Gel air freshener

Details Gel air freshener Gel air freshener

2001-12-13

2004-09-14

Fubara, Blessing M. (Department: 1615)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Deodorants

Deodorizing substance is evaporable sublimable or gas

C424S484000, C424S488000, C424S405000, C424S076200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06790436

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to substantially rigid, clear gel matrix air freshener articles having included therein one or more gel matrix icons, the dimensions of which decrease in proportion to the dimensions of the body of the air freshener article, in which the icons are imbedded, on use thereof, as a result of water and fragrance emission therefrom into the environment surrounding the articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Clear candles with included icons that appear opaque and visually distinct from the clear matrix of the candle are highly desirable and are known in the prior art. Such candles fabricated using non-aqueous ester-terminated polyamide systems are disclosed in Berger et al., PCT Application WO 00/73408 A1, as well as DeStefano et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,063. However, icon-containing systems which provide desirable clear appearances, such as those disclosed for clear candles, are not available or known for rigid aqueous gel matrix air freshener systems. Thus, there exists a need for substantially rigid aqueous gel matrix-containing air freshener articles which include one or more icons imbedded therein which are visibly detectable from without the air freshener article at visible wavelengths. For such articles to be useful, as (i) water and (ii) air freshener fragrance composition is emitted from the air freshener article on use thereof, the dimensions of each of the icons imbedded in the air freshener gel matrix body must, on use of the air freshener, decrease in proportion to the dimensions of the air freshener gel matrix body in order (i) to maintain its physical integrity and (ii) to achieve a continuously aesthetically pleasing appearance of the article.
The prior art does disclose substantially rigid clear aqueous and non-aqueous polymeric air freshener articles which contain visibly detectable icons, for example, icons which are botanicals, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,334; 6,071,506, 6,294,162 and 6,309,715, all hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety. However, such prior art aqueous and non-aqueous polymeric icon-containing air freshener articles do not have the unexpected and non-obvious advantages that the aqueous gel matrix icon-containing articles of our invention have. Indeed, the prior art does not specifically or implicitly teach the advantages of icon construction from gel matrix materials and use of such icons in conjunction with substantially rigid clear gel matrix aqueous air freshener articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Our invention provides a substantially rigid aqueous gel air freshener article having included in the gel matrix air freshener body thereof, one or more gel matrix icons that decrease in volume in proportion to volume of the air freshener body gel matrix on use of the air freshener article.
More particularly, our invention provides a substantially rigid aqueous gel air freshener article comprising:
(a) an air freshener body having a volume V
o
which decreases on use of said air freshener article whereby, as a result of emission of at least water and, optionally, to a substantially lesser extent fragrance, therefrom, the rate of change of the air freshener body volume with respect to time, dV
o
/d&thgr;<0, comprising water, a surfactant, a clear gel matrix material which is, in the alternative, one or both of a polysaccharide gel matrix material and/or a hydrolyzed protein gel matrix material, and, optionally, a system-compatible air freshening fragrance composition;
(b) fully imbedded within said air freshener body, one or more gel matrix icons which are each visibly distinct over the range of visible wavelengths when contained within said air freshener, the total volume of which is V
l
which decreases on use of said air freshener article whereby, as a result of the emission of at least water and, optionally, to a substantially lesser extent;
(c) fragrances, therefrom, the rate of change of the icon volume with respect to time, dV
l
/d&thgr;<0, each of which icon comprises (i) water, (ii) a clear gel matrix material which is, in the alternative, either or both of a polysaccharide gel matrix material and/or a hydrolyzed protein gel matrix material,(iii) optionally, a system-compatible air freshening fragrance composition and (iv), optionally, a surfactant,
with the proviso that the system-compatible air freshening fragrance compositions are present in at least one of said icons, or in said air freshener body, or in at least one of said icons and in said air freshener body, the volume fraction of said icons in said air freshener article being &phgr;=V
l
/(V
l
+V
o
), wherein 0.01≦&phgr;≦0.90, the physical and chemical properties of each of said icons and said air freshener body being such that on use of said air freshener article, (i) the rate of volumetric reduction of each of said icons as a result of fragrance emission, if any, and water emission therefrom with respect to the volumetric reduction of the air freshener body which envelops said icons as a result of fragrance emission, if any, and water emission therefrom is a constant, according to the equations: ∂V
l
/∂V
o
=&phgr;/(1−&phgr;) and ∂
2
V
l
/∂V
o
2
=0, (ii) the integrity of the fragrance compositions emitted from said air freshener body and said icons is maintained and (iii) the distinguishing visibility of the icons in said air freshener from without said air freshener, at visible wavelengths, is maintained.
Furthermore, the substantially rigid gel matrix air freshener article of our invention can have a gel matrix air freshener body which additionally comprises at least one additive such as an antimicrobial agent; an anti-oxidant; a non-gelling hydrocolloid; a chelating agent; a C
2
-C
6
alkylene glycol; a lower alkanol; and a C
2
-C
6
(mono- or di-) alkylene glycol-C
2
-C
4
alkyl ether.
In addition, the substantially rigid gel matrix air freshener article of our invention can include icons which additionally comprise at least one additive such as an opacifying agent; an anti-microbial agent; an anti-oxidant; a non-gelling hydrocolloid; a chelating agent; a C
2
-C
6
alkylene glycol; a lower alkanol; and a C
2
-C
6
(mono- or di-)alkylene glycol mono-C
2
-C
4
alkyl ether.
The substantially rigid gel matrix air freshener article of our invention may be fully encompassed by a clear substantially solid or semi-solid microporous boundary surface which surface permits passage of water molecules and air freshener fragrance composition component molecules therethrough on the use of the article.
In addition, the substantially rigid gel matrix air freshener article of our invention may be externally supported by means of an external support comprising a solid base having vertically-disposed solid sidewalls extending therefrom such as a vertically disposed cylindrical glass jar open at the top.
Our invention also provides a process for preparing such air fresheners comprising the steps of:
(a) providing at least one gel-matrix icon;
(b) cooling the icon to a temperature below the solidification point thereof;
(c) providing the gel matrix air freshener body in the liquid phase; and
(d) immersing totally the solidified icon in the gel matrix air freshener body.
In one embodiment of the invention, both the gel matrix icons and the gel matrix air freshener body are prepared from water; gel matrix material which is gellan gum; the antimicrobial materials, methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolineone; propylene glycol; ethyl alcohol; the surfactant, nonoxynol-15(o(hydroxy(ethoxy)
15
)) nonylphenyl ether or PEG-15 nonylphenyl ether, in the case of the gel matrix air freshener article body or nonoxynol-4, PEG-4 nonylphenyl ether, in the case of the gel matrix air freshener article icon; the chelating agent, tri-potassium citrate; and system-compatible air freshener fragrance, the components of which have an average Clog
10
P of 2.5 in the case of the gel matrix air freshener article body and the components of which have an average Clog
10
P of

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Gel air freshener does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Gel air freshener, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Gel air freshener will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3264038