Volatile composition dispenser with improved scent intensity control

1 . A volatile composition dispenser, comprising:

(a) a cartridge comprising a reservoir of at least one liquid volatile composition and a breathable membrane for enclosing the reservoir and evaporating the at least one liquid volatile composition into the atmosphere upon activation of the volatile composition dispenser, wherein the breathable membrane defines an Evaporative Surface Area (E);

(b) a housing having opposing first and second walls that are joined along respective peripheries of the opposing first and second walls to define an internal compartment in which the cartridge is disposed, wherein a gap exists between the breathable membrane of the cartridge and the second wall of the housing, wherein the gap has a width ranging from about 1 mm to about 25 mm, wherein the second wall comprises a plurality of evaporation vents that enable fluid communication between the internal compartment and the exterior of the housing, wherein the first wall is free of any evaporation vent, and wherein the second wall is characterized by a Total Vent Area (T) ranging from about 5% to about 85% of the Evaporative Surface Area (E); wherein the Total Vent Area (T) is calculated as the area sum of all of the plurality of evaporation vents of the second wall; and

(c) a scent intensity controller attached to the housing for adjustably covering at least some or portions of the plurality of evaporation vents on the second wall, wherein those evaporation vents or portions thereof that cannot be adjustably covered by the scent intensity controller define one or more un-adjustable openings on the second wall of the housing, wherein the one or more un-adjustable openings define an Un-Adjustable Vent Area (U), and wherein the Un-Adjustable Vent Area (U) is greater than zero and no more than about 15% of the Total Vent Area (T).

2 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the scent intensity controller is movable between two or more different scent intensity positions to adjust an intensity of scent released by the volatile composition dispenser, and wherein the volatile composition dispenser further comprises a locking mechanism for locking the scent intensity controller at the two or more different scent intensity positions.

3 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the Un-Adjustable Vent Area (U) is up to about 12%, or up to about 10%, or up to about 5%, or Q up to about 3% of the Total Vent Area (T); wherein optionally the Total Vent Area (T) is from about 10% to about 70%, or from about 12% to about 60%, or from about 15% to about 50% of the Evaporative Surface Area (E); and wherein optionally the width of the gap between the breathable membrane of the cartridge and the second wall of the housing ranges from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, or from about 1 mm to about 5 mm, or from about 2 mm to about 4 mm.

4 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a mounting clip connected to the housing for releasably attaching the volatile composition dispenser to an air vent.

5 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the mounting clip comprises four prongs that define two perpendicularly intersecting gaps for releasably attaching the volatile composition dispenser to the air vent along a first direction and a second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein optionally each of the four prongs is characterized by a length from about 10 mm to about 40 mm, or from about 12 mm to about 30 mm, or from about 14 mm to about 25 mm, or from about 16 mm to about 20 mm.

6 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the two perpendicularly intersecting gaps have substantially the same widths, which optionally range from about 0.5 mm to about 8 mm, or from about 2 mm to about 6 mm, or from about 3 mm to about 5 mm.

7 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the two perpendicularly intersecting gaps have different widths; wherein optionally one of the gaps has a width ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 8 mm, or from about 2 mm to about 6 mm, or from about 3 mm to about 5 mm; and wherein optionally the other of the gaps has a width ranging from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, or from about 2 mm to about 8 mm, or from about 4 mm to about 7 mm.

8 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising one or more evaporation control elements for reducing the Un-Adjustable Vent Area (U) by blocking one or more un-adjustable openings on the second wall of the housing and inhibiting fluid communication between the internal compartment and the exterior of the housing through the un-adjustable openings.

9 . A method of varying scent intensity in an interior space, the method comprising:

(i) providing the volatile composition dispenser of claim 1 in the interior space; and

(ii) using the scent intensity controller to adjust the intensity of scent released by the at least one liquid volatile composition.

10 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the scent intensity controller is movable between two or more different scent intensity positions to adjust an intensity of scent released by the volatile composition dispenser.

11 . The volatile composition dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the volatile composition dispenser further comprises a locking mechanism for locking the scent intensity controller at the two or more different scent intensity positions.