FRAGRANCE NEBULIZER WITH DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Abstract

A device for generating a scented mist of an atomized liquid fragrance oil includes an atomizer complex, a reservoir assembly, a drainage tube, and a vacuum tube. The atomizer complex can atomize the liquid fragrance oil into a scented mist and deliver the scented mist to air outside of the atomizer complex, where the liquid fragrance oil the fragrance oil that is not atomized into the scented mist delivered to the air outside of the atomizer complex includes collected oil that is collected and drained to a reservoir assembly. A drainage tube extends from a bottom area of the atomizer complex into the liquid fragrance oil. The device can filter the liquid fragrance oil in the reservoir assembly and the collected oil from the atomizer complex that drained down the drainage tube. The vacuum tube can suction the filtered liquid fragrance oil and the collected oil into the atomizer complex for atomization.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A scent delivery system comprising: a reservoir including a liquid fragrance oil; an atomizer including: a chamber; an air inlet structure, wherein the chamber is in fluid communication with an exterior of the atomizer through the air inlet structure; and an oil intake; a vacuum tube including a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the oil intake and the second end extending into the reservoir below a level of the liquid fragrance oil wherein the oil intake is positioned between the chamber and the vacuum tube, wherein the chamber is in fluid communication with the vacuum tube through the oil intake; and a drainage tube including a plurality of pressure equalization holes, disposed above the liquid fragrance oil in the reservoir, that equalize pressure between the drainage tube and the reservoir, the drainage tube in fluid communication with the atomizer and extending from the atomizer into the reservoir, wherein a terminal end of the drainage tube includes a filter, and wherein the vacuum tube is disposed in contact with at least a top portion of the filter.

3. The scent delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the filter includes a plurality of one-way valves that allow the liquid fragrance oil to be suctioned up into the drainage tube.

4. The scent delivery system according to claim 2, wherein a one-way valve is provided between the drainage tube and the reservoir, the one-way valve being opened to refill the drainage tube with the liquid fragrance oil.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an example of an implementation of a scent delivery system that includes a reservoir assembly for storing fragrance oil and an atomizer.

[0014] FIGS. 2A-2E illustrate an example of implementation of a scent delivery system that includes a reservoir assembly for storing fragrance oil and an atomizer complex.

[0015] FIGS. 2F-2H show various three-dimensional (3D) diagrams of the scent delivery system.

[0016] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Scent delivery systems can be developed to use a dry-air technology that releases a fragrance without sprays, or heated oils. The scent delivery systems produce no messy residue to stain or damage floors or merchandise, so that scents can be delivered in a clean, controlled way. The scent delivery systems may require very little to no maintenance, other than adding or exchanging liquids for scents when the system is low or empty of liquids.

[0018] An airblast venturi atomizing device generally uses a high velocity air stream to break up a liquid into small droplets which are small enough to “float” in the air (e.g., under 10 microns). However the process actually may create a broad spectrum of droplet sizes, and the largest droplets may be too large to be useful as output. Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for separating the particles of desirable size from those that are too large to be used as output.

[0019] In some systems, the amount of oil that is drawn through the atomizer and yet returns as liquid without escaping to the environment may be from 100 to 400 times the mass that exits the system as the desired fine particles. In such cases, a large volume of oil per hour of operation is broken up and exposed to an intense flow of air before coalescing again as bulk liquid and being reused. This process consequently encourages evaporation to act on the oil which, as detailed further below, includes constituents with different vapor pressures. In short, such systems may function as distillation apparatuses, separating out the more volatile components of the oil mixture, which generally have relatively high vapor pressures, while leaving the lower vapor pressure components behind. This causes a composition change of the oil mixture which may result in a change in the fragrance of the oil mixture. In addition, as the composition of the oil mixture changes, the viscosity also may increase, becoming thicker over time. Such an increase in viscosity may decrease the efficiency of the atomization, compounding the issue of fragrance change with a decrease in fragrance intensity.

[0020] Collecting oil that passes through a venturi atomizer without escaping and returning it as liquid to be re-atomized as described herein may concentrate the effects noted above on a smaller volume of oil so that the properties of the bulk oil in the reservoir assembly are less affected over time, and the behavior of the machine is more consistent.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an implementation of a scent delivery system 100 includes a reservoir assembly 105 for storing fragrance oil 110 and an atomizer 115. A vacuum tube 120 draws fragrance oil 110 from the reservoir assembly 105 into the atomizer 115. The atomizer 115 then converts the fragrance oil 110 into a scented mist 125 that is delivered into an airstream. Oil that is drawn into the atomizer 115 by the vacuum tube 120 but that is not ultimately atomized is collected in the atomizer 115 and returned to the vacuum tube 120 by a drainage tube 130 rather than being drained directly back into the reservoir assembly 105.

[0022] Generally, the oil that is drawn into the atomizer 115 by the vacuum tube 120 but that is not ultimately atomized includes a higher percentage of heavy (larger) odor notes than light (smaller) odor notes. As a result, if the oil that is not atomized and that is collected in the atomizer 115 drains directly back into the reservoir assembly 105, the concentration of heavy odor notes relative to the concentration of light odor notes in the oil remaining in the reservoir assembly 105 may increase over time. Consequently, the scent delivered by the scent delivery system 100 may change over time.

[0023] As compared to allowing the oil that is not atomized to drain back into the reservoir assembly, returning the oil that is not atomized to flow through the vacuum tube 120 increases the likelihood that the heavy odor notes within the returned oil will be atomized. As a result, the concentration of heavy odor notes relative to the concentration of light odor notes in the oil remaining in the reservoir assembly 105 may stay more steady over time, thereby leading to the delivery of a more uniform scent over time. Furthermore, returning the oil that is not atomized to the vacuum tube 120 may preserve the presence of light odor notes within the system over a longer period of time while also slowing the overall consumption of oil by the system over time.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2A-2D, an implementation of a scent delivery system 200 includes a reservoir assembly 205 for storing fragrance oil 210 and an atomizer complex 215. As with the scent delivery system 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a vacuum tube 220 draws fragrance oil 210 from the reservoir assembly 205 into the atomizer complex 215, where the atomizer complex 215 converts the fragrance oil 210 into a scented mist 225 that is delivered into an airstream by an output nozzle 227. In particular, as described in greater detail below, pressurized air (e.g., 10 psi) is injected into the atomizer complex 215 through air inlet structure 222, which is formed in the top portion 300 of the atomizer complex 215. Inlet structure 222 leads to a venturi chamber formed within the top portion 300 of the atomizer complex 215. In addition, vacuum tube 220 is coupled to an oil intake assembly 305 that also leads into the venturi chamber. The injection of pressurized air through air inlet structure 222 generates a low pressure area within the venturi chamber formed in the top portion 300 of the atomizer complex 300. This causes fragrance oil 210 to be drawn up through vacuum tube 220 into the venturi chamber, where the flow of pressurized air is used to atomize the fragrance oil 210. As illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the vacuum tube 220 is encased within a tube 230. As also will be described in greater detail below, tube 230 serves to collect atomized fragrance particles that are too large to be used for useful output as well as to drain excess oil that has collected in atomizer complex 215 back to the intake of the vacuum tube 220 where it again may be drawn up into the atomizer.

[0025] Referring specifically to FIG. 2B, a funnel-shaped structure 235, within which round holes 240 are defined, is incorporated within the atomizer complex 215. In addition, a collar 237 is formed over funnel-shaped structure 235, and vacuum tube 220 is threaded through the funnel-shaped structure 235 and its collar 237. Tube 230 is configured to surround the vacuum tube 220 and to receive the tapered end of the funnel-shaped structure 235 such that the tapered end of the funnel-shaped structure 235 fits securely within the tube 230. Excess oil that collects within the atomizer complex 215 drains out of the atomizer 215 through round holes 240 and into the funnel-shaped structure 235. From the funnel-shaped structure 235, the oil drains into tube 230, where it is drained around the outside of the vacuum tube 220 and ultimately returns to the intake of the vacuum tube 220.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 2C, the underside of the top portion 300 of atomizer complex 215 is illustrated. As illustrated in FIG. 2C, the top portion of the atomizer complex 215 includes a structure inside of which the venturi chamber is formed. As described above, inlet structure 222 leads to this venturi chamber as does oil intake assembly 305. Pressurized air is injected into the venturi chamber through inlet structure 222, resulting in a low pressure area within the venturi chamber that causes oil to be drawn into the venturi chamber through vacuum tube 220 and oil intake assembly 305. When the oil enters the venturi chamber, it is subjected to the pressurized air flow, which serves to atomize the oil into a mist that is then discharged through orifice 401. As described above, the mist that is discharged through orifice 401 may include particles of various different sizes, some of which are suitable for output and others of which are too large to be used as output.

[0027] The separation of small airborne particles from big ones may be accomplished though impaction. Systems disclosed herein may make use of physical impaction where the larger particles are directed towards a solid surface and crash into it as their momentum is high enough to overcome the resistance of the stationary air adjacent to the surface. For example, in some implementations, physical impaction may be achieved by forcing the airstream with entrained particles to go around tight bends and comers, or though small holes. This method may tend to expose the stream of entrained particles to a lot of surfaces.

[0028] As will be described in connection with FIGS. 2D and 2E below, systems disclosed herein also may make use of virtual impaction, in which the momentum of the larger particles serves to carry them out of a moving airstream so that the smaller particles follow the moving air while the larger ones follow a different path or simply fall in relatively still air.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 2D, funnel shaped assembly 235 with tube 230 attached is in operating alignment with the airblast atomizer which is discharging a mist downwards from orifice 401. Vacuum tube 220 is not shown in FIG. 2D to focus on the outgoing flow.

[0030] Arrow 406 shows the path of the initial spray of atomized liquid particles from orifice 401 moving at relatively high velocity. Some of these particles, especially the larger ones, collide with the interior wall of hollow cylindrical section 404 formed in the funnel-shaped assembly 235 as well as the interior walls of the funnel-shaped section of funnel-shaped assembly 235. These collisions generally coalesce these particles back into bulk liquid which runs and drips to the bottom of tube 230. The path of the airflow through the device is shown by arrows 408, which turns and flows upwards though the holes 240 carrying with it the entrained aerosol particles of desirable small size. These particles then enter the interior of the atomizer complex 215 and are discharged through nozzle 227. Arrow 407 shows the path of larger particles from orifice 401 that have sufficient momentum to be carried out of the airflow in funnel shaped assembly 235. These larger particles are more likely to collide with the surface of tube 230 than they would be to escape with airstream 408 through round holes 240, though some of the larger particles still may escape with airstream 408 through round holes 240. Pressure equalization holes 409 may be formed in tube 230 or assembly 235 to equalize pressure in tube 230 with that in reservoir assembly 205 (e.g., so that the fluid level in tube 230 will match closely that of reservoir assembly 205 regardless of air flow introduced from orifice 401). When such pressure equalization holes 409 are formed, they generally are formed at locations above the level of oil in reservoir assembly 205.

[0031] Permeable separator 410 separates the contents of tube 230 from the fragrance oil 210 in reservoir assembly 205. Vacuum tube 220 conveys liquid from the bottom of tube 230 just above separator 410. In operation the liquid atomized though orifice 401 that does not exit the system through nozzle 227 will be collected in tube 230 and returned via tube 220 with minimal mixing with the contents of reservoir assembly 205. As fragrance oil of the proper particle size exits the device, fresh oil will pass into tube 230 through permeable separator 410 to maintain substantially equal hydraulic pressure on both sides of separator 410 (and thus equal fluid levels in tube 230 and reservoir assembly 205). Permeable separator 410 may occlude the terminal end of tube 230 or the end of vacuum tube 220 or both simultaneously. The function of separator 410 could as a further alternative be performed by 2 separate pieces, one to screen the oil moving up vacuum tube 220 and the other to restrict the diffusion of oil between tube 230 and reservoir assembly 205 as described above. In some implementations, separator 410 is a fine mesh plastic screen. Alternatively, many other permeable materials such as, for example, felt also may be used for separator 410.

[0032] Round holes 240 also allow liquid fragrance oil that has coalesced further along the fragrance delivery path (e.g., within the interior of atomizer housing 215) to drain back to tube 230. Round holes 240 and the gap between the bottom of cylindrical section 404 and the funnel shaped wall of funnel-shaped structure 235 both also serve to act as physical particle impactors removing some of the larger particles from the airstream. As illustrated in FIGS. 2B and 2D, multiple round holes 240 are used, but an annular slot or other single opening or combinations of openings may be used in addition or as an alternative. In addition, in some implementations, funnel-shaped structure 235 may be replaced with nested box sections or concentric rings creating a similar airflow pattern. Furthermore, separate drainage and airflow paths could be employed as an alternative.

[0033] As fragrance oil may be strong smelling, messy, and persistent, features may be included within the atomization system to minimize the chances of spilling significant quantities of the fragrance oil. Such enhancements may enable the disclosed systems to be oriented horizontally or in an inverted fashion without causing the fragrance oil to pour out of the system. For example, in some implementations, pressure equalization holes 409 may be replaced with a valve that is configured to seal when the system tips beyond a threshold degree away from vertical. The sealing could be achieved with a moving weight, or it can be mechanically actuated by an external plunger.

[0034] In the event that the air pressure supply to the atomizer is switched on and off over time, the oil in vacuum tube 220 that has been suctioned above the level of the oil in the reservoir assembly 205 may fall back down each time the system switches off. This may cause some of the oil in tube 230 to be displaced and mix with the bulk oil in the reservoir assembly 205. Likewise, when oil is suctioned back up tube 230, some fresh oil may be drawn into tube 230. Over many cycles this may cause considerable mixing. In order to mitigate this mixing, in some implementations, tube 230 may be sealed at the bottom so that no (or little) diffusion takes place between the oil in the main reservoir assembly 205 and the partially ‘spent’ oil in tube 230. Additionally or alternatively, tube 230 may be refilled with fresh oil on an as-needed basis. In some implementations, a one way valve between the two chambers 205 and 230 is used as a refilling mechanism. Alternatively, in some implementations, an active sensor may be used to pump in oil when tube 230 is determined to be empty of re-circulating oil. The active sensor may detect the level of liquid in tube 230 or, alternatively, it may detect the failure of the atomizer to produce mist while active.

[0035] In some implementations, tube 220 may be run in parallel to rather than inside tube 230. This may minimize interference with the mist discharged through orifice 410. In addition, running vacuum tube 220 outside of tube 230 may also allow for easier assembly with a filter on the end of the vacuum tube 220. In such implementations, a combination filter of porous plastic may simultaneously serve to filter the liquid moving up the vacuum tube 220 and perform the permeable barrier function of part 410.

[0036] FIG. 2E shows another example of an implementation of the scent delivery system. In FIG. 2E, the funnel shaped assembly 235 with the tube 230 attached operates with the airblast atomizer that discharges a scented mist from orifice 401. While some features differ, several features of FIG. 2E may be similar to corresponding features of FIG. 2D.

[0037] FIG. 2E shows the vacuum tube 220. As described above, pressurized air is injected into the venturi chamber through inlet structure 222, resulting in a low pressure area within the venturi chamber that causes oil to be drawn into the venturi chamber through vacuum tube 220 and oil intake assembly 305. Arrow 486 shows the flow through the vacuum tube 200.

[0038] Oil 210 is located in the bottle outside of the tube 230, and a mixture 490 of non-atomized and fresh oil 490 is located inside the tube 230. The terminal end of the vacuum tube 220 includes a screen housing 492 and a filter screen 494 that are both located below the level of the oil 210 in the bottle. The terminal end of the vacuum tube 220 may be coupled with the screen housing 492 and/or the filter screen 494, and the vacuum tube 220 has an opening to suction in the oil from underneath the screen housing 492 and the filter screen 494. The filter housing 492 has small holes 498 to allow for the recirculation of oil 488 that comes down from inside the walls of the tube 230 as shown at arrow 496. The oil 488 that comes down the side of the tube 230 may be oil that has recently been atomized and condensated, non-atomized oil from the orifice 401, or more generally, oil 488 that has recently come from the orifice 401 and/or the funnel shaped assembly 235. This oil 488, which sometimes may be referred to as recently-used oil, recently-atomized oil, non-atomized oil, or oil condensate, may be generally be referred to as “collected oil” 488. The collected oil 488 can be drawn into the into the mixture 490 of non-atomized and fresh oil, which then can be drawn into the small holes 498 in the filter housing 498, to be sucked up into the vacuum tube 220 to be atomized. In this respect, the flow of the collected oil 488 can be recirculated to be re-atomized.

[0039] In FIG. 2E, the lower walls of the tube 230 are extend below the level of the liquid in the reservoir assembly 205. In some implementations, for example, the lower walls of the tube 230 may extend at least a few millimeters (e.g., 2-3 millimeters) below the level of the liquid in the reservoir assembly 205. In some embodiments, the tube 230 may extend considerably beneath the level of the liquid when the bottle is full. In some embodiments, the tube 230 may extend to (or nearly to) the bottom of the reservoir assembly 205, which can allow the system to run until reservoir assembly 205 is emptied, and can allow for the separation of the mostly fresh oil and the collected oil 488 until the reservoir assembly 205 is emptied. The lower walls of the tube 230 can separate the oil 210 in the bottle from the mixture 490 of non-atomized and fresh oil inside of the tube 230, so that the oil 210 in the bottle outside of the lower walls of the tube 230 may not readily mix with the mixture 490 of non-atomized and fresh oil inside of the tube 230. In this implementation, the mixture 490 of non-atomized and fresh oil inside of the tube 230 can have an easier path in being suctioned through the filter screen 494 and to the tube 220 when compared to the oil 210 inside of the reservoir assembly that is outside of the tube 230. The constant addition of collected oil 488 to the interior volume of tube 230 can lead to a flow of this collected oil downward though the holes 498. This can cause the oil that is suctioned up tube 220, which is all filtered through screen 494, to primarily include collected oil 488 passing down though the holes 498, where only a very small proportion of the oil that is suctioned up tube 220 is fresh oil.

[0040] In some implementations, the filter screen 494 may have small holes or one-way valves to filter the (recirculated) oil and allow the oil to be suctioned up into the tube 220. Because the collected oil 488 is constantly being recirculated throughout the scent delivery system 200, the oil can stay fresher longer, and the oil does not have to go from the atomizer and back into the entirety of reservoir assembly 205 to freely and completely mix with the older oil, for which the composition and scent of the oil 210 in the reservoir assembly 205 would change more quickly over time.

[0041] In some implementations, for example, the collected oil 488 (or the mixture 490) can accumulate in the bottom of the tube 230 and can be recirculated by passing through small holes 498 in the screen housing 492 that may be approximately 0.060″ in diameter, for example. Other hole sizes may be implemented in the screen housing 492 and/or the filter screen 494. In some implementations, the small holes 498 may be one-way valves that permit an oil flow such that the oil can only be suctioned into the tube 220 in a direction towards the atomizer complex 215. The small holes 498 or one-way valves at the bottom of the tube 230 may reduce an amount of mixing between the mixture 490 inside of the tube 230 and the oil 210 outside of the tube 230.

[0042] As the level of c rises inside tube 230, it may displace some of the liquid through the small holes 498, at which point the suction though the filter screen 494 draws this oil back up to the atomizer complex 215. Because the collected oil 488 (e.g., previously-atomized oil, oil condensate) may contain many entrained air bubbles, it can be lighter than the oil 210 surrounding it in the bottle, may float or rise on top of the other oil, and thereby can be more readily recirculated, rather than just mixing with the oil 210 in the bottle. For example, the collected oil 488 may appear frothy and may float momentarily before mixing in the mixture 490. In some implementations, most of the mixture 490 in the tube 230 may be collected oil 488, which will be recirculated to be re-atomized again. The oil inside of the tube 230 can be progressively distilled over time.

[0043] The implementation of FIG. 2E can provide filtering for the collected oil 488 at a higher rate when compared to an implementation that does not recirculate the collected oil 488 primarily. Also, when the oil level is low in the reservoir assembly 205, the pressure may be low and, consequently, there may not be much pressure to push the oil throughout the scent delivery system 200. In the implementation of FIG. 2E, the collected oil 488 can be constantly pushed through the system and filtered through the filter screen 494, even when the oil level (and/or pressure level) is low in the reservoir assembly 205. In some implementations, the oil feeding the atomizer complex 215 through the tube 220 may always be filtered by the filter screen 494 at the bottom of the tube 220.

[0044] Two pressure equalization holes 409A, 409B are in FIG. 2E in tube 230 (or alternatively assembly 235) to equalize pressure in the tube 230 with the pressure in the reservoir assembly 205 (e.g., so that the fluid level in tube 230 will match closely the fluid level of the reservoir assembly regardless of air flow introduced from orifice 401). When such pressure equalization holes 409A, 409B are formed, they generally are formed at locations above the maximum level of oil that should exist in reservoir assembly 205. Two pressure equalization holes 409A, 409B allows air to flow into and out of the tube 230 or assembly 235. In other implementations, more than two pressure equalization holes may be positioned above the maximum fill fluid level of the reservoir assembly 205. Some of these implementations may provide an escape path for oil and return path for air inside the bottle in the event that the bottom of the tube cannot allow oil to escape, such as for the case of an intentional or accidental one way valve, for example. Some of these implementations may provide an escape path and a return path for air inside the bottle. The filter screen 494 can constantly filter out larger particles or undesired particles in the oil before the oil is sent into the tube 220, which thereby can enhance the length of the operation of the scent deliver system.

[0045] FIGS. 2F-2H show various three-dimensional (3D) diagrams of the scent delivery system. In the implementation of FIGS. 2F-2H for the scent delivery system 200, an atomizer complex 215 is shown with an output nozzle 227 and an air inlet structure 222. The atomizer complex 215 has a tube 230 that encloses a vacuum tube 220 (not shown). A permeable separator 410 can separate the contents of tube 230 from the fragrance oil 210 in reservoir assembly.

[0046] Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

[0047] A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.