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US 12,642,937 B2Granted
Flexible smell generating device and methods for use thereof
AssigneeCity University of Hong Kong
InventorsXinge Yu, Yiming Liu, Chun Ki Yiu, Rui Shi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a thermo-controlled smell generating device with an active cooling mechanism to allow a user thereof to control on/off of the device in a relatively short response time absent any temperature fluctuations even after a significant number of heating and cooling cycles. The present invention is ideal for generating olfaction in highly interactive or fast-changing environments such as virtual immersive environments.
Claims14
A flexible smell generating device for use on human skin comprising a multi-layered structure, the multi-layered structure comprising:
- one or more smell generating modules;
- one or more active cooling elements;
- a plurality of electronic circuits;
- and
- a substrate,
- wherein each of the one or more smell generating modules comprises at least one open channel and at least one chamber containing at least one phase change material incorporating one or more items selected from a scent-releasing substance, plural odorants and an inhalable content,
- wherein an individual active cooling element of the one or more active cooling elements is controlled by a corresponding electronic circuit and is configured to actively cool a corresponding smell generating module upon activation by the corresponding electronic circuit, wherein the individual active cooling element comprises at least one electrically conductive coil and a magnet, wherein the at least one electrically conductive coil is placed around the corresponding smell generating module, and wherein the at least one electrically conductive coil and the magnet are configured such that when the at least one electrically conductive coil is powered off by the corresponding electronic circuit, the at least one electrically conductive coil falls due to gravity and contacts with the magnet to thereby conduct heat from the corresponding smell generating module to the magnet and cease release of odors from the corresponding smell generating module,
- wherein the substrate is arranged to be disposed as a most proximal layer to the human skin and is configured to secure the multi-layered structure to the human skin, and
- wherein the substrate is flexible and adhesive for securing the multi-layered structure to the human skin and is configured to cause the flexible smell generating device to be flexible.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.