Abstract:
A passive vapor dispersing device which may be used for freshening or otherwise treating the air, characterized by both rapid and substantially linear delivery of volatizable fragrance or other materials. The device uses a packaged combination of liquid reservoir, wick and emanator which is assembled and shipped with the wick and emanator out of contact with each other, but is activated when the user opens the package and places the wick and emanator in contact. The housing for the device provides guide means for assisting the user in placing the wick and emanator in proper contact, and irreversible lock means for holding the components in contact and preventing access to the wick and emanator once activation has been achieved.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention generally relates to vapor-dispersing devices, and more particularly, to a passive vapor-dispersing device having a prolonged high-intensity and substantially linear dispersion of vapor, along with a unique activation and safety mechanism.  
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     Vapor-dispersing apparatuses for volatizing a liquid in a container to a vapor in the atmosphere have been known in the art for many years. Passive vapor-dispersing apparatuses typically include a volatizable material in communication with a material delivery system configured to facilitate evaporation of the volatizable material into the air of the surrounding environment at ambient conditions, i.e., without significant mechanical or electrical assistance such as spraying or heating. In some delivery systems, the vaporizer includes a liquid such as oil contained in a reservoir; in others, the vaporizer includes a wax, gel, or other such solid or colloidal material.  
         [0003]     In particular, many of these devices make use of the principle of diffusion. For instance, some devices make use of a wick-based system. In these systems, one end of a wick is placed in a fluid to be volatized, while the other end is exposed to the atmosphere. Capillary action forces liquid through the wick and up to the exposed end, where the liquid evaporates off of the end of the wick and into the surrounding atmosphere.  
         [0004]     By virtue of the passive nature of such vaporizers, the rate at which vapor is delivered to the environment starts at a very low level when the device is first activated (e.g., removed from the packaging), then slowly levels-off to a relatively low steady state value. In non-vented systems, a partial vacuum can even develop in the reservoir causing the capillary action to seriously slow down. It would be advantageous for passive vapor-dispersing devices, such as room deodorizers and the like, to provide, a relatively linear level of vaporization over the lifetime of the product, and to have rapid activation.  
         [0005]     Wick type dispersers have more disadvantages. Wick type dispersers typically comprise either a one-piece or two-piece wick. In the two-piece wick device, for example, the wick may be used to conduct fluid into a secondary emanator or second wick portion, where the fluid vaporizes. Both one-piece and two-piece wick systems suffer inherent problems. The one piece wick is either molded from a single block of porous plastic, making the part overly expensive, or the one-piece wick is a simple and cheap fibrous bundle of material which cannot be effectively sealed to the neck of the fluid reservoir and kept from dripping at this connection or even from the material itself, causing a serious safety hazard and mess for the consumer. Furthermore, for the two-piece wick system, such as a wick-to-emanator system, there is little in the prior art to suggest how the user is to connect the conduit wick to this secondary emanator, in fact, in most instances, it is assumed this connection is already made at the time of manufacturing.  
         [0006]     A pre-activated wick-to-emanator system has many drawbacks. First is the need for an enormous closure to seal both the wick and the pre-saturated emanator, which would be an expensive molded plastic part. Second, the consumer could easily touch the pre-saturated emanator and in some instances, this could be a safety issue. For a vapor-dispersing apparatus to vaporize a strong concentration of active material, the volatizable material should preferably be a very concentrated material, in fact, most preferably close to 100% active material. In the case where the vapor-dispersing apparatus is an air freshener for example, the volatizable material should preferentially be essentially 100% pure fragrance oil with only small amounts of solvent carrier.  
         [0007]     Obviously, concentrated or near 100% active organic compositions such as fragrance oils or insecticides may be severe eye and skin irritants, and it would be advantageous to have a safe way for the consumer to activate any vapor-dispersing apparatus. In particular, in the case of a wick-to-pad system designed to vaporize a potentially unsafe material, it is essential that a safe way to activate the apparatus be invented. More specifically, what is needed is a method for the user to activate a wick-to-pad vapor-dispersing apparatus and then not be able to access the inside of the apparatus and touch the activated and saturated pad, for the life of the product.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0008]     The following description is of exemplary embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description is intended to provide a convenient illustration for implementing various embodiments of the invention. As will become apparent, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, in the context of the present invention, the method and apparatus hereof find particular use in connection with air freshening vaporizer systems. However, generally speaking, various volatizable materials such as deodorizers, sanitizers, insecticides and medicaments and/or the like are suitable for use in accordance with the present invention. Likewise, though various portions of the specification refer to high intensity scented oils as the volatizable material used herein, various other materials now known or as yet unknown, having similar properties should be considered within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0009]     Briefly, the term “high intensity” may be characterized in various different ways including human perception, rates of dispensation, insecticidal efficacy, range of coverage, and/or the like. For example, high intensity may be defined through testing of fragrance perception in a group of people. The intensity may include such factors as the ability to overcome certain odors. Other systems for characterizing high intensity volatization may include the amount of volatizable material dispersed over a period of time. For example, a high intensity fragrance material might comprise one or more of various scented oils.  
         [0010]     A passive vapor-dispersing apparatus in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a housing containing a material delivery device with volatizable material and a method to activate the apparatus, use it, handle it and dispose of it, all in a safe manner. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a vapor-dispersing apparatus is characterized by prolonged, high-intensity operation and a rapid ramp-up to the high-intensity operation upon activation by the user.  
         [0011]     The present invention comprises a vapor-dispersing apparatus further comprising an enclosure with housing portions and at least one vent, a volatizable material delivery system, and a fastening means to connect together the various housing portions of the enclosure and activate the apparatus in the process of assembling the enclosure. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0012]     Additional aspects of the present invention should become evident upon reviewing the non-limiting embodiments described in the specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals designate like elements, and:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1-3  are conceptual cross-sections of an exemplary vapor-dispersing apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  contains an illustration of several of the components in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a cross-section of a vapor-dispersing apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section of a vapor-dispersing apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7   a  is a cross-section of a vapor-dispersing apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7   b  contains an illustration detailing the dimensional relationship of several of the components used in one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  contains an illustration of one embodiment of a fastening means used in the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  contains an illustration of another embodiment of a fastening means used in the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional perspective view of one embodiment of the device in the storage state;  
         [0022]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional perspective view of one embodiment of the device in the activated state;  
         [0023]      FIG. 12  is a graph showing quantitatively the weight loss (in grams) over time (in days) for an exemplary vapor-dispersing apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]     The description that follows is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way; rather, it is intended to provide a convenient illustration for implementing various embodiments of the invention. As will become apparent, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0025]     For example, the methods and apparatus described herein find particular use in connection with air freshening vaporizer systems. Generally speaking, however, a variety of other volatizable materials such as insect repellents, deodorizers, sanitizers, and the like may be suitable for use in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0026]     With reference to the conceptual cross-sectional illustration shown in  FIG. 1 , a passive vapor-dispersing apparatus  100  in accordance with various aspects of the present inventions includes an enclosure  102  containing a volatizable material  106  and at least one vent  104  somewhere on the enclosure  102 . A material delivery system  108 , housed inside enclosure  102 , communicates with volatizable material  106  and facilitates its transport and/or evaporation through at least one vent  104  into an environment  105 .  
         [0027]     In the context of an air freshener, volatizable material  106  comprises any suitable high intensity fragrance emitting substance. In one exemplary embodiment, volatizable material  106  comprises scented oil. Various rates of dispensation of fragrance material may characterize high intensity fragrance. Such rates may depend on the type of fragrance, pungency of the fragrance, the material delivery system performance, and/or other factors. In this example, volatizable material  106  may be configured to emit fragrance material at a rate of 5 to 50 milligrams per hour, and preferably at a rate of 10-40 milligrams per hour, and most preferably at a rate of 18 milligrams per hour. Other rates may similarly characterize high intensity fragrance as the intensity may also depend on the type of fragrance, pungency of the fragrance, the material delivery system performance, and/or other factors in addition to the rate of material delivery. Other high intensity fragrance emitting substances may also be used in the present invention.  
         [0028]     Various exemplary material delivery systems are configured to convey volatizable material  106  to the surrounding environment and are particularly well suited for high intensity scented oils.  FIG. 2  illustrates one arrangement to which the material delivery system  108  shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a reservoir  410 , wick  420 , and emanator  430 . Reservoir  410  is configured to hold a volatile material such as fragrance oil  440 . Briefly, reservoir  410  comprises any structure capable of holding a scented liquid (such as a scented oil) and small enough to be practical. For example, reservoir  410  may be a glass or blow-molded plastic bottle.  
         [0029]     Wick  420  is configured to receive volatizable material  440  and to facilitate the conduction of the material into the emanator  430 . Emanator  430  facilitates dispersion of the material to the surrounding environment. For example, wick  420  and emanator  430  together are configured to draw volatizable material into a region that is exposed to the surrounding environment. Therefore, emanator  430  receives volatizable material through such mechanisms as the wicking of volatizable material  440  from reservoir  410 , through wick  420 . Wick  420  is made, for example, of a porous material such as graphite, porous plastic or other fibrous materials. Particularly preferred wick materials include porous polymeric wicks having pore sizes less than about 250 microns and void volume ratios from about 25 to about 60 percent, such as are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0136886 entitled “Porous Wick for Liquid Vaporizers”, filed Oct. 9, 2001, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Preferred pore sizes are from about 20 microns to about 100 microns. In one exemplary embodiment, wick  420 , is a porous plastic wick with a pore size of 45 micron, a void volume of about 40-45% and a diameter of about 1 cm.  
         [0030]     Emanator  430  is made, for example, of an absorptive, porous material such as cellulose, non-woven, ceramic, porous plastic, compressed polymer fibers, blotter board, wood, and the like. The emanator  430  can virtually be of any size, however it needs to be practically sized. For example, if the emanator  430  were enormous, it would simply draw the entire contents of reservoir  410  into its interstices. Additionally, the entire vapor-dispersing apparatus needs to be of a practical size. Thus, the preferred size for the emanator  430  is from about 0.5 square inch to about 20 square inches, depending on the nature and amount of volatizable material  106  and the size of reservoir  410  that contains it. In examples where the amount of volatizable material is perhaps about 10 to about 50 grams, the most preferred and practical size for the emanator  430  is from about 1 to about 2 square inches. Obviously the emanator  430  need not be square shaped; rather it could be circular, oval, etc., or whatever is appropriate for the application and the overall look of the apparatus. Additionally, the emanator  430  need not be flat. It can be curved, fluted, etc., to maximize surface area, evaporative performance, airflow, and the like.  
         [0031]     Preferred emanator materials are the porous plastic sheets and the cellulose adsorbent carrier (AC) sheets. Examples of the preferred porous plastic sheets are polyethylene or high density polyethylene porous plastic sheets, measuring from about 1/16 inch thickness to about ¼ inch thickness, having pore size from about 15 to about 130 microns. For example, porous plastic sheet X-4900 from POREX, a 1/16 th  inch thick 15-45 micron pore size sheet would work well in the present invention. Most preferred emanator materials are the adsorbent carrier (AC) cellulose sheets. For example, the AC-16 cellulose materials from FM Specialty Products represent emanator materials that work well in the present invention. Thickness for the AC-16 material may range from about 1/16 inch thick to about 1 inch thick. Preferred thickness is from about ⅛ inch to about ½ inch thick. Most preferred thickness is from about ⅛ inch to about ⅜ inch.  
         [0032]     As a consequence of the efficiency of the wicking ability of wick  420 , i.e., its ability to conduct liquid via capillary action, and the absorptive capacity of emanator  430 , the emanator will be quickly and completely saturated with volatizable material  440  within a substantially short time after the wick  420  is brought into contact with the emanator  430 . As mentioned above, porous plastic can be expensive, thus it is advantageous to limit the size of wick  420 , if it is to be molded from porous plastic, and to maximize the size of the emanator  430 , if it is to be inexpensive adsorbent carrier (AC) cellulose, in order to ensure efficiency of volatilization of material into the environment. Emanator  430  will draw as much volatizable material  440  into its matrix as it can, and for some emanator materials such as cellulose, this initial draw of material into the emanator can be substantially large. Of course, the absorbed liquid capacity of the emanator is a function not only of the material it is made from, but also the size and thickness of it. Maximizing the size of the emanator  430  necessarily maximizes the initial draw of volatizable material  440  from reservoir  410 .  
         [0033]     When wick  420  is brought into contact with emanator  430 , volatizable material  440  is rapidly conducted from reservoir  410  into emanator  430 , resulting in a substantially saturated emanator  430  from which vapor can be passively delivered to the environment. In this regard, “passive delivery” refers to and includes delivery without substantial mechanical and/or electrical assistance (e.g., heating elements, fans, and the like).  
         [0034]     Passive delivery systems include, for example, vaporizers that deliver material to the environment via mass transport of volatized compounds at one or more surfaces under free convection boundary conditions and/or forced convection produced by the movement of air within the environment.  
         [0035]     With reference to the drawing in  FIG. 3 , Enclosure  102  may comprise any suitable material (e.g., various plastics, composites, paperboard, or the like). Enclosure  102  may include, for example, a base (i.e., for providing stability on flat surfaces) and various other internal components and structural engineering configured to support material delivery system  108 . Also, enclosure  102  may comprise a viewing feature to allow visual connection to the interior. For example, an “end of life indicator” may be as simple as a viewing window positioned somewhere on the enclosure  102  that allows view of the material delivery system  108 . Most preferred is a cutaway section of the base of enclosure  102  that allows view of the bottom of reservoir  410  when the apparatus is inverted. As depicted in conceptual illustration  FIG. 3 , enclosure  102  may comprise multiple parts that require assembly by the manufacturer, the user, or more preferably, by both. In one exemplary embodiment, enclosure  102  is comprised of at least three separate housing portions, for example, top  110 , middle  120  and bottom  130  housing portions.  
         [0036]     Volatizable material  106  comprises any of the various volatizable materials which currently exist and/or are hereafter devised by those skilled in the art, for example, insect repellents, deodorizers, sanitizers or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the volatizable material comprises a fragrance material in the form of a liquid, wax, or other convenient substance. In a preferred embodiment, volatizable material  106  is a liquid comprising an oil-based liquid fragrance, and this liquid may be either of low viscosity or purposely thickened, for example with inorganic or polymeric viscosity modifiers.  
         [0037]     The liquid fragrance component used in forming volatizable material  106  preferably comprises an oil and/or perfume necessary to provide the desired perfume fragrance. Other agents may be used in conjunction with the fragrance component. For example, known materials such as solvents and surfactants and the like can be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0038]     In any event, the liquid fragrance ingredient preferably comprises one or more volatile organic compounds available from any of the now known or hereafter developed perfumery suppliers, such as International Fragrance and Flavors, Givaudan, Firmenich, etc. Many types of fragrances can be used in the present invention. Preferably, the fragrance materials are volatile essential oils. The fragrance, however, can be synthetically formed material, naturally derived oil, or mixtures thereof. Naturally derived oils include, but are not limited to, Bergamot, Bitter Orange, Lemon, Mandarin, Caraway, Cedarleaf, Clove leaf, Cedar wood, Geranium, Lavender, Orange, Origanum, White Cedar, Lavender, Rose Absolute and the like. Suitable fragrances include but are not limited to fruits, musk, flower scents, herbal scents, woodland scents, derived from pine, spruce and other forest smells. Fragrances may be derived from various oils such as the foregoing essential oils or from plant materials such as peppermint, spearmint and the like.  
         [0039]     The total lifetime of the vapor-dispersing apparatus depends upon a number of factors, including the mass of total volatizable material  106 , the nature of material delivery system  108 , and various attributes of volatizable material  106 , (e.g., flashpoint, distribution of volatile components, such as high middle and base notes in a perfume composition, and the like). For purposes of further describing the invention, the term “initial evaporation rate” for the volatizable material is the amount of material vaporized in about the first day or so. The term “steady state evaporation rate” is defined to be that rate experienced throughout most of the life of the apparatus. In one embodiment, the steady state evaporation rate is between approximately 10 mg/hr (milligrams per hour) and 50 mg/hr, preferably between 15 mg/hr and 30 mg/hr, and most preferably about 18 to about 20 mg/hr. The total lifetime of the product is preferably between approximately 30 days and 60 days, and most preferably about 45 days (e.g., at a steady state evaporation rate of approximately 18 mg/hr and a reservoir fill of about 19 grams of volatizable material, the product is expected to last about 45-days).  
         [0040]     The rate of evaporation of volatizable material can be changed by the nature of the material delivery system  108 . For example, the choice material for the emanator  430 , and especially the size of the emanator  430 , and the configuration and size of the vent or vents  104 , will define the evaporation rate for the volatizable material  440 . What is not a factor is the nature of the wick  420 . For this invention, wick  420  functions only as the pipeline between the reservoir  410  and the emanator  430 , and it is preferable that wick  420  supply an unlimited amount of volatizable material  440  to maintain a substantially saturated emanator  430  until the reservoir  410  is depleted of volatizable material  440 . In this manner, when wick  420  is connected to emanator  430 , the vapor-dispersing apparatus comes quickly up to the steady state evaporation (i.e., a rapid activation or saturated emanator  430 ) and then delivers volatizable material  440  substantially linearly from this saturated emanator  430 .  
         [0041]     With reference to the illustrations in  FIG. 4 , reservoir  410  may comprise a blow-molded plastic bottle with substantially round or bulb structure. Not to be limited to any particular configuration for closure  490 ,  FIG. 4  depicts one embodiment of a threaded closure  490  which can engage by threads to the threaded neck  460  of bottle  410 . The top portion of closure  490  is necessarily larger than the exposed portion of wick  420  protruding from bottle  410  so that engagement of the closure  490  onto bottle  410  will completely encase wick  420 .  
         [0042]     For the present invention, it is preferable to have wick  420  fit firmly into reservoir  410 . This can be accomplished by way of a neck collar or fitment  450 , which snaps snugly over neck  460  of bottle  410 . Neck fitment  450  preferably contains an air vent hole  470  in addition to the opening  480  configured to tightly accept and engage the wick  420 . Preferably the air vent hole  470  is very small, for example, about 0.010 inch in diameter, so that volatizable material  440  cannot drip out from it should the entire apparatus be inverted without closure  490  present. As mentioned above, dripping from air vent hole  470  can also be prevented by thickening the volatizable material, or by making the air vent hole  470  very small, or by a combination of the two. Closure  490  is expected to seal over air vent hole  470  in addition to encasing the wick  420 . Removal of closure  490  from reservoir  410  will therefore expose both air vent hole  470  and wick  420 . Air vent hole  470  provides pressure relief for the interior of reservoir  410  when the volatizable material delivery system is put into operation. For example, when volatizable material  440  is forced by capillary action up through wick  420 , the air vent hole  470  will prevent an internal vacuum from developing inside reservoir  410  and will ensure atmospheric pressure is maintained inside reservoir  410 , thus preventing the capillary action from slowing down over time. Not to be limited to any particular types of material, both neck fitment  450  and closure  490  can for example be manufactured from injected molded plastic such as polypropylene.  
         [0043]     Although both shown as round shaped in  FIG. 4 , the neck  460  of reservoir  410 , and the neck fitment  450 , do not necessarily need to be round. This is only one embodiment, and it can be appreciated that the neck  460 , neck fitment  450 , and closure  490  can be configured into any shape, including square, triangular, etc. Additionally, the neck  460  can comprise any type of fastening mechanism to reversibly engage with closure  490 . The threaded feature shown in  FIG. 4  is only one embodiment, and it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that this closure  490  could simply snap onto neck  460  rather than thread onto it. The only requirement is that closure  490  seal reservoir  410  during merchandising, shipment, and storage, in order to prevent the inadvertent leakage of volatizable material  440  prior to removal of the closure.  
         [0044]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the present invention the material delivery system  108  comprises reservoir  410 , wick  420  and emanator  430 , in communication. The dispersing of volatizable material  440  does not start until a connection is made between wick  420  and emanator  430 . Wick  420  does not have sufficient exposed surface area to function as the surface for any substantial vaporization, although some minimum amount of vaporization is still expected from this short exposed wick portion. Emanator  430  facilitates dispersion of the material to the surrounding environment. In a preferred embodiment, the emanator  430  is positioned adjacent to one or more vents  104  in enclosure  102 . The emanator is configured to be the volatilization platform for the volatizable material through judicial choice of its materials of composition and its size, as mentioned above.  
         [0045]     Central to the present invention is a method for the user to activate the vapor-dispersing apparatus, which as explained above, means to connect wick  420  to emanator  430 . Once the vapor-dispersing apparatus is activated, it is preferable to lock out access to the emanator  430  since it will quickly become saturated with volatizable material  440 , a potential irritant or toxin, so it is beneficial to prevent further contact of emanator  430  once it has been saturated. A method of activation of the vapor-dispersing apparatus is part of the present invention and it is, in the simplest sense, the connecting together of wick  420  to emanator  430 , thereby starting the movement of volatizable material  440  up through wick  420  and into emanator  430 . As mentioned above, it is preferred that closure  490  be firmly engaged to reservoir  410  during merchandising, shipment and storage of the unit, so one additional step for activation is the removal of closure  490  from reservoir  410  prior to the connecting together of wick  420  with emanator  430 .  
         [0046]     An additional embodiment of the present invention is depicted in  FIG. 5 . The housing portions  110 ,  120  and  130  show the 3-piece enclosure mentioned above and first depicted in  FIG. 3 . Additionally, a pre-assembly of housing portions  120  and  130  may be used to hold the material delivery system  108  minus the emanator  430 . That is, in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 5 , all of the components shown in  FIG. 4  may be held in the sub-assembly comprising housing portions  120  and  130 , including closure  490  that begins the activation process engaged with reservoir  410 . The action shown in  FIG. 5 , that is, removal of closure  490  from reservoir  410  followed by the fitting together of top housing portion  110  to the remaining housing portions, constitutes activation of the apparatus because of the concomitant connecting together of the wick  420  to the emanator  430 . Thus, the activation of the present invention comprises the steps of first, removal of closure  490  from reservoir  410 , and second, the fitting of housing portion  110  to a pre-assembly of housing portions  120  and  130  to complete enclosure  102 .  
         [0047]     As mentioned previously, it is preferable not to be able to reopen the completed enclosure  102  and gain access to the emanator  430  once the apparatus has been activated and the emanator  430  is saturated with potentially hazardous volatizable material  440 . To prevent reopening of the apparatus once activated, fasteners are incorporated into the present invention to irreversibly connect together the housing portions comprising the complete enclosure  102 . Generic fasteners  500  are shown in the illustrations in  FIGS. 5, 6  and  7   a . These fasteners  500  provide a substantially irreversible fastening means for connecting together the housing portions that may comprise the complete enclosure  102 .  
         [0048]     Fasteners  500  are envisioned to comprise a wide range of configurations. For example, fasteners  500  could be as simple as plastic tabs locking into slots or detents. As shown in  FIG. 8 , housing portion  120  may lock together with housing portion  130  in a substantially irreversible manner if a folded tab  820  on housing portion  120  is configured to snap into a detent  830  configured into housing portion  130 . It can be appreciated that various folded tabs and detents may be arranged and interchanged on the various housing portions as required for a specific embodiment. Or, the fasteners  500  may be much more sophisticated, for example, an arrow shaped molded protrusion of plastic that irreversibly snaps into a corresponding hole, whereby the bulb or arrow shaped end of the fastener cannot be backed out from the hole. This embodiment is shown in  FIG. 9  wherein point  920  molded on housing portion  120  is configured to substantially irreversibly engage into hole  910  in housing portion  110 . Whatever the precise nature of the fasteners  500 , the important consideration is that the fasteners  500  are in pairs situated on adjacent positions of the housing portions such that they necessarily help to line up and connect together the enclosure  102 . There can be any number of pairs of fasteners  500 , even though the embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 5, 6  and  7   a  show only four sets of fasteners, two pairs holding together the top  110  and middle  120  housing portions and two more pairs of fasteners  500  holding together the middle  120  and the bottom  130  housing portions. As mentioned above, any connecting together of any two housing portions is designed to be substantially irreversible, thus preventing access to the activated apparatus.  
         [0049]     The present invention is unique in that it can be merchandized as a bundle of separate components appearing much like the complete apparatus, but actually comprising an unassembled apparatus that is not yet activated. This is accomplished by utilizing the closure  490  to a functional advantage beyond just sealing the reservoir  410 .  FIG. 7   b  illustrates that closure  490  is longer than wick  420 . This is necessarily the case because closure  490  is used to encase the exposed end of wick  420  during the merchandising of the device. As shown in  FIG. 7   b , the length by which closure  490  extends beyond wick  420  is length  490 A, that is, the distance measured from the top end  495  of wick  420  to the top end  496  of closure  490  is distance  490 A. As shown in  FIG. 7   a , the length of closure  490  can be designed such that it prevents the fasteners  500  from engaging the top-housing portion  110  to the middle housing portion  120  provided the closure  490  remains on reservoir  410 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 7   a , if the closure  490  is on reservoir  410 , the length of closure  490  will prevent the fasteners  500  from engaging and connecting together housing portion  110  with housing portion  120 . The length  490 A shown in  FIG. 7   b  need not be very large, for example it may be only ⅛ inch to ½ inch in length, although this distance can really be any length practical. It is desirable not to have the user inadvertently assemble the apparatus without first removing closure  490  from reservoir  410 , otherwise, if the fasteners indeed provide for irreversible connection, the apparatus will be useless with no way to open it again to correct the mistake. In this way, the additional height  490 A that closure  490  provides beyond the length of the wick  420  is used to keep the set of fasteners  500  apart such that they cannot fasten together. Indeed, the only way to be able to fasten together the last housing portion to the remainder of the enclosure is to first remove the closure  490  from the reservoir  410 . Then the wick  420  will be able to be positioned all the way up against emanator  430 , thus allowing the fasteners  500  to come into contact with one another and to fasten.  
         [0050]     This is more clearly shown by referring to the embodiment in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . In  FIG. 10 , the closure  490  touches the emanator  430  and consequently, the bottom housing portion  130  is prevented from fully engaging with middle housing portion  120 . A gap  490 B exists since the closure  490  prevents the bottom housing portion  130  from engaging any further with middle housing portion  120 . The dimension  490 A illustrated in  FIG. 7   b  is translated to gap  490 B, that is, they are the same length. In contrast,  FIG. 11  shows the activated device without closure  490 , (the closure having been removed and discarded and is therefore not shown), and now the bottom housing portion  130  may be fully engaged with middle housing portion  120 , gap  490 B is gone, and now wick  420  contacts emanator  430 . Thus, once the closure  490  is removed, the device can be fully assembled and activated.  
         [0051]     As shown in  FIGS. 5, 6 ,  7   a ,  10  and  11 , the emanator  430  is held in housing portion  110 , primarily for convenience to the user and also to guarantee that it is in the correct position, such as near the vent(s)  104 , when the device is activated. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the vent or vents  104  are configured somewhere on the top housing portion  110 , although there could be additional vents in either housing portion  120  or  130 , or both, in order to maximize air flow through the unit and across the emanator  430 . Vents in all housing portions could provide a flow-thru ventilation scheme, which may maximize evaporation of the volatizable material  440  off emanator  430 . Emanator  430  can be clipped into top housing portion  110  so that it does not fall out prior to assembly and activation of the apparatus. If the emanator  430  is relatively thin cellulose, it can be tucked under one or more retaining tabs configured inside housing portion  110  so that it is pressed up against vent(s)  104  and held such that it will not inadvertently fall out. During manufacturing, housing portions  120  and  130  can already be fastened together as a pre-assembly, or they may comprise a single housing portion, that is  120  and  130  may actually comprise one housing with bottom and sides but no top. The important feature is that the user completes the assembly of the enclosure  102 , whether it is the fastening of one part to another, for example, putting the top onto an enclosure already having sides and bottom, or fastening one part to a pre-assembly of more than one part. This connecting together of the remaining portion of the enclosure  102  will necessarily activate the unit by connecting together wick  420  to emanator  430  at a predetermined position and a predetermined pressure.  
         [0052]     When the vapor-dispersing device is activated, it is preferable to have the wick  420  in connection with the emanator  430  at a predetermined position and pressure. For example, for speed of saturation of emanator  430  with volatizable material  440 , the logical connection point for wick  420  onto emanator  430  would be about the geometric center of the emanator  430 . This is easily accomplished by configuring reservoir  410  to firmly fit into housing portion  130 , or into a single housing such as defined by  120  and  130  together, and to have the emanator  430  firmly held into remaining top housing portion  110 . In this way, connecting together the last housing portion  110  to the remaining housing portion or portions, will necessarily line up wick  420  to emanator  430  at the correct position and pressure. The desirable pressure between the tip of wick  420  and emanator  430  is firm enough to prevent their coming apart during movement or handling of the activated unit, but light enough so as not to damage the top of the unit, for example, by forcing or bowing out a grill section that may comprise vents  104 . The dimension for the sides of the enclosure  102 , the length of the exposed end of wick  420 , and the position of the emanator  430  in the top housing portion  110 , all work to position the wick at the correct position and pressure against emanator  430  when the enclosure  102  is fully assembled.  
         [0053]     In another embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 6 , housing portion  130  is shown as the last remaining housing portion needed in completing the full enclosure  102 . In this embodiment, the middle housing portion  120  and top housing portion  110  may be supplied as a pre-assembly or as a single entity, and it is the bottom housing portion  130  that is separately provided with enclosure  490  protecting the wick  420  in reservoir  410 . Thus, it is the bottom housing portion  130  that is attached to complete the enclosure  102  and activate the apparatus. The embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  has a small advantage over the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  in that having the reservoir  410  fitted into a separate bottom housing  130  allows for more easy access to the closure  490 . Additionally, with the emanator  430  way up inside the top of a subassembly or single entity comprising portions  110  and  120 , there is no way for the user to play with the emanator  430  and cause it to prematurely fall out of the unit prior to snapping together of the portions and activation of the apparatus. For the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 6 , the method of activation of the apparatus is for the closure  490  to be removed from the reservoir  410  and for the bottom housing portion  130  to be irreversibly snapped onto the remaining housing portions to complete enclosure  102  and start the flow of volatizable material  440  from reservoir  410  to emanator  430 .  
         [0054]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the reservoir  410  would preferentially fit substantially firmly into the bottom housing portion  130 . It is advantageous not to have the reservoir inadvertently separate from the bottom housing portion  130  from where it could be misused. In this way, the bottom housing portion  130  functions as a sort of tray for the reservoir  410 . As in the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , the apparatus of  FIG. 6  must also fasten together irreversibly such that the user cannot gain access to the saturated emanator  430 . Thus, the fasteners  500  depicted in  FIG. 6  should irreversibly fasten together bottom housing portion  130  with the remaining housing portions to form an integral enclosure  102  that can no longer be opened.  
         [0055]     As mentioned above, one embodiment of the present invention is a vapor-dispersing apparatus with both rapid activation and substantially linear delivery of volatizable material, made possible by the rapid wicking of volatizable material  440  through wick  420  to generate a substantially saturated emanator  430 , and the subsequent evaporation of volatizable material from the substantially saturated emanator  430 , respectively. In the context of an air freshener, both the rapid activation and the linear delivery of volatizable material  440  (i.e., fragrance) are highly desirable features to the consumer. As shown in  FIG. 12 , weight loss (in grams), from one embodiment of the present invention comprising scented fragrance oil is near linear throughout a significant portion of the life of the device (section “B” on the graph). As also evident in  FIG. 12 , weight loss is rapid in the first few days (section “A” on the graph), demonstrating the rapid activation feature of the invention, and then substantially linear (section “B”) until a few grams of material remain in the device (section “C”), when the device finally slows down.