# US 10,307,503 B2 · High surface area reservoir for volatile fluid dispenser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,503 B2 - Document ID: US10307503B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/413,233 - Filed: 2017-01-23 - Published: 2017-05-11 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-06 - Assignees: Microlin, LLC - Applicants: Microlin, LLC - Inventors: Ashok V. Joshi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307503B2 ## CPC - A61L 9/127: {comprising a wick} - A61L 9/01: Deodorant compositions {(compositions released by contact with a liquid A61L9/05)} - A61L 9/014: containing sorbent material, e.g. activated carbon - A61L 9/042: {with the help of a macromolecular compound as a carrier or diluent (A61L9/048 takes precedence)} - A61L 9/046: {with the help of a non-organic compound} - A61L 9/05: specially adapted to be released by contact with a liquid, e.g. for toilets - A61L 9/12: Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) ## Abstract An automatic dispensing device for volatile fluid operable to apply one or more agent to a local environment for more than 14 days. Preferred devices dispense a first agent for air freshening, and may optionally dispense a second agent, such as a drain cleaner. A workable drain cleaner is structured to permit a slow release of drain cleaning agent. A dispensing device may nonexclusively operate by evaporation of volatile fluid from a polymer or rubber-like carrier material that is infused with the volatile fluid; gravity-induced drip from a bulk supply of volatile fluid through a small orifice onto an emanator; osmotic transfer of volatile fluid from a bulk supply; gas-pump drive of volatile fluid at controlled pressure; or diffusion of volatile fluid through a wall of a container of bulk volatile fluid; and combinations thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a carrier material comprising an adsorbent high-surface area material having a surface area greater than 10 m2/g, the high-surface area material having a resistance to melting below a temperature of at least 500° C.; and a volatile fluid dispersed into the adsorbent high-surface area material to a weight percent of between about 3% and about 300%, where weight percent is calculated as A/B*100, and A is weight of said volatile fluid and B is weight of the adsorbent high-surface area material, wherein: the adsorbent high-surface area material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of high surface area ceramic, high surface area Alumina, γ-form Alumina, high surface area Silica, molecular sieves, and zeolite. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an emanator comprising a wicking and distributing wall disposed and structured to provide a surface area from which said volatile fluid may evaporate into a local environment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a container structured to hold the carrier material and to permit egress of volatile fluid vapor from the adsorbent high-surface area material into the local environment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a container structured to hold the carrier material and to permit egress of volatile fluid vapor from the carrier material into the local environment, wherein: the container and the emanator are structured in harmony such that the container defines a portion of the shape of the emanator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the adsorbent high-surface area material comprises material in the form of a plurality of beads, or block, or powder, or tubes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the carrier material is in the form of dough including combined powdered forms of adsorbent high-surface area and absorbent materials, the dough being infused with volatile fluid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the carrier material further comprises a hydrophobic material arranged to reduce a rate of discharge of volatile vapor from the carrier material to a locally moist environment, the hydrophobic material to reduce a rate of permeation of moisture from the environment into the carrier material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the adsorbent high-surface area material comprises an adsorbent constituent material in powder or meal form, or block form, or tube form, and/or combinations thereof, the adsorbent constituent material having a surface area of greater than about 200 m2/g. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: the carrier material further comprises an absorbent material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: the adsorbent high-surface area material and the absorbent material are initially in powder or meal form, and are mixed together with a volatile fluid to form a dough. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the adsorbent high-surface area material comprises a plurality of beads; and the absorbent material comprises a slab of material configured to form a wall. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the wall is disposed as a divider to form compartments inside a skeleton; the beads are disposed in the compartments; and the skeleton provides a perimeter including a plurality of apertures through which vapor from the carrier material may propagate into the local environment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: the wall comprises a cellulose or polymer sponge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: the skeleton is configured as an elongate tube, and further comprising: a slab of absorbent material configured as a cap of the tube; and a slab of absorbent material disposed as a floor of the tube. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the carrier material comprises a plurality of spherical beads; and the beads are carried on a dish structured for disposition in a bowl of a urinal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: a color-changing element to indicate remaining life of the apparatus; and structure adapted to release a drain cleaning agent over the life of the apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: the hydrophobic material comprises an exterior coating. ### Claim 18 A dispenser for volatile fluids, comprising: an emanator comprising an adsorbent high-surface area carrier material having a surface area greater than 200 m2/g, the adsorbent high-surface area material being selected from the group consisting of high-surface area ceramic and high-surface area metal, and having a resistance to melting below a temperature of at least 500° C.; and a fragrant oil dispersed into the adsorbent material to a weight percent of greater than about 3%, where weight percent is calculated as A/B*100, and A is weight of said fragrant oil and B is weight of the adsorbent high-surface area material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The dispenser according to claim 18, further comprising: a gas-generating element disposed in association with the adsorbent high-surface area material to increase a rate of discharge of the volatile fluid from the dispenser.