DEVICE FOR EVAPORATING VOLATILE SUBSTANCES

Abstract

A device for evaporation of volatile substances, comprising a housing; a container removably mounted in the housing containing liquid volatile substances; a wick of a porous material, provided with a first end and a second end, wherein at least the first end is contained inside the container; a resistor element arranged to contact the second end of the wick; and connecting means for connecting the device to the mains supply to allow the heating of the resistor element; wherein the resistor element is a coiled wire that forms a compressing spring, and wherein the resistor element is compressed and in contact with the second end of the wick when the container is mounted in the housing.

Claims

1. A device for evaporation of volatile substances, comprising: a housing, a container removably mounted in the housing and containing liquid volatile substances, a wick of a porous material, provided with a first end and a second end, wherein at least the first end of the wick is contained inside the container, a resistor element arranged to contact the second end of the wick, connecting means of the device to the mains supply to allow heating of the resistor element, wherein the resistor element is a coiled wire which forms a compressing spring, and in that said resistor element is compressed and in contact with the second end of the wick when the container is mounted in the housing.

2. The device for evaporation of volatile substances according to claim 1, wherein the resistor element has such an elasticity that when the container is mounted in the housing, it exerts a predetermined pressure on the second end of the wick that ensures the maintenance of at least one point of contact with said second end.

3. The device for evaporation of volatile substances, according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the wick has a surface of evaporation, and wherein the surface of evaporation has at least one point of contact with the resistor element.

4. The device for evaporation of volatile substances, according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the wick is in contact with at least half the length of the resistor element when compressed.

5. The device for evaporation of volatile substances, according to claim 1, wherein the resistor element has a helical configuration.

6. The device for evaporation of volatile substances, according to claim 1, wherein the resistor element comprises nickel-chromium.

7. The device for evaporation of volatile substances, according to claim 1, wherein the resistor element comprises a nickel, chromium and aluminium alloy.

8. The device for evaporation of volatile substances, according to claim 1, wherein the liquid volatile substances are fragrances.

9. The device for evaporation of volatile substances, according to claim 1, wherein the liquid volatile substances are insecticides.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] To complete the description that is going to be made and to assist a better understanding of the invention's characteristics, according to a preferred practical mode for carrying out the invention, accompanying as an integral part of said description is a set of drawings, where in an illustrative and non-limiting way, the following is represented:

[0029] FIG. 1.—FIGS. 1a and 1b show a schematic view of a cross-section of the device for evaporation of volatile substances when the container is removed (FIG. 1a) and mounted (FIG. 1b) in the housing of the device, according to a preferred mode for carrying out the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 2.—FIGS. 2a and 2b show, respectively, a plan and side view of the resistor element, according to a preferred mode for carrying out the invention.

PREFERRED MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0031] As FIGS. 1a and 1b show, the device 10 for evaporation of volatile substances consists of two main components, a housing 6 and a replaceable refill element 7.

[0032] The replaceable refill element 7 consists of a container 2 susceptible of being removably mounted in the housing 6 and containing liquid volatile substances 4, and a wick 5 of a porous material, provided with a first end 8 and a second end 9, both ends being opposite, and wherein, at least the first end 8 of the wick 5 is contained inside the container 2.

[0033] The housing 6 houses a resistor element 3, arranged to contact the second end 9 of the wick 5, and means 1 for connecting the device 10 to the mains 1 to allow the heating of the resistor element 3.

[0034] According to the present invention, the resistor element 3 is a coiled wire which forms a compressing spring, wherein as shown in FIG. 1b, said resistor element 3 is compressed and in contact with the second end 9 of the wick 5 when the container 2 is mounted in the housing 6.

[0035] As can be seen in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the resistor element 3 is a spring whose ends are contained in separated planes, in such a manner that when the container 2 is mounted in the housing 6, the resistor element 3 is compressed and in contact with the second end 9 of the wick 5.

[0036] Preferably, this contact between the resistor element 3 and the second end 9 of the wick 5 is produced through a surface of evaporation 11 provided in the second end 9 of the wick 5.

[0037] The resistor element 3 contacts directly the second end 9 of the wick 5. In this way, the device 10 improves the heat transfer from the resistor element 3 to the liquid volatile substances 4 contained in the container 2, increasing the rate of evaporation of the volatile substances 4, and generating a quicker response to changes in the input power.

[0038] FIGS. 2a and 2b show a plan and side view of the resistor element 3 according to the present invention. According to a preferred mode of carrying out the invention, the resistor element 3 has a trunk-conical helical configuration, wherein the radius of the coil decreases progressively in the direction towards the contact with the second end 9 of the wick 5.

[0039] By configuring the resistor element 3 as a spring-type element, the device 10 allows providing a variable contact surface between the resistor element 3 and the second end 9 of the wick 5, changing the configuration of the spring, for example, by varying the configuration of the spring spirals (spiral diameter, separation between them, etc.) in the case that the resistor element 3 has a helical configuration, or by changing the thickness of the resistor element 3 itself.

[0040] Likewise, by making the resistor element 3 as a spring, the invention allows doing without additional elements to ensure the contact of the wick 5 with the resistor element 3. In this way, it is achieved that the device 10 of the invention is simpler, requires fewer parts, and involves a lower cost.

[0041] Finally, in view of this description and figures, the person skilled in the art will understand that the invention has been described according to preferred embodiments thereof, but that multiple variations can be introduced in said preferred embodiments without departing from the object of the invention as has been claimed.