Air flow scent enhancer

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS NONE

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0001] Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX NOT APPLICABLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to an air flow scent enhancer apparatus and system, in general, and to such apparatus as is usable in combination with the ductwork of a hot air heating system or a central air conditioning system in a home or office, in particular.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] The benefits of battery operated air fresheners in public restroom use have been known for some time. However, its applicability in home or office use is not only generally impractical, but to incorporate such air fresheners in every room is cost prohibitive at best. Still, having an ability to introduce a pleasant scent throughout the home or office to mask odors or otherwise would be a desirable thing to have especially if the cost to do so were kept down and reasonably low. Those continuously operating plug-in air freshening units powered from a wall outlet suffer the disadvantages that once activated, the gels employed are used up within a 30 days period, while their expense militates against their use in every room of the home or office. Several of these plug-in manufactures, furthermore, become even more undesirable, in their having to be replaced entirely, rather than just replacing the scent air freshener, deodorizer or disinfectant employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] As will become clear from the following description, the air flow scent enhancing apparatus of the present invention proceeds upon the recognition that there exists in just about every home and/or office complex, a hot air heating system or a central air conditioning system connectable by various ductwork. Recognizing further that the blowers in such systems periodically go “on” and “off”, the present invention proceeds to utilize the forced air that flows when “on” to, itself, actuate a spray dispenser of air freshener, deodorizer or disinfectant to discharge its spray into the ductwork so as to be carried along into every room of the home or office by the forced air then flowing. As will become clear from the following description, a pressure differential switch is employed to sense the presence of such forced air flow in actuating an electrical circuit and connected motor in a preferred embodiment, to control a cam in actuating, for example, the pressure cap of an aerosol can spray, whose discharge nozzle is then connected by a hose which extends into the system ductwork. In accordance with the invention, the electrical circuit can be designed by those skilled in the art to dispense the air freshening, deodorizing or disinfectant spray a predetermined time interval (as 1, 2 or 3 seconds), at a repetition rate or frequency of every 15, 20 or 25 minutes, for example—in any instance, only for so long a period of time as the blower continues to force along the air flow.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the air flow scent enhancing apparatus includes a housing with a removable cover in providing access to insert the aerosol can or other spray dispenser, and to replace it when emptied. The housing may likewise incorporate one or more adapters to mount or connect with a side of the ductwork found, along with an outlet to extend the hose at one end to a discharge nozzle of the dispenser—and at an opposite end, through a hole made in the ductwork so as to introduce the spray to be carried about by the forced air flow. By so doing, the apparatus of the invention will be seen to additionally provide a manner by which dust and/or bacteria buildup within the ductwork can similarly be cleaned and blown away—all in an arrangement that can be installed simply and easily in a matter of just a few minutes, as by providing a mounting hole(s) on the ductwork, and by providing an input port adjacent the housing to receive the hose coupling. With the pressure differential switch also extending into the ductwork through yet a further opening made by the user, once the forced air flow is sensed, the electric circuit is actuated to generate the air freshening, deodorizing or disinfecting spray for the time interval selected, and to be repeated at regular intervals while the blower continues to operate. Just to replenish the scent at a later date, even when the heating or air conditioning system is not “on”, the homeowner or office worker can simply turn on a “fan” switch at the controlling thermostat—and, in this manner generate a forced air flow which is detected by the pressure differential switch sensor within the confines of the duct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] FIGS. <b>1</b>-<b>3</b> are schematic views of a preferred housing of the invention, with its cover removed, helpful in an understanding of its construction;

[0010] FIGS. <b>4</b>-<b>5</b> are pictorial views helpful in an understanding of the housing unit of FIGS. <b>1</b>-<b>3</b> as it would be employed with the ductwork of a hot air heating system or central air conditioning system of a home or office complex; and

[0011]FIG. 6 is a front view of the housing of the invention with its cover in place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In the Drawings, the housing <b>10</b>, with a front cover <b>12</b> and with a manufacturer's nameplate <b>14</b>, is mountable on a side of the ductwork <b>15</b> of a hot air heating system or central air conditioning system in a home or office complex (not shown) by one or more self tapping screws <b>16</b> through mounting apertures in the rear of the housing, as at <b>18</b>. Removing the front cover <b>12</b> reveals the configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2, while removing its service cover <b>20</b> provides the presentation of FIG. 3 with the spray dispenser set aside. Such dispenser <b>22</b>, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is secured in place by a series of clips <b>23</b> which enable the dispenser <b>22</b> to be releasably snapped in place. A further series of screws, emplaced at <b>24</b>, fix the service cover <b>20</b> in position.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, the housing <b>10</b> includes an electric circuit board <b>30</b> having its own “on-off” switch <b>32</b>. The components of the circuitry are shown at <b>34</b>, and are powered by a battery source, generally shown at <b>36</b>. Such circuit board <b>30</b> couples in turn to an internal motor <b>35</b> for driving a cam <b>37</b>. Coupled with the circuit board <b>30</b> is a pressure differential switch <b>39</b>, having an appropriate sensing tube <b>38</b> which extends from within the housing <b>10</b> through an aperture <b>40</b> into the ductwork <b>15</b> by means of a hole <b>42</b> cut into the ductwork by the homeowner or office worker. If desired, a selector control <b>41</b> is also provided within the service compartment <b>25</b> to allow a user to vary the timing of the operation of the electric circuit board <b>30</b> in well known manner to vary the duration of a resultant spray of, for example, 1, 2, or 3 seconds—depending upon whether the spray to be injected is to be of a “low”, “medium”, or “high” strength effect.

[0014] Such spray is produced by the dispenser <b>22</b>—which may be of any available type, such as an aerosol can. As illustrated, in FIG. 2, with the switch <b>32</b> in its “OFF” position, the electric circuit board <b>30</b> co-acts with the internal motor <b>35</b> to retract the actuator cam <b>37</b> away from the pressure control <b>46</b> of the dispenser in producing no effective spray. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, with the sensing tube <b>38</b> of the pressure differential switch <b>39</b> detecting a blower flow of forced-air in the ductwork <b>15</b>, and with the switch <b>32</b> in its “ON” position, the electric circuit board <b>30</b> and motor <b>35</b> operate in a direction to force the actuator cam <b>37</b> against the pressure control <b>46</b>, in discharging its spray. However in securing the dispenser <b>22</b> in position between its securing clips <b>23</b>, its orientation is such that the discharge nozzle of the dispenser <b>22</b> extends rearwardly towards an aperture <b>29</b> of the housing <b>10</b> (as in FIGS. 4 and 50) to join with a hose <b>50</b> coupling the nozzle through the housing <b>10</b> and into the ductwork <b>15</b>. Such hose <b>50</b> thereby sprays a misted product <b>54</b> (in the nature of an air freshener, a deodorizer, or a disinfectant, for example) into the ductwork <b>15</b>, to be carried along into the various rooms of the home or office complex served by the ductwork <b>15</b>, as the blower continues to operate. This second ductwork aperture <b>56</b> is likewise cut into the ductwork <b>15</b> by the user which, together with the cutting of the aperture <b>42</b> and the insertion of the self-tapping screw(s) <b>16</b>, should take no more than a matter of a few minutes.

[0015] As will be appreciated, appropriate design of the electric circuit board <b>30</b>—with, or without the user provided adjustment via the selector control <b>41</b>—allows setting a repetition rate as to when the spray operation by the actuator cam <b>37</b> repeats in establishing recurring sprays at 15, 20, 25, etc. minute intervals, as desired. On the other hand, once a forced air flow detected by the pressure differential switch <b>39</b> ends, an interruption occurs in the electric circuit board operation to deactivate the motor <b>35</b> and the actuator cam <b>37</b> in disconnecting any spray that may be ongoing, and in preventing a recurrent spray until the pressure differential switch <b>39</b> once again recognizes the presence of the blower induced forced air flow.

[0016] In such manner, a single spray dispenser is utilizable in freshening, deodorizing and/or disinfecting the air in each room of the home or office complex, substantially simultaneously. Not only is just one dispenser required, but only one needs to be replaced when empty. Because the operation can be turned “on” or “off” by the switch control <b>32</b>, the scent dispensing is provided only at a time desired by the user, instead of “continuously” with those types of plug-in units presently being marketed for individual room control. And, of equal importance, the length of the dispensing spray, along with its repetition rate, are controllable timewise, to be effective only when the blower is operating during the heating or air conditioning cycle, or when it is just desired to “freshen” the home or office by turning “on” the system fan.

[0017] While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated that modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the teachings herein. For example, whereas the present invention has been described in the context of one where the dispensing spray insertion into the ductwork automatically ceases once the blower shuts off, the electric circuitry of the board <b>30</b> can be designed to allow a measured time delay of operation even after the pressure differential switch <b>39</b> senses the cut off of forced air flow. The air flow scent enhancing apparatus will continue to operate in providing its advantages over the prior art constructions and, for at least such reason, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the invention.