A device for diffusing a liquid into a vapor proximate a face of a person comprises a U-shaped enclosure that has two legs connected with a back portion for resting on shoulders of the person around a neck of the person. A top side of the enclosure has at least one diffusion port. A control circuit disposed within the interior space of the enclosure includes a controller, at least one user interface, a power source, and a diffusion mechanism connecting a reservoir containing the liquid with the at least one diffusion port. Wherein the person has a smart phone running a software application, the controller may further include a processor, a non-volatile memory, and a wireless network module adapted to wirelessly communicate with the software application running on the smart phone to control a diffusion rate, an on/off status of the device, and a timer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to air sanitizing, and more particularly to a shoulder-worn air filter and sanitizer.

BACKGROUND

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, people would engage in common activities such as attending school and church, going shopping, and eating out at a restaurant routinely without thinking about dangerous viruses that may be lurking in air surrounding the person's face. With particularly infectious pathogens, it would be advantageous to be able to sterilize the air around one's face while out in public. Heretofore, however, no prior art device provides such a benefit. Further, even when not in public, there are times when a person desires aromatherapy with essential oils or other compositions.

Therefore, there is a need for a device that can diffuse a liquid such as an essential oil or an anti-viral compositions proximate a person's face. Such a needed device would be comfortable to wear on the person's shoulders for an extended period of time, and would create a curtain of sanitized or conditioned air or aromatherapy in front of the person's nose and mouth. Such a needed invention would interface with a smart phone software application to allow the person to easily control the functions of the device. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1is a front perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2is an alternate perspective view of the invention; and

FIG. 3is a top plan view of the invention, partially broken away, and further illustrating a smart phone running a software application that wirelessly interfaces with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-3illustrate a device10for diffusing a liquid15into a vapor14proximate a face28of a person20having a neck25and shoulders24. Such a liquid may contain medicine such as albuterol sulfate for treating asthma, essential oils, anti-bacterial or anti-viral compositions, or the like.

The device10comprises a generally U-shaped enclosure30that has a top side38, a bottom side32, an inside peripheral edge34, and an outside peripheral edge36. The enclosure30includes two legs31connected with a back portion39for resting on the shoulders24of the person20around the person's neck25. The bottom side32of the enclosure30is shaped to conform to a curvature of the person's shoulders24, and may include a cushioning pad80for comfort of the person's shoulders24. In some embodiments the back portion39of the enclosure30includes a size adjustment mechanism160for allowing the person20to selectively adjust a distance D1between the legs31of the enclosure30(FIG. 2). Such a size adjustment mechanism160may be a telescoping portion160as illustrated inFIG. 2, or other size adjustment mechanisms160as are known in the art. Preferably the enclosure30is rigid and made of plastic or wood, for example.

The top side38of the enclosure30has at least one diffusion port40in fluid communication with an interior space33of the enclosure. Preferably the enclosure30includes exactly two of the diffusion ports40, one on the top surface38of each leg31of the enclosure30. Each diffusion port40preferably includes adjustable baffles45for selectively directing the flow of the vapor14and air from a diffusion mechanism60.

A control circuit50is fixed at least partially within the interior space33of the enclosure30and includes a controller51, at least one user interface55traversing the enclosure30, a power source56, and the diffusion mechanism60connecting a reservoir70that is adapted to contain the liquid15with the at least one diffusion port40. Preferably the reservoir70includes a filling port75traversing the enclosure30and is in fluid communication with the reservoir70, so that the reservoir70may be refilled with the liquid15when necessary. A gauge (not shown) within the reservoir may be included for indicating a liquid level within the reservoir70.

Preferably the power source56is a rechargeable battery57. In such an embodiment a battery recharging port58traverses the enclosure30and is electrically connected with the rechargeable battery57, such that the rechargeable battery can be recharged by connecting an outside power source (not shown) to the battery recharging port58. The battery recharging port58is preferably a USB or micro-USB port, as is known in the art.

In some embodiments the diffusion mechanism60includes an electrically heated vaporizer61for vaporizing the liquid15into the vapor14. Alternately, or additionally, the diffusion mechanism60may include a fan62for blowing air over an absorbent material63that is in fluid communication with the reservoir70and is infused with the liquid15. In such an embodiment, at least one air inlet port64traverses the enclosure30, preferably at the outside peripheral edge36of the back portion39of the enclosure30, to allow air to enter the interior space33of the enclosure30, pass over the absorbent material63, and exit the enclosure30as the vapor14through the at least one diffusion port40. Each of the at least one inlet ports64may include a removable air filter170. Alternately the diffusion mechanism60includes an ultrasonic atomizer adapted to atomize the liquid15.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the person20has a smart phone16running a software application90. The controller51in such an embodiment further includes a processor52, a non-volatile memory53, and a wireless network module54adapted to wirelessly communicate with the software application90running on the smart phone16, such as through a Bluetooth, WiFi, or other wireless protocol. The software application90is adapted to control the control circuit50to change at least a diffusion rate100of the liquid15, an on/off state110of the diffusion mechanism60, and a timer120that controls a duration of time that the diffusion mechanism60is active. Such a timer120may be set for a single duration of time, such as 30 minutes, or set for a repeating duration of time, such as 30 minutes every two hours, for example.

In the preferred embodiment, the device10further includes at least two electrodes130traversing the enclosure30and adapted to make contact with the person's neck25. The electrodes130are electrically connected with the control circuit50, which is adapted to determine from the electrodes130a heart rate135of the person20and communicate the heart rate135to the software application90on the smart phone16.

Similarly, the device10may further include a temperature sensor140traversing the enclosure30. The temperature sensor140is electrically connected with the control circuit50that is adapted to determine from the temperature sensor140a body temperature145of the person20and communicate the body temperature145to the software application90on the smart phone16.

Similarly, the device10may further include a blood oxygen sensor150traversing the enclosure30. The blood oxygen sensor150is electrically connected with the control circuit50that is adapted to determine from the blood oxygen sensor150a blood oxygen concentration155of the person20and communicate the blood oxygen concentration155to the software application90on the smart phone16.

As such, with the enclosure30resting on the person's shoulders24, the at least one user interface55may be actuated to activate the control circuit50to diffuse the liquid15through the at least one diffusion port40proximate the person's face28.

While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, various diffusing mechanisms60may be utilized as are known in the art. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention. The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.