Air freshener and method

• US 7,687,038 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energizer Brands II LLC (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: American Covers
• Inventors: Anderson, Christopher D., Wheatley, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McKane; Elizabeth L
• Application Number:
  US12/243,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 422/124
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/03 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/042 with the help of a macromolecular compound as a carrier or diluent A61L9/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/048 air treating gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/12 Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0007 Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0028 on or near an air outlet

Abstract

An air freshener device includes a scent material interspersed within a polymer body or a polymer gel, and capable of dispersing out of the polymer gel. The polymer body and a polymer gel can be flexible and compressible, and also resilient and returnable to its original configuration. The air freshener can have at least one vent rod configured to engage an air vent, a head pivotally coupled to the at least one vent rod and a polymer body associated with the head and at least one vent rod and containing scent material. The air freshener also may be combined with a packaging system to present the air freshener for purchase, and have a pivotal head pivoted to display the head in the packaging.

Claims

1. An air freshener device, comprising:

at least one vent rod configured to engage an air vent;

a scent material, associated with the at least one vent rod;

a head pivotally coupled to the at least one vent rod, with a face and indicia thereon;

a hinge between the head and the at least one vent rod including a clip engaged in an aperture; and

one or more ridges corresponding to one or more depressions associated with the clip and the aperture, the clip compressing as a ridge is forced out of a depression when the head is pivoted with respect to the at least one vent rod, the one or more ridges and the one or more depressions defining various different positions of the head with respect to the at least one vent rod.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least two vent rods.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one vent rod has a longitudinal axis and the head and the at least one vent rod have at least two configurations, including:

a storage configuration wherein a surface of the face is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the at least one vent rod; and

a use configuration wherein the surface of the face is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the at least one vent rod.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the head is removably coupled to the at least one vent rod.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one vent rod includes a coherent elastomeric polymer body.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5, the polymer body further comprising a recess, configured to increase an exposed surface area of the polymer body.

7. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the elastomeric polymer is a thermoplastic elastomer.

8. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the polymer body is a polymerization product of at least a diisocyanate prepolymer and a scented oil.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

the head being removably coupled to the at least one vent rod by the clip engaged in the aperture between the head and the at least one vent rod; and

the clip having flanges to retain the clip in the aperture, the clip being compressible to pull the clip and the flanges through the aperture to remove the head from the at least one vent rod.

10. An air freshener device, comprising:

at least one vent rod configured to engage an air vent;

a head pivotally coupled to the at least one vent rod;

a coherent elastomeric polymer body associated with the at least one vent rod and the head;

a scent material, interspersed within the polymer body, capable of diffusing out of the polymer body to surrounding air;

the head being removably coupled to the at least one vent rod by a clip engaged in an aperture between the head and the at least one vent rod;

the clip having flanges to retain the clip in the aperture, the clip being compressible to pull the clip and the flanges through the aperture to remove the head from the at least one vent rod;

a hinge between the head and the at least one vent rod including the clip engaged in the aperture; and

one or more ridges corresponding to one or more depressions associated with the clip and the aperture, the clip compressing as a ridge is forced out of a depression when the head is pivoted with respect to the at least one vent rod, the one or more ridges and the one or more depressions defining various different positions of the head with respect to the at least one vent rod.

11. A device in accordance with claim 10, further comprising at least two vent rods.

12. A device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the polymer body is coupled to the at least one vent rod.

13. A device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the at least one vent rod comprises a projection extending through the polymer body to couple the polymer body to the at least one vent rod.

14. A device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the polymer body is coupled to the head.

15. A device in accordance with claim 10, the polymer body further comprising a recess, configured to increase an exposed surface area of the polymer body.

16. An air freshener device in combination with a packaging system configured to present the air freshener device for purchase, comprising:

the air freshener device comprising a head pivotally coupled to at least one vent rod containing a scent material, and a hinge between the head and the at least one vent rod including a clip engaged in an aperture, and one or more ridges corresponding to one or more depressions associated with the clip and the aperture, the clip compressing as a ridge is forced out of a depression when the head is pivoted with respect to the at least one vent rod, the one or more ridges and the one or more depressions defining various different positions of the head with respect to the at least one vent rod; and

a container, containing the air freshener device;

wherein the container is configured to display a face of the head in a position substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the at least one vent rod, and

wherein the head is capable of pivoting to a different position for use, with the face transverse to the longitudinal axis of the at least one vent rod.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the scent material is interspersed within the at least one vent rod and capable of diffusing out of the at least one vent rod to the surrounding air.

18. A system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the at least one vent rod further comprises a coherent elastomeric polymer body coupled to the clip, and the scent material is interspersed within the coherent elastomeric polymer body and capable of diffusing out of the coherent elastomeric polymer body to the surrounding air.

19. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the head is removably coupled to the at least one vent rod.