Wearable chemical dispenser with useful life indicator
AssigneeS. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
InventorsDeliang Shi, Steven B. Mineau, Sean P. Kingston, Dirk K. Nickel, Neil P. Williams, Kimberly Kristopeit
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Wearable devices for dispensing insect repellents, fragrances, and/or other chemicals along the outside of the clothing of a human are disclosed. The devices are of the type that are clipped onto a belt or the like, and use a powered fan to dispense active. Air flow is directed through a substrate and adjacent to a useful life indicator to improve reliability of the useful life indicator.
Claims22
A wearable device for dispensing an air treatment chemical, the device comprising:
- a main housing unit including an inlet for permitting air to enter into an interior space of the housing, an outlet for permitting air mixed with an air treatment chemical to exit the interior space, a fan chamber, a guide chamber, and a slot between the fan chamber and the guide chamber;
- a cartridge positioned in the housing, the cartridge including a substrate bearing an air treatment chemical and a useful life indicator;
- a frame positioned in the housing, the frame having a throughhole adjacent to the guide chamber;
- a power supply mounted in the housing;
- a motor mounted in the housing, the motor being powered by the power supply;
- and
- a fan mounted in the fan chamber, the fan being capable of moving air from the inlet adjacent to the substrate so as to mix air treatment chemical into the moving air, and then deliver a mixture of air and air treatment chemical through the outlet to an outside of the housing,
- wherein the slot, guide chamber, and throughhole define a flow path for the moving air to flow adjacent to the useful life indicator.
A method of indicating a remaining amount of useful life of an air treatment chemical being dispensed by a wearable device, the method comprising:
- A. providing the wearable device having:
- (i) a main housing unit including an inlet for permitting air to enter into an interior space of the housing, an outlet for permitting air mixed with an air treatment chemical to exit the interior space;
- (ii) a cartridge positioned in the main housing unit, the cartridge including a substrate bearing an air treatment chemical and the useful life indicator;
- (iii) a frame positioned in the main housing unit;
- (iv) a power supply mounted in the main housing unit;
- (v) a motor mounted in the main housing unit, the motor being powered by the power supply;
- (vi) a fan capable of moving air from the inlet adjacent to the substrate so as to mix air treatment chemical into the moving air, and then deliver a mixture of air and air treatment chemical through the outlet to an outside of the main housing unit;
- B. providing a flow path for the moving air to flow adjacent to the useful life indicator;
- and
- C. directing the moving air through the flow path at useful life indicator;
- wherein the moving air flows past the underside of the useful life indicator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.