Abstract:
A device for dispensing animal scents, for the attracting of animals such as deer comprising a cylindrical outer housing, an inner assembly, slidably received within the housing and an absorbent wick disposed within the inner assembly for saturation with a liquid attractant such as deer urine. The inner assembly comprises a hollow cylinder with a wick disposed there through, and has a plurality of holes allowing the scent given off from the liquid attractant to diffuse into the air. The device can be selectively closed when so desired to prevent unnecessary dissipation of the attractant, and further prevent unnecessary evaporation.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to aroma dispensers. Specifically this invention relates to an aroma dispensing apparatus for selectively dispensing animal attractant scents, but the apparatus may also be used for dispensing other materials, such as room deodorizers and the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of scents or lures to attract animals is well known. The use of deer scents such as doe urine to attract deer, particularly bucks, has become more popular in recent years. While baiting game animals is generally illegal, the use of scents is allowed. Many animals including deer rely on the smell of urine and glandular secretions to communicate dominance and sexual activity. When used correctly, urine is the most reliable scent communicator, and provides for an excellent aid in hunting. When you use an animal scent as a hunting tool, it must remain fresh, so as to maintain its efficiency. Such scents are dispensed in a number of ways, and oftentimes, a hunter will use it on his clothing to mask his natural odors. Other times it is distributed at a site to attract game to that location. 
     One of the most effective devices for dispensing game scents is the type embodying a wick, or other absorbent material. The wick is saturated with an attractant in liquid form, which subsequently diffuses the odor into the air as the scent evaporates off the wick. When not in use, the diffusion device requires a closing means, preventing the attractant from excess evaporation, and furthermore eliminating the undesirable odor often produced from such attractants. 
     Numerous patents have been issued for game scent dispensing systems employing a wick for carrying the attractant, varying in their means of enclosing the wick for storing and transporting. U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,439 issued to Wilcox, discloses a sealable pouch, containing an absorbent pad saturated with attractant. The pouch is subsequently attached to the hunter by a lanyard. U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,899 issued to Dehart, discloses a sponge type wick within a housing, for mounting in a variety of locations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,274 issued to Speed, teaches of a pair of reservoirs connected by an exposed central string-like wick. Attractant flows from the upper reservoir down the wick to the lower reservoir. U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,161 issued to Corbett discloses a container and a flexible cylindrical core containing a wick, which can be hung in a specific location from a lanyard, or partially pushed into the ground with the assistance of a conical ended container. The main disadvantage being the method of securing the wick within the container when not in use may be prone to opening, thereby releasing the attractant; when it is undesired to do so. 
     In light of the aforementioned patents and inventions, it thus is seen that a need remains for a device for easily dispensing animal scents which is convenient to use, easy to transport, and can be securely sealed when so desired. Accordingly it is to the provision of such a device that the present invention is primarily directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a device for dispensing a wide variety of different scents, preferably, but not necessarily animal scents, wherein the attractant is contained within an inner sealable wick. 
     It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide for a refillable device for dispensing animal scents which is refillable once the attractant has significantly diffused, or if it is desired, to replace or exchange the attractant material for any reason, i.e. attractant has become rancid. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide for a sealable device for dispensing animal scents that can be easily transported without concern that it may possibly open when undesired. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a device for dispensing animal scents which comprises a single component once assembled, preventing the separation and loss of separate parts. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the device for dispensing animal scents in the closed and sealed configuration. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the device for dispensing animal scents in the open, functioning orientation 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the wick retaining tube for holding the attractant soaked wick. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial vertical-sectional view of the container showing the tapered threads at the upper and lower ends thereof, and the extended wick retaining tube for holding the wick. 
     FIG. 5 is a view partially in vertical-section and partially broken away of the wick retaining tube and lower retaining cap. 
     FIG. 6 is a view partially in vertical-section and partially broken away of an alternative embodiment of the wick retaining tube and lower retaining cap. 
     FIG. 7 is a partial vertical-sectional view of the upper retaining cap. 
     FIG. 8 is a partial vertical-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the upper retaining cap. 
     FIG. 9 is a partial vertical-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of the upper retaining cap. 
     FIG. 10 is a top view of the upper retaining cap of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 11 is a top view of the upper retaining cap of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 12 is a top view of the upper retaining cap of FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     The device for dispensing animal scents comprising the present invention is shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2 as numeral  10 . Specifically, FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment in the closed position for storage and transportation, and FIG. 2 shows the preferred embodiment in the open, functional position. The device is generally comprised of a rigid, cylindrical outer housing  12  which has tapered external threads at the upper  15  and lower  17  ends thereof, an upper internally threaded cap  14 , a lower internally threaded cap  16 , and an inner wick retaining tube  20 . The outer housing  12  is adapted to have the upper cap  14  threadably received on the upper end  15  thereof and the lower cap  16  threadably received on the lower end  17  thereof. The lower cap  16  is further attached to the lower end  22  of the wick retaining tube  20 , which is slidably received within the outer housing  12 , when the device is closed. Sealing means such as o-rings or the like may be optionally used to provide desired sealing between the housing  12  and caps  14  and  16 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, a side view of the wick retaining tube  20  is shown separate from the lower retaining cap  16  and outer housing  12 . Having a generally cylindrical shape, the wick retaining tube  20  comprises a upper end  24  which is slidably received within the outer housing  12  and a lower end  22  which is attached to the lower cap  16 . The upper end  24  embodies an annular ledge  25  for preventing separation of the wick retaining tube  20  from the housing  12 . In an alternative embodiment, FIG. 3 a  shows the upper end  24  of the wick retaining tube  20  having a tapered ledge  27  for frictionally wedging against a corresponding tapered inner wall  32  of the outer housing  12  preventing separation of the wick retaining tube  20  and the outer housing  12 . The lower end  22  of the wick retaining tube  20  is received, and permanently attached within the lower cap  16 . 
     An absorbent wick  30  is received within the wick retaining tube  20 , for holding a liquid form of odorant, for example but not limited to animal attractant such as deer urine. The wick retaining tube  20  comprises a plurality of apertures  28  there through in a predetermined pattern for allowing the odor of the animal attractant on the wick  30  to diffuse out into the air, thereby attracting game. The wick  30  is comprised of an absorbent material commonly used in the science, which can be repeatedly dampened, i.e. saturated, with attractant once a significant amount has evaporated, thereby maintaining the effectiveness of the apparatus in attracting animals. In the case where the attractant may have gone rancid or if it is desired to exchange the attractant for another type, the wick  30  can be entirely replaced, i.e. substituting moose urine for deer urine. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, when assembled, the wick retaining tube  20  is slidably received within the outer housing  12 . The outer housing  12  has a deeply recessed counter-bore  13  at the lower end  17  which engages with the annular ledge  25  of the inner wick retaining tube  20  during extension of the apparatus  10 , preventing separation of the two components. FIG. 4 a  shows an alternative embodiment wherein the wick retaining tube  20  has a downwardly decreasing tapered external surface  27  that cooperates with a downwardly decreasing tapered surface  32  on the interior of the housing  12  for achieving via wedging action the same results of retaining the two components together when the tube  20  is extended. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, two embodiments of the lower cap  16  are illustrated, embodying various means for attaching to the lower end  22  of the wick retaining tube  20 . Specifically, FIG. 5 shows the lower cap  16  having an inner bore  31  for receiving the corresponding threaded lower end  22  of the wick retaining tube  20 . An interference fit or a suitable adhesive may be used in securely attaching the lower end  22  of the tube  20  with the inner bore  31  of the lower cap  16 . FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the lower cap  16  having a plurality of upward projecting elements  19 , with tabs  21  which are received within corresponding apertures  23  in the lower end  22  of the wick retaining tube  20 . Both methods for assembly of the lower cap  16  to the wick retaining tube  20  are intended to permanently attach the two elements, preventing incidental release, and neither attachment means should interfere with the internal threads in the cap  16  which threadably engage the externally threaded lower end of the housing  12  to maintain the tube  20  in a closed position there within. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 7 through 12, alternative embodiments for the upper cap  14  are shown. The variations of each embodiment differ in design of the cap, and respectively, the means of attachment for a string allowing for the animal scent dispensing device to be hung from a variety of objects. 
     The device  10  is designed to be carried around in the closed position, wherein the upper and lower caps  14  and  16  are threadably secured to the outer housing  12  until it is so desired to allow the attractant to diffuse into the air. When it is desired to open the device  10  to dispense the scent, either of two procedures can be followed. First, the lower cap  16  can be unthreaded from the housing  12  and the wick retaining tube  20  can be extended downwardly, as shown in FIG.  2 . This procedure is best used when the device  10  is hung from a tree or other support via the cord shown in FIGS. 7-9. Alternatively, the device  10  could be placed upon a generally horizontal surface and the upper cap  14  could be threadably disengaged from the housing  12 , whereupon the wick  30  could be extended upwardly out of the upper end of the housing  12  for scent dispersal. In either case, once the scent dispersal is completed, the wick retaining tube  20  or the internal wick  30  can be returned into the housing  12  and the appropriate cap  14  or  16  re-threaded to the housing  12  to maintain an effective enclosure so as to prevent further dispersal of the scent until the device is next used. Note that when the upper cap  14  is removed, the entire wick can be replaced and/or re dampened or re saturated. Also, while specific reference has been made herein to the device  10  being used as a hunting aid, i.e. for dispensing animal attractant scents, the device  10  will find wide and varied other applications for dispensing other types of odorants, disinfectants, etc. 
     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.