Abstract:
A heating device for the vaporization of active substances, such as air freshener fragrances, disinfectants, sanitizing agents, insecticides and the like, in which a wick is immersed in a fluid active substance and heat is applied to produce vaporization. The heating is produced by one or more electrical resistance elements embedded in a circular heating ring which is hinged to move over the end of the wick and encircle it. The internal wires which carry electrical current from a source of electrical power are led through the hinged area for connection to the electrical resistance elements, and a feature of the invention is the protection of such wires as they pass through the hinged area.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/672,641, entitled “Modified Air Freshener Device”, filed on Apr. 18, 2005. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to vapor-dispensing devices, and more particularly to management of the electrical wiring utilized in the heating unit for promoting vaporization of the volatile materials used in said devices.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Electrical liquid vaporizers (often referred to as “liquid electrics”) are generally well known in the prior art. The primary function of these types of devices has generally been the counteracting of malodors through the delivery of aesthetically pleasing fragrance vapors, or facilitating the delivery of other vapors, such as insecticides or other compositions.  
         [0004]     Typically, such electric liquid vaporizers comprise a housing unit configured to receive a bottle or liquid container portion. The bottle portion contains a wick or wicking system through which the volatile liquids can be migrated to a portion of the wick that is exposed to the air. The exposed portion of the wick is generally heated by a heating element disposed within the housing unit and proximate to the wick in order to suitably facilitate the vaporization of the volatile liquid to be dispensed therefrom. In vaporizers adapted to accommodate refill bottles when the contents of the bottle have been consumed, the bottles may be releasably attached to the housing. For example, the neck of the bottle may be threaded and engaged within the housing unit in a screw-like manner, or the bottle may be interconnected to the housing unit in a “snap-and-fit” manner.  
         [0005]     In devices of this nature, the heating element delivers kinetic energy to molecules of the liquid as contained in the wick, thereby increasing the rate of evaporation to obtain higher fragrance intensity and uniform delivery density over time. Typically, in such units, the back side of the housing is equipped with electrical prongs that may be plugged into a conventional electrical outlet, and lead wires connected to such prongs are run through the body of the unit to the resistance elements in the heater located in the vicinity of the upper end of the wick, thereby causing the heating unit to heat the liquid and vaporized liquid that have been drawn up into the wick. Depending on the configuration and the aesthetic design of the vaporizer unit, the distance traveled by these lead wires may be considerable, and care must be used to keep them separated along the path of their travel.  
         [0006]     In the vaporizer unit utilized in the present invention, an elongated plastic wire guidance frame is used for protecting and guiding these lead wires. Such frame is positioned on the interior of the housing with its bottom end located adjacent the electric prongs, and it extends upwardly, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wick, to terminate at its upper end in a circular ring structure in which the electrical resistance elements are embedded. The main body of the plastic frame is connected to said circular ring structure by a hinge, and in assembly the ring structure is bent over to a 90° angle to encircle the upper portion of the wick. The lead wires from the electric resistance elements embedded in the circular ring structure are guided through the hinged area downwardly along the body of the plastic frame to the point where they are connected to the electric prongs. A feature of the present invention is the protection of such lead wires in this special environment.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention provides a vaporizing device including a system of guidance and protection for the electric warmer lead wires in the course of their run from the electric prongs at one end of the vaporizing device to their connection with the resistance element or elements in the electric warmer that is used to heat and facilitate the liquid and liquid vapor that has been drawn up into the wick. The invention has particular applicability to the protection and guidance of the said lead wires to prevent them from touching as they pass through the hinged area of the wire guidance frame.  
         [0008]     In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the warming device may include a plastic housing having a front side and a back side and an open bottom for receiving a refill bottle; a refill bottle unit containing an active liquid material and including a wick in fluid communication with said active material, said refill bottle being positioned in said housing with said wick extending out the top of said bottle and upwardly in said housing; an elongate longitudinally extending plastic frame, positioned in said housing in proximity to said bottle and wick, with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said wick; a circular heating ring hingedly connected to the upper end of said plastic frame and configured to be bent over the top of and to encircle said wick; at least one electric resistance element being positioned on the interior of said circular heating ring; said resistance element being fitted with a pair of resistance wire leads; said longitudinally extending frame having at least one longitudinally extending rib for providing at least a pair of longitudinal channels, and being fitted at its lower end with a pair of electrical prongs in a plug unit for use in an electrical outlet; said electrical prongs in said plug unit extending outwardly through the back side of said housing; said pair of electrical resistance wire leads extending from said resistance element, each wire being positioned in a separate one of said channels and being connected to respective prongs in said plug unit; and at least one projection on the body of said circular heating ring adjacent the said hinge, to guide the respective resistance wire leads through the hinge area and into separate longitudinal channels. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0009]     Additional aspects of the present invention will become evident upon reviewing the non-limiting embodiments described in the specification and the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals designate like elements:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective overall view showing the front and side of the outside of one embodiment of the heating device of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the interior of an embodiment of a heating device, showing the front and back sides of the housing, the elongate wire guidance frame, the interior bottle holding support, and the refill bottle, in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged front view showing in greater detail the elongate wire guidance frame, including the component circular heating ring hingedly attached thereto.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged side view showing in greater detail the elongate wire guidance frame, including the component circular heating ring hingedly attached thereto.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     The following description is of exemplary embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description is intended to provide a convenient illustration for implementing various embodiments of the invention. As will become apparent, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0015]     In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a vaporizing device, as shown in  FIG. 1 , may comprise a housing  10 , a refill bottle or reservoir  12 , and an electric plug  14  at the back side of the housing for plugging into a conventional electrical outlet in order to obtain electrical current for heating the contents of the refill bottle and thus facilitating the dispensing of vapors into the surrounding atmosphere.  
         [0016]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the housing  10  comprises a back cover  15  and a front cover  16 , and two major interior components—namely, a bottle holder  17  and an elongate wire guidance frame  18 .  FIG. 2  also shows the refill bottle  12  which may be inserted in the interior of the housing, and subsequently removed for replacement.  
         [0017]     The back cover  15  has a generally flat back side  19 , and side panels  20  and  21 , which curve around to form a top panel  22 , having a vent opening  23 . In the lower part of the back side  19 , an aperture  24  is provided for allowing the electric plug  14  to extend through the back side for plugging into an electrical outlet. The front cover  16  has a generally flat front side  25 , and side panels  26  and  27 , which curve around to form a top panel  28 , having a vent opening  29 . When the bottle holder  17  and the elongate wire guidance frame  18  are assembled (as will be described hereinafter) and positioned on the back cover  15 , the device may be closed by placing the front cover  16  over the back cover  15  so that the edges of side panels  20  and  21  and top panel  22  of the back cover  15  mate with the edges of the side panels  26  and  27  and the top panel  28  of the front cover  16 . The device is secured in this closed position by use of screws applied through the pair of screw posts  30  and  31  in the back cover, which mate with the pair of screw posts  32  and  33  in the front cover  16 . In the closed position, the semicircular vent opening  23  in the back cover mates with the semicircular vent opening  29  in the front cover, to provide a full vent for outward passage of vaporized material. The various parts of the housing may be formed from suitable materials, including plastics such as polypropylene or high density polyethylene.  
         [0018]     The bottle holder  17  is an interior component in the housing and is designed to serve a dual function—namely, a structure for holding the refill bottle  12  and also for anchoring the elongate wire guidance frame  18 . When the bottle holder  17  and the elongate wire guidance frame  18  are assembled (as will be described hereinafter), the assembly may be secured to the back cover  15  by placing the bottom edge  34  of the bottle holder  17  on the bottom shelf  35  of the back cover and is secured in place there by a peg and hole arrangement (not shown). Following this, the two positioning tabs  36  and  37  on the bottle holder  17  are placed on the top surfaces  38  and  39  of screw posts  30  and  31 , respectively, of the back cover  15 , and the device may then be closed by placing the front cover  16  over the back cover  15  so that the edges of side panels  20  and  21  and top panel  22  of the back cover  15  mate with the edges of the side panels  26  and  27  and the top panel  28  of the front cover  16 . As previously mentioned, the device is secured in this closed position by use of screws applied through the pair of screw posts  30  and  31  in the back cover, which mate with the pair of screw posts  32  and  33  in the front cover. In this position, the top portion of the positioning tabs  36  and  37  of the bottle holder  17  are held between the top surfaces  38  and  39  of the screw posts  30  and  31  on back cover  15  and the top surfaces  32  and  33  of screw posts  32  and  33  on front cover  16 . The top areas of positioning tabs  36  and  37  are provided with notches  42  and  43  to enable through passage of the securing screws.  
         [0019]     As will be seen in  FIG. 2 , the bottle holder  17  has a central cylindrical body  44  with an open cylindrical top  45 . The bottle holder  17  also has an open bottom  46 , enabling the refill bottle  12  with upwardly extending wick  47  to be inserted upwardly into the interior of the housing and held in place by a “snap-and-fit” arrangement. When the refill bottle  12  is fully inserted up into the bottle holder  17 , the wick  47  extends upwardly through the open top  45  of the central cylindrical body  44 . In  FIG. 2 , the wick  47  in this fully extended upward position is shown in phantom dotted lines.  
         [0020]     Preferably, refill bottle  12  is a conventional bottle or similar device configured to receive a volatilizable material and hold the wick  47  firmly in place. The neck  48  of the bottle  12  may be threaded and thus includes a plurality of threads  49 . The threads  49  are suitably configured to receive, for example, a cap securing the refill bottle  12  prior to use. The wick  47  preferably extends to the bottom of the refill bottle  12 .  
         [0021]     In the present embodiment, refill bottle  12  comprises a plastic material that is compatible with the material to be vaporized. For example, refill bottle  12  may be formed of polypropylene, barex and/or PET. However, in certain applications, it may be desirable for bottle  12  to be formed of other materials such as glass or the like. Preferably, bottle  12  is suitably sized for use in connection with household use. In accordance with various aspects of the invention, bottle  12  is preferably configured for receipt of between  25  to about  75  milliliters of liquid material. The weight and moment of the device of the present invention, inclusive of the refill bottle  12  is such that the center of gravity is appropriately positioned and the weight is less than that which would otherwise cause the device to be stable in the electrical outlet.  
         [0022]     Wick  47  may be formed from any conventional wick material. Suitable wick materials include porous/sintered plastics such as high density polyethylene and polypropylene, bonded fibers, glass sintered fibers, ceramic materials, carbon fibers, sintered carbon, wood, compressed wood composites, bundled or woven material fibers, or bundled or manmade fibers. In general, wick  47  may be formed of any suitable material now known or hereafter devised by those skilled in the art.  
         [0023]     In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, the vaporizable material contained in the refill bottle  12  may be any number of conventional materials dispensed from vapor dispensers, including fragrances, disinfectants, sanitizing agents, insect repellants, insecticides, and the like.  
         [0024]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the remaining component on the interior of the housing  10  is the elongate wire guidance frame  18 , which is positioned in the housing  10  in proximity to said refill bottle  12  and said wick  47 , with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wick  47 . In a particular embodiment of the invention, the part  18  is molded from a single piece of plastic and is comprised of two main parts—namely, a lower elongate guidance body  50  and an upper circular heating ring  51 . Electrical prongs  52  and  53  are anchored at the bottom end of the guidance body  50 , and extend outwardly from the back side of the guidance body  50 , for plugging into a conventional electrical outlet. As will be seen in  FIG. 2  and in greater detail in  FIG. 3 , the heating ring  51  is in the form of a circular trough having concentric outer and inner walls  54  and  55  with an open central passageway  56 .  
         [0025]     Electrical resistance elements  57  and  58 , for producing the heat needed for enhancing the evaporation of vaporizable material from the wick  47 , are positioned in opposing locations on the interior of the heating ring  51 , and a pair of electrical lead wires  59  and  60  are connected to the resistance elements  57  and  58  and are guided down the length of the guidance body  50  for connection at the other end with the electric prongs  52  and  53 . When the prongs  52  and  53  are plugged into an electric wall outlet, the current that runs through the lead wires  59  and  60  causes heating of the resistance elements  57  and  58 . The plastic tabs  61  and  62  are transversely scored (see score marks  63  and  64 ) to enable hinging of the circular heating ring  51  at the score marks, so that, in assembling of the unit, the circular heating ring  51  can be bent to a 90° angle thereby encircling the upper end of the adjacent fragrance-containing wick  47 . This positioning of the circular heating ring  51  in a bent position encircling the wick  47  is shown in  FIG. 2  in phantom dotted lines at the top of the bottle holder  17 , with the bottom surface of the circular heating ring  51  resting on the top edge  63  of the central cylindrical body  44  of the bottle holder  17 .  
         [0026]     It is a feature of the invention that special means are utilized to protect the lead wires  59  and  60  and prevent them from breaking or contacting each other as they carry the electrical current from the electric prongs  52  and  53  through the various stages until they reach the resistance elements  57  and  58 . The lower elongate guidance body  50  is provided with a pair of longitudinal ribs  64  and  65 , which produce a pair of channels  66  and  67  with an intermediate buffer space  68  in between. Thus lead wire  59  runs the length of the elongate guidance body  50  while contained in channel  66 , and lead wire  60  runs the length of the body  50  while contained in channel  67 , all with an effective buffer channel  68  between the two. The hinging and bending, which take place in the hinge area where the plastic tabs  61  and  62  are scored, create special opportunities for the lead wires  59  and  60  to be bent, distorted or broken, and it is a feature of the invention that at least one projection or post is mounted in the hinge area to guide the wires through this area. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , this feature comprises a pair of cylindrical pegs or posts  69  and  70 . As will be seen, guide post  69  causes the lead wire  59  to be threaded between the post and the outer wall  54  of the circular heating ring  51 , and guide post  70  causes the lead wire  60  to be threaded between the post and the outer wall  54 , thus keeping the two wires thoroughly isolated as they experience the bending and distortion in the hinge area. Further protection of this nature may be gained by use of a plastic rib  73  separating the guide posts  69  and  70 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  
         [0027]     In assembling the various component parts of the heating device, the elongate longitudinally extending plastic frame  50 , with its resistance elements  57  and  58 , its electric prongs  52  and  53 , and its electric lead wires  59  and  60  installed, is mounted on the bottle holder  17  by snap fitting locking tabs  7 l and  72  (near the bottom of frame  50 ) over locking ribs  73  and  74  (near the bottom of bottle holder  17 ); pressing frame  50  along its longitudinal length against the longitudinal length of bottle holder  17 ; and then bending the circular heating ring  51  to a 90° angle so that the heating ring can be pressed into position with the bottom surface of the circular heating ring  51  resting on the top edge  63  of the central cylindrical body  44  of the bottle holder  17 , as shown in phantom dotted lines in  FIG. 2 . This two-component system is then placed in position on the inside of the back cover  15  of the housing, with the electric prongs  52  and  53  extending through the aperture  24  in the back cover  15 . The device may then be closed by placing the front cover  16  over the back cover  15  so that the edges of side panels  20  and  21  and top panel  22  of the back cover  15  mate with the edges of the side panels  26  and  27  and the top panel  28  of the front cover  16 . As previously mentioned, the device is secured in this closed position by use of screws applied through the pair of screw posts  30  and  31  in the back cover, which mate with the pair of screw posts  32  and  33  in the front cover. As a last step, the refill bottle  12 , with its protective cap removed, may then be inserted up into the bottom of the device and snapped into position so that the top part of the wick  47  extends up into the area where it is encircled by the circular heating ring  51 , which will heat and cause vaporization of the vaporizable liquids when the device is plugged into a conventional electric wall outlet.  
         [0028]     Although the present invention has been disclosed in connection with certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of the invention. All of these variations and modifications are considered to be within the true spirit and scope of the present invention as disclosed in the foregoing description and defined by the claims.