MXPA00010032A - Wick-based liquid emanation system with child-resistant and miniaturization features - Google Patents

Abstract

A vapor emanation system includes a plastic housing having a socket portion and an electric plug portion. A decorative miniaturize container containing liquid to be evaporated by heat, has a body for storing the liquid and a neck connected to the body for engaging the socket portion of the housing for supporting the container on the housing. The neck has a passage there through and a retaining ring is fixed in the passage. A hole extends through the ring. A wick having an upper portion extending through the hole of the retaining ring also has a lower portion extending down into the body of the container for absorbing liquid from the container and for moving the liquid into the upper portion of the wick by capillary action. A tangential electric heater in the housing heats the upper portion of the wick above the neck to evaporate liquid from the wick. A retaining pin extending through the wick below the neck, extends radially beyond the wick by an amount which precludes upward extracti on of the wick from the retaining ring to prevent a child from removing the wick and being exposed to the liquid.

Description

LIQUID EMANATION SYSTEM BASED ON DUST WITH PROTECTION CHARACTERISTICS FOR CHILDREN AND MINIATURIZATION Background of the Invention The present invention relates in general to electrical evaporation systems using wicks, and in particular to a new and useful wicking evaporation system having a wicking structure with child protection, a reverse rope characteristic, Unique decorative features and a compact structure. Wick-based vapor emanation systems are known within the art to disperse in the air, vapors of any quantity of liquids. Said systems are frequently used in the home with liquids that vary from insect repellents to environmental flavorings. Typically, in such systems, one end of the wick is partially submerged within the liquid that will be dispersed. The liquid is contained within any appropriate container. The partially submerged portion of the wick absorbs the liquid, whose amount is diffused through Ref. 123293 means of capillary action or wick inside the exposed portion, without submerging the wick. The exposed portion of the wick is heated locally, often by means of a ring-shaped heater that fits over the wick. This causes the liquid that has diffused into the exposed portion of the wick to evaporate into the environment. A continuous application of heat to the exposed portion of the wick results in an evaporation / absorption process that continues until the liquid is fully consumed. A problem with wick-based liquid emanation systems, as well as many products suitable for domestic use, is the potential danger in which a child might come into contact with the liquid contained in the system. Many of the fluids used with such systems can be harmful if swallowed and some are harmful just by touching them. Accordingly, it is desirable to make these systems "child protection" to reduce the risk of a child accessing the potentially dangerous contents of the system. U.S. Patent 5,909,845 assigned to Grea tba tch, et a i. , discovers a fuse-based liquid emanation system, with protection for children, that includes a container that is capable of containing a liquid and has an opening. A wick is partially arranged inside the container and extends through the opening of the container. A hollow cap encloses the extended portion of the wick and has a closed tip, which can be separated and an open base fixed to the cover of the opening the container. The system is activated by means of separating the tip from the lid. This system is complex and adds a step before the product can be used. US Patents 5,038,394 and ,290,546 assigned to Hasegawa, et al. , they discover an electric atmosphere flavoring that includes an electrical connector, integral to an evaporator container. This structure is common to similar electric evaporators that have been available in Europe and Asia for many years. The container includes a ring heater for attaching to the upper end of a wick, for heating this end and evaporating liquids from a bottle that is screwed to a plug formed as part of the container. A similar structure is disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,222,186 assigned to Shimanski, et al. , wherein a tangential heater is used as the place for an annular heater, as the heating means for heating the upper end of the wick. U.S. Patent 5,222,186 assigned to Shimanski, et al. , is incorporated here for your reference, to instruct this type of electric evaporator. U.S. Patent 5,647,053 assigned to Schroeder, et al. , shows a similar structure that can be rotated around its plug. The concept of a wick-based electric evaporator is very old, as demonstrated by US Pat. No. 1,944,821, issued in 1934, which includes the same basic units of a wick with an upper end that is heated to evaporate liquid from a container. that extends below the heater.

Brief Compendium of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a vapor emanation system that includes a plastic container having a plug portion and an electrical connector portion with safety, decorative and miniaturization features. A decorative container containing a liquid that will be evaporated by heating, has a body for storing the liquid and a neck connected to the body to adjust the plug portion of the container, to support the container on the container. The neck has a passage through it and a retaining ring is fixed within the passage. A hole is extended through the ring. A wick having an upper portion extending through the hole of the retaining ring, also a lower portion extending into the body of the container, to absorb liquid from the container and to move the liquid towards the upper portion of the wick by means of a capillary action. A tangential electric heater inside the vessel heats the upper portion of the wick that is above the neck to evaporate the liquid from the wick. A retaining tip extends through the wick that is below the neck, extends radially above the wick in an amount that prevents an upward pulling of the wick from the retaining ring, to prevent a child from withdrawing. the wick and be exposed to liquid. The plug and the container are made with a reverse screw strings, common bottles can not be used with the system. This prevents a consumer from trying to use volatile or flammable essences, or improvised wicks within the system, which could be dangerous. A typical bottle can not be attached to the container of the invention. Moreover, the use of one or more tips inside the wick prevents the wick from being extracted to allow a consumer to pour an inappropriate mixture of perfumes that are not made for the system. If the wick can not be removed, the container can not be refilled by the consumer. According to another object of the invention, the body of the container can stimulate a decorative detail, such as a bunch of fruits and a vapor dispersion tab can also be used above the heater to further stimulate the detail, for example, by half of a foliage simulating on top of the fruit. Still, another additional objective of the invention is achieved by means of miniaturizing the system. Up to this point, the heater is a tangential heater and the plug portion of the container is smaller in diameter than the largest diameter of the container or body of the bottle that extends below the container. The body of the container is fully visible below the container, not being covered by any part of the container.

The various features of novelty that may characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims and which are forming part of this description. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objectives obtained by means of its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and the descriptive matters in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a container for a liquid to be evaporated in the system of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a system including a container, a container, and retaining and decorative features; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the system container and part of the container of the present invention, with an alternative form of a wicking ring; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the system with the tab removed to reveal the structures below; and Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the heater assembly used in accordance with the present invention.

Description of the Preferred Modality Referring to the drawings, the miniaturized electric environment flavoring of the present invention is generally designated as in Fig. 2, and comprises a multi-part plastic vaporizer vessel 50 containing a heater assembly 52 for heating the end. upper of a wick 54, which is cylindrical in shape and has an upper end 55 that fits within the hole 57, which extends through the heater assembly, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The vaporizer vessel includes a reverse cord plug 56 that receives the end of the neck with a reverse top rope from a bottle or container 60 that contains an ambient flavor liquid, shown at 62. The wick 54 absorbs the liquid and it leads to the upper end 55 by means of capillary action in the manner of a sponge, where it is heated and evaporated by means of the heater assembly 52. The use of a reverse screw cord, which is designated generally as 90 in FIG. 4, means that the container 60, when viewed from above, is rotated in the clockwise direction to be squeezed into the container and turned counterclockwise to loosen and remove, and that common bottles of rope Normal screw connections can not be used within the system. The plug 56 within the plug portion 51 of the container 50 holds the bottle in place with everything else, except for the neck of the bottle that extends below the container and which is exposed in such a way that it can be viewed. The container 50 includes a dome-shaped cover 68 having multiple orifices in a pattern that forms vapor outlets. The cover includes a decorative tab extending upwards and outwards which imitates the leaves of a plant, the petals of a rose or any other stimulating form. This form helps to hide the dome, helps to dissipate the evaporated environment flavor and to decorate the product when it rests near a wall, supported by a wall socket. The device is supplied with power by means of receiving electricity through a pair of electric plugs 70 which are made to be plugged into a wall electrical outlet. Both plugs 70 supply electricity and support the product on the wall. The plug pins 70 and the generally rectangular connector portion 59 of the container 50 are made as a unit. The connector is fixed with respect to the container such that the bottle 60 can only hang downwardly from the container, when the connector pins are connected to the wall. The container 50, as best shown in Fig. 4, has a separate skirt 72 around the plug 56 and the bottle neck 62 that may be in that socket, forming a clear space that also contains air intakes 64 The product design is made in a way that simulates fruits, vegetables or any other detail. In Fig. 2 for example the container 50 includes a top cover flange 20 which simulates a foliage around the outlet cover 68. The bottle itself can be shaped to simulate a fruit (e.g., Fig. 2) or a fruit cluster 61 below the foliage 21, as shown in a device of the invention generally designated 11 in Fig. 3. The product is miniaturized such that it conveniently hangs from the integral pegs 70 and administers liquid fragrance, in both the fragrance is evaporated near the top of the wick 54 by heating from the heater 52, the liquid being replenished by means of a capillary action as more liquid is absorbed upwards from the bottle 60 or 61 to the top of the wick 54. As best shown in Fig. 1, a wick configuration with child protection of the present invention, includes a retaining ring 30 having a lower cylindrical portion 32 that fits tightly by means of pressure adjustment and / or by means of the use of an adhesive, inside the neck 62 of the bottle 60, so that it can not be removed. Advantageously, the ring 30 is made of polypropylene or any other high strength synthetic material such as nylon, and has an upper flange 34 that forms the upper part of the neck of the bottle. An orifice 36 extends through the center of the ring 30 and has a diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the flexible fibrous wick 54, such that the upper portion of the wick can extend through, and be held firmly within the orifice 36, with the upper end of the wick extending above the neck, such that it can be heated by means of the heater assembly. The wick 54 can be made of cotton, cellulose, polyester, or any other known wicking material. A metal tip 40 is drilled through the fibrous wick 54 and is positioned just below the retaining ring 30. They can also be used for the tip 40, plastics or any other material strong enough to comply with the required shooting force. The tip 40 is long enough to extend radially above the periphery of the wick 54, by an amount that prevents removal of the wick 54, upwardly or through the retaining ring 30. This, in conjunction with the permanent fixing of the ring 30 to the neck 62, avoids the extraction of the wick and consequently, the exposure of a child to the liquid 62 in the body portion of the bottle 60 and also avoids filling.

The force of the tip 40 and the force of the adjustment of the retaining ring 30 in the neck 62, which can be with or without adhesive, should be such as to require a pulling force of at least 7 kg to extract the wick 54. from the bottle. This effectively prevents extraction by a child and is still difficult for adults. As noted, this also makes it difficult to fill the container 60 with inappropriate liquids. In the samples of the invention, a force of more than 7 kg is needed to extract the wick, while the tip is bent and the ring 30 is pulled from the neck. Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative form of the ring 30, which includes a cylindrical extension, skirt or sleeve 31 circumscribing the wick and through which the tip 40 extends for strength and added force to remove the wick. Additionally, the polypropylene retaining ring 30 may have a portion 32 that is slightly larger in diameter than the inner passage passing through the neck 62, such that a very firm force is required to press the ring 30 into the neck . This simultaneously contracts the portion 32 of the neck, with the wick 54 in place, tightens the wick even more firmly into the hole 36. At the same time a force adjustment is achieved, preferably without adhesive. In order to evolve the decorative aspects of the invention, as shown in Fig. 5, the largest diameter of the body of the bottle is selected to be larger than the diameter of a plug portion 51 of the container 50. The plug portion 51 is connected to the connector portion 59. The plug portion 51 contains the plug 56 and is thus called for this purpose, while the connector portion 58 leads to the pins 70 and the internal wiring extending to a substantially straight and tangential electric heater 80, and an optional LED bulb 82, which is illuminated by means of electricity to indicate that the system has been turned on and is emitting steam from the cover 62. As shown in Fig. 6, and as fully disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,222,186, the tangential heater assembly 52 comprises the tangential heater 80, which is surrounded by a body of ceramic material. 84. As shown in Fig. 4, the heater 80 rests within a recess in the body 8 4 and the body 84 also contains the passage or opening 57 for receiving the upper end 55 of the wick 54. The opening 57 may be slightly larger than the outside diameter of the wick 55, to allow easy insertion of a new wick, when the liquid inside a container 60 has been finished, the upper end 55 of the wick 54 being automatically inserted into the opening 57 when the neck 62 is threaded into the plug 56. Fig. 4 also illustrates the one-piece construction of the cover 68, which includes a decorative and functional flange 20. An annular floor 22 at the base of the cover, receives and adjusts by pressure to an annular ring 24 extending upwardly from the container 50. This allows the decorative flange 20 in Fig. 2, or 21 in Fig. 3, to be adjusted by pressure inside the container and perhaps, even when s It is replaced with different decorations that are consistent with the decoration of the bottle 60 or 61. In Fig. 1, the bottle 60 is made out of glass. Any material that is compatible with the liquid, in particular liquid flavoring of environment, so that it is evaporated from the unit, can be used as a container. While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention can be modalized in any other manner without departing from said principles. It is noted that, with regard to this date, the best method known by the requested, to carry out the present invention, is that which is clear from the present, discovering the invention. Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is claimed as property.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS A vapors emanation system characterized in that it comprises: a container or housing having a plug portion; a container for housing a liquid to be evaporated by heating, the container having a body for storing the liquid and a neck connected to the body to adjust the portion of the container plug to support the container on the container, the neck having a passage through it; a retaining ring fixed within the passage and having a hole therethrough; a wick having an upper portion extending through the hole of the retaining ring, and a lower portion extending into the body of the container to absorb liquid from the container and to move the liquid toward the upper portion of the container. wick by means of a capillary action; heating means inside the container for heating the upper portion of the wick that is above the neck, to evaporate the liquid coming from the wick; Y a retaining tip extending through the wick that is below the neck, the retaining tip extending over the wick by means of an amount that prevents upward pulling of the wick, from the retaining ring. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the tip is made of metal and the retaining ring is adjusted by pressure inside the neck. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the tip extends radially through the wick that is below the retaining ring and is larger in length than the diameter of the retention ring hole. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the container has a decorative body that simulates a detail and is visible below the container. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that it includes a flange that extends upwards from the container and simulates an additional detail that is consistent with the detail simulated by the body of the bottle. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the container and the plug portion are connected to each other by means of reverse screw strings. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug portion has a diameter, the container including a connector portion, the neck being threaded and can be removed to the plug portion of the container, to support the container on the container, neck having a passage therethrough and the body having a maximum diameter that is larger than the diameter of the plug portion of the container, the body extending downward from the container with no part of the container covering the body, in such a manner that the body may be visible below the container and electrical plug means connected to the heating means and supported by a connector portion of the container to be connected within an electrical wall socket to supply power to the heating means and to Support the system on the wall. A vapors emanation system characterized in that it comprises: a container having a plug portion with a diameter and a connector portion; a container for housing a liquid to be evaporated by heating, the container having a body for storing the liquid and a threaded neck being removable to the plug portion of the container to support the container on the container, the neck having a passage through this and the body having a maximum diameter that is greater than the diameter of the plug portion of the container, the body extending downwardly from the container with no part of the container covering the body, such that the body can be visible below the container; a wick having an upper portion extending through the neck passage, and a lower portion extending downwardly of the body of the container to absorb liquid from the container and to move the liquid toward the upper portion of the wick by means of a capillary action; heating means inside the container for heating to the upper portion of the wick that is above the neck, to evaporate the liquid coming from the wick; Y electrical plug means connected to the heating means and supported by the connector portion of the container so that they are connected in a wall electrical outlet to supply power to the heating means and to support the system on the wall. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that it includes a retaining ring fixed in the passage of the neck and having a hole through it, the wick extending through the hole in the retaining ring and a retaining tip that extends through the wick that is below the neck, the retention tip extending over the wick in an amount that prevents upward pulling of the wick from the retaining ring. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the tip is made of metal and the retaining ring is adjusted by pressure inside the neck. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the tip extends radially through the wick that is below the retaining ring and is larger than the diameter diameter diameter of the retaining ring. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the container has a decorative body that simulates a detail and is visible below the container. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that it includes a flange that extends upwards from the container and simulates an additional detail that is consistent with the detail simulated by the body of the bottle. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the heating means is a tangential heater inside the plug portion of the container. The system according to claim 13, characterized in that the flange includes a perforated dome and an annular recess, the plug portion of the container including an edge for adjustment by means of the annular recess, to maintain the dome and the flange in the container . The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the neck and the plug portion have reverse screw strings to fit together. Summary of the Invention A vapor emanation system includes a plastic container having a plug portion and an electrical connector portion. A miniature decorative container containing a liquid to be evaporated by heating, has a body for storing the liquid and a neck connected to the body to conform to the plug portion of the container for supporting the container on the container. The neck has a passage through it and a retaining ring is fixed within the passage. A hole is extended through the ring. A wick having an upper portion extending through the retention ring orifice also has a lower portion that extends downwardly in the body of the container to absorb liquid from the container and to move the liquid toward the upper portion of the container. the wick by means of a capillary action. A tangential electric heater inside the vessel heats the upper portion of the wick that is above the neck to evaporate the liquid from the wick. A retaining tip extends through the wick that is below the neck, extends radially above the wick in an amount that prevents the upward pulling of the wick from the retaining ring, to prevent a child from withdrawing. the wick and that is exposed to the liquid.