Patent Document

FIELD OF INVENTION 
   This invention generally relates to a vapor-dispensing device, and more particularly to a multiple-outlet vapor dispensing device. 
   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   Vapor-dispensing devices of the type inserted into common electrical outlets are generally known. Many such devices require a particular positioning or orientation relative to the outlet due to the polar configuration and dimensioning of the electrical prongs and corresponding outlet openings. For example, in the United States, many standard polar two-prong devices include a larger prong and a smaller prong corresponding respectively to the two electrical poles and differentiated openings of the wall outlet. Some devices require that the poles and thus the prongs be aligned for proper operation of the device. Other devices may employ the polar plug design merely to provide improved stability, particularly if the device does not have a third prong for grounding. 
   Problems may arise, however, when electricians install a polar or other standard outlet upside down, which is sometimes an industry practice used to indicate when the outlet is coupled to a light switch. In such cases, orienting a device having polar prongs with the inverted polar outlet may cause inferior performance, instability or failure of the device. In the case of air fresheners or other devices employing a liquid medium, it is a concern that inversion of the device may result in condensation or leakage of the liquid medium. Furthermore, various dispenser components such as wicks, emanators, or dispersion passages may rely on gravity or may be otherwise dependent on a particular orientation. Similarly, problems may be encountered when a device is plugged into an outlet that is installed horizontally. 
   Accordingly, there is a need for means to properly orient such devices relative to an inverted outlet and/or for means to render such devices capable of operation in multiple orientations. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   While the way that the present invention addresses the disadvantages of the prior art will be discussed in greater detail below, in general, the present invention provides means associated with a dispensing device for compensating for various orientations of an outlet into which the device is to be inserted. 
   In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, operational independence of a dispenser and/or reservoir relative to an outlet orientation may be accomplished with a base member configured to be oriented independent of the outlet orientation, a reservoir configured to be oriented independent of a base member orientation, a reservoir and associated dispenser configured to operate in multiple orientations, or a pair of sleeved wicks configured for selective transport of dispersible material based upon device orientation. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to similar elements throughout the Figures, and 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary dispensing device according to one embodiment having an orientation sensor; 
       FIGS. 2A–2C  illustrate exemplary dispensing devices according to various embodiments having various emanator configurations; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary dispensing device according to an embodiment having a reversible outlet body; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary dispensing device according to an embodiment employing an inverted polar prong adapter; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary dispensing device according to an embodiment having rotatable polar prongs; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary dispensing device according to an embodiment having a pair of inversely operable sleeved wicks; and 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary dispensing device according to an embodiment having a pair of inversely operable sleeved wicks in separate reservoir compartments. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   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 herein. It should be appreciated that the description herein may be adapted to be employed with alternatively configured devices having different shapes, components, delivery mechanisms and the like and still fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. 
   Various outlet orientation compensating means are disclosed herein in the exemplary context of air fresheners. That being said, the present invention may be used with any vapor-dispensing products. Such products typically include a volatizable material and a transport system configured to facilitate evaporation of the volatizable material into the surrounding air. Exemplary volatizable materials include fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators, odor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants, medicinal substances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers, and aroma therapy compositions. Thus, “air freshener” as used herein refers to any vapor dispensing device similarly described in connection with polarized dual-outlet receptacles. That being said, such air fresheners may be used in connection with any configuration or orientation of receptacle. 
   Air fresheners may be passive in operation, i.e., they may operate by ambient evaporation without the need for additional energy input to the system, or they may be active, requiring additional energy input, for example, in the form of heating elements or fans. Conventional air fresheners often include a refillable or replaceable reservoir. 
   An exemplary air freshener according to the present invention comprises a low profile dispensing device that resembles a standard dual electrical outlet and includes a base member having at least one pair of electrical prongs for insertion into an electrical wall outlet, a secondary electrical outlet, and a heating element for heating a volatile material. A replaceable or refillable reservoir containing volatile material is attachable to the base member and associated with a dispenser, e.g., an emanator pad. The device further includes orientation compensating means allowing for upright orientation of the reservoir, base member, dispenser and/or other components independent of the orientation of the wall outlet (e.g., upright, horizontal, or inverted). “Upright,” as used herein refers to a target or default orientation. 
   Orientational and/or operational independence of the reservoir or dispenser relative to the outlet orientation may be accomplished by numerous configurations. For example, briefly, one embodiment includes a base member configured to be oriented independent of an outlet orientation. Another embodiment includes a reservoir configured to be oriented independent of a base member orientation. Another embodiment includes a reservoir and associated dispenser configured to operate in multiple orientations. Yet another embodiment includes a pair of sleeved wicks configured for alternate operation depending upon orientation. In sum, any number of air freshener components may be configured to accommodate multiple wall outlet orientations or multiple air freshener orientations. 
   For example, with reference to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of an air freshener device  2  includes a base  4 , and a reservoir  6 . Base  4  includes electrical prongs (not shown) for insertion into a wall outlet, a pair of secondary outlets  8 , heating elements  10  and  12 , and a gravity switch  14 . Heating elements  10  and  12  are electrically connected through gravity switch  14  to the electrical prongs on base  4 . Gravity switch  14  is configured to selectively supply power to heating elements  10  and  12  based upon the orientation of base  4 . Gravity switch  14  may be activated by a weight or fluid acting under the influence of gravity. For example, heating element  10  may be powered with base  4  in an upright orientation while heating element  12  may be powered with base  4  in an inverted orientation. 
   In an alternative embodiment, heating elements  10  and  12  may be simultaneously powered regardless of the orientation of base  4 . Heating elements  10  and  12  may be further configured to operate periodically or continuously. In another embodiment, selective activation of heating elements  10  and  12  may be manual or automatic through use of any other suitable control or sensor. Any number of heating elements may be used, configured, and located to suitably volatize dispersible materials with the device in multiple orientations. 
   With reference now to  FIGS. 2A–2C , another embodiment of device  2  is shown including an emanator  16  configured for multiple or universal orientation(s). Exemplary emanators  16  include an absorbent pad, evaporation surface, porous material or the like. As shown in  FIG. 2A , emanator  16  may be disposed along a side portion of reservoir  6  or base  4  and configured to dispense a substantially consistent quantity of volatile material regardless of the orientation of reservoir  6  and/or base  4 . For example, emanator  16  may be symmetrically aligned with respect to an axis common to device  2  in multiple orientations. Further to this example, emanator  16  may be supplied by wicks (not shown) extending to either vertical end of reservoir  6 , accommodating multiple orientations of reservoir  6 . 
   Alternatively, emanator  16  may be configured in any manner suitable to allow for controlled dispensing of volatile materials with the reservoir in at least an upright and an inverted orientation. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2B , emanator  16  may be disposed in multiple locations around the periphery of base  4  or reservoir  6  or may be configured as a substantially continuous ring. 
   In yet another embodiment shown in  FIG. 2C , emanators  16  are placed at each longitudinal end of device  2  for cooperation with heating elements  10  and  12  on base  4 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . As described above, emanators  16  may be selectively supplied with heat and/or volatile material according to the orientation of device  2 . 
   In various other embodiments of device  2 , any number of device components may be configured to accommodate various wall outlet or device component orientations. One such exemplary embodiment, includes spacing reservoir  6  a sufficient distance from base  4  to allow sufficient air flow past emanator  16  and/or providing an enlarged emanator  16  to accommodate any excess or variations in the transport or dispersion of volatile materials resulting from the various device orientations. Alternatively, use of a smaller quantity of volatile material, as with a smaller reservoir  6  or smaller emanator  16 , may serve to reduce leakage in the event that device  2  is inverted. Similarly, in embodiments employing a wick to transport volatile material from reservoir  6  to emanator  14 , the wick may be configured to meter capillary transport regardless of device orientation, for example by altering the composition or porosity of the wick. In another embodiment, the composition of the volatile material may be selected to achieve substantially uniform delivery regardless of orientation, for example, by use of a gel instead of an oil carrier. 
   In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , base  4  is comprised of a base plate  18  and a removable, reversible outlet body  20  having a first polar outlet  22  and a second polar outlet  24  coupled to at least one of a first and second pair of polar prongs  26 . Outlet body  20  has a symmetrical profile, e.g., rectangular, and includes electrical outlets  22  and  24 . A first symmetrical opening  28  in base plate  18  and a second symmetrical opening  30  in reservoir  6  accommodate the corresponding symmetrical profile of outlet body  18  in both the upright and inverted orientation. Use of a symmetrical outlet body  20  and corresponding opening  28  allows base plate  18  to be attached to outlet body  20  in an upright orientation regardless of whether outlet body  20  is upright or inverted. That being said, any suitable combination of outlet body profiles and complimentary openings  28  and  30  may be used such that outlet prong pairs  26  on outlet body  20  are first inserted into a wall outlet according to the orientation of the wall outlet and then base plate  18  and/or reservoir  6  are then attached to outlet body  20  in the upright position. 
   With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , outlet body  20  further includes electrical contacts  32  for communicating power to heating element(s)  10  by means of electrical leads  34  on base plate  18 . Electrical contacts  32  are located along a centerline of outlet body  20  to contact heating element leads  34  located along a centerline of base plate  18  with outlet body  20  in either the upright or the inverted position. Thus, reservoir  6  and base plate  18  may both be removable and rotatable relative to outlet body  20 . 
   Electrical leads  34  and electrical contacts  32  may be further configured as the means of attachment between base plate  18  and outlet body  20 . This may be accomplished, for example, by configuring electrical contacts  32  to securely receive or otherwise attachably engage heating element leads  34 . For example, in one embodiment, electrical leads  34  include protruding posts and electrical contacts  32  include grooves for receiving the protruding posts. Electrical contacts  32  of outlet body  20  and electrical leads  34  of base plate  18  may be configured in any suitable manner to allow for proper orientation of heating element  10  and/or other dispensing mechanism relative to an upright, inverted, or rotated outlet body  20 . 
   Alternatively, base plate  18  or reservoir  6  may be press-fitted, snap-fitted, slidably fitted or otherwise suitably attached to outlet body  20  to cause electrical leads  34  to engage electrical contacts  32 . Reservoir  6  and base plate  18  may be separately attachable to outlet body  20 . Alternatively, reservoir  6  may attach to base plate  18  and the combination may then attach to outlet body  20 . It is understood that reservoir  6 , base plate  18 , and outlet body  20  may be assembled and attached in any suitable manner. That being said, any of the embodiments described herein may be used with purely passive delivery systems as well, i.e., without the need for heating element  10 , electrical contacts  32 , electrical leads  34 , fans, or the like. For example, a simple wick and emanator  16  associated with reservoir  6  may be maintained upright by any number of means described herein. 
   In accordance with one embodiment, device  2  is specifically configured to accommodate an inverted outlet by means of inverted polar prongs. This may be done by reversing the positions of the larger and smaller prongs. Thus, a reservoir, emanator, and wick may be maintained upright without further structural modifications. 
   In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , outlet body  20  including polar electrical prongs  26  may be maintained in an upright orientation by use of an inverter adapter  36  interposed between the upright outlet body  20  and an inverted wall outlet. Polar electrical prongs  26  on inverted adapter are geometrically inverse to those of outlet body  20  allowing for upright orientation of outlet body  20 . 
   With reference now to  FIG. 5 , still another embodiment includes an outlet body  20  having a pair polar prongs  26  integrated into a rotator(s)  38  moveable between multiple positions to allow for multiple orientations of the device relative to a wall outlet. For example, a single pair of polar prongs  26  may be rotated as desired between 0 and 360 degrees, while two pairs of polar prongs may be jointly rotated 180 degrees by turning rotator(s)  38 . In another embodiment, two pairs of polar prongs  26  are fixed to a single rotator  38 . Any means of reorienting polar prongs  26  with respect to outlet body  20 , whether now known or later developed, may be used in conjunction with the present invention. 
   Another exemplary embodiment includes a baffle(s) adjacent emanator  16  to absorb and/or divert any leaked, condensed, or excess volatile dispersible materials released in a given orientation of the device. Baffles may be associated with emanator  16  or any other dispensing mechanism or other device component. One exemplary baffle is composed of an absorptive material placed in close proximity to emanator  16 . Baffle may be any material or structure configured to absorb, stop, divert, or otherwise contain leaked or condensed volatile materials. In one embodiment, baffles are provided on two sides of emanator  16 , one to contain leakage, the other to contain condensation. 
   With reference now to  FIG. 6 , accommodation of multiple outlet orientations is accomplished by a first wick  102  encased in a first sleeve  104  and a second wick  106  encased in a second sleeve  108 . Wicks  102  and  106  communicate dispersible materials from reservoir  6  to emanators  16  located at opposite ends, i.e., top and bottom, of reservoir  6 . Sleeves  104  and  108  are composed of an impermeable material and configured to selectively enable or block capillary transport through wicks  102  and  106 . Wicks  102  and  106  extend to opposite ends of reservoir  6  such that wick  102  is in contact with dispersible materials while wick  106  is shielded by sleeve  108  in the upright orientation, and the inverse relationship exists in a second orientation. 
   In one embodiment, sleeves  104  and/or  108  may extend the full length of wick  102  and  106  or beyond such that wicks  102  and  106  contact dispersible materials within the sleeve. Alternatively, sleeves  104  and  108  may include any means to allow absorption of dispersible materials, for example, perforations or other openings towards one end or a bell formation around and/or past the end of wicks  102  and  106  to allow increased contact with dispersible materials in a given orientation. 
   In yet another embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , two separate reservoir compartments  110  and  112  within reservoir  6  contain two distinct dispersible materials. Wick  102  is in communication with one of the two dispersible materials in a first reservoir orientation. Conversely, wick  106  is in communication with the other dispersible material in a second reservoir orientation. In other words, in an upright orientation, a portion of a wick  102  is in contact with the dispersible materials of first reservoir compartment  110  while a portion of wick  106  is maintained above the dispersible materials of second reservoir compartment  112 . Inverting reservoir  6  causes a portion of wick  106  to contact the dispersible materials of second reservoir compartment  112  and further causes wick  102  to be withdrawn or isolated from the dispersible materials of first reservoir compartment  110 . Wicks  102  and  106  may supply a common emanator  16  or separate emanators  16 . By using two distinct dispersible materials and separate emanators  16 , alternate dispersions such as varying scents may be obtained simply by reorienting reservoir  6 . 
   As discussed above, wicks  102  and  106  need not extend beyond sleeves  104  and  108  to contact the dispersible materials. For example, in one embodiment, sleeves  104  and  108  may be dimensioned to provide an open annular chamber around a length of wicks  102  and  106 . Accordingly, dispersible liquids may flow into the annular chamber up to the level of the liquid in reservoir  6 . In one embodiment, wicks  102  and  106  and sleeves  104  and  108  may be configured at an angle within reservoir  6  such that liquids may flow from the annular chamber as reservoir  6  is rotated between positions. Any suitable means of allowing contact or blocking contact with dispersible materials by wicks  102  and  106  may be used in accordance with the present invention. 
   By configuring sleeves  104  and  108  to extend the length of wicks  102  and  106 , a greater volume of reservoir  6  and/or reservoir compartments  110  and  112  may be filled with dispersible materials. In other words, because the full length of wicks  102  and  106  are shielded, the fluid level may likewise rise to the full length of a shielded wick before fluid transport begins. 
   Finally, while the present invention has been described above with reference to various exemplary embodiments, many changes, combinations and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the various components may be implemented in alternate ways. These alternatives can be suitably selected depending upon the particular application or in consideration of any number of factors associated with the operation of the system. In addition, the techniques described herein may be extended or modified for use with other types of devices. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Technology Category: a