Breakable wick for use in a dispenser for a volatile liquid
A wick assembly for use in a dispenser for a volatile liquid includes a wick having an external surface and a discontinuity in the surface providing a location in the wick of less resistance to a force applied to the wick than a location adjacent to the discontinuity. In one embodiment, the wick is adapted to be positioned to extend from an inside of a container, through an opening defined in the container, to an outside of the container, and the wick is formed such that a portion of the wick will block the opening when the wick is broken at the discontinuity.
This application is a continuation-in-part of each of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/266,798, filed Oct. 8, 2002, Ser. No. 10/266,512, filed Oct. 8, 2002, Ser. No. 10/394,621, filed Mar. 21, 2003, Ser. No. 10/394,623, filed Mar. 21, 2003, Ser. No. 10/607,702, filed Jun. 27, 2003, and Ser. No. 10/609,843, filed Jun. 30, 2003, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in the entirety thereof.
REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable
SEQUENTIAL LISTINGNot applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wicks for dispensing a volatile liquid and, more particularly, wicks which project from a container holding the volatile liquid.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Apparatus is known for dispensing volatile actives into the surrounding environment. Many such apparatuses include a container for containing a liquid that carries the volatile active and a soft, pliable wick extending through an opening in the container. The wick is in contact with the liquid inside the container so that the liquid can migrate by capillary action up the wick to an exterior side of the opening, where the volatile active is able to disperse into the surrounding environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect of the invention, a wick assembly for use in a dispenser for a volatile liquid includes a wick having an external surface and a discontinuity formed in the surface providing a location in the wick of less resistance to a force applied to the wick than a location adjacent to the discontinuity. The discontinuity is disposed between a portion of the wick adapted to reside substantially inside the dispenser and a portion of the wick adapted to reside substantially outside the dispenser.
In another aspect of the invention, A wick assembly for use in a dispenser for a volatile liquid includes a wick having an external surface, a discontinuity formed in the surface providing a location in the wick of less resistance to a force applied to the wick than a location adjacent to the discontinuity, and a retention member defining an opening adapted to be received in another opening of a container for holding the volatile liquid. The opening of the retention member receives a portion of the wick therein. The portion of the wick received in the opening of the retention member forms an interference fit with the retention member.
In a further aspect of the invention, a wick assembly for use in a dispenser for volatile liquid includes a wick adapted to be positioned to extend from an inside of a container for holding the volatile liquid, through an opening defined in the container, and to an outside of the container. The wick assembly further includes means for enabling the wick to separate into at least two portions wherein one of the portions blocks the opening of the container.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
In referring to
Portions of housing 30 form an enclosure 40 for fan 32 and for receiving wick 310 of wick assembly 500 into the air stream generated by fan 32. Wick 310 is to be positioned and secured in enclosure 40 formed by housing 30 so as to reside in the air stream generated by fan 32. Wick 310 may be secured in the desired position by coupling wick assembly 500 to dispenser housing 30 using any one of numerous methods. As generally shown in
The volatile liquid migrates along wick 310 from the volatile liquid in reservoir 20 to a portion of wick 310 immersed in an air stream generated by fan 32, where it is evaporated from the surface of wick 310 by forced airflow generated by fan 32.
In one example,
Referring to
Forces acting on wick 310 (e.g., during handling of the wick by a user) may be sufficient to cause breakage of the wick. For example, referring to
In one embodiment, the breakage feature incorporated into wick assemblies described herein comprises a discontinuity formed in an exterior surface of the wick. Referring to
Wick segments 512 and 514 may be secured in abutting contact using any of a variety of methods. In one embodiment, the method used for securing wick segments 512 and 514 together ensures a certain minimum, uninterrupted area of contact between wick segments 512 and 514 in order to provide sufficient migration of the volatile liquid from one wick segment to another. For example, as seen in
Referring to
For reasons to be explained later, the wick 310 will generally be secured in either retention member 510 or container 20 such that a breakage feature incorporated into the wick resides proximate an end portion of retention member 510 or an end portion of container 20. For example,
Wick 310 may be secured in retention member opening 511 using an interference fit, adhesive, or other known methods. Any method used to secure wick 310 in retention member opening 511 should aid in preventing leakage of the volatile liquid along a path extending between wick 310 and retention member 510.
Similarly, retention member 510 may be secured in container opening 536 using an interference fit, adhesive, or other known methods. Any method used to secure retention member 510 within container opening 536 preferably aids in preventing leakage of the volatile liquid along a path extending between retention member 510 and container 20.
Referring to
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In another embodiment, the breakage feature incorporated into wick assemblies described herein comprises an absence of material formed in an interior portion of the wick. Referring to
In these embodiments, one or more absences 546 of the wick material are selectively positioned within the wick body intermediate ends 542 and 544. When the wick is formed from a plastic material, for example, absence (or absences) 546 may be formed by a blow molding process. In this process, a blow pin is inserted into a molten wick secured in a mold. Compressed air is then injected into the interior of the wick to displace a portion of the plastic in the wick interior.
Absence 546 creates a portion of the wick having a cross-sectional area less than adjacent portions of the wick which are substantially filled with the material from which the wick is formed. The pressure acting on the wick material along this reduced cross-sectional area due to an applied force will be greater than the pressure acting on adjacent, relatively homogeneous portions of the wick. Consequently, this reduced cross-sectional area provides less resistance to breakage than adjacent portions of the wick. In this manner, the forming of absence 546 in a pre-determined region of the wick provides some predictability as to the location of a breaking point of the wick when a force is applied to the wick.
As seen in
Referring to
Referring to an example of this embodiment of wick 310 successive adjacent cross sectional areas of wick 310 vary uniformly along the length L of wick 310 between segment 550 of wick 310 and position 560 on the wick. In this embodiment, the areas of successive cross sections of wick 310 taken transverse to the wick will vary at a uniform rate, generally depending on the convergence or divergence of opposing exterior surfaces of the wick. In a particular embodiment, perimeters of successive adjacent cross sections of the wick taken generally transverse to the length will have substantially the same shape. For example, perimeters of successive adjacent cross sections taken along lines 19a-19a and 19b-19b (
Referring to
As seen in
In the above-described embodiments, the wick is longitudinal, has a longitudinal axis and a curved exterior surface. In alternative embodiments, the wick may be formed such that a cross-section of the wick taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis has any one of or a combination of a variety of simple geometric shapes, such as a circle, a diamond, a rectangle, a hexagon, an octagon, an oval or a triangle.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYThe present invention provides various features incorporated into a wick assembly that facilitate the breakage of a porous wick at a predetermined location on the wick when a force is applied to the wick. Generally, the wick is secured within an opening of a container for holding a volatile liquid, with a portion of the wick residing inside the container and a portion of the wick residing outside the container. The features described herein facilitate breakage of the wick before breakage of any other portion of the wick assembly (for example, the container). These features also help ensure that the portion of the wick secured in the container opening remains secured in the opening after wick breakage, thereby preventing leakage of the volatile liquid through the container opening.
Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out same. The exclusive rights to all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims are reserved. All patents and patent applications referenced herein are incorporated by reference in the entireties thereof.
Claims
1. A wick assembly for use in a dispenser for a volatile liquid, comprising:
- a wick having an external surface; and
- a discontinuity formed in the surface providing a location in the wick of less resistance to a force applied to the wick than a location adjacent to the discontinuity;
- wherein the discontinuity is disposed between a portion of the wick adapted to reside substantially inside the dispenser and a portion of the wick adapted to reside substantially outside the dispenser.
2. The wick assembly of claim 1, wherein the wick is elongate.
3. The wick assembly of claim 2, wherein the wick has a thickness measured in a direction generally transverse to a length of the wick and is of a lesser dimension than the length.
4. The wick assembly of claim 3, wherein the location and the adjacent location have different cross sectional areas.
5. The wick assembly of claim 4, wherein the wick has a cylindrical shape in which the location has a smaller diameter than the adjacent location.
6. The wick assembly of claim 1, wherein a perimeter of a cross section of the wick is a simple geometric shape.
7. The wick assembly of claim 6, wherein the geometric shape includes one of a circle, a diamond, a rectangle, a hexagon, an octagon, an oval and a triangle.
8. The wick assembly of claim 1, wherein the discontinuity comprises a junction between two portions of the wick.
9. The wick assembly of claim 1, wherein the wick is substantially rigid.
10. The wick assembly of claim 1, wherein the wick comprises high density polyethylene.
11. The wick assembly of claim 1 further comprising a retention member defining an opening adapted to be received in another opening of a container for holding the volatile liquid and in which the opening of the retention member receives a portion of the wick therein with an interference fit.
12. The wick assembly of claim 11, wherein the discontinuity in the surface of the wick is positioned proximate the retention member.
13. The wick assembly of claim 11, wherein the discontinuity is positioned proximate to the other opening of the container.
14. A wick assembly for use in a dispenser for a volatile liquid, comprising:
- a wick having an external surface;
- a discontinuity formed in the surface providing a location in the wick of less resistance to a force applied to the wick than a location adjacent to the discontinuity; and
- a retention member defining an opening adapted to be received in another opening of a container for holding the volatile liquid and in which the opening of the retention member receives a portion of the wick therein;
- wherein the portion of the wick received in the opening of the retention member forms an interference fit with the retention member.
15. The wick assembly of claim 14, wherein the wick is substantially rigid and comprises ultra high molecular weight high density polyethylene.
16. A wick assembly for use in a dispenser for volatile liquid, comprising:
- a wick adapted to be positioned to extend from an inside of a container, for holding the volatile liquid, through an opening defined in the container and to an outside of the container; and
- means for enabling the wick to separate into at least two portions wherein one of the portions blocks the opening of the container.
17. The wick assembly of claim 16, wherein the means for enabling the wick to separate comprises an absence of the material selectively positioned within the body.
18. The wick assembly of claim 16, wherein the means for enabling the wick to separate comprises a notch formed in an exterior surface of the wick.
19. The wick assembly of claim 16, wherein the means for enabling the wick to separate comprises a seam formed between a first and a second portions of the wick in which the second portion of the wick abuts the first portion.
20. The wick assembly of claim 16, wherein the wick has a first cross section generally transverse to a length of the wick, the first cross section having a first cross sectional area, and the means for enabling the wick to separate comprises providing a second cross section of the wick generally transverse to a length of the wick and adjacent the first cross section in which the second cross section has a second cross sectional area less than the first cross sectional area.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 27, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 27, 2006
Inventors: Kara Lakatos (Racine, WI), Ralph Schwarz (Racine, WI), Tyler Duston (Evanston, IL)
Application Number: 11/341,166
International Classification: A61L 9/04 (20060101);