Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Process disinfecting – preserving – deodorizing – or sterilizing – Deodorizing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2003-05-13
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Process disinfecting, preserving, deodorizing, or sterilizing
Deodorizing
C422S122000, C422S126000, C422S305000, C422S306000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06562294
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for disseminating an air modifying agent into a surrounding atmosphere.
It is known that air modifying agents which vaporise at a relatively low temperature, for example fragrances or incense, can be disseminated into surrounding atmosphere by heating the agent and allowing the vapours thereby created to diffuse away.
In practice, however, the known method has found very limited application. In religious censers, for example, the agent is applied by hand to a heated metal plate, which is time-consuming and labour intensive. Furthermore, the convection currents generated in the air above the plate are of low strength and it is often necessary to swing the censer to achieve effective dissemination of the agent. In the case of scented candles, the agent (scent) is entrained in the fuel (candle wax) for the heat source (candle flame), with the result that much of the agent is combusted in the flame and its effect is lost.
For these reasons, the known systems are not applicable to a wide range of agents and circumstances of use.
The present invention aims to go at least some way towards overcoming the above disadvantages, by providing an improved or at least alternative apparatus and method for disseminating air modifying agents into a surrounding atmosphere.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, therefore, there is provided an apparatus for disseminating an air modifying agent into a surrounding dissolved or intimately admixed) in a flammable liquid carrier which is less volatile than the agent, the apparatus comprising:
(a) reservoir means for holding the flammable liquid carrier;
(b) an igniting station remote from the reservoir means, at which a flame may be created by igniting the flammable liquid carrier;
(c) conveying means (e.g. wick means) for conveying the flammable liquid carrier from the reservoir means to the igniting station;
(d) a vaporisation station spaced from the igniting station and disposed in the path of the flammable liquid carrier, whereby the relatively volatile air modifying agent can be preferentially evaporated away from the flammable liquid carrier prior to combustion of the flammable liquid carrier; and
(e) means for heating the flammable liquid carrier in the vaporisation station to assist the preferential evaporation of the air modifying agent at the vaporisation station.
The reservoir means (a) may suitably comprise a conventional bottle, flask or other container. The container may suitably have a neck to which the other parts of the apparatus may be mounted, e.g. releasably mounted. In use, the reservoir means will be substantially air-tight, to prevent evaporation of the flammable liquid carrier from within the reservoir.
It is envisaged that parts (b) to (e) may be provided separately, as a unit, for use with a reservoir means (a) already owned by a user. For example, the first sale to aspect of the present invention as described above. Thereafter, spare parts (b) to (e) may be sold to the user as a unit, for use with the original reservoir means (a), for example if the wick means become inefficient or damaged. It is further possible that the unit of parts (b) to (e) would be fitted into the user's own container (a), which may for example be an old wine bottle or other decorative container.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, therefore, there is provided a device for use with a reservoir means holding a flammable liquid carrier in which an air modifying agent is entrained (e.g dissolved or intimately admixed), to provide the apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention in which the parts (b) to (e) are releasably mounted to the part (a); the device comprising:
(a′) a connector part for connecting the device to the reservoir means;
(b′) an igniting station remote from the connector part, at which a flame may be created by igniting the flammable liquid carrier;
(c′) conveying means (e.g. wick means) for conveying the flammable liquid carrier from the reservoir means to the igniting station;
(d′) a vaporisation station spaced from the igniting station and disposed in the path of the flammable liquid carrier, whereby the relatively volatile air modifying agent can be preferentially evaporated away from the flammable liquid carrier prior to combustion of the flammable liquid carrier; and
(e′) means for heating the flammable liquid carrier preferential evaporation of the air modifying agent at the vaporisation station.
The apparatus or device according to the present invention may, if desired, be provided in kit form, together with assembly instructions. Such a form of the invention is to be considered as covered by this patent application and subsequent patent (s).
The conveying means (c) or (c′) may suitably comprise a conventional wick. The wick may suitably be formed of conventional wick material, e.g. absorbent synthetic and/or natural fibres such as cotton and the like. The fibres will suitably be braided or woven to form an elongate band. A first end of the conveying means contacts the flammable liquid carrier in the reservoir, and a second end contacts the igniting station (b) or (b′) at which the flammable liquid carrier is ignited. The thickness of the conveying means will be selected according to the desired rate of dissemination of the air modifying agent, in ways that will be well known to those of ordinary skill in this art.
The igniting station (b) or (b′) may suitably comprise a rim region of a conventional metal collar, at which a flame can be created. Where the conveying means (c) or (c′) comprises a conventional wick, the metal collar will suitably closely encircle the wick, to prevent the flame travelling back up the wick. Other analogous configurations of igniting station will be well understood by those of ordinary skill in this art.
The vaporisation station (d) or (d′) may suitably comprise an aperture or apertures formed through a side wall of the metal collar of the igniting station spaced below the rim of the collar. In this way, a portion of the wick is exposed to the atmosphere before the flammable liquid carrier in the wick reaches the igniting agent can be preferentially evaporated prior to combustion. This significantly restricts the disadvantage mentioned above in connection with the prior art, in which the agent itself was combusted in the flame. The number, size and configuration of the aperture(s) will be selected according to the desired rate of dissemination of the air modifying agent, in ways that will be well known to those of ordinary skill in this art. For example, the aperture(s) can be in the form of elongate slot(s), whereby the wick is exposed to the atmosphere over a longer portion of its length than would be the case if the aperture(s) had been round hole(s); for this reason, it has been found that elongate slot(s) provide a preferred arrangement which leads to efficient dissemination of the air modifying agent into the atmosphere.
Finally, the means (e) or (e′) for heating the flammable liquid carrier in the vaporisation station may suitably comprise the side wall of the metal collar itself, provided that the thermal conductivity of the metal is such that sufficient heat is conveyed along the side wall from the rim of the collar (which contacts the flame) to the vaporisation station to effect the required preferential evaporation of the air modifying agent. Correspondingly, it is important that the heat at the vaporisation station should not be enough to cause combustion of the flammable liquid carrier at the vaporisation station. It is also preferred that the heat at the vaporisation station should not be enough to cause undue evaporation of the flammable liquid carrier, as it is clearly undesirable for excessive amounts of uncombusted fuel vapour to be disseminated into the atmosphere.
It is preferred that the metal collar should be somewhat longer than the flame to be created, e.g. between about 1 and 5 times the flame le
Chorbaji Monzer R.
Globol Chemicals (UK) Limited
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
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