Device and method for diffusing volatile substances

Abstract

A device for diffusing volatile substances includes a container for the volatile substances, a diffuser configured to diffuse the volatile substances, and at least one battery configured to supply energy to the diffuser. The device also includes a controller detecting data from at least one of the components of the device and determining the period of time during which the at least one battery supplies energy to the diffuser according to the data. This device allows the yield and efficiency to be improved, provides the desired products, and reduces consumption of the batteries.

Claims

1. A device for diffusing volatile substances, comprising: a container for said volatile substances; a diffuser configured to diffuse said volatile substances; at least one battery configured to supply energy to said diffuser; and a controller configured to detect data from at least one of components of the device and determine a period of time during which said at least one battery supplies energy to said diffuser according to said data, wherein the controller is configured to measure an energy level of the battery, and adjust a level of the energy supplied to the diffuser from said at least one battery according to the measured energy level of the battery, and wherein the diffuser keeps diffusing said volatile substances when the level of the energy supplied to the diffuser is adjusted by the controller such that a desired amount of said volatile substances is kept being diffused by the diffuser in an environment even when the energy level of the battery becomes lower than a predetermined energy level, wherein the controller is configured to measure a correct and exact amount of current level applied to the diffuser such that the correct and exact amount of the current level for metering out the volatile substances in the environment is applied to the diffuser.

2. The device for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 1, wherein said controller detects a voltage applied to the diffuser.

3. The device for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 1, wherein said controller detects a remaining charge in said at least one battery, and calculates an expected service life of said at least one battery.

4. The device for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 1, wherein said controller is an electronic and/or electric controller.

5. The device for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 1, wherein said diffuser comprises a motor connected to said at least one battery.

6. The device for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 1, wherein said diffuser comprises a cam operating a valve of said container holding the volatile substances.

7. The device for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect a period of time until the diffuser short-circuits.

8. A method for diffusing the volatile substances by using the device according to claim 1, comprising: detecting said data from at least one of the components of the device; analyzing said data to determine the period of time during which diffusion is performed according to said data; and diffusing said volatile substances during said period of time determined according to said data.

9. The method for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 8, wherein the detected data comprises data relating to a voltage and/or current applied to the diffuser of said device.

10. The method for diffusing the volatile substances according to claim 8, wherein the detected data comprises data relating to a remaining charge in said at least one battery of the device calculating an expected service life of said at least one battery.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To better understand the preceding description a set of drawings is attached in which a practical embodiment is schematically depicted by way of non-limiting example.

(2) FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting the basic components of the device of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the device of the present invention according to a currently preferred embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 is a graph of an example of the conventional operation of devices for diffusing volatile substances with conventional batteries; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a graph of an example of the operation of the device for diffusing volatile substances according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a block diagram depicting the basic components of the device for diffusing volatile substances according to the present invention.

(7) This device comprises a container 1 for the volatile substances, diffusion means 2 diffusing said volatile substances, electronic and/or electric control means 3, the operation of which will be explained below, and one or more batteries 4 powering said diffusion means 2 and said control means 3.

(8) Said control means 3 detect data from the surrounding area and/or from at least one of the components of the device, process or treat this data and make the diffusion means 2 diffuse the volatile substances during a period of time determined according to said detected data. This period of time will be suitable for optimizing the consumption of the battery or batteries 4.

(9) In this way, for example, the control means 3 measure, detect and/or acquire the level of electric voltage applied on the diffusion means 2 (for example, on a motor 5 of said diffusion means) and determine the time during which said diffusion means 2 will be activated, therefore assuring that only the energy required for metering out the desired amount of volatile substance in the environment is applied and used.

(10) In another embodiment, for example, the control means 3 measure, detect and/or acquire the level of instantaneous current applied, such that it detects the time that the diffusion means will short-circuit, no longer applying energy, so the correct and exact amount for metering out the volatile substance in the environment is applied.

(11) Said control means 3 can also detect data from the surrounding area, such as the presence of a person or whether it is light or dark, the presence of bad odors, etc.

(12) Something else that the control means 3 can take into account is the charge of the battery or batteries 4 to determine the time during which said diffusion means 2 will be activated, and also the expected service life of the battery or batteries 4.

(13) It should be indicated that the diffusion means 2 can be any conventional diffusion means, by means of heating to evaporation, by means of spraying, nebulizing, atomizing or other forms.

(14) However, to provide a complete description of the device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 depicts a possible non-limiting embodiment of said diffusion means 2.

(15) According to this embodiment, the diffusion means 2 comprise a motor 5 connected to said battery or batteries 4 and to said control means 3, the motor 5 of which, by means of a suitable transmission, operates a cam 6 that presses a valve 7 of said container 1, causing the diffusion of the volatile substance into surrounding area during the time the motor 5 operates said cam 6.

(16) According to a second aspect, the present invention also relates to a method for diffusing volatile substances, comprising the steps of: detecting data from the surrounding area and/or from at least one of the components of the device; analyzing said data to determine the period of time during which diffusion is performed according to said data; and diffusing said volatile substances during said period of time determined according to said data.

(17) To demonstrate the consumption advantages provided by the present invention, FIGS. 3 and 4 show two graphs of the energy consumption over time.

(18) In both cases, the X-axis indicates time, while the Y-axis indicates energy.

(19) FIG. 3 shows how constant activation pulses that are pre-determined ex factory for the worst-case conditions of the surrounding area are used in conventional diffusion systems, by means of a time t.sub.c assuring that the metering will be performed in any condition. Given that the energy applied is a function of the electric voltage, the electric current and time, when the cells have a maximum voltage value, the energy applied is much greater than what is required, whereas when the cells are almost out of charge, the pulse generates just the energy required for metering out the desired amount.

(20) FIG. 4 shows how the control means can detect, measure, acquire and process the working conditions of the metering means in the device of the present invention, therefore having the data required to adjust the activation pulse width for supplying energy, getting the energy used to be constant and just the right amount required for diffusing the desired metered amount of volatile substance.

(21) Despite having made reference to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious for a person skilled in the art that the device for diffusing volatile substances described is susceptible to a number of variations and modifications, and that all the mentioned details can be replaced with other technically equivalent details without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.