Evaporator device of volatile products with variable evaporation intensity

• US 6,278,840 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DBK Espana SA
• Original Assignee: DBK Espana SA
• Inventors: Basagañas Millan, Jordi
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US09/446,720
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 392/386, 392/390, 392/392, 392/394, 392/395, 261/139, 261/142, 261/99, 261/DIG.65, 215/44, 215/50, 215/201, 215/215, 215/217, 215/218
• US Class Current: 392/390
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/2077 using an electrical resistance as heat source A01M1/2083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/037 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/65 Vaporizers

Abstract

The adjustment of the intensity of evaporation is conducted by means of the variation in the relative position between the upper end (6′) of the wick (6) which absorbs the product of the vessel (2) and the electroheating resistors (5) which favour the evaporation of said product, and more specifically keeping static said resistors and the assembly constituted by the vessel (2) and the wick (6) being displaceable. For this, said vessel (2) with any configuration, is provided with at least one revolution sector (7) in which a helicoidal groove (8) is established, of great pitch, operating as thread for the axial displacement of the container (2), when a rotational movement is applied to the same, at least one pair of opposed teeth (9) collaborating with said groove (8) which are finished off with leastically deformable arms (10) of the casing (1).

Claims

1. An evaporator device for volatile products comprising:

a container vessel comprising a wick;

a casing comprising a central opening into which the wick is insertable, and heating means disposed in the casing for heating the wick with an intensity that varies depending on a position of the wick with respect to the heating means;

said vessel and casing collectively comprising groove and tooth means, including at least one helicoidal groove and a first tooth that moves along the groove upon an axial displacement of the vessel in said casing, for maintaining the wick in said casing in any of a plurality of positions with respect to said heating means, including a first position wherein an end of the wick is a first distance from the heating means and a second position wherein the end of the wick is a greater distance from the heating means such that the heating means heats the wick with a greater intensity with the wick disposed in the first position than in the second position.

2. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tooth means comprises an elastically deformable arm connected to said casing, said first tooth being disposed at a free end of the arm.

3. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said device further comprises mounting means, comprising a projection on said vessel and a retention tooth in said casing, for mounting said vessel in the casing such that said vessel will not separate from said casing when said wick is displaced from said first position to said second position.

4. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said container vessel includes a neck comprising a threaded portion on its outer surface.

5. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said groove is superposed on said threaded portion of said neck.

6. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said heating means comprises a plurality of electroheating resistors and said casing includes a plug socket for feeding said resistors.

7. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said retention tooth engages said projection and is disposed on an elastically deformable flap connected to said casing.

8. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said retention tooth is part of a hook, said hook being manually displaceable within said casing so as to engage and disengage said projection.

9. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 7 comprising measuring means, including a graduated scale on the vessel and a fixed pointer on the casing, for measuring rotational movement of said vessel to detect an axial displacement of said wick.

10. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said casing includes a vertically elongated, wide notch at a lower portion of said casing, said notch includes a graduated scale, and said vessel has a perimetral mark, whereby an axial displacement of said wick can be measured with said mark in relation to said scale.

11. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said groove includes closed ends that restrict rotational movement of said container vessel.

12. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 2 comprising thread on a neck of said vessel, said thread comprising said at least one groove, said first tooth engaging said thread.

13. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said device further comprises mounting means, comprising a projection on said vessel and a retention tooth in said casing, for mounting said vessel in the casing such that said vessel will not separate from said casing when said wick is displaced from said first position to said second position.

14. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said heating means comprises a plurality of electroheating resistors and said casing includes a plug socket for feeding said resistors.

15. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said retention tooth engages said projection and is disposed on an elastically deformable flap connected to said casing.

16. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said retention tooth is part of a hook, said hook being manually displaceable within said casing so as to engage and disengage said projection.

17. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 15 comprising measuring means, including a graduated scale on the vessel and a fixed pointer on the casing for measuring rotational movement of said vessel to detect an axial displacement of said wick.

18. The evaporator device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said casing includes a vertically elongated, wide notch at a lower portion of said casing, said notch includes a graduated scale, and said vessel has a perimetral mark, whereby an axial displacement of said wick can be measured with said mark in relation to said scale.