Air freshener with porous membrane with leak pad and adjustable opening

1. An air freshener device, comprising:

a) a housing;

b) a scent capsule carried by the housing and comprising a reservoir containing a fragrant material, and with an opening to a cavity therein and covered by a permeable membrane through which a fragrance can permeate, and a releasable seal removably sealed over the opening and the permeable membrane to resist fragrance release until removed; and

c) a pair of shells pivotally coupled together at a rocker hinge defining a rocker axis, and substantially separated from one another by a gap therebetween;

d) the rocker axis being off-center with respect to the pair of shells and dividing each of the pair of shells at the rocker axis into a long lobe and a short lobe; and

e) the pair of shells rocking about the rocker axis between i) a low position in which the long lobes of the pair of shells are pivoted substantially together and separating the short lobes of the pair of shell from one another to substantially narrow the gap between the long lobes corresponding to a low scent release, and ii) a high position in which the short lobes of the air of shells are pivoted substantially together and separating the long lobes of the pair of shells from one another to substantially widen the gap between the long lobes corresponding to a high scent release;

f) one of the pair of shells defining an outer shell;

g) an aperture formed in the outer shell;

h) an arc wall formed around at least a portion of the aperture on an interior of the outer shell and defining a pocket;

i) the scent capsule carried by the outer shell and having a vessel defined by the cavity and a perimeter flange circumscribing the vessel and the cavity; and

j) the vessel of the capsule disposed in the aperture of the outer shell with the perimeter flange abutting the outer shell in the pocket and at least partially surrounded by the arc wall.

2. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

an absorptive pad disposed between the scent capsule and the housing capable of absorbing the fragrant material that permeates through the permeable membrane.

3. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein an amount of fragrant material permeates through the permeable membrane and accumulates between the permeable membrane and the releasable seal defining a leak pool of fragrant material; and wherein the absorptive pad absorbs the leak pool of fragrant material.

4. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the absorptive pad comprises an absorptive material that is fibrous and porous.

5. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the absorptive pad has a perimeter aligned with a perimeter of the reservoir.

6. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the absorptive pad has at least one aperture therethrough located at an interior with respect to a perimeter of the absorptive pad.

7. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the reservoir has a circular perimeter; and wherein the absorptive material pad is annular with a perimeter aligned with the circular perimeter of the reservoir.

8. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

a) the scent capsule has a vessel defining the cavity and that extends into the aperture of the outer shell;

b) another of the pair of shells defines an inner shell; and

c) mounting means attached to the inner shell for mounting the housing to a support surface.

9. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:

a pocket in an interior of the outer shell receiving the scent capsule therein; and

a retainer ring holding the scent capsule in the pocket.

10. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a pull tab extending from the releasable seal and extending out of the housing through the gap between the pair of shells.

11. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein one of the pair of shells defines an outer shell; wherein the absorptive pad is annular; and further comprising:

a retainer ring holding the scent capsule and the absorptive pad to the outer shell.

12. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising:

a) the absorptive pad being annular with an aperture therein and being disposed against the scent capsule and at least partially surrounded by the arc wall; and

b) a retainer ring disposed against the absorptive pad and holding the scent capsule and the absorptive pad in the pocket, and at least partially surrounded by the arc wall.

13. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising:

a) another of the pair of shells defining an inner shell;

b) a pair of tabs extending from the inner shell;

c) a pair of tabs, each one on the arc wall opposite one another across the pocket of the outer shell; and

d) the pair of tabs of the outer shell aligned with the outer tabs of the inner shell, and about which the pair of shells rock.

14. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

a) the pair of shells have opposing, spaced-apart inner rims;

b) the rim of at least one of the shells forming a pair of portions about the rocker axis with a long rim associated with the long lobe and a short rim associated with the short lobe; and

c) the long and short rims forming an obtuse angle.

15. A method for providing a fragrance using the air freshener in accordance with claim 2 , comprising:

a) removing the releasable seal from the scent capsule with the absorptive pad held against the permeable membrane or a perimeter flange of the scent capsule or both;

b) pushing the upper lobes of the pair of shells together to decrease an amount of scent released; and

c) pushing the lower lobes of the pair of shells together to increase an amount of scent released.

16. A method for providing a fragrance using the air freshener in accordance with claim 2 , comprising:

removing the releasable seal from the scent capsule with the absorptive pad held against the permeable membrane or a perimeter flange of the scent capsule or both.

17. An air freshener device, comprising:

a) a housing comprising a pair of shells pivotally coupled together at a rocker hinge defining a rocker axis, and substantially separated from one another by a gap therebetween;

b) the rocker axis being off-center with respect to the pair of shells and dividing each of the pair of shells at the rocker axis into a long lobe and a short lobe;

c) one of the pair of shells defining an outer shell with an aperture therein, while one of the pair of shells defining an inner shell;

d) an arc wall formed around at least a portion of the aperture on an interior of the outer shell and defining a pocket;

e) a scent capsule carried by the housing and comprising a reservoir containing a fragrant material, and with an opening to a cavity therein and covered by a permeable membrane through which a fragrance can permeate, and a releasable seal sealed over the opening and the permeable membrane to resist fragrance release until removed, the scent capsule having a vessel defining the cavity and a perimeter flange circumscribing the vessel and the cavity;

f) the vessel of the capsule disposed in the aperture of the outer shell with the perimeter flange abutting the outer shell in the pocket and at least partially surrounded by the arc wall;

g) an absorptive pad disposed behind the releasable seal capable of absorbing the fragrant material that permeates through the permeable membrane;

h) a retainer ring disposed against the absorptive pad and holding the scent capsule and the absorptive pad in the pocket, and at least partially surrounded by the arc wall;

i) the absorptive pad being annular with an aperture therein, and the absorptive pad has a perimeter aligned with a perimeter of the reservoir;

j) the absorptive pad comprising an absorptive material that is fibrous and porous;

k) the pair of shells having opposing, spaced-apart inner rims;

l) the rim of at least one of the shells forming a pair of portions about the rocker axis with a long rim associated with the long lobe and a short rim associated with the short lobe; and

m) the long and short rims forming an obtuse angle; and

n) the pair of shells rocking about the rocker axis between i) a low position in which the long lobes of the pair of shells are pivoted substantially together and separating the short lobes of the pair of shell from one another to substantially narrow the gap between the long lobes corresponding to a low scent release, and ii) a high position in which the short lobes of the pair of shells are pivoted substantially together and separating the long lobes of the pair of shells from one another to substantially widen the gap between the long lobes corresponding to a high scent release.

18. An air freshener device, comprising:

a) a housing comprising a pair of shells with cavities facing one another and pivotally coupled together at a rocker hinge defining a rocker axis, and substantially separated from one another by a gap there between;

b) a fragrant material disposed in a cavity of the housing;

c) the rocker axis being off-center with respect to the pair of shells and dividing each of the pair of shells at the rocker axis into a long lobe and a short lobe;

d) the pair of shells rocking about the rocker axis

between i) a low position in which the long lobes of the pair of shells are pivoted substantially together and separating the short lobes of the pair of shell from one another to substantially narrow the gap between the long lobes corresponding to a low scent release, and ii) a high position in which the short lobes of the pair of shells are pivoted substantially together and separating the long lobes of the pair of shells form one another to substantially widen the gap between the long lobes corresponding to a high scent release;

e) the pair of shells having opposing, spaced-apart rims; and

f) at least one of the rims having two portions forming an obtuse angle about the rocker axis.

19. The air freshener device in accordance with claim 18 , further comprising:

a) a scent capsule carried by the housing and comprising a reservoir containing the fragrant material. and with an opening to a cavity therein and covered by a permeable membrane through which a fragrance can permeate, and a releasable seal sealed over the opening ad the permeable membrane to resist fragrance release until removed; and

b) an absorptive pad disposed behind the releasable seal between the scent capsule and the housing capable of absorbing the fragrant material that permeates through the permeable membrane.