GB2295549A

GB2295549A - Plug-in air freshener

Info

Publication number: GB2295549A
Application number: GB9524773A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jose Munoz Quintana
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-12-02
Filing date: 1995-12-04
Publication date: 1996-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2015-12-04
Also published as: ITMI970856U1; FR2727630A1; GB9524773D0; GB2295549B; FR2727630B1; ES1029450Y; ITMI952512A0; IT238079Y1; ITMI970856U4; ES1029450U; DE19544643C2; ITMI952512A1; DE19544643A1

Description

1 2295549 AIR FRESHENER

This invention relates to an air freshener for vehicles which has been designed especially to ensure appropriate odorization of the interior thereof, which can be improved by the introduction of insecticides or another type of substance capable of improving the hygiene and security characteristics of this type of vehicle which normally travels with the windows closed and can consequently generate bad odours, fumes or other types of environmental problem in its interior.

The present invention relates to a very simple device which is capable of vaporizing, by means of electric current, a substance which will give the vehicle a pleasant odour while eliminating for example, tobacco residues, or simply residues which resulting from the continuous closure of the cabin, with sispificant effectiveness since the contribution of said substance does not take place naturally but is forced by heat.

To this end, there is provided a device situated within a casing of which the general size allows it to be positioned in the interior of the electric fighter of the vehicle as a result of which, one the one hand, it does not occupy cabin or internal space and, on the other hand, is capable of benefiting from the electric current which the vehicle has at this point.

To this end, said casing comprises, in its interior, respective poles of different sign linked by an electrical cable which is connected to an electric resistance, a LED being provided to indicate whether or not the device is operating.

Similarly, the air-freshening and/or insecticidal substance which can be solid or in gel form will be located in an appropriately protected manner in the interior of said casing. In the case of a gel, the element protecting it 2 will not be linked directly to the exterior but will have to have a small membrane which, on the one hand, wiU prevent accidental escape of the gel but, on the other hand, does not prevent the escape of said appropriately heated product to the exterior due to porosity.

A smal for example forward and backward, movement of the airfreshening device with respect to the general body of the vehicle's electric lighter will allow or prevent contact with the electrical terminals thereof, on the basis of which the device wiU or wiff not operate, this situation being indicated by the extinction or otherwise of said LED.

According to an embodiment of the invention there is provided an air freshener for vehicles of the type which is located in the interior of the electric lighter and utilizes the electric current misting there, which consists essentially of or comprises of a casing provided in its interior with an electrical cable which joins respective terminals of different p6larity, said cable in turn connecting one or more electric resistances as well as an LED which indicates operation, an air- freshening and/or insecticidal substance also being provided in an appropriately protected. manner in said casing with the possibility of issuing to the exterior once vaporized.

To flicilitate, understanding, this specification is accompanied by a sheet of drawings showing, by way of non-limiting examples, an embodiment of an air freshener for vehicles according to the invention.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are three views, the first being a sectional elevation, the second a sectional plan view and the third a proffle of the airfreshening device for vehicles forming the basis of the present invention.

FinaUy, Figure 4 shows an external view of a possible embodiment of the claimed device, 3 As can be deduced from said sheet of drawings, the claimed air freshener for vehicles consists of an external casing which is advantageously composed of an upper part 1, a lower part 2 and a closure cap 3 which, when combined, will facilitate the closure in its interior of the various elements maldng up the device.

Said elements consist mainly of respective electric poles, a positive pole 4 and a negative pole 5, each of which is provided with a spring 6 and 7 respectively the object of which is to ensure the perfect positioning of said poles to ensure that they make contact with the energy source which is normally situated in the electric fighter of the vehicle.

Said poles are connected to one another by a cable 8 which, in its course, links one or more resistances 9, an LED 10 also being provided which will be fit or extinguished depending on whether or not the device is in operation.

It is fundamental to the effect of the present invention that the interior of the casing similarly contains an air-fieshening and/or insecticidal substance I I situated in the interior of the general casing which has outlets 12 for the substance contained in its interior once it has been vaporized by the effect of heat.

Said substance can be in tablet form, as shown in the embodiment in the drawings, or in the form of a gel, the arrangement of the outlet elements for the vaporized product being variable in the two cases, small orifices being provided in the case of the tablet and orifices closed by a porous plate in the case of the gel.

A further characteristic which is not essential and can vary according to the desired solutions will be the fact that said air-freshening 4 device can be disposable, in which case the device will terminate said function once the tablet is terminated, or rechargeable, in which case the configuration of the casing will allow the air-freshening substance to be substituted, once depleted, by a fresh quantity, either in tablet form or gel form, as mentioned.

Operation of the device is very simple.

The air-freshening device is located in the interior of a vehicle fighter in such a way that its electrical terminals 4 and 5 are in contact with the corresponding terminals of the lighter.

Under these conditions, a current passes through the electrical cable and, on passing through the resistances, is converted into heat while the LED 10 indicates the state of said device.

The build-up of heat in the interior of the device changes the state of the substance 11 situated there by means of which said-substance, either a table or a gel, vaporizes and issues to the exterior through the outlets 12 Provided f6r this purpose. As noted hereinbefore the nature of the outlets 12 depends On the Physical sMe:of s@Lid substance which is transmitted through the interior of the vehicle and thus improves the environmental characteristics thereof

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Air freshener for a vehicle the air freshener being receivable in an electric fighter socket of the vehicle and capable of utilizing electric current from the socket, the air freshener consisting of a casing provided in its interior with an electrical conduit joining terminals of different polarity, the conduit connecting one or more electrical resistance and a LED for indicating the operation status of the freshener, an air freshening and/or insecticidal substance being receivable in the casing and capable of issuing from the device once vaporized.

2. Air freshener for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the substance is in tablet form or in gel form.

3. Air freshener for vehicles according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the device is disposable or rechargeable.

4. An air freshener substantially as hereinbefore described.