Thermal vaporizer, container for the thermal vaporizer and a thermal vaporizer assembly

• US 6,603,924 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zelnova, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Zelnova, S.A.
• Inventors: Hart, Gerald Leslie, Dominguez, Mónica Mascato, Gohil, Kishen, Naish, Guy Edward, Brown, Colin William
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US10/119,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20020181946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 392/386, 392/390, 392/392, 392/394, 392/395, 219/435, 219/436, 219/541, 219/509, 219/516, 219/518
• 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

Abstract

A thermal vaporizer for a liquid formulation comprising a volatile active, a container for said vaporizer and a thermal vaporizer assembly. The vaporizer (A) comprises a housing (1) having a heater unit (2) for evaporating the liquid formulation, a mounting (8) for a container (50) for the liquid formulation, a passage (5) for a wick means (52) to be heated by the heater unit (2), at least one outlet (6) for evaporated volatile active and an electrical contact connected to said heater unit (2). The vaporizer selectively operates the heater unit at, at least, two different predetermined heating temperatures, such that the heater unit is selectively activated by the container (50).

Claims

1. A thermal vaporizer for a liquid formulation comprising a volatile active, said vaporizer (A) comprising a housing (1) having:

a heater unit (2) for evaporating the liquid formulation;

a mounting (8) for a container (50) for the liquid formulation;

a passage (5) for a wick means (52) to be heated by the heater unit (2);

at least one outlet (6) for evaporated volatile active;

an electrical contact connected to said heater unit (2);

characterized in that the vaporizer further comprises

means for selectively operating the heater unit at, at least, two different predetermined heating temperatures, including selecting means for selecting heating temperature,

said selecting means including at least one first selecting means (20, 20a) arranged to be selectively activated by the container (50).

2. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein said first selecting means (20) is comprises a switch element arranged to be displaced by the container (50) when the container is fixed into the mounting (8).

3. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein said first selecting means (20a) comprises at least one selectively interrupted electric circuit arranged to be closed by a metal connector on the container (50) when the container (50) is fixed into the mounting (8).

4. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein the heater unit (2) has an annular shape enclosing the passage (5) for the wick means.

5. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein the container (50) is arranged to be fixed into the mounting (8) by screw-thread engagement between an internally threaded portion of the mounting (8) and an externally threaded portion of the container (50).

6. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means further comprise, at least, a second selecting means (21) for selecting, at least, an off operation mode and an on operation mode.

7. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 6, wherein said second selecting means and said first selecting means are arranged so as to make the heater unit (20) operate at different temperatures, whereby the heater unit is arranged to operate at a specific high temperature only when the first selecting means (20, 20a) are activated by the container (50).

8. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 7, wherein the heater unit is arranged to operate

at a low temperature when the second selecting means are in a first on operation mode position and the first selecting means are not activated by the container;

at a medium temperature when the second selecting means are in a second on operation mode position and the first selecting means are not activated by the container; and

at a high temperature only when the first selecting means are activated by the container.

9. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein the means for selectively operating the hater unit include, at least, a first branch comprising a first resistor (R3) and, in series with said resistor, a circuit comprising a diode (D1) and a switch (S2) coupled in parallel, so that when said switch (S2) is in an open position, a supply voltage is applied over the diode and over the first resistor, and when the switch (S2) is in a closed position, the supply voltage is applied over the first resistor and not over the diode, the switch (S2) being arranged to be in the open position when the first selecting means (20, 20a) are not activated by the container and in the closed position when the first selecting means (20, 20a) are activated by the container.

10. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 9, wherein the means for selectively operating the heater unit further comprise a second branch comprising a second resistor (R4), said second branch being arranged in parallel with said first branch, whereby second selecting means (21) are arranged so that depending on the position of said second selecting means, voltage is applied selectively to the first branch or to the second branch so that heating is selectively performed by said first (R3) or by said second (R4) resistor.

11. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1, wherein the means for selectively operating the heater unit comprise at least one variable resistor (R7) the effective resistance of which depends on a level of activation of the first selecting means.

12. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 1 for a fragrance and/or a insecticide.

13. A thermal vaporizer according to claim 8, wherein the high temperature corresponds to a temperature for vaporizing an insecticide and wherein the low temperature corresponds to a temperature for low rate release of a fragrance and wherein the medium temperature corresponds to a temperature for high rate release of a fragrance.

14. A container (50) for the thermal vaporizer (A) according to claim 1, characterized in that the container is provided with activating means (55, 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d) for activating the first selecting means (20) of the thermal vaporizer when the container (50) is fixed into the mounting(8).

15. A container according to claim 14, wherein the activating means comprises a protruding part (55, 55b, 55c, 55d) of the container.

16. A container according to claim 15, wherein the protruding part is a molding.

17. A container according to claim 15, wherein the protruding part (55, 55c) is arranged at a mouth portion of the container (50).

18. A container according to claim 15, wherein the protruding part (55b, 55d) is arranged at a neck or shoulder portion of the container (50).

19. A container according to claim 15, wherein the protruding part (55, 55b, 55c, 55d) is a part forming an integral part of the container (50).

20. A container according to claim 15, wherein the protruding part (50, 55b, 55c, 55d) is a part of an independent element arranged to be attached to the container (50).

21. A container according to claim 14, wherein the activating means comprise a metal connector (55a).