see FIG. 2) becomes drivable (drive standby state) and liquid can be sprayed from each spray hole of the spray nozzle 28, but at this stage, no spraying has been performed. Also, when the electric pump 22 is in a drivable state, pressing the drive stop switch 115 once more causes the electric pump 22 to be in a non-driven state and the spray nozzle 28 to not spray. When the electric pump is in a driveable state, if the user drives the mobile unit 12 to tow the housing 19, the control unit 23 determines that the housing 19 is moving based on a detection signal from the movement stop detector 61, and the control unit 23 starts driving the electric pump 22 to spray liquid from the spray nozzle 28 to the surrounding area. While the housing 19 is moving, the movement stop detector 61 detects the rotational movement of the wheels 110, and based on the detection signal, the control unit 23 determines that the housing 19 is moving and maintains the driving state of the electric pump 22.

When the moving body 12 stops while moving, the housing 19 also stops. When the housing 19 stops, the movement stop detector 61 detects that the wheels 110 have stopped rotating, and the control unit 23 determines that the housing 19 has stopped based on the detection signal, and stops the operation of the electric pump 22. By automatically stopping the operation of the electric pump 22 when the housing 19 stops in this way, it is possible to conserve the power of the battery 24 and the liquid to be sprayed, and to prevent excessive spraying in the same position. Furthermore, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of the user having to press the drive stop switch 115 to stop the electric pump 22, and to eliminate the risk of forgetting to turn off the drive stop switch 115.

When the mobile unit 12 stops, the user riding on the mobile unit 12 presses the drive stop switch 115 located near the rear once, which immediately drives the electric pump 22 (see FIG. 2) to start spraying, and the user drives the mobile unit 12 to tow the housing 19, and then the control unit 23 may control the electric pump 22 to stop driving when the mobile unit 12 stops. In this way, the electric pump 22 starts immediately, making it easier for the user to recognize that spraying is possible, compared to when the user presses the drive stop switch 115 once to start spraying and the electric pump 22 is in standby mode.

When the sprayer 11 is connected to the mobile body 12, but the handle 112 is in a handle-deployed state in which it is tilted backward of the housing 19 (when the control unit 23 detects the non-connected mode), if the sprayer 11 is towed by the mobile body 12 with the handle in the unfolded state, some object may get caught on the handle 112. For example, it is assumed that the sprayer 11 may get caught on a tree branch or the like while being towed by the mobile body 12 from a place where the sprayer 11 is stored to an outdoor place where spraying is performed. When the movement stop detector 61 detects that the wheels 110 are rotating, the detection signal is input to the control unit 23, and the housing 19 travels in the non-connected mode, the control unit 23 displays a warning message (explanation of an inappropriate use state) on the display unit of the external communication means 64 through the communication unit 62. Alternatively, the inappropriate use state may be notified by sound or voice from a speaker provided near the display unit of the external communication means 64, and in addition, a warning message may be displayed on the display unit. Alternatively, a lamp and speaker may be provided on the top surface of the housing 19 (at a position that does not interfere with the handle 112 in the stored state) to inform the user of improper use by light and sound. Alternatively, a braking device may be provided to restrict the rotation of the wheels 110 of the sprayer 11, and the wheels 110 may be prevented from rotating (brakes) by the braking device, thereby applying a large load to the moving body 12, or an abnormal sound of the wheels 110 rubbing against the ground may be generated to inform the user of improper use.

When the detachment device 114 of the sprayer 11 is detached from the support 15 of the moving body 12, and the detachment device 114 is further detached from the connection mechanism 113 of the housing 19, and the handle 112 is switched from the stored state (see FIG. 1) to the deployed state to use the sprayer 11 alone (see FIG. 7), the connection mode detector 217 does not detect the connection mode (detects the non-connection mode). Therefore, when the user grabs the handle 112 and moves the housing 19, the control unit 23 activates a mechanism to notify the user of an inappropriate use state as described above. To avoid this, for example, a warning release switch 71 is provided on the tip side of the left handle 112 as the operation unit 63 (see FIG. 6). By pressing the warning release switch 71, the control unit 23 controls so that the mechanism to notify the user of an inappropriate use state does not work even if the housing 19 is moved. Furthermore, by pressing the warning release switch 71, the control unit 23 controls so that the drive stop switch 115 functions. Therefore, if the housing 19 is moved before pressing the warning reset switch 71, a mechanism is activated to notify the user that the device is being used improperly. Also, even if the drive stop switch 115 is pressed before pressing the warning reset switch 71, the electric pump 22 will not be driven.

The warning may be released by pressing the warning release switch 71, the drive stop switch 115 may be pressed once to drive the electric pump 22, and then the drive stop switch 115 may be pressed once more to stop the electric pump 22, so that the warning is returned to the unreleased state. In this way, when spraying is continued in the connected mode after spraying in the unconnected mode, the possibility of spraying occurring when the warning is released and the handle is in the deployed state can be reduced. In addition, a detachment device attachment detector may be provided that detects whether the detachment device 114 is attached to the connection mechanism 113, and when the drive stop switch 115 is pressed once to drive the electric pump 22 while the detachment device 114 is attached to the connection mechanism 113 and the handle is in the deployed state, a mechanism may be activated by the control unit 23 to inform the user of the inappropriate usage state as described above.

Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to use both a connected mode in which the sprayer 11 is driven by the mobile body 12, and a non-connected mode in which the sprayer 11 is separated from the mobile body 12 and used alone. In the connected mode, the sprayer 11 is towed by the user while riding on the moving mobile body 12 to perform spraying, rather than the conventional spraying operation in which the user carries a heavy liquid tank and pump device on their back, and this reduces the physical burden on the user. When used alone, the sprayer 11 allows for maneuverable spraying. The mobile body 12 can also be used for its original purpose. When storing the sprayer 11, the handle 112 can be stored.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
The control unit 23 in the first embodiment may start spraying by driving the electric pump 22 when the connected mode detector 217 detects the connected mode. In this case, for example, when the handle 112 in the deployed state is tilted toward the housing 19 to switch to the stored state, the connected mode detector 217 detects the connected mode and the electric pump 22 is automatically driven.

(Modification 2 of the First Embodiment)
The connection mode detector 217 in the first embodiment may detect the connection mode when the connecting mechanism 113 is in a connected state with the detachment device 114, or when the detachment device 114 connected to the connecting mechanism 113 is in a connected state with the support portion 15 of the moving body 12. In this case, the connection mode detector 217 is provided on the grip portion 41 of the connecting mechanism 113 or the detachment device 114.

(Modification 3 of the first embodiment)
8 is a view of the detachment device of the modified example 3 of the first embodiment from the left side. In FIG. 8, the same elements as those in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals. In the first embodiment, the electric pump 22, the connection mode detector 217, the movement stop detector 61, the communication unit 62, the operation unit 63, and other electric components in the sprayer 11 are powered by the battery 24, but the electric power from the mobile body 12 may be supplied to the sprayer 11. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the sprayer is provided with an electric cable 81 having one end electrically connected to the control unit 23 (see FIG. 6) in the housing 19, and a power transmission unit 83 having a connector 82 provided at the other end of the electric cable 81 wired along the detachment device 114. On the other hand, a mobile body side connector 84 that is detachably and electrically connected to the connector 82 of the power transmission unit 83 is provided on the support part 15 of the mobile body 12, and the sprayer is driven by the electric power from the battery of the mobile body 12. In addition, the sprayer information output from the control unit 23 is transmitted to and displayed on the external communication means 64, which is the display unit of the mobile unit 12, via the communication unit 62, the power transmission unit 83, the mobile unit side connector 84, etc. In this case, the power supply to the sprayer 11 may be stopped at will by operating the display unit of the mobile unit 12.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the detachment device is removed from the housing of the sprayer of the second embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same elements as those in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals. In the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), the case where the connecting mechanism 113 is provided at the upper front end of the housing 19 is illustrated, but as shown in FIG. 9, in the case of the sprayer 91 of the second embodiment, the connecting mechanism 113 is provided at the handle 92. Specifically, the connecting mechanism 113 is disposed at the left and right intermediate position of the connecting plate 93 which is provided as a part of the left and right handles 92 and connects them. In this case, the pair of handles 92 are entirely straight in shape, and the tips of the handles 92 in the stored state protrude forward from the front end of the housing 19, and the tips of the handles 92 are connected by the connecting plate. This prevents the connecting mechanism 113 from resting on the upper surface of the housing 19 when the handles 92 are stored. Furthermore, the connecting plate 93 is configured to exceed the top of the spray nozzle 28 when the pair of handles 92 are deployed. In the second embodiment, other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the configurations of the first to fourth modifications of the first embodiment may be applied.

Third Embodiment
FIG. 10 is a view from the left side showing a schematic configuration of the sprayer of the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a view from the left side showing a state in which the sprayer of FIG. 10 can be used alone. In FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the same elements as those in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals. In the case of the sprayer 11 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 3) and the sprayer 91 of the second embodiment (see FIG. 9), the connecting mechanism 113 is detachable from the moving body 12 (see FIG. 1) via the detachment device 114, but as shown in FIG. 10, the connecting mechanism 102 of the sprayer 101 of the third embodiment has a function of attaching and detaching with the moving body 12. Specifically, the connecting mechanism 102 has a configuration in which the base end of the arm part 31 of the detachment device in the first and second embodiments is connected to the left and right middle position of the upper front end of the housing 19 via the hinge part 103. In the third embodiment, the other configurations are generally similar to those of the first and second embodiments, and the configurations of the modified examples 1 to 3 of the first embodiment may be applied.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the deployed state in which the connecting mechanism 102 protrudes forward, a small piece 104 is provided at the top of the hinge portion 103 so as to be tilted slightly forward. In addition, a locking member 105 that can lock with the small piece 104 is provided at a position near the hinge portion 103 on the top surface of the housing 19 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis 106. The locking member 105 has a locking claw 107 at the upper end of its outer periphery that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the axis 106.

In the third embodiment of the sprayer 101, the handle 112 is switched from the stored state to the deployed state shown by the dotted line, and then the connection mechanism 102 is switched from the deployed state shown in FIG. 10 to the stored state shown in FIG. 11, allowing the sprayer 101 to be used alone. At this time, the small piece 104 provided on the hinge part 103 of the connection mechanism 102 abuts against the upper surface of the housing 19, thereby maintaining the arm part 31 in an inclined state until the grip part 41 is close to the spray nozzle 28. To fix this state, the locking member 105 is rotated around the shaft 106, and the small piece 104 is pressed by the locking claw 107.

Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 12 is a view from the left side showing a schematic configuration of the sprayer of the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same elements as those in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 12, the sprayer 121 of the fourth embodiment is generally similar to the first embodiment, except that the configuration of the spray unit 122 is different. The spray unit 122 of the fourth embodiment has a detachable spray nozzle 124 in a storage cylinder portion 123 provided on the upper surface of the housing 19. In this embodiment, the upper opening of the storage cylinder portion 123 is directed slightly forward so that the spray nozzle 124, the tip of which is stored in the storage cylinder portion 123, is inclined forward. The upper opening of the storage cylinder portion 123 may be directed straight up so that the spray nozzle 124, the tip of which is stored in the storage cylinder portion 123, is approximately vertical.

To explain in more detail, as shown in FIG. 12, the spray unit 122 further includes a vertical fixed pipe section 125 that is fixed to the upper surface of the housing 19 and has a lower end connected to the connecting pipe 27, and a flexible pipe section 126 that connects the spray nozzle 124 and the fixed pipe section 125.

Figure 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a first spray state of the removable spray nozzle in the sprayer of Figure 12. Figure 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a second spray state of the removable spray nozzle in the sprayer of Figure 12. In Figures 13 and 14, arrow A indicates the flow of liquid. As shown in Figure 13, the spray nozzle 124 has a cylindrical first member part 131 connected to the flexible pipe part 126 and a cylindrical second member 132 connected liquid-tightly to the first member 131. When viewed from the left-right direction, the first member 131 is formed in a substantially F-shape, and the second member 132 is formed in a pen shape. The second member 132 is designed to rotate with respect to the connection part with the first member 131. The first member 131 has an upstream connection port part 133 connected to the flexible pipe part 126 and a downstream connection port part 134 connected to the second member 132. The section from the upstream connection port 133 to the downstream connection port 134 of the first member 131 forms a flow path for the liquid to be sprayed.

In the first member 131, a bent portion 135 is provided between the upstream connection port 133 and the downstream connection port 134, and an L-shaped handle portion 136 (see FIG. 12) is provided connected to the bent portion 135. The second member 132 has an upstream connection port 137 connected to the downstream connection port 134 of the first member 131, a tip spray hole 138 provided at the tapered end opposite the upstream connection port 137, and a plurality of spray holes 139 provided on the outer periphery between the upstream connection port 137 and the tip spray hole 138. The multiple spray holes 139 are provided on the left side of the spray nozzle 124 as shown in FIG. 12, but multiple spray holes may also be provided on the right side.

Furthermore, inside the second member 132, there are provided a first flow path 140 that communicates with all the spray holes 139, a second flow path 141 that communicates with the tip spray hole 138, and a partition wall 142 that separates the first flow path 140 and the second flow path 141. Furthermore, inside the downstream connection port 134 of the first member 131, there are provided an introduction flow path 143 that can communicate with one of the first flow path 140 and the second flow path 141 of the upstream connection port 137 of the second member 132, and a blocking wall 144 that blocks between one of the first flow path 140 and the second flow path 141 and the introduction flow path 143.

In the spray nozzle 124 configured in this manner, the second member 132 can rotate around its axis relative to the first member 131. FIG. 13 illustrates a first switching state in which the first flow path 140 of the second member 132 is connected to the introduction flow path 143 of the first member 131. At this time, the second flow path 141 of the second member 132 is blocked from the introduction flow path 143 by the blocking wall 144 of the first member 131. When the electric pump 22 (see FIG. 12) is driven in the first switching state, the liquid in the liquid tank 26 flows into the spray nozzle 124, and the liquid 145 is sprayed and diffused in a mist from the multiple spray holes 139 through the first flow path 140. This state is called the first spray state.

The spray nozzle 124 can be switched to the second switching state shown in FIG. 14 by rotating the second member 132 in the first switching state shown in FIG. 13 around the axis relative to the first member 131 (for example, rotating 180°). In the second switching state, the second flow path 141 of the second member 132 communicates with the introduction flow path 143 of the first member 131. At this time, the first flow path 140 of the second member 132 is blocked from the introduction flow path 143 by the blocking wall 144 of the first member 131. When the electric pump 22 (see FIG. 12) is driven in the second switching state, the liquid in the liquid tank 26 flows into the spray nozzle 124, and the liquid 145 is sprayed and diffused in a mist from the tip spray hole 138 through the second flow path 141. This state is called the second spray state.

In the fourth embodiment of the sprayer 121, in the connected mode shown in FIG. 12, the tip of the spray nozzle 124 is inserted and held in the storage tube portion 123, and at this time, the multiple spray holes 139 are directed in the left-right direction. In the connected mode, the spray nozzle 124 is switched to the first switching state (see FIG. 13). In the connected mode, when the user presses the drive stop switch 115 (see FIG. 1) once, the electric pump 22 is in a driveable state (drive standby state) or is driven. When the electric pump 22 is in the drive standby state, the electric pump 22 is driven when the user drives the moving body 12 (see FIG. 1) and the housing 19 moves. When the electric pump 22 is driven, the spray nozzle 124 generates the first spray state (see FIG. 12), and sprays and spreads the liquid 145 around the moving housing 19.

During spraying in the connected mode, for example, if it is desired to concentrate spraying on a corner of a road, the moving body 12 (see FIG. 1) is stopped at the corner. The control unit 23 then stops the electric pump 22. The user then removes the spray nozzle 124 from the storage tube portion 123 and switches the spray nozzle 124 to the second switching state (see FIG. 14). In the fourth embodiment, a hand switch 127 (see FIG. 12) is provided on the handle portion 136 of the spray nozzle 124 so that the electric pump 22 can be easily driven while holding the spray nozzle 124. An alternate operation type switch can be used as the hand switch 127.

When the hand switch 127 is pressed once while the electric pump 22 is stopped, the electric pump 22 is driven and the liquid 145 is sprayed from the tip spray hole 138 (see FIG. 13) of the spray nozzle 124 (second spray state), and when the hand switch 127 is pressed once more, the electric pump 22 is stopped and the spraying stops. The spray range of the liquid 145 in the second spray state may be narrower than the spray range of the liquid 145 in the first spray state. By generating the second spray state with the spray nozzle 124, the liquid 145 can be sprayed intensively in a narrow range. At this time, the amount of the liquid 145 sprayed can be easily adjusted by operating the hand switch 127. In addition, by switching the spray nozzle 124 to the first switching state, it is possible to spray in the first spray state (see FIG. 13) while holding the spray nozzle 124.

In the fourth embodiment, when the detachable device 114 is removed from the connecting mechanism 113 and the handle 112 is tilted backward as shown by the dotted line to use the sprayer 11 alone, the warning release switch 71 and the drive stop switch 115 are operated to drive the electric pump 22 and spray the liquid from the spray nozzle 124, as in the first embodiment. Even in this case of single use, both spraying with the spray nozzle 124 stored in the storage tube portion 123 of the housing 19 and spraying with the spray nozzle 124 held by hand are possible. When used alone, it is maneuverable, so concentrated spraying can be performed in a narrower area. In addition to the first spray state and the second spray state, a third spray state may be provided in which the introduction flow path 143 of the first member 131 is simultaneously connected to the first flow path 140 and the second flow path 141 of the second member 132. In this case, when the electric pump 22 (see FIG. 12) is driven, the liquid in the liquid tank 26 flows into the spray nozzle 124, and the liquid 145 is sprayed and diffused in a mist from the multiple spray holes 139 through the first flow path 140, and at the same time, the liquid 145 is sprayed and diffused in a mist from the tip spray hole 138 through the second flow path 141.

Other Embodiments
In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, in the coupled mode, the sprayer may be coupled to the moving body from the front, and the sprayer may be pushed by the moving body to spray.

Preferred aspects of the present invention include any combination of the above-mentioned aspects.
In addition to the above-mentioned embodiment, various modifications of the present invention are possible. These modifications should not be interpreted as not belonging to the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include the equivalent meaning of the claims and all modifications within the said scope.

11, 91, 101, 121: sprayer, 12: moving body, 15: support section, 16, 92: handle, 17: display section, 18: wheels, 19: housing, 21, 122: spray unit, 22: electric pump, 23: control section, 24: battery, 26: liquid tank, 28, 124: spray nozzle, 31: arm section, 41: grip section, 51: horizontal adjustment section, 61: movement stop detector, 62: communication section, 63: operation section, 64: external communication means, 71: warning release switch, 81: electric cable, 82: connector, 83: power transmission section, 84: moving body side connector, 93: connection plate, 110: wheels, 103, 111: hinge section, 112: handle, 102, 113: connection mechanism, 114: Detachment device, 115: Drive stop switch, 145: Liquid, 215: Front-rear position of center of gravity, 216: Shaft, 217: Connection mode detector

Claims (10)

A housing and
a collapsible handle provided on the housing via a hinge portion;
Wheels and
A spray unit;
A sprayer having a coupling mechanism. The sprayer according to claim 1, in which a movable body that can be moved by power can be connected to the connecting mechanism. The sprayer according to claim 1, in which the coupling mechanism is provided on the housing or the retractable handle. The sprayer according to claim 1, in which a detachable device can be connected to the connecting mechanism. The sprayer according to claim 1, in which a movable body that can be moved by power can be connected to the connecting mechanism via a detaching device. The sprayer according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the attachment/detachment device is provided with an arm having a front end capable of gripping a support part of a moving body that can be moved by power and a rear end capable of connecting to a connecting mechanism. Further comprising a coupled mode detector;
6. The sprayer according to claim 1, wherein the coupled mode detector detects the coupled mode when the retractable handle is housed in the housing or when the coupling mechanism is in a coupled state. The sprayer according to claim 7, further comprising a control unit that controls the electric pump in the spray unit to be rotatable or to rotate when the connection mode detector detects the connection mode. A stop detector is further provided to detect a moving state and a stopped state of the housing,
6. The sprayer according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the electric pump in the spray unit to stop when the stopped state of the housing is detected by the stop detector. The sprayer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a communication unit that communicates information about the sprayer to an external device.