Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~038807
BRIEF SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to an a:ir Ereshener
container or vapor diffusing device comprising a base and
a cover or closure member in which the base contains a volatile
material, for example, an air freshening deodori~er, and in
which the closure or cover is manually displaceable with
respect to the base to provide means for controlling the
effective rate of volatilization or evaporation of the air
treatment agent, and also wherein the cover can be positively
locked with respect to the base so that it is sealed with
respect to the base to prevent evaporation or volatilization
of the air treating agent.
An ob;ect of this invention is to provide a device
of the foregoing character where as the volatill~ation or
evaporation takes pl.ace and as the air treating agent reduces
in slze and its appearance deteriorates or is destroyed that it
will note be visible and will be practically hidden from
exterior view.
In one particular aspect the present invention
provides a vapor diffusing device comprising a base and a
closure or cover which is detachable from each other, said
base having a bottom wall and an upstanding, annular sidewall
with said upstanding sidewall havlng space~openin~s therein,
means on the interior of said upstanding s:Ldewall. providing a
plurality of grouped vertical radially spaced apart ribs in
which certain of said ribs in each of said groups also provide
stop means to prevent further rotation of the closure in one
direction while resting on the ribs, said cover adapted to be
positioned so that when in its fully lowered position the
cover provides vapor sealing engagement with said base and
when said cover is raised with respect to sa:Ld base it is
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supported in its raised position on said spaced apart ribs to
provide vapor passages through said spaced openings.
BRIEF D~SCRIPTION OF THE ~RAWINGS
In the Drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in
closed position, with the top disk of the closure member
shown detached for illustrative purposes.
Figure 2 is a central cross-sectional view showing
the disk in locked sealing position.
Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view looking
down into the base member.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary inside elevational view
o the base member showing the three rlbs.
Flgure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view
showlng the closure or cover locked to the base member.
Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing
the locking lug on the closure and its position when being
moved into locking position on the base.
Figure 7 is a broken-away perspective view showing
particularly the interior of the base member.
Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing
the cover restlng in :Lts first elevated position with respect
to the base; and
Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of the underside of
the base.
The device consists essentially of two basic parts,
namely, a base generally indicated at lO and a cover or
closure member generally indicated at 12, each of which is
integrally molded of a plastic material. The cover 12 is
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molded to provide a top annular opening 14 which is closed
by a disk 15, as shown in ~ig. 2. The air treating material
indicated at 16 and illustrated in dotted lines, subsequently
to be described, is held secured in the base 10. The base and
cover are so constructed that the cover may be locked to
the base in a vapor sealing position, as shown in Eig. 2,
and when in use the cover 12 is elevated or raised with
respect to the base 10 to various elevations to provide
increased or decreased vapor passages which are formed in
the base. One o~ such elevated positions is shown in ~ig. 8.
The base 10 is generally cup-shaped and comprises a
closed bottom generally indicated at 18 which consists o:~ a
lower annular side wall 19 and a horizontal bottom wall 20
which has an annular central}y raised bottom portion 21 with
spaced radially extending bosses 22. The closed bottom forms
a pocket 24 for receiving the air treating material, as will
be subsequently described, so that it is secured to the base.
m e pocket 24 includes the annular well 25 between the annular
side wall 19 and the centrally raised bottom portion 21. The
top of rim 23 of the side wall 19 has an annular groove 26.
Extending upwardly of the lower annular side wall 19
is an upper annular side wall generally indicated at 28
which is provided with vertically extending spaced elongated
openings 30 which form the vapor passages and which also
divide the upper side wall into alternate side wall sections
32 and 34, with the wall section 32 being approximately twice
the width of the wall section 34. The bottom of each wall
section 32 has an opening 36 which also ~orm vapcr passages.
The wall sections 32 and 34 forming the upper wall extend
~rom below the top o~ -the annular side wall 19 to the top
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edge which forms a scalloped-shaped rim 37 at the mouth of
base member 10. The lower ends ~2 ' and 34' of the wall
sections 32 and 34, respectively, incline and the upper
annular side wall 28 inclines or tapers outwardly from the
bottom to the top rim 37 to give the upper annular wall an
outwardly flared configuration. me vertical openings 30
forming the vapor passages have an elongated tapered
appearance with the greatest width adjacent the bottom o~
the opening and the top 30 ' of the opening terminates a
distance below the top edge or rim 37 of the cup or base.
The inside of the upper annular wall 28 of the base
is provided with five groups of inwardl~ extending vertical
ribs. Each group of ribs, generally indicated at l~o,
comprises three spaced ribs identif~ed by the numerals 42,
44 and 46 which are of different lengths or heights. m e
first rib 42 of each group is the shortest, the third
rib 46 the longest and the second or intermediate rib 44
of intermediate length. m e bottoms of the three ribs are
connected by a bottom horizontal locking strip 48 which is
spaced upwardly of the rim 23 of the annular bottom side
wall 19 and which locking strips are engaged by the locking
lugs on the cover in a camming action to lock the cover in
its sealing position, as best shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, to
be described. m e end of the locking strip 48 adjacent the
rib 46 is beveled as at 4g, as best seen in Fig. 4, to
facilitate engagement with the cover locking lugs.
The horizontal top edge 50 of the shortest rib 42
serves as a rest or ledge or support for the cover 12 in
its first raised position, as best seen in Fig 8. The
horizontal top edge 52 of the second or intermediate rib 44
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serves as a rest or ledge or support for the cover in its
second or uppermost raised or elevated position. The
second or intermediate rib 44 above the top horizontal edge
52 is inclined as at 5~i toward the wall. T~le third or
longest rib 46 has a downwardly inclined top edge 5~ which
is rounded as at 56 as it merges with the fron~ edge 57 of
said rib. me third rib 46 serves to properly guide the
cover into the base when it is inserted and in addition
serves as a stop member, as will be subsequently described,
as does the second or intermediate rib 44, more fully to
be described in connection with the operation of the cover.
The three spaced ribs 1~2, 41~ and l~6 of each group of ribs
are :~ormed on the wider side wall sections 32 of the upper
portion of the base.
m e cover or closure 12 is a shell-like member
having a cylindrical-shaped body 60 with an annular ring-
like top wall 62 providing the central top opening 14
and open at its bottom. m e top wall ring 62 is below the
annular top edge 65 of the body 60. me cylindrical body 60
is provided with a slight taper which tapers inwardly from
the bottom toward the top. The outer surface o~ the
cylindrical body may be ornamented with lines or other
configurations to enhance its appearance. The disk 15 has
an annular peripheral lip or shoulder 15 ' to engage the
top wall 62 when positioned thereon and sealed thereto,
with a portion of the disk extending into the opening 14,
as will be described.
The annular bottom edge 66 of the cylindrical
body 60 is recessed as at 67 to provide a downwardly
extending lip 68 and a horizontal shoulder 69 so that when
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the cover is positioned in sealing position on the base,
the lip 68 enters the annular groove 26 of the rim 2~ of
the lower bottom of the base, as shown in Figs 2 and 5~ to
form a seal-tight ~it therewith to prevent any vapor from
escaping from the interior of the sealed container. ~ -
Immediately above the recessed lower rim of the
cover is a plurality o~ spaced locking lugs generally
indicated at 70. Five such locking lugs are shown for
engagement with the five horizontal locking strips l~8. As
best seen in Fig. 6, the top 72 of each locking lug slopes
or inclines upwardly from the ~ront or lead edge 73 thereof
toward the rear which terminates in an upward projection 71~
which serves as a stop to prevent ~urther continued rotation
of the cover when in its fully closed or sealing position,
as shown in Fig. 2. m e locking lugs 70 act as cams so
that rotation of the cover to lock the co~er to the base
in effect cams the locking lugs in locking position.
m e underside of the closed bottom of the base is
best seen in Figs. 8 and 9. me raised bottom portion 21
also provides a recessed area 76 above the bottom edge 77
of the base 10 which opens downwardly and ~our arcuate-
shaped bosses 78 are spacedly formed on the underside so
that the base lO may be positioned on a tool or the like to
hold the base in position when the cover is initially
secured to the base, which is done at the plant where the
parts are molded, as will be better understood from the
description of the operation which ~ollows.
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Operation
The operation of the device will be understood
from the foregoing description, but briefly described is
as follows.
After the air treating material 16 has been secured
to the base 10 in the manner hereinafter described~ the
cover 12 is inserted into the base 10 with the locking
lugs 70 positioned between each group of ribs 40, The
third rib 46 of each group of ribs will serve to guide and
properly position the lower edge of the cover relative to
the base to permit easyi and accurate insertion. The lip 68
on the bottom edge 66 of the cover will ente:r the annular
groove 26 on the rim 23 of the base with the shoulder 69
resting on the rim. To lock the cover to the ba~e the cover
is rotated clockwise with the front edge 73 of the locking
lug 70 first passing under the beveled edge 49 of the
horizontal locking strip 48. As the cover is rotated
clockwise the sloping top surface 72 of the locking lug 70
cams the locking lugs into locking engagement with the
horiæontal locking strips 48 until the rear pro~ections 74
o~ the locking lugs engage the rear edge of the locking
strips 48 which prevents ~urther clockwise rotation of
the cover and thereby locks the cover to the base in a
vapor-seal position~ in which position it remains during
shipment and when in non-use position prevents vapor from
emanating from the device. In this lowered or sealing
position the cover if rotated counterclockwise will still
remain in vapor seal-proof closed position as the rear edge
and projection 74 of the locking lugs will engage the bottom
of the first or shortest ribs 42 and the opposite edge of
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the adjacent locking strips 48 to prevent further counter-
clockwise rotation. The cover, however, will not be in a
locked position.
Assuming that the cover is in locked position with
the locking lugs 70 locked to the locking strips 48 and the
device is to be used, the cover is rotated counterclockwise
un~il the locking lugs 70 are free o~ the locking strips 48.
The cover is then raised or lifted to either first or
second raised position as desired. For example, if desired
to raise it to first position, as shown i~ Fig. 8, the cover
is raised to the top edges 50 of the first ribs 42 and the
cover is rotated counterclockwise so that the bottoms o~
the lock.ing lugs 70 rest on the top edges 50 to support
the cover in lts first raised position. The rear edges
and the projections 7~ of the locking lugs will engage the
intermediate ribs 44 and prevent or stop further counter-
clockwise rotation at this raised position. With the cover
in first raised position (Fig. 8) the bottom of the
cylindrical cover is above the sealing position of the
cover~ thus exposing the lower portions of the vapor
openings 30 as well as openings 36 to permit vapor to pass
through. When greater vaporization is desired the cover 12
is raised and rotated counterclockwise so that the locking
lugs 70 rest on the ledges 52 of the intermediate ribs 44
and further counterclockwise rotation of the cover being
prevented in this second raised position by engagement
of the rear of the locking lugs with the third ribs 46.
To close the cover, the cover is rotated counter-
clockwise from any of its elevated positions so that the
locking lugs are disengaged from their respective ledges and
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the cover is lowered to its lowermost position in the base
and then rotated clockwise to locking position as described.
While three ribs are shown for each group of ribs it will
be understood that a fewer or greater number o~ ribs may be
provided in each group o~ ribs i~ increased or decreased
cover positions are desired.
Another feature o~ the invention herein is that as
the cover is elevated and as the air treating material 16
in the base is used up due to its vaporization, there is
no detraction from the appearance since the deteriorated or
misshaped air treating material remaining in the base is
substantially hidden ~rom exterior view, even when the cover
or closure is in either of its raised positions.
The manner in which the volatile material or
deodorizing material is put into the unit will now be
described.
The cover 12 without the disk 15 thereof is locked
to the base 10 by means o~ lockings lugs, etc. as previously
described. mis leaves the top o~ the cover open and in
this manner it is shipped to the company who will supply the
volatile air treating agentJ which agent is poured into the
locked container through the opening 14 in the cover. me
material will then ~ill and occupy the closed bottom 18 o~
the base, including the annular well 25 as well as the
pocket 24 and will extend upwardly beyond the top of the
base into the cover portion but be confined within the
cover or closure. The material is allowed to solidify
and harden and becomes embedded in the closed bottom 18
of the base and adheres thereto. me bosses 22 serve to
lock the hardened deodorizing material in the base so as
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to prevent rotation of the hardened deodorizing material
when the cover is rotated. While the deodorizing material
when initiall~ poured into the cover will occup~ the
interior space o~' the cylindrical body of the cover, it
will reduce in size as it hardens so that, it disengages
from the inside wall of the cylindrical wall o~ the cover
so that the cover can be rotated without disturbing the
hardened deodorizing material. m e disk 15 is then
permanently secured to close the opening 14 in the cover in
any conventional manner.
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