Fragrance diffuser having stepped power levels

• US 5,175,791 A
• Filed: 10/16/1990
• Issued: 12/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Technical Concepts LLC (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Technical Concepts LLC (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Muderlak, Kenneth J., Hsieh, Tsung-Ying, Maloney, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US07/598,421
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 219/497, 219/492, 219/493, 219/501, 219/506, 422/122, 392/390
• US Class Current: 392/390
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/03 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0225 actuated by timers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/89 Electrically heated aroma dispensers

Abstract

A fragrance diffuser (100) comprises a housing defining a chamber (116) for holding a fragrance-emitting block (110), a heating element (112) located within the housing, a timing and indicating circuit board (114) to signal when the predicted life of the fragrance emitting block has expired, a power supply connection plug (134) for providing electrical power to the heating element and the timing and indicating board, and a keying system (234, 236, 238) incorporated in the chamber (116) and on the fragrance-emitting blocks (110). The blocks are encoded or keyed to indicate that they possess particular predefined characteristics, such that only blocks having those characteristics may be inserted. The diffuser is constructed with a downwardly-projecting housing extension (132) for the power supply connection to allow the use of an adjacent electric power outlet when the diffuser is properly installed. The diffuser also includes an indicator LED (156) to indicate when a timing interval, corresponding to the life of a fragrance block inserted therein, has expired, wherein the timing interval is reset by a switch (182) only at the request of a user. Various circuit embodiments are disclosed for increasing the power applied to the heating element over time, since the aroma strength of a fragrance block decreases over time.

Claims

1. An aroma dispenser comprising:

means for emitting a fragrance when heated;

heater means for providing electric heating for said fragrance emitting means in response to electric power;

timer means for determining when a predetermined period of time has lapsed and for providing a timing signal in response thereto; and

means for automatically controlling the average amount of electric power applied to said heater means by varying the average power level between a first average power level and a second average power level in response to said timing signal, at least one of said first and second average power levels being a partial average power level which is less than maximum available power and is greater than no power

2. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means increases the average electric power to said heater means when said predetermined period of time has lapsed.

3. The aroma dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said fragrance emitting means has a limited useful life, and wherein said predetermined period of time corresponds to less than half of said useful life.

4. The aroma dispenser according to claim 3, wherein said timer means includes a light emitting diode for indicating to the user when said useful life has expired.

5. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said fragrance emitting means includes an expendable solid cartridge containing a diffusible aroma-bearing media.

6. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said heater means includes a resistive heating element.

7. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said heater means includes a plurality of heating elements each individually controlled by said controlling means.

8. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means includes a resistor connected in series with at least a portion of said heater means.

9. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means includes a diode connected in series with at least a portion of said heater means.

10. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means includes a silicon controlled rectifier connected in series with at least a portion of said heater means.

11. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means includes a triac connected in series with at least a portion of said heater means.

12. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said timer means is an electronic timer circuit capable of determining periods of time greater than 24 hours.

13. The aroma dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said predetermined period of time is greater than three days.

14. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said timer means provides a first timing signal after approximately seven and one-half days, and produces a second timing signal after approximately fifteen days.

15. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means includes a phase-controllable electronic switching device and an electronic circuit for controlling the conduction angle of said electronic switching device, such that when said conduction angle is increased the average electric power applied to said heater means is increased.

16. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means includes an electronic switching device and an electronic circuit for controlling the duty cycle of said electronic switching device, such that when said duty cycle is increased the average electric power applied to said heater means is increased.

17. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means includes an electronic switching device and a resistor connected to said heater means such that the power-reducing effect of said resistor is effectively eliminated when said switching device is activated in response to said timing signal, thereby increasing the power to said heater means.

18. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said timer means includes:

oscillator means for producing a plurality of intermediate signals;

means for counting a predetermined number of said intermediate signals, thereby producing a timing signal when said predetermined number has been reached; and

disabling means, responsive to said timing signal, for inhibiting operation of said oscillator means until a reset signal is received.

19. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising housing means for containing said fragrance emitting means, and wherein the removal of said fragrance emitting means from said housing means does not affect said timer means.

20. The aroma dispenser according to claim 18, wherein said timer means includes means for preventing said counting means from being reset when power is removed from said aroma dispenser.

21. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said timer means operates independently of temperature.

22. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said timer means includes means for determining when a plurality of predetermined periods of time have lapsed, and for providing a plurality of timing signals in response thereto.

23. The aroma dispenser according to claim 22, wherein said controlling means includes means for varying the average power level between a first average power level, a second average power level, and a third average power level in response to said plurality of timing signals.

24. The aroma dispenser according to claim 23, wherein said first and second average power levels are both partial average power levels being greater than half power.

25. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said first average power level is greater than approximately half power but less than approximately full power, and wherein said second average power level is approximately full power.

26. The aroma dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means increases the average amount of electric power applied to said heater means in a series of sequential steps between a first, second, and third average power level, at least said second average power level being a partial average power level less than full power but greater than half power.

33. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 22, wherein said controlling means includes two electronic switching devices, one connected directly in series with said heater means, the other connected in series with said heater means through said power reducing means.

27. A fragrance dispenser adapted for use with an expendable cartridge means for emitting a fragrance into the air when heated, said cartridge means having a predefined expected useful life, said fragrance diffuser comprising:

housing means for receiving and containing said cartridge means;

heater means for providing electric heating of said cartridge means in response to electric power;

timer means for indicating when a predetermined period of time of operation of said heater means has lapsed, said timer means operating independently of temperature;

means for partially reducing said electric power applied to said heater means;

means for automatically controlling said heater means and said power reducing means in response to said timer means such that the amount of heat provided to said cartridge means is increased after said predetermined period of time of operation has lapsed.

28. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 27, wherein said power reducing means is a resistor.

29. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 27, wherein said power reducing means is a diode.

30. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 27, wherein said controlling means is a silicon controlled rectifier.

31. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 27, wherein said controlling means is a triac.

32. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 27, wherein said controlling means switches power directly to said heater means in response to said timer means without connecting said power reducing means.

34. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 27, wherein said controlling means includes means for controlling the duty cycle of the electronic power applied to said heater means.

35. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 27, wherein said timer means provides a plurality of sequential timing signals, and wherein said controlling means increases the amount of electric power applied to said heater means in sequential steps.

36. The fragrance dispenser according to claim 35, wherein said controlling means increases the average amount of electric power applied to said heater means in a series of sequential steps between a first, second, and third average power level, at least one of said power levels being a partial average power level less than full power but greater than half power.

37. In a fragrance diffuser having an electric heating element and a replaceable fragrance-bearing cartridge, said cartridge having a limited useful life, the method of adjusting the fragrance level over the life of said cartridge comprising the steps of:

(a) heating the cartridge to a first temperature level;

(b) providing a first timing signal upon the expiration of a first period of time; and

(c) heating said cartridge to a second temperature level which is higher than said first temperature level in response to said first timing signal.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

(d) providing a second timing signal upon the expiration of a second period of time; and

(e) heating said cartridge to a third temperature level which is higher than said second temperature level in response to said second timing signal.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein said heating element is connected in a series circuit with a power-reducing element, the method further comprising the step of bypassing the power-reducing element from the series circuit in response to said first timing signal.

40. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

providing a first timing signal after less than ten days; and

increasing the power applied to said heating element after the occurrence of said first timing signal.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

providing a second timing signal after less than twenty days; and

increasing the power applied to said heating element after the occurrence of said second timing signal.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising the steps of:

providing a third timing signal after greater than thirty days; and

disconnecting electric power from said heating element in response to said third timing signal.

43. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of:

providing a reset signal to initialize said first period of time only after a delay of at least one second has elapsed after the activation of a reset switch.