Apparatus For Transpiring Perfume

Abstract

Apparatus for transpiring perfume includes a container having a pressurized liquid perfume therein, an adjustable valve which is sealed onto the container, a flexible pipe for passing the liquid perfume to the adjustable valve, and a porous member for transpiring the liquid perfume.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field Of the Invention

This invention generally relates to an apparatus for transpiring perfume, and more particularly to a new and improved unique apparatus for forcibly and continuously transpiring perfume at a predetermined rate for a long period of time.

2. Description Of The Prior Art

It is well known that many unpleasant odors, such as smoke from cigarettes, the perspiration of people, various toilet perfumes and the like are commonly mixed in the atmosphere in hospitals, theatres, and many other places where many people gather. Such odors cannot be readily removed merely by trying to ventilate the same into the atmosphere. Thus, in the past, attempts have been made to cancel these unpleasant odors by transpiring perfume into the atmosphere.

In the perfume transpiring devices of the prior art, the perfume was naturally transpired either by means of sublimation of a solid perfume or by the capillarity of a perfume liquid. While somewhat satisfactory, some of the problems found to exist with the prior art perfume transpiring devices was that with the solid perfume type apparatus only a limited selection of perfumes are available for sublimation. Moreover, when a blended type perfume was used, it was found that one component thereof would have a faster volatilizing speed than the remaining component or components, and as such would transpire more rapidly. As such, after a given period of time, the ratio of the composition of the blended type perfume would change and the same would become useless. Also, in the past, when a perfume was naturally transpired from a porous member in contact with the atmosphere by means of capillarity, it was found that a resin or gummy material included within the perfume components would be retained within fine holes of the porous material and adhere thereto so as to block the same. After a period of time, this blocking effect would obviously reduce the efficiency and thus the effectiveness of the perfume emitted from the porous material. Another problem with the prior art perfume transpiring devices was that it was found to be difficult to adjust the transpiring speed of the perfume, due to the natural volatilization thereof. It was also found to be impossible to quickly transpire a perfume throughout a large area of space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved unique apparatus for the transpiring of perfume forcibly and continuously into the atmosphere.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for transpiring a perfume which may transpire perfume with the same composition for a long period of time.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for transpiring perfume with means for easily adjusting the transpiring speed thereof.

Briefly, in accordance with this invention, the foregoing and other objects are, in one aspect, attained by the provision of an apparatus for transpiring perfume which includes a container in which a pressurized liquid perfume is placed. An adjustable valve is fixedly attached to the container and a flexible pipe is provided for passing the liquid perfume to the adjustable valve. A porous member is provided for uniformly transpiring the liquid perfume fed from the container through the valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of an apparatus for transpiring perfumes which is constructed in accordance with the present invention; and,

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view of an adjustable valve for use in the apparatus of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the Drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical, or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, wherein a pressure-tight container 1, such as of the aerosol type, is shown with a pressurized perfume liquid 2 contained therein. A valve opening pipe 3 (see FIG. 2) is fixedly connected to the top of the container 1. A flexible pipe 4 is connected at one end to the pipe 3 and is immersed at the other end into the perfume liquid 2 within the container 1. The flexible pipe 4 serves to pass the perfume liquid 2 from the container 1 into a valve 6, which will be described in detail hereinafter. A threaded fitting 5 is provided on the container 1 for coaxially sealing and fixedly attaching the pipe 3 thereto.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the valve 6 used in the apparatus for transpiring perfume according to this invention is shown as including a valve body 9 having a female threaded portion 7 formed at one end thereof for fixedly engaging the same with the male threaded portion formed on the fitting 5. A recess 8 is coaxially formed with the female threaded portion 7 for engagement with the pipe 3. A hole 10 is coaxially bored in the center of the valve body 9 and communicates at one end thereof with the recess 8. The valve body 9 also includes a recess 12 which has a larger diameter than that of the hole 10 and the same communicates with the other end of the hole 10 such that a valve port 10' is provided at the other end of the valve body 9. A needle valve 11 is provided and has a needle 11' formed at one end thereof. The needle valve 11 also has a male threaded portion 13 which is formed around an intermediate portion thereof. The valve body 9 further includes a female threaded portion 14 formed at the other end of the valve body 9 for engaging the male threaded portion 13 of the needle valve 11 therewith. It should be understood that the needle 11' of the needle valve 11 and the valve port 10' of the valve body 9 may be readily adjusted by turning the needle valve 11. A port 15 is formed on the needle 11' at the portion disposed within the recess 12 for enabling the perfume to pass from the container 1 through the pipe 3, the hole 10, and a hole 16 formed along the longitudinal center of the needle valve 11 and which communicates at one end thereof with the port 15.

Referring now, again, to FIG. 1, it is seen that the apparatus of the present invention also includes a porous member 18 which is made, for example, of a sponge, a sintered metal powder, a sintered glass powder, a porous plastic fiber, or the like. A pipe 17 which is made, for example, of a vinyl, is provided for fixedly connecting the needle valve 11 to the porous member 18. The length of the pipe 17 is preferably 5 to 10 centimeters, since if the pipe 17 is of a greater length, the perfume liquid 2 will not reach the porous member 18 from the container 1 with the result that the gas filled within the container 1, together with the perfume, will volatilize through the porous member 18.

It should be understood that the needle valve 11 may preferably include an adjusting handle 19 formed there-around for readily enabling the needle valve 11 to be turned for adjusting the clearance between the needle 11' and the valve port 10'.

It should also be understood that the perfume to be filled within the pressure-tight container 1 may be 2.0 to 3.5 kg/cm.sup.2 of saturated vapor pressure at room temperature by the use of a liquified gas such, for example, as Freon 11, 12, or 114, and a solvent having a low boiling point, such as alcohol, both of which are mixed for dissolving the perfume. It may be preferable that the solvent having a low boiling point comprise 60 percent of the overall liquid.

In operation of the thus constructed apparatus, when the valve body 9 is installed on the container 1 filled with the perfume liquid and the valve opening pipe 3 is depressed downwardly, then the aerosol valve will be opened. At such time, the perfume contained in the container 1 will be ejected by its self-pressure from the valve opening pipe 3 through the hole 10 of the valve body 9, the clearance between the needle 11' of the needle valve 11 and the valve port 10' of the valve body 9 and then into the recess 12 so that the perfume in the recess 12 will be fed from the port 15 of the needle valve 11 through the hole 16 of the needle valve 11 into the porous member 18. It should be understood that the perfume within the porous member 18 will be distributed uniformly throughout and be forcibly and continuously transpired therefrom into the atmosphere.

The handle 19 may be turned to adjust the clearance between the needle 11' and the needle valve 11 and the valve port 10' and the valve body 9. This will, in turn, vary the rate of flow of the perfume liquid from the container 1 through the needle valve into the porous member 18 and hence the transpiring speed of the perfume therefrom.

It should now be apparent from the foregoing description that since the apparatus for transpiring perfume according to this invention forcibly feeds the perfume dissolved into the volatile solvent through the adjustable needle valve and then into the porous member from the pressurized container that the numerous problems set forth above with regard to the prior art perfume transpiring devices are readily overcome. Moreover, it has been found that with the present invention which utilizes pressurized perfume within a pressure-tight container and thereby eliminates the need for using natural capillarity, that the capacity of the apparatus is greatly increased so that the perfume may be transpired within a short period of time to accommodate crowds of a large size in small places. It should also be apparent that since this invention provides an adjusting mechanism for varying the flow rate of the perfume that the perfume transpiring speed may be readily adjusted, as desired, in accordance with the number of people at a particular gathering, the time of the gathering, the size and location of the gathering place, and the like.

Moreover, it should be understood that the apparatus of the present invention is easy to operate and that upon exhaustion of the perfume within the container that the same can be readily replaced.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore understood that within the scope of the appended Claims that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for transpiring perfume comprising:

a pressure-tight container in which a pressurized perfume is contained;

an aerosol type valve on the top of said container;

an adjustable valve means fixedly engaged to said container for adjusting the rate of flow of said perfume from said container;

said adjustable valve means comprising: a valve body which includes a threaded connection for connecting one end thereof to the aerosol valve on the top of said container, a passage, a valve port, and another threaded connection for connecting the other end thereof; and, a needle valve which includes a needle at one end thereof and a threaded connection for adjustably connecting said needle to the valve port of said valve body so as to adjust the clearance between the needle of said needle valve and the valve port of said valve body; and,

a porous member in communication with said valve for transpiring said perfume.

2. Apparatus for transpiring perfume as set forth in claim 1, wherein said container comprises a flexible pipe connected at one end to said adjustable valve and is immersed at the other end into the perfume within said container for enabling the perfume to pass from the container into said valve.

3. Apparatus for transpiring perfume as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous member is made of a sponge material.

4. Apparatus for transpiring perfume as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous member is made of a sintered metal powder.

5. Apparatus for transpiring perfume as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous member is made of a sintered glass powder.

6. Apparatus for transpiring perfume as set forth in claim 1, wherein said porous member is made of a porous plastic fiber.