Abstract:
An electronic scent-delivery system ( 10 ) is provided having one or more cartridges ( 100 ) filled with scented oil and maintained within pockets ( 53 ) of a tray ( 50 ) slidable within a tray support member ( 40 ) of a housing ( 20,30,60 ). Heating elements ( 76 ) are provided for indirectly heating the scented oil to an evaporative state, and acutating apparatus ( 92 ) are provided for engaging the cartridges to enable the scented evaporate to escape the cartridges. A blowing apparatus ( 86 ) provides an airflow over the tops of the cartridges, thereby directing the scented evaporate out of the housing through vents ( 65 ) in the housing faceplate ( 60 ) and into the surrounding environment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/217,161 filed on Jul. 10, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to scent diffusing devices, and more particularly to a personal electronic scent diffusing system. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     It is well known to use deodorizers, air fresheners and the like, to provide a desired scent or aroma in a home environment. In fact, many people place air fresheners in a room to cover up odors in the room or just to add a fragrant scent to the air. Many air fresheners are commercially available. However, most of these provide for only a single scent having a fixed strength. 
     Some air fresheners which allow a user to selectively alter the scent delivered by a device have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,692 to Kennedy and U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,327 to Palamand disclose air freshening units including a container which carries a cartridge having a plurality of segments, or sections, each having a solid material impregnated with a scented substance. In each case, the cartridge can be manually rotated to position a particular segment having a desired scent into alignment with an opening in the container to emit the desired scent. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,609 to Bradburn discloses an air freshener having a body which carries a plurality of open topped vials of scented substances. A cover is rotatably mounted on the body to seal and close the vials. The cover has an opening which can be selectively brought into alignment with any one of the vials to open the vial, to allow the substance within the vial to evaporate and freshen the air. 
     The aforementioned air fresheners share a number of disadvantages and limitations. First, each of the disclosed air fresheners must be manually manipulated to alter the scent. Second, none of the disclosed air fresheners provide a means for controlling the strength or duration of the scent. Third, the disclosed air fresheners are provided in containers which would be unsightly positioned in a high-end home entertainment unit. 
     Electronic aroma generating devices and systems have been described which provide for more controlled scent emission. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,409 to Watkins discloses an apparatus for introducing precisely controlled amounts of aromatic chemicals, using metered spray technology, into the immediate vicinity of the operator. The disclosed mechanism is particularly oriented toward use by an individual sitting at a desk using a microcomputer. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,256 to Lee et al. discloses a computer controlled odor mixing and dispensing system suitable for use in conjunction with a multimedia computer application. Neither of these systems are designed for, nor suitable for, providing an aroma to a larger area such as one or more rooms of a home. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,030 to McCarthy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,320 to Wittek, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,290 to De Sousa each describe scent emitting systems designed to provide a variety of different scents to intensify sensorial perception of an audience in attendance of a visual and/or acoustical representation, by introducing scents in synchronism with the visual and/or acoustic representation. However, the aforementioned systems are complex, expensive and adapted for emitting scents over a large area such as a movie theater. 
     Accordingly, there is an existing need for an electronic scent emitting system particularly suited for use in a home environment which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages and limitations of the prior art systems. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is perspective view of the scent delivery system of the present invention in a completely assembled state; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the scent delivery system of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of cartridge  100 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the portable electronic scent delivery system of the present invention is shown generally as reference numeral  10 . In this fully assembled state, the system has a relatively compact, lightweight structure and approximates the size of a small stereo system component. The major components of the system are contained within a housing, including an upper housing member  20 , a lower housing member  30  and a front face plate  60 . The front face plate  60  includes a plurality of electronic switches  72  disposed therethrough for controlling power to the unit, as well as various other electronic functions described in more detail below. Generally, scents emitted from one or more cartridges (not shown in FIG. 1) housed within the system are directed outwardly through vents  65  in the faceplate  60  by a blowing means (not shown in FIG.  1 ). 
     Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the major components of the system will be described in more detail. Upper housing member  20  includes a top side  22  joining opposite side walls  24  and  26 . Longitudinal support rails  25  depend inwardly from the lower ends of side walls  24  and  26 . Lower housing member  30  includes a base  32  having upwardly depending front and rear sides  34  and  36 . Front side  34  has an opening  35  sized and shaped for enabling front face plate  60  to be slidably received therethrough. Rear side  36  has an opening  37  provided therethrough for enabling air to be drawn into blower fan  86  attached to its inner surface. Upper and lower housing portions,  20  and  30 , are preferably joined by conventional mechanical fasteners extending through aligned apertures in rails  25  and base  32 . 
     A tray support member, shown generally as reference numeral  40 , includes a top side  42  joining opposite side walls  44  and  46 . A rear portion of top side  42  slopes upwardly to create an integral baffle portion  48  for directing airflow from blower  86  toward face plate vents  65 . The lower ends of side walls  44  and  46  depend inwardly to form lower tray support rails  45 . Tray support rails  45  rest upon longitudinal support rails  25  of upper housing portion  20  and are fastened thereto by conventional mechanical fastening means. The inner surfaces of side walls  44  and  46  further include longitudinally extending upper tray guide rails  47 . Preferably, tray support member  40  has a unitary molded plastic construction. 
     A tray member, shown generally as reference numeral  50 , includes a top side  52  and opposite side walls  54  and  56 . Top side  52  has integral pockets  53  sized and shaped for snugly receiving scent cartridges  100  therein. When fully assembled, tray member  50  is slidably received within tray supporting member  40 . More specifically, the lower edges of sides  54  and  56  slide along the upper surfaces of tray support rails  45 , and the upper surface of top side  52  slidably engages upper tray guide rails  47 . Sides walls  54  and  56  of tray member  50  are fastened to respective sides  64  and  66  of front face plate  60 . Consequently, tray member  50  can be slidably opened by manually pulling on handle member  70 . 
     Heating subassemblies are provided for heating the bottoms surfaces (not shown) of integral cartridge-receiving pockets  53 . Each heating subassembly includes a thermally conductive plate member  78  interposed between a heating element  76  and the bottoms surface of a cartridge-receiving pocket  53 . The heating subassemblies are maintained in place by mechanical retainers  80  and corresponding fasteners  81  attached directly to the bottom of tray  50 . 
     Main power to the system and the associated electronic components is preferably provided using electricity supplied by a standard 110 or 220 Volt AC power source through a conventional electrical plug  84 . A plurality of electrical switches  72  are provided for controlling various functions of the system via circuitry provided on a printed circuit board  74 . Preferably, the system includes switches for controlling main power to the unit, as well as controlling blower speed and actuation of the heating elements  76 . 
     Referring now specifically to FIG. 4, each scent cartridge  100  includes a lower housing body  102  and an upper housing cap  124  separated by a sealing gasket member  109  interposed therebetween. Lower housing body  102  includes an integral upwardly extending body  104  defining a channel  106 . The lower housing body  102  and upper housing cap  124  are preferably constructed from a high-melting temperature polymer. Preferably, the housing is optically transparent, enabling a system operator to periodically check the cartridge oil levels for replacement. 
     A plastic molded T-shaped member, shown generally as reference numeral  110 , includes a base  114  having an integral body  112  depending downwardly therefrom and defining a spring-receiving channel (not shown) therein. The outer surface of body  112  is sized and shaped for enabling body  112  to be snugly received within channel  106 . Compression spring  108  is received at its upper end within body  112  such that, when fully inserted within body  112 , the lower end of spring  108  extends beyond the lower end of body  112 . In this manner, when body  112  is received within channel  106 , the spring  108  acts to bias T-shaped member  110  in an upward direction. Base  114  has a raised upper surface portion  116  defining a peripheral base portion  118 . Furthermore, raised surface portion  116  has a centrally positioned nub  119  protruding upwardly therefrom. 
     Gasket member  120  is provided having a continuous groove  121  extending about its inner surface sized and shaped for being sealingly fitted about peripheral base portion  118  of T-shaped member  110 . Upper housing cap  124  includes a plurality of window apertures  126  and a centrally positioned aperture  128  sized and shaped for receiving nub  119  therethrough. Lower housing body is filled with a volume of scented oil (not shown), preferably having a level below the upper end of body  104 . When the cartridge is fully assembled, the cartridge compression spring  108  biases the T-member upwardly such that gasket  120  forms an air tight seal again the inner surface of housing cap  124  exterior to the apertures  126 ,  128  provided therein. Furthermore, nub  119  preferably extends at least partially through aperture  128 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, and primarily to FIG. 2, at least one actuating mechanism, shown generally as reference numeral  90 , is provided above each oil filled cartridge  100 , for selectively biasing cartridge nub  119  downwardly to break the seal between upper surface  122  of gasket  120  and the inner surface of housing cap  124 . In the accompanying FIG. 2, a manual actuating mechanism operating substantially similar to that of a conventional ball point pen is shown. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that myriad different types of manual, as well as automatic, actuating means could be employed. 
     The operation of the scent diffusing system of the present invention will now be described in more detail. As best depicted in FIGS. 1-3, the system includes a plurality of control buttons  72  for enabling a system user to perform a variety of functions, including, but not limited to: (1) turning the system on and off; (2) activating a particular heating element, thereby activating a particular cartridge; and (3) controlling the speed of the blowing mechanism  86 . Although the accompanying drawing figures illustrate a two-cartridge arrangement, the invention is not intended to be so limited. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the system of the present invention can be adapted to accommodate more or less cartridges. 
     The heat generated by heating element  76  is transferred, via thermally conducting plate member  78 , through the bottom of tray pocket  53 , to cartridge body  102 . The temperature of heating member  126  is increased to a predetermined temperature range sufficiently high to cause the liquid scented oil to begin evaporating. At or about the same time the scented oil begins to evaporate, mechanism  90  is actuated via button  92  to depress T-shaped cartridge member  110 , via contact with nub  119 . In this manner, the air tight seal provided by gasket  120  is temporarily broken, enabling the scented evaporate to escape the cartridge through apertures  126  in cartridge cap  124 . Blowing mechanism  86  provides an air flow over the tops of the cartridges  100 , directing the scented evaporate through vents  65  in cover plate  60 . Baffle members  48  and  82  aid in concentrating the flow of air toward the aforementioned vents  65 . 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described in the claims.