A mist-generating device includes: a droplet generating unit that generates, in a third liquid, a functional droplet including a first liquid that is spherical and a second liquid that covers an entirety of the first liquid and has a volatility lower than a volatility of the first liquid; and a mist-generating unit that generates a multilayer mist obtained by atomizing the third liquid containing the functional droplet.

An electrostatic atomizing apparatus includes an air flow path, a humidifier, and electrode section, and a control unit. The air flow path has an air intake port and an air exhaust port. The humidifier includes a portion of the air flow path and humidifies air taken in through the air intake port. The electrode section includes a portion of the air flow path and produces charged particulate water by causing water in the air humidified by the humidifier to condense on an electrode and applying voltage to the electrode. A flow rate of the air in the air flow path is regulated in accordance with at least one of humidity and temperature of the air taken in through the air intake port.

An electrostatic atomizing apparatus includes an air flow path, a humidifier, and electrode section, and a control unit. The air flow path has an air intake port and an air exhaust port. The humidifier includes a portion of the air flow path and humidifies air taken in through the air intake port. The electrode section includes a portion of the air flow path and produces charged particulate water by causing water in the air humidified by the humidifier to condense on an electrode and applying voltage to the electrode. A flow rate of the air in the air flow path is regulated in accordance with at least one of humidity and temperature of the air taken in through the air intake port.

A hair dryer, including: a housing provided with an air intake and an air outlet, and having an air passage communicating the air intake with the air outlet; a fan installed in the air passage for discharging air from the air intake to the air outlet; and a water particle generator installed in the housing for providing water particles in a direction towards the air outlet; where an installing cavity for installing the water particle generator is provided in the housing, the installing cavity has a cold air passage connected to the air intake and a particle outlet for releasing the water particles, and when in operation of the hair dryer, cold air flowing through the cold air passage that carries the water particles generated by the water particle generator is blown out of the particle outlet.

A system and method for shaping and/or directing a spray stream includes electrostatically charging a spray stream by exposing fluid to be sprayed to an electrical field within a fluid sprayer to create an electrostatically charged spray stream, and then creating an electrical field between secondary electrodes externally to the fluid sprayer such that the electrostatically spray stream is shaped and/or redirected as it passes through the electrical field.

A system and method for shaping and/or directing a spray stream includes electrostatically charging a spray stream by exposing fluid to be sprayed to an electrical field within a fluid sprayer to create an electrostatically charged spray stream, and then creating an electrical field between secondary electrodes externally to the fluid sprayer such that the electrostatically spray stream is shaped and/or redirected as it passes through the electrical field.

An air-blowing system having discharge device includes an air supply passage, and a discharge device provided for generating active ingredients and is disposed outside the air supply passage. Further, the air-blowing system having discharge device includes an introducing pipe having an one end connected to a discharge device and an other end disposed in the air supply passage, and provided for introducing the active ingredients into the air supply passage. The introducing pipe has an opening face on the other end. In the introducing pipe, the opening face and a main stream direction of an air flow, which flows through the air supply passage at a predetermined point of the opening face, are disposed substantially parallel to each other. Thus, an air-blowing system having discharge device with a simplified configuration is provided.

An electrostatic spraying device includes: a high-voltage generation device for applying a voltage between a spray electrode and a reference electrode; and a controller that controls an output power of the high-voltage generation device based on operation environment information indicating at least one of (i) a surrounding environment of the device and (ii) an operation state of a power supply that supplies power to the device, independently of a current value and a voltage value at the spray electrode and the reference electrode.

An electrostatic atomizing system includes an air flow path having an air intake port and an air exhaust port, a humidifying device, an electrostatic atomizing apparatus, a first sensor, and a control unit. The humidifying device humidifies the air taken in through the air intake port. The electrostatic atomizing apparatus includes an electrode section operable to produce charged particulate water by causing the water in the air humidified by the humidifying device to condense on an electrode and applying voltage to that electrode. Moreover, the electrostatic atomizing apparatus exhausts air that contains the charged particulate water through the air exhaust port. The first sensor senses at least one of humidity and temperature of the air humidified by the humidifying device. The control unit determines, based on a sensing result of the first sensor, if there is a fault in the humidifying device or the electrostatic atomizing apparatus, and outputs the result of the determination.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic atomizer variable in arrangement and configuration while being low in cost and uncomplicated. An electrostatic atomizer includes a spray site, a spray electrode (1) electrically connectable to the spray site, a reference electrode (2), and a power supply (4) for applying a voltage between the spray electrode (1) and the reference electrode (2). The reference electrode (2) is arranged such that when a voltage is applied between the spray electrode (1) and the reference electrode (2), matter to be electrostatically atomized is atomized from the spray site. The power supply (4) monitors an electrical property of the spray site, and adjusts the voltage to be applied between the spray electrode (1) and the reference electrode (2) according to a monitored electrical property of the spray site and a predetermined characteristic. The spray electrode (1) and the reference electrode (2) are arranged such that an electrical charge of the matter to be atomized from the spray site is counterbalanced by production of at least equal amount of opposite electrical charge at the reference electrode (2).