Granted Patent B2

US 12,611,479 · App. 18/415,854 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventors: Dana Paul Gruenbacher (Fairfield, OH); Jason John Olchovy (West Chester, OH); Scott Kendyl Stanley (West Chester, OH); James Douglas Still (Cleves, OH); Walter Sordo (Trento, IT); Stefano Deflorian (Trento, IT); Cedric Morhain (Cerdanyola del Valles, IT)

Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company

A61L9/127A61L9/04A61L2209/131A61L2209/133

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . An apparatus for delivering a volatile material comprising:

a delivery engine comprising:

a reservoir comprising a volatile material mixture, wherein the reservoir comprises a bottom and a reservoir sidewall extending from the bottom of the reservoir to a top end of the reservoir sidewall, wherein the top end of the reservoir sidewall defines an upper edge of the reservoir;

a rupturable substrate enclosing said reservoir; and

a microporous membrane enclosing said rupturable substrate and said reservoir,

wherein the microporous membrane and the rupturable substrate are positioned opposite the bottom of the reservoir and above the upper edge of the reservoir;

a rupture element comprising a support structure, wherein the rupture element is configured to breach the rupturable substrate; and

a flow path from the reservoir, through the rupturable substrate and the microporous membrane.

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

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compressible flange.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said compressible flange comprises a distal end and a piercing element, said piercing element positioned on said distal end.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compression force to breach said rupturable substrate of less than about 15N.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said microporous membrane comprises an average pore size of about 0.02 microns.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said microporous membrane comprises an evaporative surface area of about 15 cm 2 to about 35 cm 2 .

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said microporous membrane comprising an average pore size of about 0.01 to about 0.03 microns.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compression force to breach said rupturable substrate of less than about 25N.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compression force to breach said rupturable substrate of less than about 20N.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compression force to breach said rupturable substrate of less than about 10N.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compression force to breach said rupturable substrate of from about 1N to about 15N.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compression force to breach said rupturable substrate of from about 1N, to about 10N.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said rupture element comprises a compression force to breach said rupturable substrate of from about 1N to about 5N.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the microporous membrane comprises polyethylene.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the microporous membrane comprises a thickness in a z-direction of from about 0.01 mm to about 1 mm.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the microporous membrane comprises a thickness in a z-direction of from about 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm.

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the microporous membrane comprises a thickness in a z-direction of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.35 mm.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the delivery engine further comprises a lip that defines an outer perimeter of the apparatus, and the microporous membrane is secured to the lip.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the volatile material mixture is contained between the rupturable substrate and the bottom of the reservoir before the rupturable substrate is breached.

Continuity (7)

References Cited (231)