Method and apparatus for delivery of fragrances and vapors to the nose

Apparatus for controlled dispensing of volatile fluids, comprising:

• a support structure having a target medium comprising a heater having a heating surface;
• a printhead mounted with the support structure, the printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels, each channel having a fluid supply reservoir and at least one orifice oriented to eject fluid droplets which are deposited on the heating surface of the target medium;
• drive electronics operably connected to each ejection channel;
• and
• a system controller operably connected to said drive electronics and a power source for the apparatus whereby operating signals are selectively delivered to the ejection channels thereby depositing fluid droplets from a selected one or ones of the ejection channels onto the heating surface where they can be completely volatilized and pass from the support structure to be perceived by the human nose.

Apparatus for controlled dispensing of volatile fluids, comprising:

• a support structure,
• the support structure including an air-flow channel having an air-flow outlet containing a target medium;
• a printhead mounted on the support structure, the printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels, each channel having a fluid supply reservoir and at least one orifice oriented to eject fluid droplets which are deposited on the target medium;
• drive electronics operably connected to each ejection channel;
• a system controller operably connected to said drive electronics and a power source for the apparatus whereby operating signals are selectively delivered to the ejection channels thereby depositing fluid droplets from a selected one or ones of the ejection channels onto the target medium where thy can volatilize and pass from the support structure and
• wherein the target medium comprises a heater controlled by the system controller having a plurality of differentially heatable surfaces and whereby the plurality of ejection channels are oriented to deposit fluid droplets on selected ones of said heatable surfaces to thereby control the rate at which different fluid droplets vaporize.

Method for controlled dispensing, comprising the steps of:

• providing a support structure having a target medium, wherein the target medium comprises a heated target surface;
• providing a printhead mounted on the support structure, the printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels and a fluid supply reservoir for each channel, each channel having at least one orifice oriented to deposit droplets of fluid onto the target medium;
• providing a system controller connected to drive electronics for the printhead whereby commands are supplied through the system controller to selectively operate the ejection channels thereby depositing fluid droplets from a selected one or ones of the ejection channels onto the target medium;
• loading some of the fluid supply reservoirs with different volatile fluids having different odor characteristics;
• ejecting and depositing droplets of first fluid from a selected one of the ejection channels onto the heated surface for a first period of time to produce a first odor;
• and
• ejecting and depositing droplets of a different second fluid from a different selected one of the ejection channels onto the heated surface for a time period, to produce a different odor.

Method for controlled dispensing, comprising the steps of:

• providing a support structure having a target medium;
• providing a printhead mounted on the support structure, the printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels and a fluid supply reservoir for each channel, each channel having at least one orifice oriented to deposit droplets of fluid onto the target medium;
• providing a system controller connected to drive electronics for the printhead whereby commands are supplied through the system controller to selectively operate the ejection channels thereby depositing fluid droplets from a selected one or ones of the ejection channels onto the target medium;
• wherein the target medium comprises a first and second heated surface for volatilizing said fluids;
• loading some of the fluid supply reservoirs with different volatile fluids having different odor characteristics;
• ejecting and depositing droplets of first fluid from a selected one of the ejection channels onto the first heated surface for a first period of time to produce a first odor;
• and
• ejecting and depositing droplets of a different second fluid from a different selected one of the ejection channels onto the second heated surface for a time period, to produce a different odor.

Method for controlled dispensing, comprising the steps of:

• providing a support structure having a target medium;
• providing a printhead mounted on the support structure, the printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels and a fluid supply reservoir for each channel, each channel having at least one orifice oriented to deposit droplets of fluid onto the target medium;
• providing a system controller connected to drive electronics for the printhead whereby commands are supplied through the system controller to selectively operate the ejection channels thereby depositing fluid droplets from a selected one or ones of the ejection channels onto the target medium wherein the target medium comprises a medium having a target surface temperature controlled by the system controller;
• loading some of the fluid supply reservoirs with different volatile fluids having different odor characteristics;
• ejecting and depositing droplets of first fluid from a selected one of the ejection channels onto the target medium and raising the temperature of the target surface above ambient temperature to quickly evaporate any remnants of the first fluid from the target surface for a first period of time to produce a first odor before ejecting droplets of the second fluid onto the target medium;
• and
• ejecting and depositing droplets of a different second fluid from a different selected one of the ejection channels onto the target medium for a time period, to produce a different odor.

Method for controlled dispensing, comprising the steps of:

• providing a support structure having a target medium comprising a first and second heated surface;
• providing a printhead mounted on the support structure, the printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels and a fluid supply reservoir for each channel, each channel having at least one orifice oriented to deposit droplets of fluid onto one of the first and second heated surfaces;
• providing a system controller connected to drive electronics for the printhead whereby commands are supplied through the system controller to selectively operate the ejection channels thereby depositing fluid droplets from a selected one or ones of the ejection channels onto the target medium;
• loading some of the fluid supply reservoirs with different volatile fluids having different odor characteristics;
• raising the temperature of the first and second target surfaces above ambient temperature;
• and
• ejecting and depositing droplets of a first fluid onto said first heated surface and depositing droplets of said second fluid onto said second heated surface.

A method of synthesizing an aroma, comprising the steps of:

• providing a multiple fluid printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels and a fluid supply reservoir for each channel, each channel comprising a fluid ejection device having an orifice aimed to deposit ejected droplets into a testing space;
• providing a programmed computer and drive electronics operably connected to the printhead wherein the programmed computer is programmed to selectively operate the ejection channels at a selected rate to eject droplets into the testing space;
• providing multiple and different volatile testing fluids for the fluid supply reservoirs;
• selecting a group of the fluid ejection devices to operate and selecting an operating rate;
• operating the selected group of fluid ejection devices at the selected operating rate to produce a custom aroma which can be sensed in the vicinity of the testing space;
• sensing the aroma produced by the selected fluid ejection devices at the testing space;
• adjusting the selected rates at which some of the selected fluid ejection devices operate;
• sensing the aroma produced at the selected rates by the selected fluid sensing devices;
• and repeating the previous steps until a desired custom aroma is produced.

A method of synthesizing an aroma, comprising the steps of:

• providing a multiple fluid printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels and a fluid supply reservoir for each channel, each channel comprising a fluid ejection device having an orifice aimed to deposit ejected droplets into a testing space;
• providing a programmed computer and drive electronics operably connected to the printhead wherein the programmed computer is programmed to selectively operate the ejection channels at a selected rate to eject droplets into the testing space;
• providing multiple and different volatile testing fluids for the fluid supply reservoirs;
• selecting a group of the fluid ejection devices to operate and selecting an operating rate;
• operating the selected group of fluid ejection devices at the selected operating rate to produce a custom aroma which can be sensed in the vicinity of the testing space;
• providing a target medium at the testing space, the target medium comprising a heater having a heatable target surface which intercepts ejected droplets from some ejection devices;
• providing a temperature control for the heater which is responsive to signals from the computer to generate an operating temperature above ambient temperature for the heatable target surface;
• whereby volatilization of ejected droplets from said some ejection devices is enhanced during the operation step.

A method of synthesizing an aroma, comprising the steps of:

• providing a multiple fluid printhead having a plurality of electronically operated fluid droplet ejection channels and a fluid supply reservoir for each channel, each channel comprising a fluid ejection device having an orifice aimed to deposit ejected droplets into a testing space;
• providing a programmed computer and drive electronics operably connected to the printhead wherein the computer is programmed to selectively operate the ejection channels at a selected rate to eject droplets into the testing space;
• providing multiple and different volatile testing fluids for the fluid supply reservoirs;
• selecting a group of the fluid ejection devices to operate and selecting an operating rate;
• providing a target medium at the testing space, the target medium comprising an array of heaters each having a heatable target surface which intercepts ejected droplets from some ejection devices;
• providing a temperature control for the heaters which is responsive to signals from the computer to generate an operating temperature above ambient temperature for the heatable target surfaces at least some of which are being held at different surface temperatures above ambient temperature;
• operating the selected group of fluid ejection devices at the selected operating rate to produce a custom aroma which can be sensed in the vicinity of the testing space;
• and
• whereby volatilization of ejected droplets from said some ejection devices is enhanced during the operation step.

Method for controlled dispensing of volatile materials, comprising:

• providing a support structure having a target medium comprising a heater having a heating surface;
• providing a printhead having a plurality of electronically digitally operated fluid droplet ejection devices and a fluid supply reservoir for each device, each device having at least one ejection orifice oriented to deposit sequential droplets of fluid onto the heating surface;
• providing a system controller having drive electronics connected to the printhead whereby commands are supplied to the printhead through the system controller to selectively operate one or more of the ejection devices thereby depositing fluid droplets produced by at least one of the ejection devices onto the heating surface;
• providing different volatile fluids having different odor characteristics in at least some of the fluid supply reservoirs;
• selecting at least one of the ejection devices containing a volatile fluid for operation to produce a desired odor;
• operating the heater to raise the heating surface to an elevated temperature calculated to promptly volatilize the volatile fluid from the selected ejection device;
• operating the selected at least one ejection device to deposit its volatile fluid onto the heating surface where it is quickly volatilized to produce an odor;
• and
• delivering the volatilized fluid to an outlet where the odor can be experienced by the human nose.