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BR-112024009288-B1 - A diffusion device for dispersing a substance, which is in a liquid or solid state at room temperature, in the air as vapor.

BR112024009288B1BR 112024009288 B1BR112024009288 B1BR 112024009288B1BR-112024009288-B1

Abstract

DIFFUSION DEVICE FOR DISPERSING A SUBSTANCE, WHICH IS IN THE LIQUID OR SOLID STATE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, IN THE AIR AS VAPOR. The present invention relates to a diffusion device (10; 210; 310; 410; 510) for dispersing in the air, in the vapor state, a substance in the liquid or solid state at room temperature. The diffusion device comprises a receptacle (31). A storage container (60), containing the substance, is retained in the receptacle (31). A porous body (70) has an evaporation surface located in the receptacle (31). A heating element (100) is disposed on or in the porous body (70) so as to control a flow of the substance through the porous body (70). An aeration system comprises an air inlet (98), a fan (120) and an air outlet. The aeration system is configured to create an airflow from the air inlet (98) to the air outlet, which sweeps across the evaporation surface in an upward direction (U) relative to the diffusion device.

Inventors

  • Samuel Dufour
  • Arnaud JOURDAN
  • Philippe Riviere

Assignees

  • CAELIMP

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20221117
Priority Date
20211117

Claims (16)

  1. 1. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410, 510) for dispersing in air, in the vapor state, a substance in the liquid or solid state at ambient temperature, characterized in that it includes: - a receptacle (31); - a storage container (60) for containing the substance and including a drainage hole (61), the storage container (60) being received in the receptacle (31); - a dispensing element positioned at the outlet of the drainage hole (61) and connected to the drainage hole (61), the dispensing element comprising a porous body (70), having an evaporation surface situated in the receptacle (31), the storage container (60) being received in the receptacle (31) such that the drainage hole (61) is oriented towards the porous body (70) in a downward direction (D) of the diffusion apparatus, and the porous body (70) being situated beyond the drainage hole (61), in the downward direction. (D) of the diffusion apparatus; - a heating element (100) disposed on or in the porous body (70) to control the flow of the substance through the porous body (70); and an aeration system comprising an air inlet (98), at least one fan (120) and at least one air outlet (33; 449; 569), the aeration system being configured to create an airflow from the air inlet (98) to said at least one air outlet and sweep the evaporation surface in an upward direction (U) of the diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410, 510), opposite to the downward direction (D), the diffusion apparatus being intended for use in a position of use in which the downward direction (D) is directed downwards and the upward direction (U) is directed upwards in relation to the acceleration due to gravity, wherein the substance is a liquid substance having a viscosity that varies with temperature, said viscosity being such that, in the position of use, the substance cannot flow through the porous body (70) at any ambient temperature below a first temperature, the first temperature being above 0°C, and the substance flows through the porous body (70), at a second temperature above the first temperature.
  2. 2. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310), according to claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle (31) discharges into the open air through an opening (33), oriented in the upward direction (U) of the diffusion apparatus, the opening (33) forming the air outlet or one of said air outlets of the aeration system.
  3. 3. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310), according to claim 2, characterized in that the drainage orifice (61) is located at a first end of the storage container (60), and the storage container (60) has, at a second end opposite to the first end, a divergent part (62, 63), which facilitates holding the storage container, and beyond the opening (33), in the upward direction (U) of the diffusion apparatus, so as to divert the airflow, which exits the opening (33), to a periphery of the diffusion apparatus.
  4. 4. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fan (120) is located beyond the porous body (70), in the downward direction (D) of the diffusion apparatus.
  5. 5. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the air inlet (98) is beyond the porous body (70), in the downward direction (D) of the diffusion apparatus.
  6. 6. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the aeration system further includes an air guide element (130), the air guide element (130) including at least one passage orifice (131), facing the evaporation surface.
  7. 7. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the heating element (100) comprises an electrical resistance (110), placed directly on an external surface of the porous body (70) or received in part at an opening (75), preferably a blind opening, in the porous body (70).
  8. 8. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to claims 6 and 7, collectively, characterized in that the heating element (100) extends through the air guide element (130).
  9. 9. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it further comprises an electronic circuit board (150), the electrical resistance (110) being supplied with electricity by the electronic circuit board (150).
  10. 10. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it further comprises a control device, configured to control the heating element as a function of a temperature reference point in the porous body (70).
  11. 11. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to claims 9 and 10 together, characterized in that the control device is located on the electronic circuit board (150).
  12. 12. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the control device is further configured to control an operating speed of the fan (120).
  13. 13. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the substance includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of odoriferous agents usable on humans or animals, semiochemical substances, cosmetic agents, essential oils, perfumes, disinfectants, odor-neutralizing agents, and phytosanitary and agricultural agents.
  14. 14. Diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), according to claim 13, characterized in that the substance includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of odoriferous agents usable by humans, cosmetic agents, essential oils, perfumes, disinfectants and odor neutralizing agents.
  15. 15. Use of a diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510), as defined in any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it is for dispersing in air, in the vapor state, a substance in the liquid or solid state at ambient temperature, wherein the diffusion apparatus is in the position of use, the downward direction (D) of the diffusion apparatus being directed towards the bottom in relation to the acceleration due to gravity.
  16. 16. Use according to claim 15, characterized in that the diffusion apparatus (10; 210; 310; 410; 510) is located in an enclosed space or in a place protected from precipitation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to the field of diffusion apparatus designed to disperse in air, in the vapor state, a substance in the liquid or solid state at ambient temperature. PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE [0002] A diffusion apparatus of the type mentioned above is known, for example, from document WO 2019/243734 A1. In this apparatus, a storage container containing the substance is connected to a dispensing element. The dispensing element includes microchannels, which form an outlet arranged in the channel to constitute a zone in which the substance evaporates. A heating element is arranged on or in the dispensing element in order to control the flow of the substance through the dispensing element. A fan generates an airflow that sweeps the evaporation surface. In some embodiments, the dispensing element is located below the storage container, in the direction of acceleration due to gravity and the airflow generated by the fan, which sweeps the evaporation surface in the direction of acceleration due to gravity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0003] The invention proposes a diffusion apparatus for dispersing in air, in the vapor state, a substance in the liquid or solid state at ambient temperature, the diffusion apparatus including: - a receptacle; - a storage container containing the substance and including a drainage hole, the storage container being received in the receptacle so that the drainage hole is oriented in a downward direction from the diffusion apparatus; - a dispensing element positioned at the outlet of the drainage hole and connected to the drainage hole, the dispensing element comprising a porous body having an evaporation surface and being situated beyond the drainage hole, in the downward direction from the diffusion apparatus; - a heating element disposed on or in the porous body so as to control a flow of the substance through the porous body; (e) an aeration system comprising an air inlet, at least one fan and at least one air outlet, the aeration system being configured to create an airflow from the air inlet to said at least one air outlet and sweep the evaporation surface in an upward direction from the diffusion apparatus opposite to the downward direction. [0004] The diffusion apparatus is intended to be used in a position of use in which the downward direction is downward and the upward direction is upward with respect to the acceleration due to gravity. In the position of use, the acceleration due to gravity constitutes a driving force, capable of contributing to generating a flow of the substance from the drainage orifice to the evaporation surface and, therefore, in the downward direction. [0005] The heating element enables control of the flow of the substance through the porous body, simply by heating or not heating the porous body. The physical principles that support this control of the flow of the substance through the porous body are described in the document WO 2019/243734 A1 already cited above and in the document WO 2020/254733 A1. [0006] As described in the documents mentioned above, the heat produced by the heating element reduces the dynamic viscosity of the substance, which allows the fluid to circulate in the dispensing element according to Darcy's law and then spread on the surface of said dispensing element. Without the introduction of heat, the flow is fixed because the sum of the adhesions on the dispensing element conforms to Jurin's law. In other words, the flow is allowed by the dispensing element when hot, but is stopped at room temperature by the adhesion force between the fluid and the surface of the dispensing element. [0007] To allow this flow through the dispensing element, it is necessary to heat the dispensing element until a reference temperature is reached. The reference temperature can be selected so that the substance flows at a sufficiently low rate to prevent the formation of droplets that detach from the dispensing element when the dispensing element is at the reference temperature (this phenomenon is hereinafter referred to as "dripping"). [0008] However, before the dispensing element reaches thermal equilibrium at the reference temperature, the dispensing element is in a transient regime, which can last for approximately 5 to 20 minutes. The applicant has found that, even if the reference temperature is selected to prevent dripping at thermal equilibrium, dripping can occur in the transient regime. In this case, dripping is undesirable because the substance dripping in this way does not evaporate as required at the level of the dispensing element, and may even be lost if it escapes from the diffusion apparatus. This is particularly undesirable if the diffusion apparatus is used for short periods, for example, on the order of one hour to a few consecutive hours, because the duration of the transient regime is not negligible compared to the duration of use of the diffusion apparatus. [0009] It has been observed that if the aerati