Electric evaporator for insecticides or perfumes in liquid formulation, with adjustable evaporation intensity

• US 6,466,739 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zobele Holding SpA (Z Alpha SA)
• Original Assignee: Zobele Holding SpA (Z Alpha SA)
• Inventors: Baldessari, Stefano, Stenico, Filippo, Campedelli, Paolo, Ambrosi, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US09/916,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 392/390, 392/392, 392/394, 392/395, 122/366, 261/142, 261/99, 261/DIG.65
• US Class Current: 392/395
• 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

Abstract

An electric evaporator for insecticides or perfumes in liquid formulation, contained in a bottle which can be steadily inserted into a container, includes a wick, an element for housing and centering the wick and a respective electric heating device. The wick housing and centering element are joined to the walls of the container through elastic bridge-pieces which have the shape of a loop extending respectively in horizontal and vertical planes. A cam device, which is actuated manually outside of the container, allows displacement of the wick housing and centering element in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the wick, towards or away from the heating device.

Claims

1. An electric evaporator for insecticides or perfumes in liquid formulation, contained in a bottle provided with a wick, of the type in which said bottle can be steadily inserted into a container, the inside of said container being further provided with an element for housing and centering said wick and with a respective electric heating device, characterized in that said wick housing and centering element is joined to the walls of the container through elastic means which allow displacements of said element in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the wick towards or away from said heating device and in that the cam device which can be actuated manually outside of said container is further provided for effecting said displacements of the wick housing and centering element.

2. The electric evaporator as in claim 1, wherein said wick housing and centering element are formed integrally with the container and are joined to said container by means of a plurality of connecting bridge-pieces which have a shape elasticity and constitute said elastic means.

3. The electric evaporator as in claim 2, wherein said bridge-pieces are two in number and are arranged on opposite sides of said element, in the direction of displacement of the wick housing and centering element.

4. The electric evaporator as in claim 3, wherein at least one of said bridge-pieces has the shape of a loop extending in a horizontal plane.

5. The electric evaporator as in claim 3, wherein at least one of said bridge-pieces has the shape of a loop extending in a vertical plane.

6. The electric evaporator as in claim 1, wherein said cam device consists of a cam profile in the form of an arc with a variable radius, integral with said wick housing and centering element, and a cam-following cursor, which is actuated on the outside of the container and an operating end of the cursor is engaged on one side with said cam profile and on the other side with a profiled arc with a constant radius, integral with said container.

7. The electric evaporator as in claim 1, wherein said container is formed by top and bottom shells which are obtained by means of injection-moulding of a suitable plastic material and are snap-engaged together, the top shell having on a top wall a venting hole for the active substance vapours and the bottom shell having on a bottom wall a large opening for insertion of said bottle.

8. The electric evaporator as in claim 7, wherein said bottom shell also comprises means for snap-fastening of said bottle.

9. The electric evaporator as in claim 8, wherein said snap-fastening means consist of a pair of opposite hook elements having one end in the form of a pushbutton protruding from said container, said hook elements being formed integrally with the container and joined thereto, in a central position, by at least one flexible connecting bridge-piece.