Device for diffusing a fragrance, such as a scent

A Fragrance diffusion system is provided having a diffusion device which has two opposing walls spaced apart from one another, at least one wick, and at least one air intake. An upper first bottle has a first neck the opening of which is positioned facing one of the two opposing walls referred to as the upper wall, a lower second bottle having a second neck the opening of which is positioned facing the other wall referred to as the lower wall. The upper first bottle has the fragrance which, by impregnating the wick, on the one hand causes the fragrance to diffuse into the cavity and to outside of the device via said at least one opening, and on the other hand causes dripping drop by drop into the lower second bottle. The lower second bottle having a capacity which is dimensioned so that the level of the liquid transferred into said lower second bottle is situated below a lower end of the wick.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device for diffusing a fragrance such as a scent.

Description of the Related Art

two pouring plugs mounted top to tail and each having a flow tube,

an insert of porous material fitted between the two pouring plugs,

an external ring provided, facing the insert, with at least one fragrance diffusion opening.

Each pouring plug also comprises a flow hole which allows the fragrance to pass into the porous insert and then to the outside of the device. The fragrance is, for example, contained in a bottle arranged above the diffuser.

Although satisfactory, this diffuser could nevertheless be simplified.

Objects and Summary

To that end, the invention, in a first aspect, is aimed at a fragrance diffusion device, characterized in that it comprises:

two opposing walls spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis so as to define between them a cavity which extends transversely as far as a peripheral wall provided with at least one opening for diffusing fragrance to outside the device, said at least one opening placing the cavity in communication with the outside of the device,

at least one wick made of porous material which extends in the cavity along the longitudinal axis passing through the two walls via its two respective opposite ends which each project into an external zone adjacent to the relevant wall,

at least one air intake opening which passes through each wall in such a way as to place each external zone adjacent to each wall in communication with the cavity and therefore with the outside of the device. In the device according to the invention, said at least one wick becomes impregnated with fragrance and thus both diffuses fragrance (situated above the device, notably in an upper bottle) into the cavity and to the outside, via the central portion of said at least one wick which extends into the cavity, and provides drop by drop dripping underneath the device (notably into a lower bottle).

The device according to the invention is therefore simpler than that of the prior art in which the diffusion and dripping functions are separate.

Moreover, in the abovementioned prior art, in order to achieve the drop by drop dripping effect, very small holes (e.g.: 0.2 to 0.5 mm) are needed and these have a tendency to become blocked in the presence of fatty products included in the composition of fragrances (scents). This problem does not arise with the device according to the invention in which the drop by drop dripping function is performed by said at least one porous wick.

Unlike the device of the abovementioned prior art, the intake air that compensates for the volume of fragrance flowing through said at least one wick comes from outside the device. This means that the compensation for air in the bottle that is dispensing its fragrance can be dissociated from the flow of this fragrance and therefore from the drop by drop dripping. In the prior art, the bottles communicate with one another via air-passage and flow tubes. Thus, the pressure or depression in one or other of the bottles has an influence on the drop by drop dripping function (for example when pressure equilibrium needs to be established), something which is not the case with the device according to the invention.

According to other possible features considered in isolation or in combination with one another:

the device comprises, on each side of the two walls, in each external zone adjacent to each wall, fixing means each intended to fix a neck of a bottle to the device;

each wall has a concave overall shape with the concave side facing towards the cavity and comprises a central region;

said at least one opening is situated at the periphery of the central region;

several air intake through-openings are made in each wall, the device comprising shutoff means which, depending on their position, are able to shut off all or some of said openings;

the device comprises a plurality of porous wicks distributed in the cavity;

the device comprises a ball valve system formed in each wall in line with a through-opening in the wall so that the ball of the ball valve system of the upper wall shuts off the corresponding opening and the ball of the ball valve system of the lower wall leaves the corresponding opening uncovered;

the longitudinal axis is a vertical axis of the device.

According to a second aspect, the invention is also aimed at a fragrance diffusion system, characterized in that it comprises:

a diffusion device as briefly described hereinabove,

an upper first bottle having a first neck the opening of which is positioned facing one of the two opposing walls referred to as the upper wall; a lower second bottle having a second neck the opening of which is positioned facing the other wall referred to as the lower wall, the upper first bottle comprising the fragrance which, by impregnating the wick, on the one hand causes the fragrance to diffuse into the cavity and to outside of the device via said at least one opening, and on the other hand causes dripping drop by drop into the lower second bottle.

This system has the same advantages and features as those mentioned in relation to the diffusion device mentioned above and these will therefore not be repeated here.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As depicted inFIG. 1and denoted by the general reference10, a fragrance diffusion system comprises a fragrance diffusion device20and two bottles12,14, only the respective necks12a,14aof which have been depicted.

An upper first bottle12containing the fragrance (e.g. an ambient scent) that is to be diffused is mounted on top of the device20with its neck12aoriented downwards.

The device20comprises first fixing means22which are intended to fix the neck12ato said device. These fixing means are, for example, produced in the form of an internal screw thread for screwing onto the external screw thread12bon the external surface of the neck12a.

A lower second bottle14intended to collect undiffused fragrance coming from the upper bottle12is mounted under the device20with its neck14aoriented upwards.

The diffusion device20comprises second fixing means24which are intended to fix the neck14ato said device. These fixing means are, for example, produced in the form of an internal screw thread for screwing onto the external screw thread14bon the external surface of the neck14a. Other fixing means such as snap-fastening means may be envisaged.

The system10and its device20as well as the two bottles are arranged vertically inFIG. 1so that the fragrance contained in the upper bottle12can flow under gravity.

The device20comprises two components, namely an upper component26and a lower component28positioned facing one another and spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis L which in this instance is oriented vertically.

The two components26,28each comprise a wall30,32arranged one facing the other and which between them define a central cavity C. The walls30,32are perforated in their middle (central region) so as to allow a porous wick34to extend axially in the cavity C between the walls, being held in these walls via two respective opposite ends34a,34b. These two opposite ends34a,34bpass through the respective walls30,32and each project into a zone external to the device (Z1, Z2) and adjacent to the relevant wall.

As depicted inFIG. 1, each external zone is a zone internal to the neck of a bottle.

The wick is made of porous material of known type.

The walls30,32extend transversely from their central region towards their periphery where a wall36,38extends axially. The two axially extending walls36,38of the components26,28extend in opposite directions and away from the cavity C. The fixing means22,24are formed on the interior surface of these walls. It will be noted that the neck12a,14aof each bottle, once fixed to the device20, presses against a respective seal J1, J2formed in a recess of the external face30a,32aof the relevant transversely extending wall.

As depicted, each transverse wall30,32has a concave overall shape with the concave side facing towards the cavity C. Each wall is more particularly in the shape of a funnel converging towards the central region.

Each component26,28generally has axial symmetry of revolution, give or take a few embodiment details. Thus, the axially extending walls36,38each have a substantially cylindrical shape, making them skirt like.

The device20also comprises at its periphery a peripheral wall40having a ring like overall shape surrounding the assembly formed of the two opposing components26,28and of the separating central cavity C. This peripheral wall40forms a trim element and is fixed to each of the aforementioned assemblies for example by bonding, welding or some other suitable means.

The peripheral wall40is provided with at least one opening42for diffusing fragrance to outside the device. Said at least one opening42is made in that region of the wall that is situated around the cavity C so as to place this cavity in communication with the outside of the device. In practice, for better distribution of the diffusion of fragrance, several openings42are arranged around the periphery of the peripheral wall40as depicted inFIG. 1, in an equatorial region of the device.

Each of the transversely extending walls30,32comprises at least one air intake opening O1, O2which passes through the thickness thereof so as to place each external zone Z1, Z2adjacent to each wall in communication with the central cavity C and therefore with the outside of the device via the openings42.

In the configuration ofFIG. 1, said at least one air intake opening is situated at the periphery of the central region of each wall, in a manner that is offset from the central position of the wick34.

It will be noted that several openings may be provided in each wall30,32so as to increase the flow rate and therefore the speed of drop by drop dripping. Specifically, this speed is notably dependent on the ability of the device to take air in.

When the fragrance diffusion system10is in operation, the liquid (fragrance) present in the inverted upper bottle12impregnates the upper end34aof the wick34and flows inside same over the entire length thereof. Because the wick is impregnated with liquid, it diffuses the fragrance radially or transversely from its central part34cwhich is in contact with the air inside the cavity C. The cavity C is a diffusion zone through which the fragrance diffuses as far as the openings42, through which it passes in order to leave the device20.

The wick34creates something of a suction on the liquid in the bottle12and therefore creates a depression in said bottle (pumping effect). This depression is compensated for by the external air that enters the bottle via said at least one air intake opening O1.

Not all of the liquid with which the wick is impregnated diffuses into the cavity. Specifically, a proportion of the liquid flows along the wick as far as the open lower end34bthereof and flows into the lower bottle14, in the form of drop by drop dripping. When the “non-diffused” liquid has passed into the lower bottle the diffusion phenomenon ceases. The capacity of the lower bottle is dimensioned so that the level of the liquid transferred into the bottle is situated below the lower end34bof the wick.

When there is no longer any liquid in the upper bottle12and the lower bottle14is (at least partially) full, the system is inverted: the lower bottle14becomes the upper bottle and vice versa, and the mode of operation described hereinabove is repeated.

It will be noted that the flow rate of the liquid in the wick and therefore the speed of the drop by drop dripping flow is dependent on the diameter of the air intake opening or openings O1, O2. This speed may also be dependent on the length, density and diameter of the wick, or even on the number of wicks, when there are several of these (FIG. 3).

The walls30and32have been rendered hollow or concave in their central region surrounding the wick so that the opening or openings O2present in the wall32(and the same applies to the opening or openings O1present in the wall30when the system is inverted) are arranged at a level above a low point of the wall surrounding the wick and around which the liquid originating from potential seepage could accumulate. Such an arrangement considerably reduces the risk of seepage liquid obstructing the opening or openings O2while the system is in operation.

FIG. 2illustrates an alternative form of embodiment of the system ofFIG. 1. The system50according to this alternative form comprises a diffusion device60which comprises means for regulating the ingress of air through said at least one air intake opening O1(or O2). The other elements of the system and of the device are unchanged with respect toFIG. 1and therefore keep the same references.

The regulating means of the device60allow the flow rate of liquid through the wick and therefore the speed at which the drops are formed to vary.

In the example illustrated inFIG. 2(this figure is almost a mirror-image ofFIG. 1), each wall comprises several air intake openings (O1for the wall30and O2for the wall32), only one of which has been depicted. More specifically, the device comprises regulating means associated with each series of openings O1and O2of each plate30,32.

For example, these means each adopt the form of a shutoff member62,64which is mounted with the ability to rotate about a central hub (extension30b,32b) secured to the associated wall30,32(the wick34is mounted inside these hubs) and which can be actuated by a control knob62a,64a(regulating knob) arranged on the outside of the device. Additional openings, which are enlarged in comparison with the openings42, have been made in the peripheral wall40to allow the passage of the associated control knob. The shutoff member comprises a shutoff end62b,64bwhich, by rotation controlled by the knob, shuts off one or more air intake openings or, on the other hand, uncovers them. The shutoff member may thus have a shutoff end shape suited to best shutting off the opening or openings. The member may for example adopt the form of an eccentric cam.

A diffusion system70according to a second embodiment is depicted inFIG. 3and comprises a diffusion device80.

The device80still comprises two transversely extending walls82,84facing one another and between them defining a central diffusion cavity C′ or zone.

Several porous wicks are arranged in the cavity C′ and are mounted via their two opposite through-ends in the two respective walls82,84.

Four wicks may, for example, be counted, of which two,86,88, are depicted in the foreground and two,90,92, in the background.

These wicks are evenly distributed about the central region of each wall82,84which is hollowed or concave (generally funnel-shaped wall end). A different number and layout of wicks may be envisioned.

Several air intake openings94a,94band96a,96bare provided in each wall82,84. Two openings are depicted for each wall. However, a different number and layout of openings may be envisioned.

In the example ofFIG. 3, the openings are distributed at the external periphery of the wicks. The central region of each wall82,84incorporates a ball valve system100,102aligned with a through-opening in the relevant wall and opening into the cavity C.

The ball valve system100(or102) comprises a through-opening100a(or102a) the upper edges of which form a valve seat, and a ball100b(or102b) mounted inside a well100c(or102c) extending axially from the edges of the opening in the zone Z1(or Z2). Under the effect of gravity, the ball100brests on its valve seat.

The ball100bthat forms a valve shuts off the opening100ato prevent liquid present in the neck of the upper bottle from passing directly through this opening.

The ball102b, on the other hand, rests under the effect of gravity on a shoulder formed on the internal edge of the free end of the well102c, without, however, shutting off the well.

When liquid seeps into the cavity, it flows as far as the opening102aand into the well102c, then into the lower bottle.

It will be noted that the axially extending walls104and106of the device have fixing means that differ from the fixing means22and24ofFIG. 1.

Specifically, the fixing means comprise, configured in the wall104(or106) and on the inside thereof, at least one cavity104a(or106a) placed to the rear of at least one thicker wall portion104b(or106b). This cavity is able to accommodate an external stud110bformed on the neck110aof the upper bottle110and thus able to hold the neck of the bottle in this immobilized position with respect to the device80.

It will be noted that these fixing means of the device comprise several cavities and thickened portions at the circumference of the wall104(or106). The neck110a(or112a) is provided with several external studs locally distributed at the periphery of the neck. Through a movement of axial insertion of the neck110a(or112a) into the axial component104(or106) and of rotation, the studs become housed in the corresponding cavities to axially immobilize the corresponding bottle.

According to an alternative form that has not been depicted, the neck110a(or112a) does not have external studs but has a continuous shoulder around its entire external periphery. The neck is forcibly inserted into the fixing end piece104,106which is made of a deformable material (e.g. of plastic).

All the other features described in relation toFIG. 1are found again here, perform the same functions and afford the same advantages.