None.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a dispensing device having a substrate supported by a support member, and in particular, to a dispensing device having a substrate angled with respect to the support member to promote air flow threrethrough.
2. Description of the Background of the Disclosure
Various volatile material dispensing devices are known in the prior art that generally comprise a reservoir that holds a volatile material and optionally includes a housing or support structure to retain the reservoir. The prior art dispensing devices typically either allow passive diffusion of the volatile material to occur without the aid of a dispensing mechanism or enhance and/or facilitate the release of the volatile material using a dispensing mechanism. Typical dispensing mechanisms used in volatile material dispensing devices include a heating device and/or a fan that either heats and/or supplies air, respectively.
Many passive dispensing devices of the prior art utilize a solid or semi-solid block of material or a volatile material laden gel disposed within a housing. In particular, one prior art dispensing device comprises a container having a candle therein. When lit, the candle emits a volatile material. Another prior art dispensing device uses a conical gel shaped surface impregnated with a volatile material. The conical gel surface is disposed within a housing having an adjustable cap. The cap may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly to expose the surface area of the conical gel surface to varying degrees. In a different prior art diffusion device, the diffusion device uses a reservoir having a semi-permeable film disposed thereon and a volatile material disposed within the reservoir. The volatile material diffuses out of the reservoir through the semi-permeable membrane. Another prior art diffusion device includes a substantially flat substrate having a volatile material thereon. The volatile material is slowly released into the surrounding atmosphere.
One draw-back of some of the aforementioned prior art devices is that the devices are typically not designed to be hung from a surface, such as a wall or ceiling. Prior art devices that are hung on the wall are usually automatically operated to dispense the volatile material at set intervals or based on a particular condition, such as with the use of a sensor, so that the user does not have to physically touch or interact with the device to effect dispensing. Such electrical requirements make the devices more complex and expensive to manufacture and sell. Further, such devices are more complicated for users to operate.
A further drawback of some of the prior art device, such as those that require user interaction to hang, is that a user must touch the substrate that is impregnated with the volatile material. Therefore, it is desirable to position a dispensing device in an operable position without touching the substrate or portions of the dispensing device that contain a volatile material, such as an insecticide. It is further desirable to locate such diffusion devices out of the reach of children when the dispensing device is in use.
Finally, dispensing devices that have solid or substantially solid substrates typically do not allow either any air, or a sufficient amount of air, to flow therethrough to aid in dispersing the volatile material over a broad area. Insufficient airflow is further exacerbated when a solid or semi-solid substrate of a dispensing device is disposed adjacent a wall or ceiling.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a three-dimensional dispensing device specifically designed to be hung on a surface such as a wall or a ceiling that is operable without human intervention or electronic parts (including sensors and motors). It would further be further desirable to have a dispensing device that is designed to allow sufficient airflow therethrough, even when the dispensing device is disposed adjacent a vertical surface. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a low-cost dispensing device that is positioned into an operable position without human interaction with a volatile material. The present disclosure provides new and non-obvious dispensing devices, which address one or more of the above issues.
According to one aspect of the invention, a dispensing device for release of an air treatment material includes a semi-permeable substrate having a mesh size between about 15 strands per cm to about 79 strands per cm and a support component for supporting the semi-permeable substrate. The dispensing device releases the air treatment material at a rate of at least about 0.05 mg/hr at about 25° C.
According to another aspect of the invention, a dispensing device for release of an air treatment material comprises a substrate and a support component that supports the substrate. The substrate comprises two wing portions extending outwardly from the support component. The two wing portions form an angle of between about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees with respect to each other to promote air flow through the dispensing device.
According to a different aspect of the invention, a method of positioning a dispensing device in an operative position comprises the steps of providing a substrate within a container, wherein the substrate includes two wing portions that are adjacent one another and have an elastic material attached thereto. The method further includes the step of opening the container and removing the substrate, whereby the elastic material acts to open the two wings of the substrate into an operable position and the wings are disposed at an angle of between about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees with respect to each other in the operable position.
As depicted in
Still referring to
The substrate 102 is designed to carry the air treatment material 106 thereon. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate 102 comprises a semi-permeable barrier defined by a plurality of connected strands. The connected strands are preferably flexible and crisscrossed to form a mesh web pattern and allow selective diffusion therethrough. In one embodiment, the substrate 102 comprises two separate elements that are held together via the support component 104 (see
By coating the substrate 102 with an appropriate air treatment chemical, air entering the device will acquire a portion of the volatile chemical, and dispense it from the dispensing device 100. Active release rates of at least 0.05 milligrams per hour (mg./hr.) or higher are preferred. Suitable actives are D-teflumethrin, transfluthrin, prallethrin, vaporthrin, metofluthrin, tefluthrin, and esbiothrin or other synthetic pyrethroids. The air treatment chemical may solely comprise an active, or for ease of handling the material may be dissolved in a hydrocarbon, alcohol, or other solvent. Alternatively, or in addition, the substrate 102 may also bear a fragrance, a deodorizer, or other air treatment chemical.
The substrate 102 is preferably capable of holding a dose of the active ingredient in a relatively even distribution thereon and also capable of allowing evaporation in response to the air flow. For an active ingredient that is hydrophobic and migrateable at common environmental temperatures between about 10° C. and 40° C. (e.g., D-teflumethrin), a suitable material includes, by way of example, nylon. The nylon may be characterized as having a basis weight ranging from 30 grams per square meter (gsm) to 150 grams per square meter (gsm) and may be fabricated from synthetic, natural, or combined synthetic and natural polymeric materials. In one preferred embodiment, the nylon is characterized by a thickness of between about 0.1 mm to about 0.8 mm, more preferably between about 0.2 mm to about 0.5 mm, and most preferably about 0.35 mm. The nylon is further characterized by a melting point of between about 150° C. to about 275° C., or between about 200° C. to about 250° C., or about 215° C. to about 225° C. The nylon has a mesh size of between about 5 strands per cm to about 80 strands per cm, between about 10 strands per cm to about 40 strands per cm, or most preferably about 16 strands per cm. In one embodiment, the nylon has a mesh size of between about 15 strands per cm to about 79 strands per cm.
The substrate 102 should also allow for wicking of the active ingredient following dosing to ensure efficient distribution throughout the substrate 102. Dosing may be accomplished by dropping, spraying, printing, or other conventional delivery of a liquid active ingredient on to the substrate 102. In one embodiment, the substrate 102 may be divided into a plurality of blocks for applying the active thereto. For example, the substrate 102 may be divided into 24 squares. In such a division, the active ingredient on each square centimeter comprises about 0.1 mg.
Turning again to
As best seen in
Now turning to
Again referring to
The substrate 102 and support component 104 may be configured with respect to each other in various manners. In one embodiment shown in
The support component 104 comprises a natural or synthetic fibrous material. In one embodiment, the support component 104 comprises paper, cardboard, paperboard, or the like. In a different embodiment, the support component 104 comprises a lower density polymer. In yet a different embodiment, the support component 104 comprises other polymer and/or polymer blends such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and/or polyethylene terephthalate. Suitable support materials 104 have a grammage of between about 100 g/m2 to about 500 g/m2, or between about 200 g/m2 to about 400 g/m2, or about 300 g/m2. It is envisioned that the support component 104 may comprise other materials so long as the material is rigid enough to provide support to the substrate 102.
The support component 104 is further adapted to support a hanging assembly 140 (see
The string 142 is preferably elastic and comprises rope, twine, cord, yarn, or other like materials. The string 142 may be made from natural and/or synthetic materials such as cotton, wool, linen, silk, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, rayon, metal, or the like. The string 142 includes a diameter dimension of between about 1 mm to about 2.5 mm. In one embodiment, the string 142 is defined by a modulus of elasticity of between about 2×105 N/m2 to about 8×105 N/m2.
The string 142 is attached at various points to the dispensing device 100 in a manner that provides various benefits thereto. In particular, the string 142 forms various angles with respect to axes Wa and Wb, defined by wings 108a, 108b and axes Pa and Pb, which extend perpendicularly from axes Wa and Wb, respectively. As depicted in
The attachment mechanism 144 preferably allows the dispensing device 100 to be mounted, attached, or otherwise hung from a vertical or horizontal surface, such as, for example, a wall. In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism 144 comprises a hook. In a different embodiment, the attachment mechanism 144 comprises a suction cup. In yet a different embodiment, the attachment mechanism 144 comprises a looped end of the string 142 that allows the string 142 to be directly attached to a hook, wall, or other surface.
The dispensing device 100 optionally includes a use-up cue 152 (see
Now that the individual components have been discussed, the relationship thereto, and the operation of the dispensing device 100 will be discussed. Prior to use, the dispensing device 100 is preferably provided to a user in a sealed container 160 (See
The dispensing device 100 is capable of opening on its own into a fully operative position due to a variety of factors taken into consideration during the manufacturing of the dispensing device. In the present context, the phrase capable of opening on its own means that the dispensing device is able to move from a first position (substantially flat) into a second operative position (wings open to a specified angle) when outside barriers (i.e., the container) are removed. Such a configuration is desirable because it allows the user to set up the device without having to touch the substrate 102.
During the operational state, the dispensing device 100 is preferably hung from or otherwise supported by a surface such as a wall. In the operable position, the wings 108a, 108b of the dispensing device 100 are provided at a specified angle to enhance the air flow therearound. In particular, as best seen in
In the operational state, the dispensing device 100 preferably has a release rate of the air treatment material 106 between about 0.01 to about 0.1 mg/hour, as measured at about 25° C. and an air flow of between about 0.01 to about 0.2 m/s. Although designed to be used with at least some airflow, the dispensing device 100 will still release at least some of the air treatment material with little or no airflow. In one particular embodiment, the dispensing device 100 has a release rate of between about 0.05 to about 0.08 mg/hr, at about 25° C. and an air flow of between about 0.01 to about 0.2 m/s.
The air treatment chemical disclosed in the embodiments herein may be a fragrance or insecticide disposed within a carrier liquid, a deodorizing liquid, or the like. The air treatment chemical may also comprise other actives, such as sanitizers, air fresheners, odor eliminators, mold or mildew inhibitors, insect repellents, and the like, or that have aromatherapeutic properties. The air treatment chemical alternatively comprises any volatile material known to those skilled in the art.
Any of the embodiments described herein may be modified to include any of the structures or methodologies disclosed in connection with different embodiments. Further, the present disclosure is not limited to substrate and/or support component shapes/sizes of the type specifically shown. Still further, the support component of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be modified to work with various types of substrates consistent with the disclosure herein.
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.
Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out same. The exclusive rights to all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims are reserved.
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