RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims the priority of provisional patent application serial number 62/311 ,639, filed March 22, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an insect repellent package having an active ingredient on a pad within the package. The active ingredient can be activated whenever the user wishes by merely opening the package to allow ambient air to reach the repellent to be released providing an insect free zone. The pad can be removed from the package.

Insects can be very annoying. There have been many devices and attempts to create insect free zones. Usually, these involve creating insect free zones by dispersing chemicals useful as active ingredient insect repellents, preventing insects from approaching the zone. There are other well-known conventional devices such as citronella lamps. Additionally, communities and governments employ largescale distribution of insect repellent to reduce insect populations.

There have also been personal portable insect repellent devices which may be carried about. An example of such a device is the ThermaCell Mosquito Repeller, described in U.S. Patent 5,700,430, which is widely distributed and sold. It comprises a portable unit having a heat plate and an impregnated mat saturated with allethrin which

i is an insect repellent and is vaporized to distribute the insect repellent in an area to prevent and reduce insect population.

A simple insect repellent device which can be safely carried about, extremely portable, light and unobtrusive, yet effective to create an insect free zone is desirable.

An object of this invention is to provide a personal insect repellent package which is self-contained and emits an insect repellent vapor, creating an insect free zone.

An object of this invention is to provide a personalized portable insect repellent package capable of being carried anywhere anytime in a convenient and unobtrusive manner.

Yet another object is to create such an insect repellent device which is easy to use, safe and readily placeable at any desired location to create an insect free zone.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a package which is safe and easy to carry, easily activated and, if desired, deactivated, so that the entirety of the insect repellent chemical is not dispersed at one time.

Still another object of this invention is to provide such an insect repellent package in which the consumption of the insect repellent active ingredient is controlled by a valve or some other apparatus exposing or blocking the insect repellent active ingredient from contact with ambient air.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a personalized insect repellent package which can be carried by anyone in any pocket or handbag and is extremely light weight, comprising nothing more than the package and an impregnated structure enabling dispersion of the insect repellent when the package is opened to ambient air. Other objects advantages and features of this invention will become more apparent in the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a personal air tight package holding a mat containing an active ingredient and perhaps, an exothermic ingredient together so that when ambient air reaches the structure, the active ingredient will be released.

The package may comprise an "on/off control" which opens or closes the airtight package to ambient air to partially release the active ingredient to create an insect free zone. In this matter, the entirety of the impregnated active ingredient is not utilized at one time, and a person can continue to use the same package over a period of time in different areas in which the person desires to create an insect free zone.

The package of this invention contains an impregnated mat saturated with an insect repellent active ingredient which releases under normal ambient air temperature conditions so as to create the insect free zone, An example of such a chemical is metofluthrin or transfluthrin. In some instances, additional heating is desired so that a mat or other structure comprising an exothermic chemical can heat the mat

impregnated with the insect repellent active ingredient to speed and enhance the dispersion of the active ingredient.

The attractiveness of such a personalized portable package is readily apparent, People can go outdoors carrying a personalized package and place it nearby, creating an insect free zone particularly tailored to that person's needs and location at that time. Such a safe, personalized package to create an insect free zone is commercially attractive and will find widespread use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a package of this invention showing a single mat in a sealed package.

Fig. 2 is a top view of an illustrative mat used with this invention.

Fig. 3 is a side perspective view showing a plurality of mats forming the insect repellent structure sitting one on top of the other.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing a two mat structure enclosed within a sealed airtight package being opened allowing ambient air to reach the active ingredient structure.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a mat structure having a peripheral zone free of insect repellent permitting the handling of the structure creating the insect free zone.

Fig. 6 is another view similar to Fig. 1 in which a manually controlled valve is integrally formed with the package allowing on/off activation of the insect repellent structure.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 in which the active ingredient mat structure can be opened or closed to ambient air by opening or closing the top of the package.

Fig. 8 is another view of the insect repellent structure comprising a single mat with intermixed exothermic and insect repellent active ingredient in a mat.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the mat structure shown as a fixed block with intermixed repellent and exothermic materials.

Fig. 10 is another view of an insect repellent structure formed as a breathable pouch or sachet, Fig. 11 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 3 showing an intermediate insulating layer between the active ingredient and exothermic mats.

Fig. 12 is another embodiment of this invention in which the package is shown with a resealable fold-over flap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A peel-open package 10 in Fig. 1 comprises a sealed airtight pouch 12 which, when open as in Fig. 4, allows ambient air to reach the insect repellent structure 14 contained in package 10. The pouch may be formed of two airtight covers 6 and 8 sealed together at their ends 20 and 22. The insect repellent structure 14 may be a single mat 15 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) impregnated with only insect repellent active ingredient released at ambient air temperatures or may comprise a first mat 16 (Fig. 3) containing an active ingredient and a second mat 18 containing an exothermic chemical. The package 10 is air tight. Additionally, the single mat 15 version of Fig. 1 may contain both the insect repellent active ingredients and exothermic chemicals.

The mats, layers or substrates 15, 16 and 18 may be cellulose, absorbent cotton or the like. The exothermic chemical may be in a granular form contained within a packet, pouch or sachet or may be impregnated in a mat,

When the user wants to create an insect free zone, the user opens the packet as shown in Fig. 4 and removes the insect repellant structure 14. The active ingredient then volatilizes at ambient temperature and generates an insect free zone. The active ingredient volatilizes at a range of ambient temperatures that extends from 50 10° F and may provide an area of coverage for several hours. An example of such an active ingredient is metofluthrin or transfluthrin.

In the embodiment of the invention in which the insect repellent structure comprises individual mats 16 and 18, each contain separate chemicals that activate upon peeling open the package with the active exothermic material in pad 18 heating the active ingredient in pad 16 to enhance the release of such active ingredient. The mats 15, 16 and 18 all have insect repellent free end tabs 19 attached to one end permitting handling of the mats. The size of the insect repellent structure or mat structure may be chosen as desired, and more or less active ingredient can be contained in each package.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of another embodiment of an insect repellent structure 14 with an insect repellent free border area 26,

The present invention as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 also enable the user to selectively control the amount of active ingredient dispersed at any given time by opening or closing the insect repellent structure to ambient air. Fig. 6 illustrates one embodiment in which a valve 28 is integrally formed with the package 10 and is manually controllable to allow ambient air to reach the insect repellent structure and thereby disperse the active ingredient through the vaive.

Another embodiment shown in Fig. 7 has the active ingredient structure 14 contained within a "zip-lock" type bag in which the bag may be partially or completely open or closed at its top 32 along a seal 34 enabling control of the amount of ambient air which reaches the insect repellent structure to release a desired amount of insect repellent for a limited time, thereby reserving future release for other times. Additionally, the zip-lock bag 30 can be used to hold the mat sealed when closed allowing the mat 14 to be removed with tab 19 and placed where desired when it is out of the zip-lock bag. Thereafter, before the active ingredient in mat 14 entirely disperses, the mat can be placed back into the zip-lock bag 30.

A single pad 15 is shown in Fig. 8, and the mat 15 may have exothermic and active ingredients mixed together.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a single insect repellent structure 60 in the shape of a brick having intermixed repellent and exothermic chemicals with a handling tab 62 attached to one end.

Rather than combining the active ingredient and exothermic material in a pad or as a brick shape, a porous sachet 40 containing both the active ingredient and exothermic materials 42/44 may be provided held in an air tight package 46 as shown in Fig. 10. The sachet 40 has a handling tab 46 for safe handling. It is also possible the sachet will contain only the active ingredient, or it may also contain exothermic material for enhancing the release of the active ingredient. The porous sachet allows ambient air to reach the chemicals contained therein either as granular or as a more fixed shape.

When there are two separate mats employed as in Fig. 3, the speed of release of the active ingredient may be further controlled by placing an insulating spacer mat 50 (Fig. 11) between the two mats 16 and 18 to control the amount of heat reaching the mat from the exothermic mat.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of this invention with the package formed as a pouch or an envelope 70 with a resealable fold-over flap 72 permitting ambient air to reach the insect repellent structure 14 having a finger tab 19 to remove the structure 74 from the envelope 70.

It should be understood that the preferred embodiment was described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly legally and equitably entitled.