Heated volatile dispensing device with use-up indicator
OwnerJoel Adair, Brian Davis +2inventors
InventorsJoel Adair, Brian Davis, Gopal Ananth, Padma Varanasi
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Abstract
Heated volatile dispensers are disclosed that are provided with automated use-up indicators. The indicators are associated with a porous substrate. A migrateable dye is covered by meltable material adjacent the substrate. Heating of a substrate such as a slab impregnated with an insect repellent both causes the insect repellent to dispense and melts the covering. The dye then migrates to a visible surface of the substrate to indicate a degree of use. The extent of migration, and the patterns formed on the visible surface by the migrating dye, indicate the extent to which the volatile air treatment chemical has been dispensed.
Claims18
A substrate capable of dispensing a volatile air treatment chemical upon heating of the substrate, the substrate comprising:
- a use indicator associated with the substrate and configured to automatically communicate an extent to which the air treatment chemical has been dispensed from the substrate as the substrate is heated, the use indicator comprising:
- at least one dye;
- and
- a covering configured to restrict migration of the dye prior to heating of the covering, and to permit migration of the dye to a visible surface in response to heating of the covering;
- wherein upon heating of the substrate, the dye can at least in part migrate to the visible surface;
- and
- wherein the extent to which the dye becomes visible at the visible surface is indicative of the extent to which the air treatment chemical has been dispensed from the substrate.
A device for dispensing an air treatment chemical into a surrounding air environment in response to heating of a substrate, the device comprising:
- a porous substrate to which has been applied the air treatment chemical;
- a dye positioned in, against, or adjacent the substrate;
- and
- means for controlling migration of the dye such that migration of the dye prior to said heating is restricted, and migration of the dye to a visible surface after such heating is facilitated.
A method of producing an air treatment device having an automatic use-up indicator, the method comprising:
- covering a migrateable dye with a meltable substance;
- and
- positioning the dye with the covering proximate to a porous substrate to which has been applied an air treatment chemical.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.