The present invention relates to air fresheners and, more particularly, to an air freshener adapted to engage a vehicle air duct louver.
Owing to traffic congestion and urban sprawl, commuters are spending ever-increasing amounts of time in vehicles. As a result of increased residence time in vehicles, commuters often consume food and drink in vehicles. The spillage of consumables has made an air freshener a common accessory in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. Vehicle air fresheners are commonly affixed to a vehicle console proximal to an air duct such that the vehicle climate control system conveys a masking aroma throughout the passenger compartment. The aroma being impregnated within the air freshener. Examples of conventional air fresheners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,269,723; 5,368,822; 5,465,521; 5,704,832 and 5,865,372.
Conventional air fresheners that engage a vehicle air duct louver are advantageous in being readily affixed to the air duct, as well as having good laminar flow of air across the aroma releasing surface of the air freshener. However, a louver attached air freshener is limited in its utility owing to the directionality of air exiting a vehicle air duct. As a result, to fully aromatize the passenger compartment of a vehicle, several air fresheners are often dispersed among the climate control ducts of a vehicle. Thus, there exists a need for a louver mountable air freshener capable of dispersing an aroma over a substantial vehicle passenger compartment volume.
An air freshener for mounting on a vehicle climate control louver includes a frame terminating in a clip adapted to engage the louver. An airflow deflector swivelably extends from an elongated aperture in the clip. An aroma emanates from the inventive air freshener and is dispersed by the deflector.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds