Abstract:
A diffuser for an air freshener product includes a casing having front and rear casing portions fastened together. A neck opening is formed inside said casing into which a neck of an air freshener reservoir is secured. A wick extends from the neck of the air freshener reservoir into the interior of the casing. The casing has openings in the front and back through which air flows. An air flow control element is provided in the casing to permit a user to change the air flow to the wick and thereby vary the air freshener product dispersed into the air. The air flow control element has a knob extending from the casing that is operable by the user. The rear portion of the casing has a fastener to which is attached a clip having two extended flexible arms that engage into a vent grill of an air conditioner system of a vehicle. The clip is securable in the fastener at positions oriented 90 degrees from one another to enable the clip to be fastened to vertically or horizontally oriented air conditioner grill slats.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to a diffuser of air-freshening or aromatic products, and in particular to an air-freshening product diffuser for use inside a motor vehicle, and in a preferred embodiment to a diffuser having a structure by which the diffuser is fastening to a diffuser grill of the air conditioning system of the vehicle. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Diffusers are known from historical times which use a small recipient container of the air-freshening product, in the form of a bottle, from the mouth of which projects a wick through which ascends the air-freshening product by capillary action. The air which is circulating comes into contact with the projecting section of the wick and causes a rapid evaporation of the product and its consequent passage into the atmosphere. Also known from historical times is the controlling of the flow of air through the wick in some manner, to thereby control the delivery level of the product into the atmosphere. 
   As mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,768, in which the portion of a wick projecting from the flask or reservoir is surrounded by and extends through a cylindrical neck that is fitted with wide side vents for the passage of air. A screw thread for axial displacement of a cap is provided coaxially facing the wick, so that when the cap undergoes a rotational movement an axial displacement of the cap takes place by acting on the casing of the diffuser. The axial movement permits a blocking to a greater or lesser extent, and even full blocking, of the vents of in the cylindrical neck, regulating the circulation of air through the vents. 
   It is also known, through the European patent document EP 1 031 446, that when the diffuser is intended to be located inside an automobile, it is mounted on one of the grills of the vehicle air-conditioning equipment, so that the circulation of air over the wick is a function not only of the degree of opening of the container thereof, but also of the speed of the fan of the vehicle which impels the air toward the aforementioned diffuser grill. 
   In a more specific way in the European patent mentioned above, the control of air flow is regulated by means of a cap which covers the wick and which is moveable axially with respect to the cap with the collaboration of a rack and a small pinion. The pinion is provided with an externally operated control. 
   For its part and for the fastening of the diffuser to the diffuser grill of the vehicle, it has been foreseen that the casing of the diffuser incorporates a clip with four arms in its rear face so that the clip is able to grasp a slat of the diffuser grill of the vehicle. The clip permits the diffuser to be mounted both in a horizontal position and vertically, the diffuser maintaining a correct working position, in either case. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a diffuser of air-freshening or aromatic products, adapted to be used inside a motor vehicle, and provided with a fastener for fastening the diffuser to a diffuser grill of the air conditioning system of the vehicle and also including an adjustment by which a user may adjust the flow of air that passes through the diffuser. As a consequence, the quantity of air-freshening product delivered to the atmosphere per unit of time is adjustable. 
   The invention achieves optimum functional benefits from the diffuser, as just mentioned, while also being structurally simple. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the invention are disclosed in greater detail hereinbelow, as shown in the attached drawings and described in the accompanying text. 
       FIG. 1  is a front corner view in perspective of a diffuser for air-freshening products for use in a vehicle in accordance with the object of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a view in front elevation of the diffuser of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a profile view of the present diffuser; 
       FIG. 4  is a view in rear elevation in which two skirts of the plug have the same length; 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the diffuser; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are two views in front elevation of the diffuser, with its front half-casing removed,  FIG. 6  showing the casing in the fully open position and  FIG. 7  showing the casing fully closed; 
       FIG. 8  is a detailed side elevation of the plug in which the two skirts having the same length; 
       FIG. 9  is a detailed front elevation of the rear half-casing in which the two skirts have mutually different lengths; 
       FIG. 10  is a detailed rear elevation showing the two skirts with different lengths; 
       FIG. 11  is a front elevational view of the diffuser, without its front half-casing in a full aperture position in which the skirts have a different length; 
       FIG. 12  is a front elevational view of the rear half-casing; 
       FIG. 13  is a detailed perspective view of the rear half-casing, from its rear or external face and at a level of a means of fastening of the clip; and 
       FIG. 14  is a detailed perspective view of the clip of  FIG. 13 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The diffuser of preferred embodiments of the present invention provides improved regulation of the emission capacity of the air-freshening product per unit of time, in particular, with the present air freshener diffuser fastened to the diffuser, or vent, grill of the air-conditioning system of the vehicle. In a particular embodiment, the diffuser has two half-casings, a front casing and a rear casing, capable of coupling to each other by matched engagement. Each of the casings are provided with a section having air openings intermediate of the casing body for the passage of air therethrough, and both casings define as a whole, when in an assembled position, a cylindrical lower neck in which is tightly coupled the neck of a reservoir container for the air-freshening product so that a wick for the air freshener product is facing the section with the air openings. 
   A control for varying the air flow through the casing is provided, the control having an air flow regulating portion within the casing and a knob or other projection extending from the casing for operation by a user to vary the air flow. In one embodiment, a second neck is provided within the casing above, and coaxial with, the lower neck and coaxial with the wick that extends into the reservoir. This upper neck holds a plug element. The upper neck includes a peripheral and internal rib which runs in a groove of the plug element, the plug element in turn projecting upwardly from the casing to provide an upper manually operated knob that may be operated by the user. At the bottom of the plug is provided two skirts, which are in diametrical opposition to one another and which are capable of blocking the sections with the air openings in the half-casings to a greater or lesser extent as the plug is rotated. In one embodiment, the possibility is provided that one of the skirts is shorter than the other so that the length of this shorter skirt is approximately one third the length of the other, longer skirt. This ensures that the casing sections with the air openings are offset with respect to the intermediate portion of the wick in the intermediate opening position, forcing the air to follow a longer path through the diffuser, specifically a winding path or path encircling the wick, which improves the evaporation conditions. 
   The air flow control is provided with a structure to define end positions of the opening movement, one position corresponding to the fully open position and the other position corresponding to the closed position. In the embodiment with the plug element, the plug is provided with a widened section of the groove that is mentioned above, the widened portion of the groove extending around approximately a quarter of the plug diameter. A lug is provided extending from one of the two half-casings into the widened portion of the groove to define the limits of the fully opened and fully closed end positions of the plug. This plug is operated manually from above and it can incorporate indicators that facilitate viewing the degree of opening of the evaporator. 
   Likewise, the sections of the casings that have the air openings are in one embodiment formed as grills, at least in the front half-casing, so that the position of the air flow control, in one embodiment the plug element, may be viewed through the grill. The displacement of the plug element from the open or closed positions may be viewed readily to determine the degree of opening of the air flow passage to the wick without it being necessary for the user to see any other graphic printed on the plug. 
   In accordance with another characteristic of an embodiment of the invention, the rear half-casing incorporates, as a means of fastening to the diffuser grill of the air-conditioning equipment of the vehicle, a clip provided with two arms, which represents a significant simplification in the clip compared to the prior art device with a four armed clip, without prejudice to the features thereof. It is preferred that the clip is mounted to be removable from and attachable to the rear half-casing. As a consequence, it is possible to mount the diffuser at either a horizontal or a vertical position, according to the necessities of each case. In addition to simplifying the structure of the diffuser, the absence in the clip of two inoperative arms compared to the prior art device with four arms also eliminates the problem of double clips, wherein it is necessary to eliminate two of the arms by breaking to prevent them from causing an obstruction by resting on the slat or partition of the diffuser grill. 
   With reference to the figures, the diffuser in  FIG. 1  of the illustrated embodiment has two half-casings, one front casing  1  and one rear casing  2 . The casings  1  and  2  are formed by injection molding using a plastic material. The casings  1  and  2  are fastened to one another by some fastening means, which may include various fasteners, welds, snaps, etc. In the illustrated embodiment as shown in  FIG. 3 , the front casing  1  has four elastically deformable tabs  3  that extend into respective openings  4  by which the front casing is coupled by matched engagement to the rear half-casing  2 . The connection of the two half-casings  1  and  2  forms a lower cylindrical neck  5  inside the diffuser body, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The lower neck is coupled to a neck  6  of a reservoir container  7  for an air-freshening product. A wick  8  of a wicking material projects from the neck  6  and is housed axially inside the casings  1  and  2 . The wick  8  absorbs the air-freshening product so that it is carried by air currents which traverse the casing, such as through two slotted sections or grills  9  and  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , that are present in the front half-casing  1  and rear half-casing  2 , respectively. The grill shaped openings  9  and  10  are provided in the preferred embodiment, but it is within the scope of this invention that other shapes and arrangements of air flow openings may be provided. The casings  1  and  2  are centered and facing each other. The reservoir  7  is stabilized inside the diffuser with the aid of a retention arm  11  that is a lower continuation of the rear half-casing  2 . 
   As an air flow control in the preferred embodiment, the half-casings  1  and  2  define a second neck  12 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , at the level of the upper end, in which a peripheral rib  13  is provided for coupling to a plug  14  so that the plug  14  is able to rotate. The plug  14  is provided with a groove  15  for coupling with the rib  13 . The outside of the plug  14  has an outwardly projecting knob  16  (which here extends upwardly with respect to the  FIG. 6 ) for manual operation, i.e. rotation, of the plug  14 . At the bottom of the plug  14  and internally of the casings  1  and  2  are provided a pair of skirts  17 . The skirts  17  are offset from the grills  9  and  10 . The rotation of the knob  16  in an imaginary cylindrical plane causes the skirts  17  to be rotated between an open position, as shown by the position illustrated in  FIG. 6 , and a position closing the grills completely, just as occurs in the position shown in  FIG. 7 , or the knob  16  may be rotated to any intermediate position. 
   It is possible that other shapes and arrangements of air flow controls may be provided as well. The preferred air flow control has a projection or knob extending from the casing to permit the user to adjust the air flow through the device. 
   It is possible in one embodiment for one of the skirts  17  extending from the plug element to be cut or formed shorter, so that the length of the shorter skirt  17 ′ is approximately one third the length of the other, longer skirt  17 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . This second embodiment of the skirts is capable of assuming any rotated position with respect to the slotted sections or grills  9  and  10 . 
   The opening and closing limiting positions of the diffuser, more specifically the air flow limiting positions of the plug  14 , are defined by a widened portion  13 ′ ( as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) of the groove  13  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ), in which runs a lug  18  (as shown in  FIG. 12 ) projecting inwardly from the neck  12  (as shown in  FIG. 11 ) of the rear half-casing  2 . The extent to which the wick  8  is exposed in any position of the plug  14  is directly visible for the user through the front grill  9 . 
   The form of the front grill  9  allows viewing of the air regulator plug element  14  so that the degree of evaporation and diffusion of the device can be quickly determined by viewing the positions of the skirts  17 . 
   As an addition to the structure described, the rear half-casing  2  incorporates, under the slotted section or grill  10 , a fastener for a clip to permit the diffuser to be clipped to the air conditioner or vent openings of a vehicle. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener for the clip is a fork element  19  having two arms that extend backward and downward at an elbow, as may be especially observed in the detail of  FIG. 10 . The fork element  19  engages with a clip that holds the diffuser in place. 
   As shown in  FIG. 14 , one embodiment of a clip is provided, which permits the diffuser to be fastened to the air conditioner grill of a vehicle. The clip is formed of metal and has side extensions or webs  20  that can be positioned between the arms of the forked element  19 . The metallic side extension or webs  20  of the clip are each covered with a jacket or coating  21  of plastic material. The side webs  20  in particular are elastically deformable and extend from opposite sides of a base  22 , converging toward one another to permit the side webs to grasp slats of the air conditioner vents of the vehicle. Two other, shorter arms  23  extend from the base as well in the illustrated embodiment. These shorter arms are offset by 90° with respect to the longer side arms or webs  20 . Like the longer arms  20 , the shorter arms  23  converge toward one another but are considerably shorter. Other shapes of arms may be provided as well, so long as the clip is fastenable into the fastener portion on the back of the diffuser. 
   The clip can be assembled to the diffuser casing by coupling to the fork element  19  in a matched engagement and by a slight elastic deformation of the fork element. The clip may be fastened in either of two different positions which are rotated by 90° with respect to one another so that the clip can be positioned in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction according to the specific needs of each case. Specifically, the clip will fasten the diffuser to a vehicle air conditioner vent slat that is oriented vertically or horizontally so that the device may be used in a wide variety of vehicles without limitation to the orientation of the air conditioner vent slats. The base  22  stabilizes the clip in its selected working position against the rear casing, and a small rib  24 , as shown in  FIG. 13 , is provided on an outside wall of the rear half-casing  2 . The rib  24  faces the open end of the forked element  19  so that the base  22  of the clip is insertable into the forked element  19  by pressing the rib  24  and base  22  passed each other, with a slight elastic deformation, in an assembled position. 
   The clip of  FIG. 14  is pressed into a grill opening of the air conditioner vent of a vehicle so secure the clip into place. In particular, the coated ends  21  of the arms  20  fit into a grill slot and the tapered edges bear against the inside surfaces of the grill slot so that the base  22  extends out from the air conditioner grill. The diffuser of the present invention is thereafter clipped into place on the clip and can be clipped in either a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation. 
   The references to a vehicle air conditioner or air ventilation system vent or grill include without limitation an air cooling system, heated air circulating system, fresh air circulating system, filtered air flow system, or forced air system. The air leaving the vent or grill may pass through the present diffuser, picking put vapors from the air freshener product, and flow into the interior of the vehicle. The air flow is controllable by the fan of the air conditioner or vent system and by user adjustment of the control on the present diffuser. The quantity of air freshening product is thus controllable. 
   Although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art.