Deodorising unit, preferably for use in a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a deodorising unit (1), preferably for use in vehicles, which deodorising unit comprises a housing (3), a fan (10) arranged in the housing, and at least one fragrancing means placed in the airflow of the fan (10). As the fragrancing means, a fragrance element (2) is replaceably inserted in the housing (3) and is provided with air passages (17) such that the air from the fan (10) is drawn in through the housing (3) from the outside and is blown through the fragrance element (2) and back outside in order to deodorise the vehicle interior. The unit (1) can therefore be compact and placed in a holder in the vehicle interior, and the replaceable fragrance element (2) allows long-term use of the unit.

Description

[0001] Deodorizing device, preferably for use in a vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a deodorizing device, preferably for use in a vehicle, comprising a housing, a fan arranged therein and at least one fragrance-dispensing agent placed in the air flow of the fan.

[0003] Devices of this type are designed to regulate the flavor of the air present in the vehicle's interior, so that occupants can inhale the contaminated air as pleasantly deodorized or perfumed. For this purpose, fragrant substances are added to the air, which the fragrance body releases when the airflow passes around it.

[0004] A device of this type is disclosed in the publication CH 711 953 A, in which a fragrance body with an advertising carrier has a fastening device by means of which it can be attached to the front of a vehicle's ventilation grille. When the ventilation in the vehicle is switched on, the fragrance body is activated by the air flow of the vehicle's ventilation fan and releases deodorizing fragrances as long as the ventilation is running. Accordingly, the fragrance body is effective in the area of ​​the ventilation openings and the resulting air flows in the vehicle. When the ventilation is switched off, it only produces a slight deodorizing fragrance effect. When the plastic fragrance body is used up and no longer releases fragrances, it is replaced with a new one.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantages and of creating a device of the type mentioned at the outset which is of compact design and can be placed in a holder in the vehicle interior, thereby enabling permanent use.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention according to the features of claim 1

[0007] According to the invention, a fragrance body is replaceably inserted in the housing as a fragrance-dispensing agent, which is provided with air passages such that the air is sucked in from the outside through the housing by the fan and blown through the fragrance body and back out to deodorize the vehicle interior.

[0008] The device according to the invention is further characterized by the fact that it deodorizes autonomously with the integrated fan, ie independently of an external air flow source such as the vehicle ventilation, and the device can be placed at any location in the interior of the vehicle.

[0009] The device is also provided with a compact design and has an outer diameter which allows the device to be placed in a holder in the interior of the vehicle, which is particularly provided in the console between the seats for drinks bottles, etc.

[0010] After the fragrance body has been used up and loses its fragrance effect, it can be replaced and a new, unused fragrance body can be inserted into the housing in just a few steps.

[0011] In the interests of the latter properties, it is expedient if the housing of the device is provided with a removably attached cover with one or more preferably slot-shaped outlet openings, wherein the cover is dimensioned such that a fragrance body can be inserted into or removed from the housing, which is open at the top end, after the cover has been removed. It is also advantageous if the housing is provided with a preferably ring-shaped air inlet on the end opposite the cover. When the fan is switched on, this creates an air flow through the housing and through the fragrance body and on the outside, contaminating the passing air with the fragrance.

[0012] To facilitate the replacement of the fragrance body, the invention provides for the fragrance body to be held in a centering pin in the housing. The fragrance body is advantageously supported on a housing retaining ring arranged between it and the fan, ensuring that the air flow generated by the fan flows through the entire fragrance body, including its air vents, and also along its exterior.

[0013] The invention further provides that the fan is driven by an electric motor held in the housing by mounting sleeves. This allows the electric motor to be easily mounted in the housing, ensuring that the air flow generated by the fan can flow laminarly below the electric motor.

[0014] To ensure a sufficient air flow inside the housing, it is advisable to have air ducts between the mounting sleeves spaced apart on the inner wall of the housing, which are also defined by the inner wall of the housing and the electric motor. It is also advantageous if the electric motor has an externally accessible socket for a cable connection, which is preferably equipped with a USB connector at the other end, which can be plugged into a corresponding socket in the vehicle. This allows the device to be connected to an existing electrical connection in the vehicle. Batteries or a rechargeable accumulator could also be integrated into the device and replaced.

[0015] The invention also relates to a fragrance body particularly suitable for the device according to the invention. This is made as a cylindrical or similarly shaped body made of fragrance-impregnated plastic, which, for example, has several annular rows of air passages aligned coaxially with the body.

[0016] Such a fragrance body can be easily inserted into or removed from the housing. It can be impregnated with a high concentration of the selected fragrance. The outer diameter of the fragrance body is preferably slightly smaller than the inner wall of the housing surrounding the fragrance body, so that an annular space is formed between them as an air passage. This ensures that, on the one hand, its diameter is adapted as closely as possible to that of the housing, and, on the other hand, the length and / or the number of passage openings in the body are maximized. A further advantage is that the fragrance body can be provided with different fragrances as desired. The invention and further advantages thereof are explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal section of a deodorizing device according to the invention; and

[0018] Fig. 2 shows the fragrance body and the device according to Fig. 1 in plan view.

[0019] The device 1 shown in Fig. 1 essentially consists of a cylindrical housing 3, a fan 10 with a drive, for example, an electric motor 9, and a fragrance body 2, which are installed one above the other in the housing 3 with a removable cover 4 with slotted or other-shaped outlet openings 5, the latter advantageously extending over the circumference of the cover. These outlet openings could also be formed as a plurality of holes in the cover.

[0020] The housing 3 is open at the bottom and provided with a bottom cover 8, which is attached, for example, to a component 7 in the housing, and an annular air inlet 6 is formed between this bottom cover and the housing 3. The component 7 can have an electrical chip card with terminals for cable connections to the fan 10 and an indicated plug connection 19.

[0021] According to the invention, a fragrance body 2 is replaceably inserted in the housing 3 as a fragrance-dispensing means, which is provided with air passages 17, such that the air is sucked in by the fan 10 from the outside through the inside of the housing 3 and blown through the fragrance body 2 and back out to deodorize, for example, the vehicle interior.

[0022] In the installed state, the fragrance body 2 is supported on a retaining ring 13 spaced from the impeller 12 of the fan 10 and having a retaining pin 14 that centers the fragrance body 2. For this purpose, the fragrance body 2 is provided with a central opening 2' into which this retaining pin 14 projects, the latter interacting with a centering bolt 15 projecting in the cover 4 with a magnetic element for an easily detachable connection between the cover 4 and the housing 3. The cover 4 is centered in an annular shoulder 3" on the upper end face of the housing 3.

[0023] The dimensions of the lid 4 and the upper opening of the housing 3 are selected such that after removing the lid 4, the fragrance body 2 can be easily inserted or removed by hand into the housing 3, which is then open at the top.

[0024] The retaining ring 13 is arranged at a distance from the impeller 12 of the fan 10, so that between the impeller 12 and the fragrance body 2 there is a relatively wide gap 16 in which the air flow generated by the fan 10 can spread evenly over the entire surface of the lower end face of the fragrance body 2,

[0025] The fragrance body 2, as can be seen in Fig. 2, is produced according to the invention as a fragrance-dispensing agent made of plastic impregnated with one or more fragrances, preferably consisting of an elastomer, and is designed as a cylindrical body with the air passages 17, the cross-section of which is adapted to that of the housing 3 in such a way that it can be easily replaced by a new, unused fragrance body after use.

[0026] The fragrance body 2 has several approximately ring-shaped rows of air outlets 17 aligned coaxially with the body. Their number and distribution are chosen in practice to optimize the deodorizing effect of the device during operation, which is intended to produce sufficient and uniform deodorization of the air in the room over a predetermined period of time. The fragrance body 2 is designed with an inlet side adjacent to the intermediate space 16 and an outlet side at the top of the cover 4.

[0027] Above the underside air inlet 6, a hood-shaped guide means 20 with an upper opening is placed in the housing 3. The air sucked in through the air inlet 6 can thus flow through air ducts 11 between the housing 3 and the fan 10. This fan 10 with the electric motor 9 is held in place in the housing 3 by preferably several fastening means in fastening sleeves 21, between which longitudinally extending air ducts 11 are provided. These fastening sleeves 21 are held on the outside of the guide means 20, while the latter is fastened in the housing. In addition, preferably several spacer sleeves 22 are provided on the inner wall 3' of the housing 3, on which the retaining ring 13 rests. Conveniently, the component 7 is provided with a USB socket 18 or the like, which is accessible from the outside through an opening 19 of the housing 3.In this way, the device 1 can be plugged into a USB port usually present in the vehicle and electrically connected via an electrical cable.

[0028] In the described embodiment, the fan 10 is housed in a square housing 20. However, this can also be cylindrical or of another shape so that there is a space between them that allows air circulation.

[0029] When the electric motor 9 is switched on, the air drawn in through the annular air inlet 6 at the bottom of the housing 3 by the impeller 12 of the fan 10 is guided along the air ducts 11 into the intermediate space 16 and from there through the air outlets 17 of the fragrance body 2 or, outside of the latter, through an annular space 17*. The air contaminated with the deodorizing fragrances is then directed through the slot-shaped outlet openings 5 ​​of the cover 4 into the interior of the vehicle and evenly distributed therein.

[0030] In the described embodiment, the fragrance body 2 is arranged above the impeller 12 of the fan 10, close to the upper end of the housing 3. However, it is also possible within the scope of the invention to arrange it in front of the impeller or to change the arrangement of the fan and fragrance body so that the air flow can be reversed. Due to the replaceability of the fragrance body, the device 1 according to the invention has the advantage of being reusable and having a long service life, just like a conventional electrical device.

[0031] The device 1 according to the invention, with the integrated fan 10, also has the advantage that it can be placed anywhere in the vehicle. With the outer diameter of its housing 3 similar to a beverage bottle, it can be placed, for example, in the bottle holder commonly found in the center console between the seats of a vehicle.

[0032] In principle, several fragrance elements could be inserted into the housing. Instead of a multitude of holes protruding through the fragrance element, the air vents could be formed by a single star-shaped or similarly shaped fragrance element. The air vents could also be created by angled, wavy, branching, or holes of varying diameter, rather than straight. Instead of a central opening, the fragrance element could also be fixed to the outside of the housing, for example, and this opening could serve as an air vent.

[0033] Of course, the arrangement of the fan and motor could be different. For example, the fan could incorporate multiple impellers. The airflow through the housing could also be designed differently, for example, by passing through a ring-shaped motor inside. The upper slit or other-shaped outlet openings on the outer circumference of the removable cover could also be recessed in the cover and / or on the top side of the housing.

[0034] The outer casing could also have a rectangular or polygonal cross-section instead of a cylindrical one, or a cylindrical lower section like a bottle and an enlarged or reduced diameter in the upper section, or a different shape. The air inlet 6 could also be provided on the side of the casing below the fan through circumferential holes, slots, or the like, instead of at the bottom. Accordingly, this guide means 20 could be omitted, and the component could be arranged differently than shown. Furthermore, the casing could then be closed at the bottom.

[0035] The cover could also be attached to the top of the housing by a threaded or

[0036] Bayonet connection could be screwed on and a tension spring, for example a spiral spring, could be arranged between the fragrance body 2 and the retaining ring 13, which is compressed and thus tensioned via the fragrance body when the lid is unscrewed, but would push the fragrance body upwards to outside the top of the housing when the lid is unscrewed, so that the fragrance body can be removed by hand by gripping it from the side.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Deodorizing device, preferably for use in vehicles, with a housing (3), a fan (10) arranged therein and at least one fragrance-dispensing means placed in the air flow of the fan (10), characterized in that a fragrance body (2) is replaceably inserted in the housing (3) as the fragrance-dispensing means, which is provided with air openings (17) such that the air is sucked in by the fan (10) from the outside into the housing (3) and blown through the fragrance body (2) and back out again to deodorize, preferably the vehicle interior.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fan (10) and the fragrance body (2) are arranged one above the other in the preferably cylindrical housing (3), wherein the fragrance body (2) can be inserted into the housing from the top.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (3) is provided with a cover (4) detachably fastened thereon with one or more preferably slot-shaped outlet openings (5), wherein the cover (4) is dimensioned such that the fragrance body (2) can be inserted into or removed from the housing which is open at the top end after the cover has been removed.

4. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (3) is provided with a preferably annular air inlet (6) on the bottom side opposite the cover (4).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fragrance body (2) with its central opening (2') can be plugged onto a holding mandrel (14) in the housing (3) corresponding to the latter with approximately no play or can be centered on this.

6. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the fragrance body (2) is supported on a retaining ring (13) arranged between it and the fan (10) in the housing (3).

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an impeller (12) of the fan (10) can be driven by an electric motor (9), the fan being held in the housing (3) by fastening sleeves (21).

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one hood-shaped guide means (20) with an upper opening with an air duct (11) is contained in the housing (3).

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the electric motor (9) of the fan (10) is provided with an externally accessible socket (18) for an electrical cable connection.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the outer diameter of the fragrance body (2) is dimensioned somewhat smaller than the inner wall (3') of the housing (3) surrounding the fragrance body, so that an annular space (17') is formed between them as an air passage.

11. Fragrance body for a deodorizing device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the fragrance body (2) is cylindrical or otherwise shaped and made of fragrance-impregnated plastic, which is provided with air passages (17) which lead from at least one inlet to one outlet side of the fragrance body (2) and allow the passage of air.

12. Fragrance body according to claim 11, characterized in that the fragrance body (2) is cylindrical and is provided with a number of air passages (17) arranged parallel to one another and with an opening (2') in the center for a plug-in connection or centering in a device (1).

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