KR20030020884A - Actives dispenser with offset electrical plug - Google Patents

Abstract

Dispensers of active substances, such as air fresheners or insecticides, include an "offset" adapter for plugging into a vertical double wall outlet, whereby the effective position of the dispenser's electrical plug is sufficiently low that it can be plugged into the upper The bottom set is fully exposed and available for use. The distributor also blocks and prevents the use of the upper one when the lower one is filled with a plug. In this way, the consumer is prevented from plugging another appliance or device into a con- tact that can be contacted by the steam dispensed by the dispenser.

Description

ACTIVES DISPENSER WITH OFFSET ELECTRICAL PLUG}

The need for effective suppression of odors in the air of homes and enclosed public buildings by masking or destroying odors or by creating a pleasant or satisfying odor such as fragrances is an important requirement for insect control substances to kill or prevent insects. It is recognized as widely as distribution. Various types of steam-distributing apparatus have been used for this purpose. The most common of such devices is an aerosol container that sprays instantaneous drops of air freshener composition into the air. Another common type of dispensing device is a dish that contains or supports a body of gelatinous material, which releases the evaporated composition into the atmosphere as it dries and shrinks. Other products, such as deodorant masses, are also used to distribute the air treatment vapor to the atmosphere by evaporation. Another group of vapor-distributing devices utilize carrier materials such as cardboard filled or coated with evaporative compositions.

Many recent developments include liquid air-treatment compositions in seals, in whole or in part, formed of polymeric films, through which the air-treatment composition can be released and migrated as vapor on the outer surface. Using this type of osmotic polymeric membrane is easy to control the distribution of air-treated steam and eliminate large changes in the distribution rate over the life of the product.

Wicking devices for distributing volatile liquids, such as fragrances, deodorants, sterilants, or insecticide actives, into the atmosphere are also well known. Representative wick devices utilize a combination of wicks and diverging zones to distribute volatile liquids in liquid reservoirs. Representative wicking devices are described in US Pat. Nos. 2,802,695, which is incorporated herein by reference; 2,804,291; 3,550,853; 4,286,754; 4,286,754; 4,413,779; 4,413,779; 4,913,350; 4,913,350; And 5,000,383.

Of particular interest in the present invention is a wick dispensing apparatus in which the wicking action is promoted by a heat source. Wick devices of this type are described, for example, in US Pat. No. 1,994,932; 2,597,195; 3,431,393; 4,020,321; 4,968,487; 5,038,394; And 5,290,546, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Dividers in the form of various electrical plugs are known in the art. One such dispenser is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,038,394 (Hasegawa et al.). This document discloses a cordless liquid type evaporator, the body of which is removable in the form of a cap for heating the wick to draw chemicals from the bottom, and a bottle underneath and attached to the heater to attach to it. It has a socket that can be installed. The body is designed to be attached to an electrical outlet with reduced weight and stability. The solution bottle can be attached directly to the socket of the body and can be easily replaced. In essence, the patent relates to a thermal evaporator wherein an electric wick warmer is near the top of the assembly and the bottle contains evaporative chemicals suspended thereunder. Also, in the reference, the plug placed behind the evaporator body rotates in the range of 0 to 90 degrees so that the arrangement of the plug blades can be selectively changed in the vertical or horizontal direction, so that the evaporator can be used in the electrical outlet in the vertical or horizontal direction. To suit.

In another example, U.S. Patent No. 4,731,520 (Gluxman et al.) Discloses an aroma dispensing device comprising a replaceable and consumable cartridge containing an aroma generating liquid, and a diffusion comprising a heater assembly and a blade coupling the heater assembly to an electrical outlet. A housing is disclosed. In this patent, the electrical plug lies in the lower part of the dispenser, and the top aroma mass is shown in the figure, including the central heater assembly and the mass of liquid absorbent material filled with the liquid to be evaporated. In use, the dispenser is plugged into the outlet and the heater warms the air, past the aroma mass, causing the absorbed liquid to evaporate and exit the top of the device. Although not described above, as a substitute for a normal outlet faceplate on an electrical outlet in normal use, a mounting bolt centered to attach the device directly to the electrical outlet is also illustrated in the figures. Thus, such devices require removal of the outlet faceplate for installation and use, and are not suitable for simply plugging into an outlet of one of a pair of vertical outlets.

U. S. Patent No. 5,647, 053 (Schroeder et al.) Discloses a vapor distribution device comprising an electric wick for heating a container and agglomerates of liquid to be dispensed, wherein the electric plug is rotatable about an axis parallel to the plug pin. . Dispensers of this type are examples of those to which the present invention may be applied.

Accordingly, it is well known to provide an electrical heating device for dispensing substances such as air fresheners and insect control substances. Such devices generally include a reservoir of volatile liquid to be dispensed, an electric heater to warm up the volatile material to allow for easier evaporation, and an electrical plug to plug the device into an electrical outlet for a power source. However, it is also well known that when a plug of such a device is plugged into the lower outlet of a vertical double outlet, the consumer will choose to use the top outlet for another plug-in device, for example a night light or an electrical cord for appliances. . Thus, such a device may be exposed to steam or fumes of potential accumulation concentrations from the underlying electrically heated evaporation unit. Certain devices, such as nightlights, are often manufactured at low cost, making it easy to produce polymeric materials such as, for example, polystyrene. While these polymeric materials meet the requirements for home electrical components, they generally exhibit poor chemical resistance. In addition, some fragrance oils and other liquid compositions employed for use with electrically heated evaporation units may include elements that can cause plasticization of polymeric materials often used in such other devices. The plasticization of the polymeric seals of these other devices can expose or shorten the electrical elements through which electricity flows, thereby creating a risk of shock or fire to the consumer.

Accordingly, the present invention is intended to prevent the consumer from using the top outlet when the distributor is plugged into the bottom outlet of the dual outlets in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to only liquid dispensing media, but utilizes a gel, solid, or solid source filled with the material to be dispensed, which source is not only an electrically heated dispenser to increase or control the rate of distribution, It can also be applied to dispensers which employ heated wicking means for the distribution of evaporative liquids. Another aspect of the invention is that when the distributor is plugged into the upper outlet of a vertical dual outlet, such as is commonly used in North American electrical outlets, the lower outlet is fully exposed to insert a conventional plug such as for appliances or other devices. It is possible to change the position of the electrical plug of the heater unit in the distributor body which is low enough to be used.

In accordance with the present invention, it is desirable that an electrical plug-in dispenser with a liquid reservoir be manufactured to prevent other items from being plugged directly above so that consumers do not place such items in a hazardous area as possible. In addition, the warming unit of the present invention is preferably combined with a rotatable electric plug so that the distributor can be used in a horizontal electrical outlet and keep the warming unit and the reservoir in a vertical position. In an electrical outlet in this direction, no other electrical device can be placed directly above the distributor and will not pose a potential stability threat.

Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a distributor suitable for direct insertion into a wall outlet, but none of the conventional distributors have focused on the problems raised by the present invention.

The present invention generally relates to distributors of evaporative material. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus for dispensing fragrances or air fresheners, or other substances in vapor form in an enclosed environment for air cleaning, insect control, or other purposes. The improvement disclosed in the present invention relates, in particular, to accessories for electric plug-in air freshener devices or insect control systems of the type which warm the dispensing active ingredient with an electric heater. This improvement relates in particular to the plug-in unit in which the electric plug and the heater are placed on top of the assembly, ie the most common type of electric air cleaner dispenser.

1 is a perspective view showing the back of a representative common plug-in active dispenser, showing the relative positions of the various components,

2 to 4 are exploded perspective views of various types of distributor and adapter assemblies according to the invention,

5 is an exploded perspective view of an adapter suitable for use in the present invention,

6 is an exploded perspective view of a distributor variant of the present invention having a rotatable offset plug,

7 is a perspective view of the assembled dispenser of FIG. 6,

8 and 9 are exploded perspective views of yet another dispenser of the present invention.

In one aspect, the present invention includes a means for modifying an existing plug-in dispenser by providing an easily attachable adapter that prevents the dispenser from being used in an inappropriate manner.

In another aspect, the present invention includes a novel design plug-in distributor in which the electrical plug lies in a manner to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

In still another aspect, the present invention includes an adapter suitable for attachment to a conventional plug-in dispenser such that when the plug is plugged in, the unit offsets the electrical plug to the extent necessary to disallow use of the outlet on the distribution unit. . In addition, the adapter may be configured such that a distribution unit is used for the upper outlet of the electrical outlet in the vertical direction without preventing the use of the lower outlet for another appliance plug or device.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a change to the housing of the electrically heated evaporation unit is such that the device is attached with an adapter having a length of about 1¾ inch, or a means for lowering or offsetting the plug to a suitable length. When placed in the top of the outlets, the bottom of the evaporation unit is above the bottom outlet enough to fully expose the bottom outlet so that it can be used. At the same time, if the device is placed in the lower of the dual electrical outlets in the vertical direction, the distribution device will prevent the upper outlet from being used. When the adapter is provided with a rotatable electrical plug as described herein, the electrically heated plug-in distributor can be used for one of the horizontal outlets without losing access to the other outlet.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrically heated evaporator distributor which can be used in an upper outlet of a vertically placed outlet without inhibiting the use of an adapter for the plug-in, the lower outlet. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrically heated plug-in evaporation distributor which does not interfere with the use of the lower outlet when the electrically heated plug-in evaporation distributor is used in the upper outlet but which prevents the use of the upper outlet when it is used in the lower outlet. It is.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent inadvertent degradation or damage of the electrical plug or device by preventing the plug or device from being used in contact with the volatiles dispensed by the volatile plug-in distributor.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electrically heated plug-in distributor for use in any of the vertically placed electrical outlets, such as those commonly used in North America, or in general in other parts of the world, and more common in North America. It is intended to provide a means to be oriented properly for use in electrical outlets placed on the ground. This object is achieved by using a plug that can rotate up to 90 degrees to maintain the vertical orientation of the plug-in dispenser and the liquid reservoir, regardless of the direction of the electrical outlet into which the plug is plugged.

One or more objects of the present invention are achieved by supplying an electrically heated plug-in activator dispenser adapted to be engaged and supported by an electrical outlet,

The distributor is:

(a) a liquid reservoir chamber of volatile actives having means for releasing volatile actives into the atmosphere;

(b) an electrical heating element attached within a hollow body arranged to hold the electrical heating element relative to the liquid reservoir chamber; And

(c) an electrical plug element in electrical contact with the heating element, the liquid reservoir chamber having at least two metal blades extending behind the hollow body to engage an electrical outlet for conducting current to the heating element. An electrical plug element such that the evaporation of the active material from the air to the atmosphere is enhanced by heat;

The electrical plug element is offset from the heating element by a distance sufficient to fully expose the lower outlet when plugged into the upper outlet of the vertical electrical outlet.

In the dispenser manufactured according to the invention, the electrical plug element can be rotated optionally up to 90 degrees to insert the blade into an electrical outlet in the vertical or horizontal direction.

One or more objects of the invention are attached to a "offsetting" electrical adapter which is deformed and engaged by an electrically heated active material plug-in distributor and is supported by an electrical outlet, whereby a combination of elements comprising Further achieved by providing an active material dispenser that is an assembly,

The plug-in splitter is:

(a) a liquid reservoir chamber of volatile actives having means for releasing volatile actives into the atmosphere;

(b) an electrical heating element attached within the hollow body configured to hold the electrical heating element relative to the liquid reservoir chamber; And

(c) a distributor plug element in electrical contact with the heating element, having at least two metal blades extending to the rear of the hollow body to engage an electrical outlet for the distributor plug element to conduct electrical current to the heating element; A distributor plug element in which the evaporation of the active material to the atmosphere is enhanced by heat;

The "offset" adapter is:

(d) an outlet at the front of the distributor plug element;

(e) a conductor extending downward from the outlet; And

(f) an adapter body having an adapter plug element that engages with an external electrical outlet and conducts current from the external electrical outlet to the outlet for the distributor plug element, including at least two metal blades that contact the conductor and extend outwardly from the back side. It includes;

The adapter plug element is offset from the heating element by a distance sufficient to fully expose the lower outlet when the plug is plugged into the upper outlet of the vertical outlet.

In this embodiment of the invention, the metal blade that engages the electrical outlet may be rotatable, but is not required to.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is achieved by providing an adapter for attachment to a distributor of active material, the distributor comprising a reservoir of active material, an electrical heating element, and an electrical plug,

The adapter is:

(a) an outlet for an electrical plug of the distributor, placed on top of the adapter and facing the electrical plug of the distributor;

(b) an adapter plug for inserting the adapter into an ordinary outlet of an electrical wall outlet, the adapter plug being placed under the adapter and facing in a direction opposite to that faced by the outlet for the electrical plug of the distributor; And

(c) an electrical circuit diagram providing a path for electrical flow between the adapter plug and an electrical plug outlet of the distributor such that electricity can be conducted between the wall outlet and the electrical plug of the distributor;

The adapter plug is offset from the heating element by a distance sufficient to fully expose the lower outlet when plugged into the upper outlet of the vertical wall outlet.

Thus, the elements of the present invention may include means for causing the distributor of active material to offset the electrical plug of the distributor at approximately 1.75 inches, or approximately the distance between centerlines of the plug outlet of a conventional electrical wall outlet. Such an adapter may take the form of a "bridge" adapter or include a new back cover for sealing the back of the dispenser.

In addition, such an adapter may be part of a dispenser sold to a consumer, or may be provided as a separate element to be used by the consumer to adapt a separately purchased dispenser unit, and the active element to be dispensed is placed thereon. It is an object of the present invention to provide a consumer means that does not cause damage to an electrical element inserted into an outlet.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. The following descriptions are merely preferred embodiments, and therefore, claims should be considered to understand the full scope of the invention.

The present invention provides improvements and stability enhancements over conventional electrically heated dispensers for air fresheners or other volatiles. Although the specification is written in the term air freshener, it should be understood that the invention is also applicable to electrically heated dispensers of various other volatile materials, such as insect control devices. The substances most commonly dispersed by such dispensers are aromas, air fresheners, deodorants, odor removers, odor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellents, pharmaceuticals, sterilizers, fungicides, mood enhancers, aromatherapy compositions, their Volatiles selected from the group consisting of mixtures, and other volatiles that are readily dispersed by evaporation over long periods of time when heat is supplied to the electrically heated distributor. Dispensing means, often using wicks for dispersible liquids, are known in the art. It is used to diffuse air-treated steam into the atmosphere by evaporation into injected plastic or ceramic substrates, or other distribution products such as deodorant masses. Another form of such passive dispenser is also a liquid comprising a time releaseable dispersible material through the porous cover of the cartridge, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,788,155 (Martin et al.), Which is incorporated herein by reference. Gel cartridge. The dispensers of the present invention are usually referred to as passive and require no action by the consumer other than plugging the plug into an electrical outlet, but with a relatively low dispersion compared to the dispersion rate of an active dispenser such as an aerosol or pump activated spray. And distributing dispersible materials by evaporation, sublimation, etc., under the influence of elevated temperature for a period of time.

Many of the independent electrical cords that connect to an electrical source can be used to heat a resistive thermal element near a source of evaporable material contained in the distributor (hereinafter referred to as activity) to heat the activity and allow its more efficient evaporation to occur. Dispensers are known. Similarly, it is designed to plug directly into a wall outlet, has a plug-in construction, and the support means are arranged right inside the distributor, so that the distributor is held in place by the plug when the plug is inserted into the wall outlet. Many distributors with are known. An example of such a plug-in distributor is S.C. These are sold under the trademark Glade® of Johnson and Sun (Raisin, Wisconsin). The present invention is in particular considered an improvement on such distributors.

When the plug-in distributor is inserted into the lower one of the vertical double wall outlets, depending on the size and shape of the plug-in distributor, the lower outlet may be connected to another electrical device, such as a plug of an electrical appliance, or another plug-in device such as a night-light. It is known that it can be used. Conversely, when the plug-in distributor is plugged into the top plug of the wall outlet in the vertical direction, most such plug-in distributors are not in use mainly due to the fact that the plugs line up straight with the heater part of the distributor. This allows the active reservoir to be suspended under the distributor, resulting in maximum stability as a result of the lower back of the distributor or reservoir in contact with the outer surface of the lower outlet, thus limiting potential rotation of the distributor at the outlet. Thus, this type of plug-in activator dispenser often prevents the use of a second or lower outlet of the wall outlet in the vertical direction when plugged into the top outlet. In the example where the shape and / or size of the distributor unit allows it to be inserted into the lower outlet of the dual outlets in the vertical direction so that the upper outlet is freely used, all plugs inserted into the upper outlet are brought into contact with the active vapor to be dispensed. In many such examples, the activity may include a solvent that may collect on the surface of another device or device that plugs directly into the top outlet. This in turn can lead to deterioration or degradation of other devices or appliances, which in turn can cause short cycles or damage. For example, the fragrance oils often used in air cleaners include solvents or compositions that can cause plasticization of plastics such as styrene, which are often used for the manufacture of night-lights, for example, due to low cost and ease of manufacture. Is used.

The present invention provides a means by which both of the wall outlets in the vertical direction can be used without inconvenient or potentially dangerous consequences. One means is by offsetting the electrical plug of the plug-in dispenser that is sufficiently active that the distributor can be used in the upper outlet without disturbing the use of the lower outlet. Thus, a key element of the present invention is to ensure that the electrical outlet of the distributor is positioned low enough at the rear of the distributor so that when the distributor is plugged into the upper outlet of the dual outlets in the vertical direction, the lower outlet can be fully exposed and used. . In addition, if the consumer chooses to insert the plug-in dispenser of the present invention into the lower outlet, the upper outlet is blocked to prevent the consumer from inadvertently plugging the night-light (e.g. Avoid placing them in vapors that can exacerbate or degrade them.

In addition, when the rotatable plug is used in the present invention, the distributor can be placed in any of the outlets of the cord in the horizontal direction while maintaining the distributor in the vertical direction, thereby preventing leakage from the reservoir containing the activity. In such situations, the dispenser of the present invention will avoid other electrical devices or appliances placed directly above the dispenser and in the volatile path to be dispensed.

This improvement is achieved by providing an offset means for the distributor plug. As mentioned above, a conventional plug-in dispenser has a plug that lies above, generally on top of, the dispenser. 1 is a rear perspective view of an electrically heated distributor showing a representative structure. An electrically heated dispenser 1 with an outer housing or cover 2 is shown. In the housing, although not shown, a replaceable reservoir for the active substance to be dispensed exists, for example, in the form of an inserted bottle with wick means and a heating means located close to the active substance in order to evaporate the activity more quickly. In addition, although not shown, there are electrical circuits or paths necessary for conducting electricity to the heater in the external heater plug 3. The dispenser illustrated can be plugged directly into a wall outlet, generally having a decorative marking or pattern on the exterior, in particular the front, and facing the consumer when the dispenser is plugged into the wall outlet. This type of distributor can be inserted into one of the dual outlets in the vertical direction. When inserted into the top outlet, it can be seen that the bottom of the distributor will interfere with the use of the bottom outlet thanks to the relatively high position of the plug. In contrast, when the distributor is inserted into the lower outlet, the upper outlet will be used for the insertion of another plug or appliance, which will be exposed to the steam generated by the distributor and thus possibly damaged.

FIG. 2 illustrates the use of an adapter combined with an active substance dispenser such as that shown in FIG. 1. The adapter 6 is configured to have an outlet (not shown) placed in front of it for receiving a metal blade of the heater plug of the distributor 4. The heater plug blades are preferably reduced to make the adapter smaller, reducing the distance that the distributor moves out of the wall outlet by the adapter. Internally, the adapter has an electrical circuit diagram for providing an electrical flow path between the external offset plug 7 placed near the lower edge of the back of the adapter and the outlet for the heater plug. The internal circuit diagram can have any suitable form, such as connecting wires, printed circuit diagrams, printed metal films, conductive blades, and the like. Thus, when the distributor plug is inserted into the adapter and the adapter is inserted into the wall outlet, the electrical flow is supplied to the heater element in the housing of the distributor, causing the active material to heat up and evaporate. For higher stability, various means can be used to attach the adapter to the distributor in addition to inserting the heater plug 4 into the adapter outlet. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a male mounting pin 8 can be inserted into an appropriately sized hole or receiver 5 in the housing of the distributor unit to hold the adapter in place. The pin or other support means may be designed to be removably fixed to the dispensing unit or to be permanently attached. Preferably, the length between the centerline of the outlet of the adapter and the centerline of the plug of the adapter is such that when the plug of the adapter is inserted into the upper outlet, the distributor and the reservoir are vertically offset to a position that completely exposes the lower outlet of the dual outlet in the vertical direction. Is enough. Also, when the offset plug is placed in the lower one of the dual outlets in the vertical direction, the upper outlet will be blocked by the distribution unit and will not be available.

3 illustrates another form of an adapter with a clip as mounting means 8 for insertion into the opening 5 of a suitable shape and position in the housing 2 of the dispensing unit 1. As in FIG. 2, the adapter 6 has an internal circuit diagram between the offset plug 7 and an outlet (not shown) for the metal blade of the distributor plug 4.

A variant of the invention is shown in FIG. 4, where an adapter suitable for permanently attaching to an electrical plug of a distribution unit is illustrated. In addition to the elements of FIG. 3, this example of the invention may have attachment means 9 placed in the dispenser 1 adjacent to the plug 4. Such attachment means may be inserted into the receiver 10 in the adapter and temporarily or permanently attached thereto. For example, the attachment means 9 may have the form of a threaded member which is passed through the aligned receiver 10 and covered with a threaded nut or cap. Conversely, the attachment means may have the form of a threaded bolt passing through the receiver 10 in the adapter and through the threaded hole in the housing 2. In addition, the attachment means simply constitutes a pin that is attached to the heater plug and passes through the receiver 10, where it can be heat fixed to prevent removal of the receiver to make the attachment of the rivet head type. Other attachment means may also be used, of course, such as to apply, melt, connect, or crimp an adhesive. The adapter as illustrated is one piece injection molded with an essential outlet, an internal electrical path, and an offset plug, as shown in FIG. 5, with the lower portion 13 folded upward as a seal. And a housing.

In FIG. 5, an injection molded housing is shown in disassembled form to illustrate one means for providing an electrical path between the adapter plug for the distributor plug and the offset plug. The adapter 6 comprises an injection molded housing with a hinge 12, which can be folded up to seal over the internal electrical connection by the bottom 13 of the molded housing, which is a suitable flexible non-conductive base ( 15) can be a thick printed film comprising a conductive ink path 14. The non-conductive base can be placed in the housing 11 by suitable positioning means or pins 16. The printed thick film has a die cut, “U” shaped slit 20 at the end of the conductive ink path into which the plug pin bridge 17 and the reduced heater plug 4 (not shown) are inserted. The blade 19 of the plug, when passing through the slit, deforms the flexible base and contacts the conductive ink path thereon to make an electrical connection as shown. The plug pin bridge is inserted through the bottom of the printed thick film and is fixed in place in the plug housing by the pin bridge lock 18, the bottom 13 of the plug housing being folded upwards so that the plug pin bridge and the printed thick film are It covers over the electrical path and is fixed in place by a flexible clip 21. The adapter then rests on the blade of the dispenser plug, which passes through the printed thick film upper die slot, contacts the conductive ink path thereon, and completes the electrical circuit. The injection molded housing may be a suitable polymeric material, such as polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, etc., of V-2 or better suitable grade, for direct support of the non-insulated electrical portion through which current flows.

Similarly, the conductive ink may be an ink known in the art having a high electrical conductivity grade and low resistance value, such as an ink filled with silver or gold, suitable for flowing current. The base film can be any suitable flexible non-conductive film, such as mylar or polyester film. This example is illustrated as one alternative for the construction of a suitable adapter and other examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art and should be considered within the scope of the present invention. For example, a simple wire connection can be made between the outlet of the adapter for the distributor plug and the offset plug to provide the necessary electrical schematic.

6 illustrates a modified dispensing unit with a simple back cover attachment. As shown, the distributor 1 with the housing 2 is modified by adding a mounting point 22 for the rear cover 23. The cover has an opening 24 into which a new rotating plug deck 25 can be fitted. The rotary plug 26 is connected to the distributor plug 4 by an electrically conductive wire 27 or other suitable conductive means.

Once assembled, the dispenser and back cover attachment of FIG. 6 is provided with an attractive simple strain dispenser 28, as illustrated in FIG. As shown, the modified dispenser includes a housing 2, a back cover 23, and a rotatable plug deck 25. Such a dispenser is particularly suitable for placing in a horizontal outlet, since the rotation of the plug 26 allows the dispensing unit and the active reservoir contained within the dispenser to be held in a right angle. As illustrated, the offset of the rotary plug of the strainer divides the distributor and the reservoir vertically relative to the position where the unit is plugged into the upper one of the vertical wall outlets to sufficiently expose the lower one of the dual outlets in the vertical direction. Leave enough space to offset.

In FIG. 8, another embodiment of the strain dispenser of FIG. 7 is shown. Here, a deformation distributor housing 29 is provided with an opening 30 therein for insertion of the heater unit 31, which heater unit 31 has a printed circuit board 32 having a printed electrically conductive path 33. ) Is placed on the surface. When the dispenser is assembled, the printed conductive path 33 will contact the rotary plug deck 25, ensuring a conductive path from the offset plug 26 to the heater 31. The rear cover 23 is provided with a hole 24 for fitting over the plug deck and a means for permanently attaching the rear cover to the mounting point 22 of the modified distributor housing 29. In such a modified dispenser, the bottle of liquid active material can be placed at the bottom of the dispenser with the wick material coming out of it in a position proximate to the heater unit when placed in the opening 30.

As shown in FIG. 9, a similar strain distributor with a fixed or non-rotating plug may be provided. Here, a modified distributor housing 29 with mounting points 22 can be attached to the rear cover 23 with the non-rotating offset plug 26. The necessary electrical connection between the offset plug and the heater plug 4 is not shown, but can be any of the forms described above or other suitable form.

Dispensers according to the invention in various forms illustrated by the figures have been produced. Such distributors have been used to distribute activities such as insecticides and aromatic compounds. Such a dispenser is suitable for use with a conduit of either of the dual outlets in the vertical direction and, if desired, permits the use of a lower connec- tor for other purposes when the dispenser is plugged into the upper con- nection. The upper one is not used when the plug is plugged in.

While the present invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalents within the spirit of the appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent equations and functions.

The improvements described by the present invention represent improvements in commercial products that are readily available and readily available using conventional materials well known in the art to which the present invention pertains. Suitable materials for use are readily available and are readily embodied or arranged by known methods for the purposes of the present invention. The products produced show improvements over those currently available, with increased stability and ease of use.

Claims (14)

With an electrically heated active material plug-in dispenser, The dispenser is: (a) a liquid reservoir chamber of volatile actives having means for releasing volatile actives into the atmosphere; (b) an electrical heating element attached within the hollow body arranged to hold the electrical heating element relative to the liquid reservoir chamber; And (c) an electrical plug element in electrical contact with said heating element, said liquid reservoir having at least two metal blades extending behind said hollow body to engage an electrical outlet for conducting current to said heating element. An electrical plug element such that evaporation of the active material from the chamber to the atmosphere is enhanced by heat; The electrical plug element exposes the lower outlet completely when plugged into the upper outlet of the vertical electrical outlet and at a distance sufficient to block access to the upper outlet when plugged into the lower outlet of the vertical electrical outlet. A dispenser, characterized in that it is offset from the heating element. According to claim 1, wherein the active substance is a group consisting of aroma, air freshener, deodorant, odor remover, odor counteractant, insecticide, insect repellent, medicinal substance, sterilizer, fungicide, atmosphere enhancer, aromatherapy composition, mixtures thereof Dispenser, characterized in that selected from. 3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said active substance is present in a form selected from the group consisting of liquid and gel. 3. The dispenser of claim 2, further comprising a wick matrix extending upward from the reservoir. 3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the electrical plug element is rotatable. An active material dispenser that is a component assembly, the plug-in dispenser being: (a) a liquid reservoir chamber of volatile actives having means for releasing volatile actives into the atmosphere; (b) an electrical heating element attached within the hollow body arranged to hold the electrical heating element relative to the liquid reservoir chamber; And (c) a distributor plug element in electrical contact with the heating element, the at least two metal blades extending to the rear of the hollow body to engage the outlet for the distributor plug element for conducting current from the outlet to the heating element. And a distributor plug element for allowing evaporation of the active material to the atmosphere by heat; The "offset" adapter is: (d) an outlet at the front of the distributor plug element; (e) a conductor extending downward from the outlet; And (f) an adapter body having an adapter plug element that engages with an external electrical outlet and conducts current from an external electrical outlet to the outlet for the distributor plug element, including at least two metal blades that contact the conductor and extend outwardly from the back side. It includes; The adapter plug element exposes the lower outlet completely when the plug is inserted into the upper outlet of the vertical outlet, and the heating to a distance sufficient to block access to the upper outlet when the plug is inserted into the lower outlet of the vertical outlet. A dispenser, which is offset from the element. 7. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the active substance consists of aroma, air freshener, deodorant, odor remover, odor counteractant, insecticide, insect repellent, medicinal substance, sterilizer, fungicide, atmosphere enhancer, aromatherapy composition, and mixtures thereof. Dispenser, characterized in that selected from the group. 8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein said active material is selected from the group consisting of air fresheners, fragrances, deodorants, sterilizers, and pesticide actives. 8. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein said active substance is in a form selected from the group consisting of liquid and gel. 8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein said active material is a liquid and said dispenser further comprises a wick matrix. 11. The dispenser of claim 10 wherein said adapter plug element is rotatable. An adapter for an active material dispenser, the dispenser comprising an active material reservoir, an electrical heating element, and an electrical plug, The adapter is: (a) an outlet for an electrical plug of the distributor, placed on top of the adapter and facing the electrical plug of the distributor; (b) an adapter plug for inserting the adapter into an ordinary outlet of an electrical wall outlet, the adapter plug being placed under the adapter and facing in a direction opposite to that faced by the outlet for the electrical plug of the distributor; And (c) an electrical circuit diagram providing a path for electrical flow between the adapter plug and an electrical plug outlet of the distributor, such that electricity can be conducted between the wall outlet and the electrical plug of the distributor; The adapter plug has a sufficient distance to completely expose the lower outlet when plugged into the upper outlet of the vertical wall outlet and to block access to the upper outlet when plugged into the lower outlet of the vertical electrical outlet. Adapter is offset from the heating element. 13. The adapter of claim 12 wherein the adapter is a molded housing arranged to lower the effective plug position of the dispenser. 13. The adapter of claim 12 wherein the adapter plug is rotatable.