Patent Description:
In recent years, technologies related to a fragrance providing device that provides a fragrance to the outside of the device have been proposed. For example, a technology of providing a fragrance by releasing a vaporized fragrance material by flow of air has been proposed (for example, see Patent Literature <NUM>).

Fragrance providing devices are also known from <CIT> and <CIT>.

Here, in the conventional technology, an increase in the amount of the fragrance material for improved persistence of the fragrance material may cause the need to increase the size of a member that accommodates the fragrance material. Thus, the device itself is increased in size in some cases. Therefore, in a fragrance providing device that provides a fragrance, it seems to be desirable to further improve persistence of a fragrance material while avoiding an increase in the size of the device.

Hence, the present disclosure proposes a novel and improved fragrance material holding member and fragrance providing device that can improve persistence of a fragrance material while avoiding an increase in the size of the device.

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a fragrance material holding member in accordance with independent claim <NUM>. According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a fragrance providing device in accordance with independent claim <NUM>. Further aspects of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims, the drawings and the following description.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, persistence of a fragrance material can be improved while an increase in the size of the device is avoided.

Note that description will be given in the following order.

First, a fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment is described with reference to <FIG>. <FIG> is a perspective view of an example of the fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment. <FIG> is a cross-sectional perspective view of an example of the fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment. <FIG> is an exploded perspective view of an example of the fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment. Note that in the following description, the side on which a discharge port <NUM> of a lid <NUM> is disposed in the fragrance providing device <NUM> is called a front end side.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment includes the lid <NUM>, a fragrance material holding member <NUM>, an air pump <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a rotation mechanism <NUM>, a chassis <NUM>, a switch <NUM>, and a substrate <NUM>.

The lid <NUM> is a member that separates the fragrance material holding member <NUM> from the outside. The lid <NUM> has, for example, a tubular shape that is open on a rear end side, as illustrated in <FIG>. On the front end side of the lid <NUM> is provided the discharge port <NUM> from which air including a vaporized fragrance material sent from the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is discharged. The discharge port <NUM> is provided to communicate with a front end part of an airflow passage <NUM> through which air is supplied among a plurality of airflow passages <NUM> provided in the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. An inner diameter of the discharge port <NUM> may be larger than an inner diameter of the airflow passage <NUM>.

The fragrance material holding member <NUM> is a member that holds a fragrance material. The fragrance material holding member <NUM> has, for example, a hollow tubular shape as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. As illustrated in <FIG>, in the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, the airflow passage <NUM> through which air supplied from the air pump <NUM>, which is an example of an airflow source according to the present disclosure, passes is provided to penetrate the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. In addition, the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is provided with a holding space that branches from the airflow passage <NUM> and holds the fragrance material. The fragrance material may be held by the airflow passage <NUM>, in which case the fragrance material is held in a state of adhering to an inner surface of the airflow passage <NUM>. Furthermore, in the holding space, the fragrance material may be held in a state of adhering to an inner surface of the holding space, or may be held in a state of filling the holding space. Specifically, the fragrance material may be an essential oil, an essential oil diluted in ethanol, or the like. One or a plurality of pairs of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space may be provided. Described below as an example is an example in which a plurality of pairs of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space are provided. In addition, an example in which the fragrance material is held by the airflow passage <NUM> is mainly described below.

The plurality of airflow passages <NUM> are provided at equal intervals on a circumference around a central axis of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, for example, and are provided in a straight-line from the rear end side to the front end side. The air supplied from the air pump <NUM> flows in from a rear end part of the airflow passage <NUM> via a flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM>, and is released from a front end part. This causes flow of air from the rear end side to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM>. A vaporized component of the fragrance material held by the airflow passage <NUM> is sent to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM> by the flow of air caused in the airflow passage <NUM>. In addition, a non-vaporized portion of the fragrance material held by the holding space does not flow out to the airflow passage <NUM> from the holding space, whereas the vaporized component of the fragrance material flows out to the airflow passage <NUM> via a branch part between the holding space and the airflow passage <NUM> and is sent to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM> by the flow of air caused in the airflow passage <NUM>. Then, the vaporized component of the fragrance material sent to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM> is discharged from the discharge port <NUM> of the lid <NUM>.

Examples of a constituent material of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space include a resin such as an acrylic resin, a urethane resin, an ABS resin, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyacetal (POM), a silicone resin, a fluorine resin, an olefin polymer resin, or a polyimide resin, a metal such as stainless steel, and glass. Specifically, a constituent material of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space may be selected in consideration of chemical resistance, weather resistance, strength, and the like. The inner diameter of each of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space may be set to a value smaller than <NUM>, as an example. Each of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space that is a micro flow channel having such a small inner diameter may be produced by laminate molding using a 3D printer, for example.

As the inner diameter of the airflow passage <NUM> is smaller, the occurrence of turbulent flow of a fluid in the airflow passage <NUM> is suppressed more easily and the flow of the fluid is more likely to be a laminar flow. In addition, in the case where the output of the air pump <NUM> is constant, as the inner diameter of the airflow passage <NUM> is smaller, air flows faster in the airflow passage <NUM>. Thus, in the fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment, straightness of air including the vaporized component of the fragrance material discharged from the discharge port <NUM> is improved. Therefore, by causing the air including the vaporized component of the fragrance material to be discharged toward a user of the fragrance providing device <NUM>, the user can be provided with a fragrance without influence on the user's surroundings.

In addition, as the inner diameter of the airflow passage <NUM> is smaller, the proportion of an area in which the fragrance material is held with respect to an area in which air passes is larger in a transverse section in the airflow passage <NUM>, and thus, the proportion of the fragrance material included in the air that is discharged from the discharge port <NUM> by the flow of air caused in the airflow passage <NUM> is larger. This enables a fragrance to be provided to the user more reliably. In addition, dimensions of the entire device can be reduced by making the inner diameter of the airflow passage <NUM> or the holding space smaller, which enables a reduction in the weight of the entire device. Therefore, the fragrance providing device <NUM> can be carried easily. Note that details of a configuration of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> will be given later.

The air pump <NUM> is an example of an airflow source according to the present disclosure. For example, the air pump <NUM> supplies air to part of the plurality of airflow passages <NUM> of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> via the flow channel <NUM>. The air pump <NUM> is, for example, electrically connected to the battery <NUM> via the substrate <NUM>, and is driven by electric power supplied from the battery <NUM>. Specifically, the air pump <NUM> includes a diaphragm to which a piezoelectric element is attached, and performs air blowing by deforming the diaphragm by application of an alternating current to the piezoelectric element. Note that the type of air blowing of the air pump <NUM> is not limited to this example, and for example, may be a fin type, a cylinder type, or the like. In addition, the air pump <NUM> may be of a manual type, in which case the battery <NUM>, the switch <NUM>, and the substrate <NUM> may be omitted from the configuration of the fragrance providing device <NUM>.

The battery <NUM> stores electric power for operating the air pump <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may be a primary battery capable of only discharging, or may be a secondary battery capable of charging as well.

The rotation mechanism <NUM> has a function of enabling switching of the airflow passage <NUM> through which air is supplied among the plurality of airflow passages <NUM> of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Specifically, the rotation mechanism <NUM> is capable of relatively rotating the fragrance material holding member <NUM> and a member provided with a flow channel that communicates with part of the plurality of airflow passages <NUM> and introduces the air supplied from the air pump <NUM> to part of the airflow passages <NUM>, in a manner that the airflow passage <NUM> that communicates with the flow channel is switched. More specifically, the rotation mechanism <NUM> is capable of relatively rotating the chassis <NUM> and the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, in a manner that the airflow passage <NUM> that communicates with the flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM> is switched. Note that <FIG> illustrates the flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM> as an air flow channel between the air pump <NUM> and the airflow passage <NUM>; however, another flow channel may be present between the flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM> and the airflow passage <NUM>. In that case, a member provided with the other flow channel and the fragrance material holding member <NUM> may be configured to be relatively rotatable by the rotation mechanism <NUM>.

The chassis <NUM> is provided with the air pump <NUM>, the battery <NUM>, the rotation mechanism <NUM>, and the substrate <NUM>. In addition, the chassis <NUM> may be provided with wiring that electrically connects components, as necessary.

The switch <NUM> is provided on the substrate <NUM> to switch a drive state of the air pump <NUM>. The substrate <NUM> is electrically connected to the battery <NUM>, and for example, when the switch <NUM> is pressed by the user, electric conduction to a drive circuit for driving the air pump <NUM> that is installed on the substrate <NUM> is performed. Thus, the drive state of the air pump <NUM> is switched in accordance with the state of pressing of the switch <NUM> by the user.

<FIG> is a system block diagram illustrating an example of the fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in <FIG>, the battery <NUM> and the substrate <NUM> are electrically connected to each other. Then, when the switch <NUM> is pressed, electric conduction to the drive circuit for driving the air pump <NUM> that is installed on the substrate <NUM> is performed, and the air pump <NUM> is driven. Thus, the air pump <NUM> starts air blowing, and the air supplied from the air pump <NUM> is sent to the airflow passage <NUM> of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Then, the vaporized component of the fragrance material held by the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is discharged to the outside from the discharge port <NUM> of the lid <NUM>. Switching of the airflow passage <NUM> to which air is introduced among the plurality of airflow passages <NUM> of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> by the rotation mechanism <NUM> is performed manually.

In this specification, the fragrance providing device <NUM> in which switching of the airflow passage <NUM> to which air is introduced by the rotation mechanism <NUM> is performed manually is mainly described, as described using <FIG>; however, the type of switching by the rotation mechanism <NUM> is not limited to this example, and for example, the rotation mechanism <NUM> may be driven by a motor. Such a fragrance providing device 1a according to another embodiment includes a motor <NUM> that drives the rotation mechanism <NUM>, and a switch <NUM> that switches electric conduction to a drive circuit for driving the motor <NUM> that is installed on the substrate <NUM>. According to the fragrance providing device 1a, for example, as illustrated in <FIG>, when the switch <NUM> is pressed, electric conduction to the drive circuit for driving the motor <NUM> that is installed on the substrate <NUM> is performed, and the motor <NUM> is driven. Thus, the rotation mechanism <NUM> is driven by the motor <NUM>, and switching of the airflow passage <NUM> to which air is introduced among the plurality of airflow passages <NUM> of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> by the rotation mechanism <NUM> is performed.

Now, a fragrance material holding member <NUM> according to a first example will be described with reference to <FIG>. <FIG> is a perspective view of an example of a configuration of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> according to the first example. <FIG> shows a plan view and a side view of an example of a configuration of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> according to the first example. As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the fragrance material holding member <NUM> includes the airflow passage <NUM>, a holding space <NUM>, and a locking groove <NUM>.

The airflow passage <NUM> is provided to penetrate the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, and the air supplied from the air pump <NUM> passes through the airflow passage <NUM>. The air supplied from the air pump <NUM> flows in from an inlet <NUM>, which is one end of the airflow passage <NUM>, and is released from an outlet <NUM>, which is the other end of the airflow passage <NUM>. In addition, a fragrance material may be held by the airflow passage <NUM>. For example, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, a plurality of airflow passages <NUM> are provided in a straight-line form in the axial direction of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, and the inlet <NUM> and the outlet <NUM> are formed respectively on a rear end face and a front end face of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Furthermore, the airflow passage <NUM> may be provided on a circumference around the central axis of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. In that case, the rotation mechanism <NUM> is configured to be able to rotate the fragrance material holding member <NUM> with respect to the chassis <NUM> around the central axis of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Thus, the airflow passage <NUM> that communicates with the flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM> located on the rear end side of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> can be switched by rotating the fragrance material holding member <NUM>.

Note that a path of the airflow passage <NUM> does not need to be in a straight-line form, and may have a curve shape, for example. In addition, the inlet <NUM> or the outlet <NUM> may be formed on an outer circumferential surface of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. In that case, the position of the flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM> or the position of the discharge port <NUM> of the lid <NUM> is set at a position communicatable respectively with the inlet <NUM> or the outlet <NUM>.

The holding space <NUM> branches from the airflow passage <NUM> and holds a fragrance material. For example, the holding space <NUM> is provided for each of the plurality of airflow passages <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. In the case where a fragrance material is held by the airflow passage <NUM>, the holding space <NUM> holds a fragrance material the same in type as the fragrance material held by the airflow passage <NUM> that communicates with the holding space <NUM>. Note that two or more holding spaces <NUM> may be provided for one airflow passage <NUM>. The holding space <NUM> branches from a branch part <NUM> located on the outlet <NUM> side of the airflow passage <NUM>, and is provided to extend from the branch part <NUM> toward the inlet <NUM> side, for example, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. The holding space <NUM> communicates with the airflow passage <NUM> at the branch part <NUM>. In addition, an end part of the holding space <NUM> on the inlet <NUM> side is separated from the outside by a sealing member <NUM> provided on the rear end face of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>.

The holding space <NUM> is, for example, formed in the following manner: a penetration path is formed from the rear end face of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> to the branch part <NUM>, and then an opening of the penetration path on the rear end face side of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is sealed by the sealing member <NUM>. Thus, the holding space <NUM> that communicates with the airflow passage <NUM> and is separated from the outside is formed. The sealing member <NUM> may be, for example, provided for each holding space <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. Note that the sealing member <NUM> is merely an example of a configuration for implementing a function of separating the holding space <NUM> from the outside. For example, the function may also be implemented by covering the rear end face of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> by a sheet having an opening at a position corresponding to a position of each inlet <NUM> of the airflow passage <NUM>, and sealing, by the sheet, an opening of a penetration path formed in a formation process of the holding space <NUM>.

Sending of air to the airflow passage <NUM> causes flow of air from the rear end side to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM>. A vaporized component of the fragrance material held by the airflow passage <NUM> is sent to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM> by the flow of air caused in the airflow passage <NUM>. In addition, the vaporized component of the fragrance material held by the holding space <NUM> flows out to the airflow passage <NUM> via the branch part <NUM> between the holding space <NUM> and the airflow passage <NUM> and is sent to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM> by the flow of air caused in the airflow passage <NUM>. Then, the vaporized component of the fragrance material sent to the front end side of the airflow passage <NUM> is discharged from the discharge port <NUM> of the lid <NUM>.

Here, the plurality of pairs of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space <NUM> may be caused to hold different types of fragrance materials, in which case a fragrance provided by the fragrance providing device <NUM> can be switched by switching the airflow passage <NUM> that communicates with the flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM>. Note that the plurality of pairs of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space <NUM> may be caused to hold the same type of fragrance material. For example, duration of each fragrance material can be set appropriately in accordance with the frequency of use of each fragrance material by causing a larger number of pairs of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space <NUM> to hold a fragrance material used with higher frequency.

If the fragrance material holding member is not provided with the holding space <NUM> that branches from the airflow passage <NUM> and holds the fragrance material, the fragrance material may be held only by the airflow passage <NUM>. On the other hand, in the fragrance providing device <NUM> according to the present embodiment, in addition to the airflow passage <NUM> in which flow of air for discharging a vaporized component of the fragrance material to the outside occurs, the holding space <NUM>, which is a space different from the airflow passage <NUM>, can also be caused to hold the fragrance material. This can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the entire fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Therefore, providing the fragrance material holding member <NUM> with the holding space <NUM> can improve persistence of the fragrance material while avoiding an increase in the size of the device.

The fragrance material is, for example, held in a state of adhering to inner surfaces of the airflow passage <NUM> and the holding space <NUM>. Therefore, as an inner surface area of the airflow passage <NUM> or the holding space <NUM> is larger, the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the airflow passage <NUM> or the holding space <NUM> is larger. Hence, the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the holding space <NUM> can be made larger than that of the airflow passage <NUM> by making the inner surface area of the holding space <NUM> larger than that of the airflow passage <NUM>. In this case, the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the entire fragrance material holding member <NUM> can be increased without causing the airflow passage <NUM> to hold the fragrance material.

The holding space <NUM> may have a curve shape. Thus, a path length of the holding space <NUM> can be made longer than that in the case where the holding space <NUM> is provided in a straight-line form. This can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the holding space <NUM>, and thus can further improve the persistence of the fragrance material. <FIG> is a conceptual diagram for describing an example of a configuration of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> according to the first example. As illustrated in <FIG>, in the first example, the holding space <NUM> is provided to branch from the branch part <NUM> of the airflow passage <NUM> provided in a straight-line form from the inlet <NUM> to the outlet <NUM>.

Specifically, the holding space <NUM> according to the first example has a spiral shape as illustrated in <FIG>. For example, the holding space <NUM> is provided to extend, in a spiral, from the branch part <NUM> toward the inlet <NUM> side along a direction in which the airflow passage <NUM> extends. In the first example, having the spiral shape, the holding space <NUM> does not have a bent portion where stress is likely to concentrate. Therefore, persistence of the fragrance material can be improved while strength of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is improved.

In the first example, a twist axis of the spiral shape of the holding space <NUM> is located farther outside than an inner circumferential part of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> and farther inside than an outer circumferential part thereof, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. In addition, for example, the holding space <NUM> is located between the airflow passages <NUM> adjacent to each other. Providing the holding space <NUM> with the spiral shape in a manner that the twist axis is located farther outside than the inner circumferential part of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> and farther inside than the outer circumferential part thereof, as described above, can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held while effectively using a space between the airflow passages <NUM>.

The locking groove <NUM> is provided on the outer circumferential part of the rear end side of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> to extend along the axial direction of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, to enable relative rotation of the chassis <NUM> and the fragrance material holding member <NUM> in the rotation mechanism <NUM>. In the case where a holding member is used that holds the fragrance material holding member <NUM> and rotates integrally with the fragrance material holding member <NUM> in the relative rotation of the chassis <NUM> and the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, the holding member is provided with a locking projection. In a state where the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is held by the holding member, the locking projection of the holding member is fitted to the locking groove <NUM> of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>; thus, the fragrance material holding member <NUM> can be prevented from rotating with respect to the holding member.

An example of the fragrance material holding member provided with a holding space with a spiral shape has been described, but an arrangement of the holding space in the fragrance material holding member is not limited to this example. A second example in which the arrangement of the holding space in the fragrance material holding member is different from that in the first example is described below with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an example of a configuration of a fragrance material holding member <NUM> according to the second example. <FIG> shows a cross-sectional view and a side view of an example of a configuration of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> according to the second example. Specifically, <FIG> shows a cross-sectional view of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> along a cross-section passing through a central axis of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, and a side view of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> seen in the central axis direction. As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the fragrance material holding member <NUM> includes the airflow passage <NUM>, a holding space 230a, and the locking groove <NUM>. The holding space 230a according to the second example has a spiral shape and is provided to extend, in a spiral, from the branch part <NUM> toward the inlet <NUM> side along a direction in which the airflow passage <NUM> extends, as in the first example. On the other hand, in the second example, the position of a twist axis of the spiral shape of the holding space 230a in the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is different from that in the first example.

In the second example, the twist axis of the spiral shape of the holding space 230a is located farther inside than an inner circumferential part of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. Specifically, the twist axis of the spiral shape of the holding space 230a substantially coincides with the central axis of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Therefore, the holding space 230a is provided to extend, in a spiral in a circumferential direction of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, along a direction in which the airflow passage <NUM> extends. For example, the holding spaces 230a that communicate with the respective airflow passages <NUM> may be configured to form a spiral in a state of being adjacent to each other. Providing the holding space 230a with the spiral shape in a manner that the twist axis is located farther inside than the inner circumferential part of the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, as described above, can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held while effectively using a space near the inner circumferential part or the outer circumferential part of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> with a hollow tubular shape.

An example in which the holding space has a curve shape has been described, but the shape of the holding space is not limited to this example. For example, the holding space may be provided in a straight-line form. <FIG> is a conceptual diagram for describing an example of a configuration of a fragrance material holding member according to another embodiment. In the example illustrated in <FIG>, a holding space 230b is provided in a straight-line form to branch from the branch part <NUM> of the airflow passage <NUM> provided in a straight-line form from the inlet <NUM> to the outlet <NUM>. In addition, the holding space 230b in this example has its diameter expanded on the inlet <NUM> side with respect to the branch part <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. Thus, an inner surface area of the holding space 230b can be made larger than that in the case where the holding space 230b has a shape whose diameter is not expanded after branching at the branch part <NUM>. This can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the holding space 230b, and thus can further improve the persistence of the fragrance material.

Now, an effect of improving persistence of a fragrance material of the present embodiment will be described. <FIG> is an explanatory diagram for describing persistence of a fragrance material in the present embodiment. A comparative example in <FIG> indicates an example in which a fragrance material holding member is used that does not include a holding space branching from an airflow passage and holds a fragrance material only in the airflow passage, unlike in the first example and the second example described above. <FIG> shows, in regard to the first example, the second example, and the comparative example, test results of the strength of a fragrance provided to the outside of the device by the fragrance providing device at each time after start of use of the fragrance material holding member. As shown in <FIG>, the strength of the fragrance provided to the outside of the device at each time in the first example and the second example is higher than that in the comparative example. In other words, an amount of decrease of fragrance strength per unit time in the first example and the second example is smaller than that in the comparative example. The results demonstrate that persistence of a fragrance material can be improved according to the present embodiment.

Now, various modification examples according to the present disclosure will be described.

First, a first modification example that can further improve straightness of air that includes a vaporized component of the fragrance material and is discharged to the outside of the device is described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an airflow passage 220a according to the first modification example. As illustrated in <FIG>, a tapered part <NUM> whose diameter is reduced toward the outlet <NUM> is provided on the outlet <NUM> side of the airflow passage 220a according to the first modification example. Thus, air sent from the airflow passage 220a to the outlet <NUM> can be narrowed. This can suppress diffusion of air released from the outlet <NUM>, and thus can further improve straightness of air that includes a vaporized component of the fragrance material and is discharged to the outside of the device. Note that a position at which diameter reduction of the airflow passage 220a is started by the tapered part <NUM> and a taper angle of the tapered part <NUM> may be set as appropriate in accordance with dimensions of the airflow passage 220a, pressure of air supplied to the airflow passage 220a, and the like. In addition, a similar effect can be obtained also by providing the discharge port <NUM> of the lid <NUM> that communicates with the outlet <NUM> with a tapered part whose diameter is reduced toward the front end side.

Now, a second modification example having another configuration for obtaining an effect similar to that in the first modification example will be described with reference to <FIG> is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an airflow passage 220b according to the second modification example. As illustrated in <FIG>, the surface inside the airflow passage 220b according to the second modification example is provided with grooves <NUM> with a spiral shape. Thus, slewing motion can be imparted to air released from the outlet <NUM>, and straightness can be improved by a gyro effect. This can further improve straightness of air that includes a vaporized component of the fragrance material and is discharged to the outside of the device. Note that the number of the grooves <NUM> or the shape of a transverse section thereof is not limited to the example illustrated in <FIG>, and may be another number or another shape of a transverse section.

Next, a third modification example that can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is described with reference to <FIG> is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an airflow passage 220c according to the third modification example. As illustrated in <FIG>, a surface increasing part <NUM> that increases the surface inside the airflow passage 220c is provided in the airflow passage 220c according to the third modification example. The surface increasing part <NUM> may have, for example, a shape with rotational symmetry around a central axis of the airflow passage 220c. Specifically, the surface increasing part <NUM> may include two cylinders that intersect the central axis of the airflow passage 220c and are orthogonal to each other, as illustrated in <FIG>. Thus, the fragrance material is caused to be held in a state of adhering to the surface of the surface increasing part <NUM>, which can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Note that the shape and structure of the surface increasing part <NUM> are not particularly limited as long as the surface increasing part <NUM> has a function of increasing the surface inside the airflow passage 220c, and for example, the surface increasing part <NUM> may be a protrusion projecting from an inner surface of the airflow passage 220c toward the inside of the airflow passage 220c. In addition, the position of the surface increasing part <NUM> in the airflow passage 220c may be set as appropriate.

Next, a fourth modification example that can suppress oxidation of a fragrance material due to entry of air into the fragrance material holding member <NUM> when the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is not used, such as during storage or during transportation, is described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. <FIG> is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a sealing member <NUM> according to the fourth modification example. In the fourth modification example, the inlet <NUM> and the outlet <NUM> of the airflow passage <NUM> of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> are sealed by the sealing member <NUM>. The sealing member <NUM> is removed from the fragrance material holding member <NUM> when the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is used. In this manner, entry of air from the outside into the fragrance material holding member <NUM> can be suppressed when the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is not used. This can suppress oxidation of the fragrance material.

The sealing member <NUM> may be, for example, a heat seal film. In addition, the sealing member <NUM> may be able to seal all or part of a plurality of inlets <NUM> or outlets <NUM>. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, a sealing member 260a capable of sealing one inlet <NUM> or outlet <NUM> may be provided for each inlet <NUM> or outlet <NUM>. Thus, when the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is used, the sealing member 260a corresponding to a fragrance material selected by the user can be preferentially removed from the fragrance material holding member <NUM>, and the fragrance providing device can be used without removing the sealing member 260a corresponding to another fragrance material.

Now, a fifth modification example that can suppress oxidation of a fragrance material due to irradiation of the fragrance material with light when the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is not used, such as during storage or during transportation, will be described with reference to <FIG> is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a light-blocking member <NUM> according to the fifth modification example. In the fifth modification example, part or the whole of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is covered by the light-blocking member <NUM>, which is a member that blocks light. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the light-blocking member <NUM> is provided to cover the outer circumferential surface of the fragrance material holding member <NUM> when the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is not used. In this manner, irradiation of the fragrance material held in the fragrance material holding member <NUM> with light, such as sunlight or light emitted by lighting equipment, can be suppressed when the fragrance material holding member <NUM> is not used. This can suppress oxidation of the fragrance material.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the airflow passage <NUM> through which air supplied from the air pump <NUM> passes is provided to penetrate. The holding space <NUM> branches from the airflow passage <NUM> and holds the fragrance material. Thus, in addition to the airflow passage <NUM> in which flow of air for discharging a vaporized component of the fragrance material to the outside occurs, the holding space <NUM>, which is a space different from the airflow passage <NUM>, can also be caused to hold the fragrance material. This can increase the amount of the fragrance material that can be held by the entire fragrance material holding member <NUM>. Therefore, providing the fragrance material holding member <NUM> with the holding space <NUM> can improve persistence of the fragrance material while avoiding an increase in the size of the device.

Described above is an example in which one airflow passage <NUM> among the plurality of airflow passages <NUM> communicates with the flow channel <NUM> of the chassis <NUM> that introduces the air supplied from the air pump <NUM> to the airflow passage <NUM>; however, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, the flow channel <NUM> may communicate with two or more airflow passages <NUM> at the same time.

Claim 1:
A fragrance material holding member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), comprising:
an airflow passage (<NUM>, 220a, 220b, 220c) through which air supplied from an airflow source (<NUM>) passes, the airflow passage (<NUM>, 220a, 220b, 220c) being provided to penetrate the fragrance material holding member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>); and
a holding space (<NUM>, 230a, 230b) that branches at a branch part (<NUM>) from the airflow passage (<NUM>, 220a, 220b, 220c) and holds a fragrance material, wherein the branch part (<NUM>) is located on an outlet (<NUM>) side of the airflow passage (<NUM>, 220a, 220b, 220c);
wherein an end part of the holding space (<NUM>, 230a, 230b) opposite to the branch part (<NUM>) is separated from the outside;
wherein the fragrance material holding member is configured such that a vaporized component of the fragrance material held by the holding space (<NUM>, 230a, 230b) flows out to the airflow passage (<NUM>, 220a, 220b, 220c) via the branch part (<NUM>); and
wherein a surface increasing part (<NUM>) having a shape with rotational symmetry around a central axis of the airflow passage (220c) is provided in the airflow passage (220c) and fragrance material adheres to a surface of the surface increasing part (<NUM>), such that a surface inside the airflow passage (220c) is increased for increasing an amount of fragrance material held by the fragrance material holding member.