METHOD TO OVERCOME AIR FRESHENER ODOR HABITUATION

Field of Invention

The invention relates to a method for distributing air freshener fragrance in a manner that allows a user the ability to maintain perception of a fragrance. More particularly, the method of the present invention describes a manner to prevent, deter, diminish or overcome the effects of various degrees of anosmia, i.e. odor habituation, in the context of using an air freshener.

Background of the Invention

Fragrance emitting air fresheners have existed for quite some time. Users desiring to evoke pleasant odor perceptions in their respective environments employ air fresheners to accomplish this goal. As general technology has advanced, simple air fresheners have also benefited. -For example, as the chemical arts have advanced, synthetic air freshening compositions have likewise advanced. In addition, as mechanical and electrical mechanisms have evolved, the relevant technology has become increasingly incorporated into air freshening devices. For example, electric resistive heating elements have been used in air fresheners to promote the emanation of the volatiles that comprise the air freshening composition. Also, various housing and distributing mechanisms have developed. As users enjoy the added benefits exhibited by the incorporation of these advancements, some limitations have likewise surfaced, hi particular, there are two common limitations to typical electric air fresheners. One limitation occurs as a fragrance is heated. During the constant device heating, the various volatile air freshening components evaporate at varying rates, thereby changing the rate of evaporation over time as the concentration of lighter volatile components, i.e. those with higher vapor pressure, decreases.

A second limitation, consumer anosmia, has a tendency to be compounded by the first. Anosmia is the decrease in odor sensitivity due to prolonged fragrance exposure. Current attempts to overcome these limitations rely on products that produce linear fragrance delivery. However, these attempts do not address consumer anosmia.

What is needed is a device that is configured to deter, minimize, or otherwise compensate for the effect of varying evaporation rates of the volatile elements that comprise air freshener fragrances. In addition, what is needed is a device configured to overcome user

anosmia, or the tendency for occupants within a given environment to become habituated to an odor (fragrance) emanating from an air freshener.

Summary of the Invention As set forth in the detailed description and accompanying figures, the present invention includes, in various exemplary embodiments, a method to configure an air freshening device to overcome the shortcomings of variable evaporation rates among the volatiles that comprise an air fresher composition. The device is suitably configured to also overcome user anosmia. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an air freshener having an integrated circuit and/or an associated integrated circuit timer is configured to modulate the electric current fed to an electrical resistive heating element, thereby altering the evaporation rate of the volatile elements of an air freshener.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the integrated circuit timer is configured to ramp up the electrical current, and subsequently the temperature of the resistive heating element.

In another aspect of the present invention, the electrical current is ramped in various irregular or regular manners, such as spikes, sine waves, and the like.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a device comprising a variety of fragrances is configured to overcome present air freshener limitations. An integrated circuit comprises an algorithm to alter a user's odor perception by varying the distributed scent, rather than the altering the intensity level of one particular scent. Alternatively, odor perception may be altered by varying both the distributed scent and the intensity. In another aspect, the algorithm that controls the electrical current input by the integrated circuit is pre-programmed by the producer of the air freshening device; alternatively, the integrated circuit may.be suitably configured to be programmed by the consumer to accommodate various personal preferences.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air freshener volatile components are maintained separately, and are configured to mix in a manner that maintains a proper ratio of volatiles. In this fashion, ramping of an electric current is not necessary to maintain a consistent level of evaporation. Ramping is only needed, perhaps, to overcome user anosmia.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Additional embodiments of the invention will become evident upon reviewing the non-limiting embodiments described in the specification and the claims, in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein;

FIG 1. is a graphic illustration of an electric resistive heating element temperature and evaporation rate versus time for a typical electric heater air freshener;

FIG 2. is a graphic illustration of an electric resistive heating element temperature and evaporation rate versus time for the proposed device that includes an electric integrated circuit timer;

FIG 3. is a graphic illustration of the total evaporated weight of fragrance versus time for a typical supplied electric current and the proposed modification of an electric current with a timed integrated circuit;

FIG 4. is a graphic illustration of an electric resistive heating element temperature and evaporation rate versus time for the present invention comprising an electric integrated circuit timer that compensates for anosmia using constant evaporation rate ramping; and

FIG 5. is a graphic illustration of an electric resistive heating element temperature and evaporation rate versus time of the present invention comprising an integrated circuit timer, which compensates for anosmia through a combination of constant evaporation rate ramping and periodic temperature spikes.

Detailed Description

The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the invention herein makes reference to the accompanying figures. While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. As stated earlier, there are two common limitations to current electric warmer air fresheners. One limitation occurs when a fragrance is heated, as shown by Figure 1. During constant device heating, the various volatile air freshening components, that comprise the fragrance composition, tend to evaporate at varying rates, thereby changing the rate of

evaporation over time as the concentration of lighter volatile components, i.e. those with higher vapor pressure steadily decreases. This effectively results in a reduction in the strength of the fragrance being emitted, and thus, a waning of the perceptible odor over the life of the air freshener. The other limitation is user anosmia, or as used herein, odor habituation. It is well know that individuals occupying an environment after a period of time grow accustomed to the predominant odor of their surroundings. Because consumers generally employ air fresheners to alter their odiferous surroundings, this anosmia phenomenon, over time, prevents individuals from enjoying the benefits of using an air freshener, i.e. they become accustomed to the odor and, thus, can no longer perceive it.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while anosmia is generally defined as the loss of the sense of smell, as it is used herein the inventors intend anosmia to mean, the effect of anosmia to a particular odor or fragrance. For example, the inventors in using the term anosmia do not mean to convey that an individual experiencing anosmia no longer has the ability to smell or detect odors, the inventors intend anosmia to mean that the ability to discern a particular odor or fragrance has diminished, perhaps to the point that the odor or fragrance is no longer perceptible by the individual. In other words, the individual has become habituated to the smell.

Turning now to the present invention, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a method to more effectively distribute the fragrance of a typical air freshener and deter anosmia, utilizes a programmable electrical integrated circuit (IC) incorporated within the air freshener. The air freshener further comprises an electric resistive heating element. A timer, as part of the control system and in conjunction with the IC, is configured to help modulate the electric current fed to the electrical resistive heating element. Thus, the resistive heating element is suitably configured to assist in a more effective distribution of the air freshener fragrance, i.e. the fragrance volatiles, by altering the evaporation rate. In another aspect, the integrated circuit (IC) may be configured with other exemplary elements, such as, a timer, a rheostat, and/Or series of differing resistors.

It should be appreciated that any electrical or mechanical element that is configured to assist with fragrance distribution from an air freshener is contemplated by the present invention. Also, any element other than an IC that can be configured to control the output of fragrance volatiles is likewise contemplated by the present invention.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the IC timer is configured to ramp up the electrical current, and subsequently the temperature of the resistive heating element. By increasing temperature over time, the volatile's evaporation rate can be kept constant. Thus, as the initial components of higher vapor pressure evaporate, the rate of evaporation decrease at a constant temperature. A gradual temperature increase allows for lower vapor pressure components to be driven off at a higher rate to compensate for the loss of the higher vapor pressure components.

In another aspect of the present invention and with reference to Figure 4, once the rate of temperature increase necessary to maintain evaporation rate has been determined, a further increase of temperature ramp rate may offer a means to overcome anosmia. By increasing the evaporation rate over time the fragrance levels in the air are continuously increased over the life of the device.

In accordance with other various exemplary embodiments of the present invention and as depicted by one example in Figure 5, an additional attempt to overcome anosmia may be accomplished by including a timed spike in heat. The resulting highs and lows of fragrance intensity as a result of the variable evaporation rate in the air, continuously allows an individual's nose to cycle between a noticeable amount of fragrance and anosmia. For example, the timed spike in heat may be ramped in various regular manners, such as spikes, sine waves, etc. The timed spike in heat may also be ramped in an irregular or completely random manner.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air freshener device comprises a variety of fragrances. The IC in this exemplary embodiment, comprises an algorithm to alter a user's odor perception by varying the distributed scent, rather than the altering the intensity level of one particular scent. For example, instead of altering the electric current to ramp up the temperature as described herein, the IC may alter the volatiles to be distributed. For example, the IC may command the unit to distribute the volatiles that comprise a vanilla scent, for a period of time, and then switch to volatiles that comprise a cherry scent, etc. In this fashion, the individual overcomes the effects of anosmia because the scent has been altered rather than the intensity.

In another aspect of the present invention, the algorithm that controls the inputted electrical current to the resistive heating element by the integrated circuit is pre-programmed by the producer and/or manufacturer of the air freshening device. In one example, the

program comprises the various ramping configurations a described herein. In yet another example, the program contains instruction to vary particular volatiles that comprise different scents, also described herein. In still yet another example, the programmed IC may comprise instructions to combine some form of the two, i.e. vary the scent and intensity of the scent. In still yet another example, the IC may be configured with an assortment of preprogrammed instructions and the user may choose between the varieties, based on personal preferences.

Alternatively, in another aspect of the present invention, the integrated circuit may be suitably configured to be programmed by the consumer themselves, to accommodate various personal preferences. For example, the IC may be configured to be removable, in such a manner that it can be suitable coupled to a user's PC. The individual, using an appropriate program, can then provide the instructions to the air freshener via the user programmed IC. Thus, a user may desire to alter the intensity and fragrance, or the user may wish to alter the parameters of the air freshener based on other considerations. For example, a user may wish to program an IC such that the intensity or scent varies throughout the day, i.e. more intense when people are at home and less intense as they are away at work or school. Perhaps a user prefers a particular type or lighter fragrance in the morning, and another type or intensity in the evening, perhaps to overcome dinnertime cooking odors. In another aspect of the invention, a user may wish to alter the scent based upon calendar considerations; one scent for the weekends and another for the weekdays. Perhaps a user wishes to experience a particular scent for various holidays; fall fragrances during Halloween and Thanksgiving, or a Winter Holiday fragrance.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, an IC may be suitably configured to accommodate still other considerations. For example, a motion sensor may be suitably coupled to the air freshener, thereby, ramping up the intensity as described herein, based upon a particular area being occupied. In another aspect, the IC is coupled to a thermometer, and the intensity of the fragrance emitted is determined by various temperature settings.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air freshener volatile components are maintained separately, and are regulated to mix in a manner that maintains a proper ratio of volatiles. In this fashion, ramping of an electric current to overcome the effects of variable evaporation rates of the volatile components is not necessary. Ramping may only be needed, perhaps, to overcome user anosmia.

Finally, various principles of the invention have been described in illustrative embodiments. However, many combinations and modifications of the above-described structures, arrangements, proportions, elements materials and components, used in the practice of the invention, in addition to those not specifically described, can be varied without departing from those principles.