Patent Application
20090242665
The present invention relates to the field of misting systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to an injector in a misting system for introducing a composition into fluid to be discharged from the misting system.
An odor is a volatilized chemical compound, generally at a very low concentration, which humans and other animals perceive by the sense of olfaction. The terms fragrance, scent, or aroma are typically used to describe a pleasant odor, while the terms stench, reek, stink and the like are used specifically to describe an unpleasant odor.
The perception of odors and emotional responses linked with those odors is very much dependent upon circumstance and culture. Some believe that pleasant fragrances can boost relaxation and positively affect alertness, social interaction, sleep, stress, and general feelings of well-being. Furthermore, pleasant fragrances can be of sufficient strength to obscure other, less desirable odors.
Unpleasant odors can arise from certain industrial processes, adversely affecting workers and even residents downwind of the industry. The most common sources of industrial odor arise from sewage treatment plants, refineries, certain livestock facilities, and industries processing chemicals (such as sulfur) which have odorous characteristics.
Although industrial processes are a large source of unpleasant odors, some unpleasant odors may be generated in and around the home. For example, the odor of cooking processes may be pleasurable while cooking but may be considered unpleasant after the meal. Similarly, a group of people gathered on a hot outdoor patio may generate unpleasant odors. Thus, in many outdoor areas it is desirable to alter the smell or odor present in these outdoor areas.
Great energy and ingenuity has been applied to masking, eliminating, and preventing unpleasant odors in an environment using candles, incense, odor neutralizing or masking sprays, solids, and the like. Indeed, fragrances have been utilized for thousands of years to mask unpleasant odors. Moreover, interest in essential oils has revived in recent decades with the popularity of aromatherapy which claims that the specific aromas carried by essential oils can affect a person's mood or health.
Often prior art techniques do not effectively disburse compositions, such as fragrances, into an ambient environment. This problem is exacerbated outdoors where a breeze may blow out candles or blow away a sprayed fragrance or deoderizer. In addition, the manual application of a sprayed fragrance can be obtrusive during a social gathering, can result in pockets of excessive fragrance, and can use an undesirably large quantity of fragrance.
Thus, what is needed is a system for the effective disbursement of fragrance, essential oil, air freshener, deoderizer, insect repellant, insecticides, or any other approved chemical additive or agent for enhancing an environment.
Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention that a system is provided for delivery of a composition into an environment.
It is another advantage of the present invention that a system is provided for introducing a composition at an appropriate concentration into a fluid for discharge through a misting device.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a system is provided that can be inexpensively manufactured and readily incorporated into an existing misting system.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that a system is provided for delivery of a composition, such as a fragrance, essential oil, deoderizer, insect repellant, in a wide variety of environments.
The above and other advantages of the present invention are carried out in one form by a system for introducing a composition into a fluid. The system includes a main body having a body inlet, a body outlet, and a channel for carrying a flow of fluid from the body inlet to the body outlet. A converging-diverging nozzle is positioned within the channel. The nozzle includes a passage aligned with the channel and a fluid port extending through a side wall of the nozzle. The system further includes a mixing chamber for placement of the composition, the mixing chamber having a chamber outlet in fluid communication with the fluid port. A conduit has a conduit inlet through a side of the main body upstream from the converging-diverging nozzle and the conduit has a conduit outlet into the mixing chamber upstream from the chamber outlet. The conduit carries a portion of the fluid to the mixing chamber to mix with the composition.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar items throughout the Figures, and:
Misting systems have become popular for cooling, humidification, odor, and/or dust control. For example, the rapid evaporation of mist or moisture is capable of quickly and efficiently cooling outdoor areas, such as private and commercial patios, outdoor restaurants, livestock enclosures, and so forth. The present invention takes advantage of the prevalence of misting systems by incorporating an injector system into a misting system for the disbursement in a desired location of a composition at an appropriate concentration. The composition may be a fragrance, essential oil, air freshener, deoderizer, insect repellant, insecticide, or any other approved chemical additive or agent for enhancing an environment.
The term “fluid communication” refers to direct connection or indirect connection via components interposed between delivery line 24 and misting nozzles 26 that enable a flow of fluid, in this instance, water from delivery line 24 to misting nozzles 26. In one embodiment, misting nozzles 26 may be directly connected to delivery line 24. In another embodiment, a downstream end of delivery line 24 may connect to a filter, pump, manifold, and the like. Misting nozzles 26 may then connect to additional fluid carrying tubing connected to the output of the filter, pump, manifold, and so forth.
Injector 22 includes a main body 30 having a body inlet 32 and a body outlet 34. Body inlet 32 is adapted for connection to a fluid source 36. In this case, fluid source 36 is an outdoor water spigot, also referred to as a valve, a tap, hose bib, and the like. Body inlet 32 may include, for example, female threads that couple with the conventional male threads of an outdoor water spigot. Body outlet 34 of main body 30 is adapted for connection to delivery line 24. For example, body outlet 34 may include male threads that couple with corresponding female threads of delivery line 24.
Mixing chamber 38 includes a cap 48 that is removable in order to place a composition 50 into mixing chamber 38. In one embodiment, cap 48 may be threaded so as to mate with corresponding threads 52 on mixing chamber 38. In alternate embodiments, other removable configurations for cap 48 may be envisioned, such as a plug, hinged cap, and the like.
In still other embodiments, a secondary container 53 may be interposed between mixing chamber 38 and cap 48. For example, secondary container 53 may be threaded to mate with corresponding threads 52 on mixing chamber 38. Likewise, secondary container 53 may include threads 52 to which cap 48 can couple. Composition 50 can than be loaded into an internal passage (not visible) of secondary container 53 that is in fluid communication with mixing chamber 38. The inclusion of secondary container 53 can significantly increase the volume of composition 50 which may be used with injector 22.
In one embodiment, composition 50 is an oil-based composition in liquid form. Such an oil-based composition is preferred because its specific gravity is typically less than that of water so that it will not readily mix with water and will tend to float on top of water. Alternatively, composition 50 may be another liquid formulation, a dissolvable capsule, a tablet, a granular material, a powder, and the like that does not readily mix with water and tends to float on top of water.
A preferred oil-based composition is an essential oil. Essential oil has the odor or flavor of the plant from which it comes and is typically used in perfume and flavorings. In alternate embodiments, composition 50 may be another fragrance compound, an air freshener, a deoderizer, an insect repellant, an insecticide, or any other approved chemical additive or agent for enhancing an environment.
Injector 22 is discussed herein for delivering composition 50, such as an essential oil, through a patio misting system to an outdoor patio environment. However, such is not a limitation of the present invention. Injector 22 may be implemented within a variety of environments where misting systems can be used to affect the ambient environment and where the delivery of a particular composition is desired.
Referring to
A converging-diverging nozzle 58 is positioned within channel 54 proximate body outlet 34. Nozzle 58 includes a passage 60 aligned with channel 54, and a fluid port 62 extending through a side wall 64 of nozzle 58. In one embodiment, fluid port 62 extends through side wall 64 at a throat 66 of converging-diverging nozzle 58.
A chamber outlet 68 is located at a lower end 70 of mixing chamber 38 and is in fluid communication with fluid port 62. More specifically, a tube portion 72 of injector 22 interconnects chamber outlet 68 with fluid port 62.
Injector 22 further includes a conduit 74 having a conduit inlet 76 extending through a side of main body 30 upstream from converging-diverging nozzle 58. In one embodiment, conduit inlet 76 may be positioned proximate a vertex 78 of acute angle 40 formed between lower end 70 of mixing chamber 38 and main body 30. Conduit 74 extends along approximately an entirety of length 42 (
Referring back to
Entry of portion 86 of water 56 at upper end 82 of mixing chamber will result in its passage through composition 50. In addition, the misalignment of conduit outlet 80 relative to radial direction 84 of mixing chamber 38 causes a tangential delivery of portion 86 of water 56 into mixing chamber 38. This tangential delivery results in swirling, or turbulent, mixing of portion 86 of water 56 with composition 50. This turbulence helps mix composition 50 with portion 86 of water in mixing chamber 38. Meanwhile, chamber outlet 68 is at lower end 70 of mixing chamber 38 so that the liquid exiting mixing chamber 38 is a mixture 88 water 56 and composition 50.
Converging-diverging nozzle 58 is a Venturi type nozzle. It operates under the conditions where a pressure difference exists between a nozzle inlet 90 and a nozzle outlet 92. This pressure difference creates a vacuum inside converging-diverging nozzle 58, which results in the siphoning of mixture 88 from mixing chamber 38 through fluid port 62. Accordingly, as water 56 flows through channel 54 and through passage 60 of nozzle 58, mixture 88 is pulled into nozzle 58 via fluid port 62 and is mixed with water 56 flowing through nozzle 58. The combination of water 56 and mixture 88 that includes composition 50 exits nozzle 58 and is discharged from body outlet 34 into delivery line 24 (
The effective mixing of portion 86 of water 56 with composition 50 in mixing chamber 38 and the siphoning effect of converging-diverging nozzle 58 regulates the concentration of composition 50 in mixture 88 that is eventually injected into the main stream of water 56. Thus, highly concentrated amounts of composition 50 are prevented from entering the main stream of water 56. This results in dilution of composition 50, such as essential oil, into the main water stream over time, so as to provide a long lasting effect to be distributed to the area through nozzles 26. Furthermore, the design of injector 22 enables the siphoning effect even with a rate of flow of water 56 as low as, for example, approximately one tenth of a gallon per minute.
In summary, the present invention teaches of an injector for delivery of a composition into an environment. The injector includes a converging-diverging nozzle in line with a main channel of the injector. Some water is diverted from the main channel to a mixing chamber where it is mixed with the desired composition. The mixture of fluid and composition is siphoned from the mixing chamber via the converging-diverging nozzle where it is subsequently discharged at the appropriate concentration through a misting system. The simple design of the injector system enables inexpensive manufacturing. Furthermore, it can readily be placed in-line with a standard hose spigot before the delivery line or filter for a typical patio mist system. A misting system utilizing the injector of the present invention can effectively and uniformly disburse any of a number of oil-based compositions, such as essential oil, fragrance, air freshener, deoderizer, insect repellant, insecticides, or any other approved chemical additive or agent for enhancing any of a wide variety of environments. Furthermore, the composition is suspended or otherwise dissolved into the mist and is therefore less susceptible to removal from the environment by air currents.
Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.
