Electric resistance heating devices – Heating devices – Vaporizer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-31
2002-11-26
Paik, Sang (Department: 3742)
Electric resistance heating devices
Heating devices
Vaporizer
C392S392000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06487367
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device to evaporate volatile substances, in particular insecticides and/or aromatics.
Devices of this type for evaporation of volatile substances are generally known. For example, evaporation devices are known where a small plate is introduced into an evaporation device, impregnated with an active ingredient, and heated in order to evaporate the active ingredient. Another known method utilizes a container for retaining a volatile substance within the housing of an evaporation device. The container utilizes a wick that, via capillary action, conveys the substance to be evaporated out of the container. The container is located next to a heating element such as a ceramic block, and the wick end protrudes from the container so that the substance is evaporated via radiant heat emitted by the heating element. The evaporate then escapes from the housing into the surrounding environment via aeration slits in the housing.
European patent 0 943 344 A1 discloses such as device for the evaporation of volatile substances, in particular of insecticides and/or aromatics. The disclosed device utilizes a housing with a heating apparatus that incorporates a ceramic heating block as its heating element. The disclosed device further utilizes a container for retaining a substance to be evaporated. The container can be connected to the housing, and a wick can be inserted into the container. The operative function of the disclosed device requires the wick end to protrude from the container and into a wick recess within the heating block to effect the evaporation of the substance within the container.
The disclosed device further consists of a plug element with a connecting plug. The plug element threads into the same housing the container is also inserted. Pin openings on the housing and locking pins join to mesh with the threads of the plug element. This allows the distance between the resistance-heating element connected to the plug element and the wick end protruding from the container to be altered by twisting the plug element. In one disclosed embodiment, the plug is mounted eccentrically in the housing element, so that it too can be used to change the relative distance between the wick end and the resistance-heating element, depending on the desired evaporation rate. Evaporation devices of this type (into which a container is inserted) suffer many problems and disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that only a single substance can be evaporated at a time. For instance, aromatherapy often requires two, or possibly more, aromatics be evaporated simultaneously. Currently, depending on the number of the aromatics to be mixed and evaporated, a corresponding number of such evaporation devices must be used. The utilization of several evaporation devices is also required for the evaporation of two different insecticides designed for specific types of insects.
A further disadvantage of previous evaporation devices, is the relatively expensive and complicated manufacturing costs surrounding the manufacture of evaporation devices capable of adjusting the evaporation rate. Previous evaporation devices are rather costly to manufacture.
The disadvantages and limitations of previous evaporation devices are disclosed in WO 98/58692, WO 98/19526 and EP 0 962 132 A1, which disclose the same concept as EP 0 943 344 A1; allowing adjustability of the evaporation rate by changing the position of the wick relative to the heating block.
A common feature of all these known evaporation devices is their impractical large size. Their large size is particularly impractical and unaesthetic for residential use. The large construction of previous evaporation devices require a great number of components to effect adjustment of the evaporation rate. The numerous components are easily lost and render the devices difficult to repair.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances, in particular insecticides and/or aromatics, which allows for more than one volatile substance to be evaporated simultaneously, allows adjustability of the evaporation rate, has a reduced size and improved aesthetic quality for residential use, and is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above object is accomplished according to the present invention by providing an improved evaporation device, in particular for insecticides and/or aromatics, of a type having a housing containing a heating element, with a container for the volatile substance to be evaporated disposed in the housing, and a wick which can be heated by a heating block. The wick has a wick end protruding from the container along a wick axis. At least one additional container for retaining an additional volatile substance is provided. A wick recess is assigned within the heating block to each container. There is a wick inserted in each container. The wick ends of the wicks extend into the wick recesses for evaporation of the volatile substances retained within the containers.
An advantage of the present evaporation device at least one additional wick recess is provided. Each additional wick recess is assigned to an additional container with a wick inserted into it. A wick end of the additional wick extends into the additional wick recess for the evaporation of the volatile substance contained in this additional container. The present innovation advantageously achieves the evaporation of two or more volatile simultaneously within a single device. Depending upon the application, the plural volatile substances could be two or more aromatics for aromatherapy, or two or more different aromatics for the improvement of room air. In the same manner, two or more insecticides could simultaneously evaporate within the present innovation. The present innovation ensures the heating block is heated by the heating element so an evaporation temperature radiates to the wick recess, ensuring evaporation of all substances, regardless of their evaporation temperature.
The present innovation does not require multiple volatile substances for evaporation to operate, and if the evaporation of only one single substance is desired, it suffices to merely insert one container with a single volatile substance into the housing. Furthermore, the present innovation can evaporate identical volatile substances in two or more different containers, so that a quicker evaporation of a greater quantity of volatile substances can be achieved using a single device. This use may be required, for instance, in large spaces. The present innovation contemplates more than two wick openings with corresponding container wicks extending into the heating block. In a preferred embodiment, the housing has two containers, each with a wick. For this embodiment two wick openings are formed in the heating block. A wick end of the wick associated with each container extends into each opening. In principle, each container can be two vessels, each with one single wick. An alternative embodiment, however, utilizes a single vessel having two chambers separated from each other as the container. This alternative embodiment allows different substances to be evaporated simultaneously.
The present innovation contemplates a small-sized and well-suited heating element with good heating performance. In a preferred embodiment, the heating element is an electric resistance element contained within the heating block. In a preferred embodiment the wick end is assigned to the heating block via a wick recess in form of a passage opening or as a recess on the edge of the heating block. In a preferred embodiment the heating element is placed approximately in the middle between two wick openings. The heating block preferably has a rectangular or oval form, and is located approximately in the center of the heating block so that the wick recesses are located on either side of the heating element. This preferred embodiment ensures proper heat conductivity in the direction of the two wick openings
C.T.R. Consultoria Técnica e Representacöes Lta.
Flint Cort
McNair Law Firm, P.A.
Paik Sang
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