US 6,913,733 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for deodorizing and/or freshening air

AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company

InventorsCharles Michael Hardy, Kevin George Goodall, Jeffrey Donald Painter, Frank Andrej Kvietok, Eric Richard Bartsch

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Abstract

Apparatus and methods for deodorizing and/or freshening the air are disclosed. In one non-limiting embodiment, the apparatus includes one or more passive members and an air moving member. The passive member can be detachable from the air moving member and used separately as a passive filter member, if it contains a deodorizing substance, or as a passive emitting member, if it contains a substance to be emitted into the air. Numerous combinations of passive filter members and passive emitting members can be used with the air moving member, or as stand-alone members in the described methods. In other non-limiting embodiments, devices can be provided that both deodorize and emit substances into the air. Kits are also provided. The substances to be emitted may be arranged in various ways to improve the amount of exposed surface area of the substance to be emitted. Intensity controlling mechanisms are also provided.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A system for deodorizing air and/or emitting one or more substances into the air comprising:

a first deodorizing and/or emitting device comprising an air moving member and a first passive deodorizing and/or emitting member configured for use with said air moving member, said first passive deodorizing and/or emitting member being detachable from said air moving member and being capable of being used independently from said air moving member, said first passive deodorizing and/or emitting member comprising a first medium, at least a portion of which comprises a first substance that serves to deodorize the air and/or is to be emitted into the air;
one or more additional deodorizing and/or emitting members comprising passive deodorizing and/or emitting members, said one or more additional deodorizing and/or emitting members being detachable from said air moving member and being capable of being used independently from said air moving member comprising a medium, at least a portion of which comprises a second substance that serves to deodorize the air and/or is to be emitted into the air,
wherein said one or more additional deodorizing and/or emitting members can be used with said air moving mumber, and at least one of said first substance and said second substance comprises a deodorizing substance that removes malodor molecules from the air.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/972,098Filed 5 Oct 2001 · continuation in part
Priority: 2 Feb 2001
Published: US 2002/0090317 A111 Jul 2002
Granted: 5 Jul 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A61L 9/014
Deodorant compositions: containing sorbent material, e.g. activated carbon
A61L 9/04
Using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone: using substances evaporated in the air without heating
A61L 9/048
Using substances evaporated in the air without heating: air treating gels
A61L 9/122
Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor: comprising a fan

Family

Application09/775,999Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Feb 2001
US 2002/0090317 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Jul 2002
US 2002/0106303 A1Published application
US 7,431,901 B2Related patent
US 6,913,733 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.