ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 19 -- United States Patent no. 12,250,942, issued on March 18, was assigned to ZOBELE HOLDING S.P.A. (Italy).

"Electric device for dispensing volatile substances" was invented by Sergio Luque Vera (Barcelona, Spain), Joaquin Llorente Alonso (Barcelona, Spain) and Ruben Garcia Fabregas (Barcelona, Spain).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An electric device for evaporating and dispensing volatile substances, such as perfumes and insecticides, using thermal energy, that includes a casing and a container of volatile substance detachably coupled with the casing, heating means arranged in the casing for heating the volatile substance, and control means for controlling the operati...