SPILL-RESISTANT AIR FRESHENER CANISTER

Abstract

A spill-resistant air freshener canister includes: a supply vessel filled with aromatic liquid that has a threaded mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane; a cylindrical inner sleeve incorporating a socket that sealably engages the threaded mouth of the supply vessel, the sleeve also having a cylindrical axial aperture at the bottom of the socket, and at least one seepage aperture at the very bottom of the socket which enables liquid from inside the supply vessel to escape in a radially outward direction to the exterior of the cylindrical sleeve; a cylindrical wick surrounding the cylindrical inner sleeve; and an evaporator cage into which the cylindrical sleeve is inserted, the evaporator cage having a fully-enclosed bottom portion containing a central projecting blade that fits through the axial aperture at the bottom of the socket. The bottom portion is ultrasonically welded to the bottom of the cylindrical inner sleeve.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, generally, to air freshener canisters having a central supply vessel containing an aromatic liquid that is surrounded by an evaporation chamber enclosing a generally cylindrical wick that is wetted by liquid escaping from the supply vessel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spill-resistant air freshener canister that has no unabsorbed standing aromatic liquid outside the vessel, with all aromatic liquid that has seeped from the supply vessel being absorbed by the wick.

RELATED ART

Aromatic fluid delivery devices, such as fragrance dispensers, have been known in the art for many decades. One example of a dispenser for volatile fluid is disclosed in three related U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,533,705; 5,816,846 and 6,105,916. The device provides a drive selectively using large or small motor providing an air stream for generating vapor from a wick, ceramic wafers, or discs containing vaporizable deodorant. Socket assemblies provide a socket for a motor of larger dimensions and a socket for a motor of smaller dimensions. A frame for a cabinet composed of a separate back plate, a top member and a bottom member of a resilient plastic so that the top member and bottom member are snap-locked to the back plate and secured further by projections from the top and bottom members in slots in the back plate. The bottom member is a liquid tight tray capable of processing deodorants contained in wick-equipped bottles and cans, porous impregnated ceramic discs, and porous impregnated fiber wafers. There is a bottle holder snap-locked to the underside of the top member. A battery-blower assembly is snap-locked to the back plate. The battery poles are joined to the wires from the blower-motor by clips using solderless connections.

More recently as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,779 is a framed fluid delivery device that is made up of a fluid-delivery cartridge for the timed-release delivery of a fluid. The fluid delivery cartridge retained by a frame assembly uses a base portion for the delivery of fluid released from a cartridge. The base secures the fluid delivery cartridge within the frame assembly proximate the end when fluid is released. The fluid-delivery cartridge has a bottom, a top, and sides, and a dispersion pad positioned proximate the bottom of the fluid-delivery cartridge that at least partially surrounds the sides of the fluid-delivery cartridge. A generator that generates gas is used for powered discharge of volatile liquid from the storage cell that is part of the fluid delivery cartridge.

While conventional dispensers have been readily utilized in numerous commercial markets, they have not been configured to automatically dispense a fluid at predetermined intervals. In particular, many conventional dispensers are manually or electromechanically actuated by depressing, for example, a cap, a button, or a trigger mechanism. Such manually, or electromechanically actuated dispensers are cumbersome and expensive inasmuch as they have many costly components.

A more recent trend has seen the proliferation of fragrance canisters which have a central fluid supply vessel surrounded by an evaporation chamber enclosing a wick. U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,461 to Ashok Joshi, et al. discloses a fluid delivery device including a container for holding a predetermined quantity of fluid, a gas generator for generating gas within the container, and a dispenser for cyclically dispensing fluid at predetermined intervals out of the container without cyclical actuation by a user. Although the Joshi, et al. device represents an improvement in the art, in that the cost of fragrance dispensers is substantially reduced, the device is still unnecessarily complex and relatively costly.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,005,350 to Arnold H. Zlotnik, et al. discloses an aromatic odor neutralizer that includes a vaporization chamber containing a wick with an end part immersed in fluid in a storage cup that is gravity fed from an airtight vessel by the use of air pathways exposed when the liquid level in the cup is reduced. The vaporization chamber is located in a dispenser housing with an internal passage between end walls and communicating with vents in the sides for aerodynamic airflow to efficiently absorb vapors from a vaporizer chamber. Once activated by puncturing a lower portion of the vessel, the Zlotnick, et al. device soon reaches an equilibrium condition characterized by the presence of standing aromatic fluid in the storage cup. This standing fluid is subject to spillage if the air canister is not handled with care.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a spill-resistant air freshener canister that includes the following components: a supply vessel filled with aromatic liquid that has a threaded mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane; a cylindrical inner sleeve incorporating a socket that sealably engages the threaded mouth of the supply vessel, the sleeve also having a cylindrical axial aperture at the bottom of the socket, and at least one seepage aperture at the very bottom of the socket which enables liquid from inside the supply vessel to escape in a radially outward direction to the exterior of the cylindrical sleeve; a cylindrical wick surrounding the cylindrical inner sleeve; and an evaporator cage into which the cylindrical sleeve is inserted, the evaporator cage having a fully-enclosed bottom portion containing a central projecting blade that fits through the axial aperture at the bottom of the socket. The bottom portion is ultrasonically welded to the bottom of the cylindrical inner sleeve, leaving no gap between the bottom of the inner sleeve and the bottom portion of the evaporator cage. When a filled supply vessel is screwed into the socket, the projecting blade slices through the puncturable membrane which allows aromatic liquid to escape outside the cylindrical sleeve and wet the cylindrical wick. The air freshener canister is spill resistant, as there is no unabsorbed standing aromatic liquid outside the vessel. All of the aromatic liquid is either within the supply vessel or absorbed by the wick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of the new air freshener canister;

FIG. 2 is first fully-assembled isometric view of the new air freshener canister having a supply vessel installed therein;

FIG. 3 is a second fully-assembly isometric view of the new air freshener canister having a supply vessel installed therein;

FIG. 4 is a third fully-assembled isometric view of the new air freshener canister having a supply vessel installed therein;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional isometric view of the new air freshener canister having a supply vessel installed therein;

FIG. 6 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the new air freshener canister having a supply vessel installed therein;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a second embodiment supply vessel, a puncturable membrane, a paper washer and a cap having internal and external threads;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of an incompletely-assembled second embodiment air freshener canister; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the fully-assembled second embodiment air freshener canister of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawing figures. It is to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that they are intended to be merely illustrative.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 6, the new spill-resistant air freshener canister 100 is shown in an exploded (disassembled) state. The air freshener canister 100 includes the following components: a supply vessel 101 filled with aromatic liquid that has a finger-twistable projection 103 and a threaded mouth 102 sealed with a puncturable membrane 703; a cylindrical inner sleeve 104 incorporating a socket (see FIG. 5, item 502) that sealably engages the threaded mouth 102 of the supply vessel 101, the cylindrical inner sleeve 104 also having a cylindrical axial aperture at the bottom of the socket, and at least one seepage aperture 106 at the very bottom of the socket which enables liquid from inside the supply vessel to escape in a radially outward direction to the exterior of the cylindrical inner sleeve 104; a cylindrical wick 107 surrounding the cylindrical inner sleeve 104; and an evaporator cage 108 into which the cylindrical inner sleeve is inserted. The evaporator cage 108 includes a bottom portion 110 that may be fully enclosed and may include a central projecting blade (see FIG. 5, item 501) that fits through the axial aperture at the bottom of the socket 502. It will be noted that the central projecting blade 501 projects upwardly from the base 503. The evaporator cage 108 also has an open grill work 109 through which evaporating aromatic liquid escapes into the atmosphere. The bottom portion 110 is ultrasonically welded to the bottom of the cylindrical inner sleeve 104, leaving no gap between the bottom of the cylindrical inner sleeve lot and the bottom portion of the evaporator cage 108. When a filled supply 101 vessel is screwed into the socket 502, the projecting blade 501 slices through the puncturable membrane 703, which allows aromatic liquid to escape outside the cylindrical inner sleeve 104 and wet the cylindrical wick 107. The air freshener canister 100 is spill resistant, as there is no unabsorbed standing aromatic liquid outside the supply vessel 101. All of the aromatic liquid is either within the supply vessel 101 or absorbed by the cylindrical wick 107. It will be noted that they cylindrical inner sleeve 104 has locking apertures 105 that fit over projections 111 on the evaporator cage 108.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a second embodiment supply vessel 701 has been designed to improve sealing between the mouth 702 of the supply vessel 701 and the puncturable membrane 703. The supply vessel 701 has a mouth 702, a puncturable membrane 703, a paper washer 704, and a cap 705 with both internal threads 706 and external threads 707. The mouth 702 is externally threaded. The puncturable membrane 703 may comprise polyethylene or foil. The cap 705 fits over the threaded mouth of the supply vessel 701. The paper washer 704 compresses and ensures even force against the polyethylene/foil membrane 703 during inductive sealing of the puncturable membrane 703 to edges of the mouth of the supply vessel.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the entire second embodiment air freshener canister 800 is shown. Although the evaporator cage 108 is identical to that of the first embodiment canister 100, the inner sleeve 801 and socket 802 are modified to accommodate the second embodiment supply vessel 701. It will be noted in this drawing that the evaporator cage 108 and the inner sleeve 801 have not yet been ultrasonically welded together, as evidenced by the gap which exists between the top of the evaporator cage 108 and the top of the sleeve 801 and the gap that exists between the bottom of the evaporator cage 108 and the bottom of the sleeve 801. It will be further noted that the central projecting blade 501 projects upwardly from the base 503.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the evaporator cage 108 has been moved downwardly so that is can be ultrasonically welded to the base 901 of the evaporator cage 108, as was the case with the first embodiment air freshener canister 100.

Although two embodiments of the new spill-resistant air freshener canister 100 have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. An air freshener canister comprising: a supply vessel for holding an aromatic liquid, said supply vessel having a mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane;a container for holding the supply vessel with the puncturable membrane facing downward, said container having an evaporator cage which surrounds at least a major portion of the supply vessel, and a base attached to the evaporator cage, said base having at least one upwardly-projecting blade which punctures the membrane when the supply vessel is manually propelled, with a twisting motion, in a downward direction so that the mouth is proximate the base, thereby preventing the spilling of aromatic liquid from the mouth and enabling the aromatic liquid to seep outwardly from the mouth; anda wick which is disposed within the evaporator cage, which also surrounds the supply vessel and extends downwardly to the base, so that it receives and absorbs aromatic liquid that seeps outwardly from the mouth once the membrane has been punctured.

2. The air freshener canister of claim 1, which further comprises a cap, said cap having internal threads that engage external threads on the mouth of the supply vessel, said cap enabling the puncturable membrane to be compressed against the edges of the mouth by tightening the cap on the mouth of the supply vessel, thereby ensuring more effective sealing of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during a process of inductive sealing of the puncturable membrane to edges of the mouth of the supply vessel.

3. The air freshener canister of claim 2, which further comprises a resilient washer that is inserted between the cap and the mouth of the supply vessel, said resilient washer ensuring application of a more even force of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during the inductive sealing process.

4. The air freshener canister of claim 1, wherein the manual twisting motion operates to engage a curved ramp, which propels the supply vessel in a downward direction.

5. The air freshener canister of claim 4, wherein said cap is also equipped with external threads, which engage a socket within the base and operate as the curved ramp.

6. An air freshener canister comprising: a supply vessel for holding an aromatic liquid, said supply vessel having a mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane;a container for enclosing the supply vessel with the puncturable membrane facing downward, said container having an evaporator cage which surrounds at least a major portion of the supply vessel, and a base coupled to the evaporator cage, which has at least one upwardly-projecting blade which punctures the membrane when the supply vessel is manually propelled in a downward direction so that the mouth is proximate the base, thereby preventing the spilling of aromatic liquid from the mouth, yet allowing the aromatic liquid to seep outwardly from the mouth; anda cylindrical wick which is disposed within the evaporator cage, and which also surrounds the supply vessel and extends downwardly to the base, so that it receives and absorbs aromatic liquid that seeps outwardly from the mouth of the supply vessel once the membrane has been punctured.

7. The air freshener canister of claim 6, wherein the supply vessel is propelled in a downward direction via a twisting motion that engages a curved ramp, which operates to propel the supply vessel.

8. The air freshener canister of claim 6, which further comprises a cap, said cap having internal threads that engage external threads on the mouth of the supply vessel, said cap enabling the puncturable membrane to be compressed against the edges of the mouth by tightening the cap on the mouth of the supply vessel, thereby ensuring more effective sealing of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during a process of inductive sealing of the puncturable membrane to edges of the mouth of the supply vessel.

9. The air freshener canister of claim 8, which further comprises a resilient washer that is inserted between the cap and the mouth of the supply vessel, said resilient washer ensuring application of a more even force of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during the inductive sealing process.

10. The air freshener canister of claim 9, wherein said cap is also equipped with external threads, which engage a threaded socket within the base, which operates as the curved ramp.

11. An air freshener dispenser comprising: a supply vessel for holding an aromatic liquid, said supply vessel having a mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane;a container for enclosing the supply vessel with the puncturable membrane facing downward, said container having an evaporator cage which surrounds at least a major portion of the supply vessel, and a base attached to the evaporator cage, said base having at least one upwardly-projecting blade which punctures the membrane when the supply vessel is manually propelled, with a twisting motion, in a downward direction so that the mouth is proximate the base, thereby preventing the spilling of aromatic liquid from the mouth, yet allowing the aromatic liquid to seep outwardly from the mouth;a cap having internal threads that engage external threads on the mouth of the supply vessel, said cap enabling the puncturable membrane to be compressed against the edges of the mouth by tightening the cap on the mouth of the supply vessel, thereby ensuring more effective sealing of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during a process of inductive sealing of the puncturable membrane to edges of the mouth of the supply vessel; anda wick which is disposed within the evaporator cage, which also surrounds the supply vessel and extends downwardly to the base, so that it receives and absorbs aromatic liquid that seeps outwardly from the mouth once the membrane has been punctured.

12. The air freshener dispenser of claim 11, which further comprises a resilient washer that is inserted between the cap and the mouth of the supply vessel, said resilient washer ensuring application of a more even force of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during the inductive sealing process.

13. The air freshener canister of claim 11, wherein the twisting motion operates to engage a curved ramp, which propels the supply vessel in a downward direction.

14. The air freshener canister of claim 11, wherein said cap is also equipped with external threads, which engage a threaded socket within the base and operate as the curved ramp.