Abstract:
A vaporization device including a housing, a wick, at least one heating element and a rotational coupling. The wick is partially contained within the housing and extends from the housing. The at least one heating element being proximate the wick. The rotational coupling interconnects the heating element with the housing.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/578,663, entitled “A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING THE RATE OF VAPORIZATION”, filed Jun. 10, 2004. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to wicked vaporization systems, and, more particularly, to wicked vaporization systems using a heating element. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An electrically heated chemical delivery system, which is connectable with an electrical receptacle is known. For example, it is known to provide a housing which directly carries a pair of terminals, which extend therefrom and may be plugged into a conventional 115 volt electrical receptacle. The electrical terminals are electrically connected to a heater disposed within the body of the delivery system. A heat actuated chemical is disposed within the body and releases its gasses into the ambient environment with heat accelerating the release. 
     One method used to alter the amount of vaporizable material that is released in the environment is to control the air flow around the heating element. Controlling the air flow requires adjustable elements in the housing to alter the air flow that passes by the vaporizable material. 
     Another method of controlling the vaporization of the vaporizable material is alter the heat supplied by way of the heating element. This requires control electronics, which add substantial cost to the assembly. 
     What is needed in the art is a way to adjust the vaporization rate in a simple cost effective manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a vaporization system that adjusts the amount of heat applied to the vaporizable material without altering the amount of power consumed by the device. 
     The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a vaporization device including a housing, a wick, at least one heating element and a rotational coupling. The wick is partially contained within the housing and extends from the housing. The at least one heating element being proximate the wick. The rotational coupling interconnects the heating element with the housing. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that heat to the wick is adjustable without the need to alter the power supplied to the resistive heater. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that the vaporization rate of liquid from the wick is adjustable with out controlling the airflow around the wick. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of a vaporization device of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is another side view of the vaporization device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a vaporization device  10  which generally includes a housing  12  having a reservoir  14 , a wick  16  and a heating block  18  carrying one or more heating elements rotatably coupled to housing  12  by way of a rotational coupling  20 . Housing  12  may include electrical contacts for an interconnection with an electrical supply that provides energy to heating block  18 . Within housing  12  is a reservoir  14 , which contains vaporizable material, which may be in the form of a fluid fragrance, an insecticide, a medicine or other material that is desirable to release in the air. The vaporizable material wicks up wick  16  from reservoir  14  and is in contact with ambient air. In order to accelerate the vaporization of the vaporizable material, heating block  18  supplies heat to wick  16  thereby increasing the vaporization of the vaporizable material supplied to wick  16  from reservoir  14 . 
     Heating block  18  is rotatably coupled by way of rotational coupling  20  to housing  12 . Rotational coupling  20  includes a pivot pin  20 A associated with heating block  18  and a recessed flange  20 B associated with housing  12 . Pivot pin  20 A of rotational coupling  20  is snapped into recessed flange  20 B, thereby allowing heating block  18  to be easily coupled to housing  12 . Heating block  18  may include more than one heating element, such as one located on each side of wick  16 . Heating block  18  has a heated surface or circuit that is longer than the width of wick  16 , thereby allowing heating block  18  to increase the heat transfer to wick  16  when heating block  18  is rotated as shown in  FIG. 1 . When heating block  18  is rotated, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the minimal amount of contact of heating block  18  with wick  16  is achieved, thereby having the lowest heat transfer from heating block  18  to wick  16 . This results in a minimal amount of vaporization of the vaporizable material from wick  16 . 
     Proximate to rotational coupling  20  is a stop  22  and a lowered stop  24 . When heating block  18  is rotated in direction  26 , an edge of heating block  18  contacts stop  22 , thereby increasing the contact of heating block  18  with wick  16 , which increase the heat transfer to wick  16 . When heating block  18  is rotated in direction  28 , until it encounters lowered stop  24 , then an even higher amount of heat is transferred from heating block  18  to wick  16 , since the angle of rotation in direction  28  is larger than the angle of rotation in direction  26 . The rotation of heating block  18  is about an axis, which is normal to a surface of wick  16 . Even though rotational coupling  20  is shown centrally disposed along the length of heating block  18 , rotational coupling  20  may be located at a different location along heating block  18 . As heating block  18  is rotationally displaced from the position, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the heat transfer to wick  16  is increased, because a greater length of the heating elements in heating block  18  are transferring heat to wick  16 . 
     Both linear and non-linear heating elements are contemplated for use in vaporization device  10  in order to change the rate of increase of heat transfer to wick  16  as heating block  18  is rotated in either direction  26  or  28 . 
     Advantageously, the present invention alters the heat flow to wick  16 , thereby varying the temperature of wick  16 . The vaporization of chemicals that are contained in wick  16  increases with the temperature of wick  16 . The present invention simply adjusts the heat transfer by altering the contact of heating block  18  with wick  16 , rather than using another device to adjust the power supplied to a heating element. This simple solution reduces the cost involved in having an adjustable vaporization rate device as compared with other methods of adjustment. 
     While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.