EP1596892A1

EP1596892A1 - Device for delivering an aromatic substance or fragrance

Info

Publication number: EP1596892A1
Application number: EP04710389A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefan Ruetz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-02-27
Filing date: 2004-02-12
Publication date: 2005-11-23
Also published as: JP2006524064A; CN1767863A; US20060144956A1; WO2004075934A1; DE10308619B4; JP4543028B2; DE10308619A1; CN100425294C

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for delivering a substance, more particularly, an aromatic substance. Said device comprises a tank (12) that is filled with the substance and delivery device (14) associated with the tank (12), which has means for conveying the substance in an ambient medium. The tank (12) and its delivery device (14) are configured as a closed unit relative to the ambient medium after each delivery, whereby contact between the ambient medium and the substance contained in the tank is substantially prevented.

Description

DEVICE FOR DISCHARGING A RIGHT OR fRAGRANCE SUBSTANCE

The invention relates to a device for discharging a substance, in particular a fragrance or fragrance, with a tank for filling with the substance and. with a discharge device assigned to the tank. The invention also relates to a method for discharging such a substance.

A method for increasing the sensory perception of visual and / or acoustic performances in cinema, theater or concert halls is known from EP 0 611 476 B1, viewers or listeners synchronized with the performance of certain visual and / or acoustic events matching scents are added.

A related device for dispensing fragrances is known for example from WO 00/78367 AI. The device comprises an aroma store, a control unit with a receiving module for controlling the aroma store, and a discharge unit for generating and discharging a fragrance or aroma cloud from the aroma store. The device is designed as a miniaturized mobile unit for carrying on the body or for arrangement in the vicinity of the user.

According to the prior art, different fragrance substances are each accommodated in a storage chamber, with a plurality of storage chambers being combined in an exchangeable unit in the form of a cartridge. If a fragrance substance in a storage chamber of a cartridge unit is used up, the cartridge is exchanged for a new cartridge. In order to prevent unwanted leakage of fragrance substances, the receiving chambers are equipped with ScMeasuring devices that are opened to discharge the fragrance substance.

It is also known in the prior art to provide a temperature-dependent fragrance release, so that the fragrance is only released at a certain temperature and diffuses into the environment. This type of fragrance release is said to simultaneously solve the problem of the fragrance escaping unintentionally.

The invention has for its object to provide a device for dispensing a substance, in particular a fragrance, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The object of the invention is also to keep the quality of the substance to be discharged or of the fragrance over a time frame.

These objects are achieved with a device for discharging a substance, in particular a fragrance, as characterized by claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the respective subclaims. According to claim 16, a preferred method for discharging a substance, in particular a fragrance, is proposed.

The device according to the invention is designed to discharge an olfactory perceptible fragrance or fragrance into an ambient medium _5, in particular air. Any substance that can be described as conveyable in its components is suitable as a substance for use in the device. Such a substance can be taken up in the device in gaseous, liquid, pasty form or as a gel. It is also possible for the substance to be composed of a fragrance to be discharged and a carrier medium, such as, for example, a gas or a liquid, which are mixed in the tank and are discharged together via the dispenser.

A tank holding the substance and a pouring device assigned to the tank form a closed unit with respect to the surrounding medium, within which contact between the surrounding medium and the substance held in the tank is substantially prevented. The term "essentially preventing" defines that contact of individual atoms or molecules of the surrounding medium with the substance is not absolutely excluded, but this proportion is negligibly small. In other words, for example, a device used in air as the surrounding medium is for Discharge of a fragrance hermetically sealed to air if there is essentially no contact of air with the fragrance taken up in the container. Since contact of the fragrance with the oxygen present in the ambient air reduces the quality of the fragrance, the measure according to the invention that no exchange of ambient air with the substance takes place in the tank means that the quality of the fragrance remains unchanged over a long period of time ,

In addition, it is ensured that the substance discharged as a fragrance is not accidentally discharged into the surrounding medium. The substance is discharged exclusively by actuating the means of the dispensing device provided for conveying the substance into the surrounding medium.

The device according to the invention is intended for both private and commercial use. Examples of use are: shopping, relaxation, meditation, video games, television, video, computer simulations, internet, cinema, theater, exhibitions, to name just a few. The size dimensions of the device and in particular on the ahmetanks depend on the respective application. For example, a miniaturized form of the device as a fragrance chip is conceivable, which can be worn on the body of a user. The unit consisting of a fillable tank and discharge device can be manufactured inexpensively in one manufacturing process.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the device, the tank, or a channel connected to it, has a closable filling opening through which the tank can be evacuated and filled with a substance. A filling device can be connected to the filling opening, by means of which the interior of the tank is emptied and any ambient medium present in the tank or any substance therein is freed, after which a new substance can be filled into the tank.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the tank at least partially has a deformable wall, which rests against an undeformable tank wall during evacuation. This measure ensures that when the tank is evacuated, there is no negative pressure with respect to the surrounding medium. It is important that the material for the deformable tank wall and the shape of the tank are selected such that a complete folding of the Tanks realized and the tank can be completely evacuated without leaving any voids in the interior of the tank. As a result, after evacuation, the tank is free of any residue. Correspondingly, such a material is to be used as the deformable tank wall, which material can be applied to the non-deformable part of the tank without any creases or wrinkles. Advantageous materials for use as the deformable tank wall are suitable plastic films. After evacuation, the tank can be filled with a new substance, the volume of the tank increasing due to the deformable tank wall depending on the volume of substance introduced. The substance can also be introduced into the tank with a gas or liquid suitable for the substance as a carrier of the substance. It is also possible to provide a tank which consists exclusively of a deformable, ie flexible, film. In any case, it should be ensured that no cavities remain in the tank when the tank is completely evacuated.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the means for conveying the substance have a micropump. The micropump is designed in such a way that adequate protection is ensured against unwanted escape of the substance in the tank and against penetration of the surrounding medium into the tank. Such a micropump can be, for example, a diaphragm, hose or piston pump.

A preferred micropump is a peristaltic pump which has an inlet valve, an outlet valve and at least one pump chamber between the inlet valve and the outlet valve. The inlet valve, the outlet valve and the pump chamber (s) are each assigned a deformable membrane on which actuators are arranged. By suitably arranging the valves to the pump chamber (s), a single membrane can be provided which extends over both valves and the pump chamber (s). By means of the actuators, the membrane can be deformed and thus the inlet and the outlet valve can be opened or closed, and / or a desired pressure can be generated in the at least one pump chamber. The valves are advantageously closed when the membrane is relaxed, ie when the actuators are not activated. When the peristaltic pump is actuated, the substance is conveyed by means of a time-controlled actuation of the actuators as follows: When the outlet valve is closed, the inlet valve is opened by actuating the inlet valve actuator and, at about the same time, a vacuum is generated in the at least one pump chamber by actuating the pump chamber actuator , so that the substance is drawn from the tank into the pump chamber via the inlet valve. After the inlet valve has been closed, the outlet valve is opened by actuating the actuator assigned to the outlet valve, and by actuating the actuator assigned to the pump chamber, an excess pressure is generated in the latter with which the substance is discharged into the ambient medium. When using several pump chambers connected in series, higher pressure differences can be generated.

The actuators are actuated in a suitable manner in such a way that a connection from the interior of the tank to the environment is not created at any time, not even when the pump is actuated, and the ambient medium can therefore never get into the tank. This is achieved by not opening the two valves at the same time. An advantage of this embodiment is that such a peristaltic pump can be manufactured in an extremely miniaturized form and at the same time works reliably.

Electrically controllable piezo elements are advantageously provided as actuators for the inlet and outlet valves and the at least one pump chamber. At the same time, it is considered advantageous to use electrically controllable and thermally operating actuators.

Furthermore, it is considered advantageous that the actuator membrane assigned to the inlet and outlet valve and the pump chamber (s) is extended to the area of the outlet channel for discharging the substance and is designed there with an arbitrarily small outlet opening. The formation of a compact droplet of the substance is ensured with the aid of the outlet opening formed in this way. It can also be possible to design the outlet opening as an atomizing nozzle. Instead of the membrane outlet opening, any other nozzle for atomizing the substance to be discharged, for example an ultrasonic atomizer, can be arranged.

An advantageous further development of the device is characterized in that a connection device is provided, by means of which the device for discharging the substance can be connected to a control unit for actuating the dispensing device. The control device can equally be part of the device according to the invention. A control unit, expediently with a receiver module for external control by a signal or clock generator unit, enables a fragrance substance to be emitted in response to a signal emitted by the control unit. The control signal can have information about the type of fragrance and / or fragrance compositions and, for example, also about the duration of the fragrance supply. Furthermore, the fragrance control signals can preferably contain information about the fragrance intensity, the start of the fragrance and the end of the fragrance. Coded film tracks or event-linked signal transmitters can be used as signals. It is thus possible to use the device for discharging a fragrance in synchronism with a visual presentation, such as, for example, in a movie, so that for certain film sequences a synchronous signal from the control unit is sent to the device in order to discharge a fragrance that matches the film sequence.

According to a development of the invention, it is provided that the dispensing device comprises a heating plate which is introduced into the conveying path of the substance. The evaporation of the substance is supported by heating or hitting the substance on the heating plate. The resultant improved convection of the substance into the surrounding medium leads to a faster perception of the fragrance applied in the nose of a user. As already mentioned above, the formation of a droplet of the substance through the membrane outlet opening is advantageous, so that the droplet then hits the heating plate completely.

In addition, according to an advantageous further development of the device, a blower is provided which generates an air flow conveying the discharged substance. It is important that the substance is discharged without a carrier gas, ie that no gas is passed through the tank in order to discharge the substance. The fan flow only promotes natural convection of the surrounding medium to the user's nose. In connection with the blower, according to an advantageous embodiment, a throttle or nozzle device is provided, by means of which the air flow generated by the blower is divided into an inner gas flow carrying the balanced substance and an outer gas flow enveloping the inner gas flow, such that the inner gas stream preferably has a lower flow rate than the outer gas stream. The outer air flow forms an insulation from the inner air flow carrying the substance. This makes it possible to transport the discharged substance over a greater distance in the surrounding medium without being noticed by a user.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, a plurality of units comprising a tank and a dispenser are combined to form one device, i. H. a cartridge has been created in which several tanks with different substances, in particular different fragrances, are combined. The cartridge can likewise have a connection device and / or a control unit for actuating all the dispensing devices combined in the cartridge, as a result of which individual fragrance deliveries can be achieved by actuating the individual dispensing devices combined in the cartridge.

The device or the cartridge advantageously carries means for identifying the substance taken up in the respective tank. Such means can have an electronic storage unit which can be contacted via the connection device, so that identification data of the substances can be transmitted from the device or cartridge to the control unit via a data connection.

The elements of the device which are in contact with the substance are made of a material which does not react with the substances taken up. A suitable material is, for example, a polyether ether ketone plastic (PEEK).

The invention is explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment with the aid of the accompanying drawings. In these show: Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of the device according to the invention

Pouring out a fragrance;

2 shows an enlarged sectional view of the dispensing device from the device from FIG. 1;

3 shows a top view of a device according to the invention comprising a plurality of units for brewing different fragrances;

Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a throttle device for generating an inner gas flow carrying a fragrance with an outer gas flow enveloping the inner gas flow.

Fig. 1 shows an enlarged view of a device 10 for discharging a fragrance with a housing 13, the dimensions of which are approximately 40 mm x 6 mm x 6 mm. be. The device 10 has a tank 12, the lower part of which is formed by the housing 13. The upper part of the tank 12 is formed by a deformable membrane film 18, which is hermetically sealed at the edges of the lower tank part. At the rear end of the tank 12, a filling opening 16 is formed, by means of which the tank can be evacuated and filled with a fragrance. When the tank 12 is evacuated via the filling opening 16, the deformable membrane film 18 lies against the lower part of the tank in the housing 13. The membrane film 18 is selected such that it can contact the non-deformable lower part of the tank without forming wrinkles or forming a cavity. When the tank 12 is subsequently filled via the filling opening 16, the membrane film 18 is released from the lower part of the tank and the filling is continued until the desired filling is reached, with the membrane film 18 then forming, as shown, upward in a housing 13 Arching space 13 ¹ can bulge. The filling opening 16 is then plugged or closed by a check valve (not shown). An applied on the housing 13 or lid handle guard 13 protects the membrane ^π film eighteenth

A pouring device 14 for the fragrance is connected via a channel 19 to the tank 12 in the housing 13. When evacuating the tank 12 via the filling opening 16 the dispenser is hermetically sealed, so that no surrounding medium can get into the tank. As shown in Fig. 2 in more detail, the Ausogeinrichtung 14 is designed as a switched into the channel 19 micro-peristaltic pump 20 with an inlet valve 21a, an outlet valve 21b and a pump chamber 22. The two valves 21a, 21b and the pump chamber 22 are assigned an actuator membrane 23 which extends over these elements. The inlet valve works in such a way that the actuator membrane 23 closes or opens the inlet from the tank 12 to the pump chamber 22. The inlet valve is actuated with an actuator 24 arranged on the membrane 23, which is a piezo element in the present exemplary embodiment. In the normal case, ie without the piezo element being supplied with current, the inlet valve 21a is closed. When the piezo element is activated with current, the membrane 23 is arched by the action of the piezo element, as a result of which fragrance can be conveyed into the pump chamber 22 via the inlet valve 21 a.

The pump chamber 22 is provided as a recess in the housing 13, it being closed on an upper open side with the actuator membrane 23. On the outside of the membrane 23, another actuator 24 is arranged as an electrically operated piezo element. When the piezo element assigned to the pump chamber 22 is actuated, pressure differences are generated in the pump chamber which convey the fragrance into and out of the pump chamber 22. In other words, the actuation of this piezo element causes, for example, the actuator membrane 23 to bulge outwards with respect to the pump chamber, which creates a pressure drop in the chamber 22 through which the fragrance into the pump chamber 22 when the inlet valve 21a is open and the outlet valve 21b is closed is sucked. In contrast, when the actuator membrane 23 bulges into the interior of the pump chamber 22, an increased pressure in the pump chamber arises, through which the fragrance is conveyed from the pump chamber 22 to an outlet opening 26 of the channel 19 when the inlet valve 21a is closed and the outlet valve 21b is open ,

The outlet valve 21b has, corresponding to the inlet valve 21a, the actuator membrane 23 and an actuator 24 arranged thereon. The outlet valve 21b works in an analogous manner to the inlet valve, ie the valve closes without actuation of the actuator. The actuation of the two valves 21a, 21b is timed differently, so that the the two valves are not open at the same time and the surrounding medium cannot get into the tank 12.

In the embodiment shown, the membrane 23 extends from the two valves 21a, 21b and the pump chamber 22 to the outlet opening 26 of the channel 19. In the membrane 23, an opening of any desired size can be formed as an outlet opening 26 for the fragrance.

Opposite the outlet opening 26, an electrically operated heating plate 30 is arranged on an angled extension of the handle guard 13 ^π . The heating plate 30 can be controlled by a control device, so that it can be switched on and off as required. As it exits the outlet opening 26, the fragrance hits the heated heating plate 30, as a result of which the fragrance evaporates on the heating plate and improves convection or diffusion of the fragrance into the surrounding medium.

The device 10 has a connection device 28 to which a control unit (not shown) can be connected, so that the exhaust device 14 can be controlled. The connection device 28 is a contact device known in the prior art, as is used, for example, on chip cards. By means of the targeted, i.e. The fragrance substance can be discharged to certain film sequences in the cinema, on television or to other information presented to the user via actuation of the discharge device 14 which can be controlled by the control unit.

FIG. 3 shows a cartridge 32, which comprises several units consisting of tank 12 and micro-peristaltic pump 20. A total of 11 units are provided in the cartridge, which can be controlled via a connection device 28. The features and details that emerge from FIGS. 1 and 2 for the device 10 can be read equally on the cartridge 32, and a repeated description is dispensed with. Depending on the intensity and need of the individual fragrances, the tanks 12 can be filled with different amounts of fragrance and the duration of the odorant can be individually controlled. FIG. 4 illustrates a method in which a fragrance 40 is applied from a dispenser 14 in a throttle or nozzle device 34. The throttle or nozzle device 34 is shown schematically. It is preferably used to form a throttled, but possibly also an accelerated, inner gas flow 36 from a uniform air flow, which is enveloped by an outer gas flow 38. Due to the different flow rate, the inner gas stream 36 carrying the substance is enveloped by the outer gas stream 38 and isolated from the surrounding medium. The fragrance in the inner gas stream can thus be transported over a greater distance through the inner gas stream without being perceived by the nose of a user, since mixing of the inner gas stream with the surrounding medium is prevented due to the insulating outer gas stream.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 Device for the odor extraction

12 tank

13 Housing 13 ¹ receiving space

13 ^π grip protection

14 pouring device 16 filling opening

18 deformable membrane film 19 channel

20 micro peristaltic pump

21a inlet valve

21b exhaust valve

22 Pump chamber 23 Actuator membrane

24 actuator (piezo element)

26 outlet opening

28 connection device 30 heating plate

32 device (cartridge)

34 throttle device

36 internal gas flow

38 external gas flow

40 fragrance

Claims

Expectations

1. Device (10) for dispensing a substance, in particular a fragrance, with a tank (12) for filling with the substance and with a tank (12) associated with the pouring device (14), the means (20) for conveying the substance in has a surrounding medium, characterized in that the tank (12) and its dispensing device (14) are designed as a unit which is closed to the surrounding medium after each discharge, essentially preventing contact of the surrounding medium with the substance received in the tank.

2nd Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the tank (12) has a closable filling opening (16) through which the tank can be evacuated and filled.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tank (12) at least partially has a deformable wall (1 §) in order to enable the tank to be folded up.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the means for conveying the substance comprise a micropump.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the micropump is a micro-peristaltic pump (20).

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the micro-peristaltic pump has an inlet valve (21a) and an outlet valve (21b) and at least one pump chamber (22), with a respective valve wall or pump chamber wall formed by a deformable membrane (23) - det, on which the inlet valve (21a), the outlet valve (21b) and the at least one pump chamber (22) are each assigned actuators (24).

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the actuators (24) are electrically controllable piezo elements.

8. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the actuators (24) are electrically controllable and thermally operating actuators.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the dispensing device (14) has a nozzle for atomizing the substance to be dispensed.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a connection device (28) is provided, by means of which the device (10) for discharging the substance can be connected to a control unit for actuating the discharge device (14).

11. The device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the device comprises means for identifying the substance in the tank or means for identifying the cartridge.

12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the Ausogeinrichtung (14) has a heating plate (30) which is arranged in the conveying path of the substance.

13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a blower is provided which generates an air flow conveying the balanced substance.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that a throttle or nozzle device (34) is provided, which the air flow generated by the fan into an inner gas flow (36) and an outer gas flow (36) enveloping the inner gas flow (36) divided with different flow velocities, the substance being discharged into the inner air stream (36).

15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that a plurality of units from the tank (12) and discharge device (14) are combined in a cartridge (32) for discharging different substances.

16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the elements of the device coming into contact with the substance are made of a material, such as a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) plastic, which does not react with the substance.

17. A method for discharging a substance, in particular a fragrance (40), in which the substance is discharged into a first inner air stream (36), which inner air stream is enveloped by a second outer air stream (38), the inner air stream (36 ) and the outer air flow (38) have different flow rates.