Article for diffusing volatile substances, and in particular perfume

A consumable article for diffusing active volatile substances, in particular perfume, into the ambient atmosphere, the article comprising a support element of shrinkable material, in particular heat shrink material, with the volatile substance being absorbed in the support element. The invention also provides a method of diffusing volatile substances, in particular perfume, by means of an article of this type, and also a device for implementing the method.

The present invention relates to a consumable article for diffusing active 
volatile substances, in particular perfume, into the ambient atmosphere. 
The invention also relates to a method of diffusing said substances and to 
a device for supporting said article and suitable for use in the diffusion 
method. 
In the present application, the term "active volatile substances" is used 
to designate, in particular, deodorants, insecticides, bactericides, 
substances for repelling or attracting animals, and above all perfumes. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Numerous techniques are used for diffusing perfumes in the atmosphere. One 
of the simplest techniques makes use of diffusion devices comprising 
liquid perfume contained in a receptacle such as a small cup placed in the 
vicinity of a source of heat, which may be constituted, in particular, by 
an electric lightbulb when switched on. This type of device naturally 
suffers from certain dangers in use since it requires an inflammable 
liquid to be handled in contact with a relatively strong source of heat, 
supposing an electric lightbulb is being used, for example. 
In order to avoid this type of manipulation, proposals have been made to 
use support elements such as porous granules made of plastic material or 
pellets of cellulose in which the substances to be diffused are absorbed. 
However, such elements are generally relatively expensive for the use to 
which they are put, and in addition they do not always provide 
satisfactory diffusion of the absorbed substance. Finally, such elements 
are not consumable and in particular, they do not make it possible to keep 
track of, and more precisely to observe, the degree to which the element 
has been used up, i.e. for the purpose of refilling it or preferably 
changing it in timely manner. 
It is preferable for users not to refill supports of this type and for such 
supports to be consumable, or at least for them to need changing when the 
substance absorbed therein has been diffused. It is well known that 
conflicting mixtures of perfumes can have highly disagreeable effects on 
the resulting odor due to various incompatibilities between different 
perfumes. Errors of this type may therefore take place if a support 
element is refilled using a perfume which is different from the preceding 
perfume and assuming that traces of the preceding perfume are still 
present. 
In this context, it should be observed that in devices using a liquid 
perfume contained in a receptacle in contact with a source of heat, it is 
necessary for the receptacle to be cleaned carefully between each period 
of use whenever the perfume substance is changed. 
An aim of the present invention is thus to provide a diffusion article 
which ensures good diffusion of the active volatile substance to be 
diffused while mitigating the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To do this, the present invention provides a consumable article for 
diffusing active volatile substances, in particular perfume, into the 
ambient atmosphere, the article comprising a support element of shrinkable 
material, in particular heat shrink material, said substance being 
absorbed in said element. 
According to the invention, said substance which impregnates said element 
is "sweated out" as it were as the element shrinks until it has shrunk 
completely. This type of diffusion of the impregnating substance is 
particularly effective since it results not only from the physio-chemical 
evaporation conditions of the substance related to temperature, where 
applicable, but also from mechanical stresses due to the support element 
shrinking. The material may be heat-shrink material, in which case it 
shrinks by virtue of temperature being applied thereto. However, the 
invention may make use of a material which shrinks at ambient temperature 
merely on coming into contact with ambient air, in which case it is not 
essential for it to be in the proximity of a heat source in order to 
obtain diffusion. It may also be noted that such shrinking makes it 
possible to track and observe the rate at which the diffusion article is 
progressively used up. 
In a particularly appropriate embodiment of the invention, said support 
element is constituted by heat shrink textile fibers, which are preferably 
not woven, but are bonded by a polymer resin. It may be in the form of a 
pellet or a washer. This type of material is good for retaining the 
substance in the support element and behaves somewhat like a sponge. The 
article can thus be used without any risk of losing liquid, and thus 
without risk of accident, given the necessary proximity to a source of 
heat in order to cause said substance to be diffused. The absorption of 
the substance in the support element disengages the fibers from the binder 
and facilitates fiber shrinkage. 
Thus, one particular type of support constituted by non-woven chloro-fibers 
bonded by a polyvinyl chloride resin shrinks from 120.degree. C. when not 
dampened, but from as little as 60.degree. C. to 80.degree. C. when 
dampened by being filled with a solution comprising a perfume substance. 
Advantageously, said substance is diluted in a solvent which is little or 
not volatile when the temperature is less than the shrinking temperature 
of the support element impregnated with said substance. For example, the 
substance may be diluted in an oily type of solvent such as a glycol type 
solvent, and in particular dipropylene glycol or ethylene diglycol. 
Diluting the substance in a solvent not only makes it possible to 
thoroughly impregnate the support element and thus facilitate shrinkage 
thereof, but also serves to homogenize the distribution of said substance 
throughout the support element, thereby obtaining regular diffusion of 
said substance into the ambient atmosphere over time. Using a non-volatile 
solvent offers the advantage of making it possible to store the article 
prior to use in a state of dampness which favors good shrinking. 
However, in order to ensure that the article is stored under the best 
possible conditions, it is preferable for it to be packed in a pocket in a 
box which is airtight and lightproof, for example a polypropylene-lined 
aluminum box. It is preferable to avoid exposing perfume to light in order 
to prevent chemical degradation thereof. 
The present invention also provides a method of diffusing a volatile 
substance, in particular perfume the method comprising: absorbing said 
substance in a support element of shrinkable material, in particular of 
heat shrink material, and diffusing said substance into the atmosphere by 
causing said support element to shrink. 
In a preferred implementation of the method, the support element shrinks on 
being heated, thereby also causing said substance to be evaporated and 
thus diffusing it. 
The present invention thus provides a diffusion method using an article as 
specified above, in particular placing said article in the proximity of a 
heat source. 
The invention also provides a support device for an article in accordance 
with the invention and suitable for implementing the method of diffusing a 
volatile substance, and in particular a perfume, wherein the device 
essentially comprises a pad type element constituted by intermeshed wires 
of metal, which are then compressed in order to give a pad type element 
having a shape suitable for receiving said article. 
This device may be placed in the proximity of a heat source, in particular 
an electric lightbulb, by using appropriate fixing means, e.g. directly to 
the lightbulb by means of a metal wire with one end fixed to the device 
and with its other end in the form of a two-loop spring, with the bulb 
being inserted between the two loops of the spring. 
The structure of this device imparts highly advantageous technical effects 
thereto. Firstly, it dissuades the user from directly inserting a liquid 
therein in a dangerous manner, as may happen when the article is supported 
by a cup. Secondly, and above all, this device makes it possible to 
mitigate a series of drawbacks encountered when the article in accordance 
with the invention is supported by a cup in the proximity of a bulb, for 
example. 
It has been observed that when the article is placed in a cup, it shrinks 
too much and too quickly due to the temperature rising too far at certain 
points on the cup, in particular points closest to the bulb. Liquid is 
expelled from the article in such quantities that it does not all 
evaporate as it is expelled, thereby resulting in condensation on the cup 
and running the risk of the liquid coming into contact with the bulb. 
In addition, a metal cup is difficult to handle after use because it is too 
hot. 
Finally, persistent residual traces of the diffused perfume are to be found 
on the cup and may give rise to hazardous conflicting mixtures with 
different perfumes that have previously been diffused. 
The device of the invention presents a much larger contact area between air 
and the material constituting the pad than is available in a solid 
material such as a cup insofar as the air is throttled as it were so that 
temperature is better distributed and hot points are no longer observed 
which could otherwise give rise to condensation in the cup. 
Further, if condensation does occur, the structure of the device retains 
the condensate which is then eliminated by evaporation due to the device 
heating. 
In addition, this device is much easier to handle after utilization insofar 
as it cools down much more quickly than does a hot cup. 
Finally, there is no odor accumulation, i.e. no accumulation of traces of 
perfume in the texture of the pad element, and successive pellets soaked 
in different perfumes may be fitted thereto in succession without 
observing any conflicting mixture of perfumes. 
Advantageously, the pad element is crimped and provided with a protecting 
metal grid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The support element used was a washer or pellet constituted by a 100% 
chlorofiber non-woven needled sheet bonded by 100% polyvinyl chloride 
resin reference 3 333-B sold by the Nordlys Corporation. 
This material is not flammable and it becomes heat shrinkable from 
60.degree. C. to 80.degree. C. when impregnated with a perfume solution. 
It is also very light (density 65 kg/m.sup.3 to 75 kg/m.sup.3) and has 
very remarkable absorption properties. 
The washer is impregnated with a dilution of perfume substance in 
dipropylene gylcol, with the concentration by weight of the perfume 
substance varying, for example, over the range 5% to 75% depending on the 
nature and the origin of the perfume, and in particular since they are 
more powerful, perfumes of chemical origin are used at lower 
concentrations than are perfumes of vegetable origin. Natural perfumes are 
used at a concentration of 20% to 50%. 
The proposed washers or pellets have a diameter of 40 mm and a thickness of 
4 mm, for example. These washers may shrink down to a diameter of about 10 
mm which represents a volume shrinkage ratio of about 10 to 1 which 
demonstrates the large diffusion effect that can be obtained using such 
materials. 
The washer is impregnated by being soaked in the perfume solution. A 40 mm 
washer as described can soak up several grams (g) of solution. 
Advantageously, the quantity of liquid in this type of washer does not 
exceed 1 g so as to ensure that the quantity of liquid made available by 
shrinking does not exceed the quantity of liquid which can be evaporated 
by the heat given off by an electric lightbulb, for example. 
This washer may be placed in the proximity of a heat source (radiator, 
flame, electric lightbulb) and a perfume substance can thus be diffused in 
the atmosphere for a period of more than 6 hours, and it should be 
understood that the washer may be used intermittently, since it does not 
lose perfume when not in use. 
All sorts of shapes and volumes can be envisaged for the support element. 
An interesting variant consists in perforating the above-described washer, 
thereby increasing the contact area between the washer and ambient air, 
and thus facilitating diffusion of the perfume substance absorbed in the 
washer. 
Advantageously, the article of the invention is placed in the proximity of 
an electric lightbulb using an article support device comprising a buffer 
element constituted by a stainless steel knit as sold under the trademark 
Knitmesh (ref. 613A) which is compressed into the form of a disk having a 
diameter which is substantially greater than the diameter of the 
above-described chlorofiber pellet. A pad element suitable for properly 
retaining condensate can be constituted using wires having a diameter of 
about 1/4 of a millimeter (mm), and it is compressed so as to set up a 
headloss of about 20% to 30% in a fluid as it goes through the pad 
element, with the total thickness of the element being about 3 mm to 5 mm. 
Once it has been compressed, this metal knit may be crimped and provided 
with a metal grid in order to prevent the shrunken fibers of the pellet 
tangling in use with the texture of the pad element, since such tangling 
would make it difficult to remove a used pellet. If the knit is thoroughly 
compressed, then a grid is not necessary. 
Using a stainless material means that it can be cleaned in water or by 
using any other cleaning fluid. 
FIG. 1 shows an unfinished specimen of the pad type element constituted by 
a multitude of intertwined and tangled stainless metal wires 5 which are 
then compressed. The pad element as shown is not crimped as it would be in 
a finished presentation of the device of the invention, as shown in FIG. 
2. 
This device may be fixed to an electric lightbulb by means of a metal wire 
1 which holds it in the vicinity of a lightbulb 2. The metal wire 1 is 
fixed to the bulb 2 by one of its ends being in the form of two spring 
loops 4a and 4b, with the bulb being inserted between the two loops of the 
spring. 
The other end 3 of the wire is fixed to the pad element of FIG. 1 e.g. by 
shaping said other end into a loop into which the texture of the pad 
element is forced, or by crimping the loop around the pad element.