Vapor releasing device

• US 5,000,383 A
• Filed: 03/09/1990
• Issued: 03/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: van der Heijden, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trainor, Christopher G.
• Application Number:
  US07/490,874
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 239/34, 239/43, 239/44, 239/47, 239/50, 239/53, 239/55, 239/51.5, 239/51, 239/52, 239/56, 239/57, 239/45
• US Class Current: 239/47
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/2044 Holders or dispensers for liquid insecticide, e.g. using wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/12 Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/88 Aroma dispensers

Abstract

An air freshening device having an openable outer housing that, when open, activates the air freshening device by pulling an emanator out of a fluid reservoir and, when closed, seals the fluid reservoir from either evaporation or leakage. The activation and deactivation are accomplished by the use of a hooking pin within the upper housing which engages the emanator portion and pulls the wicking stem of the emanator out of the fluid reservoir. An air channel is exposed in the open position and closed off in the closed position.

Claims

1. A vapor releasing device comprising:

an openable housing having upper and lower portions and having a fluid containing and emanating system located therein;

the fluid containing and emanating system further comprising;

a fluid reservoir, designed to be removably fitted within the openable housing and having a top end and a bottom end, with a neck opening at its top end, and, inside the fluid reservoir and located at its bottom end, a closure pin;

a wicking and emanatinq element formed of a central core of porous material with an external impermeable coating on portions thereof having a T-shaped configuration, the vertical portion of the T-shaped wicking and emanating element being designed to fit slidably into the neck opening of the fluid reservoir, and to extend downwardly therein so that, at maximum penetration, the bottom of the vertical portion of the T-shaped element mates with the closure pin of the reservoir, while the horizontal portion of the T-shaped element extends across and above the neck of the fluid reservoir.

2. A vapor releasing device according to claim 1 wherein the openable housing has an engaging and lifting mechanism comprising a flexible hooking pin extending from an interior surface of the openable housing and configured so that, when the openable housing is in a closed position, the hooking pin rests beneath one area of the underside of the horizontal portion of the T-shaped wicking and emanating element and, as the openable housing is being placed in an open position, the hooking pin pulls the wicking and emanating element upwards and slides the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element partially out of the neck opening of the fluid reservoir and out of contact with the closure pin within the fluid reservoir, which allows fluid from the fluid reservoir to reach the central core of porous material of the wicking and emanating element, thereby activating the device by allowing the fluid to travel up the central core of porous material of the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element to the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element and then diffuse into the atmosphere.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the fluid reservoir has a recess formed into its upper surface, the recess being configured so that, when the housing is in the closed position, the horizontal portion of the T-shaped wicking and emanating element fits therein, the recess and the horizontal portion of the wicking and emanating element being so configured that a channel is formed between them in such an orientation that the hooking pin extending from the interior surface of the housing slidably fits into the channel and is thereby guided to engage and hook an area of the underside of the horizontal portion of the wicking emanating element.

4. A vapor releasing element according to claim 2 wherein the neck opening of the fluid reservoir has an innerly projecting flange that contacts and encircles the vertical portion of the T-shaped wicking and emanating element and the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element has, encircling its outer surface, a collar structure, the collar structure being interrupted at least one point by a groove running transversely therethrough, the groove extending into the main body of the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element, the collar and groove therethrough being so located that when the openable housing is in the closed position, the innerly projecting flange rests around the circumference of the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element at a distance above the collar structure and the groove and, when the openable housing is in the open position, the innerly projecting flange is in contact with the collar structure and the groove so that air present above the neck opening of the reservoir can pass through the groove in the collar structure and enter the interior of the reservoir.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the vertical portion of the T-shaped wicking and emanating element has an upper segment of a slightly larger diameter than a lower segment and the groove bisects the collar structure to the depth of the surface of the lower segment of the vertical portion, the groove extending at the same depth into the upper segment, the groove and the innerly projecting flange being so located that, when the openable housing is in the closed position, the innerly projecting flange encircles the upper segment of the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element above the groove, the innerly projecting flange and the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element, thus sealing the fluid reservoir, and, when the openable housing is in the open position, the flange encircles the upper segment of the vertical portion of the wicking and emanating element below the groove, thus allowing air to enter the top of the groove and thence to enter the fluid reservoir.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein the openable housing has within its lower portion a first attachment means designed to connect with a second attachment means on the bottom end of the fluid reservoir.

7. A device according to claim 3 wherein the openable housing has within its lower portion a first attachment means designed to connect with a second attachment means on the bottom end of the fluid reservoir.

8. A device according to claim 6 wherein the first attachment means is a recess having a set of internal screw threads therein and the second attachment means is a projection across the bottom of the fluid reservoir having a corresponding set of external screw threads thereupon.

9. A device according to claim 7 wherein the first attachment means is a recess having a set of internal screw threads therein and the second attachment means is a projection across the bottom of the fluid reservoir having a corresponding set of external screw threads thereupon.

10. A device according to claim 1 wherein the upper and lower portions of the openable housing are joined along one edge by a hinging mechanism.