Dispersing fragrances

• US 8,632,059 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C. T. R., Consultoria Tecnica E Representacoes Lda.
• Original Assignee: C. T. R., Consultoria Tecnica E Representacoes Lda.
• Inventors: Pankhurst, Richard P. H., Smith, Brian D., Evans, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUSHEY, CHARLES S
• Application Number:
  US12/582,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 261/30, 261/131, 261/142, 261/72.1, 261/104, 261/107, 261/125, 261/DIG.88, 261/DIG.89, 239/6, 239/13, 239/44, 239/49
• US Class Current: 261/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/02 using substances evaporated in the air by heating or combustion
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/035 emanating multiple odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/037 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/04 using substances evaporated in the air without heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/042 with the help of a macromolecular compound as a carrier or diluent A61L9/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/122 comprising a fan
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/127 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/88 Aroma dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/89 Electrically heated aroma dispensers

Abstract

A fragrance disperser in one form includes a single fan that passes air over a wicked single or double fragrance. A second form has the fan reversible to provide two different airstreams that evaporate respective different fragrances one after the other. Where two fragrances are provided, the evaporation may be by respective electrical heaters. A fragrance source may be formed by two sheets joined together to form two chambers each receiving a respective wick and having respective exposed wick portions. The source may incorporate a source of electrical power. An alternative source has a reservoir for fragrance and a wick located in an air passage forming part of the source so that an air flow is guided through the passage past the wick to evaporate fragrance. Where two fragrances are provided, the fragrance sources may be located side-by-side and matching fragrances may have, for example, matching indicia on the sources so that the match can be easily determined visually.

Claims

1. A method of emitting two or more fragrances, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a dispenser having first and second sources of fragrance disposed in first and second containers, respectively, and having first and second wicks respectively extending therefrom, first and second heaters disposed adjacent the first and second wicks, respectively, and a control system including a printed circuit board connected to an external power supply and which passes current to the heaters in accordance with a predetermined program;

activating the first heater to emit the first fragrance;

deactivating the first heater;

activating the second heater to emit the second fragrance;

deactivating the second heater; and

repeating the steps of activating the first heater, deactivating the first heater, activating the second heater, and deactivating the second heater at least once.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a first dwell period follows the step of deactivating the first heater and precedes the step of activating the second heater and a second dwell period follows the step of deactivating the second heater and precedes repeating of the step of activating the first heater, and wherein neither of the heaters is activated during the first and second dwell periods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of deactivating the first heater and activating the second heater occur at substantially the same time and the steps of deactivating the second heater and the repeating of activating the first heater occur at substantially the same time.

4. A method of emitting two or more fragrances, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a dispenser having first and second heaters, a control system including a printed circuit board connected to an external power supply and which passes current to the heaters in accordance with a predetermined program, and a switch connected to the printed circuit board and operable to control the power supplied to the heaters, thereby controlling heater temperature;

providing first and second sources of fragrance for insertion within the dispenser, wherein the sources of fragrance include first and second containers, respectively, and first and second wicks respectively extending therefrom and wherein the first and second wicks are disposed adjacent the first and second heaters, respectively;

providing the switch with at least a first setting; and

operating the dispenser such that the first and second fragrances are alternately evaporated in a continuous manner when the switch is in the first setting.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the operating step includes turning the first heater off at substantially the same time the second heater is turned on.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the operating step includes turning the first heater on for a first period of time to evaporate the first fragrance, following the first period of time with a first dwell period, turning the second heater on for a second period of time following the first dwell period, and following the second period of time with a second dwell period, wherein no heater is activated during the first and second dwell periods.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second dwell periods are different.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing the dispenser includes the step of providing a boost button for allowing a user to selectively increase a volume of fragrance emitted.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the switch is manually operable.

10. The method of claim 4 further including the step of operating the control system to alter the rate of release of one or more of the fragrances by altering a time of release.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second fragrances are different.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second fragrances are complementary.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of providing the dispenser includes providing the dispenser with a fan for diffusing at least one of the first and second fragrances into an area surrounding the dispenser.

14. A method of alternatingly emitting two or more fragrances only, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a dispenser having first and second heaters, a control system including a printed circuit board connected to an external power supply and which passes current to the heaters in accordance with a predetermined program, and a switch connected to the printed circuit board and operable to control the power supplied to the heaters, thereby controlling heater temperature;

providing only first and second sources of fragrance for insertion within the dispenser, wherein the sources of fragrance include first and second containers, respectively, and first and second wicks respectively extending therefrom and wherein the first and second wicks are disposed adjacent the first and second heaters, respectively;

providing the switch with at least first and second settings; and

operating the dispenser such that when the switch is in the first setting, the first fragrance is emitted for a first time period, and when the switch is in the second setting, the second fragrance is emitted for a second time period, wherein the first and second time periods are different.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the operating step includes ending the first time period substantially at or before the second time period begins.

16. The method of claim 14 further including the step of alternately emitting the first and second fragrances with a time interval between emissions of different fragrances.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a first time interval between the first and second fragrances and a second time interval between the second and first fragrances are the same.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a first time interval between the first and second fragrances and a second time interval between the second and first fragrances are different.

19. The method of claim 17 further including the step of operating the control system to alter the rate of release of one or more of the fragrances by altering one or more of the time intervals.

20. The method of claim 14 further including the step of operating the control system to alter the rate of release of one or more of the fragrances by altering a time of release of the one or more fragrances.

21. A method of alternatingly dispersing two fragrances into an enclosed space, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) applying heat to a first liquid so as to evaporate the first liquid and to disperse a first fragrance;

(b) ceasing application of heat to the first liquid;

(c) applying heat to a second liquid so as to evaporate the second liquid and to disperse a second fragrance;

(d) ceasing application of heat to the second liquid; and

(e) applying heat to the first liquid so as to further evaporate the first liquid and further to disperse the first fragrance;

wherein a dwell period occurs between ceasing application of heat to the first liquid in step (b) and the application of heat to the second liquid in step (c), with there being no application of heat to the first liquid and the second liquid during the dwell period.

22. A method according to claim 21,

wherein the application of heat to the first liquid comprises passing a current through a first heater associated with the first liquid,

wherein the application of heat to the second liquid comprises passing a current through a second heater associated with the second liquid, and

wherein the first and second heaters are associated as part of a single device.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein a second dwell period occurs between ceasing application of heat to the second liquid in step (d) and the application of heat to the first liquid in step (e), with there being no application of heat to the first liquid and the second liquid during the second dwell period.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

(f) ceasing application of heat to the first liquid; and

(g) applying heat to the second liquid so as to further evaporate the second liquid and further to disperse the second fragrance.

25. A method of alternatingly dispersing two fragrances into an enclosed space, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) forcing evaporation of a first liquid from a first wick by applying heat to the first wick, the first liquid having a first fragrance;

(b) stopping the forced evaporation of the first liquid from the first wick;

(c) forcing evaporation of a second liquid from a second wick by applying heat to the second wick, the second liquid having a second fragrance;

(d) stopping the forced evaporation of the second liquid from the second wick; and

(e) forcing evaporation of the first liquid from the first wick,

wherein the first wick and the second wick are operatively associated; and

wherein a dwell period occurs between stopping the forced evaporation of the first liquid in step (b) and the forced evaporation of the second liquid in step (c), with there being no forced evaporation of the first liquid and the second liquid during the dwell period.

26. A method according to claim 25,

wherein the heat is applied to the first wick by passing a current through a first heater associated with the first wick, and

wherein the heat is applied to the second wick by passing a current through a second heater associated with the second wick.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the first wick and second wick are operatively associated by a device that effects the forced evaporation of the first liquid and effects the forced evaporation of the second liquid.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein a second dwell period occurs between stopping the forced evaporation of the second liquid in step (d) and the forced evaporation of the first liquid in step (e) with there being no forced evaporation of the first liquid and the second liquid during the second dwell period.

29. A method according to claim 25, further comprising steps of:

(f) stopping the forced evaporation of the first liquid from the first wick; and

(g) forcing evaporation of the second liquid from the second wick.

30. A method according to claim 25,

wherein the forced evaporation of the first liquid includes directing an air flow to the first liquid, and

wherein the forced evaporation of the second liquid includes directing an air flow to the second liquid.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the directed air flow to the first liquid and the directed air flow to the second liquid are effected by a fan.

32. A method according to claim 25, wherein the first and second wicks are provided in first and second containers.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the containers are joined together.

34. A method of alternatingly evaporating two fragrances in an enclosed space, the method comprising the steps of:

raising a temperature of a first heater adjacent to a first wick so as to evaporate a first liquid having a first fragrance;

lowering the temperature of the first heater;

raising a temperature of a second heater adjacent to a second wick so as to evaporate a second liquid having a second fragrance;

lowering the temperature of the second heater; and

repeating the steps of raising the temperature of the first heater, lowering the temperature of the first heater, raising the temperature of the second heater, and lowering the temperature of the second heater, so as to alternatingly evaporate the first fragrance and the second fragrance.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein a dwell period occurs between the steps of lowering the temperature of one heater and raising the temperature of the other heater.

36. A method according to claim 34, further comprising a step of adjusting the temperature to which at least one of the heaters is raised so as to adjust the volume of fragrance that is evaporated.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the step of adjusting the temperature comprises adjusting a power supply to the heater.