Volatile carrier for use with a heating device

• US 6,078,728 A
• Filed: 06/22/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Gatzemeyer, John J., Mikkonen, John W., O'Rourke, Lynn M., Davis, Brian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US09/102,135
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 392/386, 392/387, 392/390, 392/391, 392/392, 392/394, 392/395, 261/142, 261/94, 261/99, 261/DIG. 65, 239/44, 239/45, 239/53, 239/54, 239/55, 239/56, 239/57, 239/135, 239/136
• US Class Current: 392/390
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/2077 using an electrical resistance as heat source A01M1/2083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/03 Apparatus therefor

Abstract

A volatile carrier for supplying a volatile ingredient to a heating device to be dispensed thereby, the heating device having a heat transfer site and a pass-through path to receive an inserted volatile carrier at one end of the pass-through path to position the volatile carrier adjacent to the heat transfer site. The volatile carrier has a substantially unitary reservoir block containing a supply of the volatile ingredient. The reservoir block is greater in size than the heat transfer site. An advancement device is supplied by which a user can manually advance the reservoir block past the heat transfer site to expose different portions of the reservoir block to heat. A method of supplying a volatile ingredient to such a heating device by use of such a volatile carrier is also described.

Claims

1. A volatile carrier for supplying a volatile ingredient to a heating device to be dispensed thereby, the heating device having a pass-through path in the form of a pathway selected from the group consisting of passages, tunnels, chambers, and open troughs, the pass-through path having an end opening suitable to receive an inserted volatile carrier so as to position the volatile carrier adjacent to a heat source of the heating device, the volatile carrier comprising

a. a substantially unitary reservoir block containing a supply of the volatile ingredient;

and

b. a one-way advancement device by which a user can manually advance the reservoir block past the heat source to expose different portions of the reservoir block to heat.

2. The volatile carrier of claim 1, wherein the volatile ingredient is an insect control ingredient.

3. The volatile carrier of claim 1, wherein different regions of the reservoir block carry different volatile ingredients.

4. The volatile carrier of claim 1, wherein different regions of the reservoir block carry different concentrations of the volatile ingredient.

5. The volatile carrier of claim 1, wherein the advancement device provides a signal to a user that corresponds to movement of the reservoir block as the reservoir block is moved past the heat source.

6. The volatile carrier of claim 5, wherein movement of the reservoir block is by discrete increments.

7. The volatile carrier of claim 1, wherein the advancement device includes a frame that holds the reservoir block, the frame having a handle by which a user can manipulate the volatile carrier.

22. A method of supplying a volatile ingredient to be dispensed by the heating device referred to in claim 1 comprising the steps of

a. supplying the volatile carrier of claim 1, and

b. moving the reservoir block past the heating device'"'"'s heat source.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the volatile carrier supplied is the carrier of claim 3 and the step of moving the reservoir block past the heating device'"'"'s heat source includes the steps of selecting a region of the reservoir block carrying a desired volatile ingredient and moving that region to the heat source.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of moving the reservoir block past the heating device'"'"'s heat source further includes successively moving different selected regions of the reservoir block to the heat source to cause the heating device successively to emit different volatile ingredients.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the volatile carrier supplied is the carrier of claim 4, and the step of moving the reservoir block past the heating device'"'"'s heat source includes the steps of selecting a region of the reservoir block carrying a desired concentration of the volatile ingredient and moving that region to the heat source to cause the heating device to emit a selected amount of the volatile ingredient.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of moving the reservoir block past the heating device'"'"'s heat source further includes successively moving different selected regions of the reservoir block to the heat source to cause the heating device successively to emit differing amounts of the volatile ingredient.

8. A volatile carrier for supplying a volatile ingredient to a heating device to be dispensed thereby, the heating device having a pass-through path in the form of a pathway selected from the group consisting of passages, tunnels, chambers, and open troughs, the pass-through path having an end opening suitable to receive an inserted volatile carrier so as to position the volatile carrier adjacent to a heat source of the heating device, the volatile carrier comprising

a. a substantially unitary reservoir block containing a supply of the volatile ingredient;

and

b. an advancement device by which a user can manually advance the reservoir block past the heat source to expose different portions of the reservoir block to heat;

the volatile carrier being for use with a heating device whose pass-through path has path sides, the volatile carrier including a longitudinally extended frame having a plurality of resilient fingers that extend distally from the frame to engage a path side to position the frame with respect to the path side and the heat source.

9. The volatile carrier of claim 8 for use with a heating device so designed as to allow the volatile carrier to be inserted in one end of the pass-through path and to exit the heating device at an opposite end of the pass-through path, wherein the fingers, when inserted in the pass-through path, slant at an angle away from the intended direction of travel of the volatile carrier through the pass-through path to favor movement of the volatile carrier in only the intended direction.

10. The volatile carrier of claim 9, wherein the fingers are permanently slanted at an angle away from the intended direction of travel of the volatile carrier through the pass-through path.

11. The volatile carrier of claim 9, wherein the frame includes a stop tab that extends distally from the frame sufficiently far so as to restrict the volatile carrier from entering the pass-through path beyond the location of the stop tab, the stop tab being manually bendable proximally sufficiently to allow a user to intentionally move the volatile carrier on through the pass-through path.

12. The volatile carrier of claim 8 for use with a heating device so designed as to allow the volatile carrier to be inserted in one end of the pass-through path and to exit the heating device at an opposite end of the pass-through path, the pass-through path having a pinch point of a given width and thereafter either ending or opening to a wider dimension, the fingers of the volatile carrier extending sufficiently distally that the fingers engage a path side at the pinch point to require the fingers to bend proximally and away from the direction of movement of the volatile carrier through the pass-through path, the fingers then resiliently springing distally after passing the pinch point.

13. The volatile carrier of claim 12 wherein the fingers are longitudinally spaced along the frame and are sufficiently resilient and stiff that a user can hear audible clicks as successive fingers resiliently spring back distally after passing the pinch point to provide a signal to the user that corresponds to incremental movement of the reservoir block as the reservoir block is advanced through the heat transfer site.

14. The volatile carrier of claim 8, wherein fingers extend distally from opposite sides of the frame.

15. A volatile carrier for supplying a volatile ingredient to a heating device to be dispensed thereby, the heating device having a pass-through path in the form of a pathway selected from the group consisting of passages, tunnels, chambers, and open troughs, the pass-through path having an end opening suitable to receive an inserted volatile carrier so as to position the volatile carrier adjacent to a heat source of the heating device, the volatile carrier comprising

a. a substantially unitary reservoir block containing a supply of the volatile ingredient;

and

b. an advancement device by which a user can manually advance the reservoir block past the heat source to expose different portions of the reservoir block to heat;

wherein the volatile carrier is suitable for use with a heating device that has a pass-through path to receive a reservoir block inserted at one end of the pass-through path, thereby positioning the volatile carrier adjacent to the heat source, the heating device being so designed as to allow the reservoir block to exit the heating device at an opposite end of the pass-through path, wherein the reservoir block is longitudinally extended and the volatile carrier includes a block container secured to a first end of the reservoir block, the block container being attachable to the heating device with a second end of the reservoir block aligned with and insertable into the pass-through path, the reservoir block being movable with respect to the block container to advance the reservoir block past the heat source;

wherein the block container includes a shell that attaches to the heating device and a manually operable block advancer that a user can operate to advance the reservoir block into the pass-through path.

16. The volatile carrier of claim 15, wherein the block advancer includes a block holder that is slidably engaged with the shell and, when a user slides the block holder relative to the shell, the user moves the reservoir block relative to the heat source.

17. The volatile carrier of claim 15, wherein the block advancer is operated by a rotatable part that is rotatably engaged with the shell and that, when that part is turned, the advancer moves the reservoir block relative to the heat source.

18. The volatile carrier of claim 17, wherein the block advancer provides a signal to a user that correlates to movement of the reservoir block as the reservoir block is advanced relative to the heat source.

19. The volatile carrier of claim 17, wherein the block advancer includes a detent mechanism that overcomeably resists turning movement of the rotatable part relative to the shell as the rotatable part is turned in successive, incremental amounts to provide a tactile signal to a user of an incremental movement of the reservoir block.

20. The volatile carrier of claim 17, wherein the block advancer includes

a. a threaded shaft rotatably engaged but longitudinally fixed with respect to the shell, and

b. a nut longitudinally that is fixed with respect to the reservoir block as the reservoir block is advanced and is threadably engaged with the threaded shaft to longitudinally advance the reservoir block relative to the shell when the threaded shaft is rotated with respect to the nut.

21. The volatile carrier of claim 17, wherein the block advancer includes

a. a nut rotatably engaged but longitudinally fixed with respect to the shell, and

b. a threaded shaft that is longitudinally fixed with respect to the reservoir block as the reservoir block is advanced and is threadably engaged with the threaded shaft to longitudinally move the reservoir block relative to the shell when the nut is rotated with respect to the threaded shaft.