Smart miniature fragrance dispensing device for multiple ambient scenting applications and environments

• US 20020043568A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptar France S.A.S (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Korner, Joachim, Hess, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 6,554,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/69
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0607 generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0012 Apparatus for achieving spraying before discharge from the apparatus

Abstract

The smart fragrance dispensing device (1) comprises an airless fragrance reservoir (1a) containing a principal medium (8), a flow channel (3) for receiving said principal medium (8), a liquid spray dispenser (2) connected to said reservoir (1a) for dispensing said principal medium (8) as a spray into said flow channel (3), a programmable driving circuit (5) for operating said liquid spray device so as to create said spray consisting of monodispersive droplets, a memory device (4) carrying and communicating identification information about at least said principal medium (8), its dispensing and diffusing characteristics, said liquid spray dispenser (2) and said reservoir (1a), and a programmable control and communication micro-controller unit (7) linked to said reservoir (1a), said programmable, driver circuit (5), and said flow channel (3), and controlling the programmable driver circuit (5) and the flow channel (3) in such a manner that flow is started in time before the driver circuit (5) is activated and stopped in time after the driver circuit (5) is activated and otherwise as a function of information read from said memory device (4), said information being used to adapt to the individual perception of a user by means of adjusting to a desired level and memorizing said level.

Claims

1. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) having a housing (11) and comprising:

a power supply (12),

an airless fragrance reservoir (1a) containing a principal medium (8),

a flow channel (3) for receiving said principal medium (8),

a liquid spray dispenser (2) connected to said reservoir (1a) for dispensing said principal medium (8) as a spray into said flow channel (3),

a programmable driver circuit (5) for operating said liquid spray device so as to create said spray consisting of monodispersive droplets,

a memory device (4) carrying and communicating identification information about at least said principal medium (8), its dispensing and diffusing characteristics, said liquid spray dispenser (2) and said reservoir (1a),

a programmable control and communication micro-controller unit (7) at least linked to said reservoir (1a), said programmable, driver circuit (5), and said flow channel (3);

said control and communication unit (7) being of the wired or wireless type and controlling said programmable driver circuit (5) and said flow channel (3) in such a manner that the flow is started in time before the driver circuit (5) is activated and stopped in time after the driver circuit (5) is activated and otherwise as a function of information read from said memory device (4), said information being used to adapt to the individual perception of a user by means of adjusting to a desired level and memorising said level.

2. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said flow channel (3) is a mixed media flow channel having an ambient medium therein, and wherein said programmable control and communication micro-controller unit (7) is further also linked to the mixed media flow channel in such a manner that the mixed media flow is started in time before the driver circuit (5) is activated and is stopped in time after the driver circuit (5) is activated and otherwise in function of the information read from said memory device (4).

3. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one multi-sensor unit (6) provided as a removable module and operatively linked to the smart fragrance dispensing device (1) and consisting of at least one ambient air flow sensor and at least one ambient medium characteristics sensor, said multi-sensor unit (6) sensing the ambient air motion and condition, as compared to a pre-calibrated level, as well as the absence or presence and the variation of the concentration of said principal medium (8) in said ambient medium, wherein said programmable control and communication micro-controller unit (7) is further also linked to the multi-sensor unit (6)

4. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 3, wherein said control and communication unit (7) further comprises an interface (9) and controls and commands the dispensing from said reservoir (1a) via said programmable driver circuit (5) and said controllable mixed media flow channel (3) in accordance with rule-based instructions and information derived from said dispensing characteristics contained in and read from said memory device (4) and further in accordance with information read from said multi-sensor unit(s) (6) and calculations performed based on the desired presence or absence of single or multiple principle media (8) or components in the ambient medium, the desired concentration level(s) of said single or multiple principle media in the ambient medium, their sequence of dispensing, their time of presence or absence in the ambient medium and their rate of diffusion, their availability, their concentration as read by said non-disposable multi-sensor unit(s) being adjustable either directly in the non-disposable control and communication unit (7) or remotely via said built-in interface (9).

5. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein said interface (9) is a voice-controlled interface.

6. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein said interface comprises communication means (9a) which are suitably arranged on the software and/or hardware level to communicate with multimedia systems such that said interface (9) is used for the dispensing of single or multiple fragrances, of their time of presence or absence in the ambient air, information about their availability, their rate of diffusion and their concentration as read by said multi-sensor unit(6), all of which being controlled, synchronised by or sequenced with information contained in the respective multimedia system.

7. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 3, wherein said multi-sensor unit further comprises a proximity detector for detecting the presence of a person in the same environment as in which said smart fragrance dispensing device is located so as to control its operation.

8. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 6, wherein said interface (9) receives control commands from said multimedia system for triggering the dispensing of a fragrance as a function of the output of said multimedia system.

9. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said housing (11) comprises a temperature sensor (10c) and thermal control means (10a, 10b) arranged to maintain said reservoir (1a) at ambient temperature.

10. Smart fragrance dispensing device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said principal medium (8) is a fragrance, an insect repellent, an air disinfectant, an air humidification, an essence, or a food or other flavour replicating liquids and volatiles.