Scent dispenser

A scent dispensing device comprising a scent impregnated pad of which the side edges are supportingly engaged by the inner side surfaces of a perforated hollow tubular body within which the pad is enclosed. The tubular body is expandable between: (1) a flat-folded, collapsed condition in which a pair of opposing tube wall panels with spaced apart apertures are joined together along their opposite side edges and (2) a dilated condition in which the opposing wall panels bow outwardly of each other creating a tubular body of lenticular cross section of lesser dimension between the wall panel joined side edges than in the flat-folded, collapsed condition. Convex contoured end closure flap members connected to extend across the width of each opposing wall panel at their ends are displaceable inwardly of the opposing wall panels to close the tubular body and establish the dilated condition. The width of the impregnated pad is substantially that of the lenticular lesser cross sectional dimension. Expansion of the flat-folded, collapsed tubular body into the dilated condition with an impregnated pad positioned between opposing wall panels brings the inner portions of the joined wall panel side edges into supporting relationship with the side edges of the impregnated pad.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to the field of devices for retaining 
aromatic impregnated material and dispensing the aromatic odors therefrom 
into the surrounding environment. 
Devices of various configurations are well known that serve the function of 
releasing over a period of time air freshener, perfume scented, 
deodorizing vapors and the like. In these devices, a mass of absorbent 
material impregnated with the odor releasing substance, commonly a pad, is 
contained in the dispenser device from which odors vaporized from the 
impregnated material are released through apertures in the walls of the 
device. A special type of odor dispensing device has become popular in 
recent years in the form of souvenirs or postcards that release a 
fragrance or scent that is associated with the visual aspects of the 
souvenir or postcard. Typical of these known scent dispensing devices are 
those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,964,684; 5,148,983 and 5,304,358. 
As is evident from these patents, the internal structural arrangements of 
previously known scent or odor dispensing devices adequate to retain the 
scent impregnated mass or pad within the dispenser cavity sufficiently 
separated from the exterior walls of the dispenser as allows the scented 
vapor from the impregnated pad to pass through passages between the pad 
supporting structure for escape through holes in the dispenser are 
relatively complex and expensive to produce. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to produce a scent dispensing device having 
perforated walls defining an internal cavity within which a scent 
impregnated pad is secured by minimal structure for exposing a maximum 
area of the impregnated pad as permits the scented vapors from the pad to 
escape through apertures in the dispenser. 
Another object of the invention is to produce a scent dispensing device 
into which a scented pad can be installed with minimal effort. 
Yet a further object of the invention is to produce a scent dispensing 
device of minimal cost. 
Still another object of the invention is to produce a scent dispensing 
device of the nature of a souvenir or postcard carrying a graphic indicia 
and from which a scent relating to the graphic indicia is released. 
These objects are achieved by the subsequently described scent dispenser 
invention combination of: (1) a hollow tubular body that is expandable 
between a flat, collapsed condition and a dilated condition having a 
lenticular cross section of lesser internal cross sectional dimension than 
that of the tubular body in its collapsed condition and (2) a scent 
impregnated pad having a width substantially that of the lesser cross 
sectional dimension of the dilated tubular body. The tubular body 
comprises opposing pairs of perforated wall panels joined together along 
the length of their side edges such that the wall panels can be flexed to 
bow outwardly in opposite directions as creates a tubular lenticular cross 
section and tube end closure flap member protruding beyond and hingedly 
connected across the width of the wall panels beyond the ends of the 
respective side edges of the panels. The outer edge of each flap member is 
convex and the inward displacement of the flap member about their hinge 
connections with associated wall panels at each end of the collapsed 
tubular body brings the outer convex edges of the flap members into 
contact with the opposite wall panel, thereby causing the wall panels to 
flex outwardly in forming the lenticular shape of the dilated tubular body 
and close the tubular body ends. The side edges of the narrower width 
scent impregnated pad placed within the tubular body when in the collapsed 
condition become engaged by the opposite internal side edge portions of 
the joined wall panels when flexed outwardly of each other by the inward 
displacement of the flap member in establishing the tubular body in its 
dilated condition, thereby retaining the impregnated pad within the closed 
tubular body with substantially the entire surface of the pad exposed 
within the cavity from which the scent vapors from the pad pass through 
perforations in the tubular body wall panels.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
First referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, a preferred embodiment of the present 
invention comprises the combination of the two components of: (1) a 
tubular body 10 that is expandable between the flat-folded, collapsed 
condition 10a of FIG. 2 and the dilated condition having a lenticular 
cross sectional shape of FIG. 4 and (2) a flat, scent impregnated pad 11 
insertable into the flat-folded, collapsed tubular body 10a. 
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the flat-folded, collapsed tubular body 10a 
comprises a pair of overlying elongated body forming sections 12, 13 
joined together along their respective side edges 14, 15. Each body 
forming section 12, 13 comprises a centrally located wall panel 16 at each 
end of which an integral end closure flap member 17 extends the width of 
the wall panel to protrude beyond the respective ends of the wall panel 
side edges 14, 15 with a convex-shaped hinge establishing fold line 18 
defining the boundary between the wall panel 16 and the integral closure 
flap member 17. The outer edge 19 of the protruding portion of each flap 
member 17 is contoured to conform to the convexity of the lenticular cross 
sectional shape assumed by the tubular body in its dilated condition 10b. 
The convexity of the hinge fold line 18 is opposite that and of the same 
convexity as that of the flap member outer edge 19. Each wall panel 16 of 
the pair of body forming sections 12, 13 is pierced by a series of 
apertures 20, preferably spaced along the wall panel length adjacent the 
respective side edges 14, 15 of the panel. 
The annular configuration of the overlying body forming sections 12, 13, 
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, could be conveniently produced from a flat 
blank comprising juxtaposed body forming sections by folding the blank 
along a center line between the individual body forming sections as places 
the body forming sections in an opposing and overlying relationship and 
securing together the outermost unattached edges of the folded blank by 
suitable means, such as an adhesive between the inner surfaces of the 
unattached blank edges or by providing a securing flap extending along an 
outer edge of one of the body forming sections of the blank and folding 
the securing flap over and securing it to the other body forming section 
of the blank after folding the blank. 
As best seen in FIG. 5, inward pressure exerted against the joined side 
edges 14, 15 of the body forming sections 12, 13 of the flat-folded and 
collapsed tubular body 10a flexes the body forming sections 12, 13 
outwardly of each other as expands the flat-folded tubular body into a 
dilated condition of lenticular cross section in which a lesser separation 
exists between the side edges 14, 15 of the tubular body forming sections 
12, 13 than when the tubular body is in its collapsed condition. Folding 
the end enclosure flap member 17 at each end of the respective wall panel 
16 inwardly along the respective hinge fold lines 18 brings the contoured 
outer edges 19 of the respective flap members 17 into contact with the 
inner surface of the opposite wall panel 16, thereby establishing the 
tubular body into a fully dilated condition 10b and closing both ends of 
the dilated tubular body 10b as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. 
The width dimension 21 between the side edges 11a of the scented pad 11 is 
substantially that of the separation between the interior of the 
respective wall panel side edges 14, 15 of the fully dilated tubular body 
10b of FIG. 4. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the scent impregnated pad 11 
width dimension 21 is less than that of the internal cross sectional 
dimension 22 of the flat-folded, collapsed tubular body 10a so that the 
pad 11 can be inserted into the interior of the tubular body when in its 
collapsed or partially deflated condition, as illustrated in FIG. 5. 
Assembly of the scent dispenser of the invention is achieved by inserting 
the scent impregnated pad 11 into the interior of the tubular body to lie 
in the space defined between the opposing wall panels 16 with the tubular 
body in the collapsed or partially dilated condition, after which the end 
enclosure flap members 17 at each end of the respective wall panels 16 are 
folded inwardly along the respective hinge fold lines 18 as brings the 
contoured outer edges 19 of the flap members 17 into contact with the 
inner surface of a flexed, oppositely located wall panel 16. This action 
in closing the ends of the tubular body and establishing it in its dilated 
condition decreases the separation between the joined side edges 14, 15 of 
the overlying panel members 16 along the interior of the dilated tubular 
body such that the interior portions of the respective panel members 16 
extending along their respective joined side edges 14, 15 are brought into 
an engaging relationship with the opposite side edges 11a of the scent 
impregnated pad 11, as best seen in FIG. 4. As a convenience in supporting 
the scent dispenser the ends of a line 23 can be attached to opposite 
sides of portions of the body forming sections 12, 13. A pictorial or 
ornamental design or other type of graphic indicia 24 conveniently can be 
placed on the outer surface of one or both wall panels 16 in creating a 
souvenir or postcard article and in which the scent with which the pad is 
impregnated can be related to the graphic indicia. As is clearly 
illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the scent impregnated pad 11 of the 
assembled scent dispenser is securely retained along its opposite edges 
11a within the closed and dilated tubular body 10b such that substantially 
all of both surfaces of the impregnated pad 11 are exposed within the 
closed cavity defined by the fully deflated tubular body 10b such that 
scent vapors released from the impregnated pad fill the tubular body 
interior and pass through the apertures 20. 
It should be understood that the foregoing disclosure describes a typical 
embodiment of the invention and that numerous modifications or alterations 
may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the 
invention as set forth in the appendant claims.