Abstract:
A device for blowing a vapor-containing air stream into a pre-selected space that has a housing having a channel leading to an outlet and a container for liquid mounted in the housing. A heated vaporization chamber in the housing communicates with said a channel. A nozzle sprays a fine mist of a liquid into the vaporization chamber. A blower in the channel blows a stream of air through said channel and out the outlet. A controller senses the temperature of the heater and maintains the blower and nozzle inactive until the temperature sensed reaches a predetermined level. The rate of liquid fed to the nozzle is controlled.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a dispensing device that actively blows an air stream containing a vaporized material, such as, a deodorizer, a fragrance, an oil, a medicine or the like, into a defined space.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art  
           [0004]    It is known to dispense air fresheners and fragrances by soaking such fragrances into a gel, paper, or other absorbent substrate and permit passive evaporation of the fragrance therefrom. Such devices require the fragrance/air freshener to be volatile at ambient temperatures. Typical among these are the air fresheners typically hung from the review mirrors of cars. These are passive systems.  
           [0005]    It is also known to heat such substrates to more rapidly release the fragrance or permit release of fragrances not normally volatile at room temperature, such as are described in Atalla et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,973, issued Mar. 28, 1989, for a PORTABLE NIGHT LIGHT AND AIR FRESHENER and Wefler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,935, issued Sep. 26, 2000, for an AIR FRESHENER DISPENSER DEVICE WITH DISPOSABLE HEAT-ACTIVATED CARTRIDGE, and a myriad other issued patents too numerous to mention. These units are often adapted to plug into household wall sockets or automobile cigarette lighter sockets wherein a disposable cartridge containing fragrance-soaked substrate is inserted into the unit and replaced when the finite quantity of fragrance they contain is exhausted.  
           [0006]    It is known to dispense atomized liquid air freshener directly into a flow of air being heated and moved by a furnace, such as is described in Davis, G. D., U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,419, issued Aug. 20, 2002, for a LIQUID AIR FRESHENER DISPENSING DEVICE FOR A DUCT. It is also known to inject atomized liquid fragrance directly into a stream of air in the context of an automotive DC system, such as is described in Shropshire, M. C., U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,256, issued Mar. 16, 1999, for a FRAGRANCE DISPENSER.  
           [0007]    It is also known to simply blow air directly upon a substrate containing a fragrance/air freshener so as to promote evaporation of the fragrance therefrom, such as is described in Rees, N., U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,823, issued Jul. 3, 2001, for an AIR FRESHENER.  
           [0008]    What appears to be lacking in the art is a self-contained dispensing device that can be readily connected to a power supply and that can be easily located in proximity to a space, an area, person or an article(s) that one desires to freshen or otherwise treat.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a simple self-contained dispensing device such as a vaporizer unit that can be easily carried from place to place, set on a supporting surface, such as table, plugged into an electrical outlet in a room or space in a building, such as a home or office, and set to function in one of a plurality of modes to freshen, fumigate, or medicate the space, a pre-selected volume of air or articles located in proximity to the dispensing device. For example, the unit can easily be located in a closet and used to remove odors from clothing. Further it can also be used to freshen the air in a room such a kitchen including the walls, ceiling, furniture and appliances. Other and further details of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 shows schematically a novel embodiment of the invention as would be suitable for use in a home, office or hospital.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 shows a schematically another novel embodiment of the invention suitable for use in vehicle, land or water based.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 shows an electrical logic diagram of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 5.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 shows an electrical logic diagram of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 6.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 shows a circuit diagram of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 shows the best mode in the form of a second preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a medial sectional view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 7. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and  5 , there is shown a first preferred embodiment of the vaporizer device of the invention. The device generally noted as  1  consists of a main body or housing H, formed of a suitable plastic material, in the shape of a cylinder with a blunt front end and flattened rear end, and has a flat bottom  2  for sitting on a surface such as a tabletop. A handle  20  is integrally fashioned at the top of the device  1  to enable easy carrying from one location to another. The size and general shape of the device is similar to that of a conventional steam iron as available today. A liquid inlet  3  is present in the rear end surface of housing H and is closed by a cover (not shown) that can be easily opened and closed and which may be hinged or connected (but not necessarily) to the housing H of the device for this purpose. Inlet  3  leads into a container  5  mounted in the body or housing H for holding the liquid material to be dispensed by the device. Container  5  extends from the rear end to about the middle of the housing H. The rear end portion  5   a  of the container  5  has a depth about half the depth of the housing H and extends upwardly for about twice the depth of the main portion  5   b  of container  5 . In rear end  5   a  is a sight glass  19  to enable viewing of the level of liquid in container  5   a . Sight glass  19  is visible through a suitable opening in the housing H. The forward end portion  5   c  of the container  5  also extends above the main portion  5   b , but only slightly, in order to accommodate a pump  6  and to provide a mounting plate  6   a  for the pump and to act as a removable closure for forward end portion  5   c  to enable access.  
         [0019]    Mounted in the housing H just above the main portion  5   c  of the container  5  is an electromagnetic generator consisting of a core and driving coil  10  with an armature  7 . This is a conventional unit is known in the art and functions when operated to drive the armature  7  up and down in a reciprocating fashion. A control knob  11  is rotatable mounted in the housing H so that upon rotation, it will move up or down depending on the direction of rotation. This is readily accomplished by a threaded connection between the housing H and the shaft or boss  11   a  of the knob  11 . Alternatively, knob  11  can be adjusted up or down using axial vertical movement in a bore in the housing H and detents and recesses used to set the vertical position of the knob  11 . The top end of a stub shaft  11   b  is slidably inserted in a bore formed in the free end of the shaft or boss  11   a  of the knob  11  and the lower other end of shaft  11   b  is connected to armature  7 . The interaction of the top of the stub shaft  11   b  and the top end of the bore formed in the shaft or boss  11   a  provides a stop to limit the armature upward travel, thereby setting the limits of its reciprocal travel or stroke. Thus, setting the vertical position of the knob  11  in turn sets the stroke of the armature  7  and provides a flow control. Tension spring  11   c  is connected at one end to knob  11  and connected at its other end to armature  7  to hold the armature  7  in repose in its upper position.  
         [0020]    A bar  9  is connected and fixed to the armature  7  to move with it. Bar  9  bears on the top end of a shaft  8  that is connected to the driving shaft of a reciprocal pump  6  that is positioned in front portion  5   c  of the container  5  near its bottom. The inlet for the pump  6  is not shown, but will be from the bottom area of the pump  6  in conventional fashion. The outlet from the pump  6  is via conduit  6   b , as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, which leads to the rear end of a cylindrical nozzle member  12  consisting of a reservoir  12   a  and a spray nozzle  12   b  formed in the front wall of the nozzle member  12  at its forward end. The plate closure  6   a  supports the reciprocating pump  6  and hold the conduit  6   b  in a properly oriented position. Nozzle member  12  is mounted in a support wall  30   a  of the housing H.  
         [0021]    The forward end of the housing H is shaped to define a spout or outlet  4 . An intermediate support wall  30  divides the front section of the housing H from the rear section of the housing H. Intermediate wall  30  consists of a vertical support wall portion  30   a  that is connected to the bottom  2  of the housing H and extends upwardly terminating at or near the top of the housing H, and a horizontal portion  30   b  that extends from the top of vertical portion  30   a  forwardly toward the front of housing H and then downwardly to form the front end  30   c  of the housing H. A wall portion  30   d  extends horizontally from the midpoint of vertical wall portion  30   a . Wall portions  30   b  and  30   d  define a cylindrical chamber  15  into which nozzle member  12  projects with nozzle  12   b  pointing coaxially into cylindrical chamber  15 . Front end portion  30   c  closes the front end of the cylindrical chamber  15  and wall portion  30   a  closes the rear end of the cylindrical chamber  15 . Horizontal wall portion  30   d  terminates short of front end wall portion  30   c  defining a horizontally oriented opening  15   a . The bottom  2 , the wall portion  30   a  and the horizontal wall portion  30   d  define a second cylindrical chamber  16  that is essentially in horizontal alignment with the spout or outlet  4 . Opening  15   a  enables communication between chamber  15  and chamber  16 .  
         [0022]    An electric dc motor  17  is supported by wall portion  30   a  and drives a fan  17   a  via its motor shaft  17   b . The electrical connections and supply for the motor are not shown in FIG. 1, but will become apparent from the following description. Holes  18  in wall portion  30   a  enable air on the rear side of wall portion  30   a  to pass through the wall portion  30   a  to reach the fan  17   a . The top  30   e  of the housing is provided with a grill  30   f  that allows air to enter the space behind or to the rear of wall portion  30   a , and thereby reach the openings  18  and fan  17   a . A heater  13 , preferably a resistance heater, is embedded in the wall portions  30   b ,  30   c , and  30   d  that surround and define the cylindrical chamber  15 , in order to heat chamber  15 , as will become more apparent from the following description.  
         [0023]    The electrical circuit for the device shown in FIG. 1 is schematically shown in FIG. 5. The components to be described in conjunction with FIG. 5 are mounted in the device  1  in a manner that will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the description above taken with the description that now follows. The circuit consists of terminals  50  and  52  that are connected to a line cord provided with a conventional plug for attachment to a 110 volt electrical convenience outlet, of the type found in a home or office. Terminal  50  is connected via a fuse F 1  to terminal  54  of a three way switch S 1 , the contacting connecting terminals of which are identified as “Timing”, “OFF” and “Manual”. Timing terminal is connected by lead  56  to a first switch S 2  that is under the control of a first timer T 1 , and then by lead  58  to a second switch S 3  under the control of a second timer T 2 . Lead  60  connects the switch S 3  to an input terminal  62  of heater  13 , the output terminal  64  of heater  13  being connected to a switch S 4  that is a thermocouple Tc 1  controlled switch. Lead  63  connects switch S 4  to terminal  52 . The Manual terminal is connected by lead  70  to a manually operated on-off switch S 6  that is mounted on the housing H in a convenient position for operation by the user. Lead  72  connects switch S 6  to one side of the electromagnetic generator (M 1 )  10 , and lead  74  connects the other side of generator  10  to switch S 5  that is a thermocouple Tc 2  controlled switch, which in turn is connected by lead  76  to lead  63  at junction  77 . The ac voltage is tapped off the electromagnetic generator  10  and fed to across a full wave rectifier D 1  consisting of 4 diodes arranged in conventional fashion in a rectifying bridge. The takeoff from the rectifier bridge is a dc voltage that is connected via leads  78  and  80  across a dc motor (M 2 )  17  used to drive the fan  17   a . Lead  82  connects a junction  62  in lead  60  with a junction  71  in lead  70 . Lead  84  connects a junction  73  in lead  72  with a junction  57  in lead  56 . A lead  51  is connected across terminal  50  and lead  63  and contains a resistor R 1  and LED L 1  in series. Similarly, a lead  86  is connected across the thermocouple operated switch S 4  connecting junction  64  and lead  63 , and contains in series a resistor R 2  and an LED L 2 .  
         [0024]    The operation of the dispensing device described above is as follows, taking into account the logic electrical working diagram of FIG. 3. The essential operation is that the chamber  15  is heated to an appropriate temperature, preferable about 100° C., before any liquid is sprayed through nozzle  12   a  into chamber  15 . This causes the liquid mist, resulting from the spraying, to vaporize completely within the chamber  15 . Meanwhile the fan  17   a  is being driven blowing air out the spout  4  into the space in which the device is located. This produces a slight negative pressure in chamber  16  and causes the vaporized material in chamber  15  to be drawn down through the opening  15   a  and diffused in and mixed into the blowing air stream being directed out the spout  4 . This effect produces a much better and more efficacious distribution of the sprayed liquid material, since it is vaporized completely in heated chamber  15  and then mixed with the air blown by fan  17   a . The control of the dispensing device produces this efficient operation.  
         [0025]    The nozzle or misting mouth  12   a  sprays the dispensing liquid, e.g. a fragrance, as a fine mist (droplets) into the cylinder-type fuming furnace, cylindrical chamber  15  with heater  13 . All of the sprayed droplets or mist is converted into vapor in the heated chamber  15 . Then, the completely fumed or vaporized liquid is drawn out of heated chamber  15  into chamber  16  where it is mixed and diffused into the air being blown by fan  17   a  out through the spout  4  and into the designated space.  
         [0026]    The fragrance liquid is pumped in high speed runs through the misting mouth or nozzle  12   a , which has a very small diameter or series of small holes to change the pumped liquid into a fine mist. Spraying into and forming the mist in the high temperature fuming furnace produces an immediate fuming or vaporizing. All sprayed liquid is converted to vapor in chamber  15 . The design of the cylindrical type of fuming furnace guarantees that the sprayed in mist doesn&#39;t come out of the device as a mist, and the fuming is 100%.  
         [0027]    The air stream blown by and from the fan  17   a  travels below the furnace outlet  15   a , and forms a negative pressure that speeds up vaporized material coming or flowing out of fuming furnace  15  and going out of device through spout  4 . Other functions of fan  17   a  include strengthen air circulation in a predefined space to make the dispensed material well distributed and stronger in the air, forcing out ambient air from a predefined space and filling the space with a stronger air flow containing an appropriate amount of dispensed vaporized liquid in such space, and making a vaporized strike on a focus area which is hard to reach.  
         [0028]    The device electrical working logic is shown schematically in FIG. 3 and is to be considered in conjunction with the electrical circuitry as shown and described with reference to FIG. 5. The working and control logic of the device will now be discussed. With respect to the working order of the functional components comprising the electrical heater  13 , the electromagnetic generator  10  and fan  17   a , the logic is that the heater  13  start working first, and then, the electromagnetic generator  10  and fan  17   a  start working at the same time after the temperature of heater  13  is up to the operating or set temperature of 100° C., that is, when liquid mist sprayed into chamber  15  will be vaporized immediately. This task is carried out by thermostat switch S 5 , controlled by thermocouple Tc 2 , which is “on” when the temperature of heater  13  is up to the set temperature, and is “off’ when the temperature of heater is below the set temperature. The purposes of such logic and implementation are to avoid spraying mist into the fuming furnace  15  when the fuming furnace can&#39;t fume mist, to make the device intelligent, and to avoid time uncertainty when a user manually operates the device and in particular, the electromagnetic generator  10  and fan  17   a.    
         [0029]    The combination of a power switch and two timers provides working way choices for user. There are three modes of operation, namely, manual, immediate automatic dispensing, and delayed dispensing. The timer  1  is a delay. The habitus or normal condition of the switch S 2  associated with and operated by timer  1  is in the “ON” state. The power is connected through S 2  to the switch S 3  associated with and operated by timer  2  whenever the timer  1  is still (at rest in its initial position) or goes back to its initial position. The habitus or normal condition of the switch S 3  associated with and operated by timer  2  is in the “OFF” state. The power is connected to the heater  13  (H 1 ) when the timer  2  is running (in the “ON” state), and power is cut off by switch S 3  when timer  2  go back to initial position (the “OFF” state). So the combination of power switch S 6  and the two timers and switches S 2  and S 3  provide working ways of choice.  
         [0030]    The first mode is manual operation wherein the choice switch S 1  is set to “Manual”. In this mode, heater H 1  starts immediately to warm up. When the temperature sensed by Tc 1  and Tc 2  reach their set temperatures, switch S 4  is off and indicating bulb L 2  becomes red, at the same time switch S 5  has switched on. Set temperature of Tc 2  is lower than that of Tc 1 , which means that M 1  and M 2  are ready to work. When the power switch S 6  is switched on, after the dispenser device has had a warm-up period of about 2 minutes for the heater  13  to reach operating temperature as described, M 1  and M 2  operate to shoot fragrance vapor and, the device starts working and dispensing a stream of air containing the vaporized liquid contained in the container  5  and being pumped through nozzle  12   a . The power switch S 6  can be switched on and off at any time to start and stop the further operation of the device, at the user&#39;s option. Turning switch S 1  to the “OFF” position will cancel the “Manual” operation.  
         [0031]    The second mode is no time delay with emission of the heated air stream containing the vaporized liquid for a time to be fixed or preset. The switch S 1  is set to “Timing”. In this mode, the timer  1  is kept in its initial condition, still and timer  2  is set for a predetermined time that the user wants the device to operate for. The device will start working as soon as the heater reaches its operating temperature (about 2 minutes) and will issue an air stream containing the vaporized liquid continuously. The device by itself will stop operating automatically when timer  2  completes the set time. The time of issuing the air stream containing the vaporized liquid will equal the time set for timer  2  less the time required for the heater  13  to reach operating temperature (about 2 minutes).  
         [0032]    The third mode is a set time delay and then continuous issuance of the air stream with the contained vaporized liquid for a set time. In this mode the choice switch S 1  is set to “Timing”, the timer  1  is set to time T 1  and timer  2  is set to a longer time T 2  than T 1 . The machine itself will automatically start working and issuing an air stream containing the vaporized liquid after timer  1  has completed its set time, and will itself automatically stop operating after timer  2  has completed its set time. The air stream issuance time equals T 2  minus T 1  minus the time required for the temperature of heater  13  to rise to its operating temperature (about 2 minutes).  
         [0033]    Because the predetermined time required for the device to reach the operating temperature of 100° C. for the heater  13  is a known factor, i.e. certain, 2 minutes, a user can take this factor into account by a very simple calculation when setting the device for one of the modes of operation as described above. A user can work the device on site or not on site to deodorize, medicate or otherwise treat an area, such as at his/her room, and/or operate the device at random or in quantization.  
         [0034]    The thermocouple operated switch S 4 , controlled by thermocouple Tc 1 , switches off whenever the heater temperature reaches 200° C. in order to protect the device from overheating. When the temperature of heater H 1  is over about set temperature (about 200 degrees C.) of Tc 1 , switch S 4  switches off. The current through heater H 1 , R 2  (high resistance) and L 2  become smaller, and so temperature of H 1  comes down. Vice versa, when the temperature of heater H 1  comes down too much, Tc 1  senses such lower temperature and switch S 4  is turned on to increase current and temperature of heater H 1 . Switch S 4  is a safety mechanism. Both thermocouples Tc 1  and Tc 2  sense the temperature of heater  13  and are placed in the device in appropriate locations for this purpose.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 3 is a logic diagram showing schematically what has been described above. As shown Timer  1  and timer  2  and the switches S 2  and S 3  operated thereby are cascaded after the choice switch S 1 . Their outputs from a logic sense are fed to the heater where the thermocouples sense the temperature of the heater and set the switches S 4  and S 5  as shown in the right part of the diagram in order to control the electromagnetic generator and pump and fan. The logic diagram is set for the choice “Manual”, but is equally understandable for a setting of “Timing”.  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIGS. 2, 4 and  6 , an embodiment of the invention suitable for use in an automobile or other type of vehicle, land or water, will now be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the device is similar to the device illustrated and described with reference to FIG. 1, and the same parts have been designated by the same reference numerals. In the device shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle  12   a  and the reservoir  12  are fed by a centrifugal pump  6 ′ that is coupled to the container  5  by conduit  6 ″. The output of pump  6 ′ is connected by conduit to a fitting  40  that is connected to the intake of the reservoir  12 . The knob  11 ′ is connected by shaft  11 ″ to a suitable valve (not shown) residing in the fitting  40 . By appropriately manipulating the knob  11 ′ the valve is controlled and thereby the flow from the pump is controlled as the liquid is pumped from container  5  to reservoir  12  and nozzle  12   a . The remainder of the device shown in FIG. 2 is the same physically as shown and described with reference to FIG. 1.  
         [0037]    The electrical circuit for the device shown in FIG. 2 is simpler and is shown schematically in FIG. 6. A DC power source operates the circuit. Power is supplied to the B+ terminal and passes through a fuse F 1  and manual switch S 1  and connected to a heater electrical resistance coil or wire H 1  and then through a thermocouple operated switch S 4 , controlled by a thermocouple Tc 1 , which serves as an overheating protection and then to ground GND. A high load resistor R 2  and LED L 2  forms a parallel path to the switch S 4 . On the lead in  100  to the heater H 1 , is a junction connected to ground via a high load resistor R 1  and LED L 1 . From junction  104 , also in the lead  100  to the heater H 1 , is connected a lead  106  that connects in parallel to the motor M 1  driving the centrifugal pump  6 ′ and motor M 2  that drives the fan  17   a . The two motors are connected in common by junction  108  to ground through a second thermocouple operated switch S 5  controlled by thermocouple Tc 2 .  
         [0038]    As will be apparent from the Logic electrical working diagram shown as FIG. 4, the operation of the device shown is FIG. 2 is quite simple. Whenever the manual switch S 1  is closed, the DC current will flow through the heater H 1  causing the heater H 1  to start heating up, since overheating protector switch S 4  will be close due to the sensing of thermocouple Tc 1  indicating that the heater H 1  is below the overheated state (above 200° C.). Meanwhile, the motors will not be driving, because the thermocouple Tc 2  controlling the switch S 5  will be sensing that the heater H 1  is below the set or operating temperature (below 100° C.), and therefore, switch S 5  will be OFF. When the thermocouple Tc 2  senses that the temperature of heater H 1  has risen to or above the set or operating temperature, switch S 5  will be ON, at which time the motors M 1  and M 2  will be driving the pump  6 ′ and the fan  17   a , respectively.  
         [0039]    Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the best mode for the housing is shown in the second preferred embodiment. Like parts have been designated by the same reference numbers. The main difference is the provision of air inlet slots  100  formed on each side of housing  2  that provide openings into chamber  16  axially spaced forward of fan  17   a  toward spout  4 . This simplifies and enhances the capability of fan  17   a  drawing air into the housing  2  to be pushed out spout  4 . The other difference is the relocation of the filling inlet  3  from the rear of housing  2  to side of housing  2 , in a more convenient location that enables filling with greater ease and efficiency. In the location as shown, filling inlet is slightly canted upwardly.  
         [0040]    Changes and modifications as apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiments as disclosed herein are deemed to fall within the purview of the claims.