Air freshening device

• US 9,526,808 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tucker, Christopher S., Nichols, Walter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Angwin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALVETTI, FREDERICK F
• Application Number:
  US12/903,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20110253798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,267 Days
• Field of Search: 392394-398, 122/366, 239/44, 239/45, 239/47, 239/49, 239/57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/2077 using an electrical resistance as heat source A01M1/2083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/11 Apparatus for controlling air treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/135 Vaporisers for active components
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/02 using substances evaporated in the air by heating or combustion
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/037 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/24 incorporating means for heating the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. electrically

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.

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.

2. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the conductive mesh material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, copper alloys, porous ceramic materials coated with film resistive material, nickel-chromium alloys, and combinations thereof.

3. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the conductive mesh material is about 200 to about 600 mesh.

4. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the conductive mesh material is about 400 mesh.

5. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the conductive mesh material is formed with 0.001 inch diameter wire.

6. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the heater comprises a section of the conductive mesh material located between two spaced apart electrical leads.

7. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the air freshening device is operable to vaporize liquid material to form an aerosol having a substantially uniform particle size, and wherein the aerosol has particles ranging in size from about 0.5 micron to about 4 microns or about 1 micron to about 4 microns.

13. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the power supply includes a supercapacitor that supplies an energy pulse to the heater.

14. The air freshening device of claim 1, further comprising control circuitry operable to apply voltage from the power supply to the mesh in timed heating cycles such that the liquid material is at least partially vaporized after filling of a liquid retention zone of the mesh.

15. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the liquid material comprises an aqueous liquid fragrance material.

16. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the liquid material is vaporized in less than about 1 second via heating.

23. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the wick is at least partially submerged in the liquid supply.

24. The air freshening device of claim 1, wherein the mesh material is an L-shaped piece, with one portion at least partially submerged in the liquid supply and a second portion perpendicular to the submerged portion and not in contact with the liquid supply.

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.

9. The air freshening device of claim 8, wherein the capillary tube has an internal diameter of about 0.05 to 0.4 mm and a length of about 5 mm to about 100 mm or about 10 mm to 40 mm.

10. The air freshening device of claim 8, wherein the capillary tube comprises a stainless steel tube or a non-metallic tube.

11. The air freshening device of claim 8, wherein the wick comprises at least one polymer.

12. The air freshening device of claim 11, wherein the wick comprises a porous plastic wick.

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.

18. A method for repeated pulsed generation of vaporized material comprising:

a) generating vaporized material according to the method of claim 17;

b) cooling the mesh material; and

c) repeating steps a) and b).

19. The method of claim 18, comprising cooling the mesh material in less than 10 seconds.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising generating vaporized material every 2 to 100 seconds.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising generating vaporized material at least once an hour.

22. The method of claim 18, comprising periodically applying voltage from a supercapacitor to the mesh material.