Breakable Wick for Use in a Dispenser for a Volatile Liquid
AssigneeS.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
InventorsKara L. Lakatos (nee Kotary), Ralph Schwarz, Tyler D. Duston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wick assembly for use in a dispenser for a volatile liquid includes a wick having an external surface and a discontinuity in the surface providing a location in the wick of less resistance to a force applied to the wick than a location adjacent to the discontinuity. In one embodiment, the wick is adapted to be positioned to extend from an inside of a container, through an opening defined in the container, to an outside of the container, and the wick is formed such that a portion of the wick will block the opening when the wick is broken at the discontinuity.
Claims12
A container for holding a volatile liquid and for use with a dispenser housing, the container comprising:
- a reservoir for holding the volatile liquid;
- an opening disposed in the reservoir;
- and
- a wick disposed within the opening and having a first segment disposed within the reservoir and partially in contact with the volatile liquid and a second segment extending out of the container through the opening;
- wherein the second segment of the wick includes successive adjacent cross sectional areas taken transverse to a length thereof that vary along the length thereof and wherein the successive cross sectional areas increase in area from the opening to an end of the second segment.
A container for holding a volatile liquid and for use with a dispenser housing, the container comprising:
- a reservoir for holding the volatile liquid;
- an opening disposed in the reservoir;
- a retention member disposed within the opening;
- and
- a wick retained within the opening by the retention member and having a first end disposed within the reservoir in contact with the volatile liquid and a second end extending out of the container through the opening;
- wherein a first segment of the wick disposed within the reservoir has a cross sectional area that is generally uniform along a length thereof and a second segment of the wick disposed outside the reservoir has successive adjacent cross sectional areas taken transverse to a length thereof that vary along the length thereof and wherein the successive cross sectional areas increase in area from the opening to an end of the second segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.