GB2349089A

GB2349089A - Fragrance dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2349089A
Application number: GB9827479A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Phillip Shrimpton; Phillip Honeywood; Stephen Honeywood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-12-15
Filing date: 1998-12-15
Publication date: 2000-10-25
Also published as: GB9827479D0

Abstract

The dispenser comprises a plurality of containers 4 for a fragrance source, each of said containers 4 being defined by a deformable well closed by a frangible foil 2. A layer of absorbent material 3 lies adjacent to the foil 2 and is enclosed within an envelope 5 of liquid impervious material. The envelope 5 is also sealed around the containers 4, but contains apertures to allow egress of fragrance from the absorbent material layer 3. Thus, amounts of fragrance, from successive containers 4, may be released at intervals to maintain a desired level of fragrance in the environment over an extended period of time.

Description

FRAGRANCE DISPENSER The present invention relates to a fragrance dispenser. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a fragrance dispenser in the form of a blister pack, having a plurality of rupturable containers for fragrance, which term is defined below.

The separate containers may be ruptured in turn to release an additional dose of fragrance at timed intervals determined by the user.

The use of fragrances is commonplace. A fragrance may be defined as a perfume, an essential oil, a deodoriser, or even an insecticidal composition, and it may be used therapeutically as in aromatherapy or it may be used as a means of freshening the air in a confined space, such as a motor vehicle or a room. In all such cases, the fragrance needs to be dispersed into the general atmosphere.

It is known to provide a fragrant source, sealed within an impervious container which may be punctured when it is desired to release the fragrance. The fragrance may take the form of a solid block of fragrant material, crystals or other particles of fragrant material, an essential oil, a solution or extract of fragrant material, a solid substrate impregnated with a fragrant material, an aerosol or gaseous fragrant material.

However, the effect of the fragrance weakens and finally disperses completely over a period of time, after which the dispenser must be replaced or recharged. It is also known that perception of the fragrance decreases substantially exponentially from the moment when the fragrant source is exposed to the ambient atmosphere and is diluted by dispersion by moving air currents..

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fragrance dispenser in which discrete amounts of fragrance may be released at intervals to maintain a desired level of fragrance in the environment over an extended period of time.

According to the present invention there is provided a fragrance dispenser comprising a plurality of containers for a fragrant source, each of said containers being defined by a deformable well closed by a frangible foil, a layer of absorbent material adjacent said frangible foil, and an envelope of material impervious to liquid enclosing said absorbent material and sealed around said plurality of containers, said envelope being provided with aperture means to allow egress of fragrance from said layer of absorbent material.

The envelope is preferably provided with a plurality of apertures formed on a face of the envelope opposed to the face containing the containers.

In this case, each aperture is disposed not to overlap with any one of the containers on an opposite face of the dispenser.

Advantageously, the plurality of containers is formed by a single sheet of frangible foil, optionally a metallic foil, and a single sheet of plastics material formed into an array of wells, the sheets being sealingly joined together around each of said wells.

The envelope may be sealed to the edges of the conjoined sheets of foil and plastics material..

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a dispenser embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the dispenser shown in Figure 1 ; and Figure 3 is a cross sectional view along the line III-III of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a fragrance dispenser comprising a blister card with fourteen separate blister containers 4 formed by a laminate of plastics material 1 and a frangible foil 2, in which the plastics material is deformed to be so spaced at intervals from the foil 2 as to form a plurality of wells, each of which is filled, at least partially, with an essential oil or other fragrance, as defined herein, prior to lamination of the layers. Fourteen blister containers are shown, but more or less may be provided on each dispenser.

Adjacent to the rear of the foil layer 2 is a layer of absorbent material 3, such as felt or nonwoven fibrous material 3. Surrounding the absorbent material 3 and sealed to the periphery of the plastics material 1, is an envelope 5 of impermeable plastics material or cellulosic material such as paper or card which may optionally be surface treated to render it more impervious to liquid penetration.

At the rear face of the dispenser, the envelope 5 is pierced by a plurality of apertures 6. These are preferably so spaced as not to align directly with any one of the blisters 4 and for a fourteen blister pack, preferably six apertures are provided, disposed along a central axis of the dispenser between the fourteen blisters 4 and between each pair of blisters. This arrangement is designed to prevent egress of the liquid fragrance directly, without it having been absorbed and stored by the absorbent layer3. However, other arrangements or numbers of apertures are possible. It may even be possible to provide a multitude of micro apertures to cover in close array a part of the rear face of the envelope 5.

In order to use the dispenser of the invention, a first blister 4 is pressed to deform and compress the contents, such pressure fracturing the frangible foil 2 behind the blister. The fragrance or essential oil contained within the blister 4 is thereby allowed to escape to the absorbent material 3 disposed behind the foil 2. The fragrance is absorbed by and penetrates through the absorbent material 3 and the fragrance is released gradually to the atmosphere through one or more of the apertures 6 at the rear of the dispenser. As an example of use, a first blister 4 may be pressed on a first day and the fragrance contained therein will be dispersed throughout the general atmosphere over a period of, say, two days. At that point, a second blister may be emptied to give a further period of two days fragrancing. This may be continued over the fourteen blisters on the dispenser described to allow a period of substantially one months'fragrant atmosphere. An advantage of the system of the invention is that the level of fragrance in the atmosphere may be maintained at and around an acceptable level over a long period of time rather than imparting fragrance at a high level initially, which level will decrease rapidly to an insignificant level in ambient terms whilst still requiring the presence of some active ingredient as the fragrance source. Hence, wastage of fragrance is lessened.

The invention offers the additional advantage that an additional fresh dose of fragrance may be supplied in response to any sudden or unexpected pollution of the atmosphere.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A fragrance dispenser comprising a plurality of containers each adapted to contain a fragrance source and being defined by a deformable well closed by a frangible foil, a layer of absorbent material adjacent said frangible foil, and an envelope of material impervious to liquid enclosing said absorbent material and sealed around said plurality of containers, said envelope being provided with aperture means to allow egress of fragrance from said layer of absorbent material.
2. A fragrance dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the envelope is provided with a plurality of apertures formed on a face of the envelope opposed to the face containing the containers.
3. A fragrance dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein each said aperture is disposed not to overlap with any one of the containers on an opposite face of the dispenser.
4. A fragrance dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of containers comprises a single sheet of frangible foil and a single sheet of deformable plastics material formed together into an array of wells, the foil and plastics sheets being sealingly joined together around each of said wells.
5. A fragrance dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein the envelope is sealed to the edges of the conjoined sheets of foil and plastics material.
6. A fragrance dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said frangible foil is a metallic foil.
7. A fragrance dispenser substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings.