JPS6366541B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for uniformly evaporating liquid perfume. More particularly, the present invention relates to the method and apparatus using a device in which a segmented liquid perfume retaining member and a perfume evaporating member are functionally connected by a capillary member. The so-called aromatic materials known today are those in which a porous retaining material is impregnated with a perfume, or the entire retaining material is stored in a bottle-shaped container containing a liquid perfume, and the retaining material is exposed to outside air when used. It is constructed so as to be exposed to (indoor air). However, these aromatic materials or perfume evaporators have the following two drawbacks. That is, (1) it is not possible to evaporate a liquid fragrance composition that is held or sequentially supplied in proportion to the composition ratio of each of its constituent components; In other words, at the beginning, more low-boiling components evaporate, and at the end, only the remaining high-boiling components evaporate.
Therefore, the fragrance originally intended for a blended fragrance (most commercially available practical fragrances are blended fragrances, and in this specification, fragrance means a blended fragrance unless otherwise specified) is the aroma that it carries or retains. This means that very little can be expected from the use of aromatic materials, both at the beginning and at the end of their use. Looking at this problem from the other side, the fragrances used in so-called fragrance materials or fragrance evaporation devices (hereinafter referred to as fragrance materials, etc.) must have their constituent components restricted so that the difference in boiling point of the constituent components does not exceed a certain level. This means that (2) Another drawback is that the retention time of fragrances in known fragrance materials, etc., in other words, the service life of fragrance products, depends on the usage environment (Note: mainly outside temperature or room temperature and ventilation speed). influenced by
If the evaporation rate is not controlled by these factors, in other words, the service life cannot be controlled or maintained. The reason for this is as follows. In other words, known fragrance materials evaporate fragrance from the entire surface of their base material or evaporation member, but the rate of evaporation of fragrance naturally depends on the temperature of the outside air (note: indoors in some cases). Therefore, it is not possible to predict in advance how many months' worth of perfume will be retained or sustained within the aromatic material before its use, and therefore the lifespan of the aromatic material as a product cannot be guaranteed. From the point of view of consumers, this drawback means that the lifespan of known aromatic materials cannot be expected to exceed a certain period of time, and this also reduces their desire to consume. The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research into solutions to the above-mentioned drawbacks (1) and (2) related to known aromatic materials. The first idea that can be easily considered is to drop a perfume (liquid) onto an evaporating surface at a constant rate, and then evaporate the entire amount of the dropped material one by one. However, in the case of aromatic materials, it is necessary to evaporate a small amount of perfume, about 0.5 to 1 g/day, and it is not economical to add such a dropping device to the aromatic materials. Another possibility is to open and close the valve of the dripping device, but this would complicate the device. The inventors of the present invention have come to the conclusion that the root cause of the above-mentioned drawbacks is that the known aromatic materials are constructed integrally with a perfume holding part and an evaporating part. If both parts are separated and functionally connected by a capillary member so that the passage rate of this part determines the evaporation rate, the two drawbacks of the above-mentioned known aromatic materials can be solved at the same time. The present invention was completed after coming up with a solution to the problem. As is clear from the above description, the purpose of the present invention (second invention) is to enable continuous use for a long period of time (e.g., 3 months or more), which is completely impossible with known aromatic materials, etc. The change in the composition of the evaporates) provides a method of evaporating fragrances with very little fragrance material throughout the initial, middle and end of use. Other objectives will become clear from the description below. The present invention has the following configurations (1) to (7). (1) When evaporating a liquid fragrance, (a) a liquid fragrance holding member and a liquid fragrance evaporating member are separated, and (b) both members are connected by a capillary member,
(3) Filling the liquid fragrance retaining member of the device with a ratio of the surface area of the fragrance evaporating member to the cross-sectional area of the capillary member of 5,000 to 200,000, and (2) allowing the fragrance to reach the evaporating member through the capillary member. (e) A method for uniformly evaporating a fragrance, characterized by evaporating the entire amount of the fragrance that has arrived at a rapid and steady rate. (2) The method according to item (1) above, wherein the temperature inside the liquid fragrance holding member is maintained at -10 to 50°C. (3) The method according to item (1) above, wherein the temperature of the liquid fragrance evaporating member is maintained at -10 to 50°C, and the surface of the member is maintained in a ventilated or non-ventilated state. (4) Consisting of a liquid fragrance holding member, a fragrance evaporating member, and a capillary member connecting the two, the liquid fragrance holding member has a space for holding the fragrance, and the fragrance evaporating member has a fragrance evaporating surface. , one end of the capillary member is connected to the liquid fragrance holding member and the other end is connected to the fragrance evaporating member,
A device for uniformly evaporating a liquid fragrance, characterized in that the ratio of the surface area of the fragrance evaporating member to the cross-sectional area of the capillary member is 5,000 to 200,000. (5) The device according to item (4) above, wherein the fragrance holding member has a bottle-like shape, and the upper end of the neck of the member also serves as a support for the fragrance evaporating member. (6) The device according to item (4) above, in which the capillary member is made of paper, a piece of fabric, a fiber thread, a fiber bundle, or a capillary bundle, and has or does not have a neck at a position other than both ends thereof. The liquid fragrance used in the present invention is a so-called mixed fragrance that is liquid in the normal use state. but,
Even if it is a single fragrance (component), the present invention has the significance of applying the present invention since it is possible to eliminate the above-mentioned drawback (2), that is, to control the service life of the fragrance material. The perfumes include so-called perfume oils, perfumes, colognes, and the like. Specific types of such fragrances include so-called flowers such as roses, heliotrope, lavender, etc., citrus fruits such as lemon or lime, evergreens such as pine, japonica, etc., and spices such as cinnamon, vanilla, moon leaves, etc. The device of the present invention (second invention) differs from known fragrance materials in that the fragrance holding member and the fragrance evaporating member are spatially clearly separated, and both are functionally connected by a capillary member. It is characterized by its presence. Regardless of its material, shape, size, or structure, the fragrance-retaining member must have a shape-retaining portion (Note: “Form” means shape, size, and structure) and a fragrance-retaining portion. However, it is not necessary that the two constitute separate and independent members. Specifically, the shape-retaining portion may be in the shape of a so-called container, such as a bottle, a cylinder, or a dish with a lid, and has a space inside thereof corresponding to the fragrance-retaining portion. However, it may also be a certain form of absorbent substrate made from various foams or substrates such as paper, pulp, textile fabrics or non-woven fabrics in which both parts are constructed in one piece. However, in the case of such an absorbent substrate, its entire surface (excluding the connection port with the capillary member described below) must be covered or housed in an impermeable material or container, such as metal foil or a plastic case. . The amount of space or the amount of fragrance retained in the absorbent substrate governs the capacity of the member. Such capacity is not limited, but for example, a capacity for 1 to 100 days is required for the amount of fragrance evaporated from 0.1 to 10 g/day, and if the specific gravity of the fragrance is
When it is 1.0, it is within the range of 0.1 to 1000ml, preferably 5 to 1000ml.
It is within the range of 500ml. Capacity over 1000ml, 100
For service life exceeding days, there is a great possibility of applying a more complex and highly accurate control device. The material of the fragrance evaporating member constituting the present invention,
Regardless of the shape, size, or structure, it must have at least a connection part between the evaporation part and the capillary tube, and a joint part with the support body. The presence of others is not essential, but may include non-evaporable portions. Specifically, the evaporation portion may have a single-layer or multi-layer planar or curved structure, or may have another three-dimensional structure such as a honeycomb shape or a group of focused tubes. These planes, curved surfaces, or other three-dimensional structures can be installed or used parallel to the horizontal plane, at right angles, or at any angle of inclination.
The material may be any material as long as it allows the fragrance to diffuse at a necessary and sufficient rate, and specifically, as in the case of the above-mentioned fragrance retaining member, natural or artificial sponge-like substances, paper, pulp, fiber fabrics, etc. Alternatively, it can be manufactured by cutting or processing an absorbent base material such as a nonwoven fabric into a desired shape. Its dimensions are, but are not limited to, the preferred perfume evaporation rate (0.1
(~10g/day), fragrance holding capacity (0.1~1000ml) and lifespan (1day~100days) (0.1~ ^1000cm2 )
In terms of a single plane, so that the evaporation surface of
0.3×0.3cm to 100×100cm preferably 1.0×1.0
cm or 30 x 30 cm is sufficient. The fragrance evaporating member of the present invention is functionally connected to the above-mentioned fragrance retaining member through a capillary member described below. Functionally means that the fragrance can be transported. The configuration of the connecting portion necessary for this purpose is as follows. First, the position and shape of the connecting portion are not limited, but for example, when the device of the present invention has a fragrance evaporating member, a capillary tube member, and a fragrance holding member arranged vertically, the bottom and side surfaces of the evaporating member Alternatively, if the member has a three-dimensional structure, the connecting portion may have a connecting portion either on the upper surface or on the inside thereof, and the shape may be various shapes such as a straight (curved) line, a hole, or a cylindrical shape. You can take it. The method of connecting the connecting portion to the end of the capillary member is not limited, and may be, for example, adhesion, crimping, insertion, fusion, or braiding (Note: For example, in the case where the evaporation member is a knitted fabric and the capillary member is made of fibers of the same material). method can be used. The evaporation member according to the present invention actually requires a joint portion between the evaporation member and the member support that regulates the spatial relationship between the member and the capillary member and the fragrance holding member. The shape, structure, and dimensions of such a joint are determined by the relative relationship with the shape, structure, and dimensions of the support, and the shape, structure, and dimensions of the joint are such that the support can support, accommodate, or hold the entire evaporation member. In this case, there is no need to provide a special joint. but,
The form (shape, structure, dimensions) of the member support may be determined so that the joint portion takes a planar shape such as a multipoint shape, an annular shape, or a parallel linear shape. The relationship between the member support and the joint portion is the same as the relationship between the above-mentioned fragrance holding member and the support. The capillary member constituting the present invention is one in which a fibrous (filament)-like material having a capillary function is bundled, braided, woven, made into paper, or used in the form of a single fiber for a liquid substance (note: fragrance). Other capillary tubes such as glass tubes can also be used.
Such materials include natural or synthetic fibers in filament form, short fibers twisted into threads, these filaments or threads bundled or twisted into strings, filaments or threads. These include those that are woven or braided into woven or knitted fabrics, or those that are made from short fibers into sheets, pulp, or paper. Two-dimensional materials such as the above-mentioned inner fabric are cut into long strips for use. Such a filament-like, thread-like, or strip-like capillary member has both ends and a central part (a part other than the ends), and the central part has a narrowest part (for restricting the movement speed of the fragrance). A neck part) may be provided.
For example, in the case of a long piece of paper, the neck is constructed by cutting out most of the cross section at the center of the long piece of paper. Alternatively, a pair of upper and lower capillary tube materials may be connected by the same or different types of capillary tube materials having a significantly smaller cross-sectional area than the capillary tube materials. The fragrance evaporating device of the present invention has a structure in which a fragrance holding member and a fragrance evaporating member, which are spatially clearly separated, are spatially connected by a capillary member. Therefore, when configured in this way, a portion of the capillary member may be directly exposed to the external space. Although the amount of evaporation of the fragrance in this exposed area is often not a problem compared to the amount of evaporation in the fragrance evaporating member, it is undesirable for more of the low boiling point part of the fragrance to evaporate in this area. Such evaporation can be prevented by attaching a capillary covering member to the portion. This member can also serve as the above-mentioned member support. Further, the neck portion of the fragrance holding member can be configured to serve as the aforementioned covering member and member support (7 in Fig. 3). Next, the mechanism by which the capillary member B according to the present invention moves the perfume C to the evaporation member A will be considered. The force that moves the liquid perfume to the evaporation surface against gravity is the surface tension of the perfume (liquid), and the slits in B function as capillaries. Equivalent to one B (homogeneous)
Considering it as a capillary, the rising pressure △p of C is △p=2σ/γcosθ (where σ: surface tension, γ: capillary radius) Therefore, △p=2σ/γcosθ=hoρ (however, ρ is the density of C ), and C cannot rise above the height ho. On the other hand, if A is a horizontal plane, the force exerted by C on the plane of A is unrelated to gravity. Therefore, in the apparatus of the present invention, C can be infinitely diffused onto A as long as the vertical distance between A and the evaporating member D is less than ho. As is clear from the above equation, the pressure Δp-hρ is the force that is moving C onto A. Due to this force, C is transferred onto A and spreads on A without restriction, and when a sufficient area for evaporation is wetted, the amount transferred onto A and the amount evaporated on A are balanced. The evaporation rate can be controlled by the transfer rate. Since the source of the transport force lies in the interfacial tension of C, the temperature at which the device of the present invention is used changes by only about 10% at most in the range of -10°C to 50°C, even if it is not above or below room temperature. Since the surface tension usually decreases as the temperature rises, unlike known aromatic materials that are rate-limited by evaporation, it is possible to avoid the drawback that the fragrance quickly evaporates and is lost in the summer. That is, in the perfume evaporating device of the present invention, it is considered that the evaporation rate of the perfume can be kept almost constant even if the external conditions such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc. during use vary considerably. Although Δp, which is the above-mentioned increased pressure of C, is not uniquely determined, it is easy to specifically measure it using the apparatus according to the present invention. That is, when the tip of B is immersed in C held in D, the speed at which C rises above B can be measured. That is, since the rising speed of the liquid can be expressed by the following formula dh/dt=k(△p-hρ)...(1), by solving this, ln△p/△p-hρkρt...(2) is obtained. In this formula, the observed values at t ₁ , t ₂ ...
By substituting h ₁ , h _{2 . . .} to find k, Δp can be found by calculation. (See Examples 2 and 6 below) The present invention will be described below with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. Example 1, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 A square piece or a circular piece of paper (No. 2 manufactured by Toyo Paper Co., Ltd.) cut to a certain size was attached to the mouth of a 100 ml Erlenmeyer flask (note: the fragrance holding member of the present invention). Place a capillary member with a width of 2 mm and a length of 30 mm to the fragrance holding surface in the center of one side (note: a combination of the fragrance evaporating member and the capillary member), and place the capillary member in the Erlenmeyer flask. The flask was filled with commercially available lemon flavor (liquid) to a length of 30 mm to the upper edge of the flask mouth. The size of the aroma evaporating member in each example is as follows.

[Table] When the cumulative evaporation amount per hour was measured for each example using the settings as described above, the results were as shown in Tables 1 to 3 below.

【table】

【table】

[Table] Note: Evaporation amount mg per unit elapsed time (evaporation area mm
² ) Expressed in per unit time and hr; Calculation example: If 0.2g evaporates in 20 hours in Table 1, 0.2 x 1000/1531 x 20 = 0.0065 (mg/mm ² hr) It is clear from Tables 1 to 3. In Comparative Example 1 where the surface area of the fragrance evaporating member/the cross-sectional area of the capillary member is 1531,
After 146 hours, the evaporation rate becomes virtually zero, leaving only high-boiling components, and after that point, the aromatic material virtually loses its function. Similarly, in Comparative Example 2 of 3060, evaporation continued after 166 hours, but the evaporation rate decreased to less than 1/20 of the initial rate, and not only was the evaporation rate unable to be kept uniform, but the aroma composition was also large. It is inferred that it is changing rapidly. On the other hand, in Example 1 where the area ratio is 16155, the initial
It is clear that between 22 hours and 23 hours from 144 to 167 hours, the evaporation rate was higher in the latter case, and the evaporation rate of the fragrance was kept almost uniform. Next, FIG. 1, which is an apparatus used in Examples 2 and 3 below, and FIGS. 2 and 3, which are other embodiments of the present invention, will be explained. Each figure is a side view of the device of the invention, each using a transparent container. In each figure, 1 is a fragrance holding member, 2 is a fragrance evaporation member, 3 is a capillary member,
4 is a liquid perfume, 5 is a perfume evaporation surface, 6 is a capillary member covering member, and 7 is a neck of the perfume holding member. As is clear from each figure, an appropriate amount of liquid fragrance 4 is held in the fragrance holding member 1, and a capillary member 3 is held inside the liquid fragrance 4.
is inserted, and its tip is immersed in liquid fragrance 4. Further, the other end of the capillary member 3 is connected to the fragrance holding member 2, and the fragrance holding member 2 is connected to and supported by the upper end of the capillary member covering member 6 (second
). The lower end of the member is inserted into and fixed to the neck portion 7 of the fragrance holding member. On the other hand, in FIGS. 1 and 3, the capillary member covering member is not used,
Instead, the fragrance retaining member neck 7 also serves as a covering member. The liquid perfume 4 rises in the capillary member 3 against gravity due to interfacial tension, reaches the perfume evaporating member 2, and evaporates while being diffused on the surface of the perfume evaporating member 2. and,
The area of the diffusion portion is such that the supply rate and evaporation rate of the liquid fragrance are balanced. Example 2 In this example, the liquid fragrance holding member has an outer diameter of 4.
mmφ, total height 9mm, mouth height 15mm, mouth outer diameter 2
A mmφ polyethylene bottle is used, and No.5A quantitative paper (Toyo Paper Co., Ltd.) with a diameter of 110 mmφ is used as the liquid fragrance evaporation member. Cotton thread (No. 30) is used as the capillary member.
(0.14 mm in diameter) was used. Pour liquid fragrance (lemon smell) into the polyethylene bottle placed horizontally to a depth of about 20 mm, connect the cotton thread to the center of the paper, and insert the tip of the thread into the bottle. I inserted it enough. Using the evaporation device of the present invention filled with this liquid fragrance, the amount of evaporation was determined by weighing the entire device at room temperature at regular intervals, and the wetted area of the surface of the fragrance evaporation member was observed. It looked like Table 4.

[Table] As is clear from the table, the area wetted by the liquid fragrance on the evaporative member is within a circular range of approximately 6cmφ to 7.5cmφ, with the upper limit being approximately 44.16cm ² and the surface area below this being 28.27cm ² or more. It can be seen that the fragrance evaporates at a nearly constant rate. The average evaporation rate is 0.0096gr/Hr. Therefore, under these conditions, the amount of fragrance sent from the cotton thread (capillary member) to the quantitative paper (perfume evaporation member) and the evaporation rate per unit evaporation area and per unit time can also be determined. Example 3 The same procedure as in Example 2 was carried out, except that two cotton threads were used as the evaporation member, the elapsed time was up to 453 hours, and the amount of lemon flavor added was increased by 12.5 g. The results are shown in Table 5.

【table】

[Table] From the above table, the average evaporation rate was calculated to be 0.0183 g/hr. This rate should be twice that of Example 2 (0.0192 g/hr), but is slightly less than this double value. However, the evaporation rate remains almost constant over a long period of about 450 hours. This reveals that, as discussed above, the rate at which the fragrance is transported to the evaporation surface through the two cotton threads (capillary members) determines the evaporation rate of the device as a whole.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are each illustrative of the apparatus of the present invention. In each figure, 1 is a fragrance holding member;
2 is a fragrance evaporating member, and 3 is a capillary member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In evaporating the liquid fragrance, a liquid fragrance holding member and a liquid fragrance evaporating member are separated,
and (b) both members are connected by a capillary member, and (c) the ratio of the surface area of the fragrance evaporating member to the cross-sectional area of the capillary member is 5,000 to 200,000. A method for uniformly evaporating a fragrance, characterized by allowing the fragrance to reach the evaporation member through a capillary member, and evaporating the entire amount of the fragrance that has arrived at a rapid and steady rate. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature inside the liquid fragrance holding member is maintained at -10 to 50°C. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the liquid fragrance evaporating member is maintained at -10 to 50°C, and the surface of the member is maintained in a ventilated or non-ventilated state. 4. Consisting of a liquid fragrance holding member, a fragrance evaporating member, and a capillary member connecting the two, the liquid fragrance holding member has a space for holding the fragrance, the fragrance evaporating member has a fragrance evaporating surface, One end of the capillary member is connected to the liquid fragrance holding member and the other end is connected to the fragrance evaporating member, and the ratio of the surface area of the fragrance evaporating member to the cross-sectional area of the capillary member is 5000.
A device for uniformly evaporating liquid fragrance, characterized in that the liquid fragrance is ~200,000. 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the fragrance retaining member has a bottle-like shape, and the upper end of the neck of the member also serves as a support for the fragrance evaporating member. 6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the capillary member is made of paper, a piece of fabric, a fiber thread, a fiber bundle or a capillary bundle, and has or does not have a neck at a position other than its ends.