Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
  • A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
  • A61L9/015—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone
  • A61L9/04—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone using substances evaporated in the air without heating
  • A61L9/12—Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
  • B60H3/00—Other air-treating devices
  • B60H3/0007—Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen
  • B60H3/0014—Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen characterised by the location of the substance adding device
  • B60H3/0028—Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen characterised by the location of the substance adding device on or near an air outlet

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a deodorizing device for environments, particularly for automotive vehicle passenger compartments.
• a first type of known deodorizing device is constituted by a pouch which contains a scented and/or odor-absorbing substance in the form of powder, granules, pearls or the like, which must be poured into the ashtray provided in the passenger compartment and replaced periodically.
• the effect produced inside the passenger compartment is rather limited, in view of the fact that the ashtray is normally closed and the scented substance is gradually covered by trash, ash and cigarette tabs.
• a second type provides for deodorizing devices designed to be hung in the passenger compartment, generally at the rear-view mirror.
• these devices consist substantially of a piece of absorbent card impregnated with fragrance, which over time releases said fragrance through its opposite breathable surfaces. When the entire scented substance has evaporated, the card no longer performs its function and therefore must be replaced.
• the amount of fragrance diffused within the passenger compartment is absolutely not controllable, decreases over time and is greatly affected by weather conditions (temperature, humidity, etc).
• such hanging devices can have a container which is constituted by a thermoformed tray closed by a breathable membrane, which in turn is protected by a peel-off film, inside which a dose of scented substance in liquid or gelatinous form is enclosed.
• Another type of known deodorizing device consists of a bottle which contains a liquid scented substance and is provided with a mouth which is associated with a fragrance diffusion chamber which accommodates a wick, which is partly immersed in the substance and partly protrudes into such chamber.
• the bottle is usually provided on the back with a fork for fastening to the grille provided on one of the air vents available on the dashboard of the vehicle, so that the device is arranged in front of such vent.
• the air stream that flows out of the vent facilitates the diffusion of the fragrance within the passenger compartment, passing through the diffusion chamber, which is appropriately perforated.
• this device is rather effective, it has drawbacks, due to the fact that it is relatively complicated to manufacture and is therefore considerably more expensive than the devices described above.
• the aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of known devices, by providing a deodorizing device for environments, particularly for automotive vehicle passenger compartments, which allows to increase effectiveness with respect to known devices and to control the diffusion of fragrance within the environments to be deodorized.
• an object of the present invention is to provide a device which is compact and has reduced dimensions, so as to be scarcely conspicuous and not penalize the aesthetics of the environment in which it is applied.
• the present deodorizing device for environments, particularly for automotive vehicle passenger compartments, characterized in that it comprises a case which contains a deodorizing substance and is provided with at least one portion which is permeable to the vapors of such deodorizing substance and is adapted to be struck by the stream of air that flows out of a vent at a region where a pressure drop occurs due to the reduction in cross-section determined by the placement of the case on the outflow front of said stream.
• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention.
• Figure 4 is a schematic transverse sectional view of the device of Figure 1;
• Figure 5 is a view of the device of Figure 4, applied to a vent;
• Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention.
• Figure 9 is a schematic transverse sectional view of the device of Figure 6;
• Figure 10 is a view of the device of Figure 9 applied to a vent
• Figure 11 is a schematic plan view of a device according to the invention, provided with flow control means according to a first embodiment
• Figure 12 is a schematic transverse sectional view of a device according to the invention provided with flow control means in a second embodiment
• Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the a cartridge used in the device according to the invention.
• Figure 16 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the vent of Figure 15.
• the device 1 comprises a case 2, which contains a deodorizing substance D, for example a scented and/or odor-absorbing substance, and means 3 for fastening said case to a vent B at the outflow side of an air stream F.
• a deodorizing substance D for example a scented and/or odor-absorbing substance
• the case 2 is provided with at least one portion 4 which is permeable to the vapors of the deodorizing substance D, which during use is struck by the air stream F at a region where a pressure drop occurs due to the reduction in cross-section produced by the placement of the case 2 on the outflow front of said stream.
• a pressure drop occurs at a constriction of the useful passage section of an air stream and is compensated, in order to keep the flow-rate constant, by an increase in the speed of such stream.
• This pressure drop allows to draw through the permeable portion 4 the vapors of the deodorizing substance D, optimizing the effectiveness of the device 1 with respect to known devices.
• the device 1 in fact utilizes the particular arrangement on the outflow front of the air stream F from the vent B in order to increase the amount of vapors of deodorizing substance D conveyed by said stream into the space to be deodorized, allowing, for an equal deodorizing effectiveness with respect to a known device, to reduce the extent of the permeable portion 4 and therefore the overall dimensions of the device 1 or, for equal dimensions, to increase the resulting deodorizing effect.
• the device 1 can be applied advantageously to vents of the type provided conventionally on the dashboards of automotive vehicle, or in room ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
• the device 1 is shown with the engagement means 3 applied to an orientable vane A of the type generally provided at the vent B; conveniently, in this manner the case 2 is arranged tangentially with respect to the direction of the air stream F.
• the device 1 can be provided with engagement means 3 which can be applied, for example, to a protective grille of the type usually provided at the vent B; in this case, the position of the case 2 remains fixed as the orientation of the air stream F (adjusted by means of the vane A) changes.
• the case 2 the corresponding permeable portion 4 and the amount of deodorizing substance D introduced in said case are conveniently sized depending on the volume of the environment to be deodorized.
• the case 2 is substantially box-like and is provided with two mutually opposite and preferably parallel faces 2a adapted, during use, to be struck by the air stream F; the permeable portion 4 is arranged at at least one of the faces 2a.
• the faces 2a are adapted to constitute the top and bottom walls of the case 2 in the configuration for use and are connected by a perimetric band which forms two front walls, a front one and a rear one, respectively 2b and 2c, and two side walls 2d.
• the case 2 can be flat, so as to be interposed between the vanes A provided in the vent B without being particularly conspicuous, and can be elongated or rounded in order to adapt to the particular shape of the vanes.
• the walls 2b and 2c are curved.
• the engagement means 3 are provided with a substantially elastic fork 5, which protrudes from the wall 2c and the prongs 5 a of which preferably have rounded ends so as to reduce the load losses experienced by the air stream F which strikes them.
• the fork 5 and the case 2 are provided monolithically.
• the deodorizing substance D is in the form of a replaceable cartridge 6 and the case 2 is provided with a seat 7 for inserting said cartridge; therefore, the device 1 can be used for an economically ⁇ convenient period of time simply by replacing the cartridge 6, optionally changing the type of deodorizing substance D inside it.
• the cartridge 6 can be inserted substantially snugly within the seat 7.
• the case 2 can be openable; in this case, the case 2 is constituted by a tray 8 associated with an openable lid 9.
• the tray 8 is delimited by one of the faces 2a, which constitutes the back wall thereof, and by the walls 2b, 2c and 2d, while the lid 9 is arranged at the other one of the faces 2a.
• the lid 9 can be associated with the tray 8 by interlocking or articulately about one of its sides.
• the case 2 has the lid 9 arranged below the tray 8 and openable downwards; in this case, the permeable portion 4 is associated with the lid 9.
• the opening 10 can have an elongated shape and can run along the longitudinal direction of the case 2.
• the device is provided with flow control means 11, which can be actuated by the user, are associated with the permeable portion 4, and are adapted to adjust the flow-rate of the vapors of deodorizing substance D that flow out through said portion.
• the flow control means 11 have an element for controlling flow through the permeable portion 4 which can be accessed from the outside of the case.
• the permeable portion 4 is associated with the wall 2a which forms the bottom of the tray 8 and is constituted by two elongated openings 10 which are mutually aligned along the longitudinal direction of the case 2 and lie on opposite sides of the pivoting point of the plate 12; each one of the two mutually opposite arms of the plate 12 "sweeps" one of the openings 10 and, depending on its angular position, blocks it to a greater or smaller extent, adjusting the flow-rate of vapors of the deodorizing substance D that flow out from the case 2.
• the flow control element is constituted by a pivot 14, which is provided with one or more notches 15 in a diametrical direction and is accommodated so that it can rotate within a corresponding receptacle 16 which is formed in the tray 8 at the permeable portion 4, which is constituted by one or more openings 10 connected to said receptacle.
• the pivot 14 is provided with a tab which protrudes from the receptacle and can be accessed by the user in order to turn it so as to adjust the flow of vapors of deodorizing substance D through the opening or openings 10.
• the flow control element can further be associated slidingly with the case 2 at the permeable portion 4.
• the cartridge 6 is constituted by an enclosure 17, which contains the deodorizing substance D in liquid, gelatinous, powder, grain, pearl or other form and is closed by a breathable membrane 18 which is adapted to face the permeable portion 4.
• the enclosure 17 is preferably obtained by thermoforming and is provided in an upper region with a flat rim 17a to which the membrane 18 is heat-sealed.
• the cartridge 6 is provided with a peel-off film 19, which is detachably associated so as to cover the membrane 18.
• the film 19 is provided with a tab 20 for grip and removal by the user.
• the rim 17a is partially accommodated between the perimetric edge of the tray 8 and the lid 9, instead of being accommodated completely within the tray, so as to reduce the protrusion of the device according to the invention with respect to the vent B to which it is applied.
• the film 19 is provided with a portion which covers the membrane 18 and is associated with the tab 20 and must be removed before positioning the cartridge 6 within the seat 7.
• the tab 20 is substantially longer than the longitudinal extension of the film 19 and is folded back onto said film.
• the cartridge 6 is therefore inserted in the seat 7 with the film 19 still applied so that the tab 20 protrudes partially through a slot provided in the case 2, so that it can be extracted from the outside of the case.
• the seat 7 has a transverse cross-section which substantially matches the cross-section of the cartridge 6.
• the cartridge has a portion, constituted for example by a flap of the rim 17a, which protrudes from the seat 7 for grip, insertion and extraction by the user.
• the vent B is provided, at the outflow front of the air stream F, with a plurality of conventional adjustment valves, which are constituted by respective vanes A, which can be preferably oriented, and with a valve 21 of the device according to the invention.
• the valve 21 can be applied during the production of the vent B or can be fitted at an existing vent B as a replacement of a vane A.
• valves 21 at the vent B can of course vary depending on the dimensions of the vent, on the volume of the environment to be ventilated and deodorized, and on other contingent requirements.
• the valve 21 has a vane 22 which is preferably flat and arranged at the outflow front of the air stream F from the vent B so as to cut the stream transversely.
• the valve 21 can be applied advantageously to vents B of the type provided conventionally on dashboards of automotive vehicles, or in room ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
• the inclination of the vane 22 can be changed manually or automatically, as it is already known for the vanes A.
• the case 2 is substantially box-shaped and is provided with at least one face which, during use, is struck by the air stream F at which the breathable portion 4 is arranged.
• the case 2 comprises an openable side, which is arranged so as to face the environment to be ventilated and can be accessed by a user for inserting and removing the cartridge 6; in this case, the case 2 is constituted by a tray 8, which is delimited by the mutually opposite faces struck by the air stream F and by part of the perimetric band and is associated with a removable lid 9 which is arranged at the openable side.
• the permeable portion 4 comprises at least one opening 10, which is provided at at least one of the mutually opposite faces struck by the air stream.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Disinfection, Sterilisation Or Deodorisation Of Air (AREA)
• Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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ID=36660658

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

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• 2006
  • 2006-01-17 EP EP06727237A patent/EP1838357A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-01-17 WO PCT/IB2006/000067 patent/WO2006087610A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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