GB2126091A

GB2126091A - Vapourizing container for perfumes and the like

Info

Publication number: GB2126091A
Application number: GB08321881A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Albert John Frazer; Edward James Wenger
Original assignee: CARTER CECILIA CATHRINE
Current assignee: CARTER CECILIA CATHRINE
Priority date: 1982-08-19
Filing date: 1983-08-15
Publication date: 1984-03-21
Also published as: GB8321881D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a ceramic container containing a liquid mixture including a volatile substance. The liquid content and vessel is formulated and manufactured to permit a slow release of vapours of the volatile substance through the container wall.

Description

SPECIFICATION Vapourizing container for perfumes and the like This invention relates to containers and more particularly to containers for holding volatile substances such as for example, perfumes deodorants, space disinfectants and the like and allowing the slow release of such substances.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an attractive container which allows for the slow release of its contents.

According to the invention there is provided a vapourizing container comprising a sealed ceramic vessel and a content constituted by a liquid mixture including a volatile substance required to be slowly vapourized into the atmosphere, the vessel having walls of sufficient low permeability to contain the liquid mixture and the walls having at least a segment permeable to the vapours of the volatile substance required to be vapourized.

The entire vessel may be of a permeability such as to be capable of preventing leakage or seepage of the contents yet permitting permeation of the vapours of the volatile substance. The vessel may be formed from any suitable material such as, for example, China clays or kaolins, ball or similar clays, fatty clays, silicous clays, ferruginous clays, freeclays and refractory clays either separately or in combination with feldspar, fluorspar, silica and talc either individually or in any suitable combination. The vessel may be formed in any convenient manner, such as for example, by throwing, extrusing, pressing or casting. After forming, the container is cleaned and then subjected to firing according to the methods well known in the pottery trade. The container may be fired either uncoated or coated with vitreous or semi-vitreous glazes.

In a preferred form of the invention, the vessel defines a base, a waist, a neck and a mouth and the exterior surfaces of the base and part of the waist adjacent to the base is glazed and the mouth is sealed by means of a stopper, the remainder of the exterior surface of the vessel having at least some unglazed areas. The purpose of glazing the bottom section of the vessel is to prevent ring formation on support surfaces, such as table tops should condensation of liquids occur on the exterior surface of the vessel.

The vessel preferably has a wall thickness of between 3 and 10 mm and a porosity of between 1 8 and 24 percent. The nature of the substance to be contained and of the vapour required to be released by migration through the unglazed segments of the container wall will determine the selection of raw materials and firing conditions.

Generally, it is the experience that for a container intended to hold an alcohol/water or oil based perfume a firing temperature of between 600 and 1 5000C would result in a product of sufficient degree of vitrification to prevent seepage through the container wall yet permitting permeation of the perfume vapours.

The content of the vapourizing container is preferably a water based liquid mixture into which the volatile substance required to be vapourized is blended with the aid of suitable emulsifier, surfactant and solubiliser agents.

In one form of the invention the volatile substance may be in the form of a fragrance oil and it is preferred for the liquid mixture to have the following composition: Fragrance Oil 10 parts Emulsifier agent 10 parts Water 80 parts The emulsifier agent may be in the form of a mixture made up as follows: Polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleate 2.5 parts Sorbitan monolaurate 3.5 parts Nonyl-phenol 1 part Laurylalcohol 1.5 parts The polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleate may be in the form of the commercially available product Tween 80 marketed by ICI and the laurylalcohol may be in the form of Brij 30 a commercially available product also marketed by ICI. The nonylphenol may be in the form of the commercially available product, Tergitol available from Union Carbide and the sorbitan monolaurate may be in the form of Crillet No. 1 a commercially available product obtainable from Croda Chemicals.

It has been found that an emulsifier agent mixture as set out above adequately disperses a fragrance oil in the form of Lily of the Valley fragrance oil obtainable from Givaudan South Africa (Pty) Limited in 80 parts of distilled water to result in a product which has an acceptable useful life in a vessel of the type as outlined above.

A typical non-water based composition of the liquid mixture may be as follows: Propylene glycol 75 parts 95% denatured alcohol 15 parts Fragrance oil 5-10 parts The above compositions are described by way of an example only and it is not intended to limit the invention to that composition.

It will be appreciated that according to the invention one may also place toxic substances such as air borne pesticides or gemicides in a sealed container as described thus placing the toxic substance out of the reach of children without seriously affecting its effectiveness as a space pesticide. It will be appreciated that the fragrance oil may also be replaced by a respiration aid to be released in a room occupied by a person suffering from respiratory problems.

The container may be sealed in any convenient manner after filling. Thus the container may be corked and sealed with a wax seal.

It is preferred to cover the vessel after filling to increase its shelf life. Thus the container may be covered by means of a shrink wrap which may be removed from the container when the vapourizing container is to be placed in use. Alternatively, the vessel may be coated with a thin layer of wax which may be removed by means of hot water when the vapourizing container is to be placed in use.

It will be appreciated that many variations of the invention are possible which differ from the disclosed embodiments in aspects of detail only and which do not depart from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. A vapourizing container comprising a sealed ceramic vessel and a content constituted by a liquid mixture including a volatile substance required to be slowly vapourised into the atmosphere, the vessel having walls of sufficiently low permeability to contain the liquid mixture and the walls having at least a segment permeable to the vapours of the volatile substance required to be vapourised.

2. The vapourising container of claim 1 wherein the vessel defines a base, a waist, a neck and a mouth and wherein the exterior surfaces of the base and part of the waist adjacent the base is glazed and the mouth is sealed by means of a stoper, the remainder of the exterior surface of the vessel having at least some unglazed areas.

3. The vapourising container of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the vessel has a wall thickness of between 3 and 10 mm and a porosity of between 1 8-24%.

4. The vapourizing container of claim 3 wherein the liquid mixture has a water base and wherein the volatile substance is blended with the water by means of a suitable emulsifier, surfactant or solubiliser.

5. The vapourising container of claim 4 wherein the volatile substance is a perfume compound.

6. The vapourizing container of claim 5 wherein the liquid mixture has the following composition: Fragrance oil 10 parts Emulsifier Composition 10 parts Water 80 parts

7. The vapourizing container of claim 6 where in the emulsifier composition is made up as follows: Polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleate 2.5 parts Sorbitan monolaurate 3.5 parts Nonyl-phenol 1 part Laurylalcohol 1.5 parts

8. The vapourizing container of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the liquid mixture has the following composition: Propylene glycol 75 parts 96% denatured alcohol 1 5 parts Fragrance oil 5-10 parts 9. A method of producing a vapourizing container comprising the steps of forming a ceramic vessel from a ceramic pottery body, firing the vessel, optionally glazing part of the exterior surface of the vessel, introducing a liquid mixture container a volatile substance to be vapourized into the vessel, sealing the mouth of the vessel, and enclosing the vessel in a removable nonpermeable cover.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the removable non-permeable cover is in the form of a shrink wrap of suitable polymeric material.

1 The method of claim 10 wherein the removable non-permeable cover is in the form of a wax layer applied to the surface of the vessel.

1 2. A vapourizing container substantially as herein described.

13. A method of producing a vapourizing container substantially as herein described.