US2942090A - Deodorizer with electrical heating element - Google Patents

Description

c'. c. DIEHL June 21, 1960 DEODORIZER WITH ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT Filed Nov. 28, 1958 FIG../

A T TO/PNFYS United States PatentO 2,942,090 DEODORIZER WITH ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT Charles C. Diehl, 904 Ruth St., Belmont, Calif. Filed Nov. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 776,916

Claims. (Cl. 219-19 The present invention relates to a deodorizer, and pertains more particularly to a mechanism for the controlled, convection circulation of heated air past a selected number of deodorant vapor disseminating tablets. Various mechanisms are available for disseminating aromas and vapors, and such mechanisms are used widely in public washrooms, kitchens and bathrooms of private residences, and other places where the control of objectionable odors is desired.

Many types of vaporizing or desiccating chemicals are employed for the purpose of disguising, removing or creating odors, as well as for insect and other control. For the purpose of the present invention, the term deodorant and its derivatives will be used as a general term to include all such chemicals.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a simple, inexpensive deodorizer employing a selected number of deodorant disseminating tablets, and having therein a selected number of deodorant .disseminating tablets, the deodorizer being provided with electrically energized heating means to provide a convection flow of 'air through the housing and past such tablets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a deodorizer capable of being supported in either of two relatively inverted positions by a pair of wall-plug type prongs, inserted in either of two relatively reversed posi- "tions, in a wall plug receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved, electrically heated, deodorant disseminating mechanism.

These, and other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a mechanism embodying the present invention, the contact plug element being shown in one position in solid lines, and in 90 rotated position in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear, elevational view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1-3 with the back plate removed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

1 Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the vaporizer shown in Figs. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the back plate for the housing. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a deodorant disseminating tablet adapted to be used with the mechanism shown in Figs. 1-5.

Briefly, a heated deodorant disseminator A embodying A the present invention comprises a housing 10, having a plurality of deodorant disseminating tablets B supported therein. A plurality of air circulating openings 12 and 13 are provided in the respective upper and lower ends of the housing 10.

A small electric light bulb 14, for heating the tablets B, and at the same time causing a convection flow of air upwardly through the housing 10, is mounted in a combined switch, light socket, and wall plug assembly C mounted in inwardly spaced relation from the housing side walls 21. The deodorizer A is shown in solid lines in what may be considered its upright position, wherein the upwardly flowing air is not heated before passing over the tablets B. However, if more rapid vaporization is desired, the entire deodorizer A may be inverted as indicated in broken lines A in Fig. 4, in which inverted position the air will be heated before passing over the tablets B, and therefore will increase the rate of vaporization from the tablets.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the housing 10, as illustrated, maybe molded of suitable plastic material, many of which materials, and the manner of molding them, are well known. The support means 11 for the porous tablets B comprises an offset 15 in each side wall of the housing 10. A shelf 16, with a retaining flange 17 along its free edge, is molded integrally with each housing side wall 21, and is spaced from its corresponding offset 15 a sufficient distance to receive a tablet B between the ofiset and the shelf, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The tablets B are retained in place within the housing 10 by a back plate 20, which has a rounded notch 20a in its lower edge to fit over a rounded upper portion of the wall plug unit C. The back plate 20 is held in place by frictional sliding contact between a pair of retaining flanges 23, molded integrally with the housing side walls 21. Each flange 23 is provided with a bead 23a along the inner side of its rear edge to overlie and retain the back plate 20.

While the illustrated vaporizer A is adapted to receive only two tablets, it is obvious that the number of tablets provided for is a matter of routine design. Also if a lesser rate of evaporation is desired than that provided by the two tablets shown, one tablet only may be used.

The electric light bulb 14 is screwed into a conventional type of electric light socket 24, the forward half portion 25 of which is molded integrally with the housing front wall 27, and the other half portion 28 of which is formed integrally with a well known type of wall plug unit C having a conventional switch mechanism (not shown) incorporated therein and operated by a usual switch button 29.

The wall plug unit C preferably is of the type wherein the prongs 30 are mounted on a prong support portion 31 which may be rotated through an angle of relative to the rear socket portion 28. Thus, in the event that a conventional electric wall outlet or receptacle (not shown) into which the prongs 30 are to be inserted, should have its prong-receiving holes arranged in horizontal spaced relation, the housing 10 may be swung to upright position with the prongs as indicated in solid lines 30 of Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6. However, if the holes of such receptacle are arranged in vertically spaced relation, the portion 31 may be swung through an angle of 90 relative to the housing to position the prongs as shown in broken lines 30a in said figures.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the socket portions 25 and 28 are spaced from the housing side walls 21 to provide spaces 33 for air flow between the socket C and the housing'10. Thus, regardless of whether the housing 10 is mounted in what is considered herein its upright solid line position of Figs. 1-4, or in its inverted broken line position of Fig. 4, air entering the housing through the then lowermost slotted openings 12 or 13, as the case may be, when heated by the light bulb 14, flows upwardly through the housing and out the other openings therein.

' The deodorant disseminating tablets B may be of suitable material, such'as, for example, a desiccant or a porous ceramic material of a well known type adapted to be saturated with a suitable deodorant liquid. The size, shape, structure and composition of the tablets are, however, not material to the invention, provided said tablets have the necessary deodorant disseminating characteristics.

The operation of the'device is as follows: With the deodorizer A removed from a wall, the back plate 20 may be slidably withdrawn from between the flanges [23 to expose the interior of the housing as shown in Fig. 4. A desired numberfof tablets B,,either filled or saturated with deodorantmaterial, or otherwise prepared to disseminate desired vapors or aromas, are then inserted, between the offset housing portions 15 and the corresponding flanged shelves 16 as shown in Figs. 3-5. Obviously, the greater the number of tablets employed, and the higher the temperature of the tablets, the greater will be the emanation of deodorizing vapors from the device when the latter is placed in operation.

With a desired number of tablets B inserted in the housing 10, and the light bulb 14 inserted in the socket 24, the back plate 20 is then re-inscrted between the housing side'tlanges 23 and beneath the retaining beads 23a.

The prongsfitl of the wall plugportion 31 may be inserted into a conventional electrical wall receptacle, not shown, andif the housing 10 is then not in upright position, due to the prong holes in such wall socket not being in a position corresponding to that of the plug prongs 30, the housing 10 may be swung to upright condition by reason of the pivot plug portion 31 mentioned previously herein. Since such pivoted plug structures are well known, it will be unnecessary to illustrate and describe the details thereof herein.

With the vaporizer A thus mounted as shown in solid lines in the drawings, when the switch button 29 is turned to energize the light bulb 14, the heat from the latter causes a convection flow of air inwardly through the bottom openings 13, upwardly past the tablets B and the light bulb 14, and thence outwardly through the openings 12 into a room or other zone in which the vaporizer is mounted.

Radiant heat from the light bulb 14, also heats the tablets B slightly, to stimulate, in accordance with well known principles, the dissemination of vapors and/or aromas therefrom.

In the upright solid line position of the unit A, the light bulb i4 is above the tablets B, and the air flowing past the tablets is not preheated by the light bulb. The heating effect on the deodorant containing tablets B is, therefore, not as great as when the vaporizer A is mounted in its inverted position shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, where the air obviouslyis pro-heated before encountering the tablets.

When the evaporation-or exhaustion of the deodorant material of the tablets B has progressed to a point where they are no longer effective, the unit A may be removed by withdrawing the prongs 30 from the wall outlet, not shown, in which they are mounted, and the tablets B either replaced with fresh ones properly charged with not shown, ready for a new period of use.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive and effective deodorant disseminator and one which well adapted for use in the home. By making the housing 10 of slightly translucent material, the device also'would serve as a night light.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred em bodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the inventionas set forth in the appended.

'a combined wall plug portion and electric light socket portion in said housing and spaced from the side walls thereof, the light socket portion being located to position a light bulb when mounted therein, in longitudinally oftset relation to a tablet mounted in said tablet support means, a pair of contactprongs on said wall plug portion and projecting rearwardly from the housing for inserting in an electrical wall receptacle in either of two reversed positions thereby to support the housing in upright condition and with either end thereof uppermost, and conductor means between said prongs and said light socket for energizing an electric light bulb inserted in said light socket portion, whereby the heat from said light bulb heats said tablets to stimulate vaporization of deodorant therefrom, and simultaneously heats the air in the housing to create a convection flow of air through the housing, and whereby when the housing is mounted with a light bulb mounted in uprightposition with the socket lower than a tablet mounted in the tablet'support means the convection flow of air upwardly through the housing is pre'heated by said bulb before reaching the tablet, while when the housing is relatively inverted, the air is not so pre-heated.

2. A deodorizer for mounting in an electric wall plug receptacle mounted in a vertical wall and having a pair of prongueceiving openings therein, said deodorizer comprising a housing having a plurality of vent openings in each of the upper and lower ends thereof for the pets sage of a current of air through said housing, tablet support means in said housing and adjacent a side wall thereof for supporting a pluralityof deodorant disseminating tablets therein, a wall plug portion, an electric light socket portionv and a switch portion in said housing and spaced inwardly from the side walls of said housing 'and from the tablet support means, the interior of the housing being otherwise unobstructed, a pair of contact prongs on said wall plug portion and projecting laterally from the rear of said housing for inserting in such electrical wall plug receptacle thereby to support the housing in upright condition parallel to such vertical wall, .and conductor means from said prongs to said light socket portion for energizing an electric light bulbinserted in said light socket portion, whereby the heat. from-such light bulb heats a tablet in said tablet support means, thereby to stimulate vaporization of deodorant therefrom, and simultaneously heats the air in the housing to-create a convection flow of air through the housing.

3. A deodorizer for mounting in an electric wall plug receptacle mounted in a vertical wall and having a pair of prong-receiving openings therein, said deodorizer comprising a housing having a plurality of vent openings in each of the upper and lower ends thereof for the-passage of a current of air through said housing, tablet support means in said housing and adjacent a sidewall thereor for supporting a plurality of deodorant disseminating tablets therein, a wall plug, electriclight socket and switch in said housing and .spaced inwardly from the side walls of said housing and from said tablet support means, a pair of contact prongs on said wall plug and projecting laterally from the rear of the housing for inserting in either of two relatively reversed positions in an electrical wall receptacle, thereby to support the housing in either of two, relatively inverted conditions, the light socket being located in said housing to position a light bulb in said socket in laterally inwardly spaced and longitudinally offset relation to a tablet supported in said tablet support means, and conductor means from said prongs through said switch to said light socket for energizing an electric light bulb inserted in said light socket.

4. A deodorizer for mounting in an electric wall plug receptacle mounted in a vertical wall and having a pair of prong-receiving openings therein, said deodorizer comprising a housing having a plurality of vent openings in each of the upper and lower ends thereof for the passage of a current of air through said housing, tablet support means on each side of said housing for supporting a plurality of deodorant disseminating tablets therein, a wall plug and electric light socket in said housing and spaced from the side walls of said housing, the light socket being between the tablet support means on opposite sides of the housing, said socket being located to position a light bulb screwed therein in longitudinally ofiset relation to a tablet in said tablet support means in the direction of air flow through said vent openings, a pair of contact prongs on said wall plug and projecting rearwardly from the housing for inserting in an electrical wall receptacle thereby to support the housing in either of two relatively inverted upright conditions, and conductor means from said prongs to said light socket portion for energizing an electric light bulb inserted in said light socket portion, whereby radiant heat from such light bulb heats a tablet in said tablet support means,

thereby to stimulate vaporization of deodorant therefrom, and simultaneously heats the air in the housing to create a convection flow of air through the housing, the air being pre-heated ahead of a tablet mounted in the tablet support means in one upright condition, and not being so pre-heated in the relatively inverted other condition of the housing.

5. A heated deodorizer comprising a housing having vent openings in each of the upper and lower ends thereof for the passage of a current of air through said housing, tablet support means in said housing and laterally offset from the center thereof for supporting a plurality of deodorant disseminating tablets therein without substantially restricting such air current, an electric light socket in said housing and spaced from the side walls of said housing, said socket being located to position a light bulb therein in longitudinally and laterally offset relation to a tablet in said tablet support means, means for supporting the housing in either of two relatively inverted upright conditions, and conductor means to said light socket for energizing an electric light bulb therein, whereby, heat from such light bulb heats a tablet in said tablet support means, thereby to stimulate vaporization of deodorant therefrom, and simultaneously heats the air in the housing to create a convection flow of air through the housing, the air being pre-heated ahead of a tablet mounted in the tablet support means in one upright condition, and not being so pre-heated in the relatively inverted other condition of the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,513,919 Costello July 4, 1950 2,611,068 Wellens Sept. 16, 1952 2,714,649 Critzer Aug. 2, 1955 2,733,333 Peters Ian. 31, 1956

Images