Air treating device

This invention relates to an air treating device. Two halves of a hollow ball are connected. A rotatable ring is provided which has an aperture which in one position is sealed and in another open to release volatilizable material. The halves may be connected by a post upon which a donut shaped disc of fragrant material can be mounted.

This invention relates to an air treating device. 
One of the air treating devices on the market under the trademark "Sneaker 
Balls" is in the shape of a small ball of a size suitable for insertion 
into a sneaker. The ball is formed from two hemispheres between which a 
removable ring is located. A disc of a volatilizable air treating compound 
is placed loosely within the ball and the ring acts as a seal to prevent 
premature volatilization of the air treating compound. The user must 
separate the hemispheres, remove the ring and then reassemble the 
hemispheres to use the item. If it is desired to seal the ball, the ring, 
which may by then have been lost, must be replaced. 
A disadvantage of the foregoing construction is the inconvenience of 
disassembling and reassembling the conponents to remove or replace the 
sealing ring. 
A further disadvantage is that these small balls are attractive to children 
who may easily open them. Some air treating compounds are toxic if eaten 
by a small child. 
Another disadvantage is that the air freshening compounds are placed 
loosely within the balls where they rattle around and also are not located 
in the best position for utilization. 
The object of this invention is to overcome the foregoing disadvantages. 
The invention is based on the idea of connecting the two halves of a hollow 
ball containing the volatilizable material firmly together, and providing 
a rotatable ring into an aperture. In one position of the ring the 
aperture is open to release the volatilizible material. In another 
position it is sealed. The halves may conveniently be connected by a post 
which is axial to the axis of rotation of the ring and this post provides 
a convenient mounting for donut shaped discs of fragrant material. 
This invention in one aspect more specifically provides an air treating 
device comprising two interacting bodies joining along a circular join 
line to provide a hollow container for a volatilizable air treating 
compound, a rotatable annular ring at the circular join line, said annular 
ring having at least one aperture for the passage of volatilized air 
treating compound, means disposed interiorly of said annular ring to 
provide an opening in register with said aperture at one position of the 
annular ring and for sealing said aperture at another position of the 
annular ring and means for connecting said bodies together to prevent easy 
access to the volatilizable air treating compound. 
In a preferred aspect a post is provided extending axially with respect to 
the axis of rotation of the annular ring to suspend a donut shaped disc of 
volatilizable air treating compound substantially in the plane of the 
rotatable disc.

Referring now the FIGS. 1 to 4, the air treating device illustrated 
comprises a first hollow body 10 and a second hollow body 11 joining along 
join line 12. A rotatable annular ring 13 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5 is 
located at the join line. Body 10 has projections 14 which abut similar 
projections 15 on body 11 to provide a seat for rotatable ring 13. The 
pairs of projections 14 and 15 are spaced to leave openings 16. Ring 13 
has diametrically opposed apertures 17 and 17a which at one position of 
ring 13 are in alignment with openings 16 and at another position of ring 
13 are sealed by projections 14 and 15. Projections 14 and 15 should be 
arranged so that both apertures 17 and 17a are either open to release the 
volatilizable air treating material or closed. Preferably ring 13 has 
knurled sections 18 to facilitate rotation of the annular ring. 
Hollow bodies 10 and 11 are joined together by providing a pin and socket 
connection or other suitable means. For example, body 10 has a pin 19 
mounted on prong 20 which engages with socket 21 which is within prong 22. 
Prongs 20 and 22 combine to provide a supporting post 23 which a donut 
shaped pad of air freshening material may be mounted. In order to make the 
device child resistant, pin 19 may be cemented into socket 21 or some 
other connection may be used such as by providing pin 19 with an enlarged 
head and undercutting socket 21. Prongs 20 and 22 extend internally from 
the centres of the hemispherical hollow bodies 10 and 11 and have flutes 
24 which not only give post 23 additional stability but maintain pad 23 
substantially in the plane of ring 13 so that air flowing through one of 
holes 17 and 17a to the other flows across the surface of pad 23. Pad 23 
is therefore located in an optimum position for the purpose fo achieving 
volatilization from both surfaces. 
Pad 23 may be of paper, cardboard or sponge impregnated or coated with 
conventional air freshening and/or odour treating ingredients of a 
volatilizable nature. 
FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which projections 14a 
extending from body 10a are recessed as illustrated to leave a pair of 
projections 25 and 26 to receive a prong 27 in interlocking fashion 
extending from projection 15a. This interlock may help strengthen the 
structure and make it more child resistant. It will be appreciated that it 
is virtually impossible to provide a structure that is completely 
childproof to a determined child. Nevertheless, it is an important 
advantage to provide resistance to easy access. 
As shown in FIG. 8, ring 13 is rotated by hand so that apertures 17 and 17a 
are in alignment with the hole 16 to permit volatilizable deodorizing or 
air freshening material to escape. It may also quickly be rotated to a 
sealed position in which apertures 17 and 17a are aligned with projections 
14 and 15. This not only provides an advantage when the device is 
initially placed into use. It enables the life and potency of the air 
freshening material to be extended by easily closing off apertures 17 and 
17a when freshening or deodorizing is not required. 
FIG. 9 shows a representation of a tennis ball. FIG. 10 is intended to 
simulate a basket ball and FIG. 11 a golf ball. Each of the balls 
illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 may, for example, be about 38 mm. in 
diameter. 
FIG. 12 shows a representation of a football with a minimum diameter of 25 
mm. and a length of 50 mm. 
A further advantage of a structure in accordance with this invention is 
that retaining the ring as part of a ball of the type shown in FIGS. 9 to 
12, as compared with a structure in which the ring is removed, helps to 
retain the appearance of a game ball.