Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Three dimension imitation or 'treated' natural product – Flora
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-15
2001-05-15
Alexander, Lyle A. (Department: 1743)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Three dimension imitation or 'treated' natural product
Flora
C428S024000, C428S905000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231935
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a functional man-made ornamental plant with excellent deodorizing and other environment-decontaminating performance characteristics.
PRIOR ART
The concept of environmental decontamination such as deodorization, disinfection and cleaning of indoor atmosphere has by now pervaded through all the ecosystems inclusive of homes, offices, factories, schools, hospitals, other public buildings, traffic facilities, and so on.
As a handy deodorizer which does not require any special ancillary equipment, an ornamental deodorizer is in broad use for the purpose of deodorizing small spaces within the closet, showcase, refrigerator, locker, passenger car, toilet room, and other compartments. Typical deodorizers of this type consist of a gas-permeable housing and, as packed therein, an adsorbent material such as activated charcoal or a gel containing an aromatic chemical or deodorant. Since deodorizers of this type can be expected to play the role of interior ornaments as well, they are available in various fashionable designs.
Meanwhile, as a mechanically sophisticated deodorizer, there is known an air cleaner comprising a motor, a fan, and a deodorizing filter as built into the pot of an artificial foliage plant.
Inorganic powders having photocatalyst activity, such as titanium dioxide particles, are attracting attention these days and have been applied in the field of disinfection and deodorization. For example, it is reported that by spray-coating tiles or sanitation fixtures with an inorganic powder and baking the coat, a semi-permanent disinfectant effect can be achieved [Nikkei Business, Mar. 21, 1994 issue, pp. 60-61; Trigger, May 1994 issue, pp. 84-85].
Handy deodorizers of the above-described type are convenient because the desired deodorizing effect can be achieved by installing it as a mere interior ornamental ment but is self-limited in effectiveness, with the deodorizing activity being lost or drastically decreased generally within about 1-2 months.
On the other hand, the above more sophisticated deodorizer comprising a motor, a fan, and a deodorizing filter as built into the pot of an artificial foliage plant is a modification of the conventional air cleaner for home use but the equipment is not only costly but has the drawback that the motor noise is a nuisance during night hours and in quiet surroundings.
The inorganic powders having photocatalyst activity have just begun to find application in the form of a baked-on enamel for tiles and sanitation fixtures but the deodorizing effect of the coat is not remarkable although the effect of inhibiting growth of deposited bacteria may be more or less satisfactory. Thus, since the surface area of the inorganic particles having photocatalyst activity has been reduced by baking, the duration of contact with odor components is presumably too brief to decompose them.
Recently several proposals have been made to support photocatalyst inorganic powders on a honeycomb and use the honeycomb as an air cleaner filter to achieve deodorization and, at the same time, build a UV lamp into the air cleaner to activate the catalyst. However, those are not beyond mere contrivances and cannot be considered to be practically useful equipment from the standpoint of hardware cost, necessity of a power supply, and motor noise.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has for its object to provide a functional man-made ornamental plant which, despite not including an air cleaner device, achieves an excellent deodorizing effect, is capable of decomposing organic foulants, with the deodorizing and antifouling effects being long-lasting, and is soothing both visually and mentally because of its naturalness and a process for manufacture thereof.
A first functional man-made ornamental plant according to the invention comprises a foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant having a thin layer AB of a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity (a) and a binder which is inorganic or convertible to an inorganic substance (b). Preferably, the thin layer AB is formed from said inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity (a) and binder which is inorganic or convertible to an inorganic substance (b) on top of an under-layer B of a binder which is inorganic or has been made inorganic (b).
A second functional man-made ornamental plant according to the present invention is characterized in that the foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant is molded from a composition comprising a matrix resin and, as incorporated therein, an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity (a). Preferably, the surface of the molded foliage-floral part L has been delicately roughened.
A process for manufacturing the functional man-made ornamental plant according to the present invention comprises contacting the foliage-floral part of a man-made ornamental plant or a precursor thereof with a composition comprising an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity, a binder which is inorganic or convertible to an inorganic substance, and a vehicle capable of dispersing or dissolving them to thereby form said thin layer AB. Preferably, the process comprises contacting the foliage-floral part L of a man-made ornamental plant or a precursor thereof with a composition comprising a binder which is inorganic or convertible to an inorganic substance and a vehicle capable of dispersing or dissolving it in the first place to construct a base coat B and then forming said thin layer AB on top of the base coat B.
Another process for manufacturing a functional man-made ornamental plant according to the invention comprises fabricating a foliage-floral part L from a blank or precursor molded from a composition comprising a matrix resin and, as incorporated therein, an inorganic particulate substance having photocatalyst activity (a) and assembling a man-made ornamental plant using the foliage-floral part L. Preferably, in the blank stage immediately after said molding or fabrication of said foliage-floral part L, at least one side of the blank or foliage-floral part L is finely roughened.
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Alexander Lyle A.
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Cross LaToya I.
Yugen Kaishi Fukuji Corporation
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