Abstract:
Disclosed are holders for supporting a burnable substrate such as a mosquito coil. They have an ash tray, a mounting post coupled to the ash tray and moveable between a storage position wherein both an outward part and an inward part of the mounting post are adjacent the ash tray and an erected position where the mounting post is suitable to support the burnable substrate, and a locking bracket linked to the ash tray which is suitable to retain the mounting post in the erected position when that is desired. In some forms multiple such coils and holders are housed in a compact kit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to burnable insect control substrates (e.g. mosquito coils), holders for supporting them when they are burning (and thereby dispensing an air treatment chemical such as a repellent), and kits that include multiple such substrates, multiple such holders, and a compact container therefor. 
         [0004]    Burnable substrates such as mosquito coils and incense coils are designed to provide sustained air treatment chemical release when burnt. They burn very slowly (because they are often designed to last overnight, or a significant portion thereof). As a result, they are susceptible to being inadvertently extinguished if they are positioned directly on a supporting surface such as a table. Thus, mosquito coils are often supported mostly or only at their center, such as by being impaled on a centrally positioned holder post. See e.g. U.S. patent application publication 2002/0124459 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,146,875. 
         [0005]    While such holder posts reduce the incidence of premature extinguishing, ashes from such coils/substrates may drop down onto the supporting surface underneath such holders. This presents a somewhat messy appearance, and may limit where the holder stand is placed (e.g. if a support table is made of a particularly delicate material). As such burnable coil holders have been developed in which the stand is used with some form of ash tray. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,796,002 and 6,389,739. However, typical such ash tray included assemblies are not particularly compact, and as a result have an increased shipping cost, an increased material cost, and/or take up more retail shelf space than is optimal. 
         [0006]    There have therefore been attempts to create slab-like holders where a tang of the slab can pivot up from a compact shipping position to a use/support position (so that the slab is very compact until use, and part of the holder acts like an ash tray even after the tang is pivoted up). However, the tang relies on material characteristics to keep it vertical. As a result, when the mosquito coil or similar substrate is being mounted on the tang the tang can tend to bend back down out of the desired supporting position. 
         [0007]    Yet another problem is that when such coils are used outdoors (e.g. in a typical patio area) the repellent coverage of a single coil may not be sufficient to achieve adequate protection for somewhat larger size areas such as patio areas. It may therefore be desired to sometimes use multiple such coil/stand devices simultaneously, positioned in an array. Transporting multiple such devices to such an area, in one trip, can be somewhat awkward. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, a need still exists for an improved mosquito coil/burnable substrate and holder, and improved kits containing such devices. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In one aspect the invention provides a holder for supporting a burnable substrate (e.g. a mosquito coil). There is an ash tray, a mounting post coupled to the ash tray and moveable between a storage position wherein both an outward part and an inward part of the mounting post are adjacent the ash tray and an erected position where the mounting post is suitable to support the burnable substrate, and a locking bracket linked to the ash tray which is suitable to retain the mourning post in the erected position when that is desired. 
         [0010]    In preferred forms the ash tray is in the form of a dish, and the mounting post has a foot engagable within a slot of the locking bracket when the mounting post is moved to the erected position. Also, the ash tray can include a hole through its base such that the bracket is mounted in the hole by a press fit. In a particularly preferred form the bracket is configured to permit the foot to move into the slot by a radial movement of the foot (as the mounting post can be elastically deformed by squeezing opposed sides during the movement between the storage position and the erected position). There can be two of said brackets coupled between the ash tray and mounting post, where feet of the mounting post can interfit with slots of both brackets. 
         [0011]    In another aspect the invention provides a combined mosquito coil and holder assembly. In addition to a holder of the above type there is also a mosquito coil that dispenses (when burnt) an insect control ingredient such as a repellent or insecticide. 
         [0012]    In preferred forms, the mounting post, when in the erected position, is suitable to mount the mosquito coil, and the mounting post is in an off center position relative to the ash tray, whereby the mosquito coil can be mounted completely over the ash tray when placed on the mounting post. Also, when the mounting post is made from a bent wire the mounting post may have a leg portion for supporting the outward part of the mounting post, wherein the outward part is thinned relative to a part of the leg portion adjacent the outward part. This allows the legs to provide significant strength yet optimizes the shape of the mounting spike. 
         [0013]    In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit for controlling mosquitoes in a defined area (e.g. at or near a patio). The kit has a container with an internal cavity and an upper opening. A lid can removably close the upper opening of the container to create a compact package suitable for long-term storage or shipment. 
         [0014]    At least three mosquito coils and at least three mosquito coil holders are preferably positioned in the internal cavity of the container. The three mosquito coil holders can be as described above. In especially preferred forms of the kit the mosquito coils and mosquito coil holders are arranged in a stack in the internal cavity, the ash trays are in the form of dishes that are nested together, and the mosquito coils are positioned in the internal cavity below the ash trays. There may also be foam packing (e.g. a packing ring) positioned within the container to minimize the risk of coil breakage during shipment. 
         [0015]    The present invention thereby provides an extremely compact, lightweight, kit that can be used to establish a three or more station protective array of burnable substrates for use at a patio or the like. Each burning station can have its own ash tray and erectable supporting post mountable thereon. 
         [0016]    Such holders are very inexpensive to produce, and are suitable for use with a wide variety of known mosquito coils and other burnable substrates. Further, these holders are sufficiently resilient that they can be re-used with replacement coils multiple times. This lowers the overall cost of using these devices as compared with single use stands. 
         [0017]    The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description. In that description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration preferred embodiments of the invention. These embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention. Thus, the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred mosquito coil holder of the present invention (with its mounting post shown in a storage position); 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but with the mounting post shown in an erected position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a side section view of the holder taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a preferred kit according to one aspect of the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the kit of  FIG. 5  taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 , but taken from an elevational view point rather than a perspective view point; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the  FIG. 6  drawing; 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is an elevational view of the  FIG. 8  parts; 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a preferred combined coil and holder, with the coil shown in the process of being mounted on a mounting post; 
           [0028]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10 , but with the coil shown fully mounted on the mounting post; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 12  is a top view of an example patio area where a triangular array of three of the coil stations have been positioned (using the components of a kit of the present invention). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]      FIG. 1  shows a first preferred holder  10  of the present invention. It is suitable for supporting a mosquito coil  14  during use (see  FIG. 11 ). The holder  10  includes an ash tray  18  in the form of a dish, two mounting brackets  22 , and a wire mounting past  26 . 
         [0031]    The ash tray  18  has a floor  28  and upstanding curved side-walls  30  extending front the floor  28 . The ash tray is arranged to catch and retain ash that may fall during the burning process shown in  FIG. 11 . Of course, it need not necessarily be circular or dish-like. For example it can be (in top view) square or rectangular, and/or have other types of outer walls. 
         [0032]    To provide heat insulation to supporting surfaces the ash tray  18  may further have three feet  34  that are in the form of bumps created by embossing or stamping. More feet or other heat insulation structures may be used instead. 
         [0033]    As best shown in  FIG. 3 , ash tray  18  also has two apertures  38  arranged to receive and mount the brackets  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the apertures are generally rectangular and slightly offset if our the precise center of the floor  28 . 
         [0034]    Turning back to  FIG. 1 , each bracket  22  may be formed by an injection molding process and defines a post receiving aperture  42  (see  FIG. 5 ), a slot  46 , and a tab  50  (see  FIG. 3 ). The post receiving aperture  42  extends through each bracket  22 . Locking slot  46  extends from the post receiving aperture  42  to a top surface of the bracket  22 . The tab  50  is arranged to engage the aperture  38  of the ash tray  18  via press fit and maintain the bracket  22  therein. 
         [0035]    Mounting post  26  includes a spike  54  at an outward end and two legs  58  at an inward end. Each leg  58  includes a foot  62  sized to be received in the post receiving aperture  42  of the bracket  22 . Additionally, each leg  58  is sized such that the diameter of the leg  58  can be received in and engaged with the slot  46  of the bracket  22 . 
         [0036]    The illustrated mounting post  26  is a bent wire. However, as will be appreciated from  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the spike  54  may be flattened/thinned. This permits most of the supporting structure to maintain the full strength of the wire, while causing the spike to optimally conform to a slot  120  of a preferred mosquito coil. Its legs  58  are arranged to be flexible such that they may be flexed toward one another under pressing force to permit alignment with the slots  46 , and subsequent insertion of the posts as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0037]    In this regard, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the mounting post  26  may be rotated upward about the feet  62  until the legs  58  ate substantially aligned with the locking slots  46 . After both of the legs  58  are pressed towards each other, and aligned with the slots  46 , the legs  58  can then flex away from one another to the erected/locked position. The mounting post  26  is arranged such that the legs  58  are biased toward the erected position. Once the legs  58  are aligned with the slots  46  and moved to the extended position, the slots  46  engage the legs  58  and inhibit there removal therefrom via press-fit. 
         [0038]    One advantage of the holder  10  is that it may be reconfigured between an extremely compact shipping position and the erected position, preferably a number of times without permanently deforming the mounting post  26  or any other component of the holder  10 . The mounting post  26  is elastically deformed as it moves between the flexed position and the erected position, albeit in a way that substantially no permanent deformation occurs. Additionally, when the holder is in the erected position, the mounting post  26  is substantially rigid and can withstand a significant downward pressure or force (such as might occur it a consumer tries to use too much pressure to mount a coil). 
         [0039]    From  FIGS. 2 and 4  it will be appreciated that the spike  54 , when in the erected position, may be in a somewhat off center position relative to the ash tray such that when a preferred mosquito coil  14  is mounted thereon the coil can be positioned entirely over the ash tray  10 . 
         [0040]    Turning next to  FIGS. 5-9 , a kit  100  is shown which includes a container  104  and a lid  108 . The lid  108  is attached to the container  104  via press-fit. However, in other possible embodiments the lid  108  may be threadingly engaged with the container  104  or attached thereto in another way. The illustrated container  104  and lid  108  may be formed from stamped metal such as aluminum. 
         [0041]      FIG. 7  shows three mosquito coils  14  and three holders  10  arranged in stacked (and in the case of the holders, also nested) fashion inside the container  104 . A foam packing ring  112  inhibits breakage of the coils during shipment (as the coils  14  will preferably have a smaller diameter than the holders  10  to insure that ashes fall on the holder). 
         [0042]      FIG. 9  illustrates how the kit  100  may be unpacked after the kit is carried to a  FIG. 12  type usage area. The lid  108  is first separated from the container  104 , and then the holders  10  are removed. One mosquito coil  14  is then removed and directly installed on each spike  54  to thereby form a mosquito coil station  116 . Removing the holders  10  first, setting them up, and only then installing the mosquito coils  14  provides the user with a kit wherein each somewhat fragile mosquito coil  14  is handled only one time to complete assembly of a mosquito coil station  116 . 
         [0043]      FIGS. 10 and 11  depict how the mosquito coil station  116  is preferably assembled. First, the holder  10  is moved to the erected position as discussed above. With the legs  58  locked within the slots  46 , the holder  10  is placed at a desired location. The mosquito coil  14  is then positioned with its slot  120  above the spike  54  and pushed down onto the spike  54  such that the mosquito coil  14  is held in place suspended above the ash tray  18 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 11  shows an assembled mosquito coil station  116  with the mosquito coil  14  lit, and active containing smoke  124  being produced. Any resulting ash  128  will be caught in the ash tray  18  as it falls from the mosquito coil  14 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 12  shows one exemplary use of the kit  100 . This kit  100  includes three mosquito coil stations  116  and thereby provides the user with the means to control a large patio area. The entire patio area  200  may be protected for a typical period of time where a barbecue or the like is held (for example up to four hours). 
         [0046]    A variety of positional arrays of multiple stations  116  can be used. For example, the holders may be positioned about six to ten feet away from each other (e.g. about two to three meters away from each other) surrounding an area to be protected. For example, when three coils are used, the coils may be positioned in a triangular configuration surrounding the area to be protected. 
         [0047]    The kit  100  makes transport and storage of a plurality of mosquito coil stations  116  easy and compact. More than three holders  10  may be included in the kit  100 . Additionally, more than three mosquito coils  14  may be included in the kit  100 . 
         [0048]    Each mosquito coil  14  may be of a conventional type (e.g. made of a mostly dry cellulosic dough dosed with an air treatment chemical). As is well known, such coils can be lit at their outer end (e.g. with a match) and then burned (e.g. over about a four hour period) to the center of the spiral. This dispenses the active ingredient into the air and in some cases leaves a smell amount of ash residue behind. 
         [0049]    While the air treatment chemical may be chosen from a wide variety of possible actives (e.g. repellents, insecticides, fragrances, deodorizers, etc.), for patio area insect repellent use it is preferred to use metofluthrin or transfluthrin in a conventional solvent (such as acetone). The active ingredient can be deposited on or immediately near the surface of the coil. 
         [0050]    The present invention thus provides a cost effective and space economical solution for providing a plurality of mosquito coil stations in a convenient package. While specific embodiments have been shown, various modifications falling within the breadth and scope of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art. For example, the mounting post  26  may be replaced with another post that is movable between a storage position and an erected position without being permanently deformed. For example, a plastic post may be employed or the design of the post may be different. Thus, the following claims should be looked to in order to understand the full scope of the invention. 
         [0051]    All documents cited in this patent are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein. The citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0052]    The present invention provides compact stands for supporting burnable substrates such as mosquito coils, and kits containing such coils, such stands and a container, where the combination provides the needed materials to erect a multiple position array of mosquito coils or the like.