Method for delivering a volatile material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10500298-B2
Application number	US-201815976930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2018
Priority date	Apr 16, 2009
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A method of delivering a volatile material to the atmosphere in a continuous manner is disclosed. The method includes providing a delivery engine having a reservoir that includes a volatile material mixture. The volatile material mixture includes about 40% to about 100%, by total weight, of the volatile materials each having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of less than about 0.1 torr. The delivery system also includes a microporous membrane enclosing the reservoir, wherein the microporous membrane comprises an average pore size of about 0.01 to about 0.03 microns.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of delivering a volatile material comprising the steps of:
providing a delivery engine comprising:
a reservoir comprising a volatile material mixture;
a rupturable substrate enclosing at least a portion of the reservoir;
a rupture element positioned adjacent to the rupturable substrate; and
a microporous membrane enclosing the reservoir, the rupturable substrate, and the rupture element; and

breaching the rupturable substrate to create a flow path from the reservoir, through the rupturable substrate, through the rupture element, and to the microporous membrane.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises about 40% to about 100%, by total weight, of volatile materials each having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of less than about 0.3 torr.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises:
a. 0% to about 15%, by total weight, of volatile materials each having a VP at 25° C. of about 0.004 torr to about 0.035 torr;
b. about 0% to about 25%, by total weight, of volatile materials each having a VP at 25° C. of about 0.1 torr to about 0.325 torr; and
c. about 65% to about 100%, by total weight, of volatile materials each having a VP at 25° C. of about 0.035 torr to about 0.1 torr.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises a viscosity of about 1.0 cP to less than about 15 cP.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises a surface tension of about 19 mN/m to less than about 27 mN/m.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microporous membrane comprises an average pore size of about 0.01 microns to about 0.06 microns.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises a perfume material.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using a fan to deliver the volatile material to the atmosphere.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery engine further comprises a collection basin in fluid communication with the microporous membrane and the reservoir upon rupturing the rupturable substrate.

10. A method of delivering a volatile material comprising the steps of:
providing a delivery engine comprising:
a reservoir comprising a volatile material;
a rupturable substrate enclosing at least a portion of the reservoir;
a microporous membrane;
a rupture element positioned between the rupturable substrate and the microporous membrane, wherein the microporous membrane encloses the reservoir, the rupture element, and the rupturable substrate; and

compressing the microporous membrane and the rupture element to breach the rupturable substrate, creating a flow path from the reservoir, through the rupturable substrate, through the rupture element, and to the microporous membrane.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises the step of inserting the delivering engine in a housing, the housing comprising a notch to compress the microporous membrane and the rupture element.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the rupture element comprises a compressible flange, the flange comprises a piercing element.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the microporous membrane comprises an average pore size of about 0.01 microns to about 0.06 microns.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the compressing step comprises a compression force of less than about 15N.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises a perfume material.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises about 40% to about 100%, by total weight, of volatile materials each having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of less than about 0.3 torr.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the volatile material mixture comprises about 40% to about 100%, by total weight, of volatile materials each having a vapor pressure at 25° C. of less than about 0.1 torr.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the reservoir comprises a bottom, an opening, and a ridge circumferencing the opening, wherein the rupturable substrate is sealed to the ridge of the reservoir.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the reservoir comprises see-through plastic.

20. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of using a fan to deliver the volatile material to the atmosphere.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Gruenbacher Dana Paul
• Olchovy Jason John
• Stanley Scott Kendyl
• Still James Douglas
• Jackson Rhonda Jean
• Liu Zaiyou
• Sordo Walter
• Deflorian Stefano
• Morhain Cedric

Classifications

• A61L2209/131

  Semi-permeable membranes · CPC title

• A61L9/12 Primary

  Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor · CPC title

• A61L9/04 Primary

  using substances evaporated in the air without heating · CPC title

• B60H2003/0057

  Servicing means therefor, e.g. for renewal of substances · CPC title

• B60H3/0028

  on or near an air outlet · CPC title