The present invention relates to scent releasing devices and more specifically, to aroma diffuser with timed heating function.
Conventional aroma diffusers do not provide any function to notice the user of the time in which the heater heated the aroma capsule. According to conventional aroma diffuser designs, the user cannot know whether the aromatic wax or essential oil contained in the applied aroma capsule has been exhausted. Because the contained aromatic wax or essential oil is sealed in the aroma capsule by a breathing film, the user cannot see through the breathing film to visually check the amount of the aromatic wax or essential oil in the aroma capsule. These are some of the issues with the use of an aroma diffuser to heat an aroma capsule. U.S. Pat. No. 8,066,420, U.S. Pat. No. 8,262,277, U.S. Pat. No. 8,147,116 disclose similar aroma diffusing night lamp system designs. However, the arrangement of the power supply, heat source and essential oil or fluid aromatic substance is not safety. In the use of aforesaid prior art designs, it is inconvenient to refurnish the aromatic substance. When in use, the user needs to take the aromatic substance out of the heat-transfer container carefully, and then to put the aromatic substance in the top accommodation open chamber of the aroma diffuser with timed heating function, avoiding direct contact of the hands with the aromatic substance. Further, after the aromatic substance is used up, the user needs to clean the heat-transfer container. Further, in the application of these prior art aroma diffuser designs, heat source can be transferred to the electronic components or the housing, causing component or housing damage.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an aroma-diffuser that eliminates the drawbacks of the aforesaid prior art designs.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an aroma diffuser, which provides a heat source isolation function to concentrate the heat source for heating an aroma capsule efficiently and can also effectively protect the electronic components of the control circuit assembly against thermal damage.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an aroma diffuser, which provides a timed heating function.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an aroma diffuser, which uses a disposable aroma capsule for heating by a heater to release an aromatic vapor that facilitates quick replacement and avoids overflow of the fluid aromatic substance contained in the aroma capsule.
To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, an aroma diffuser with timed heating function comprises a housing, a heat-transfer unit, a heater, a control circuit assembly, and a heat insulation tank. The housing is a hollow shell comprising a first opening and an opposing second opening. The heat insulation tank is mounted in the first opening of the housing, comprising a tank opening in a top side thereof. The heat-transfer unit is mounted in the tank opening of the heat insulation tank. The heater is mounted in the heat insulation tank and kept in contact with a bottom side of the heat-transfer unit. The control circuit assembly is mounted inside the housing. The heater is electrically connected to the control circuit assembly. In application, the control circuit assembly is coupled to a power supply unit for causing the heater to heat the heat-transfer unit. Further, the control circuit assembly comprises a power switch for switching on/off the heater. The heat insulation tank isolates the heater, prohibiting the emitted heat from being transferred to the electronic components of the aroma diffuser, the control circuit assembly or the housing to cause damage.
Preferably, the control circuit assembly further comprises a plurality of light sources and a plurality of light guide columns. These light sources are respectively electrically installed in the control circuit assembly. The light guide columns each have one end thereof fastened to one respective light source and an opposite end thereof extended to the outside of the housing. Thus, the light guide columns can effectively guide emitted light from the respective light sources to the outside of the housing. The control circuit assembly further comprises a timing circuit adapted for cutting off power supply from the heater after a predetermined time is up and simultaneously turns on one light source to give a visual indication signal to the outside of the housing through the associated light guide column, indicating that the predetermined heating time of the heater is up.
Preferably, the timing circuit of the control circuit assembly can memorize the time length of each heating operation of the heater and the progressive total time length. When the progressive total time length reaches a predetermined value, the timing circuit of the control circuit assembly immediately cuts off power supply from the heater. At the same time, the heating circuit gives an instruction to turn on the corresponding light source, causing the corresponding light source to give off a visual indication signal to the outside of the housing via the associating light guide column. From this visual indication signal, the user is advised that the heating time of the heater in heating the aroma capsule has reached the set value, and the interior aromatics such as scented or essential oils have been exhausted. Thus, the user can prepare to replace the exhausted aroma capsule.
Preferably, the aroma diffuser with timed heating function is combined with a disposable aroma diffuser. In application, the disposable aroma diffuser is placed on the heat-transfer unit inside the housing.
Thus, the user can place a disposable aroma diffuser on the heat-transfer unit inside the housing for heating by the heater to release an aromatic vapor. After the aroma capsule is exhausted, the user can remote the exhausted aroma capsule from the housing for discarding or recycling. The timing circuit of the control circuit assembly can be set to indicate the set heating time and to give a signal when the set heating time is up. The timing circuit of the control circuit assembly can also memorize the time length of each heating operation of the heater and the progressive total time length. When the progressive total time length reaches a predetermined value, the timing circuit immediately cuts off power supply from the heater. At the same time, the heating circuit gives an instruction to turn on the corresponding light source, causing the corresponding light source to give off a visual indication signal to the outside of the housing via the associating light guide column. Thus, the user knows when to replace the exhausted aroma capsule.
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The control circuit assembly 15 comprises a power switch 151 operable to switch on/off the heater 13. The heat insulation tank 16 isolate the heat generated by the heater 13, prohibiting the generated heat from being transferred to the electronic components of the aroma diffuser 1, the control circuit assembly 15 or the housing 10 to cause damage and enabling the heat generated by the heater 13 to be concentrated for heating an aroma capsule 12, and thus, the power consumption of the heater 13 can be minimized. The heat insulation tank 16 in the present preferred embodiment is shaped like a bowl with the tank opening 161 disposed in the top side. The heat insulation tank 16 can be made from temperature-resistant plastic, such as PP plastic, or heat-resistant materials, such as ceramic, carbon fiber, stone or stone powder.
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Further, the light guide columns 155 can be transparent tubes or prisms made of glass, acrylic, or any other transparent plastic material.
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Thus, the heat-transfer unit 11 can be firmly secured inside the housing 10 and kept in positive contact with the heater 13 for transferring heat energy efficiently.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat-transfer unit 11 is a circular metal sheet for evenly transferring heat energy to the aroma capsule 12.
The heat-transfer unit 11 is made of a heat conducting material, such as metal, ceramic or heat conductive glass for efficiently transferring heat energy from the heater 3 to the heat-transfer unit 11.
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The thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) microporous layer 1262 and the fiber fixation layer 1261 can be bonded together using hot-press fusion or high-frequency sealing technology. Since the first pores 1263 of the fiber fixation layer 1261 are relatively lager than the second pores 1264 of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) microporous layer 1262, the heated aromatic substance vapor molecules can go through second pores 1264 of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) microporous layer 1262 toward the first pores 1263 of the fiber fixation layer 1261.
In application, the aroma capsule 12 is heated in the heat-activated aroma diffuser 1 to release a pleasant smell at a temperature below 90° C. During the heating process, the fiber fixation layer 1261 does not shrink or expand the size and can keep the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) microporous layer 1262 in shape, and thus, the surface of the breathing film 126 can be constantly maintained smooth without wrinkles. During the heating process, aromatic substance 122 keeps releasing aromatic vapor molecules that flow smoothly through the second pores 1264 of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) microporous layer 1262 and the first pores 1263 of the fiber fixation layer 1261 toward the atmosphere outside the aroma capsule 12, however, the liquid phase aromatic substance is prohibited from passing through the second pores 1264, ensuring safety application of the aroma capsule 12.
Further, the aromatic substance 122 is selected from the group consisting of aromatic wax, perfume, balsam, sesame oil mixture and essential oil. In the case an aromatic wax is used for the aromatic substance 122 of the aroma capsule 12, the heat-activated aroma diffuser 1 simply needs to heat the aromatic wax to the melting point of the aromatic wax, causing the aromatic wax to release aromatic vapor molecules through the breathing film 126 toward the outside open air. In the case a sesame oil mixture or essential oil is used for the aromatic substance 122 of the aroma capsule 12, the sesame oil mixture or essential oil is heated to release aromatic vapor molecules through the breathing film 126 toward the outside open air. When compared to related existing commercial products, the breathing film 126 of the present invention will not deform during the heating process, and the released aromatic vapor molecules can flow through the breathing film 126 toward the outside open air efficiently.
Further, the heat-transfer container 120 is made from polymers. In one embodiment, the heat-transfer container 120 is made from plastics selected from the group consisting of polyester plastic, poly chloro terephthalate glycol (PCTG), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), propylthiouracil (PTU) and polypropylene (PP). The plastic heat-transfer container 120 does not melt or deform at the above-mentioned heating temperature, and can efficiently transfer heat energy from the heat-activated aroma diffuser 1 to the aromatic substance 122. In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat-transfer container 120 is made from PCTG, capable of transferring heat energy from the heat-activated aroma diffuser 1 to the aromatic substance 122 for causing the aromatic substance 122 to release a pleasant smell. Further, the heat-transfer container 120 has excellent ductility and toughness and is not easy to rapture. It will not be damaged when heating by the heat-activated aroma diffuser, and can efficiently transfer heat energy from the heat-activated aroma diffuser to the aromatic substance. When compared to fragile pottery and glass heat-transfer containers of conventional heat-activated aroma diffusers, the heat-transfer container 120 has the advantage that the top opening 1200 of the heat-transfer container 120 can easily be bonded with the breathing film 126, i.e., the thermoplastic microporous layer 1262 of the breathing film 126 can be bonded to the top opening 1200 of the heat-transfer container 120 by heat or with an adhesive. The bonding effect is better than the prior art design. After bonding, the breathing film 126 will not fall off.
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After the aromatic substance 122 is used up, the heat-transfer container 120 can be thrown away or recycled, and a new aroma capsule 12 can be put in the aroma diffuser with timed heating function 1. Thus, the user's hand will not be contaminated by the aromatic substance 122. Further, the user does not necessary to clean the aroma diffuser with timed heating function 1. Even if the aroma diffuser with timed heating function 1 falls accidentally during application, the melted aromatic substance 122 of the aroma capsule 12 is still held in the heat-transfer container 120 by the breathing film 126 and will not flow to the outside of the aroma diffuser with timed heating function 1 to cause contamination or dangers.
Although a particular embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 15/653,362 filed on Jul. 18, 2017 and Ser. No. 15/862,356 filed on Jan. 4, 2018.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15653362 | Jul 2017 | US |
Child | 15884346 | US | |
Parent | 15862356 | Jan 2018 | US |
Child | 15653362 | US |