Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20040076410?dq=6666377
Timestamp: 2014-03-11 18:00:27
Document Index: 593277161

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11']

Patent US20040076410 - Device for the diffusion of solutions - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA device (1) for the diffusion of solutions is made up of a heating device (50) comprising a shell, formed by two half-shells (51, 52), inside which there is an electric resistance (R1), designed to heat up when an electric current is applied to it, and a refill (1) comprising a shell (4, 5) containing...http://www.google.com/patents/US20040076410?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20040076410 - Device for the diffusion of solutionsAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20040076410 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 10/271,812Publication dateApr 22, 2004Filing dateOct 16, 2002Priority dateOct 16, 2002Also published asUS6775470Publication number10271812, 271812, US 2004/0076410 A1, US 2004/076410 A1, US 20040076410 A1, US 20040076410A1, US 2004076410 A1, US 2004076410A1, US-A1-20040076410, US-A1-2004076410, US2004/0076410A1, US2004/076410A1, US20040076410 A1, US20040076410A1, US2004076410 A1, US2004076410A1InventorsFabio Marchetti, Franco ZobeleOriginal AssigneeFranco Zobele, Fabio MarchettiExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManReferenced by (6), Classifications (7), Legal Events (7) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetDevice for the diffusion of solutionsUS 20040076410 A1Abstract A device (1) for the diffusion of solutions is made up of a heating device (50) comprising a shell, formed by two half-shells (51, 52), inside which there is an electric resistance (R1), designed to heat up when an electric current is applied to it, and a refill (1) comprising a shell (4, 5) containing the solution to be diffused and a wick (3) soaked in said solution and comprising at least one part that is in contact with the outside to diffuse the said solution. The refill (1) is coupled to the heating device (50) so that the resistance (R1) may heat the wick (3) causing the evaporation of the solution. The shell (5) of the refill (1) is provided with engaging devices (19) that will fit into the complementary engaging devices (55) provided in the shell (51) of the heating device (50), so that the refill (1) may be coupled with the heating device and may be turned on it so that it may be positioned in such a way as to prevent leakage of the solution it contains, whatever the direction in which the power socket on the wall is installed. Images(4) Claims(15)
[0022] The solution diffusing device, indicated as a whole with reference number 100, is described with the aid of the Figures. [0023] Diffusing device 100 comprises a heating device 50 and a refill 1. [0024] Refill 1 comprises a shell or valve to contain the solution and a wick 3 used to diffuse the solution. [0025] The shell consists of a front half-shell or half-valve 4 designed to contain the solution and a rear half-shell or half-valve 5 which serves as a cover and may be coupled to front half-shell 4. [0026] Front half-shell 4 has a flat peripheral flange 6 which surrounds a recessed chamber or reservoir 7 to contain the solution. Next to chamber 7 is a recess 9 with a substantially rectangular opening 8. [0027] In the wall of chamber 7 opposite the wall separating it from opening 8 there is a slot 10 to hold wick 3 in position. [0028] Wick 3 is in the shape of an essentially rectangular plate with a wider head part 11 and a narrower stem 12. Head part 11 of wick 3 is designed to fit into recess 9 in the front half-shell 4. Holes may be provided in head part 11 of the wick to improve the evaporation of the solution. [0029] The outside surface of recess 9 has a peelable band 20 which covers opening 8. Band 9 may be an adhesive strip and may be pulled by the user to uncover opening 8. [0030] Stem 12 of wick 3 is sufficiently long to span the whole width of chamber 7 in the front half-shell 4. Stem 12 has a free end 13 designed to fit into slot 10 in the front half-shell. [0031] Rear half-shell or cover 5 is shaped like a flat plate with the same outer profile as front half-shell 4. As shown in FIG. 2, on the inside surface of rear half-shell 5 a number of projections or teeth 19 are placed in an annular arrangement. Teeth 19 should preferably be four in number, placed in pairs positioned diametrically opposite one another. [0032] Heating device 50 comprises a front half-shell 51 and a rear half-shell 52 which fit together. The two half-shells 51 and 52 may be fitted together using suitable mechanical means, such as clips or interlocking devices or may be joined together by hot welding or ultrasonic welding. Rear half-shell 52 incorporates an electric plug 53. [0033] Merely as an example, the electric plug illustrated in the drawings shows a standard two-pin Italian plug, with two electric poles 54, suitable for insertion into power sockets with two or three holes to accept poles 54. However, any other type of plug may be fitted to rear half-shell 52 of heating device 51, such as for example three-pin plugs with poles of various gauges, or standard American plugs. [0034] Front half-shell 51 of heating device 50 is substantially shaped like a circular plate and has a circular or annular channel 55 in its outside face which has a radius substantially matching the radius of the circular positioning of projections 19. [0035] Annular or circular channel 55 is substantially as wide as the thickness of projections 19, so that projections 19 fit into circular channel 55, permitting the rotation of refill 1 on heating device 50 along the circular path defined by circular channel 55. [0036] Annular channel 55 delimits a disc-shaped wall 56, behind which an electric resistance R1 is fitted (FIGS. 4 and 5). Electric resistance R1 is connected at its two ends by two respective electric wires 57, to electric contacts 58 connected to the electric poles 54 of plug 53. [0037] Resistance R1 is fitted on the inside surface of wall 56 of heating device 50, and the axis of resistance R1 is positioned at an oblique angle of approximately 45� in relation to the plane upon which the two poles 54 of plug 53 are placed. In this way, both when the plane of the two poles 54 is positioned vertically (FIG. 6) and when the plane of the two poles is positioned horizontally (FIG. 7), resistance R1 is always positioned at an oblique angle of approximately 45� in relation to a vertical line and a horizontal line, thereby producing substantially the same heating effect on refill 1. [0038] Assembly of diffusing device 100 is extremely simple. In fact, after filling chamber 7 with a liquid solution, upper part 11 of wick 3 must be fitted into recess 9 of the front half-shell 4 and free end 13 of stem 12 of the wick must be inserted into slot 10 of front half-shell 4, in such a way that stem 12 becomes soaked in the liquid in chamber 7. [0039] The rear half-shell 5 must then be coupled to the front half-shell 4 in order to hermetically seal chamber 7 and maintain wick 3 sandwiched between the two half-shells 4 and 5. [0040] Refill 1 is subsequently connected to heating device 50 inserting projections 19 of the rear half-shell of the refill into circular channel 55 of the front half-shell of the heating device. In this way, refill 1 is connected to the heating device and may be turned along the circular path of circular channel 55. This permits the refill to be turned so that solution reservoir chamber 7 may be positioned at the bottom and upper part 11 of wick 3 at the top, thus avoiding any spillage of the solution. [0041] Once refill 1 has been assembled, opening 8 of front half-shell 4 is covered with peelable strip 20 so as to guarantee that the refill does not leak before use and also permit subsequent closure of the refill, should it be necessary to transport the device elsewhere or interrupt its operation. [0042] When plug 53 is inserted into a power socket, the current powers resistance R1 which heats up exchanging its heat with wall 56 and rear half-shell 5 of the heating device and with head part 11 of wick 3 by conduction. As a result, head part 11 of the wick heats up too and permits the evaporation of the liquid with which the wick is saturated. Since resistance R1 is always positioned at an angle of approximately 45� to the area of the refill to be heated, no matter how the plug is positioned (FIGS. 6 and 7), the same heating effect will always be determined. [0043] Wick 3 must be made in a suitable material that has the capillarity and porosity characteristics required to transport the liquid contained in chamber 7 from stem 12 towards head part 11 and thus permit evaporation of the liquid from head part 11. For this purpose, the wick may be made in a mixture of cellulose fibre and cotton or may be made in another porous material of any kind such as ceramic, polyethylene fibre, polypropylene fibre, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) or similar material. [0044] The two half-shells 4 and 5 may be made in any material compatible with the liquid solution to be contained. Nevertheless, it is preferable that the two half-shells 4 and 5 should be made in plastic material. In this case, front half-shell 4 is made by thermoforming to shape chamber 7 and recess 9, and opening 8 is made by die cutting. [0045] Rear half-shell 5 must be made in material that will resist the heat produced by resistance R1. Preferably, the two half-shells 4 and 5 should be made in the same material so that they may be welded to one another. Rear half-shell 5 may be made by moulding so that projections 19 will be more solid and therefore will fit more firmly into circular channel 55 of the heating device. [0046] If weldable plastic material is used, rear half-shell 5 may be welded to front half-shell 4 along peripheral flange 6. Wick 3, at least around the perimeter of its upper part 11 is welded to the two half-shells 4 and 5 to prevent the liquid contained in chamber 7 from leaking out when refill 1 is not in a vertical position. Therefore to ensure that the refill is tightly sealed, the two half-shells 4 and 5 are welded together along their peripheral edge and around the evaporation area in which head part 11 of wick 3 comes into contact with the air. [0047] The material of the two half-shells 4 and 5 must be such that it permits the two half-shells to be welded together and the two half-shells to be welded to the wick. For this purpose, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) treated with polythene may be used or another material that is compatible with the liquid contained in the reservoir which may be coated with glue that reacts with heat thereby welding with both the half-shells 4 and 5 and the wick 3. For example, the two half-shells 4 and 5 and the wick 3 may be made in the same material. A material produced in thermoformed sheets or injection moulded may be used for the two half-shells 4 and 5 and the same material in porous form may be used for wick 3. In this way, wick 3 and the two half-shells 4 and 5 may be welded together by heat sealing, ultrasonic or high-frequency welding. In this way a tight seal is ensured between wick 3 and half-shells 4 and 5 so that the liquid will not leak out. Additionally, since the wick is welded to the half-shells, it is kept rigidly in position and no folds can form during use which would have a negative effect on the evaporation of the liquid. [0048] Numerous variations and modifications of detail within the reach of a person skilled in the art may be made to this embodiment of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention expressed by the appended claims. Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS8498524 *Apr 28, 2005Jul 30, 2013Zobele Espana, S.A.Vaporizer device of multi-fragrance volatile substancesCN101141983B *Feb 3, 2005Sep 14, 2011索韦莱西班牙股份有限公司Vaporizer device of multi-fragrance volatile substancesEP2052745A1 *Feb 22, 2007Apr 29, 2009S.C.Johnson &amp; Son, Inc.Air treatment device with heated volatile dispenserWO2005011373A2 *Jul 22, 2004Feb 10, 2005John Douglas Peter MorganDevice for enabling vapour emanationWO2006056762A1 *Nov 23, 2005Jun 1, 2006Reckitt Benckiser Au Pty LtdVapour emanation deviceWO2006084921A1 *Feb 3, 2005Aug 17, 2006Zobele Espana SaDiffuser for volatile substances with multiple fragrances* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification392/390International ClassificationA61L9/03, A01M1/20Cooperative ClassificationA61L9/037, A01M1/2077European ClassificationA01M1/20C4G, A61L9/03WLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionOct 2, 2012FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20120810Aug 10, 2012LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesMar 26, 2012REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedFeb 7, 2008FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Apr 4, 2006CCCertificate of correctionApr 30, 2003ASAssignmentOwner name: ZOBELE HOLDING SPA, ITALYFree format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CONVEYING AND RECEIVING PARTIES NAMES, PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 013404, FRAME 0216;ASSIGNORS:ZOBELE, FRANCO;MARCHETTI, FABIO;REEL/FRAME:014023/0185Effective date: 20020724Owner name: ZOBELE HOLDING SPA VIA FERSINA 438100 TRENTO, (1)Free format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CONVEYING AND RECEIVING PARTIES NAMES, PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 013404, FRAME 0216.;ASSIGNORS:ZOBELE, FRANCO /AR;REEL/FRAME:014023/0185Oct 16, 2002ASAssignmentOwner name: ZOEBLE HOLDING SPA, ITALYFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ZOEBLE, FRANCO;MARCHETTI, FABIO;REEL/FRAME:013404/0216Effective date: 20020724RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google