Air freshener for vehicles

Abstract

An air freshener for vehicles including a main body for holding a container for volatile substances and a foldable clip which can be placed in a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the main body. The foldable clip is rotatable with respect to the main body. The clip is always connected with the main body, so that it is sold with it occupying a reduced space in the package. The clip can be rotated to be adapted to any kind of ventilation grids.

Claims

1. An air freshener for vehicles, the air freshener comprising: a main body configured to hold a container for volatile substances, the main body comprising: a base including a pin; a foldable clip configured to be placed in a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the main body, said foldable clip comprising a rim and having a groove complementary with the pin of the base, wherein said foldable clip is rotatable with respect to the main body, and when said foldable clip is placed in the substantially perpendicular position, said pin is housed inside said groove and prevents detachment of the clip, wherein said base comprises a plurality of retainers that engage with the rim of the foldable clip and retain the foldable clip when the foldable clip is placed in the substantially perpendicular position, wherein said foldable clip comprises a protrusion complimentary with a hole in the base, wherein the protrusion guides the foldable clip when the foldable clip is placed in said substantially perpendicular position by said protrusion being housed inside said hole, and said protrusion provides higher mechanical resistance to the clip when said protrusion is inside said hole.

2. The air freshener for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said groove is placed in said rim.

3. The air freshener for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said rim comprises a rod forming a hinge with the base.

4. The air freshener for vehicles according to claim 3, wherein said rod is placed inside a circle defined by the rim.

5. The air freshener for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the rim has a bottom facing the base when the foldable clip is in the substantially perpendicular position, and wherein the plurality of retainers is positioned such that when the foldable clip is in the substantially perpendicular position a first retainer of the plurality of retainers engages a first portion of the rim, and a second retainer of the plurality of retainers engages a second portion of the rim offset at least 90 degrees along a circumference of the bottom of the rim from the first portion of the rim.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a better comprehension of what has been disclosed, some drawings are attached in which, diagrammatically and only as a non-limitative example, a practical embodiment is shown.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the air freshener of the present invention, according to a first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air freshener of the present invention, according to a second embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the air freshener according to the invention in its use position;

(5) FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the clip of the air freshener for vehicles according to the present invention; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a rear view of the clip of the air freshener for vehicles according to the present invention, showing the rim and rod defining the hinge.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(7) The air freshener for vehicles according to the present invention comprises a main body 1, usually substantially flat, an according to the shown embodiment with a disk shape.

(8) This main body 1 holds a container for volatile substances, which is not shown in the drawings.

(9) The air freshener also comprises a clip 2 for fixing the air freshener to a ventilation grid of a vehicle. This clip 2 is foldable and is mounted to the main body 1 by a rod 10 defining a hinge, this hinge being also defined by a housing for said rod 10. The clip 2 can be placed in a use position, in which the clip 2 is substantially perpendicular with respect to the main body 1, as shown in FIG. 3, and the clip 2 is preferably placed in a base 3 of the main body 1.

(10) Furthermore, the clip 2 comprises a rim 8, which in the use position is in contact with the base 3 and retained by a plurality of retainers 9 of the base 3. Said rod 10 defining the hinge is preferably placed in the rim 8 and said rod 10 being placed inside a circle defined by the rim 8, as shown in FIG. 5.

(11) Therefore, the air freshener according to the invention is sold with the clip 2 attached to the main body 1 and the clip 2 can be rotated to be adapted to the (horizontal or vertical) grid of the vehicle.

(12) In FIGS. 2 and 3 a second embodiment of the air freshener according to the invention is shown. For simplicity reasons, the same elements than in the first embodiment are designed by the same numeral references, and these elements will not be described again.

(13) According to this second embodiment, the base 3 comprises a pin 4, which is complementary with a groove 5 of the clip 2, said groove 5 being placed in the rim 8 of said clip 2. This pin 4 prevents the clip 2 to be detached or rotated from its use position.

(14) In this case, the clip 2 can also comprise a protrusion 6 at the center defined by the rim 8, which in the use position of the clip 2 is housed inside a complementary hole 7. This protrusion 6 provides a more precise guiding and a higher mechanical resistance of the clip 2.

(15) The use of the air freshener according to the invention is easier than the prior art air fresheners. The user just rotates the clip 2 to its use position, and he/she rotates the clip 2 to the desired orientation, according to the ventilation grid of the vehicle.

(16) Even though reference is made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is clear for a person skilled in the art that the disclosed air freshener is susceptible of variations and modifications, and that all the details cited can be substituted by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.