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The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the low energy flash-like vaporization of liquids and the release of the resulting vaporized liquid into the atmosphere in the form of a visible plume, mist or cloud. Vaporization is occasioned in a geometrically small device capable of pr

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the low energy flash-like vaporization of liquids and the release of the resulting vaporized liquid into the atmosphere in the form of a visible plume, mist or cloud. Vaporization is occasioned in a geometrically small device capable of producing vaporized liquid that varies little in composition in comparison to the starting liquid feed to the device. The apparatus and method are primarily directed towards the treatment of small areas for residential air fragrancing, odor elimination, treatment of insects or pests, air sanitization, air and surface antibacterial or antimicrobial treatment, administration of personal pharmaceuticals or medicaments, as well as other ambient air or surface modification by way of gas, vapor or droplet distribution.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for generating a vapor from a liquid, comprising using a vaporization apparatus to vaporize the liquid, wherein the apparatus requires less than 200 Joules per milligram of liquid vaporized, preferably less than 190 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized, more preferably less

1. A method for generating a vapor from a liquid, comprising using a vaporization apparatus to vaporize the liquid, wherein the apparatus requires less than 200 Joules per milligram of liquid vaporized, preferably less than 190 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized, more preferably less than 180 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized and most preferably less than 170 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized, wherein the vaporization apparatus comprises a heater, a porous member cap and a porous member matingly configured for heat transfer between the heater and the porous member, wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points along at least two surfaces, the porous member cap also including at least one further 110 and at least one channel 112 disposed at an interface with the porous member and further wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid contacts a first face of the porous member and is drawn by capillary action to an opposing face of the porous member where it approaches the heater, heat from the heater causing the liquid to be vaporized at interface regions between the heater and the porous member such that a buildup of vapor takes place at the interface regions, thereby causing vapor released through an orifice in the vaporization apparatus to exhibit a pressure greater than that of the liquid. 3. A method for vaporizing a multicomponent liquid to a pressure greater than that of a multicomponent liquid feed, comprising: a. providing a liquid feed to a vaporizer; andb. vaporizing the liquid to generate a multicomponent vapor;wherein the multicomponent vapor exhibits a composition that is substantially the same as that of the multicomponent liquid feed; andwherein the vaporizer comprises a porous member, a porous member cap, a heater, a housing, and optionally a wick, wherein the heater and the porous member cap are matingly configured for heat transfer between the heater and the porous member, wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points alone at least two surfaces, the porous member cap also including at least one fin 110 and at least one channel 112 disposed at an interface with the porous member, and further wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the nature of the connection between the porous member and the housing is characterized as a clearance fit and the nature of the connection between the porous member cap and the housing is characterized as a press-fit. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the composition of the multicomponent vapor exhibits at least 60% similarity in composition; preferably greater than 70% similarity; more preferably greater than 80% similarity; and most preferably greater than 90% similarity in composition with the multicomponent liquid feed. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the composition of the multicomponent vapor exhibits less than 40% variation in composition; preferably less than 30% variation, more preferably less than 20% variation and most preferably less than 10% variation in composition from that of the multicomponent liquid feed. 7. A method for generating a vapor from a liquid, comprising: a) introducing a liquid feed to a vaporizer, the liquid feed characterized as having a first composition; andb) vaporizing the liquid feed and expelling the resulting vapor, the vapor characterized as having a second composition;wherein the first composition and the second composition are substantially the same, wherein the vaporization apparatus comprise a heater, a porous member cap and a porous member matingly configured for heat transfer between the heater and the porous member, wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points along at least two surfaces, the porous member cap also including at least one fin 110 and at least one channel 112 disposed at an interface with the porous member, and further wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second composition exhibits at least 60% similarity with the first composition; preferably at least 70% similarity; more preferably at least 80% similarity; and most preferably at least 90% similarity with the first composition. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second composition exhibits no more than 40% variation from the first composition; preferably less than 30% variation; more preferably less than 20% variation; and most preferably less than 10% variation from the first composition. 10. A method for dispensing a liquid formulation in the form of a vapor, comprising the steps of: a. providing a liquid formulation having a first pressure in a container, the liquid formulation having a viscosity of less than about 100 mPas-sec and a surface tension less than about 40 dynes/centimeter;b. delivering the liquid formulation from the container to a heater of a vaporizer by capillary action; andc. vaporizing the liquid at the heater of the vaporizer such that the vaporized liquid experiences a pressure increase and is released as a vapor at an orifice of the vaporizer at a second pressure that is greater than that of the first pressure,wherein the vaporizer comprise a heater, a porous member cap, a porous member and a housing matingly configured for heat transfer between the heater and the porous member wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points along at least two surfaces, the porous member cap also including at least one channel 112 and at least one fin 110 disposed at an interface with the porous member, and further wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 11. A method for dispensing a liquid formulation, comprising the steps of: a. providing a liquid formulation in a container, the liquid formulation having a viscosity of less than about 100 mPas-sec and a surface tension less than about 40 dynes/centimeter;b. delivering the liquid formulation from the container to a heater of a device by capillary action; andc. driving, by means of electric current, the heater, wherein the heater is matingly configured to a porous member such that the heater transfers heat to the porous member and vaporizes the liquid formulation, causing pressure buildup of vaporized liquid at an interface between the porous member and the heater, the heater being formed with an orifice, and subsequently releasing the vapor at a pressure greater than that of the liquid through the orifice;wherein the liquid formulation is dispensed with uniform consistency over extended periods of time, wherein the device further comprises a porous member cap and a housing, wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points along at least two surfaces, the porous member cap also including at least one fin 110 and at least one channel 112 disposed at the interface with the porous member, and further wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 12. A method for dispensing a liquid formulation, comprising the steps of: a. providing a liquid formulation to a vaporizer, the liquid formulation having a viscosity of less than about 100 mPas-sec and a surface tension less than about 40 dynes/centimeter; andb. vaporizing the liquid formulation to a vapor having substantially the same composition as the liquid formulation using a vaporizer;wherein the vapor is dispensed by the vaporizer with uniform consistency over extended periods of time; wherein the energy consumed by the vaporizer is less than about 150 Joules per milligram of material vaporized; and wherein the vapor is released at a pressure greater than that of the liquid;wherein the vaporizer comprises a heater, a porous member cap and a porous member matingly configured for heat transfer between the heater and the porous member, wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points along at least two surfaces, the porous member cap also including at least one fin 110 and at least one channel 112 disposed at an interface with the porous member, and further wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid formulation comprises a solvent with a boiling point of at least 215° C. 14. method of claim 12, wherein the liquid formulation comprises less than about 20% of a solvent having a boiling point less than 215° C. 15. A portable apparatus for dispersing a liquid formulation as a vapor, comprising: a. a base assembly comprising a porous member cap, a porous member and a housing, wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points along at least two surfaces, the porous member cap including at least one fin 110 and at least one channel 112 disposed at an interface with the porous member; andb. a head assembly for removably mounting to the base assembly, the head assembly further comprising a heater;wherein the heater is removably situated in heat exchanging communication with the porous member upon mounting of the base assembly to the head assembly;wherein the head assembly, when mounted to the base assembly, is capable of providing heat to the porous member for vaporization of the liquid formulation at the interface between the porous member cap and the porous member for release of resulting vapor at an orifice in the heater; andfurther wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 16. The portable apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a fitting for removably mounting the base assembly to the head assembly; wherein the base assembly further comprises a reservoir containing a liquid to be vaporized; wherein an orifice within the porous member cap is in vapor release communication with the orifice in the heater; andwherein the heater is capable of electrical communication with a source of electrical power. 17. A method for the reduction of oozing of liquid from a device for the vaporization of liquid that includes a heat trace containing an orifice having a surface energy, comprising modifying the surface of the heat trace such that the surface energy is less than about 30 dynes/cm, preferably less than about 25 dynes/cm and more preferably less than about 20 dynes/cm wherein the device requires less than 200 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized, preferably less than 190 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized, more preferably less than 180 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized and most preferably less than 170 Joules of energy per milligram of liquid vaporized; wherein the device comprise a heater, a porous member cap and a porous member matingly configured for heat transfer between the heater and the porous member, wherein the porous member cap includes a side wall 106 for engaging the porous member at points along at least two surfaces, the porous member cap also including at least one fin 110 and at least one channel 112 disposed at an interface with the porous member, and further wherein a pre-load on the porous member cap and the porous member is greater than zero. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the modifying the surface of the heat trace comprises using, applying, coating or incorporating a treatment medium with at least one of a heat trace and a vaporizer component situated immediately adjacent to the heat trace, and wherein the treatment medium comprises a perfluorinated compound that is heat stable to at least 350° C. and further wherein the vaporizer component situated immediately adjacent to the heat trace is at least one of a porous member cap, a heater substrate and a porous member. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the perfluorinated compound may be selected from among: polytetrafluoroethylene; fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer; perfluoro alkoxyalkane copolymer; and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer; as well as combinations of any of the foregoing. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the modifying of a heat trace preferably involves the orifice and the closest 10% of the area of the heat trace that surrounds the orifice, more preferably the closest 50% of the area of the heat trace that surrounds the orifice, and most preferably the closest 90% of the area of the heat trace that surrounds the orifice.