Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Physical type apparatus – Including means for adding a material to a gas
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-19
2002-03-26
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Physical type apparatus
Including means for adding a material to a gas
C422S307000, C310S064000, C310S254100, C165S104260, C392S395000, C392S403000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06361752
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices that volatilize a substance and disperse the resultant vapor into the air in a room or other space; and more particularly to such devices for dispensing air scents, pest control materials, allergen control ingredients, and other substances for air quality modification.
A common type of air freshener is plugged into an electrical wall outlet to supply power to a heating coil within a housing. The generated heat raises the temperature of a fragrant substance and volatilizes the substance. Convection air currents dispense the fragrance into the room. A similar heating mechanism can be used with a liquid air freshener, as is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,395 and 5,647,053. The disclosure of these patents and all other publications referred to herein are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.
Both these types of air fresheners rely on existing air currents in the room to disperse the fragrance, and such reliance may not evenly or swiftly distribute the substance throughout a relatively large room. There is a need for efficient and economical means to both volatilize and effectively distribute volatilizable materials into the air of a room or other area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present environment control apparatus volatilizes and dispenses material into the air in a room or other area. This apparatus has an electric motor with a rotor and a coil such that, when electric current is applied to the coil, an electromagnetic field is produced that causes rotation of the rotor. Heat also is emitted from the coil. A source of volatile material to be dispersed into the ambient air is located adjacent the electric motor so as to be heated by the coil. That heating results in the material being volatilized. An air propulsion element, for example a fan or other impeller, is driven by the rotor to move air across the material and blow the resultant vapor into the surrounding environment. Various different embodiments of this apparatus can be provided for solid and liquid forms of the volatile material. In these various embodiments, the motor coil is configured to optimize heating of the material as well as applying a magnetic field to operate the motor.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “magnet” means a member or material that already has been magnetized, either permanently or temporarily, so as to produce a magnetic field, such as an electromagnet or a permanent magnet. In contrast, the term “magnetic” means a member or material that has a sufficient magnetic susceptibility to be capable of being temporarily magnetized to form an electromagnet or capable of being magnetized to form a permanent magnet.
The electric motor of the apparatus can be either a nutating type motor or a more conventional, non-nutating motor. However, a nutating motor is preferred, in part because of the flexibility possible in the design of the core. For example but without limitation, the coil can have a serpentine shape. The air propulsion element referred to can be any air movement impeller but preferably is a fan of any convenient design. A simple propeller-type blade fan is especially preferred. The existence in the prior art is acknowledged of nutational motors that employ a rotor caused to nutate within a stator by application of an alternating magnetic field.
The volatile material can be any desired volatile material that most readily vaporizes at a temperature elevated above room temperature. Air quality modification agents, pest control ingredients, and allergen control agents are preferred. An air quality modification agent is defined as any volatile material that changes the scent or other quality of the air, including but not limited to perfumes and air deodorizers. Pest control ingredients include insecticides, growth regulators, repellents, and any other volatile material that kills or affects the development, functioning, or behavior of a pest animal, including but not limited to insects.
The source of a volatile material can include a carrier substance into which the volatile material is incorporated, whether by impregnation, intermixture, coating, solubilization, or other means. A preferred carrier substance is a mat, including fibrous mats. Mats can be made of felted, woven, or non-woven fibers and fabrics. Alternatively, the carrier substance can be made of a material selected from polymeric, ceramic, or clay materials or from any other material capable of holding a volatile material for heated volatilization. Such materials can be liquids, gels, solids (including but not limited to powders), or any other convenient physical form.
The carrier substance can be held within a container. If necessary or useful, the container can have an opening that is closed by a material through which the carrier substance cannot pass but that is permeable to the volatile material. The container can include a cup within which the carrier substance or, in some instances, the volatile material without a carrier substance, is held. The cup can have an open top closed by a material through which the carrier substance (or the volatile material prior to volatilization) cannot pass but that is permeable to the volatile material in the vapor state.
If a liquid volatile material or carrier substance is to be heated by the coil to vaporize the volatile material, the source of a volatile material can include a vessel containing the liquid volatile material or carrier substance. The apparatus then preferably includes a wick that is in contact with the liquid and extends to the vicinity of the coil to transport the liquid to the coil for heating. In this context, a wick is understood to extend to the “vicinity” of the coil if it extends sufficiently close to the coil to be heated by it with the effect of increasing volatilization of liquid carried by the wick.
In one aspect of the invention, the electric motor (preferably a nutating motor) further includes a core of magnetic material extending adjacent to the wick, with the coil being wound around at least a portion of the core. In this context, a core of magnetic material shall be defined as extending “adjacent” to the wick if it is situated immediately beside the wick, is wholly or partially contained within the wick, or is a magnetic material capable of simultaneously serving as both the wick and core, whereupon the wick and core effectively extend together.
By way of example only, such a core can usefully curve at least partially around the wick. For example, the core can be a U-shaped core, with the wick extending between and being embraced by the arms of the U. As an alternative to such a U-shaped core, the core can curve entirely around the wick one or more times, surrounding the wick. Alternatively, the core can extend parallel to the wick and embrace it to a desired extent, like a partial sheath or longitudinally extending cover.
Alternatively, a core extending “adjacent” to the wick can include a body of magnetic material contained within the wick. Such a core can be a rod-like structure held within the wick. Alternatively, the wick can include discrete particles of magnetic material distributed within the wick, the discrete particles magnetically coacting to constitute the core. Such particles can be grains or particles, filaments, or any other convenient shape. Alternatively, a wick can be made partially or entirely of woven, felted, molded, or otherwise formed magnetic material to create a wick that can serve as a core and also be either porous or at least capable of transporting liquid by capillary action. A solid material can be made with capillary grooves or channels to transport liquid as a wick. This solid material can be itself a magnetic material that can serve simultaneously as both core and wick, or it can be a non-magnetic surface material with capillary grooves, the surface material extending along or even covering at least
Danes Imre J.
Demarest Scott W.
Houser David J.
Chorbaji Monzer
S. C. Johnson & Son Inc.
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
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