MXPA03007341A - Method and apparatus for dual-outlet vapor dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A multiple-outlet vapor-dispensing device is configured to interface withan electrical receptacle such that the functionality of that outlet is substantially maintained. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a vapor-dispensing device is configured to connect to an electrical receptacle having at least one outlet. The vapor-dispensing device comprises a housing having a first device outlet and a second device outlet, the housing being attachable to the outlet.

Description

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A DOUBLE TOMA.CORRIENT STEAM DISTRIBUTOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally related to steam dispensing devices, and, more particularly, to a multiple outlet steam dispensing device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Steam dispensing products typically include a volatile material and a transport system configured to facilitate evaporation of the volatilizable material into the surrounding air. For example, in some systems, a liquid is contained in a reservoir bottle; in others, a wax material is used. The housing, which comes out of the wall outlet, facilitates the evaporation of the material that can be volatilized into the environment. In such devices, a heating element can supply kinetic energy to molecules of the liquid contained in a wick. Such units are plugged into a conventional electrical outlet, with this causing the heating element to heat the liquid and vaporize the liquid that has been sucked by the wick.

Known steam jet devices of this type may be unsatisfactory in many respects. For example, various steam jets (for example, room air purifiers and the like, which interconnect with wall outlets may lack stability, may be undesirably noticeable and / or may obstruct access to and use of one or more outlets. That is, a disadvantage of known steam jets is that, when plugged into a wall outlet, the ability to use the electrical outlet or the outlets into which they are plugged in is reduced or eliminated by virtue of the spout geometry or other factors Thus, there is a need for a steam jetting device that addresses these and other limitations of the prior art, although the present invention is directed to disadvantages of the prior art that will be described in detail below. , in general, the present invention provides a multiple outlet steam dispenser device configured to interconnecting with an electrical receptacle so that the functionality of that receptacle is substantially maintained. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a steam jet device is configured to connect to the electrical receptacle having a first outlet and a second receptacle. The steam jet device comprises a housing having a first receptacle of the device and a second receptacle of the device. The housing can be fixed to the first receptacle and the second receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete understanding of the present invention can be derived by reference to the detailed description and the claims taken into consideration with respect to the Figures, wherein similar reference numbers refer to similar elements in all Figures, and: FIGURE 1 illustrates a block diagram format in an exemplary steam jet device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate perspective views of exemplary housings in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 4 illustrates an exemplary electrical coupling device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 5 illustrates an exemplary electrical receptacle in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention; FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate exemplary receptacle arrangements in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention; FIGURE 8 illustrates the exemplary outlets according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and FIGURE 9 illustrates an exemplary fragrance delivery system in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and FIGURES 10a, 10b and 10c illustrate exemplary fill configurations in accordance with the present invention. The following description is of the exemplary embodiments of the invention only, and should not be intended to limit the scope, application or configuration of the invention in any way. Instead, the following description is intended to provide a convenient illustration for implementing various embodiments of the invention. As will be obvious, various changes may be made in function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, in the context of the present invention, the method and apparatus thereof find particular use in conjunction with flavoring vaporizing systems. However, generally speaking, various materials that can be volatilized as insecticides, deodorizers, sanitizers, and / or the like are suitable for use in accordance with the present invention. In general, the present invention provides a multiple outlet steam dispenser device (eg, a dual outlet air purifier) configured to interconnect, for example with a standard dual outlet, a quad power outlet, or another such electrical receptacle, to substantially maintain (or in fact increase) the functionality of the electrical receptacle with which the steam jet device is interconnected. FIGURE 1 illustrates, schematically, an exemplary steam jet device 100 configured to be fixed to an electrical receptacle 160. In general, the steam jet device 100 suitably comprises a housing 110, at least one plug 141, two device receptacles 131 and 132, and a fragrance supply system 120. Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing 210 comprises a front surface 211 and a rear surface 312 spaced apart by a thickness T. The front surfaces 211 and rear 312 can generally conform to the geometry of the electrical receptacle 160 to which they are attached (and / or to the faceplate associated with the electrical receptacle 160), or may have any convenient shape. For example, a rectangular housing 210 may be configured to be approximately the same size as the standard rectangular wall plate for a duplex electrical receptacle (e.g., 160). The use of approximately similar dimensions for the height and width of the housing 110 as well as in the electric receptacle 160 and the use of a narrow thickness T, help to reduce the visibility (or increase the "discretion") of the dispensing device 100. steam. The thickness T can be selected according to any suitable design standard. According to one embodiment, for example, T lies between 1.0 and 8.0 cm, preferably less than about 5.0 cm. According to another embodiment, T is less than about 3.0 cm, preferably about 2.5 cm. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the steam jet device 100 is configured such that, when connected to the electrical receptacle 160, the steam jet device 100 generally simulates a standard wall outlet plate to cause the device is less noticeable to those in the vicinity of the device and allows functional access to one or more receptacles of the electrical receptacle 160. In this respect, while the illustrated embodiment is characterized by a generally rectilinear shape, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto. With several exemplary embodiments, the front surfaces 211 and rear 212 may be different in height and width from one another, and / or from the electrical receptacle 160. For example, the housing 110 may be approximately the size of a duplex electrical receptacle and still be fixed to the middle of a 4-plexus electrical receptacle (see, for example, FIGURE 7). In addition, the housing can be configured with various decorative shapes such as hearts, stars and the like. The housing 110 can be configured in various ways to be secured to the electrical receptacle 160. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing 110 is configured to be secured to the electrical receptacle 160 by means of one or more plugs (e.g., the plug 141 and 142 shown in Figure 1). More particularly, with reference to Figure 3, a first plug 341 is suitably configured to extend from the rear surface 312 of the housing 210. A second plug 342 may also be configured to extend from the rear of the surface 312. In one illustrated embodiment, first and / or second plugs 341 and 342 comprise conventional two-legged (and / or standardized) plugs configured to be inserted into a standard duplex electrical receptacle. In general, however, the plugs may comprise any suitable female or male component (whether or not they are functional in terms of electricity) configured to interconnect with the corresponding structure within the electrical receptacle 160. The housing 110 can also be secured to the electrical receptacle 160 by means of a suitable fastener (for example, a conventional screw) located, for example, to the center or ends of the electrical receptacle. In another example, clips, Velero brand fasteners, snap fasteners, and the like may be suitably used to secure the housing 110 to the electrical receptacle 160. The receptacles 131 and 132 of the device are generally configured to reflect the functionality provided by a type (or types) of the receptacle 171 and 172 placed within the receptacle 160. The use of receptacles 131 of the device for electrical needs thereby increases the discretion of the device. 100 steam jet. For example, the illusion that the steam jet device 100 is simply a typical electrical outlet is maintained by allowing other devices (eg, lamps, televisions, watches, etc.) to be plugged into the same outlet. For example, the receptacles 171 and 172 may correspond to the standard two-legged AC electrical outlet that can be found in many houses. In this case it may also be advantageous to configure the housing 110 to include electrical outlets 131 and 132 of two standard legs that substantially correspond in place and geometry to that provided by the receptacle 160. The device receptacles 131 and 132 can be electrically coupled to the corresponding outlets 171 and 172, or can be configured with any suitable electrical topology that provides the desired functionality of the device 100. For example, a single plug 141 can be configured to be electrically coupled to more than one outlet of the device (e.g. 132) in the housing 110. In addition, the additional plugs can be configured, in various combinations, to be electrically coupled to one or more device receptacles. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first plug 341 is configured to provide power from the first receptacle receptacle 171 to two or more device receptacles (e.g., 131 and 132). In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first plug 341 is configured to provide power from the receptacle receptacle 171 to the first device receptacle 231 and the second plug 342 is also configured to provide power from the receptacle receptacle 172 to the device receptacle 232. . In addition, one or more plugs may be non-functional (or "false" plugs). Such non-functional plugs, which may comprise any suitable plastic or other insulation material, may provide structural support of the steam jet device. Alternatively, a metallic material can be used for the non-conductive plugs to the point where the non-functional plug is configured so that a circuit is not formed by that plug. As mentioned above, a device receptacle may be configured to directly attach to a corresponding receptacle receptacle. In this respect, FIGURE 4 illustrates an exemplary electrical coupling 400 which is used in the steam jet device housing 410. The electrical coupling 400 may comprise a metal structure having a plug end 401 and a device plug end 402. The metal structure can be a unitary structure for each current path. The plug end 401 is configured to be inserted into a suitable electrical receptacle and to form an electrical contact therewith. The device outlet end 402 is configured to receive a plug and form an electrical contact therewith. In another example, the plug end 401 and the plug end 402 of the device can be connected by a wire or other suitable electrical path (e.g., conductive traces and the like). Additional reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the device receptacle 231 may be configured to be substantially flush with the physical surface 211. In other exemplary housing structures, the device receptacle 131 may be raised or otherwise non-planar with the front surface 211. The device receptacles 131 and 132 may be configured to receive different types of plugs as will be described below with reference to FIGURE 8. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5, the electric receptacle 160 may include any wall receptacle accessory standard configured to receive electrical outlets, such as the plugs provided at one end of a power cable. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical receptacle 160 comprises two or more receptacles 171 and 172. Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary electrical receptacle 560 comprising a front plate 561 and two or more receptacles (e.g., 562 and 563). The front plate 561 may comprise openings suitable for exposing one or more of the receptacles. Various styles and designs can be used for the front plates.

The electrical receptacle 160 may also comprise several receptacles. Referring to FIGURE 6, an exemplary dual outlet electrical receptacle 600 is illustrated. Referring to FIGURE 7, an exemplary quad power receptacle 700 is illustrated. Other appropriate numbers and receptacle arrangements can also be used. The device receptacle number 131 may not correspond to the receptacle number of the electrical receptacle provided in the housing. For example, two electrical receptacle receptacles may be covered and four device receptacles may be provided for use. In this way, the steam jet device 100 can function as an adapter by dividing a plug into two or more device outlets. The receptacles of the electrical receptacle and / or the device receptacles may comprise any suitable configuration of poles and / or ground connections. In this regard, FIGURE 8 illustrates exemplary configurations of pole / grounded connections in exemplary receptacles. For example, the receptacles 131 and 171 may comprise a two-pole outlet 801. In another example, a 30-amp, 250-volt outlet may comprise a two-pole outlet 802 where one pole has a larger receiving plug than the other. Sets 810 and 820 of the form of the additional exemplary outlets each have the receptacles that comprise three receptacles receptacles. For example, the receptacle may include one of two poles, three of the three-wire three-wire grounding receptacles 810 or one of the three-pole three-wire 820 plugs. In addition, the receptacle may have four plugs, such as the three-wire, four-wire four-wire grounding receptacles 830, or the four-wire, four-pole four-wire receptacles 840. In general, the receptacles can comprise any type of outlet, whether energized or not. For example, the present invention should be applied to receptacles that include one or more types of communication receptacles, such as telephone jacks, ethernet plugs, coaxial plugs, and the like. Also, it is not necessary for the receptacle to include only one type of receptacle. The present invention comprises any number and combination of receptacle. The steam jet device 100 also comprises a fragrance delivery system 120 configured to improve evaporation of a volatile material. The fragrance supply system 120 may be part of the housing 110 or may suitably be configured to be fixed to the housing 110. In either embodiment, the fragrance delivery system is configured to allow the use of one or more device receptacle 131 while which also works to supply fragrance. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing may be configured to facilitate heating of a volatile material provided by the fragrance delivery system 120. The housing 110 may comprise a heating element that suitably helps to vaporize the volatile material of the fragrance delivery system 120. In this embodiment, the heating element may comprise a resistance-type heating element, although generally speaking, any mechanism that helps to volatilize the material of the fragrance supply system 120 may, typically through kinetic energy, be an "element". of heating ". Additionally and momentarily it should be noted that in several alternative embodiments of the present invention, the steam jet device 100 may be a "passive" vaporizer. In other words, the material of the fragrance supply system 120 can be volatilized simply by exposure to environmental conditions (e.g., room temperature) . In this way, no heating element is required. The fragrance delivery system 120 may also comprise other material delivery systems, for example, gel and / or membrane-type fragrance dispensers. In such cases, the material that can be volatilized may be in the form of "gel" and / or semipermeable solid that is delivered through mechanisms such as sublimation. Thus, it should be appreciated that any fragrance delivery mechanism now known or still unknown in the art can suitably be configured for use in the present invention. The heating elements can be appropriately configured to be able to adjust to varying temperatures. According to different aspects of the present invention, a switch for controlling the variable temperature of a heating element can also be suitably configured. Likewise, dispensers having variable temperature control can provide the ability to increase or decrease the amount of fragrance assorted depending on the intensity and strength of heat provided by the heating element, performance desired by the user, room size and the like. . In other examples, the housing 110 and the fragrance delivery system 120 may have different roles, i.e., the housing 110 and the fragrance supply system 120 may act cooperatively to provide heat for the volatilization and / or the fragrance elements. and heating can be reversed in the structures. In addition, alternatively, the steam jet device 100 may comprise a single unitary structure with all the vaporizing elements of the fragrance supply system 120 integrated in the housing 110. FIGURE 9 illustrates an exemplary fragrance delivery system 900. The fragrance delivery system 900 comprises a chamber 910, an emanator 920, a first wick 931 and a second wick 932. The chamber 910 is configured to contain a material 950 that can volatilize therein. For example, the chamber 910 may be configured by a reservoir filled with liquid, which is functionally similar to the reservoir bottles of the vaporizer refill bottles now known. In such configurations, the chamber 910 has a hollow section filled with, for example, an oil with essence that is vaporized from the fragrance supply system 120. In the illustrated embodiment, a central region 960 of chamber 910 is cut to facilitate access to the receptacle. The emanator 920 is configured to receive material 950 which can be volatilized and facilitate the dispersion of the material to the surrounding environment. For example, the emanator 920 can suck out material that can be volatilized within a region that can be heated by a heating element. The emanator 920 can be configured to be fixed at a first point 921 to a first wick 931 and fixed at a second point 922 to a second wick 932. Therefore, the emanator 920 can receive material that can be volatilized through such mechanisms as the suction by the wick of the material 950 that can be volatilized from the chamber 910. The first wick 922 and the second wick 932 can be made, for example, of a porous material such as graphite, porous plastic or other fibrous materials. Having described the foregoing, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the fragrance delivery system 120 is suitably configured to have the size and shape of the housing 110 so that it can be assembled in the housing 110 in a manner that facilitates minimization of the probability of being noticed by those near the device 100 steam jet. For example, in the current exemplary embodiment, the fragrance supply system 120 has a substantially rectangular shape corresponding to the housing 110 (similar to a standard wall outlet plate). Additionally, the currently described embodiment can suitably exhibit improved stability and / or facilitate interaction of the heating elements (to the point where the heating elements are included in the steam jet device 100) with the fragrance delivery system 120 . Despite the nature of the receptacle 120 - that is, if the receptacle 120 is configured to supply electrical power and to what extent, - the supply system 900 can be passive, active or selectively switched between the active and passive. The term "passive" in this context, as applied to the delivery devices, refers to those devices that substantially depend on environmental conditions to supply a fragrance or otherwise modify the environment. Such environmental conditions include, for example, environmental thermal conditions (e.g., wall surface temperature and air temperature) and ambient air flow, (e.g., air flow resulting from free convection as well as movement ( if it exists) of fans, individuals or other entities within the environment). The term "active" in this context refers to devices that are not passive, for example, devices employing integrated fans, heating elements and other devices. In the case that the supply device 900 is an active device, any energy source required by the device may be intrinsic to the receptacle 120, for example, the 120 V source of a standard wall outlet, or extrinsic to the receptacle 120 , for example, supplied by a battery, solar cell or other similar devices incorporated within the supply device 120 or otherwise associated therewith. Alternatively, the energy may be supplied by combinations of intrinsic and extrinsic sources and / or may be incorporated into a filler component, which will be described in detail below. The supply device 900 suitably includes one or more removably fixed filling components. That is, referring to Figures 10A-10C, it may be advantageous if the delivery device 900 includes components that are integral to the delivery device itself as well as one or more filling components 1002 (or simply "fillings") that can be replaced by the user. In the case that the supply device 900 is an air purifying device, for example, a spent filling component 1002 can be removed from the device 900 and replaced by a new filling containing oil with fragrance, wax, gel or the like. The filler suitably includes a filler body and a volatile material provided therein. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a filling component is provided which allows the steam jet device to simulate an electrical receptacle. For example, a filler may be configured to be inserted behind the front surface of the device so that it is substantially covered by the front surface. According to one aspect of the present invention, the filler has a perimeter that is encompassed by the perimeter of the housing. According to another aspect of the present invention, the filler is configured so as not to significantly obstruct the receptacle's receptacle pattern (e.g., receptacle 562 and 563). In one embodiment, for example this is achieved by providing a filling component 1002 that at least partially surrounds one or more of the receptacles in the receptacle (several shown in Figures 10A-10C). In the event that the supply device is used together with a standard electrical receptacle, it is desirable that the filling 1002 covers two or more sides of the receptacle pattern (Figure 10A). To the extent that it is advantageous to provide the largest possible volume of materials that can be volatilized, the filler may be configured as a rectangular ring that completely surrounds the receptacle pattern (Figure 10B). Alternatively, the filler may be configured in a "U" shape to allow the filler 1002 to be slid out of the device (Figure 10C). The present invention has been described above with reference to several exemplary embodiments. However, various changes, combinations and modifications to the exemplary embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, several components can be implemented in alternative ways. These alternatives can be appropriately selected depending on the particular application or in consideration of any number of factors associated with the operation of the system. In addition, the techniques written herein may be extended or modified for use with other types of devices. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (12)

1. CLAIMS 1. A steam jet device configured to connect to an electrical receptacle having a first receptacle, the steam jet device characterized in that it comprises: a housing having a first device outlet and a second device receptacle; the housing is configured to removably attach to the first outlet. The device according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a first plug corresponding to the first device outlet and configured to be inserted into the first receptacle of the electrical receptacle. The device according to claim 2, further characterized in that it comprises a second plug corresponding to the second device outlet and configured to be inserted in a second receptacle of the electrical receptacle. The device according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a first plug electrically coupled to the first and second receptacles of the device and configured to be inserted into the first receptacle of the electrical receptacle. 5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing has a thickness of less than about 5.0 cm. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing further comprises a fragrance spout device. The device according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a system for the supply of active material. 8. The device according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a passive material supply system. The device according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a filling component that is removably attached to the housing. 10. A filler component that is used in conjunction with a steam jet device of the type configured to be connected to an electrical receptacle having a first receptacle and a second receptacle, the filler component being characterized in that it comprises: a filler body configured to join removably to the steam jet device, the fill body configured to cover at least two sides of an outlet pattern defined by the first receptacle and the second receptacle; and a volatile material provided within a filler body. The filler component according to claim 10, characterized in that the volatile material comprises an oil-based liquid, and wherein the filler body further includes at least one wick structure. The filling component according to claim 10, wherein the filling body is generally "U" -shaped, and wherein the filling body further includes at least two wick structures and at least one emanator.