Title:
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DEODORIZING AND/OR FRESHENING AIR
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2002/062401
Kind Code:
A2
Abstract:
Apparatus and methods for deodorizing and/or freshening the air are disclosed. In one non-limiting embodiment, the apparatus includes one or more passive members and an air moving member. The passive member can be detachable from the air moving member and used separately as a passive filter member, if it contains a deodorizing substance, or as a passive emitting member, if it contains a substance to be emitted into the air. Numerous combinations of passive filter members and passive emitting members can be used with the air moving member, or as stand-alone members in the described methods. In other non-limiting embodiments, devices can be provided that both deodorize and emit substances into the air. Kits are also provided. The substances to be emitted may be arranged in various ways to improve the amount of exposed surface area of the substance to be emitted. Intensity controlling mechanisms are also provided.
Inventors:
HARDY CHARLES MICHAEL
GOODALL KEVIN GEORGE
PAINTER JEFFREY DONALD
KVIETOK FRANK ANDREJ
BARTSCH ERIC RICHARD
GOODALL KEVIN GEORGE
PAINTER JEFFREY DONALD
KVIETOK FRANK ANDREJ
BARTSCH ERIC RICHARD
Application Number:
PCT/US2002/002778
Publication Date:
August 15, 2002
Filing Date:
February 01, 2002
Export Citation:
Assignee:
PROCTER & GAMBLE (US)
International Classes:
A61L9/04; A61L9/12; A61L9/16; B60H3/06; F24F7/00; F25D23/00; (IPC1-7): A61L9/014; A61L9/12; A61L9/04
Domestic Patent References:
| WO2001056623A1 | 2001-08-09 | |||
| WO2001062310A1 | 2001-08-30 | |||
| WO2001056622A1 | 2001-08-09 | |||
| WO2001056620A1 | 2001-08-09 | |||
| WO2000033940A1 | 2000-06-15 | |||
| WO1995015187A1 | 1995-06-08 |
Foreign References:
| DE29801969U1 | 1998-04-30 | |||
| DE3002409A1 | 1981-07-30 | |||
| US4995556A | 1991-02-26 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Reed, David T. (5299 Spring Grove Avenue Cincinnati, OH, US)
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Claims:
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
| 1. | A system for deodorizing air, said system characterized in that it may also be used for emitting one or more substances into the air, said system comprising: a first deodorizing and/or emitting device comprising an air moving member and a first passive deodorizing and/or emitting member configured for use with said air moving member, said first passive deodorizing and/or emitting member comprising a first medium, at least a portion of which comprises a first substance that serves to deodorize the air and/or is to be emitted into the air; one or more additional deodorizing and/or emitting members comprising passive deodorizing and/or emitting members comprising a medium, at least a portion of which comprises a second substance that serves to deodorize the air and/or is to be emitted into the air, wherein said one or more additional deodorizing and/or emitting members can be used with said air moving member. |
| 2. | A method for emitting one or more substances into the air, said method characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (a) providing a device comprising an air moving member and a first passive emitting member associated with said air moving member, said first passive emitting member comprising a substance to be emitted into the air; (b) providing a second passive emitting member comprising a substance to be emitted into the air, wherein said second passive emitting member is configured for use as a standalone emitting member and for use with said air moving member; (c) positioning said device in a first location to emit the substance therein into the air at said first location; and (d) positioning said second passive emitting member in a second location independent from the position of said first emitting member to emit the substance in said second emitting member into the air at said second location. |
| 3. | A kit characterized in that it comprises a selfcontained, passive scentemitting member which can be used on its own as a scentemitting member and with an air moving member wherein said passive scentemitting member has a standalone configuration and said kit further comprises instructions that instruct a user to use the passive scentemitting member either on its own or with an air moving member. |
| 4. | A kit characterized in that it is for deodorizing air and/or emitting one or more substances into the air, said kit comprising: (a) an air moving member; (b) one or more passive deodorizing members configured for use as a standalone deodorizing member and for use with said air moving member; and (c) one or more passive substance emitting members configured for use as a standalone substance emitting member and for use with said air moving member. |
| 5. | An article for emitting a substance into the air, said article having an air flow path from an air inlet to an air outlet, said article comprising an emitting medium having an exposed surface area, said article characterized in that it has an air flow path through said emitting medium, around said emitting medium, or both, wherein said air flow path has a maximum crosssectional area and said exposed surface area of said emitting medium is greater than or equal to about five times the maximum crosssectional area of said air flow path. |
| 6. | An article for emitting a substance into the air, said article having an air flow path from an air inlet to an air outlet, said article characterized in that it comprises an emitting medium comprising a mass of gel comprised of one or more pieces of gel configured to fit together to form said mass of gel, wherein said mass of gel has at least one passageway therein to allow air to flow through said medium from said air inlet to said air outlet. |
| 7. | An article for emitting a substance into the air, said article characterized in that it comprises: a tubeshaped covering, said tubeshaped covering having an interior and an exterior, and at least one rupturable zone; and an emitting media disposed inside said tubeshaped covering. |
| 8. | A device for emitting one or more substances into the air, said device having an air flow path from an air inlet to an air outlet, said device characterized in that it comprises: a passive member comprising a substance to be emitted arranged in interaction with the air flowing along said air flow path; an air moving member for moving air along said air flow path, wherein said passive member is associated with and detachable from said air moving member; and an intensity controlling mechanism comprising a part of at least one of said passive member and said air moving member. |
| 9. | An article of manufacture for deodorizing air and emitting one or more substances into the air, said article of manufacture characterized in that it comprises a first medium and a second medium, said first medium comprising an air deodorizing medium and said second medium comprising a substance for emission into the air, wherein said first medium and said second medium are arranged so that only one of said first medium and said second medium is operative during a given time period. |
| 10. | A device characterized in that it is for deodorizing air and emitting one or more substances into the air, said device having an air flow path from an air inlet to an air outlet, said device comprising: a passive member comprising a first medium and a second medium, said first medium comprising an air deodorizing medium and said second medium comprising a substance for emission into the air, said passive member being arranged so that at least one of said first medium and said second medium can be positioned in interaction with the air flowing along said air flow path at any given time; and an air moving member for moving air along said air flow path, wherein said passive member is associated with and detachable from said air moving member that moves air through passive member and discharges such air. |
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