Methods for emitting and refills for holding two or more compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288979-A1
Application number	US-201514676283-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refill for holding at least two compositions comprises a container including a body and first and second compositions disposed within the body such that the first and second compositions are substantially separated and the second composition is disposed above the first composition. The refill further includes a tube disposed within the body of the container such that the tube contains the first and second compositions, wherein the tube has an inner diameter and an outer diameter. Still further, the refill includes a wick disposed within the tube, wherein the wick contains the first and second compositions and has a diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the tube to create a gap between the wick and the tube.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of emitting two or more compositions, the method including the steps of:
providing a refill including a container having a body and first and second compositions disposed within the body such that the first and second compositions are substantially separated; emitting a first portion of the second composition; emitting a portion of the first composition after the first portion of the second composition is emitted; and emitting a second portion of the second composition.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of emitting a portion of the first composition includes emitting substantially all of the first composition.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of emitting a second portion of the second composition includes emitting the second composition until substantially all of the second compositions is depleted.

4 . The method of claim 1 , the first portion of the second composition is emitted from within the tube, a portion of the first composition is emitted from within the tube and a remainder of the first composition is emitted from within the container, and the second portion of the second composition is emitted from within the container.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further including the step of providing a dispenser including a housing forming a chamber adapted to retain the refill containing two or more compositions and a heater disposed within the chamber.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second composition is disposed above and substantially separated from the first composition.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein after the step of emitting a second portion of the second composition, the first composition is again emitted and emission of the first and second compositions repeats.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second composition is disposed below and substantially separated from the first composition.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein after the step of emitting a second portion of the second composition, the first composition is again emitted and emission of the first and second compositions repeats.

10 . A refill for holding at least two compositions, the refill comprising:
a container including a body; first and second compositions disposed within the body such that the first and second compositions are substantially separated and the second composition is disposed above the first composition; a tube disposed within the body of the container such that the tube contains the first and second compositions, wherein the tube has an inner diameter and an outer diameter; and a wick disposed within the tube, wherein the wick contains the first and second compositions and has a diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the tube to create a gap between the wick and the tube.

11 . The refill of claim 10 , wherein the gap has a volume that is between about 5% and about 50% of a volume of the body of the container.

12 . The refill of claim 10 , wherein at least two ribs extend inwardly from an inner peripheral surface of the tube and extend across the gap to center the wick and retain the wick within the tube.

13 . The refill of claim 10 , further including a first vent disposed in an upper peripheral edge of the tube and a second vent disposed in a lower peripheral edge of the tube.

14 . The refill of claim 13 , wherein the first and second vents are disposed at about 180 degrees with respect to one another.

15 . The refill of claim 10 , further including at least one orifice or slot disposed through the tube to form a metering opening.

16 . The refill of claim 10 , wherein the tube includes an inner tube and an outer tube that are configured to be rotated with respect to one another.

17 . The refill of claim 16 , wherein the inner tube includes a first orifice and the outer tube includes a second orifice and the inner and outer tubes are configured to be rotated with respect to one another to open or partially open the first and second orifices.

18 . The refill of claim 17 , wherein the first and second orifices are disposed through bottom walls of the inner and outer tubes, respectively, a third orifice is disposed through a side wall of the inner tube, and a fourth orifice is disposed through a side wall of the outer tube, and rotation of the inner and outer tubes fully or partially opens the third and fourth orifices.

19 . The refill of claim 18 , wherein either the first and second orifices may be opened or the third and fourth orifices may be opened, but both the first and second orifices and the third and fourth orifices may not be opened at the same time.

20 . A method of assembling a refill having a container including a body for holding at least two compositions, the method comprising the steps of:
filling the body of the container with first and second different compositions such that the first and second materials are substantially separated and the second composition is disposed above the first composition; inserting a tube through the neck of the container and into the body such that the tube is filled with the first and second compositions; and inserting a wick into the tube, wherein an outer diameter of the wick is smaller than an inner diameter of the tube such that a gap is created between the tube and the wick.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the second composition within the wick is disposed above the first composition within the wick.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the tube includes one or more features selected from the group consisting of: a vent, a metering hole, a metering slot, and one or more ribs.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the step of filling the body includes filling the body with first, second, and third different compositions and, during the step of inserting the tube, the tube is filled with the first, second, and third compositions.

Assignees

• Johnson & Son Inc S C

Inventors

• Banco Michael J
• Westphal Nathan R

Classifications

• F24F8/50

  by odorisation · CPC title

• F24F2003/1689

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• A61L9/02

  using substances evaporated in the air by heating or combustion · CPC title

• F24F3/16

  by purification, e.g. by filtering; by sterilisation; by ozonisation · CPC title

• B65D81/32 Primary

  for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture · CPC title