Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Processes – Involving slow diffusion
Patent
1998-10-05
2000-01-11
Kashnikow, Andres
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Processes
Involving slow diffusion
239 56, 239 58, 206 05, 206466, A61L 904
Patent
active
060126434
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a device for the controlled release of vapour.
BACKGROUND ART
There is a need for an improved simple dispensing device for dispensing vapour, for example, perfume, which gives a relatively uniform release of vapour over a prolonged period of time.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to the present invention, a device for the controlled release of vapour comprises: the volatile medium on the carrier, said wrapper having a plurality of tear strips disposed over the carrier.
In one preferred aspect of the present invention, the tear strips are contiguous so that it is possible by removing successive tear strips to expose a single, increasing, area of the carrier.
In another preferred aspect of the invention the tear strips extend over at least 50% of the whole area of the carrier, more preferably over at least 60% of the whole area. Most preferably, the tear strips may extend over at least 80% of the whole area of the carrier.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, at least two tear strips are arranged in longitudinal sequence over the carrier. Thus, all the tear strips may be arranged in longitudinal sequence over the carrier.
The carrier is conveniently a flat sheet, e.g., a card formed from wood pulp. The thickness of the sheet is preferably in the range 1 to 4 mm. Thick sheets give greater mechanical strength to the device. Thin, more dense sheets reduce the tendency of volatile medium to diffuse through the carrier and escape from the exposed surfaces of the carrier.
The volatile medium may be a medium which releases a perfume (or fragrance) when exposed to the air. Suitable volatile media are well-known for use in air fresheners. The volatile medium may be applied to the carrier by any convenient method, e.g., by impregnation with liquid.
The wrapper of flexible material may be any material which will control the volatile medium escaping into the atmosphere around the device and which can be provided with tear strips. The wrapper may, for example, be formed of a synthetic polymer film, for example, a polyethylene film, e.g., low density polyethylene (LDPE) or ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). The thickness of the film may be, for example, in the range of 20 micrometres to 500 micrometres.
With the device of the present invention, there is no need to provide either for relative movement of the wrapper and carrier or for diffusion of vapour from areas of the carrier which cannot be exposed by removing a tear strip. It is therefore possible, and desirable, to make the wrapper a tight fit on the carrier, subject to manufacturing constraints. Preferably, the wrapper is a sufficiently tight fit on the carrier that significant quantities of volatile medium, e.g., perfume, do not escape through any space between the carrier and the wrapper. Such quantities shall be deemed "significant" if their escape interferes with the effective or convenient stepped release of volatiles by successive removal of tear strips, as is described below. Thus, in the case of a sheet carrier, the space between an edge of the sheet and the corresponding edge of the wrapper is preferably less than 10 mm, more preferably less than 5 mm.
The wrapper is provided with tear strips. Tear strips are portions of the wrapper which can be manually detached from the remainder of the wrapper without the need for a tool, e.g., scissors. Tear strips are produced by providing preformed lines of weakness in the wrapper. In principle, tear strips can be provided by providing lines of perforation. However, unless the perforated area is small, volatile medium will tend to escape through the perforations so reducing the shelf life, i.e., the period after manufacture for which the device retains it useful properties. It is therefore preferred to produce the tear strips by providing lines of weaknesses which do not extend fully through the thickness of the material forming the wrapper. Such lines of weakness may be produced by the technique of laser etching. Wrapping films with li
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patent: 5782409 (1998-07-01), Paul
Barlow Ian John
Greatbatch Keith J.
Ganey Steven J.
Kashnikow Andres
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
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