Claims
- 1. An environment-altering apparatus configured to mimic an electrical receptacle, said electrical receptacle having a first outlet pattern, said apparatus comprising:
a front surface having a second outlet pattern substantially corresponding to the first outlet pattern; a plug pattern substantially corresponding to the first outlet pattern; and a device interposed between said front surface and said plug pattern, said device configured to modify an attribute of the environment, wherein said attribute is selected from the group consisting of aromatic vapor density, insecticide vapor density, ambient light intensity, ionic air content, and ultrasonic frequency intensity.
- 2. A vapor-dispensing device of the type configured to connect to an electrical receptacle provided in a wall, wherein said electrical receptacle has an outlet and a faceplate, and wherein said faceplate has a first perimeter, said vapor-dispensing device comprising:
a housing having a second perimeter and a front surface; and a plug coupled to said housing and configured to be inserted into the outlet; wherein, when said plug is inserted into the outlet, a cross-section orthogonal to and through said second perimeter defines a blending contour from said front surface to the wall outside the first perimeter.
- 3. A vapor-dispensing device of the type configured to connect to an electrical receptacle having an outlet and a faceplate, said faceplate having a first perimeter, said vapor-dispensing device comprising:
a housing having a second perimeter; and a plug coupled to said housing and configured to be inserted into the outlet, wherein said first perimeter is substantially encompassed by said second perimeter when said plug is inserted into the outlet.
- 4. A vapor-dispensing device configured to connect to an electrical receptacle having an outlet and a faceplate, said faceplate having a first aspect ratio and a first center, said vapor-dispensing device comprising:
a housing having a second aspect ratio and a second center, wherein said second aspect ratio is substantially similar to said first aspect ratio, and wherein said second center is substantially coincident with said first center of the faceplate; and a plug coupled to said housing and configured to be inserted into the outlet.
- 5. A vapor-dispensing device of the type configured to connect to an electrical receptacle provided in a wall, wherein said electrical receptacle has an outlet and a faceplate, and wherein said faceplate has a first perimeter, said vapor-dispensing device comprising:
a housing having a second perimeter; and a plug coupled to said housing and configured to be inserted into the outlet, wherein at least two antipodal points on said second perimeter of said housing make contact with the wall outside said first perimeter of said faceplate when said plug is inserted into the outlet.
- 6. A vapor-dispensing device configured to connect to an electrical receptacle, said vapor-dispensing device comprising:
a housing having a front surface and a back surface separated by a thickness t, wherein said back surface has a minor axis dimension x and a major axis dimension y; a first device outlet and a second device outlet provided on said front surface of said housing, said first and second device outlets separated by an inter-outlet distance d; wherein:
x/d is between approximately 2.0 and 2.5; y/d is between approximately 3.0 and 3.5; t/d is between approximately 0.5 and 1.0; and a plug extending from said back surface of said housing for connecting to the electrical receptacle, said plug electrically coupled to at least one of said first and second device outlets.
- 7. A low-profile vapor-dispensing device of the type configured to connect to an electrical receptacle having an outlet and a faceplate, said faceplate having a major axis dimension, said vapor-dispensing device comprising:
a housing having a back surface and a front surface separated by a thickness, wherein said thickness is less than approximately 20% of said major axis dimension; a device outlet provided within said front surface of said housing; and a plug coupled to said device outlet and configured to be inserted into the outlet of the electrical receptacle.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/074,529, filed Feb. 12, 2002.