FR3091997A1 - Fragrance diffuser device provided with an odoriferous liquid refill line - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fragrance diffuser device for a motor vehicle, comprising a hollow body (11) intended to be arranged in fluid communication with an air distribution duct ( 4) opening into the passenger compartment of said vehicle, said body (11) comprising at least one internal compartment (13) provided with an orifice (16), each at least said compartment (13) containing a diffusing element made of absorbent material (14) ) impregnated or saturated with an odoriferous liquid and being able to perfume, through said orifice (16), a flow of ventilated air delivered into the passenger compartment via said distribution duct (4); characterized in that it also comprises a filling line (18) having a first end (18A) connected to said compartment (13) and the second end of which is provided to open into an area of said vehicle accessible to a user. Figure 2

Description

Fragrance-diffusing device provided with a pipe for refilling odoriferous liquid

The present invention generally relates to fragrance diffuser devices inside the passenger compartment of motor vehicles.

The passenger compartment of a motor vehicle constitutes an enclosed place of small volume that does not favor the elimination of unpleasant odors which may be released there and caused in particular by the fumes of exhaust gases penetrating through the ventilation system, the fumes tobacco, food scraps or even the presence of animals.

To avoid the persistence of these unpleasant odors, it is well known to adapt fragrance diffuser devices to the air vents of vehicles comprising a container containing an odoriferous liquid, and an adjustable diffuser cap so as to ensure a more or less significant diffusion of the fragrance released by this cap in the passenger compartment.

The configuration of these devices is thus particularly basic and they also have the disadvantage of distorting the overall harmony of the dashboard and degrading the perceived level of quality of the vehicle.

In order to overcome these drawbacks, it is also known to equip motor vehicles with integrated fragrance diffuser devices.

French application FR 2 867 424 describes such a diffuser mounted as a bypass on a ventilated air distribution duct of the ventilation, heating and/or air conditioning installation for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, and comprising several cartridges each containing an aromatic agent so as to be able to diffuse several different perfumes according to the demand of the occupants of the vehicle.

However, as soon as the cartridges are empty, the owner of the vehicle is obliged to go to an authorized maintenance and repair workshop to have them reloaded or, when this operation is not provided for or permitted, to have them replaced. .

The loss of time caused by this obligatory visit to the workshop and the often prohibitive cost of filling or replacing these cartridges ultimately means that this type of diffuser quickly becomes unused.

We also know from patent application FR 3 002 188, a fragrance diffuser comprising a hollow body located under the dashboard of the vehicle and intended to be arranged in fluid communication with an air distribution duct opening into the passenger compartment. of the vehicle, this hollow body being provided with an internal housing capable of removably receiving an interchangeable cartridge comprising several compartments each containing a diffuser element of absorbent material impregnated with an odoriferous liquid and being capable of perfuming, through a orifice provided in the corresponding compartment, a flow of ventilated air delivered into the passenger compartment via the distribution duct, the compartments of the cartridge having their respective orifices hermetically sealed by a cover before insertion of the cartridge into the hollow body, the latter comprising a means making it possible to rip open the cover during the insertion of the cartridge into the hollow body.

This type of diffuser allows the owner of the vehicle to replace the fragrance cartridge himself and very easily with a new cartridge.

However, the high cost of these cartridges and the need to replace them while some of their compartments still contain odoriferous liquid also lead to more or less rapid discontinuation of the use of these diffusers.

The present invention therefore aims to improve the situation.

It proposes for this purpose a fragrance diffuser device for a motor vehicle, comprising a hollow body intended to be arranged in fluid communication with an air distribution duct opening into the passenger compartment of said vehicle, said body comprising at least one internal compartment provided an orifice, each at least said compartment containing a diffuser element made of absorbent material impregnated or saturated with an odoriferous liquid and being able to scent, through said orifice, a flow of ventilated air delivered into the passenger compartment via said duct of distribution ; characterized in that it also comprises a filling pipe having a first end connected to said compartment and the second end of which is provided to open out into a zone of said vehicle accessible to a user.

The presence of such a filling pipe allows a user to easily and easily refill the compartment with odoriferous liquid when the latter is empty.

Such a reloading solution is also particularly economical to use compared to an interchangeable cartridge system.

Of simple design, the diffuser according to the invention also has a particularly reasonable cost price allowing it to be installed in entry-level vehicles.

• ledit corps creux comprend une pluralité de dits compartiments contenant des éléments diffuseurs imprégnés ou saturés de liquides odoriférants émettant des fragrances différentes, chaque dit compartiment étant raccordé à une dite conduite de remplissage respective ;
• la seconde extrémité de chaque dite conduite de remplissage est pourvue d’un clapet pivotant anti-retour. ;
• chaque dit compartiment comporte un capteur de niveau de liquide odoriférant destiné à être relié à l’ordinateur de bord dudit véhicule ;
• chaque capteur est configuré pour transmettre un signal d’alerte audit ordinateur de bord lorsque le niveau de liquide odoriférant atteint un seuil minimal ou maximal ;
• l’élément diffuseur est constitué par un tampon ou une mèche trempé dans un bain de liquide odoriférant ;
• chaque au moins dit compartiment comporte des moyens d’obturation permettant de gérer l’ouverture et la fermeture de son orifice ; et/ou
• ledit dispositif diffuseur comporte un pulseur rotatif apte à générer un flux d’air ventilé circulant dans ledit corps creux en direction dudit conduit de distribution d’air.

According to preferred characteristics of the fragrance diffuser device according to the invention, taken alone or in combination:

• said hollow body comprises a plurality of said compartments containing diffuser elements impregnated or saturated with odoriferous liquids emitting different fragrances, each said compartment being connected to a respective said filling pipe;
• the second end of each said filling line is provided with a pivoting non-return valve. ;
• each said compartment comprises an odoriferous liquid level sensor intended to be connected to the on-board computer of said vehicle;
• each sensor is configured to transmit an alert signal to said on-board computer when the level of odoriferous liquid reaches a minimum or maximum threshold;
• the diffuser element consists of a pad or a wick soaked in a bath of fragrant liquid;
• each at least said compartment comprises closure means making it possible to manage the opening and closing of its orifice; and or
• said diffuser device comprises a rotary blower capable of generating a flow of ventilated air circulating in said hollow body towards said air distribution duct.

The invention also relates, in a second aspect, to a motor vehicle comprising such a fragrance-diffusing device and of which said hollow body is located under the dashboard.

Advantageously, the second end of the filling line of said fragrance diffuser device opens onto the dashboard of this vehicle.

The description of the invention will now be continued with the detailed description of an embodiment, given below by way of illustration but not limitation, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

is a schematic view from below in perspective of a fragrance diffuser device according to a first embodiment of the invention, installed under the dashboard of a vehicle and connected to an air distribution duct opening into the passenger compartment at the front of this dashboard;

shows a schematic sectional view taken along a transverse vertical plane of the fragrance diffuser device of FIG. 1;

is a schematic sectional view of the fragrance diffuser device of FIGS. 1 and 2, taken along the horizontal plane III-III shown in FIG. 2;

illustrates an operation for filling the diffuser device of FIGS. 1 to 3 with odoriferous liquid by using a refill bottle;

shows an enlargement of the zone of the upper part of the dashboard at the level of which the pipe for filling with odoriferous liquid from the diffuser device of FIGS. 1 to 3 emerges;

and

represents a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a transverse vertical plane of a fragrance-diffusing device according to a second embodiment.

detailed description

The fragrance diffuser device 10 represented schematically in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a hollow parallelepipedal body 11 located under the dashboard 3 of a motor vehicle and in fluid communication with a ventilated air distribution duct 4 of the ventilation system. , heating and/or air conditioning of the vehicle, this duct 4 opening into the passenger compartment of this vehicle at the level of the front 3A of the dashboard 3.

The hollow body 11 comprises an internal compartment 13 containing a diffuser element 14 made of absorbent material impregnated or saturated with a room fragrance, an essential oil or any other suitable odoriferous liquid, and being capable of perfuming a stream of ventilated air delivered to the passenger compartment of the vehicle via distribution duct 4.

In the embodiment corresponding to Figures 1 to 5, the diffuser element consists of a pad 14 dipped in a bath of odoriferous liquid 15.

The internal compartment 13 is provided in the upper part with an orifice 16 through which the air contained in the hollow body is perfumed by being charged with particles of the odoriferous liquid diffused by the pad 14 before being drawn into the distribution duct 4.

Closing means 17 provided on the top of compartment 13 make it possible to manage the opening and closing of orifice 16.

• une position de fermeture dans laquelle il obstrue de manière étanche l’orifice 16 du compartiment 13 de sorte à empêcher la diffusion des particules du liquide odoriférant dans l’habitacle (configuration illustrée par la figure 3) ; et
• une position d’ouverture dans laquelle la fenêtre 17A coïncide avec l’orifice 16 du compartiment 13 de sorte à permettre la diffusion des particules du liquide odoriférant dans l’habitacle.

These closure means are in this case in the form of a disc 17 provided with a window 17A and rotatable by means of an electromagnetic actuator, not shown, between:

• a closed position in which it seals off the orifice 16 of the compartment 13 so as to prevent the diffusion of the particles of the odoriferous liquid into the passenger compartment (configuration illustrated in FIG. 3); and
• an open position in which the window 17A coincides with the orifice 16 of the compartment 13 so as to allow the diffusion of the particles of the odoriferous liquid into the passenger compartment.

According to the invention, the fragrance diffuser device 10 also comprises a filling pipe 18 extending under the dashboard 3 of the vehicle.

This pipe 18 has a first end 18A connected to the compartment 13 housing the buffer 15 (preferably at an elevated level relative to this buffer 15) and a second end 18B opening into a zone of the vehicle accessible to a user, in this case on top of the dashboard 3 (see Figures 4 and 5).

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the presence of the filling line 18 thus allows a user of the vehicle to refill this pad 14 with odoriferous liquid using a liquid reserve container such as the bottle 5 shown in this figure and provided with a screw cap provided with a tip or a needle 5A capable of being introduced through the second end 18B of this pipe 18 opening onto the top of the dashboard 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, this filling line 18 here comprises a proximal portion extending substantially horizontally from its first end 18A connected to the compartment 13, a bent intermediate portion and a distal portion extending substantially vertically to its second end 18B opening onto the top of the dashboard 3.

On the other hand and as shown in Figure 5, the second end 18B of this pipe 18 opening onto the top of the dashboard 3 is provided with a pivoting non-return valve 19 to prevent any evaporation of the liquid fragrant through this pipe 18 as well as the introduction of small objects or particles of pollen or dust that could obstruct it.

The diffuser device 10 also advantageously comprises an odoriferous liquid level sensor located in the compartment 13 and being designed to be connected to the on-board computer of the vehicle.

The liquid level sensor is configured to transmit an alert signal to this on-board computer when the level of odoriferous liquid reaches a minimum threshold, so that the latter generates the display of a message on a screen of the vehicle indicating the need to refill the compartment with odoriferous liquid.

This liquid level sensor is also configured to transmit an alert signal to the on-board computer when the level of odoriferous liquid reaches a maximum threshold, so that the latter generates the display of a message on the screen. alerting the user in the process of recharging the compartment 13 that the latter is full.

FIG. 6 represents a schematic view of a fragrance-diffusing device 20 in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

The fragrance diffuser device 20 is of the autonomous type, that is to say it is capable of diffusing fragrance into the passenger compartment of a vehicle independently of the ventilation, heating and/or air conditioning system of the vehicle. .

It comprises a hollow body 21 located under the dashboard of the vehicle and in fluid communication with an air distribution duct 6 independent of the ventilation, heating and/or air conditioning circuit of the vehicle, this duct 6 opening into the passenger compartment at the front of the dashboard of this vehicle.

The fragrance diffuser device 20 also comprises a rotary blower 22 capable of generating a flow of ventilated air circulating in said hollow body 21 in the direction of the air distribution duct 6.

The hollow body 21 comprises an internal compartment 23 containing a diffuser element 24 impregnated or saturated with an odoriferous liquid, and being able to perfume the flow of ventilated air generated by the blower 22 and delivered into the passenger compartment of the vehicle via the duct distribution 6.

The internal compartment 23 is provided in the upper part with an orifice not visible in FIG. 6 and through which the air contained in the hollow body 21 is perfumed by being charged with particles of the odoriferous liquid diffused before being drawn into the distribution duct 6.

Closing means 27 provided on the top of compartment 23 and similar to those 17 described above make it possible to manage the opening and closing of this orifice.

The fragrance diffuser device 20 also comprises a filling pipe 28 similar to the pipe 18 and extending under the dashboard of the vehicle.

This pipe 28 has a first end 28A connected to the compartment 23 and a second end, not shown, opening into the top of the dashboard of the vehicle.

According to variant embodiments of the invention, the diffuser element is of a different type, it being able for example to consist of a wick dipped in a bath of odoriferous liquid.

According to other variant embodiments, the hollow body comprises a plurality of compartments containing diffuser elements made of absorbent material impregnated or saturated with odoriferous liquids emitting different fragrances, each compartment being connected to a respective filling pipe.

• la seconde extrémité de chaque conduite de remplissage débouche dans une autre zone du véhicule accessible à un usager telle que par exemple son compartiment moteur ;
• le ou les compartiments sont dépourvus de moyens d’obturation de leur orifice ou ces moyens sont de type différent, ces derniers étant par exemple constitués par un clapet monté pivotant entre une position de fermeture dans laquelle il obstrue de manière étanche l’orifice du compartiment et une position d’ouverture où cet orifice demeure ouvert ; et/ou
• la forme et les dimensions de l’orifice de chaque compartiment peuvent varier, cet orifice pouvant par exemple s’étendre sur la totalité ou la quasi-totalité de la face supérieure de ce compartiment afin d’augmenter la diffusion des particules odoriférantes.

According to yet other variant embodiments:

• the second end of each filling pipe opens into another zone of the vehicle accessible to a user such as for example his engine compartment;
• the compartment or compartments do not have means for closing their orifice or these means are of a different type, the latter being for example constituted by a valve mounted pivoting between a closed position in which it obstructs the orifice of the compartment in a leaktight manner and an open position where this orifice remains open; and or
• the shape and dimensions of the orifice of each compartment may vary, this orifice being able for example to extend over all or almost all of the upper face of this compartment in order to increase the diffusion of the odoriferous particles.

In general, it is recalled that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and represented, but encompasses any variant of execution within the reach of those skilled in the art.

Claims (10)

Fragrance diffuser device for a motor vehicle, comprising a hollow body (11; 21) intended to be arranged in fluid communication with an air distribution duct (4; 6) opening into the passenger compartment of said vehicle, said body (11; 21) comprising at least one internal compartment (13; 23) provided with an orifice (16), each at least said compartment (13; 23) containing a diffuser element of absorbent material (14; 24) impregnated or saturated with a odoriferous liquid and being able to perfume, through said orifice (16), a flow of ventilated air delivered into the passenger compartment via said distribution duct (4; 6); characterized in that it also comprises a filler pipe (18; 28) having a first end (18A; 28A) connected to said compartment (13; 23) and the second end of which is provided to open out into a zone of said vehicle accessible to a user. Fragrance diffuser device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said hollow body comprises a plurality of said compartments containing diffuser elements impregnated or saturated with odoriferous liquids emitting different fragrances, each said compartment being connected to a respective said filling pipe. Fragrance diffuser device according to one of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the second end (18B) of each said filling pipe (18; 28) is provided with a pivoting non-return valve (19). Fragrance diffuser device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each said compartment (13; 23) comprises an odoriferous liquid level sensor intended to be connected to the on-board computer of the said vehicle. Fragrance diffuser device according to claim 4, characterized in that each sensor is configured to transmit an alert signal to said on-board computer when the level of odoriferous liquid reaches a minimum or maximum threshold. Fragrance diffuser device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the diffuser element (14; 24) consists of a pad or a wick soaked in a bath of odoriferous liquid. Fragrance diffuser device according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each at least said compartment (13; 23) comprises closure means (17; 27) making it possible to manage the opening and closing of its orifice (16). Fragrance diffuser device according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a rotary blower (22) able to generate a flow of ventilated air circulating in the said hollow body (21) in the direction of the said distribution duct of air (6). Motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a fragrance-diffusing device according to one of Claims 1 to 8 and of which the said hollow body (11; 21) is located under the dashboard (3). Motor vehicle according to Claim 9, characterized in that the second end (18B) of the filling pipe (18; 28) of the said fragrance-diffusing device opens onto the said dashboard (3).