Air fresheners are known for use in motor vehicle passenger cabins. One often seen variety includes the air freshener “trees” that may be observed hanging from a vehicle inside mirror.
The air freshening agent may be provided as a solid, liquid or gel material. In the case of liquids, the liquid may be provided in a bottle with a wick to volatize the freshening agent into the air, alternately liquids may be saturated into or absorbed into sponge, cloth or foam carrier materials from which components of the freshener liquid volatize or evaporate into the air.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,642 discloses a clip mounted air freshener assembly having a holder into which an air freshening element is inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,906 discloses a unitary fork-shaped air freshener of impregnated polypropylene material and insertable into an air vent discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,1976,263 discloses an electrically heated air freshener for automobiles, wherein the fragrance dispensing unit includes electrical heating elements heating replaceable gel-scent cartridges and an electrical plug for receiving electrical power from a cigarette lighter socket.
It is also known to be advantageous to provide air filter elements (also known as cabin air filters) arranged within and integrated within the passenger compartment air ventilation duct system of a motor vehicle to remove various types of particulate contaminants. While some vehicles are manufactured and equipped with cabin air filters, a greater number of motor vehicles lack provisions for or to install a cabin air filter in the motor vehicle. In such vehicles it is at least difficult and maybe nearly impossible to retrofit a cabin air filter into the air ventilation duct system to provide cabin air filtration.
Therefore there remains a need in the art for an air freshening clip cabin air cleaning device including an air filter device with an integrated air freshening agent which is low in cost and easily installed into or onto the air ventilation outlet grill, which is adapted to filter at least a portion of the air ventilation duct airflow while providing an aromatic air freshening agent to diffuse a pleasant scent into the air.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds