Appeal No. 1998-1418
Application 08/313,249
a lower end of said pump shaft being disposed in close
proximity to a side surface of said liquid vessel such that
residual liquid remaining inside said liquid vessel is pumped
upon attaching itself to the lower end of the pump shaft by
surface tension, wherein said liquid vessel is formed such that a
closest distance between the lower end of said pump shaft and the
side surface of said liquid vessel is about 2-3 mm.
46. A method of controlling an ultrasonic inhaler
having an ultrasonic pump comprising a pump shaft formed to have
a pump bore passing axially therethrough, and an ultrasonic
vibrator mounted on said pump shaft, wherein liquid is pumped
through said pump shaft and sprayed by ultrasonic vibration,
said method comprising:
driving said ultrasonic vibrator during a time in which
an operating switch is ON;
measuring a duration of the ON time;
halting driving of said ultrasonic vibrator during a
time in which the operating switch is OFF;
measuring the duration of the OFF time;
determining an ON time and an OFF time for automatic
intermittent operation based on the measured ON time and OFF time
of said operating switch after said operating switch has been
turned on and off and a prescribed number of times;
driving said ultrasonic vibrator intermittently using
the determined ON and OFF times when an ON time of said operating
switch is less than a predetermined time; and
driving said ultrasonic vibrator continuously when the
ON time of said operating switch is greater than or equal to the
predetermined time.
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