Forced-air scent dispersal device with replaceable scented card

Abstract

A scent delivery device containing a scented card, a powered air mover, air inlets and air outlets such that the powered air mover periodically is energized and causes air to pass through the scented card to pick up scent such that the air leaving the air outlets contains scent and alters the air in a room containing the scent delivery device. The powered air mover is off much more than it is on. The powered air mover is off for an extended rest period. During the active period, the powered air mover has a brief run interval followed by a longer pause interval. This pattern repeats until the end of the active period. The cycle of active period and rest period restarts every twenty-four hours with a start time. The start time is set by the time when the device was last moved from off to any non-off state.

Description

Forced-Air Scent Dispersal Device with Replaceable Scented CardBACKGROUND

[0001] This application claims the benefit of co-pending and commonly assigned United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 557,920 for Forced-Air Scent Dispersal Device with Replaceable Scented Card filed February 26, 2024, United States Patent Design Application No. 29,962,951 for Fragrance Card filed September 13, 2024, and United States Design Patent Application No. 29 / 962,974 for External Housing and Mounting Bracket for Forced-Air Scent Dispersal Device filed September 13, 2024. These three applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety.Field of the Disclosure.

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to scent dispersal devices. Sometimes these devices are categorized as a type of air freshener device that emits pleasant fragrances to a space.

[0003] Vocabulary.

[0004] A, An.

[0005] In this application, and the claims that follow, the terms a, an, or the identification of a single thing should be read as at least one unless such an interpretation is impossible within the context of the entirety of the specification. For example, the use of the terms sole, only, or the phrase not more than one would indicate that a single item is intended.

[0006] Gne and Gnes.

[0007] To avoid the awkward he / she and his / her or the potentially confusing singular use of they and their, this application uses the Gender-Neutral Expression - gne, the possessive pronoun - gnes, reflexive pronoun - gneself and the object form - gnerm.

[0008] Or.

[0009] Unless explicit to the contrary, the word “or” should be interpreted as an inclusive or rather than an exclusive or. Thus, the default meaning of or should be the same as the more awkward and / or.

[0010] Set.

[0011] Unless explicit to the contrary, the word “set” should be interpreted as a group of one or more items.

[0012] Step.

[0013] The term step may be used in descriptions within this disclosure. For purposes of clarity, one distinct act or step may be discussed before beginning the discussion of another distinct act or step. The term step should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps disclosed unless the specific order of individual steps is expressly indicated.

[0014] Substantially.

[0015] Frequently, when describing an industrial process, it is useful to note that a given parameter is substantially met. Examples may be substantially parallel, substantially perpendicular, substantially uniform, and substantially flat. In this context, substantially X means that for purposes of this industrial process it is X. So, something that may not be absolutely parallel but is for all practical purposes parallel, is substantially parallel. Likewise, mixed air that has substantially uniform temperature would have temperature deviations that were inconsequential for that industrial process.

[0016] As recognized in C. E. Equipment Co. v. United States, 13 U.S.P.Q.2d 1363, 1368 (Cl. Ct. 1989), the word “substantially” in patent claims gives rise to some definitional leeway - thus the word “substantially” may prevent avoidance of infringement by minor changes that do not affect the results sought to be accomplished.

[0017] Units.

[0018] Note that in order to provide focus on specific functions, the description below will reference various “units”. In this context, a unit implies the required resources to perform a given set of functions. This may include a combination of electro-mechanical devices such as a microphone or a camera and the processing power to control the devices then manipulate the data obtained by the devices. In some instances, the functionality from several individually discussedunits may be performed using physical components that are shared by several of the units discussed below. Unless explicit to the contrary, the word “or” should be interpreted as an inclusive or rather than an exclusive or. Thus, the default meaning of or should be the same as the more awkward and / or.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0019] Aspects of the teachings contained within this disclosure are addressed in the claims submitted with this application upon filing. Rather than adding redundant restatements of the contents of the claims, these claims should be considered incorporated by reference into this summary.

[0020] This summary is meant to provide an introduction to the concepts that are disclosed within the specification without being an exhaustive list of the many teachings and variations upon those teachings that are provided in the extended discussion within this disclosure. Thus, the contents of this summary should not be used to limit the scope of the claims that follow.

[0021] Inventive concepts are illustrated in a series of examples, some examples showing more than one inventive concept. Individual inventive concepts can be implemented without implementing all details provided in a particular example. It is not necessary to provide examples of every possible combination of the inventive concepts provided below as one of skill in the art will recognize that inventive concepts illustrated in various examples can be combined together in order to address a specific application.

[0022] Some aspects of the teachings of the present disclosure may be expressed as a scent delivery device 100 (hereinafter device) having:• a place for receiving a scented card 200,• a scented card 200 in the place for receiving the scented card 200,• a powered air mover,• air inlets for the device 100 and• a set of openings 154 on the device 100; and wherein the powered air mover causes air to move:• through the air inlets;• across the scented card 200; and• out the set of openings to bring scent from oils on the scented card into a room containing the scent delivery device 100. The disclosure does not require the powered air mover to be before or after the scented card 200 as long as the powered air mover forces air through the card to pick up scent to be carried into the room.

[0023] Other aspects of the teachings of the present disclosure may be expressed as a device 100 that works with an active time and a rest time that add up to twenty-four hours. During the rest time, the powered air mover does not operate; and during the active time, the powered air mover operates for a short run interval and then pauses for a pause interval longer than the short interval. The start time for the twenty-four-hour cycle is set by the time that the device 100 was last turned on. The start time can be adjusted by turning off the device and turning the device 100 back on.

[0024] Another way to describe aspects of the present disclosure is a process for using a device 100 to deliver scent to a room, the process comprising: obtaining a device 100 and a scented card 200; providing an energy source to the device 100; installing the scented card 200 into the device 100; turning on the device 100; once turned on, the energy source will cause a powered air mover to move air: through air inlets; across the scented card 200; and out openings to bring scent from oils on the scented card 200 into a room containing the scent delivery device 100.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a front, top, right perspective view of a scent delivery device 100.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows substantially the same view as FIG. 1 but the upper housing 150 has been rendered invisible so as to allow view of the scented card 200 and scented card notch 204.

[0028] FIG. 3 is the view from FIG. 2 but with the scented card 200 moved to reveal the air distribution channel rails 304 to help distribute pressurized air from the blower outlet (not visible here) through the transition zone 350 to the transition zone outlet 354 and then across the bottom surface of the scented card 200.

[0029] FIG. 4 takes the view from FIG. 3 and moves the divider housing 300 to the side.

[0030] FIG. 5 shows another view of the divider housing 300.

[0031] FIG. 6 simply provides a clear view of the blower outlet 404 of the blower housing 400.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a bottom, rear, left side perspective view of device 100.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows the bottom, rear, left side perspective view of device 100 from FIG. 7 but components have been moved laterally to allow them to be discussed.

[0034] FIG. 9 shows the front side 10 of an inverted device 100.

[0035] FIG. 10 shows the top side 50 and right side 20 of the device 100 that has the upper housing 150 (FIG. 1) rendered invisible and the lower housing 160 (FIG. 1) rendered invisible.

[0036] FIG. 11 is a view of the bottom side 60 of the device 100 with the lower housing 160 hidden.

[0037] FIG. 12 shows some of the components of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 but separated from one another so that the components are easier to see.

[0038] FIG. 13 is a cross section of device 100. The cross section shows a perspective view of the bottom side 60 and right side 20 looking from the rear side 30.

[0039] FIG. 14 shows the same cross section as FIG. 13 but from a different vantage point. The view in FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the top side 50 and left side 40 but again looking from the rear side 30.

[0040] FIG. 15 shows a process 1000 for using device 100 to provide a desired scent to an indoor area.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The presently disclosed subject matter is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or elements similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the term "step" may be used herein to connote different aspects of methods employed, the term should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described.

[0042] FIG. 1 introduces a scent delivery device 100 (hereinafter simply device 100). FIG. 1 shows a front, top, right perspective view. The device 100 has front side 10, right side 20, rear side 30, left side 40, top side 50, and bottom side 60.

[0043] The front side 10 has card input slot 104, card ej ector button 108, and blower intensity switch 120. As will be described below, a scented card 200 which has been doped with a desired scent is inserted into the device though the card input slot 104. Once inserted, the scented card 200 is exposed to blower-induced airflow that traverses the plane of the scented card 200 so that the airflow picks up the desired scent. The airflow continues out of the device 100 through the openings 154 in the device upper housing 150. In this version of the device 100, the top is a series of ridges 158 and openings 154.

[0044] This version of the device uses battery power. The blower intensity switch 120 on the lower housing 160 allows a user to select whether the blower is off, running at low speed, or running at high speed. Other choices are possible such as having only on / off or having more than two speed choices.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows substantially the same view as FIG. 1 but the upper housing 150 has been rendered invisible so as to allow view of the scented card 200 and scented card notch 204.

[0046] FIG. 3 is the view from FIG. 2 but with the scented card 200 moved to reveal the air distribution channel rails 304 to help distribute pressurized air from the blower outlet (not visible here) through the transition zone 350 to the transition zone outlet 354 and then across the bottom surface of the scented card 200. The distribution channel rails 304 are integral to the divider housing 300 which is used to channel the output from the blower (not shown).

[0047] FIG. 4 takes the view from FIG. 3 and moves the divider housing 300 to the side. This allows the divider housing 300 to be seen as a separate component and exposes the upper side of the blower housing 400. The transition zone 350 is a curved section in the divider housing 300 that moves the blower outlet 404 from the blower housing 400 up to the top side of the divider housing 300 to then be distributed below the card by the channel rails 304.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows another view of the divider housing 300. In this instance the divider housing has been rotated to optimize the view of the divider housing inlet 310 which would take the air leaving the blower outlet 404 and bend the flow in the transition zone 350 to the transition zone outlet 354. Now that the pressurized air is on the top side of the divider housing 300, the distribution channel rails 304 work to distribute the pressurized air below the scented card 200. The pressurized air traverses the scented card 200 and egresses the device through the openings 154 shown in FIG. 1.

[0049] FIG. 6 simply provides a clear view of the blower outlet 404 of the blower housing 400. As noted above, the pressurized air from the blower is then received by the divider housing inlet 310.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a bottom, rear, left side perspective view of device 100. The rear side 30 is on the top and the front side 10 is on the bottom. The right side 20 is on the left and the left side 40 is on the right. The top side 50 and bottom side 60 are marked. The bottom side 60 may have adhesive strips 164 that may be used to attach the device 100 to a surface. In some instances, the device 100 may be inverted and attached to the underside of a table or shelf. In those instances, the bottom side 60 would be above the top side 50. The adhesive strips 164 are connected to a mounting bracket 168 that may be slidably engaged with the device 100. Thiswould allow the device 100 to be disengaged from the mounting bracket 168 and be adhered by the adhesive strips 164 to a surface. While a scented card 200 may be replaced without removing the device 100 from the mounting bracket 168, as shown below, it is necessary to remove the device 100 from the mounting bracket 168 in order to replace batteries.

[0051] The device 100 might be disengaged from the mounting bracket 168 for some other reason such as if the device 100 was going to be moved to a temporary location such as brought on vacation to bring a refreshing scent to a vacation stay.

[0052] FIG. 7 also shows a series of air inlets 180. These air inlets 180 provide incoming air to the blower in the blower housing 400 discussed below.

[0053] FIG. 8 shows the bottom, rear, left side perspective view of device 100 from FIG. 7 but components have been moved laterally to allow them to be discussed. The two adhesive strips 164 have been moved off of the mounting bracket 168.

[0054] Both the battery compartment cover 190 that covers the battery compartment 188 and the corresponding faux battery lid 194 have engagement rails 172 that reversibly engage with the bracket 168.

[0055] FIG. 9 shows the front side 10 of an inverted device 100. The device 100 is being slid to engage with a previously adhered mounting bracket 168. The device 100 is engaging with the mounting bracket 168 by the engagement of the engagement rails 172 on the faux battery cover 194 and the battery cover 190 (not visible here). As the device 100 is inverted, the bottom side 60 of the device 100 is above the top side 50 of the device 100. Air would enter the bottom side 60 of the device through the air inlets 180 and be fed into the blower housing 400 where the motion of the blower would push the air out the blower outlet 404 and into the divider housing inlet 310 which would take the air leaving the blower outlet 404 and bend the flow in the transition zone 350 to the transition zone outlet 354. Now that the pressurized air is on other side of the divider housing 300, the distribution channel rails 304 work to distribute the pressurized air below the scented card 200. The pressurized air traverses the scented card and leaves the device 100 through the set of openings 100 on the opposite side of the device 100 from the air inlets 180.

[0056] FIG. 9 shows the front side 10 of the device 100 as the device 100 is being slid to engage with a previously adhered mounting bracket 168. The engagement rails 172 of the battery cover 190 are already engaged with the mounting bracket 168 but a portion of the front engagement rail 172 of the faux battery cover 194 is visible.

[0057] Card Ejector.

[0058] FIG. 10 shows the top side 50 and right side 20 of the device 100 that has the upper housing 150 (FIG. 1) rendered invisible and the lower housing 160 (FIG. 1) rendered invisible. Also hidden are the mounting bracket 168 (FIG. 8) and the battery cover 190 (FIG. 8). The hidden parts allow a clear view of the system that allows the scented card 200 to be inserted into the device 100 and then to be kicked out sufficiently to be removed and replaced when a user pushes on card ejector button 108.

[0059] The card ejector button 108 is actually part of an elongated ejector bar 820 which translates the motion applied to the card ejector button 108 to an ejector 810 that rotates around a hub 830 that is part of the divider housing 300. A torsion spring 804 and a coil spring 808 (not visible here) complete the system.

[0060] FIG. 11 is a view of the bottom side 60 of the device 100 with the lower housing 160 hidden. Also hidden is the mounting bracket 168 with both adhesive strips 164. From this view, one can see that the card ej ector button 108 as the leading end of the ej ector bar 820 is constrained by the coil spring 808 that presses against the blower housing 400. The ejector bar 820 cannot move too far forward as it is constrained by the screw channel 840.

[0061] FIG. 12 shows some of the components of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 but separated from one another so that the components are easier to see.

[0062] Air Flow.

[0063] FIG. 13 is a cross section of device 100. The cross section shows a perspective view of the bottom side 60 and right side 20 looking from the rear side 30. The mounting bracket 168 with two adhesive strips 164 are visible. Some of the air inlets 180 are visible. The blowerinlet 408 to the blower housing 400 is visible. For sake of clarity, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 which follows do not include a blower as the blower to be used may be any conventional blower.

[0064] Line 910 shows the flow path of air from outside the device 100, through an air inlet 180 and into the blower inlet 408.

[0065] Line 920 shows the flow path of air after leaving the blower outlet 404 (FIG. 14) and being guided by the divider housing inlet 310 to the top side 50 of the divider housing 300 where distribution channel rails 304 help move some of the air to other parts of the scented card 200 before the air crosses the scented card 200 picking up scent during the crossing before leaving the top side 50 of the device through opening 154 in the upper housing 150.

[0066] FIG. 14 shows the same cross section as FIG. 13 but from a different vantage point. The view in FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the top side 50 and left side 40 but again looking from the rear side 30.

[0067] The mounting bracket 168 with two adhesive strips 164 are visible. Some of the air inlets 180 are visible. The blower inlet 408 to the blower housing 400 is visible.

[0068] Line 910 shows the flow path of air from outside the device 100, through an air inlet 180 and into the blower inlet 408.

[0069] Line 920 shows the flow path of air after leaving the blower outlet 404 and being guided by the divider housing inlet 310 to the top side 50 of the divider housing 300 where distribution channel rails 304 help move some of the air to other parts of the scented card 200 before the air crosses the scented card 200 picking up scent during the crossing before leaving the top side 50 of the device through opening 154 in the upper housing 150.

[0070] Suitable Card Stock.

[0071] One of skill in the art will appreciate that a number of different materials may be used to make the scented card 200. A suitable material is card stock that is a cellulose blend fiber with a caliper in the range of 0.095 inches and a basis weight in the range of 330 to 525 lb. / 3MSF. Basis weight is a standard metric in the paper stock industry and is the weight of the paper in pounds for 3000 square feet of paper. The scented card 200 needs to be able to absorb the scent delivery vehicle and allow for release of the scent delivery vehicle over time. The scentedcard 200 also needs to be sufficiently porous to allow the pressurized air to traverse the card stock.

[0072] A suitable card stock is product number EMI Grade 52595. A second suitable card stock is EMI Grade 31595. Both are available from EMI Specialty Papers, Redding Connecticut www. Emipapers. Com.

[0073] Types of Scent Vehicles.

[0074] One of skill in the art will recognize that scents are embedded in a vehicle that carries the scent and eventually becomes airborne. It is expected that the device 100 and scented card 200 will be able to work with conventional scent vehicles such as fragrance oils, essential oils without additives, or other suitable base liquids that have the ability to hold and release scent and the ability to be absorbed by the selected card.

[0075] The scented oil can be applied by any conventional means known to those of skill in the art. One suitable process is a dip and drip process. A card is submerged in the oil for an adequate time to maximize absorption of scented oil. Depending on the type of card used, this may require submersion for approximately 30 seconds. Then the soaked card is set on a horizontal mesh grate so that the excess oil can drip off. Having the drip stage with the card held horizontally helps promote a uniform distribution of retained oil across the entire area of the card.

[0076] Blower Intensity Switch.

[0077] The blower intensity switch 120 may have three settings - off, low, and high. One of the tasks with having a battery-driven device is balancing a desire for a long duration between required battery changes and the desire to provide ample output. One suitable compromise is to have a system that operates on a twenty-four-hour cycle as the humans in the household tend to operate on a twenty-four-hour cycle. So a device 100 used to provide a pleasant scent in a home or office could be initially turned on at 8 am. The device will automatically run for eight hours and then to conserve battery life, stop for sixteen hours. The process will repeat. But even when the device is “on” the blower or fan may not run continuously. A minute of blower time on the high setting is sufficient to fill 150 cubic feet of space. So during the time when the unit is on for the active period, the blower will actually be cycling on for a minute or two and then off for a much longer interval. For example on for two minutes and off for twenty-four minutes.

[0078] Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the active period and rest time could be something other than eight hours and sixteen hours. Twelve and twelve would work. Ten and fourteen would work. Ideally the total of run and rest would be twenty-four hours.

[0079] To alter the start time, simply turn the device off and wait until the new desired start time such as 9 am. Altering the intensity of the blower or fan from low to high will alter the airflow and thus the amount of scent delivered to the environment but will not reset the timers. With good quality batteries, a lifespan for a set of batteries may easily exceed two months. A user may change the blower intensity from low to high on the last few days before replacing a scented card as there is less scent to be picked up by the air traversing the scented card 200. The specific lifespan of the batteries is going to be a function of a number of factors including:• the number and type of slots in the device• the customer choice of batteries as a zinc-carbon battery will not last as long as a high- capacity lithium battery• the type of blower of fan used• the percent of full capacity when the fan or blower is at high• the percent of full capacity when the fan or blower is at low• whether the fan is operated for eight hours each day; and• potentially, the porosity of the scented card.

[0080] One of skill in the art will appreciate that the control system could have more than two blower / fan levels or could have additional blower / fan operation options including that the blower / fan operates off and on throughout the day as a way to keep providing scent throughout the day without rapidly draining the battery.

[0081] Method of Use.

[0082] FIG. 15 shows a process 1000 for using device 100 to provide a desired scent to an indoor area.

[0083] Step 1004 — Obtain device 100, scented card 200, and a set of batteries.

[0084] Step 1008 — Remove the mounting bracket 168 from the device 100 to expose the battery cover 190.

[0085] Step 1012 — Remove the battery cover 190 and install the batteries in the battery compartment 188.

[0086] Step 1016 — Replace the battery cover 190 and the mounting bracket 168.

[0087] Step 1020 — Remove scented card 200 from packaging as scented cards 200 are typically shipped in airtight packaging to prevent premature loss of scent oils.

[0088] Step 1024 — Insert a scented card notch 204 of a scented card 200 into the card input slot 104 until the device 100 clicks. Some scented cards 200 may have a scented card notch 204 at each end.

[0089] Step 1028 — Move the blower intensity switch 120 from off to one of the on positions. This will start the blower which will run intermittently during a prescribed active period, perhaps eight hours and then rest for a prescribed period of twenty-four hours minus the prescribed active period before repeating the cycle.

[0090] Step 1032 — After several days, alter the start time of the blower by turning the blower intensity switch 120 to off and waiting until a new preferred start time to move the blower intensity switch 120 to on. The device 100 will now use the new preferred start time. Thus, the device 100 will now run for the prescribed active period from the new preferred start time and then rest for the prescribed rest time before resuming the cycle at the new preferred start time.

[0091] Step 1036 — Some period of time after Step 1028, push the card ejector button 108 on the device 100 so that the scented card 200 is partially ejected from the device 100 and can be removed.

[0092] Step 1040 — Remove the old scented card 200 and replace with a new scented card 200 by inserting a scented card notch 204 end of a new scented card 200 into the card input slot 104 until the device 100 clicks.

[0093] ALTERNATIVES AND VARIATIONS

[0094] Adhesive Strips.

[0095] Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the number of adhesive strips may be one or more and need not be specifically two elongated rectangles. For applications in kitchens, or laundry rooms, or other places with metal, those of skill in the art will appreciate that magnets may be used in lieu of adhesives to reversibly mount the mounting bracket.

[0096] Not all implementations of the teachings of the present disclosure need a mounting bracket as the device may be placed flat on a horizontal surface rather than under a horizontal surface or on a vertical surface.

[0097] While not preferred, one could implement a more permanent mounting bracket using screws or other mounting techniques that would allow the device 100 to be removed periodically for infrequent activities such as replacing batteries.

[0098] Card Ejector,

[0099] Those of skill in the art will recognize that having a card ejector as described above is a desirable feature for a device that disperses scent through the use of air that is forced across a scented card. But those of skill in the art will also appreciate that there are many different ways of implementing a spring-based ejection mechanism that facilitates removal of the scented card from the device.

[0100] Further, one of skill in the art will appreciate that a device that uses a scented card in a device that uses forced air to pick up scent from a scented card could have a scented card that is inserted into a slot and removed from the slot without any sort of spring mechanism. The options are many. A tweezer or hook type tool may be used. A retrieval cord may be connected to the card. The device may allow the cover to be removed to simply pick up the card and replace the card then put the cover back on.

[0101] Position of Blower Relative to the Scented card.

[0102] The present disclosure shows a blower housing 400 that has a blower outlet 404 that delivers pressurized air that is then guided to one side of scented card 200 before traversing the scented card 200 and egressing the device 100 through a plurality of openings 154. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that if the blower was run in the reverse direction, that air would enter through openings 154 cross the scented card 200 go through the blower housing 400 in the opposite path as described above and egress the device through what were called air inlets 180. While this design would not be optimized as it was optimized for flow in the other direction, this thought exercise illustrates that one of skill in the art could place the scented card 200 before or after the blower housing 400 so that air is either pushed through the scented card 200 or pulled through the scented card 200.

[0103] Thus a more generalized expression of the scope of the present disclosure is a scented card that has air forced through the scented card through the use of a blower as the concept is not tethered to whether the scented card is on the inlet or outlet side of the blower.

[0104] Use of a Fan Rather than a Blower.

[0105] While sometimes people use the two terms interchangeably, a blower has a defined inlet and a defined outlet. Thus, a blow drier is a blower. The blower housing 400 has a blower inlet 408 and a blower outlet 404 and thus we refer to the prime mover intended for use in device 100 as a blower. In contrast, a common box fan moves air generally along an axis from one side to another.

[0106] One of skill in the art could replace the blower housing 400 and various air flow guiding channels of the present disclosure to enjoy the teachings of the present disclosure with the use of a fan that moves air from one side of the device to the other side of the device and causes air to traverse the scented card 200. The term powered air mover would include both a blower and a fan.

[0107] Power Supply.

[0108] The present disclosure teaches a device that uses replaceable batteries. This is a common solution and is anticipated to be the most common implementation used when using the teachings of the present disclosure. One of skill in the art will appreciate that one could use the teachings of the present disclosure with a device that may be plugged into a wall outlet or hard wired into an electrical circuit. Likewise, the device may receive DC power from a circuit in an automobile or a boat if the device is used to provide scent to the interior of a vehicle. More and more devices are powered by solar arrays. It really does not matter what provides the electrical power to drive the blower or fan.

[0109] Packaging Options.

[0110] Those of skill in the art will appreciate that consumer goods are sold in various modes. Thus the device 100 may be sold with a starter pack of scented cards 200, but some vendors may opt to sell the device 100 as a stand-alone item so that the end user can pick what scented card 200 to select. Likewise, the batteries or other power supplies may be sold separately. A vendor may sell a device 100 without a mounting bracket 168 or adhesive strips 164 and allow the end user to purchase those items separately.

[0111] One of skill in the art will recognize that some of the alternative implementations set forth above are not universally mutually exclusive and that in some cases additional implementations can be created that employ aspects of two or more of the variations described above. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific examples or particular embodiments provided to promote understanding of the various teachings of the present disclosure. Moreover, the scope of the claims which follow covers the range of variations, modifications, and substitutes for the components described herein as would be known to those of skill in the art.

[0112] Where methods and / or events described above indicate certain events and / or procedures occurring in a certain order, the ordering of certain events and / or procedures may be modified. Additionally, certain events and / or procedures may be performed concurrently in a parallel process, when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above.

[0113] The legal limitations of the scope of the claimed invention are set forth in the claims that follow and extend to cover their legal equivalents. Those unfamiliar with the legal tests for equivalency should consult a person registered to practice before the patent authority which granted this patent such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office or its counterpart.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A scent delivery device (100) comprising:• a place for receiving a scented card (200),• a powered air mover,• air inlets (180, 154) for the scent delivery device (100) and• a set of openings (154, 180) on the scent delivery device (100); and wherein the powered air mover causes air to move:• through the air inlets (180, 154);• across the scented card (200); and• out the set of openings (154, 180) to bring scent from oils on the scented card into a room containing the scent delivery device (100).

2. A scent delivery device (100) comprising:• a place for receiving a scented card (200),• a scented card (200) in the place for receiving the scented card (200),• a powered air mover,• air inlets (180, 154) for the scent delivery device (100) and• a set of openings (154, 180) on the scent delivery device (100); and wherein the powered air mover causes air to move:• through the air inlets (180, 154);• across the scented card (200); and• out the set of openings (154, 180) to bring scent from oils on the scented card into a room containing the scent delivery device (100).

3. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 2 wherein the scented card (200) is made from card stock that is a cellulose blend fiber with a basis weight in the range of 330 to 525 lb. / 3MS for a caliper of 0.095 inches.

4. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 wherein the powered air mover is a blower.

5. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 4 wherein air leaves a blower housing (400) via a blower outlet (404) and is guided by a divider housing inlet (310) and distribution channel rails (304) so that the air crosses the scented card at several locations.

6. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 wherein the powered air mover is a fan.

7. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 wherein air from an outlet of the powered air mover moves across the scented card (200).

8. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 7 wherein the powered air mover causes air to move:• through the air inlets (180),• through a blower housing (400),• across the scented card (200), and• out the set of openings (154) to bring scent from oils on the scented card into a room containing the scent delivery device (100).

9. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 wherein the powered air mover causes air to move across the scented card (200) before the air enters an inlet of the powered air mover.

10. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 wherein the scent delivery device (100) works on a twenty-four-hour cycle with an active time and a rest time that add up to twenty- four hours; during the rest time, the powered air mover does not operate; and during the active time, the powered air mover operates for a short interval and then pauses for an interval longer than the short interval.

11. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 10 wherein the scent delivery device (100) works on a twenty-four-hour cycle with an active time and a rest time that add up to twenty- four hours; and the twenty-four-hour cycle having a repeating start time that matches a time when the device was switched from off to any non-off mode.

12. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 wherein the scent delivery device (100) works on a twenty-four-hour cycle with an active time and a rest time that add up to twenty- four hours; and the twenty-four-hour cycle having a repeating start time that matches a time when the device was switched from off to any non-off mode.

13. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a set of batteries to provide power to the scent delivery device.

14. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a power supply and an adapter to allow the scent delivery device to be plugged into a wall outlet to receive power.

15. The scent delivery device (100) of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a mounting bracket (168) with adhesive strips (164) to allow the scent delivery device (100) to be mounted below a horizontal surface.

16. A process for using a scent delivery device (100) to deliver scent to a room, the process comprising: obtaining a scent delivery device (100) and a scented card (200); providing an energy source to the scent delivery device (100); installing the scented card (200) into the scent delivery device (100); turning on the scent delivery device (100); once turned on, the energy source will cause a powered air mover to move air: through air inlets (180, 154); across the scented card (200); and out openings (154, 180) to bring scent from oils on the scented card (200) into a room containing the scent deliver device (100).

17. The process for using the scent delivery device (100) to deliver scent to the room of claim 16 wherein the powered air mover pushes air across the scented card (200) to pick up scent.

18. The process for using the scent delivery device (100) to deliver scent to the room of claim 16 wherein the powered air mover pulls air across the scented card (200) to pick up scent.

19. The process of using the scent delivery device (100) to deliver scent to the room of claim 16 wherein an act of turning on the scent delivery device (100) defines a start time for a twenty-four-hour cycle with a prescribed active time and a prescribed rest time; during the prescribed rest time, the powered air mover does not operate; and during the prescribed active time, the powered air mover operates for a short interval followed by a long interval that is longer than the short interval with a pattern repeating until an end of the prescribed active time.

20. The process of using the scent delivery device (100) to deliver scent to the room of claim 19 wherein subsequently turning off the scent delivery device (100) and turning on the scent delivery device (100) after a delay redefines the start time for the twenty-four-hour cycle.

21. The process of using the scent delivery device (100) to deliver scent to the room of claim 19 or 20 wherein subsequently replacing the scented card (200) that is currently in the scent delivery device (100) with a different scented card (200) does not alter the start time for the twenty-four-hour cycle.

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