Evaporation device for multiple volatile substances

Abstract

An evaporation device is disclosed for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics of a type having a housing containing a heating block with a heating element, a container for a volatile substance to be evaporated, a wick having a wick end protruding out of the container into a wick opening in the heating block, a switching device for the activation and deactivation of the heating device, and an adjusting device for the adjustment of the degree of evaporation. Preferably, two heating elements with different heating capacity are carried by the heating block. The heating elements are operatively connected to the switching device to adjust the heat output of the heating device and the degree of evaporation of the volatile substance.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics comprising:
 a housing containing a heating block with at least two heating elements having different heating capacities;   a container for a volatile substance to be evaporated;   a wick having a wick end protruding out of said container into a wick opening in said heating block;   a control device for the activation and deactivation of said heating elements; and   said control device having a plurality of heat settings to vary the heat produced by the heating elements so the evaporation of the volatile substance may be controlled.   
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1  wherein said heating elements are operatively connected to said control device so that one or more of said heating elements may be selectively activated and deactivated to adjust the degree of evaporation. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1  wherein said heating elements are connected via electrical lines to a connection plug, and said control device is installed in said housing. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1  wherein said wick opening is formed in a central area of said heating block between two parallel aligned heating elements. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4  wherein said heating elements are spaced an equal distance from said wick opening so that a symmetric placement of said heating elements relative to said wick opening is achieved. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1  including at least one additional wick opening in said heating block assigned to at least one heating element; said additional wick opening being assigned to an additional container having a wick with a wick end extending into said additional wick opening for the evaporation of the substance contained in the additional container. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 6  wherein said wick openings are spaced a distance from each other in a central area between said heating elements; said heating elements being disposed near the edge of said heating block. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 6  including a single container having a first and second separate chamber, each chamber capable of containing a different substance to be evaporated, and said second chamber constitutes said additional container. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 6  including at least one separator disposed in the area between said wick openings to achieve at least partial thermal uncoupling between wick openings and assigned heating elements. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 9  wherein said separator includes an air gap extending through said heating block in the area between said wick openings. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1  wherein said heating elements comprise electrical resistance elements carried by said heating block. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 11  wherein said resistance elements have different resistance values in order to make different heating capacities available for different volatile substances. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 11  wherein said electrical resistance elements include rod-shaped, cylindrical resistance body to provide an overall miniaturized heating device for the evaporation of volatile substances; said rod-shaped resistance body being at least partially coated with a resistance layer to allow for the adjustment of a given resistance value corresponding to the evaporation temperature adapted to the composition of the substance to be evaporated; and said resistance layer being ground into said resistance body. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 13  including a helicoidal spiral cut into said resistance lay of said rod-shaped, cylindrical resistance body to produce a given resistance value corresponding to the evaporation temperature adapted to the composition of the substance to be evaporated. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 11  wherein said electrical resistance elements are encapsulated in said heating block by highly heat-conductive material; said heating block including openings through which electrical lines are passed to said connection plug and switching device. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 1  wherein said control device includes one of a manual switch and a programmable microprocessor. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 1  wherein said housing has an upper shell and a lower shell connected by locking elements; said lower shell having a connection member for connecting said container to said housing; and an aeration slit located above said wick ends so that evaporated volatile substance may escape. 
     
     
       18. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics comprising:
 a housing containing a heating block with a plurality of heating elements having different heating capacities;   a plurality of containers for a volatile substance to be evaporated;   a plurality of wick openings formed in said heating block;   a plurality of wicks having wick ends protruding out of said containers into said wick openings;   a control device for the activation and deactivation of said heating elements to adjust the heat produced by the heating elements and the evaporation of the volatile substance.   
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 18  wherein said heating elements are operatively connected to said control device so that one or more of said heating elements may be selectively activated and deactivated to adjust the evaporation. 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 18  wherein said wick openings are formed in a central area of said heating block between two parallel aligned heating elements. 
     
     
       21. The device of  claim 20  wherein said heating elements are spaced an equal distance from said wick opening so that a symmetric placement of said heating elements relative to said wick opening is achieved. 
     
     
       22. The device of  claim 18  wherein said wick openings are spaced a distance from each other in a central area between said heating elements; said heating elements being disposed near the edge of said heating block. 
     
     
       23. The device of  claim 18  including at least one separator disposed in the area between said wick openings to achieve at least partial thermal uncoupling between wick openings and assigned heating elements. 
     
     
       24. The device of  claim 23  wherein said separator includes an air gap extending through said heating block in the area between said wick openings. 
     
     
       25. The device of  claim 18  wherein said heating elements comprise electrical resistance elements having different resistance values in order to control the evaporation rate for different volatile substances. 
     
     
       26. The device of  claim 25  wherein said electrical resistance elements include rod-shaped, cylindrical resistance body to provide an overall miniaturized heating device for the evaporation of volatile substances; said rod-shaped resistance body being at least partially coated with a resistance layer to allow for the adjustment of a given resistance value corresponding to the evaporation temperature adapted to the composition of the substance to be evaporated; and said resistance layer being ground into said resistance body. 
     
     
       27. The device of  claim 26  including a helicoidal spiral cut into said resistance lay of said rod-shaped, cylindrical resistance body to produce a given resistance value corresponding to the evaporation temperature adapted to the composition of the substance to be evaporated. 
     
     
       28. The device of  claim 18  wherein said control device includes one of a manual switch and a programmable microprocessor. 
     
     
       29. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics comprising:
 a housing;   a container for a volatile substance to be evaporated and carried in said housing;   a first wick carried in said container and having a first wick end protruding out of said container;   a heating block carried in said housing and having a first wick opening for receiving said first wick end;   a first heating element carried generally on a first side of said heating block and a second heating element carried generally on a second side of said heating block so that at least one of said heating elements heats said first wick end to effectively evaporate said volatile substance; and   a control switch for selectively activating and deactivating said heating elements to vary the heat output from the heating elements and control the evaporation rate for the evaporation of the volatile substance;   wherein said heating block further includes a second wick opening, said second wick opening being assigned to a second wick for evaporation of a second substance, said first heating element being associated with said first wick opening, and said second heating element being associated with said second wick opening and further wherein at least one separator is disposed in the area between said wick openings to achieve at least partial thermal uncoupling between wick openings and assigned heating elements.   
     
     
       30. The device of claim 29 wherein said control switch is manually operated, and said heating elements are operatively connected to said control switch so that one or more of said heating elements may be selectively activated to adjust the degree of evaporation. 
     
     
       31. The device of claim 29 wherein said heating elements are connected via electrical lines to a power connection plug via said control switch which is carried in said housing. 
     
     
       32. The device of claim 29 wherein the first and second wick openings are formed in a central area of said heating block and said heating elements are carried generally parallel on opposing sides of said heating block. 
     
     
       33. The device of claim 32 wherein the heating elements are spaced an equal distance from the respective wick openings so that a symmetric placement of said heating elements relative to said wick openings is achieved for uniform wick heating. 
     
     
       34. The device of claim 29 wherein said first and second wick openings are spaced a distance from each other in a central area between said heating elements; said heating elements being disposed between the edges of the heating block. 
     
     
       35. The device of claim 29 wherein the container includes a first and second separate chambers, each chamber capable of containing a different substance to be evaporated and said first and second chambers constitute first and second containers. 
     
     
       36. The device of claim 29 wherein said separator includes an air gap extending through said heating block in the area between said wick openings. 
     
     
       37. The device of claim 29 wherein said heating elements comprise electrical resistance elements carried by said heating block. 
     
     
       38. The device of claim 37 wherein said resistance elements have different resistance values in order to make different heating capacities available for different volatile substances. 
     
     
       39. The device of claim 37 wherein said electric resistance elements include rod-shaped, cylindrical resistance body to provide an overall miniaturized heating device for the evaporation of volatile substances; said rod-shaped resistance body being at least partially coated with a resistance layer to allow for the adjustment of a given resistance value corresponding to the evaporation temperature adapted to the composition of the substance to be evaporated; and said resistance layer being ground into said resistance body. 
     
     
       40. The device of claim 39 including a helicoidal spiral cut into said resistance layer of said rod-shaped, cylindrical resistance body to produce a given resistance value corresponding to the evaporation temperature adapted to the composition of the substance to be evaporated. 
     
     
       41. The device of claim 37 wherein said electrical resistance elements are encapsulated in said heating block by a highly heat-conductive material; said heating block including openings through which electrical lines are passed to said connection plug and switching device. 
     
     
       42. The device of claim 29 wherein said control device includes one of a manual switch and a programmable microprocessor. 
     
     
       43. The device of claim 29 wherein said housing has an upper shell and a lower shell connected by locking elements; said lower shell having a connection member for connecting said container to said housing; and an aeration slit located above said wick ends so that evaporated volatile substance may escape. 
     
     
       44. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances such as insecticides and aromatics comprising:
 a housing containing a heating block with at least two heating elements;   a container for a volatile substance to be evaporated;   a wick having a wick end protruding out of said container into a wick opening in said heating block;   a control device for the activation and deactivation of said heating elements, said control device having a plurality of heat settings to vary the heat produced by the heating elements so the evaporation of the volatile substance may be controlled;   at least one additional wick opening in said heating block assigned to at least one heating element, said additional wick opening being assigned to an additional container having a wick with a wick end extending into said additional wick opening, for the evaporation of the substance contained in the additional container; and   at least one separator disposed in an area between the wick openings to achieve at least partial thermal uncoupling between the wick openings and assigned heating elements.   
     
     
       45. The device of claim 44, wherein the separator includes an air gap disposed between the wick openings. 
     
     
       46. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances, comprising:
 a housing containing a heating block having a plurality of heating elements;   a plurality of chambers each containing volatile substances to be evaporated;   a plurality of wick openings formed in the heating block wherein each heating elements is adjacent an associated one of the wick openings;   a plurality of wicks having wick ends protruding, out of the chambers into respective wick openings;   a control device to adjust the heat produced by the heating elements and the evaporation of the volatile substances; and   at least one separator disposed in an area between the wick openings to achieve at least partial thermal uncoupling between wick openings and respective heating elements;   wherein the heating elements are controlled to adjust evaporation from the chambers.   
     
     
       47. The device of claim 46 further including a control device that includes one of a manual switch and a programmable microprocessor. 
     
     
       48. The device of claim 47 wherein the control device includes a control switch that is operatively connected to said control switch so that one or more of said heating elements may be adjusted. 
     
     
       49. The device of claim 48 wherein said heating elements are connected via electrical lines to a power connection plug via said control switch which is carried in said housing. 
     
     
       50. The device of claim 46, wherein the separator includes an air gap disposed between the wick openings. 
     
     
       51. An evaporation device for evaporating volatile substances, comprising:
 a housing containing a heating block with a plurality of heating elements and an air gap disposed between the first and second heating elements;   a plurality of containers containing volatile substances to be evaporated;   a plurality of wick openings formed in the heating block, wherein each heating element is adjacent an associated one of the wick openings;   a plurality of wicks having wick ends protruding out of the containers into the wick openings;   a control device to adjust the heat produced by the heating elements and the evaporation of the volatile substances; and   at least one separator disposed in an area between the wick openings to achieve at least partial thermal uncoupling between wick openings and respective heating elements;   wherein the heating elements are controlled to adjust evaporation from the containers.   
     
     
       52. The device of claim 51 further including a control device that includes one of a manual switch and a programmable microprocessor. 
     
     
       53. The device of claim 52 wherein said control device is a programmable microprocessor operatively connected to the heating elements so one or more of the heating elements may be selectively activated to adjust the degree of evaporation. 
     
     
       54. The device of claim 51 wherein the housing has an upper shell and a lower shell.