Abstract:
The scent delivery system employs a single conduit with a nasal interface at one end and a fan or canister of compressed air at the other end. In between the two ends a scent injection device is positioned. The injection device injects scent into an air flow created by the fan or canister and creates scented air which is carried to the nose by the flow of air.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the priority under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/399,248 filed Jul. 29, 2002. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a scent delivery system for air flowing in a conduit and, more particularly, to a scent delivery system which can be used with a portable system as well as a multi-media device. 
   2. Art Relating to the Invention 
   There are numerous scent delivery systems which have been used with multi-media devices. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,522 and International patent application No. PCT/US98/13986. The &#39;522 patent illustrates a non-portable system while the International application &#39;986 illustrates a portable arrangement, both of which add scented air at one end of a conduit and convey that scented air to a nasal interface at the other end of the conduit. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A scent delivery system has now been invented which is especially suited for use as both a portable system and with multi-media systems that add scent to air already flowing in a conduit. The system of the present invention employs a single conduit with a means for injecting scent into the conduit. A nasal interface is connected to one end of the conduit while a means for creating a flow of air in the conduit is connected to the other end of the conduit. The means for injecting scent into the conduit is positioned along the side of the conduit, in between the two ends. The system of the present invention is both simple and inexpensive to manufacture. 
   The present invention can be used to deliver one scent or a plurality of scents to a user&#39;s nose. 
   Broadly, the present invention may be defined as a scented air delivery device which comprises: 
   (a) a conduit having two open ends and at least one side opening in a side wall of said conduit; 
   (b) a nasal interface affixed to one of said open ends of said conduit, said nasal interface adapted for wearing in close proximity to a nasal cavity of a user; 
   (c) a means for creating an air flow affixed to the other of said open ends of said conduit, said means for creating an air flow forces air from said other of said open ends of said conduit to said one of said open ends of said conduit and into said nasal interface; and 
   (d) means for injecting scent into said air flow through said side opening in said conduit, said injection means affixed to a side of said conduit at said side opening so as to inject scent into said air flow and create scented air in said conduit. 
   Suitably, the nasal interface is a nose mask, a face mask, a tee, a wishbone or an outlet in said conduit. 
   Suitably, the means for creating an air flow is a fan blower, a canister of compressed air, or any conventional means to create an air flow. 
   Suitably, the means for injecting scent into the conduit is a plurality of scent reservoirs and said conduit has a plurality of side openings, said reservoirs affixed to the side of said conduit one at each of said side openings, each reservoir having a means to inject scent into air in said conduit. 
   Alternatively, the means for injecting scent into the conduit comprises: 
   (a) a frame affixed to said conduit at said side opening; 
   (b) a rotatable wheel affixed to said frame, said wheel having an axis of rotation parallel to an axis of said conduit; 
   (c) one or more scent containers affixed to said wheel, each of said containers having
         (i) an outer elongated sleeve affixed to said wheel, one end of said outer sleeve being open and adjacent to a rim of said wheel, another end of said outer sleeve facing said axis of said wheel,   (ii) a scent reservoir having an outlet,   (iii) an inner sleeve concentric with, positioned in, and movable in said outer sleeve, one end of said inner sleeve being closed and facing said rim of said wheel, another end of said inner sleeve extending into said reservoir through said outlet of said reservoir and affixed to said reservoir at said outlet,   (iv) at least one window in a side wall of said inner sleeve, said window positioned adjacent said one end of said inner sleeve,   (v) a wick positioned in said inner sleeve and extending from said scent reservoir to said window,       

   (d) means for moving said inner sleeve and said reservoir to open and close said window such that, when said window is open, said inner sleeve is in said conduit and said window allows scent from said wick to enter said air flow in said conduit and, when said window is closed, said inner sleeve is outside said conduit and said window is against an inside wall of said outer sleeve so as to prevent scent from entering said air flow; 
   (e) a motor for rotating said wheel to align each of said inner sleeve of said scent containers with said side opening to allow scent from said scent reservoir to be delivered to an air flow in said conduit. 
   Suitably, the means for moving the inner sleeve is a solenoid with an associated arm which can raise the inner sleeve up and into the conduit. A source of electricity is employed to activate the solenoid while a spring is affixed between the reservoir and the outer sleeve such that when the solenoid is deactivated, or the power turned off, the spring will force the inner sleeve out of engagement with the conduit, likewise forcing the arm of the solenoid downward. 
   Alternatively, the means for moving the inner sleeve is a cam and a spring. The cam is situated such that as the wheel rotates and brings a scent container into alignment with the conduit, the reservoir rides over the cam and is forced upward, thereby forcing the inner sleeve upward and into the conduit. A spring is mounted between the outer sleeve and the reservoir such that, as the wheel rotates, the reservoir comes off the cam and the spring forces the reservoir downward, thereby forcing the inner sleeve downward. 
   Alternatively, a motor with an eccentric gear can be employed so as to move the reservoir and inner sleeve upward when the inner sleeve is positioned below the conduit. By activating the motor in reverse, the inner sleeve is drawn downward. In this embodiment, a spring is also employed between the outer sleeve and the reservoir in order to ensure that the window stays closed as the wheel rotates. 
   Additionally, multiple wheels can be used with one conduit so as to increase the number of containers which are available to that conduit or, alternatively, to allow for mixing of scent in the same conduit. 
   Suitably, the system of the present invention is portable. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other aspects of the present invention may be more fully understood by reference to one or more of the following drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an over view of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the means for injecting scent of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the means of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the means of  FIG. 2  wherein the inner sleeve is not in engagement with the conduit; and 
       FIG. 5  is another embodiment of the means for injecting scent into the conduit in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention has conduit  2  with one end attached to nasal interface  4  and the other end attached to means  6  for creating an air flow in conduit  2 . Affixed to a side wall of conduit  2  is means  8  for injecting scent into the air flow in conduit  2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , frame  10  is attached to conduit  20  in which air flow  22  moves. In the side wall of conduit  20  is inlet  24 . Inlet  24  can have side walls as shown in  FIG. 2  to assist in the registration and insertion of the inner conduit as discussed herein. 
   Frame  10  holds wheel  30  by means of axle  32 . Axle  32  is connected to motor  34 . Motor  34  is any suitable electric motor that can rotate wheel  30  upon command. Motor  30  can be connected:to a CPU unit or other processor (not shown) which would allow for accurate rotation and stopping of wheel  30 . The purpose of accurate rotation is to allow motor  34  to rotate wheel  30  and register various scent containers  40  under hole  24  of conduit  20 . Bushing  36  in frame  10  allows for rotation of axle  32 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , a plurality of scent containers  40  are affixed to wheel  30 . 
   Scent containers  40  each comprise outer sleeve  42  which is permanently affixed to wheel  30 , inner sleeve  44  which is permanently affixed to reservoir  46 . Inner sleeve  44  and reservoir  46  are affixed to each other such that, as inner sleeve  44  moves inside of outer sleeve  42 , scent reservoir  46  moves with inner sleeve  44 . Outer sleeve  42  has both ends open with one end affixed at the rim of wheel  30  and the other end facing towards axle  32 . By having both ends open, outer sleeve  42  allows for up and down movement of inner sleeve  44 . As will be appreciated, the outer diameter of inner sleeve  44  corresponds with the inner diameter of outer sleeve  42  to allow for inner sleeve  44  to move within outer sleeve  42  while maintaining a tight engagement. This tight engagement is important for purposes of preventing loss of scent when inner sleeve  44  is in a down position. 
   Inner sleeve  44  has closed top  48 , window  50  and open bottom  52 . Wick  54  is positioned in inner sleeve  44  and extends from closed top  48  through open bottom  52  and into scent reservoir  46 . 
   Open bottom  52  is positioned near the bottom of reservoir  46  to minimize the amount of scent liquid which is housed within reservoir  46  from flowing down inner sleeve  44  when the scent container  40  is upside down. Wick  54  is intended to essentially block and fill all of the inside cavity of inner sleeve  44  and to be able to absorb and carry through capillary action scented liquid from reservoir  46  up through inner sleeve  44  and to window  50 . 
   When window  50  is positioned within conduit  20  as shown in  FIG. 2 , air flow  22  picks up scent from wick  54  as the air passes through and around window  50 . In this manner, air flow  22  becomes scented. 
   When inner sleeve  44  is lowered as shown in  FIG. 4 , window  50  is closed due to its tight engagement with the inner wall of outer sleeve  42 . 
   Inner sleeve  44  and scent reservoir  46  move together since they are affixed to one another. In order to move inner sleeve  44  and scent reservoir  46 , spring  56  which is shown as a coil spring in the  FIGS. 2-4 , is positioned between outer sleeve  42  and reservoir  46 . Spring  56  pushes reservoir  46  downward. In order to move reservoir  46  and inner sleeve  44  upward, solenoid  58  has arm  60 . Solenoid  58  is affixed to frame  10 . In order to push inner sleeve  44  and reservoir  46  upward, solenoid  58  is activated to force arm  60  to raise inner sleeve  44  and reservoir  46 . When solenoid  58  is deactivated, spring  56  pushes reservoir  46  downward until the bottom of reservoir  46  engages stop  62 . 
   Solenoid  58  and arm  60  can be replaced by a conventional cam affixed to frame  10  in a conventional manner and positioned so as to force reservoir  46  and inner sleeve  44  upward as the bottom of reservoir  46  engages the cam and comes into registration with opening  24 . 
   Alternatively, solenoid  58  and arm  60  can be replaced with a motor with an eccentric gear thereon affixed to frame  10 . The eccentric gear would engage the bottom of reservoir  46  and allow the motor to drive the reservoir  46  upward when engaged. The motor would then be reversed in order to lower reservoir  46  and inner sleeve  44 . In this arrangement, spring  56  would still be employed so as to maintain window  50  in a closed position when scent container  40  is upside down as shown in FIG.  3 . 
   In  FIG. 3 , four different scent containers  40  are illustrated. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, a plurality of scent containers can be positioned around wheel  30 . The number of scent containers  40  which can be positioned around wheel  30  depends upon the size of the wheel  30  and the size of scent containers  40 . 
   Also, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a plurality of frames with the associated wheel and scent containers can be positioned along conduit  20 . This arrangement would increase the number of scent containers that are available to the conduit and its associated air flow and/or allow for mixing of scents. In other words, if there were two wheels, each with their own scent containers, both wheels could have scent containers registered with two separate holes in the conduit and both of those scent containers could be activated so that their windows were open within the air flow of the conduit. This would allow two scents to be added to the air flow and thus a mixing of scents in the air flow to allow a mixture of scents to be delivered to the user&#39;s nose. 
   Scent reservoir  46  preferably employs a liquid which has a scent. The term “scent” as used in the specification and claims means an effluvia that affects the sense of smell. The substance is preferably a liquid which fills scent reservoir  46 . Naturally, this liquid could also be a gel provided that the substance, or at least its scent, can travel up or through wick  54  to arrive at window  50 . 
   The term “wick” has been used to infer the capillary type action of a liquid upward through inner sleeve  44 . However, any type of packing material can be used. The purpose of the packing material is to prevent the loss of the liquid from scent reservoir  46 . Naturally, if a gel were employed and the gel had low flow characteristics, it is possible that inner sleeve  44  would not need to extend down and into scent reservoir  46 . 
     FIG. 5  illustrates yet another embodiment of the means for injecting scent into the air flow. Conduit  70  has air flow  22  therein. Conduit  70  has a plurality of inlets  72  and a plurality of scent reservoirs  74  each of which are affixed to the side of conduit  70 . Each reservoir  74  is filled with a gel  76  that can release scent. Each reservoir  74  has cap  78  which is held against the top of reservoir  74  by coil spring  80 . Dynamic alloy wire  82  is attached to the outside of cap  78  and has electrical connection  84  which can activate dynamic alloy wire  82  thereby lifting cap  78  and releasing scent into air flow  22 . 
   It will be understood that the claims are intended to cover all changes and modifications of the preferred embodiments of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.