WO2004105817A1

WO2004105817A1 - Air freshening or purifying device

Info

Publication number: WO2004105817A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/002290
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabrizio Gavelli; Stuart Michael Ruan Jones
Original assignee: Reckitt Benckiser (Uk) Limited
Priority date: 2003-05-30
Filing date: 2004-05-28
Publication date: 2004-12-09
Also published as: GB0312387D0

Abstract

The invention relates to improvements in or relating to air freshening or purifying devices which are particularly suitable for use with telephone apparatus. An air freshening or purifying device comprising a deformable resilient at least partially convex diaphragm which is provided with at least one orifice and an air freshening or purifying composition inside or within the diaphragm is provided.

Description

AIR FRESHENING OR PURIFYING DEVICE

The invention relates to improvements in or relating to air freshening or purifying devices, which are deformable to provide a burst of fragrance or purifying vapour.

Air freshening and purifying devices are used in many forms, such as plastic containers, jars, impregnated rings and the like. These contain, or are impregnated with a fragrance which evaporates over a period of time and is thereby released into the atmosphere. This specification the term "fragrance" may refer to a simple perfume, but it also is intended to include a deodorant which itself may or may not be perfumed. The term "air purifying" is intended to include compositions having disinfecting and insecticidal capabilities .

Different forms of these sorts of devices are provided as being particularly suitable for use in certain locations e.g. in the home, for use in vehicles, to be positioned over lights etc.

Most of these devices provide a substantially constant fragrancing or purifying action over their life. However, these are instances where an additional boost i-s required. Some devices have been proposed which include an aerosol, the operation of which provides this additional boost. However, these devices can be fairly costly.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an alternative air freshening or purifying device which provides a means for providing a burst of air freshening or purifying the air on demand.

The invention therefore provides an air freshening or purifying device comprising a deformable resilient diaphragm, which at least partially defines a chamber, the diaphragm being provided with at least one orifice, the device further comprising an air freshening or purifying composition inside the chamber and/or in the diaphragm, wherein deformation of the diaphragm for-ces air contained within the chamber, which is saturated with vapourised air freshening or purifying composition, out of the orifice.

The diaphragm is preferably impregnated with the air freshening or purifying composition.

Alternatively an emanation pad saturated with the air freshening or purifying composition is located within the chamber.

The diaphragm may also, or alternatively be coated with a layer of the air freshening or purifying composition.

Preferably the diaphragm is hemispherical, and is attached to an annular flange forming a base.

An adhesive may be applied to at least a portion of an external surface of the device. Preferably, however, a base web is attached to at least a portion of an external surface of the device and the adhesive is then applied to the base web. The base web may serve to protect the support surface from fragrance contained in the device and/or as a support for the fragrance itself.

The diaphragm may form part of a complete enclosure, which may be substantially spherical.

A part of the enclosure may be flattened.

In a preferred embodiment a removable cover is provided covering the adhesive.

The said composition is preferably a gel composition resulting from the cross-linking insitu, of a homopolymer or copolymer in the presence of the perfuming, deodorising, purifying or insecticidal base.

Alternatively the said composition is a liquid composition.

Preferably the composition is a polymerised fragrance oil dispersion.

Alternatively the composition is in solid form.

Preferably the at least one orifice include a nonreturn valve.

The diaphragm is preferably made of an elastomeric, polyurethane, rubber or polyolefin material. The at least one orifice may be located in the centre of the diaphragm or at an edge of the diaphragm.

The invention also provides a collocation of air freshening or purifying devices in which the devices are temporarily adhered to a backing carrier web.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an air freshening or purifying device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the device of Figure 1 as shown on the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of the device of Figure 1 attached to a telephone handset and cradle respectively; and

Figure 5 is an alternative embodiment of the device shown in Figure 2.

One embodiment of the air freshening or purifying device 10 according to the present invention, suitable for use with a telephone handset or cradle (as shown in Figures 3 and 4), comprises a hemispherical diaphragm 11 having an annular flange 12 defining its periphery. At least one orifice 13 is provided in the diaphragm 11 and a layer 15 of the adhesive is applied to the underside of the flange 12. Figure 5 shows the device of Figure 2 further including a base web 18 onto which the adhesive layer 15 is applied. The base web 18 serves to protect a support surface (not shown) from fragrance and to support the diaphragm 11.

The diaphragm 11 is preferably made from a deformable resilient, preferably elastomeric, polyurethane, rubber or polyolefin material. The material of the diaphragm 11 may be impregnated with an air fragrancing or purifying composition 17 or, alternatively a thin layer of fragrancing composition 17 may be provided on an inner surface of the diaphragm 11. A suitable composition may be as described in, for example, US-A-5780527. Such a gel results from cross-linking, in situ of a homopolymer or copolymer in the presence of a perfuming, deodorising, purifying or insecticidal base. A suitable copolymer is aleinised polybutadiene or polyisoprene such as Lythene, N4-900010MA (registered trade mark) obtainable from Revertex Limited. A suitable cross- linking agent, for example a cocoamine having five oxyethylene units per molecule is sold under the Crodamet (registered trade mark) obtainable from Croda Chemicals Limited. As a further alternative the composition 17 may be in liquid form, for example a polymerised fragrance oil dispersion, which is used to saturate an emanation pad, which is located under the diaphragm 11. As yet a further alternative the corporation may be provided in a solid block.

A removable protective cover may be applied to the adhesive layer 15 to protect the adhesive and to seal the open underside of the diaphragm 11 prior to use. The cover may be of waxed paper, glassine or another suitable material. This cover is removed before use and the device 10 may then be fixed to the solid object, such as a telephone handset 16 or cradle 20, where it is held in position by means of the adhesive 15.

Once in position, the surface of the telephone handset 16 or cradle 20 together with the diaphragm 11 defines a chamber, the air inside of which, over a short period of time, becomes saturated with fragrance or air purifying composition. When the diaphragm 11 is depressed, either manually by the user, or as the telephone handset 16 is placed on its cradle 20, the saturated air is forced from the chamber out of the orifice 13 to give a burst of fragrance or air purifying vapour.

When the pressure is released from the diaphragm 11, it recovers its original shape rapidly, due to the shape of the diaphragm 11 and the resilient nature of the material from which it is made, and simultaneously sucks in a fresh supply of air into the chamber.

In the embodiment of the device 10 where the diaphragm 11 is saturated with the composition 17, this provides a slow continuous fragrancing or purifying action, as well as the ability to supply an additional burst when the diaphragm 11 is depressed.

Although the diaphragm 11 is illustrated as being a hemispherical dome, it may be semi-ovoid or another suitable shape. The shape is preferably any with a curved surface and without points. In its relaxed state the diaphragm 11 resumes its original preferred shape due to the energy distribution over the curved surface. Where the device 10 is intended to be used with telephone apparatus, the maximum diameter is typically in the range of 1cm to 3cm. A suitable height for the diaphragm 11 for such an application would be in the range of 2 to 15mm. The diameter of the orifice 13 in the single orifice version is preferably in the region of 1mm to 4mm. Where a plurality of orifices 13 are provided, a suitable number would be in the range of 2 to 5.

The devices 10 may conveniently be supplied singly or in a multi-pack with a plurality of devices 10 adhered to a backing carrier web, such as a coated sheet of cardboard, paper or laminate and over wrapped. The coating would be such as to enable the devices 10 to be temporarily retained in position, but easily removed without affecting the adhesive qualities of the adhesive layer 15, or destroying the carrier web.

The device 10 may then be affixed in an appropriate location on the apparatus e.g. as shown in Figure 3.

After a period of time has elapsed, and the fragrance or purifying composition has dissipated, the device 10 can be replaced by a new one.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not illustrated) , the device comprises a wholly or partially resiliently deformable enclosure, in the shape of a sphere, or other suitable shape (having curved surfaces and no points) instead of the dome. This embodiment of the device 10 could conveniently have a maximum diameter in the range of 30 to 150mm. The part of the enclosure which is resiliently deformable is considered to form the diaphragm in this embodiment, and the chamber is wholly defined by the enclosure. At least a part of the enclosure may be impregnated with the composition, or the composition may be provided on an inner surface of the enclosure. Alternatively the composition could be located in the bottom of the enclosure. The composition could be in liquid or solid form.

Such a device 10 may have one or more orifices to allow the saturated air to escape when the enclosure is squeezed. As such a device is intended to be free standing, the enclosure may have a small flattered area forming a base on which it stands. Such a device would be conveniently portable and may be carried to different locations on demand to provide a boost to freshen or purify the surrounding environment .

A further embodiment of the invention (not illustrated) may be provided which contains a small quantity of liquid air freshening or purifying composition within the chamber, such as a polymerised fragrance oil dispersion. This version of the device comprises an enclosure, which is liquid impermeable. One side of the enclosure is a resiliently deformable hemispherical diaphragm as described in the first embodiment. The other side is flat, and not necessarily resiliently deformable. The flat side is provided with a layer of adhesive. One or more orifices are provided in the diaphragm. As the composition is in liquid form the, or each, orifice is provided with a non-return valve or other means for preventing the escape of the liquid. The orifice (s) may be located in the centre of the diaphragm. In this case the device is most suitable for use in a horizontal position, i.e. with the flat side adhered to a horizontal surface, with the hemisphere projecting upwards. The liquid composition will tend to spread over the inner surface of the enclosure flat side, which is remote from the orifice.

Alternatively the orifice (s) may be located at an edge of the hemisphere or close to where it adjoins the flat side. Such a device will be most suitable for use in a vertical position, i.e. with the flat side adhered to a vertical surface, with the hemisphere projecting sideways. The liquid composition will tend to reside in the bottom of the chamber, so in use the orifice needs to be positioned at the uppermost position.

The liquid composition may alternatively be used to saturate an emanation pad which is located with the chamber, in which case the non-return valve is not necessary. In this embodiment the orientation of the device is not important. The same applies if the composition is in solid or gel form.

This embodiment of the device would be suitable for household or vehicle applications.

Claims

1. An air freshening or purifying device comprising a deformable resilient diaphragm, which at least partially defines a chamber, the diaphragm being provided with at least one orifice, the device further comprising an air freshening or purifying composition inside the chamber and/or in the diaphragm, wherein deformation of the diaphragm forces air contained within the chamber, which is saturated with vapourised air freshening or purifying composition, out of the orifice.

2. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diaphragm is impregnated with the air freshening or purifying composition.

3. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the diaphragm is coated with a layer of the air freshening or purifying composition.

4. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 1 in which an emanation pad saturated with the air freshening or purifying composition is located with the chamber.

5. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the diaphragm is hemispherical, and is attached to an annular flange forming a base.

6. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which an adhesive is applied to at least a portion of an external surface of the device.

7. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a removable cover covering the adhesive.

8. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the diaphragm forms part of a complete enclosure.

9. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 8 in which the enclosure is substantially spherical.

10. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 in which a part of the enclosure is flattened.

11. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the said composition is a gel composition resulting from the cross-linking in situ, of a homopolymer or copolymer in the presence of the perfuming, deodorising, purifying or insecticidal base.

12. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 in which the said composition is a liquid composition.

13. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 or 12 in which the composition is a polymerised fragrance oil dispersion.

14. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the composition is in a solid form.

15. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the at least one orifice include a non-return valve.

16. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the diaphragm is made of an elastomeric, polyurethane, rubber or polyolefin material .

17. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the at least one orifice is located in the centre of the diaphragm.

18. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17 in which the at least one orifice is located at an edge of the diaphragm.

19. A collocation of air freshening or purifying devices as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the devices are temporarily adhered to a backing carrier web.