Methods of Emitting a Volatile Material from a Diffuser

• US 20110068190A1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Gasper, Thomas P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,669,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/13
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/035 emanating multiple odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/037 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/125 emanating multiple odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/127 comprising a wick

Abstract

A method of emitting two or more volatile materials from a diffuser includes the step of emitting a first volatile material using a first diffusion element for a first randomly determined period of time. The method further includes the step of emitting a second volatile material using a second diffusion element for a section randomly determined period of time.

Claims

1. A method of emitting two or more volatile materials from a diffuser, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting a first volatile material using a first diffusion element for a first randomly determined period of time; and

emitting a second volatile material using a second diffusion element for a second randomly determined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second diffusion elements are heaters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second diffusion elements are fans.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second randomly determined periods of time are different.

5. A method of emitting two or more volatile materials from a diffuser, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting a first volatile material for a first current emission time period; and

emitting a second volatile material for a second current emission time period;

wherein at least one of the first and second current emission time periods is defined by the equation;

CURRENT EMISSION TIME PERIOD=BASE TIME PERIOD+INCREMENTAL TIME PERIOD.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the incremental time period is determined by the equation:

INCREMENTAL TIME PERIOD=N1×

TIME FACTOR.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein NI is determined randomly.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second current emission time periods are defined by the equation:

CURRENT EMISSION TIME PERIOD=BASE TIME PERIOD+INCREMENTAL TIME PERIOD;

and wherein the incremental time period is defined by the equation;

INCREMENTAL TIME PERIOD=N1×

TIME FACTOR.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein a heater is used to dispense at least one of the first and second volatile materials.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein a fan is used to dispense at least one of the first and second volatile materials.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the base time period is predetermined.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the incremental time period is determined randomly.

13. The method of claim 5, further including the step of emitting a third volatile material for a third current emission time period, wherein the first, second, and third current emission time periods are randomly selected using the equation:

CURRENT EMISSION TIME PERIOD=BASE TIME PERIOD+INCREMENTAL TIME PERIOD.

14. A method of emitting two or more volatile materials from a diffuser, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting a first volatile material for a first current emission time period that is comprised of a first base time period and a first incremental time period, wherein the incremental time period is determined randomly; and

emitting a second volatile material for a second current emission time period that is comprised of a second base time period and a second incremental time period, wherein the second incremental time period is determined randomly and the first and second base time periods are the same.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second volatile materials are emitted by activating first and second heaters, respectively, and wherein the method further includes the step of deactivating the first heater before activation of the second heater to create a period of time in which no heater is activated.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the period of time in which no heater is activated is determined randomly.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second base time periods are predetermined and the first and second incremental time periods are determined randomly.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the incremental time period is defined by a randomly determined number multiplied by a predetermined time factor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the base time period is set to between about 10 seconds and about 8 hours and the time factor is set to be between about 10 seconds and about 8 hours.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the base time period is set to be about 45 minutes, the time factor is set to be about 5 minutes, and NI is randomly selected between 0 and 15 such that each current emission time period is between about 45 minutes and about 120 minutes.