Evaporation device for volatile substances

• US 6,487,367 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C.T.R.
• Original Assignee: C.T.R. Consultoria Tecnica E Representacoes Lta.
• Inventors: Vieira, Pedro Queiroz
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US09/919,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20020146242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 392/386, 392/390, 392/392, 392/394, 392/395, 392/402, 392/403, 261/94, 261/99, 261/DIG.65, 219/543, 219/544, 219/546, 219/547, 338/286, 338/307, 338/308
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/50 by odorisation

Abstract

A device for the evaporation of volatile substances, in particular of insecticides and/or aromatics, is disclosed having a housing containing a heating element, with a container for the volatile substance disposed in the housing, a wick which can be heated by the heating element, and a heating block having a wick end protruding from the container along a wick axis. The improved device includes at least one additional wick opening formed within the heating block; at least one additional container for containing an additional volatile substance for evaporation, and the additional wick opening being operatively associated with the additional container. At least one additional wick is carried in the additional container, having a wick end extending through the additional wick opening for evaporation of the additional volatile substance in the additional container.

Claims

1. A device for the evaporation of volatile substances, in particular of insecticides and/or aromatics, of a type having a housing containing a heating element, with a container for the volatile substance disposed in the housing, a wick which is heated by the heating element, and a heating block having a wick end protruding from the container along a wick axis, and wherein the device comprises:

at least one additional wick opening formed within said heating block;

at least one additional container for containing an additional volatile substance for evaporation, and said additional wick opening being operatively associated with said additional container; and

at least one additional wick carried in said additional container, having a wick end for extending through said additional wick opening for evaporation of said additional volatile substance in said additional container.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said volatile substance comprises an insecticide.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said volatile substance comprises an aromatic.

4. The device of claim 1 including an attachment element for attaching said additional container within said housing.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said additional container includes a separate independent container.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said additional container includes one of separate chambers made integral with a single container.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said heating element comprises an electrical resistance element carried by said heating block.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said additional wick forms a wick passage within said heating block.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein each said wick passage includes a bore extending through said heating block formed in and completely bounded by said heating block.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein each said wick passage is equidistant from said heating element so that wick passage placement is symmetrical about the heating element in said heating block.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said heating block is one of rectangular and oval in shape.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said heating element is located in the center of said heating block so that each said additional wick is located on equidistant sides of said heating element.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said heating element includes an electrical resistance rod, wherein said resistance rod is substantially coated with a resistance layer which is patterned for providing a desired resistance value, whereby said resistance value corresponds to the evaporation temperature of said volatile substance to be evaporated.

14. The device of claim 13 including a plurality of heating elements disposed within said housing;

a heating block associated with said heating element; and

a plurality of wick recesses formed in said heating block through which said wicks extend and are heated; and

a control device connected to said heating elements for controlling the heat output of said heating elements.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said control device includes a switch so that said heating elements can be deactivated or actuated together.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein said control device includes a switch so that said heating elements can be deactivated or actuated individually.

17. The device of claim 13 herein a first of said wick passages is associated with a first of heating elements to provide a first heating unit, and a second of said wick passages is associated with a second of heating elements to provide a second heating unit.

18. The device of claim 13 wherein said heating element includes an electric resistance element.

19. The device of claim 18 including a pair of electric resistance elements oppositely disposed on a heating block within said housing.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said wick openings are located near the edge of said heating block and are centered between said heating elements.

21. The device of claim 18 wherein said electric resistance elements are rod-shaped.

22. The device of claim 14 wherein said heating block includes at least one thermal separator disposed between said wick openings for partial thermal disconnection of said heating units.

23. The device of claim 13 wherein said heating element has adjustable resistance values so that said heating element provides a plurality of heating capacities to adjust the evaporation rate.

24. The device of claim 23 including a control device for varying the output of said heating elements to control evaporation.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein said resistance elements are rod-shaped, and said resistance layer is spiral cut around said resistance body in a substantially helical manner.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein said resistance element is disposed within said heating block and encapsulated therein with a highly heat-conductive material.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein said resistance element is encapsulated within said heating block via a flame-resistant insulation having slits on either side of said resistance element through which electrical lines pass connecting said heating block to a connection plug.

28. The device of claim 13, wherein said housing comprises an upper shell and a lower shell, means for connecting said shells in a mating relationship, and said upper shell comprises a plurality of aeration slits for escape of the evaporated substances.

29. A device for the evaporation of volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of containers disposed in said housing for containing a volatile substance to be evaporated;

a plurality of wicks carried in said containers having wick ends protruding from said containers along a wick axis;

a heating unit carried in said housing for heating said wick elements; and

said heating unit including a plurality of wick passages carried in said housing through which said wicks extend, and at least one heating element located in proximity to said wicks;

whereby a plurality of volatile substances may be evaporated from a housing in a controlled manner either to provide evaporation of different volatile substances or increased evaporation of a single substance.