Evaporation device for volatile substances

• US 6,446,583 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CTR Consultoria Técnica e Representações, Lda.
• Original Assignee: CTR Consultoria Técnica e Representações, Lda.
• Inventors: Vieira, Pedro Queiroz
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US09/739,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 122/366, 126/358.1, 126/350.2, 126/263.01, 126/96, 261/DIG.17, 261/DIG.65, 392/386, 392/392, 392/394, 392/395, 392/403, 392/412, 431/29
• US Class Current: 122/366
• 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 261/17 Odorizers

Abstract

An evaporation device 2 is disclosed for the evaporation of volatile substances, in particular insecticides and aromatics, which includes a housing 13 which contains a heating element and a container 50 for a substance to be evaporated. This container 50 contains a wick which is associated with the heating element with a wick end 30 protruding from container 50. The heating element can be longitudinally displaced near the container 50 in the housing 13 relative to the wick end 30 to adjust the degree of evaporation. According to the invention, the heating element is carried on a movable heater assembly that can be displaced longitudinally in the housing relative to the wick end. The movable heater assembly can be fixed in different positions relative to the wick end 30 and the longitudinal direction of the wick axis for the adjustment of the degree of evaporation.

Claims

1. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics of a type having a housing containing a heating element, with a container for the volatile substance to be evaporated disposed in the housing, a wick which can be heated by the heating element with a wick end protruding from the container along a wick axis, whereby the heating element can be displaced relative to the wick end for an adjustment of the degree of evaporation, and wherein the improvement comprises:

a moveable heater assembly carried within the housing for longitudinal displacement relative to the wick axis and relative to the housing;

a heating element carried by said moveable heater assembly in a manner that said heating element is adjacent a portion of said wick end for heating said wick portion; and

an adjustable connection operatively associated with said heater assembly for positioning said heater element at different axial positions relative to the wick end and the wick axis to adjust the degree of evaporation.

2. The device of claim 1, including a locking connection for affixing said heating element on the moveable heater assembly.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said movable heater assembly includes at least one guide arm extending transverse having one guide arm end received in a slot opening formed in the housing wall for access from the outside of the housing.

4. The device of claim 3, including a first guide element carried by the heater assembly extending generally parallel to the direction of the wick axis, a second guide element carried by the housing, and said first and second guide elements intergaging with each other to guide movement of said heater assembly.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said first guide element includes a linear guide groove, and said second guide element includes a guide ridge received within said guide groove;

and a plurality of spaced locking openings formed on said guide ridge, a locking projection carried in said guide groove for engaging one of said locking openings to hold said movable heater assembly at a given distance relative to the wick end.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said movable heater assembly includes at least one guide arm extending transverse to the longitudinal direction of the wick axis, and said heating element being carried on said one guide arm.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said heating element includes a support plate, said ceramic block being carried by said support plate;

at least one elastic locking arm carried by said support plate biased in the direction of the ceramic block which engaged said ceramic block; and

a wick passage formed in said ceramic block through which the wick end can be moved.

8. The device of claim 1, including an indicator carried by said housing for indicating the relative position of said movable heater assembly and said wick end.

9. The device of claim 1, including a pair of spaced end stops between which said movable heater assembly is longitudinally displaced in such manner that said first end stop positions said movable heater assembly in close proximity to the wick end for a maximum degree of evaporation, and said second end stop positions said movable heater assembly at a distance above an upper wick end in the longitudinal direction of the wick axis for a minimum degree of evaporation.

10. The device of claim 1, including aeration slots formed in said housing.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the housing includes a receiving slot formed in a lower housing area through which a container can be introduced and affixed within the housing interior.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein and said housing includes a forward housing shell and a rear housing shell, locking elements for joining said forward and rear shells to each other in such manner as to be detectable, and said rear housing shell includes two housing half-shells detachably joined together by means of a locking connection in such manner that mounting of said moveable heater assembly in the housing is facilitated.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said rear housing shell includes a double wall in an area below said moveable heater assembly which has a wire channel therein.

14. The device of claim 13, said double wall includes a rear wall of the housing, a plug opening formed in said outer wall for receiving an electrical connection plus which connects to a wall plug.

15. The device of claim 14, including electrical wires routed through said wire channel from the connection plus to the heating element so that the wires are held in the wire channel with a sufficient length to accommodate displacement of said moveable heater assembly to said first end stop position.

16. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics comprising:

a housing;

a container for the volatile substance to be evaporated disposed in the housing, and a wick having a wick end protruding from the container along a wick axis,

a heating element for heating at least a portion of the wick end;

a movable heater assembly carried within the housing for movement in the direction of the wick axis relative to the wick end and the housing; and

said heating element being carried for movement with said movable heater assembly so that a selected portion of said wick end is heated to control the evaporation rate as desired according to the application being made.

17. The device of claim 16 including an adjustable connection operatively associated with said movable heater assembly for positioning said heating element at a selected axial position corresponding to said portion of said wick end desired to be heated to adjust the degree of evaporation.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said movable heater assembly includes a support carrier for said heating element, and including a locking connection for removably affixing said heating element to said carrier.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said carrier includes a guide arm extending transverse of said housing having an arm end received in a slot opening formed in said housing for access from the outside of the housing, and said adjustable connection includes a plurality of indexed connections for stationarily affixing said carrier relative to said housing.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein said heating element includes a ceramic block having a wick passage formed in said ceramic block so that said ceramic block may selectively surround said wick end as said movable heater assembly is moved.