HK1079463A - Air freshening or purifying device - Google Patents

Description

Air freshening or purifying device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to containers and improvements thereto and in particular to an air freshening or purifying device using a gel fragrance or gel composition.

Background

There are many sophisticated air freshening or purifying devices that use active or passive delivery of fragrances or air purifying compositions or a combination of both. GB-a-2354711 describes a dual function dispenser which incorporates an aerosol providing active dispensing and a passive dispenser in the form of a gel-pack supported by the aerosol. However, the installation and replacement of these two dispensers is relatively complicated. In addition, it may be desirable to cover the impermeable membrane with an impermeable cover through which the fragrance can be emitted when the impermeable cover is removed.

US-A-5780527 describes A gel which can be used as A fragrance emitting component in an air freshening device. The gel has the significant advantage that it can be used in an open container of attractive shape without the need for sealing. One type of air freshener currently on the market comprises an attractive open-sided glass container which is recessed to form a disc-like portion with a base and a circumferential side wall. The disk portion stands on its peripheral flat portion. A plurality of ridges are provided on the inner surface of the container base, with channels defined between the ridges, in which channels the gel is retained. As the gel fragrance dissipates over time, the gel shrinks and cracks and is no longer fully supported on the ridge walls. To prevent the collapsed gel from falling out of the container, a plurality of channels of relatively narrow or narrow section are used.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an alternative open-sided air freshening or purifying device which is inexpensive to manufacture and lightweight.

According to the present invention there is provided an air freshening or purifying device comprising a container thermoformed from a plastics material, the container having an open side defining a gel receiving surface having a plurality of projections therein defining recesses therebetween for retaining a gel, the device further comprising a base at a lower end of the container for supporting the container so that the gel receiving surface is in a substantially vertical orientation.

The use of thermoformable plastic ensures that the device is lightweight, simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The use of gel retaining means in the form of a recess means that no additional cover for retaining the gel within the container is required when the container is supported in its upright orientation. This simplifies manufacture and use of the device and reduces costs. The vertical orientation means that the gel, which is presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner, can be easily seen. In addition, this reduces the amount of airborne dust that would normally fall on a horizontally supported device.

Preferably, the support means comprises a separate base having a channel for receiving at least a portion of the periphery of the container.

Or the support means may comprise a base integrally formed with the container and extending from the gel receiving surface.

It is particularly advantageous that the device can be formed in a single thermoforming operation and then filled and sealed using known product line techniques.

Preferably, the container is formed with a circumferential edge, and the width of the edge is preferably greater than the depth of the gel receiving surface.

Preferably, a removable cover is applied to the container for covering the gel receiving surface. The removable cover is preferably a foil material that is heat sealed to the container. Alternatively, the removable cover may also be laminated plastic.

Preferably, the container is filled with a gel composition, which may be a fragrance, an air purifying composition or an insecticide.

Preferably, the gel is A gel as described in US-A-5780527.

Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an air freshener in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the air freshener taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of another embodiment of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

fig. 4 is a side sectional view of the device taken along line IV-IV of fig. 3.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, an air freshening (or purifying) device 10 is shown. The apparatus 10 comprises a container 11 and a support base 12 at the base of the container. The illustrated container 11 is generally circular, but various other shapes may be used. Preferably, the container 11 is made of a clear, translucent and/or coloured thermoformed plastic material and is at least partly rigid and liquid impermeable.

The container 11 has a gel receiving surface which is preferably provided with projections in the form of a series of ridges 13 defining grooves in the form of channels 14 between them. The shape of the ridges 13 and channels 14 is not limited to the illustration. The container 11 may have a single recess for containing the gel in another plane, but is preferably a series of ridges 13 and channels 14.

Preferably, however, some or part of the channels 14 are relatively narrow so as to retain the gel composition as it is being filled therein shrinks or cracks over time, particularly when the container 11 is used with the gel receiving surface in a substantially vertical position. Additional means may be provided within the channel 14 or recess to assist in retaining the gel therein. The container 11 may have a circumferential edge 16 having a depth greater than the depth of the gel receiving surface. This helps to stabilize the container 11 in the base 12.

Preferably, the gel receiving surface is provided with an attractive pattern. Thus, when the container 11 is filled with A gel composition with an intense colouring, preferably of the type described in US-A-5780527, the shape of the channel 14 is highlighted to give an attractive appearance. Preferably, the gel is obtained by in situ cross-linking of a homopolymer or copolymer in the presence of a fragrance, deodorising or insecticidal substance. One suitable copolymer is maleated polybutadiene or polyisoprene, such as Lithene N4-900010 MA (registered trademark), available from Revertex, Inc. One suitable crosslinking agent is, for example, a diamine available under the name Jeffamine400 (registered trademark) from Huntsman corporation.

Suitable materials for container 11 are APET, PETG, polypropylene or polyacrylonitrile because of their high clarity, ease of thermoforming and resistance to perfume attack. Other materials may be used, including polyethylene and nylon, although these materials are translucent or opaque in appearance, or PVC, polystyrene and styrene acrylonitrile, although these materials are susceptible to perfume corrosion.

The support substrate 12 may be of any suitable shape, for example generally wedge-shaped in cross-section and provided with a channel 15 for receiving a portion of the container 11. The base 12 and channel 15 must be sized to provide sufficient support for the container 11.

Alternatively, as shown in figures 3 and 4, the container 11 may be formed integrally with the support base 12, such that the container 11 incorporates a support base portion shaped to support the entire device 10. The support substrate may be shaped to have a portion extending rearwardly from the gel receiving surface, with the portion providing stable support. This also means that the thermoforming tools used to join the substrate and container and the processing requirements for the forming step are not complex.

The advantages of the device 10 according to the invention are mainly: its manufacture is rather simple; forming the device 10 in a single thermoforming process step; and then filled and sealed. All of these operations can be performed continuously on a single automated production line using well-known techniques.

The container 11 may conveniently be provided with a removable lid (in the form of a tear-off plastic or foil lid) covering the gel receiving surface for protecting the gel or preventing it from escaping before use. The cover may be transparent to reveal the gel, or opaque or translucent. In the latter two cases, the cover may, for example, be printed with instructions or a trademark or other information.

The air freshening or purifying device according to the present invention is very convenient, not only because of its light weight and simplicity of manufacture, but also because of the nature of the material from which it is made, meaning that no additional packaging material is required at the time of sale of the device 10.

Claims (13)

1. An air freshening or purifying device comprising a container thermoformed from a plastics material, the container having an open side defining a gel receiving surface, the surface having a plurality of projections therein defining recesses therebetween for retaining a gel, the device further comprising a base at a lower end of the container for supporting the container so that the gel receiving surface is in a substantially vertical orientation.

2. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 1 in which the support means comprises a separate base having a channel for receiving at least part of the perimeter of the container.

3. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 1 in which the support means comprises a base portion which is integrally formed with the container.

4. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the container is formed with a circumferential edge.

5. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 4 in which the width of the rim is greater than the depth of the gel receiving surface.

6. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further including a removable cover applied to the container to cover the gel receiving surface.

7. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 4 in which the removable cover is made from a foil material which is heat sealed to the container.

8. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 6 in which the removable cover is made from laminated plastic which is heat sealed to the container.

9. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the container is filled with a gel composition.

10. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 8 in which the gel composition is a perfume.

11. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 8 in which the gel composition is an insecticide.

12. An air freshening or purifying device as claimed in claim 8 in which the gel composition is an air purifying composition.

13. An air freshening or purifying device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.