WO2010143153A1

WO2010143153A1 - Air freshener with conductive fiber heater

Info

Publication number: WO2010143153A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/052589
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francisco VERA SÁEZ; Jorge FERNÁNDEZ FERNÁNDEZ; Julio Manuel Castrillo Ramos; Rubén CHENOVART PELLICER; Josep Casadella Casas
Original assignee: Vera Saez Francisco; Fernandez Fernandez Jorge; Julio Manuel Castrillo Ramos; Chenovart Pellicer Ruben; Josep Casadella Casas
Priority date: 2009-06-10
Filing date: 2010-06-10
Publication date: 2010-12-16

Abstract

It comprises an odoriferous element (3) provided with a liquid or solid odoriferous substance; an electric resistor (4) that can be heated by Joule effect; electric feeding means of the resistor; and a textile element (8) with decorative and closure functions, which is electrically conductor and includes said electric resistor (4), and also terminals for detachably connecting with the electric feeding means. When the textile element (8) is electrically fed, the heat emitted by its resistor (4) produces the evaporation or sublimation to the environment of said odoriferous substance. The odoriferous substance can be incorporated in the textile element (8) itself and the electric resistor (4) can be part of the warp and/or weft of a fabric that constitutes the textile element (8).

Description

AIR FRESHENER WITH CONDUCTIVE FIBER HEATER

Technical field of the invention

The present invention refers to an air freshener device by evaporation or sublimation of an odoriferous substance, comprising:

- a changeable odoriferous element provided with a liquid or solid odoriferous substance;

- an electric resistor that can be heated by Joule effect; and

- electric feeding means of the resistor.

Background of the invention

In the art a number of air freshener devices operating by evaporation or sublimation of volatile substances when they are submitted to heat are known. A usual way of providing this heat is by electric resistors, so that the devices have electric feeding means that heat the electric resistors by Joule effect. Normally, in this prior art air fresheners, a changeable container contains the liquid that exits by impregnation or capillarity of a wick. The odoriferous liquid is evaporated at the wick by heat action of the resistor when it is electrically fed.

A problem of these known air fresheners comes from the fact that they comprise a wick or equivalent means, limiting the useful evaporation surface to the area surrounded by the resistor (which usually has an annular shape) , so that the evaporation yield of the odoriferous substance and, therefore, the air freshening effect, is really limited.

Another problem inherent to this prior art air fresheners is the way they place the electric resistor, requiring a carcass more or less complex and a suitable and enough space to house it. Furthermore, they usually need a PCB plate. This and the plastic support they need cause an excessive heating and an unnecessary high consumption, as the plastic is not a good electricity conductor .

The object of the present invention is to solve the previous problems of the prior art, and to provide at the same time other additional advantages from a technical and use point of view.

Description of the invention

To this end, the object of the present invention is an air freshener device by evaporation or sublimation of an odiferous substance, with a novel concept and functionality, which is characterized in that it comprises a textile element with decorative and closure functions, that is placed preferably, but not exclusively, at the frontal end of the device.

Preferably, the textile element is electrically conductor and includes said electric resistor, and also electric terminals to detachably connect with electric feeding means, so that when the textile element of electrically fed, the heat emitted by its resistors produces the evaporation or sublimation to the environment of said odiferous substance.

In an alternative embodiment, the odoriferous substance is incorporated in the textile element itself. The odoriferous substance can be incorporated in the textile element by pulverization on its surface, especially by application with an aerosol.

Preferably, the electric resistor will be integral with the warp and/or weft of a fabric constitutive of the textile element. Alternatively, the electric resistor can comprise a metallic cable superposed to a fabric constitutive of the textile element. In this case, the superposed metallic cable can define a drawing or decorative pattern, a trademark, etc.

According to the invention, the electric feeding means of the resistor can comprise changeable batteries or, alternatively, a plug to the electric mains and a transformer for the resistor. In a preferred embodiment, the textile element is placed covering the end part of a shell. In an embodiment, this shell can be defined by a more rigid zone of the textile element.

In another embodiment, the device comprises an external frame that encloses the textile element, and a internal housing to house the textile element, and an internal housing to house the changeable odoriferous element and provided with a mouth for introducing and extracting the changeable odoriferous element. The odoriferous element can take different appearances: it can be a fabric, woven or non-woven, different from the textile element, impregnated in a odoriferous substance; a tablet that can be sublimated; a capsule containing the odoriferous substance in liquid or powder form; a container for the odoriferous substance in liquid form, provided with a wick for spreading the odoriferous substance, etc.

It can be seen that the novel and inventive features of the invention permit to provide an efficient global solution to the problems of the prior art previously cited. The present invention permits to select the surface of the textile element and the quantity of odoriferous substance that remains exposed to the thermal action for its evaporation or sublimation and, furthermore, the dimension of the resistor, which now has a large surface and it is not limited by the dimensions of the frame .

Furthermore, this possibility for modifying the design and the dimensions permit to modify the appearance and to convert the device in a decorative and communication element.

Brief description of the drawings

Now is provided a detailed description of preferred embodiments, even though not exclusive, of the air freshener device by evaporation or sublimation of an odoriferous substance, object of the invention. For a better understanding some drawings are attached in which, as a non-limitative example, some embodiments of the present invention are shown. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the constitution and the operative mode of a first embodiment of example with the frame of the air freshener device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the air freshener device of Fig. 1 ;

Figs. 3 and 4 show, in perspective views, a second embodiment of example of the air freshener device of the present invention, with no frame, in which the textile element is placed covering the shell; and

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of example, in which a textile element includes the odoriferous substance and the electric resistor.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

In said drawing it can be seen that the air freshener device 1 by evaporation or sublimation of a odoriferous substance of the present invention comprises a shell 2, an odoriferous element 3 provided with a liquid or solid odoriferous substance, a housing 7 in the shell 2 for placing a transformer 5, a plug 6 for connecting a base of the electric mains with the transformer 5 to convert the mains voltage in the voltage according to the resistor 4 of the invention.

The shell could also include a switch for closing and opening the electric circuit of the resistor 4 and the transformer 5 fed by the mains (even though the electric feeding could alternatively by changeable batteries, even though this embodiment is not shown in the drawings) .

According to the invention, the air freshener 1 comprises a textile element 8 with decorative and closing functions that, in the embodiment shown, is electrically conductor and includes said electric resistor 4 (Figs. 1 and 2), and also terminals for electric connection, detachable or not, with the transformer 5. These terminals are not shown in the drawings. Therefore, when the device 1 is connected to the mains through the plug 6, the textile element 8 heats and the heat emitted by its resistor 4 produce the evaporation or sublimation to the environment of the odoriferous substance.

The odoriferous substance can be included in the textile element 8 itself. However, in the embodiments, as a non-limitative example, shown in the drawings, the odoriferous substance is contained in the odoriferous element 3 constituted by a changeable capsule 30, containing the liquid odoriferous substance, which is directly evaporated from the capsule, thanks to the composition "ad hoc" of its walls that, either can be sublimated or permit the passage through them the odoriferous substance.

The odoriferous element 3 could be a container for the liquid odoriferous substance, provided with a wick for the diffusion of the odoriferous substance. The odoriferous element could be also a fabric - woven or non- woven -, different from the textile element, impregnated in the odoriferous substance, or a tablet that can be sublimated.

The electric resistor 4 can be part of the warp and/or the weft of a fabric that constitutes the textile element 8, or it can be constituted by a metallic cable superposed with the fabric. In this case, the superposed metallic cable can define a drawing or decorative pattern, or to constitute a trademark or logotype. The textile element 8 can be formed by a conventional thread defining a drawing on one face, and on the other the resistor 4 is woven . In Figs. 1 and 2 an embodiment of example of the air freshener 1 of the present invention is shown. In this case, the shell 2 of the air freshener 1 comprises a lower frame, formed by an external part 9 and an internal part 10, which encloses and holds the textile element 8. An internal housing 11 comprises the housing for the odoriferous element 3, in this case a capsule 30, comprising a mouth 12 suitably dimensioned for inserting and removing it. In Fig. 1 is shown particularly the way in which the capsule 30 is inserted inside its housing 8 provided in the shell 2.

In Figs. 3 and 4 an alternative embodiment of example of the air freshener device 1' of the present invention is shown. In this case, the textile element 8 is placed covering completely an end of the shell 2. This end is a final portion with a greater width than the part of the shell 2 including the housing 11, also for housing the transformer 5. Alternatively, the shell 2 can be constituted by a more rigid zone of the textile element 8 itself. Therefore, in both cases, show also in Figs. 3 and 4, only the textile element 8 is visible, which permits a particular aesthetic effect.

In the example of Figs. 1 and 2, the plug 6 is a "male plug", with protruding terminals, and in the example of Figs. 3 and 4 is a "female plug".

In Fig. 5 is shown a last embodiment of example of the air freshener 1" according to the present invention. This embodiment could be defined as a "fabric that is heated and smells", and it includes in a single textile element 8 the odoriferous substance and the resistor 4. In this embodiment, any kind of shell and housings are not necessary. Contact terminals 14, 15 complement the assembly for its electrical connection. Therefore, according to the principles of the invention, a curtain 8 can be formed with a quadruple function: closure, decorative, heating and air freshener.

The fabric of the textile element 8 can include the odoriferous substance that, when it is consumed, can be "recharged" by pulverization on the surface of the textile element 8, specially applied by an aerosol.

As it is no necessary any modification, the present invention is also applicable for evaporating other volatile substances with properties different from the odoriferous and air freshener properties, such as e.g. insecticides or humidifiers.

In the same way, the transformer 5 can be substituted by a technical equivalent, e.g. a base of diodes, permitting the input of a voltage and an output of a lower different voltage, operative for the electric resistor 4.

As the nature of the present invention, and also its way of embodiment, are sufficiently described, it must be pointed out that anything that does not alters, changes or modifies its fundamental principle, defined in the attached claims, is subject to detail variations.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Air freshener device by evaporation or sublimation of an odoriferous substance, comprising an odoriferous element (3) provided with a liquid or solid odoriferous substance; an electric resistor (4) that can be heated by Joule effect; and electric feeding means of the resistor (4); characterized in that it comprises a textile element (8) with decorative and closure functions.

2. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein the textile element (8) is electrically conductor and includes said electric resistor (4), and also terminals for the detachable electric connection with said electric feeding means, so that when the textile element (8) is electrically fed, the heat emitted by its resistor (4) produces the evaporation or sublimation to the environment of said odoriferous substance.

3. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said odoriferous substance is included in the textile element (8) itself.

4. Air freshener device according to claim 3, wherein the odoriferous substance is included in the textile element (8) by pulverization on its surface, especially by application with an aerosol.

5. Air freshener device according to claim 2, wherein said electric resistor (4) is part of the warp and/or weft of a fabric that constitutes the textile element (8) .

6. Air freshener device according to claim 2, wherein said electric resistor (4) is superposed to a fabric that constitutes the textile element (8).

7. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said electric feeding means of the resistor comprises changeable batteries.

8. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said electric feeding means of the resistor (4) comprises a plug (6) for the electric mains and a transformer (5) for the resistor (4) .

9. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said textile element (8) is placed covering an end of a shell (2) .

10. Air freshener device according to claim 9, wherein said shell (2) is constituted by a more rigid zone of the textile element (8) itself.

11. Air freshener device according to claim 1, comprising an external frame (9, 10) enclosing the textile element (8), and an internal housing (11) for housing the changeable odoriferous element (3) and provided with a mouth (12) for inserting and removing the changeable odoriferous element.

12. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein the odoriferous element (3) is a fabric, different from the textile element (8), impregnated in the odoriferous substance.

13. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said odoriferous element (3) is a tablet that can be sublimed.

14. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said odoriferous element (3) is a capsule (30) containing the odoriferous substance in a liquid form.

15. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said odoriferous element (3) is a capsule (30) containing the odoriferous substance in a powder form.

16. Air freshener device according to claim 1, wherein said odoriferous element (3) is a container for the liquid odoriferous substance, provided with a wick for the diffusion of the odoriferous substance.