Illumination – With fluid distributer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-10
2002-11-12
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With fluid distributer
C362S095000, C362S229000, C362S253000, C362S290000, C362S802000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06478440
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION(S)
Not applicable.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to dispensers of vaporizable materials. More specifically, the invention relates to an improvement in devices for dispensing a fragrance or air freshener, or other material, in the form of a vapor for air freshening, insect control, or other purpose, in an enclosed environment. The improvement disclosed herein relates broadly to an electrical plug-in air freshener device or insect control system, of the type frequently referred to as a fragrance warmer or plug-in diffuser, specifically wherein the device further provides both a plug-through outlet and a small electric lamp.
2. Background Art
The need for effectively combating airborne malodors in homes and enclosed public buildings, by odor masking or destruction, is well established, as is the dispensing of insect control materials for killing or deterring insects. Various kinds of vapor-dispensing devices have been employed for these purposes. The most common of such devices is the aerosol container which propels minute droplets of an air freshener composition into the air. Another common type of dispensing device is a dish containing or supporting a body of gelatinous matter which, when it dries and shrinks, releases a vaporized composition into the atmosphere. Other products, such as deodorant blocks, are also used for dispensing air-treating vapors into the atmosphere by evaporation. Another group of vapor-dispensing devices utilizes a carrier material such as paperboard or a porous plastic or ceramic, impregnated or coated with a vaporizable composition.
A number of recent developments include a liquid or gel air-treating composition in an enclosure, all or part of which is formed of a polymeric film through which the air-treating composition can migrate to be released as a vapor at an outer surface. The use of this type of permeable polymeric membrane controls the dispensing of air-treating vapors, and tends to eliminate great variations in rate of dispensing over the life of the product.
Wicking devices are also well known for dispensing volatile liquids into the atmosphere, such as fragrance, deodorant, disinfectant, or insecticide active agent. A typical wicking device utilizes a combination of a wick and an emanating region to dispense a volatile liquid from a liquid reservoir. Typical wicking devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,994,932; 2,597,195; 2,802,695; 2,804,291; 3,550,853; 4,286,754; 4,413,779; 4,454,987; 4,913,350; and 5,000,383; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Of special interest with respect to the present invention are wicking dispenser devices in which the wicking action is promoted by a heat source. This type of wicking device is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,288,556; 3,431,393; 3,482,929; 3,633,881; 4,020,321; 4,968,487; 5,038,394; 5,290,546; and 5,364,027; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Additional dispensers of the type often referred to as plug-in diffusers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,849,606, and 5,937,140, which are assigned to S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., of Racine, Wis., both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Of these references, it is noted that U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,140 discloses a fragrance warmer incorporating plug-though capability. The present invention constitutes an improvement upon this reference, adding an integral night light feature and novel electrical circuitry in a unit providing for simpler, less expensive assembly.
In addition to the above, Luthy discloses, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,421, a fragrance dispenser which releases a fragrance from a solid polyamide resin body. The dispenser includes a housing, having at least one opening, disposed adjacent to the resin. A heating resistor is provided in the housing for maintaining an elevated temperature, and a thermally conductive metal heating plate is arranged in the housing in thermally conductive relationship with the heating resistor and configured to at least partially surround and contact the resin body containing the fragrance.
Wang, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,192, discloses a perfumer with an optically controlled night lamp. The perfumer includes a heat conductor wrapped by a heat conductive and fireproof plastic material for generating heat to vaporize a solid perfume, and uniformly disperse the perfume gas. The night lamp is disposed within the perfumer structure and is controlled by an optically sensitive element which turns the lamp on or off in accordance with ambient illumination. The perfumer is powered by a power plug consisting of a pair of identical copper plates having a heat conductor welded there between to form a circuit.
Spector teaches, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,250, a night lamp assembly wherein a low wattage bulb illuminates removable transparent slides placed at the front of the assembly. The rear face of the slide is coated or impregnated with a volatile coating to produce a fragrance as the slide is heated by the lamp.
In addition, the incorporation of night lights into electrical vaporizers is also taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,942,090, of Diehl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,260, of Elsner, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,079, of Costello. These references, however, fail to provide the convenience and economy of the present invention.
As indicated, it is well known to provide electrical heating devices for dispensing such materials as air fresheners, deodorizers, and insect control materials. Such devices often comprise a liquid reservoir of liquid to be dispensed, an electric heater to warm the liquid to cause it to vaporize more readily, and an electrical plug to plug the device into an electric outlet for power. However, it is also known that if such devices are plugged into the lower of two vertically oriented outlets, the consumer may choose to employ the upper outlet for another plug-in apparatus, such as a night light, or an electrical cord for an appliance. Such apparatus may be subject to damage or deterioration from the vapors or fumes of the liquid material which is heated and dispensed, possibly resulting in the exposure of live electrical parts, since it is known that many of the fragrance oils used in the preparation of such dispensers contain solvents which dissolve or react with such plastics as styrene, which is frequently used for night light assemblies due to its low cost and formability. Moreover, the use of such prior art dispensers results in the loss or sacrifice of an electrical outlet, frequently in an area where extra outlets are at a premium, such as on a kitchen or bathroom counter. This is particularly a problem when such dispensers are of such a dimension as to completely cover a vertically oriented wall receptacle, thus utilizing one of the two outlets therein, and covering the second.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention overcomes these deficiencies of the prior art, by incorporating both a night light and a plug through outlet directly into the structure of the plug-in diffuser or fragrance warmer, said diffuser being of a size that when it is plugged into the upper outlet of a vertically oriented wall receptacle, it does not preclude use of the lower outlet. Thus, the consumer need not lose the use of an electrical outlet to plug in the present diffuser, since this unit provides for a plug through connection to the wall outlet. Further, the consumer simultaneously gains a night light, since the present invention incorporates a low cost lamp directly into the dispensable assembly of the unit. Thus, the consumer obtains both an air freshener or diffuser and a night light, at a relatively low cost, while not losing the use of an electrical outlet, since the invention provides a plug through feature, permitting use of both outlets of a dual outlet receptacle for plugging in appliances, table lamps, etc.
In one aspect, the invention provides a combination night light and electrical vaporizer, with the added advantage of a plug through feature by which an additional
Hui Patrick Yeo Siok
Jaworski Thomas
Ki Kong Wai
Milo Michael Thomas
Nakagaki Tadahiko
Lee Guiyoung
O'Shea Sandra
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
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