Air freshener and method
View Patent ↗An air freshener device includes a scent material interspersed within a polymer body or a polymer gel, and capable of dispersing out of the polymer gel. The polymer body and a polymer gel can be flexible and compressible, and also resilient and returnable to its original configuration. In addition, the polymer body and the polymer gel can have a freestanding, self-supported, three-dimensional shape. The air freshener can include a tacky or clingy attachment surface to contact and cling to a support surface by mechanical or specific adhesion.
1. An air freshener device, comprising:
a) a coherent elastomeric polymer body; and
b) a scent material, interspersed within the body, capable of diffusing out of the body to surrounding air; and
c) the elastomeric polymer being a member selceted from the group consisting of polyurethane, polyacrylate, polybutadiene, ethylene propylene elastomer, styrene/butadiene block copolymer, and mixtures thereof; and
d) the polymer body being light transmissive in at least a translucent manner.
2. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the polymer body further has a freestanding, self-supported, three-dimensional shape.
3. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a tacky attachment surface, associated with the polymer body, configured to contact and cling to a support surface by mechanical or specific adhesion.
4. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a pad, carrying the polymer body, configured to be disposable between the polymer body and a support surface, and having a tacky attachment surface configured to cling to the support surface.
5. A device in accordance with claim 4 , further comprising:
a barrier, disposed between the polymer body and the pad, being smaller than the polymer body and the pad such that a perimeter of the polymer body contacts a perimeter of the pad.
6. A device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the pad is flexible and can be deformed to conform to a shape of a support surface.
7. A device in accordance with claim 4 , further comprising:
indicia, disposed between the polymer body and the pad; and
the polymer body being light transmissive in at least a translucent manner such that the indicia is visible through the polymer body.
8. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the polymer body includes a polymeric material with a glass transition temperature greater than approximately 110° F.
9. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is a thermoplastic elastomer.
10. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the polymer body includes polyurethane and the scent material includes a scented oil.
11. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the polymer body is a polymerization product of at least a diisocyanate prepolymer and a scented oil.
12. A device in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the polymer body and scent material includes a polymerization product of:
a) a polyether polyol;
b) a diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) prepolymer; and
c) a scented oil.
13. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of indentations or protrusions formed in the polymer body.
14. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the scent material in the polymer body disperses at a substantially constant rate for at least a time period of between approximately two days and thirty days.
15. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a hanger, coupled to the polymer body, with the polymer body suspended from the hanger.
16. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a rigid tray, with the polymer body disposed thereon; and
a button, coupled to the tray with the polymer body held between the tray and the button.
17. An air freshener device, comprising:
a) a thermoplastic elastomer having a freestanding, self-supported, three-dimensional shape; and
b) a scent material, interspersed within the thermoplastic elastomer, capable of diffusing out of the thermoplastic elastomer to surrounding air; and
c) the thermoplastic elastomer being selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyamides, copolyesters, and styrene-butadiene-styrene polymers, elastomer/thermoplastic blends, and combinations thereof; and
d) the scent material in the thermoplastic elastomer being dispersable at a substantially constant rate for at least a time period of between approximately two days and thirty days.
18. A device in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is formed of a polymeric material having a glass transition temperature greater than approximately 110° F.
19. A device in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is polyurethane.
20. A device in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer includes a polyurethane material and the scent material includes a scented oil.
21. A device in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer and scented oil includes a polymerization product of:
a) a polyether polyol;
b) a diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) prepolymer; and
c) a scented oil.
22. A device in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising:
a tacky attachment surface, associated with the thermoplastic elastomer, configured to contact and cling to a support surface by mechanical or specific adhesion.
23. A device in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising:
a pad, carrying the thermoplastic elastomer, configured to be disposable between the thermoplastic elastomer and a support surface, and having a tacky attachment surface configured to cling to the support surface.
24. A device in accordance with claim 23 , further comprising:
a barrier, disposed between the thermoplastic elastomer and the pad, being smaller than the thermoplastic elastomer and pad such that a perimeter of the thermoplastic elastomer contacts a perimeter of the pad.
25. A device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the pad is flexible and can be deformed to conform to a shape of a support surface.
26. A device in accordance with claim 23 , further comprising:
indicia, disposed between the thermoplastic elastomer and the pad; and
the thermoplastic elastomer being light transmissive in at least a translucent manner such that the indicia is visible through the thermoplastic elastomer.
27. A device in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising:
a plurality of indentations or protrusions formed in the thermoplastic elastomer.
28. A device in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is light transmissive in at least a translucent manner.
29. A device in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising:
a hanger, coupled to the thermoplastic elastomer, with the thermoplastic elastomer suspended from the hanger.
30. A device in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising:
a rigid tray, with the thermoplastic elastomer disposed thereon; and
a button, coupled to the tray with the thermoplastic elastomer held between the tray and the button.
31. An air freshener device comprising;
a) a pad with a tacky attachment surfaces capable of contacting and clinging to a support surface by mechanical or specific adhesion;
b) a carrier material, coupled to the pad, that is flexible and compressible under an applied force, and resilient and substantially returnable to an original configuration upon removal of the applied force; and
c) a scent material, interspersed within the carrier material, capable of diffusing out of the carrier material to surrounding air
d) the carrier material being a thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyamides, copolyesters, and styrene butadiene styrene polymers, elastomer/thermoplastic blends, and combinations thereof,
e) the carrier material being light transmissive in at least a translucent manner.
32. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the tacky attachment surface clings to a support surface by mechanical or specific adhesion.
33. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the carrier material further has a freestanding, self-supported, three-dimensional shape.
34. A device in accordance with claim 31 , further comprising:
a barrier, disposed between the carrier material and the pad, being smaller than the carrier material and the pad such that a perimeter of the carrier material contacts a perimeter of the pad.
35. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the pad is flexible and can be deformed to conform to a shape of a support surface.
36. A device in accordance with claim 31 , further comprising:
indicia, disposed between the carrier material and the pad.
37. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the carrier material includes a polymeric material having a glass transition temperature greater than approximately 110° F.
38. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the carrier body includes a polyurethane material and the scent material includes a scented oil.
39. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the carrier material and scented oil includes a polymerization product of:
a) a polyether polyol;
b) a diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) prepolymer; and
c) a scented oil.
40. A device in accordance with claim 31 , further comprising:
a plurality of indentations or protrusions formed in the carrier material.
41. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the scent material in the carrier material disperses at a substantially constant rate for at least a time period of between approximately two days and thirty days.
42. A device in accordance with claim 31 , wherein the carrier material is light transmissive in at least a translucent manner.
43. An air freshener device, comprising:
a) a polymer gel formed of a thermoplastic elastomer having a glass transition temperature greater than approximately 110° F.; and
b) a scent material, interspersed within the polymer gel, capable of diffusing out of the polymer gel to surrounding air.
44. A device in accordance with claim 43 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is a polymerization product of a polyether or polyester polyol, a diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) prepolymer, and a scented oil.
45. An air freshener device, comprising:
a) a coherent elastomeric polymer body; and
b) a scent material, interspersed within the body, capable of diffusing out of the body to surrounding air; and
c) the polymer body being a polymerization product of at least a diisocyanate prepolymer and a scented oil.
46. A device in accordance with claim 45 , wherein the polymer body and scent material includes a polymerization product of:
a) a polyether polyol;
b) a diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) prepolymer; and
c) a scented oil.
47. A device in accordance with claim 45 , wherein the polymer body is light transmissive in at least a translucent manner.
48. A device in accordance with claim 45 , further comprising:
a tacky attachment surface, associated with the polymer body, configured to contact and cling to a support surface by mechanical or specific adhesion.
49. A device in accordance with claim 45 , further comprising:
a pad, carrying the polymer body, configured to be disposable between the polymer body and a support surface, and having a tacky attachment surface configured to cling to the support surface by mechanical or specific adhesion.
50. A device in accordance with claim 49 , further comprising:
a barrier, disposed between the polymer body and the pad, being smaller than the polymer body and the pad such that a perimeter of the polymer body contacts a perimeter of the pad.
51. A device in accordance with claim 49 , wherein the pad is flexible and can be deformed to conform to a shape of a support surface.
52. A device in accordance with claim 45 , wherein the polymer body includes a polymeric material with a glass transition temperature greater than approximately 110° F.