CA1274491A

CA1274491A - Air freshener dispenser

Info

Publication number: CA1274491A
Application number: CA000520247A
Authority: CA
Inventors: William J. O'neil, Jr.
Original assignee: Bristol Myers Co
Current assignee: Dial Corp
Priority date: 1985-10-15
Filing date: 1986-10-10
Publication date: 1990-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-25
Also published as: NZ217830A; HK99591A; KR950000064B1; AU581788B2; AU6369386A; IE59756B1; GB8624571D0; KR870003796A; IE862710L; GB2181649B; SG82491G; GB2181649A; JPS6294169A

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An air freshener dispenser of the type containing in a reservoir a liquid fragrance composition comprising a necked container, a wick provided in the neck, an emanator pad holder retaining within a containment enclosure an absorbent or emanator pad in contact with the wick, and a cover member including at least one fragrance-diffusion aperture, the emanator pad holder including means defining at least one fragrance diffusion channel, the emanator pad being detachably rotatable within the cover member, whereby rotation of the cover member brings the diffusion aperture and the diffusion channel into registry.

Description

~27~L9~

~IELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to air freshener di6pensers of the type containing in a reservoir a liquid fragrance composition that is carried to an emanator pad by wick means for 6ubsequent diffusion from the pad to the atmosphere. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ~ir freshener di6penser having a rotatable cover member overlaying an emanator pad holding means, 6aid cover means being rotatable with respect to the pad holding means to open and close at least one fragrance-diffusion aperture in said cover means. Most specifically, the air freshener dispenser of the present invention includes means to retain the emanator pad holding means within the cover means, and means to detachably 6ecure the emanator pad holding means to the reservoir.

BACXGROUND OF T~E INVENTION

Fragrance diffusers including wick means to convey a volatile fragrance composition from a rese Noir to the atmosphere directly or to an emanator pad for subsequent diffusion to the atmosphere are known. Thus, U.S. 1,332,659 to Bates illustrates an evaporimeter compri~ing a reservoir, a cylindrical, hollow shaft extending upwardly of the reservoir, and a perforated disk normal to the shaft, there being a wick within the 6haft, the strands of the wick being spread across the d$sk, and a cover placeable over the disk. U.S. 4,477,414 ~7~491 to Muramoto et ~1. discloses a wickless evaporative container, the liquid in the reser~oir being drawn up through a feed pipe rather than a wick. In the vaporizing device of Dupuy, U.S. 2,383,960, the reservoir has a wide-mouth orifice in which is inserted pad holding means, the pad thus held being in contact with a wick extending into the reservoir. A cover is superposed over the pad holding insert, apertures in the cover cooperating with apertures in the pad holdinginsert to provide ad~ustability of the air diffusion passages defined by the assembly.

U.S. 1,377,909 to Moulin discloses a container, a wick extending upwardly from the container through a holed-stopper, absorbent material in contact with the top of the wick, and an apertured cover affixed to an upstanding skirt of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable air freshener dispenser of the wick type.

It is a further object of the present invention that the air freshener dispenser include emanator or absorbent pad holding means retained within the cover member for ~aid unit.

It i6 anot~er ob~ect o the present lnvention that the emanator pad holding means be attachable to the neck of the container.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide adjustability of the diffusion rate of fragrance composition wicked to the emanator pad by rotational movement of the cover member relative to the location of the emanator pad holding means when same are connected to the neck o~ the container in operational position.

These and other ob~ects and advantages of the present invention are described in greater detail below, with reference to the accom-panying drawings. A summary of the invent~on follows.

The invention in one aspect provides an air freshener dispenser comprising a container having an openins; ~ w$ck depending into the container; an emanator p~d; emanator pad holding ~ean6 detachably connected to the container and retn$ning the emanator pad in contact with the wick, 6aid pad holding mean6 including at least one fragrance diffu~ion channel and ~t least one upwardly extending eide wall member; a cover member having a top and a substantially cylindri-cal ~ide wall snd lncluding at lea6t one fragrance diffu6ion aperture registrable with ~aid fragrance diffu6ion channel, and retention means comprieing a first mating eurface a6sociated with the pad holding ~Qans and a ~econd mating curface a6soci-~7~491 ated with the cover ~e~ber, said ~ting ~urfaces in operativeposition detachnbly r~talning the cover member on the pad holding means detachably connected to the container, the first ~ating surface being inoperative in cooperation with ~aid cover member ~ubstantially cylindrical ~ide wall to detachably retain said cover ~ember on the pad holding ~eans, eaid cover member being rotatable in ~aid detachably retained position with respect to~6aid pad holding mean6, the pad holding ~eans-being nonrotatable with re~pect to the con~ainer by the torquing force for rotating the cover member on the pad holding means, whereby rotation of the cover member enables ~aid at least one fragrance d~ffusion aperture and ~aid at lea6t one fragrance diffusion channel to be brought into regi~try.

The invention in a further aspect provides an air freshener dispenser comprising a container having an opening; a wick depending into the container; an emanator pad; emanator pad holding means detachably connected to the container and retaining the emanator pad in contact with the wick, 6aid pad holding mean~ including a planar base portion having a central aperture through which said wick extends, at least one ~lde wall member `including a plurality of fragrance diffu6ion channels, said planar base portion having a plurality of radial epokelike portions between the central aperture and the p~rlphery of th~ bace portion defin~ng air circulation aperturQs therein; a cover ~e~ber having a top and a cub~tantially cylindric~l ~lde wall and including a plurality of fragrance dl~fu~ion apertur~ equal in number to the fragrance diffu~ion chann~l~ and registrable with said ~ragrance diffusion f A s ~274491 channel~, and r~tQntiGn ~neanE~ oper~tive to ~etachably retain the cover member on the p~d holding ~eans, 6aid cover member being rotat~ble in said detachably retained po~ition with respect to said said holding ~an6, the pad holding means being nonrotatable with respect to the container by the torquing force for rstating the cover member on the pad holding means, whereby rotation of the cover ~ember enables 6aid Pt least one fragrance diffusion aperture ~nd said at least one ~ragrance diffusion channel to be brought into regi6try.
RIEF DESCRIPTION OF ~HE D~WINÇS
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the air freshener dispenser of the present ~nvention.

Fig. 2 is a partially broken away front view of the cover member of the air freshener dispenser shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the emanator pad holder across lines 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 ~s a top plan view of the emanator pad holder, a portion of which is broken away.

Fig. 5 i6 a vertical half-section cross-sectional view of the air freshener dispenser in its operational mode, the emanator pad omitted for clarity.

Fig. 6 is a partial vertical half-section cross-sectional view of the air freshener dispenser in its nonuse mode, the cover, emanator pad, and emanator pad holder having been o~i~ted for clarity.

A -5a- ¦

PESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Fig. 1, an exploded perspective view of the dispenser 10 of the present invention, the air fre5hener dispenser 10 comprises a container 12 for containing a volatile liquid fragrance composition,a neck insert member 14, a wick 16, a closure cap 18, an emanator pad holder 20, an emanator or absorbent pad 22, and a cover member 24.

The container 12 has a body 31 and a neck 32, the container 12 being a reservoir for the volatile air fragrance composition. The neck 32 includes threads 33, and below the threads a peripheral flange 34 6hown herein as an octagonal flange. One or more land surfaces 37 are also included, the lands 37 frictionally engaging the cover member 24. The container can be fabricated by injection blow molding using a suitable plastic material, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthlate. A suitable capacity of the container is about 3-4 fluid ounces. The fragrance composition typically com-prises a fragrance, an emul~ifier, a volatile solvent, for example, isopropyl alcohol, optionally a colorant, and deionized water.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, and more specifically in the assembly Fig. 5, the insert member 14 is adapted for friction fit within the bore of the neck 32 of the container 12. The insert member 14 com-127~ 9~

prises an annular top portion 42 from which depends an outer annular6kirt 41, 6aid ~kirt 41 frictionally engaging the interior 6ide wall of the neck 32. The top 42 of the insert member 14 includes an an-nular peripheral flange 43 that ~eats on the top edge of the neck 32.
A vent hole 45 is also provided in the top 42. Also downwardly depending of the annular top portion 42 i5 a circular hollow shaft 44 that receives the wick 16. The wick 16 extends through the cylindrical shaft 44, the bottom end of which typically abuts the base 36 of the container. The wick 16 extends above the top 42 of the insert member 14 a predetermined distance. The wick preferably comprises an interior core 46 of an absorbent wicking material and an outer sheath 47 of a plastic material that prevents the strands of the absorbent material 46 from unravelling. Suitable materials include natural and synthetic fibers that are capable of being formed into a wick, for example, Scribrod~ manufactured by Baumgartner Papers S.A.
The outer sheath 47 can be any wet-strength polymer capable of retaining the inner fibers, and may be permeable or nonpermeable. In the preferred embodiment, the absorbent fibers are polyester, and the outer sheath is a polyester film. The neck insert may be made, for example, of low-density polyethylene.

The closure cap 18 illustrated ln nonuee assembly with the device in Fig. 6, as well as in Fig. 1, comprises a cylindrical body 51, the interior side wall of which is provided with threads 55 suitable for mating assembly with the threads 33 on the container neck 32. The closure cap 18 further includes an exterior upwardly extending skirt ~;27449~

52 formlng with the cap body 51 an outer shoulder 54. ~nterior of theskirt 52 and extending upwardly of the cap body 51 ~8 ~ dome member 53, the dome member being of 6uitable height to receive that portion of the scrib rod 16 extending above the top 42 of the neck insert 14.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, during nonuse the cap 18 is secured to the neck of the container 32 by means of the complementary threads 33 and 55 on the neck 32 and on the interior surface of the cap body 51, respectively. That portion of the wick 16 extending above the top 42 of the insert member 14 i6 received in the dome member 53. Suitable headspace is provided in dome member 53 so that the top of the wick does not come in contact with the top of the dome member 53. When sealed by the cap 18, the volatile fragrance composition cannot diffuse or otherwise escape from the container 12. A circular sealing boss 56 is dependingly interiorly provided on the top of the cap body 51 to provide a positive seal when the cap 18 is tightened about the neck 32 of the container 12.

The emanator pad holder 20 is next described with reference to Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5. The pad holder 20 comprises a base portion designated generally by numeral 61. The base portion 61 comprises a raised annular central portion 63 defining a large central aperture 80 and a plurality of spokelike portions 62 extending radially outwardly from the central portion 63 to the periphery of the emanator pad holder, the radial ~pokelike portions defining therebetween air 1274~9~

circulation apertures 81. The pad holder 20 further compri6es ~ peri-pheral skirt portion 71 that depend6 downwardly from the outermost periphery of the 6pokellke portions 62, the 6kirt portion 71 including proximate it5 bottom an exterior peripheral boss 72, the purpose of which i6 hereinafter described~ Extending upwardly from the 6kirt portion 71 is a plurality of 6ide wall 6egments 64, said side wall segments 64 being in radial align~ent with and extending partially over the apertures 81, and forming therebetween a plurality of chan-nels 82, said channel6 82 being in radial alignment with the spokelike portions 62 of the base poxtion 61. Annular support portions 76 are provided between the central portion 63 and the interior edge 75 of the air circulation apertures 81.

The uppermost portion 65 of the side wall 6egments 64 is arcuately disposed towards the interior of the pad holder 20 and terminates in annular arcuate edges 66. The 6ide walls 77 of the wall 6egments 64 including the arcuate portion 65 are tapered so that the bottom of the 6ide wall 6egment 64 i6 60mewhat circumferentially wider than the arcuate edge 66.

Depending from the central portion 63 is a hollow cylindrical shaft 68, which includes an interiorly provided circular protrusion 70, whose purpose is hereinafter described. ~etween the 6haft 68 and the 6kirt 71 are a plurality of radial ribs 78 depending from the 6pokelike portions 62 of the base portion 61. The 6ide wall 6egments ~7449~

64 ~160 include ribs 69 pro~ecting inwardly therefrom. The rib 69 provides additional strength to the 6ide wall segment6 64 and prevents same from warping or incurring other deformation. The ribs 69 further-more secure pad 22 within the pad holder. The central portion 63 of the base portion 61 further includes an interior annul~r lip 73 that slopes downwardly towards the large aperture 80, said lip 73 including a plurality of slots 84, whose purpose is hereinafter described.

The emanator pad 22 i6 a coarse material, e.g., a diecut felt material, provided preferably as two pads one above the other. The emanator pad may be inserted into the pad holder 20 by outwardly bending one of the side wall segments 64, which have sufficient flexibility and resiliency to allow such insertion. The pad holder may be made for example from polypropylene or high density polyethylene by conventional molding ~ethods. The emanator pad may be made from woven or nonwoven materials capable of transporting liquids by capillary action, and preferably is a mixture of cotton, 6ynthetic, and wood pulp fibers, plus a wet-strength binder.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the cover member 24 compri6es a slightly f~ustoconical body 91 including a top 92, there being a plurality of 6paced apart air circulation apertures 93 through the .

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body 91. Each of the ~perture6 93 may compri6e a plurall$y of vertical 610t6 93~. Referring to Fig. 2, a partiAlly ~roken-away front view of the cover member 24, an interior circular flange 95 depends from the top 92 of the cover member 24, and an exterior circular flange 96 al60 depends fxom the top 92 of the cover member 24, 6aid exterior flange further including at least one stop member 97.

Referring to Fig. 5, the pad holder 20 (including the pads 22, not shown) is detachably retained within the cover member as follows: the emanator pad holder 20 is adapted for coinc~dent placement proximate the top of the cover member 24. Thus, side wall segments 64 are essentially arcuately radially identical with the body 91 of the cover member. By urging the pad holdPr 20 towards the top 92, the arcuate edges ~6 of the wall segments 64 engage the ~nterior flange 95, as most easily understood by review of Fig. 5. The flexible and resilient ~ide wall 6egments 64 flex outwardly 61ightly to achieve thi6 mating. Similarly, peripheral boss 72 on the skirt ~1 engages complementary boss 98 on the interior of the body 91 of the cover ~ember 24. The emanator pad holder 20 is thereby rotatably engaged within the cover member 24. The circular flange 96 provides a rotation 6urface for the arcuate portion 65 of the side wall 6egment 64, with the 6top member 97 being adapted to restrict rotation of the emanator pad holder 20 when the apertures 93 are in registry with the channels 82 or when the fiide wall Eegment6 64 fully close the apertures 93. The emanator pad holder 20 (including the emanator pads 22) is secured within the cover member 24 during manufacture, and is intended to remain integrally n6sembled during 6hipment and use.

As indicated ~bove, during shipment (or during nonuse) the closure cap 18 is connected to the neck 32 of the container 12. ~uring this shipping or nonuse mode, the lower edge of the ~haft 68 rests loosely on ~houlder 54 of the closure cap in 18, the upstanding skirt 52 being received into the 6haft 68, with the circular pro~ection 70 providing additional frictional engagement.

To use the device, the consumer 6imply removes the CQVer member-emanator pad holder assembly, then removes the closure cap 18, and finally replaces said assembly. The shaft 68 receives the neck 32 of the container 12, and the complementary matin~ surfaces 34 and 70 are engaged. Furthermore, the circular lip 73 of the central base portion 63 flexes upvardly slightly, and compressively engages the top 42 of the insert member 14. The lip 73 is not especially resilient, but flexes in view of the flex slots 84 provided therein. The wick 16, in view of the connection between the container 12 and the pad holder 20, is in abutment with the emanator pad 22, and the fragrance composition may be wicked from the container 12 to the emanator pad 22.

The consumer may ad~ustably regulate the rate of diffusion of the ,~27~

fragrance materi~l from the emanator pad to the atmosphere ~y rot~tionally opening or closing the cover mem~er 2~ to vary the size of the air circulation pa6sages defined by the epertures 93 and the channel~ 82. Diffu~ion ~6 enhanced by the prcvision of the updraft grooves 35 and the apertures 81, which provide a path for air flow t~
the vapor space above the emanator pad holder 2~. Air contact with the bottom of the entire emanator pad is established by having the e~anator pad rest on the raised central portion 63 of the base portion 61, thereby establishing an annular channel normal to the vertical axis of the device 10. The tor~uing force necessary to rotate the cover member 24 about the emanator pad 20-container 12 assembly is less than that re~uired to rotate the emanator pad 20 about the emanator pad-container assembly. However, the emanator pad holder-cover assembly may rotate as one unit when the stop means 97 abut a ~ide wall 6egment 64. This may be prevented by including a 6top member on the interior 6urface of tbe shaft 68 that cooperates with flange 34, thereby limiting rotation.

It is to be understood that the air freshener device of the subject invention as well as its component parts may have or include parts or equivalents not specifically recited herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims appended below.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An air freshener dispenser comprising a container having an opening; a wick depending into the container; an emanator pad; emanator pad holding means detachably connected to the container and retaining the emanator pad in contact with the wick, said pad holding means including at least one fragrance diffusion channel and at least one upwardly extending side wall member; a cover member having a top and a substantially cylindri-cal side wall and including at least one fragrance diffusion aperture registrable with said fragrance diffusion channel, and retention means comprising a first mating surface associated with the pad holding means and a second mating surface associ-ated with the cover member, said mating surfaces in operative position detachably retaining the cover member on the pad holding means detachably connected to the container, the first mating surface being inoperative in cooperation with said cover member substantially cylindrical side wall to detachably retain said cover member on the pad holding means, said cover member being rotatable in said detachably-retained position with respect to said pad holding means, the pad holding means being nonrotatable with respect to the container by the torquing force for rotating the cover member on the pad holding means, whereby rotation of the cover member enables said at least one fragrance diffusion aperture and said at least one fragrance diffusion channel to be brought into registry.

2. The dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the second mating surface is a circular flange depending from the top of the cover member, and wherein the uppermost portion of the pad holding means side wall member curves inwardly towards the center of the pad holding means and terminates in an arcuate edge, said arcuate edge being said first mating surface, said uppermost portion of the side wall member being outwardly flexed when said arcuate edge is in mating relationship with said flange.

3. The dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the pad holding means includes a planar base portion from which said side wall member upwardly extends and a peripheral skirt depending from said planar base portion, the skirt having a peripheral boss proximate its bottom edge, said boss being the first mating surface, and wherein the second mating surface is a peripheral boss on the interior surface of the substantially cylindrical side wall of the cover member, said first mating surface overlying said second mating surface in operative position.

4. The dispenser of Claim 2, wherein the pad holding means includes a planar base portion from which said side wall member upwardly extends.

5. The dispenser of Claim 3, wherein the uppermost portion of the pad holding means side wall member curves inwardly towards the center of the pad holding means.

6. The dispenser of Claim 4 or 5, wherein the base portion of the pad holding means includes a central aperture through which the wick extends, the base portion further including a plurality of radial spokelike portions between the central aperture and the periphery of the base portion means, thereby defining air circulation apertures in said base portion.

7. The dispenser of Claim 6, wherein there is a plurality of pad holding means side wall members extending upwardly from the base portion, the number of fragrance diffusion apertures in the cover member being of the same number as said plural number of side wall members.

8. The dispenser of Claim 7, wherein the pad holding means includes a hollow cylindrical shaft depending from proximate the periphery of the central aperture in the planar base, and wherein the container includes a neck, the shaft being detachably connected to the neck.

9. The dispenser of Claim 7, wherein the base portion includes a raised area.

10. The dispenser of Claim 7, further including emanator pad securing ribs radially extending from said side wall members towards said central aperture.

11. The air freshener dispenser of Claim 1, further comprising closure means removably attachable to the container to seal the container opening during periods of nonuse.

12. The air freshener dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the container has at least one updraft groove to establish a fluid pathway from between proximate the bottom of the container to proximate the top of the container.

13. An air freshener dispenser comprising a container having an opening; a wick depending into the container: an emanator pad; emanator pad holding means detachably connected to the container and retaining the emanator pad in contact with the wick, said pad holding means including a planar base portion having a central aperture through which said wick extends, at least one side wall member including a plurality of fragrance diffusion channels, said planar base portion having a plurality of radial spokelike portions between the central aperture and the periphery of the base portion defining air circulation apertures therein; a cover member having a top and a substantially cylindrical side wall and including a plurality of fragrance diffusion apertures equal in number to the fragrance diffusion channels and registrable with said fragrance diffusion channels, and retention means operative to detachably retain the cover member on the pad holding means, said cover member being rotatable in said detachably retained position with respect to said said holding means, the pad holding means being nonrotatable with respect to the container by the torquing force for rotating the cover member on the pad holding means, whereby rotation of the cover member enables said at least one fragrance diffusion aperture and said at least one fragrance diffusion channel to be brought into registry.

14. The dispenser of Claim 13, wherein said retention means comprise a first mating surface associated with the pad holding means and a second mating surface associated with the cover member, the first mating surface being inoperative in cooperation with said cover member substantially cylindrical side wall to detachably retain said cover member on the pad holding means.

15. The dispenser of Claim 14, wherein the second mating surface is a circular flange depending from the top of the cover member, and wherein there is a plurality of pad holding means side wall members, the uppermost portions of the side wall members curving inwardly towards the center of the pad holding means and terminating in an arcuate edge, said arcuate edge being said first mating surface, said uppermost portion of the side wall members being outwardly flexed when in mating relationship with said flange.

16. The dispenser of Claim 14, wherein the pad holding means further includes a peripheral skirt depending from said planar base portion, the skirt proximate its bottom edge having a peripheral boss which is the first mating surface, and wherein the second mating surface is a peripheral boss on the interior surface of the substantially cylindrical side wall of the cover member.

17. The dispenser of Claim 16, wherein the uppermost portion of the pad holding means side wall member curves inwardly towards the center of the pad holding means.

18. The dispenser of Claim 17, wherein there is a plurality of pad holding means side wall members extending upwardly from the base portion, the number of fragrance diffu-sion apertures in the cover member being of the same number as said plural number of side wall members.

19. The dispenser of Claims 15 or 18, wherein the pad holding means includes a hollow cylindrical shaft depending from proximate the periphery of the central aperture in the planar base, and wherein the container includes a neck, the shaft being detachably connected to the neck.

20. The dispenser of Claim 19, wherein the base portion includes a raised area.

21. The dispenser of Claim 19, further including emanator pad securing ribs radially extending from said side wall members towards said central aperture.