Diffusing Box

Abstract

Box for holding a material to be slowly diffused comprises two mating parts, each consisting of a disc carrying a pair of concentric walls which may be interfitted to form a central chamber holding the material and an annular chamber surrounding the central chamber. Openings are provided in the walls which may be moved into and out of registration to open and close the box.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Solid odoriferous materials which evaporate slowly must be packaged in such a way as to permit either maximum evaporation, slow evaporation, or even no evaporation at all. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a holder adapted to receive a solid, slowly-evaporating product, which holder is sufficiently attractive to facilitate the sale of the product.

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide as a new article of manufacture a diffusing box characterized by the fact that it comprises an inner member serving as the container for a slowly evaporating solid product and consisting of a base carrying two concentric cylindrical walls perpendicular to said base. Each of these walls has at least one opening therein. The box also comprises an outer member consisting of two concentric cylindrical walls connected at one end to a disc perpendicular thereto. Each of these walls also has at least one opening therein and the openings in each of the two pairs of cylindrical walls are in alignment with each other. These two components interfit and define therebetween an annular ventilating space.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the openings in the inner member consist of regularly spaced notches having a depth substantially equal to the height of the cylindrical walls of the inner member. The annular portion of the base between the two cylindrical walls of the inner member is provided with orifices which are preferably regularly distributed about the axis of the inner member. The openings in the inner cylindrical wall of the outer member are in the form of notches regularly distributed about the axis of the outer member, the height of the notches being substantially equal to the height of the outer member. The openings formed in the outer walls of the outer member are rectangular in shape. The number of pairs of openings in the cylindrical wall of the outer member is equal to the number of pairs of openings in the cylindrical wall of the inner member, and these openings are all formed so as to subtend equal angles, with the width of the sections of the wall between two adjacent openings being equal to or slightly greater than the width of the openings. The inner diameter of the inner cylindrical wall of the outer member is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the inner cylindrical wall of the inner member. The outer diameter of the cylindrical outer wall of the inner member is slightly less than the inner diameter of the outer cylindrical wall of the outer member. The base of the inner member constitutes the bottom of the diffusing box and the outer member serves as a cover fitting onto the inner member. The disc which constitutes the top of the outer member comprises a removable central plate which snaps into the outer member. The bottom of the diffuser box is pierced by a perforation connecting the inside of the box to the ambient atmosphere.

In order to place the slowly evaporating solid product inside the diffusing box according to the invention, any one of several procedures may be adopted. In the first place it is possible to position a cylindrical pre-formed stick inside the space within the cylindrical inner wall of the inner member, in which case the outer member is then mounted on the inner member to complete the packaging. In the second place, the necessity of pre-forming the product which slowly evaporates may be avoided by introducing it into the diffuser box in liquid form and then solidifying it by cooling. In the latter case it is clear that it is necessary, at the moment of filling, not to have the openings in the inner member and the openings in the outer member in alignment with each other so that the inner volume defined around the axis of the box may be substantially closed. Two filling possibilities are thus offered. In the first possibility, the snap-on central plate of the cover member is initially removed and the box is filled through the space this plate normally occupies and the plate is snapped into the outer member after filling. In the second case, the top of the outer member is complete, whether it comprises a snap-on central plate or not, and the base of the inner member is provided with a small perforation through which the slowly evaporating product is injected in liquid form so that it may subsequently be solidified by cooling. It is obvious the methods of filling which have just been described make it possible to produce the assembly formed by the diffusing box and the slowly evaporating product in a particularly inexpensive manner.

It should be noted that the two members of which the diffusing box is made can be manufactured by molding them from a thermoplastic material. The use of notches in the cylindrical walls to constitute the openings facilitates the molding and the use of inexpensive molds. The adoption of rectangular openings for the cylindrical outer wall of the outer member improves the external appearance of the diffusing box.

Moreover, the holes connecting the bottom of the annular space inside the diffusing box to the ambient atmosphere serve an important purpose in ventilating this annular space because they permit a certain removal and renewal of the air contained in the annular space, which air is charged with the volatile constituents evaporated from the slowly evaporating product within the diffusing box. It will thus be seen that the annular space surrounding the slowly evaporating product is one of the essential characteristics of the diffusing box according to the invention.

When the slowly evaporating product in the box is not to be used, the outer member is turned with respect to the inner member so as to block the openings in the cylindrical wall of the inner member with the solid lateral portions of the walls of the outer member. When the user wishes, on the contrary, to produce a maximum efficacity in evaporation of the product, he turns the outer member of the box to place the openings and notches of the inner and outer members in alignment with each other. The evaporation of the product contained within the box is regulated by turning the outer member of the box between these two extreme positions.

In order that the invention may be better understood, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, purely by way of illustration and example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing the two component members of a box according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a first method of filling the box with a slowly evaporating product in fluid form;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line III -- III of FIG. 4, with the openings in the inner and outer member in alignment with each other;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV -- IV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 shows a second method of filling the diffusing box according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings it will be seen that reference numeral 1 indicates the inner member of a diffusing box adapted to hold the slowly evaporating product 13. The solid parts 2a and 4a of the cylindrical inner wall 2 and outer wall 4 of the member 1 are spaced by notches 2b and 4b spaced about 60.degree. apart. Each opening subtends an angle of about 58.degree.. In the bottom 3 of the inner member 1, and specifically in the annular zone between the two walls 2 and 4, are six orifices 6 which are oblong in shape, the center lines of which are part-circular arcs subtending about 40.degree..

Reference numeral 7 indicates the outer member of the diffuser box according to the invention. This member comprises two cylindrical walls 8 and 10 provided with openings 8b in the form of notches between solid parts 8a and positioned 60.degree. apart. This member is also provided with rectangular openings 10b positioned opposite the openings 8b and subtending an angle of 58.degree..

The outer diameter of the cylindrical inner wall 2 of the inner member is slightly less than the inner diameter of the cylindrical inner wall 8 of the outer member 7. Likewise the outer diameter of the cylindrical outer wall 4 of the inner member 1 is slightly less than the inner diameter of the cylindrical outer wall 10 of the outer member 7. The cylindrical walls 8 and 10 are connected to each other by a disc 9 which constitutes the top of the diffuser box according to the invention.

By positioning the inner member 1 and the outer member 7 so that their axes are substantially aligned it is possible to interfit the inner member 1 and the outer member 7 as is shown on FIGS. 2, 3 and 5.

The slowly evaporating product 13 is positioned inside the cylindrical wall 2 of the inner member 1 between the bottom 9 and the top 3. The product 13 is, for example, an odoriferous product which, at room temperature, takes the form of a solid gel from which perfumes evaporate slowly. Such a composition has been described in French application No. 71-03379. The product 13 may be introduced into the diffusing box according to the invention in several different ways.

In a first method, the product 13 is in the form of a preformed cylindrical stick having a diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the wall 2 and a height slightly less than the length of a generatrix of the wall 2, and is introduced into the space defined within the cylindrical wall 2 of the inner member 1. The member 7 is then mounted on the member 1.

In a second process a small central orifice 3a is provided in the bottom 3 of the inner member 1. This permits the injection of the product 13 when heated to a temperature sufficient to liquefy it. First, care if taken to block the openings 2b in the wall 2 with the sections 8a of the wall 8 by appropriate positioning of the members 1 and 7 of the box. The product 13 is injected, as shown on FIG. 2, by means of a piston 12 operating in a cylinder 11. The product 13 solidifies on cooling.

In a third embodiment an opening 7e is provided in the disc 9 constituting the top of the outer member 7, which opening may be closed by a snap-in plug 14.

This method is illustrated on FIG. 5. Care is taken to block the openings 2b in the wall 2 with sections 8a of the wall 8 by appropriate positioning of the members 1 and 7 of the box. The product 13 is heated to render it fluid and introduced through a pouring spout 15 and the opening 7e until the space within the wall 2 is full. The opening 7e is then blocked by the snap-in plug 14.

In order to use the diffusing box filled with the product 13 and obtain maximum evaporation of the volatile constituents in the product 13 the openings 2b and 4b of the inner member are placed in direct alignment with the openings 8b and 10b of the outer member. To limit or stop this evaporation of the product 13, the openings 2b and 4b of the inner member 1 are partially or totally blocked by the solid parts 8a and 10a of the outer member 1 by causing relative rotation between the outer member 7 and inner member 1.

It should be emphasized that the openings 6 in the annular zone 5 in the bottom 3 of the inner member 1 improve the ventilation of the annular space between the two members of the box, thus permitting a certain influx and outflow of air through this annular space. This air is charged with the volatile constituents evaporated from the product 13 in the diffusing box.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the embodiments hereinbefore described have been given purely by way of illustration and example and may be modified as to detail without thereby departing from the basic principles of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Diffusing box which comprises an inner member containing a solid product adapted to evaporate slowly and comprising a bottom carrying two concentric cylindrical walls perpendicular to said bottom, each of which walls is provided with at least one opening, and an outer member comprising two concentric cylindrical walls connected by a top which is perpendicular thereto, each of the walls of said outer member being provided with an opening and the openings in the two cylindrical walls of each member being in alignment with each other, and said members being adapted to matingly interfit with each other to define therebetween an annular ventilating space.

2. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the openings in the walls of the inner member are regularly spaced notches having a depth substantially equal to the height of the walls of the inner member.

3. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the base of the inner member has an annular portion between the two cylindrical walls thereof which is provided with a plurality of orifices regularly spaced about the axis of the inner member.

4. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the openings in the cylindrical inner wall of the outer member are notches which are regularly spaced about the axis of the inner member, the depth of the notches being substantially equal to the height of the outer member, and the openings in the cylindrical outer wall of the outer member are substantially rectangular in shape.

5. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the number of pairs of openings in the cylindrical walls of the outer member is equal to the number of pairs of openings in the cylindrical walls of the inner member, each of said openings subtending a central angle having the same value and the central angle subtended by the parts of the walls between each two adjacent openings being at least equal to that subtended by the openings.

6. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the inner diameter of the cylindrical inner wall of the outer member is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical inner wall of the inner member.

7. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the outer diameter of the cylindrical outer wall of the inner member is slightly less than the inner diameter of the cylindrical outer wall of the outer member.

8. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the bottom of the inner member constitutes the bottom of the diffusing box and the outer member acts as a cover fitting telescopically onto the inner member.

9. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the top of the outer member has a removable central part which snaps thereinto.

10. Diffusing box as claimed in claim 1 in which the bottom has a perforation connecting the ambient atmosphere to the inner space defined by the cylindrical inner wall of the inner member of the box.