Air freshening device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An air freshening device comprising:
- a liquid supply operable to supply liquid material;
a conductive mesh material operable to retain the liquid material in interstices thereof, wherein the conductive mesh material forms a wick in contact with liquid in the liquid supply and a mesh heater not in contact with the liquid supply; and
a power supply operable to apply voltage across a heated portion of the mesh heater so as to heat the liquid material contained in interstices of the mesh material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid,wherein the air freshening device is operable to substantially prevent deposition of the vaporized liquid material.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air freshening device includes a liquid supply operable to supply liquid fragrance material, a wick in contact with the liquid supply, a conductive mesh material operable to retain the liquid material in interstices thereof, and a power supply operable to apply voltage across the mesh material so as to heat the mesh material and the liquid fragrance material contained in interstices of the mesh material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid. The air freshening device is operable to substantially prevent deposition of the vaporized liquid material.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. An air freshening device comprising:
-
a liquid supply operable to supply liquid material; a conductive mesh material operable to retain the liquid material in interstices thereof, wherein the conductive mesh material forms a wick in contact with liquid in the liquid supply and a mesh heater not in contact with the liquid supply; and a power supply operable to apply voltage across a heated portion of the mesh heater so as to heat the liquid material contained in interstices of the mesh material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid, wherein the air freshening device is operable to substantially prevent deposition of the vaporized liquid material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24)
-
-
8. An air freshening device comprising:
-
a liquid supply operable to supply liquid material; a wick in contact with liquid in the liquid supply; a conductive mesh material operable to retain the liquid material in interstices thereof; a capillary tube underlying the conductive mesh and having an inlet and an outlet, said capillary tube operable to draw liquid material from the wick via capillary action and supplying the liquid material to the conductive mesh; and a power supply operable to apply voltage across a capillary heater comprising the capillary tube so as to heat the liquid material contained in the capillary tube to a temperature sufficient to at least partially volatilize the liquid within the capillary tube and across a mesh heater comprising the conductive mesh material so as to heat the liquid material contained in interstices of the mesh material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid, wherein the air freshening device is operable to substantially prevent deposition of the vaporized liquid material. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
17. A method for generation of vaporized material comprising:
-
drawing liquid material into a wick from a liquid supply; using the wick to deliver the liquid material into interstices of a mesh heater, wherein the wick and the mesh heater are formed from a conductive mesh material; and periodically applying voltage across a heated portion of the mesh heater to heat the liquid material in the interstices of the mesh material to a temperature sufficient to heat the mesh material and at least partially vaporize the liquid material such that the liquid material is driven out of the interstices of the mesh material and forms a vaporized material. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification