Essential oil atomizer

Abstract

An essential oil reflux-type atomizer comprising the following structures: a chassis, housing, atomization chamber, gas pump, gas tube, gas nozzle, oil nozzle, and filter atomization mechanism. Oil and gas flow together at the gas and oil nozzles to disperse and atomize the oil in the gas flow. A heater is used to raise the temperature of the oil where it is atomized, either by heating the oil itself or by heating the gas flowing into the oil. Thus, the atomizer can have improved performance, especially with essential oils having high viscosity and molecular weight.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An essential oil atomizer, comprising:
 a housing configured to connect to an oil receptacle, the housing having an atomization chamber from which atomized oil can be expelled;   an atomizer nozzle assembly configured to expel atomized oil and gas into the atomization chamber, wherein the atomizer nozzle assembly is configured to be in fluid communication with oil in the oil receptacle, the atomizer nozzle assembly including a gas nozzle; and   a heater contacting the gas nozzle and configured to apply heat to the gas nozzle to raise a temperature of gas in the gas nozzle.   
     
     
         2 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the atomizer nozzle assembly comprises an oil nozzle, wherein the oil nozzle is configured to be in fluid communication with the oil receptacle, wherein the gas nozzle is configured to expel the gas across the oil nozzle. 
     
     
         3 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the heater is mounted to the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the gas heated by the heater is configured to heat oil in the atomization chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a heating element and a thermal block, the thermal block being positioned between the heating element and the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat gas before the gas enters into the atomization chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the gas nozzle comprises a metal or ceramic material. 
     
     
         8 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 1 , wherein the oil nozzle is configured to be heated by heat transfer from the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         9 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 8 , wherein the oil nozzle contacts the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         10 . An essential oil atomizer, comprising:
 a housing connectable to an oil receptacle and having a vent opening substantially aligned with a central vertical axis through the housing;   an atomizer having a nozzle assembly comprising a gas nozzle and an oil nozzle, the atomizer configured to atomize oil from the oil receptacle by directing flow of a gas from the gas nozzle across the oil at the oil nozzle, wherein the flow of the gas and atomized oil is configured to pass out of the housing;   a heating element mounted to the housing adjacent the gas nozzle and configured to raise a temperature of gas at the gas nozzle.   
     
     
         11 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 10 , comprising a thermal block contacting the gas nozzle and positioned between the heating element and the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         12 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 10 , wherein the heating element is configured to raise the temperature of the gas in the gas nozzle by heating the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         13 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 10 , wherein the heating element is configured to raise the temperature of the oil by heating the gas as it flows through the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         14 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 10 , wherein the heating element is configured to heat the gas while the gas is positioned internal to the nozzle assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 10 , wherein the heating element is configured to raise the temperature of the oil by atomizing the oil with the gas heated in the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         16 . The essential oil atomizer of  claim 10 , wherein the gas nozzle is configured to transfer heat applied by the heating element to the oil nozzle. 
     
     
         17 . A method of atomizing essential oil, the method comprising:
 generating gas flow through a gas nozzle;   heating the gas nozzle to raise a temperature of the gas flow; and   generating oil flow through an oil nozzle, wherein the gas flow passes over an outlet of the oil nozzle to atomize the oil flow.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein heating the gas nozzle comprises applying heat to the gas nozzle via a heater contacting the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein heating the gas nozzle comprises applying via a heating element to heat to a thermal block contacting the gas nozzle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein heating the gas nozzle raises a temperature of the oil nozzle.