WO2007083042A2

WO2007083042A2 - Diffuser of volatile substances such as perfumes

Info

Publication number: WO2007083042A2
Application number: PCT/FR2007/000125
Authority: WO
Inventors: Renaud Alain Paul Callet
Original assignee: Escentials Sarl
Priority date: 2006-01-23
Filing date: 2007-01-23
Publication date: 2007-07-26
Also published as: FR2896418A1; WO2007083042A3; FR2896418B1; EP1976569A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a diffuser of volatile substances, provided with a holder for containing a substrate comprising the volatile substance, and means of ventilation for setting up a movement of air through the substrate, in which said diffuser has power supply means for driving the means of ventilation from an electric current, and in which these power supply means are suitable for insertion into and activation by the cigarette lighter of a vehicle.

Description

DIFFUSER OF VOLATILE SUBSTANCES SUCH AS PARFUMS

The present invention relates to a diffuser of volatile substances, such as a perfume. The diffuser, according to the invention, is adapted to be used in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

A diffuser of this type is known in the prior art. For example, the international patent application WO 03077961 discloses a device for diffusing a perfume in the passenger compartment of a car. The device, according to this document, is provided with a reservoir for containing a perfume in a liquid form.

To diffuse the perfume, the device according to WO

03077961 comprises a heating element for evaporating the liquid present in the device.

A major disadvantage of the known device is the fact that the perfume is diffused by the use of a heating element. This means that the device produces an aerosol that diffuses micro drops of perfume into the air. The drops of perfume fall back into the cabin of the vehicle and settle on the seats of the car and on the clothes of the passengers.

A second major disadvantage of the device according to WO 03077961 is the fact that said device can only be used in a horizontal position. Vehicle manufacturers are taking more and more the freedom to install cigar lighters in a position that facilitates multiple uses of them, such as recharging a mobile phone or a breeze. This means that the cigarette lighter is often installed between the two front seats of a vehicle, in a vertical position.

The object of the present invention is to provide a diffuser of volatile substances which does not have the disadvantages of the device according to the prior art. This object is achieved, according to the present invention, in that the diffuser is provided with a reservoir for containing a substrate comprising the volatile substance, and ventilation means for generating a stream of air through the substrate, wherein said diffuser is provided with power supply means for actuating the ventilation means by an electric current, and wherein these supply means are adapted to be received and activated by the cigarette lighter of a vehicle.

Thanks to the presence of a solid substrate, externally provided with a volatile substance and in the presence of a fan, according to the invention the volatile substance is diffused using the sublimation principle. A stream of air is forced toward the surface of the substrate to obtain an interaction between the volatile substance and the air stream. According to the invention, the heating of the volatile substance is avoided. This means that the volatile substance is dispersed in the air stream in molecular form.

According to the invention, it is provided that the diffuser comprises a first portion provided with supply means and ventilation means, and a second portion comprising the reservoir.

According to the invention, it is provided that the second part is removably connected to the first part.

With this feature, it is possible to purchase a first element provided with elements for generating a stream of air, such as a fan. The second element provided with a substrate with a volatile substance can be discarded after use and replaced by a new second part.

According to the invention, it is possible for the diffuser to comprise means for adjusting the operation of the ventilation means, from a first initial position in which the ventilation means are inactive to a second position in which the ventilation means are activated.

In addition, it is possible that the adjustment means comprise a second part, in which the ventilation means are activated by the action of turning the second part relative to the first part. According to the invention, it is provided that the reservoir containing the substrate is provided with a first opening allowing a stream of air and a second opening to enter to let out an air stream, after a current interaction. of air with the substrate in said tank.

According to the invention, it is possible that the substrate is in the form of beads.

The fact that the substrate is in the form of beads implies that the outer surface of the substrate is relatively large and this to facilitate contact between the air stream and the surface of the substrate.

According to the invention, it is possible for the diffuser to be provided with stirring means, for stirring the balls and to facilitate the interaction between the air stream and the substrate.

Faced with the presence of the stirring means, it is possible to obtain permanent stirring of the balls to facilitate contact between the air flow and the contact surface of the substrate.

According to the invention, it is possible for the stirring means to comprise a first magnet, integrated in the first part, and a second magnet integrated in the second part, adapted to follow the rotation of the first magnet. In addition, it is possible for the first magnet to be connected with the ventilation means to activate the rotation of the first magnet together with the ventilation means.

Thanks to this characteristic, it is possible to obtain a permanent brewing of the balls which will be carried out as soon as the motor, which makes it possible to activate the ventilation means, is put into operation.

According to the invention, it is possible for the second magnet to be provided with a protective layer such as Teflon.

Thanks to this protective layer, the second magnet is protected against chemicals.

To adjust the life of the second part containing the substrate, according to the invention it is possible that the diffuser is provided with means for limiting the life of the second part.

In addition, it is possible that the means for limiting the life of the second part include a fuse.

And / or it is possible that the means making it possible to limit the life of the recharge include a memory, a counter and comparison means making it possible to evaluate the duration of the use of the second part and making it possible to compare this duration of use with a predetermined maximum usage time in the memory.

According to the invention, it is possible for the diffuser to be provided with adjustment means adapted to activate the diffuser, in cycles, in which the ventilation means, in each cycle, are activated for a certain period and are deactivated after each period of time. activation.

Thanks to this characteristic, it is possible, after the activation of the diffuser, to generate cycles to optimize the use of the perfume present in the diffuser. Depending on the type of perfume, it is possible to limit the flow of air through the substrate to a few seconds per minute or a few seconds every three, five or ten minutes.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following description of a preferred embodiment given by way of non-limiting example. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a diffuser according to the invention, in which the first part is protected by means of a plug,

FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c show the removal of the plug, to release the first part,

FIG. 3 shows the diffuser according to the invention, with the first part exposed to put this first part in a cigarette lighter,

FIG. 4 shows the front face of the second part,

FIG. 5 shows the inside of the diffuser according to the invention,

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show in detail the passage of air in the second part of the diffuser and,

- Figure 9 shows, schematically, the setting of the intensity of diffusion.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, a diffuser 10 according to the present embodiment of the invention comprises a first portion 1 adapted to be placed in the space of the cigarette lighter of a car. Part 1 is provided with metal elements 5 for contacting complementary elements for receiving power from the vehicle, in a manner that is known in the art.

With the first part, the diffuser 10 can be powered, normally, using a 12-volt power supply, to implement and control the diffusion system 1 according to the invention.

On the end of the first part 1, a second part, or capsule 2 is mounted. The second part 2 is mounted on the first part 1, removably. This means that the second 2 can be removed and replaced by another element 2. The second part 2 forms a receptor for containing a volatile substance, such as a perfume. According to one embodiment, the second part 2 comprises a solid material, such as plastic, comprising the volatile substance in the absorbed state on the outer surface of this solid material. It may be, for example, granules or polymer beads, which are provided with a layer of this volatile substance, such as a perfume.

Referring to Figures 1, 2a, 2b and 2c, the diffuser according to the invention comprises a third element in the form of a plug.

The cap, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, was designed to, together with Part 2, form an elegant package of the diffuser. The outer surface of the second part 2 and the cap 3 is, for example, made of aluminum in order to prevent the oxidation of the contents, and in a form and luxurious materials, inducing a connection of the diffuser to the "top" part. range "of perfumery, to be perceived as such, both by the distribution channel and by the customers.

The diffuser 10, as shown in FIG. 1, generally has a shape comparable to a red lip. The cap 3 is placed on the first part 1 as soon as the diffuser 10 is not used. The cap 3 is, for example, mounted on the diffuser 10 to present it in a store before the sale. The plug 3 can be used to carry information about the diffuser, for example the mark of a perfume, diffused with the device 10, can be noted on the outer surface of the diffuser.

The fact that the cap 3 can be discarded before the use of the diffuser 10, it is also possible to affix information on the diffuser 10, such as a logo or a perfume brand, on the second part 2. This information is, for example, affixed to the front face 4 of the second part 2, as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, the diffuser 10, according to the invention, is shown in section. The first part 1 is provided with a miniaturized fan. This fan, numbered 11, is powered by energy from the cigarette lighter of a vehicle. With this fan, a stream of air can be generated, which air stream can cause the diffusion of the perfume present in the second part.

Figure 5 shows that the second part 2 can be fixed on the end of the first part 1, in a removable manner. The second part 2 is fixed on the first part 1, for example, by a pressure of the second part 2 on the end of the first part 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second part 2 is provided, inside, with a material Such micro-bubbles 21 are, as mentioned above, covered, on the outside, with a layer of volatile substances.

According to the invention, it is possible to add, in the diffuser, means for permanently stirring the balls, to facilitate the contact of the air stream and the outer surface of the balls. With respect to this mixing, the diffusion of volatile substances is optimized.

According to the invention, it is possible that, in the first part of the diffuser 10, there is a small magnetic plate, made of soft glass, for example fixed in a cross or in the form of a pierced grid, above the fan propeller 11. This magnetized plate, formed of a first magnet, rotates on the same axis as the fan. This means that from the moment the fan is activated, the first magnet rotates with the propeller. In addition, in the second part, there is a magnetized bar that forms a second magnet. This magnetic bar is free and mixes with the balls. When the first magnet rotates, the magnetized bar in the second part follows the movement of the first magnet. Thanks to the movement of the magnetized bar, the balls inside the second part are agitated. This means that the two magnets together form stirring means to obtain a permanent stirring of the balls, starting up as soon as the motor of the fan 11 is activated. It is possible to protect the second magnet from chemicals, using a layer of a product such as Teflon.

According to the invention, the volatile substance, such as a perfume, is diffused because a stream of air, generated by the fan 11, passes between the micro-bubbles 21, in which the air is charged with perfume thanks to the contact of the air stream with the outer surface of the micro bubbles. This stream of air, charged with this perfume, can enter the vehicle through the perforations 22 which are provided in the front face 4 of the second part 2. The creation of a stream of air and the diffusion of the perfume is described, with reference to Figure 5, in general. Figures 6, 7 and 8 show, in detail, a possible passage of air through bubble microphones present in the second part 2.

The diffusion of a volatile substance, present on a solid substrate, is determined by the following parameters:

the quantity of air available to absorb odorous molecules,

the exchange surface between the solid substrate and the air stream, and

the concentration of the odorant substrate available on this exchange surface.

According to the invention, it is provided that the flow rate of the air stream is between 5 liters per minute and 75 liters per minute. The estimate of this maximum flow is made based on the space available for a fan present in the first part.

To optimize the availability of a surface exchange, the solid substrate is preferably in the form of beads. The spherical shape of the balls induces an optimal surface of exchanges between the substrate and the air.

With reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, it is possible that the inlets and outlets for a stream of air, indicated under number 30 in FIG. 6, are in the second part 2. By using the fan 11 in the first part 1, a stream of air 30 is sucked towards the fan 11, thanks to the presence of the walls 22, in the second part 2 and walls 12 in the first part 1. The air stream which is sucked is in contact with a first portion of the balls 21 in the second part 2. The air stream is then pushed to a second portion of the balls 21, on the other side of the walls 22, to be expelled from the second part 2 .

FIGS. 7 and 8 show alternatives for setting up the substrate in the second part 2. According to FIG. 7, the substrate has the shape of micro-bubbles 23 which cover only part of the interior space of the second part 2. According to FIG. 8, the substrate has the shape of the walls 24 which, on their surface, are provided with a layer of the volatile substance. According to the invention, it is possible to adjust the diffusion intensity, this by using the second part 2 of the diffuser 10. According to this embodiment, the first part 1 is, during the entire phase of use of the diffuser, immobile in its housing, relative to the vehicle. The intensity of the diffusion is regulated by a rotation of the second part 2 relative to the first part 1. For example, a rotation of the second part 2 to the right, causes the supply of the diffuser. The intensity of diffusion is proportional to the angle of rotation:

- more intense to the right,

- weaker to the left.

For example, the maximum setting of the intensity is made in abutment at 180 ° rotation relative to an initial position, in which the diffuser does not work. The adjustment of a rotation of the second part with respect to the first part is shown schematically in FIG. 9.

Thanks to the fact that the second part 2 is used to light the diffuser, it can be created in a simple and elegant form. Buttons, "butterfly" shaped, or other means to operate the diffuser 10, are not necessary.

According to the invention, it is possible that the first part does not exceed its housing in the cigarette lighter. In this case, the second part 2 can be attached to the end of the first part 1. In the case where the first part 1 protrudes from the cigarette lighter, it is possible to create the second part 2 so as to cover the end of said first part 1, in order to obtain a better aesthetics.

According to the invention, it is provided that the diffuser 10 in operation is activated by cycles. This means that the diffuser 10 is provided with a means to activate it, for example a few seconds and then cut off the electric current to the fan, and then switch on the diffuser again.

According to the invention, it is possible that the fan is activated, by cycle of a duration of 10 seconds every three minutes. Alternatively, the fan may be activated in five-minute cycles, followed by a five-minute period during which the fan is not active. The programming of a cycle, to activate and deactivate the fan, depends inter alia on the intensity of the perfume.

According to the invention, provision is made for the diffuser according to the invention to be provided with means making it possible to regulate the lifetime of a second part or capsule 2.

For example, the life of said capsule is limited to about a month. According to a first solution, in order to regulate the lifetime of the second part, said second part is provided with a fuse. According to this solution, the first part includes a power source, a microcontroller, a memory, a display LED and a fan. The second part 2 is provided with micro bubbles and a fuse. The first part 1 and the second part 2 are connected by a connector. This connector comprises, for example, two pins connected to each end of the fuse.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the microcontroller present in the first part 1, is controlled by a computer program performing the following operation:

- Firstly, the micro controller controls whether the second part is present, checking the presence of a fuse. If the second part is missing, the micro controller inhibits ventilation. When the second part is present, the micro controller activates the fan, according to a defined cycle, as described above.

- After each cycle, the micro controller increments a counter provided in the memory. When the cycle number reaches a certain maximum "Z", the counter is reset and the microcontroller sends a peak current to burn the fuse. After this action, the second part is no longer usable. When the second part needs to be replaced, the LED flashes. The microcontroller activates the fan again, as indicated above, after mounting a new second part. This principle is preferred because of its simplicity. There are only two contacts between the first part 1 and the second part 2. This facilitates assembly and this solution is inexpensive.

According to a second embodiment, the second part 2 is provided with a memory. According to this solution, the diffuser 10 comprises a first part 1, containing a power supply source, a microcontroller, a display LED and a fan. The second part 2 includes micro bubbles and a memory. The memory of the second part 2 is initialized to this cycle. The first part 1 and the second part 2 are connected by a connector. This connector comprises, for example, four pins connected to the memory of the recharge.

The microcontroller, present in the first part 1, is controlled by a computer program performing the following operations:

the second part is considered as present when the memory is recognized and the counter it contains is greater than zero. When the recharge is present, the microcontroller activates the fan 11 according to a defined cycle, as described above. At each cycle, the microcontroller decrements the counter present in the memory of the second part. When the memory counter reaches zero, the microcontroller stops the activation of the fan. The charging is therefore considered as absent and indicated as such by the blinking of the LED. The microcontroller again activates the fan 11 as soon as a new second part 2 is present. The main advantage of this second solution is its guarantee of use. Each second part keeps in memory its own life. This means that several refills can be used simultaneously. A second part 2 can be removed from the first part 1 and put back on the first part 1, in another time, to resume the use of this second part.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the fan according to the invention is provided with a "led" which can display three different positions. At first, the "led" can indicate, using a green color for example, that a capsule or refill is present, and the ventilator can operate correctly. In the case where a recharge is almost at the end of its service life, the "led" may blink that the recharging must be replaced soon. As soon as the refill has used its full lifetime, the color of the "led" can change from green to red to indicate that the refill is to be replaced by a new one.

Claims

A volatile substance diffuser, provided with a reservoir for containing a substrate comprising the volatile substance, and ventilation means for generating a stream of air through the substrate, wherein said diffuser is provided with feed means for operating the ventilation means by an electric current, and wherein these supply means are adapted to be received and activated by the cigarette lighter of a vehicle.

2. Diffuser according to claim 1, wherein the diffuser comprises a first portion provided with supply means and ventilation means, and a second portion comprising the reservoir.

3. Diffuser according to claim 2, wherein the second part is removably connected to the first part.

4. Diffuser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the diffuser comprises means for adjusting the operation of the ventilation means, a first initial position in which the ventilation means are inactive to a second position in which the means ventilation are activated.

5. Diffuser according to claims 2 and 4, wherein the adjusting means comprises a second part, wherein the ventilation means are activated by the action of turning the second part relative to the first part.

6. Diffuser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reservoir containing the substrate is provided with a first opening allowing a stream of air to enter and a second opening to let out this stream of air, after an interaction of the air stream with the substrate in said tank.

7. Diffuser according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the substrate is in the form of beads.

8. Diffuser according to claim 7, wherein the diffuser is provided with stirring means, for stirring the balls and to facilitate the interaction between the air stream and the substrate.

9. Diffuser according to claim 8, wherein the stirring means comprises a first magnet, integrated in the first part in a rotary manner and a second magnet integrated in the second part, adapted to follow the rotation of the first magnet.

10. Diffuser according to claim 9, wherein the first magnet is connected with the ventilation means, to activate the rotation of the first magnet together with the ventilation means.

11. Diffuser according to claims 9 or 10, wherein the second magnet is protected by a layer of material such as Teflon.

12. Diffuser according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the diffuser is provided with means for limiting the life of the second part.

13. Diffuser according to claim 12, wherein the means for limiting the life of the second part comprises a fuse.

14. Diffuser according to claims 12 or 13, wherein the means for limiting the life of the recharge comprise a memory, a counter and comparison means for evaluating the duration of use of the second part and allowing to compare this duration of use with a predetermined maximum duration of use in the memory.

15. Diffuser according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the diffuser is provided with adjusting means adapted to activate the diffuser, in cycles, wherein the ventilation means, in each cycle, are activated for a certain period and are deactivated after each activation period.