Air treatment device and method

• US 4,995,555 A
• Filed: 11/14/1988
• Issued: 02/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clorox Company
• Original Assignee: American Cyanamid Co (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Woodruff, Keith F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trainor, Christopher G.
• Application Number:
  US07/270,575
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 239/34, 239/54, 239/56, 239/37, 239/43, 239/53, 239/55, 239/58, 239/59, 141/310, 141/330, 206/0.5
• US Class Current: 239/43
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/12 Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor

Abstract

An air treating device including a liquid reservoir having a mouth opening, a base supporting and surrounding a liquid absorbent material, a piercing pin extending upwardly from the base and absorbent material, a mechanism for attaching the reservoir to the base such that the pin is in direct alignment with the mouth opening, and a liquid metering control mechanism surrounding the pin and between the mouth opening and the absorbent material, whereby the device provides a rate of dispersion which is substantially even over an extended period of time.

Claims

1. An air treating device comprising a liquid reservoir having a mouth opening, a base supporting and surrounding a liquid absorbent material, piercing means extending upwardly from said base and absorbent material, means for attaching said reservoir to said base such that said piercing means is in direct alignment with said mouth opening, and liquid metering control means surrounding said piercing means and between said mouth opening and said absorbent material, whereby said device provides a rate of dispersion which is substantially even over an extended period of time, and wherein said liquid metering control means is an effectively distant ebb height between the bottom of said mouth opening and the top surface of said absorbent material, said effective ebb height being adapted to hydraulically cease flow from said reservoir when said absorbent material is saturated and prevent contact between said absorbent material and said mouth opening.

2. The device of claim 1 being of two-piece construction and wherein said mouth opening is sealed until said device is activated.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising means to adjust the level of emitted air treating liquid.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said base further comprises a plurality of sidewall segments having apertures therebetween.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said adjustment means comprises a plurality of longitudinal slots and aperture limiting means around the circumference of said reservoir, said reservoir adapted to be in rotational engagement with said base to selectively place said slots or said aperture limiting means in alignment with said apertures.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises a friction fit caused by slidably mounting said reservoir onto said base.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises at least one lateral bead around the circumference of said reservoir adapted to correspondingly mate with at least one circumferential groove around the sidewall of said base.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said mating is caused by snapping or screwing said reservoir onto said base.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises interlocking fingers upwardly extending from said base and adapted to engage in locking fashion with a groove located circumferentially around said mouth opening.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said piercing means is a grooved pin.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein pin height, pin diameter, pin groove size and pin groove number are effectively proportioned to influence the rate of liquid being transported out of said reservoir to said absorption material.

12. An air treating device comprising a liquid reservoir having a mouth opening, a base supporting and surrounding a liquid absorbent material, piercing means extending upwardly from said base and absorbent material, means for attaching said reservoir to said base such that said piercing means is in direct alignment with said mouth opening, and liquid metering control means surrounding said piercing means and between said mouth opening and said absorbent material, whereby said device provides a rate of dispersion which is substantially even over an extended period of time, and wherein said liquid metering control means is an effectively sized mesh-like material.

13. The device of claim 12 further comprising means to adjust the level of emitted air treating liquid.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said base further comprises a plurality of sidewall segments having apertures therebetween.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said adjustment means comprises a plurality of longitudinal slots and aperture limiting means around the circumference of said reservoir, said reservoir adapted to be in rotational engagement with said base to selectively place said slots or said aperture limiting means in alignment with said apertures.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein said attaching is caused by snapping or screwing said reservoir onto said base.

17. The device of claim 12 wherein said attachment means comprises interlocking fingers upwardly extending from said base and adapted to engage in locking fashion with a groove located circumferentially around said mouth opening.

18. The device of claim 12 wherein said piercing means is a grooved pin.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein pin height, pin diameter, pin groove size and pin groove number are effectively proportioned to influence the rate of liquid being transported out of said reservoir to said absorption material.

20. A process for treating air comprising attaching a liquid reservoir having a mouth opening onto a base, said base supporting and supporting a liquid absorbent material, aligning a piercing pin extending upwardly from said base with said mouth opening, and controlling liquid metering from said reservoir to said absorbent material to effect a rate of dispersion which is substantially even over an extended period of time, wherein said controlling is performed by an effectively sized mesh-like material surrounding said piercing pin and located between said mouth opening and said absorbent material.

21. A process for treating air comprising attaching a liquid reservoir having a mouth opening onto a base, said base supporting and surrounding a liquid absorbent material, aligning a piercing pin extending upwardly from said base with said mouth opening, and controlling liquid metering from said reservoir to said absorbent material to effect a rate of dispersion which is substantially even over an extended period of time, wherein said controlling is performed by an effectively distant ebb height between the bottom of said mouth opening and the top surface of said absorbent material, said effective ebb height being adapted to hydraulically cease flow from said reservoir when said absorbent material is saturated and prevent contact between said absorbent material and said mouth opening.