Dispenser for the Controlled Release of Volatile Substances

Abstract

A dispenser for a volatile substance, which contains a reservoir and two control elements. The first control element exerts a control function that is dependent on the substance characteristics of the volatile substance and the material characteristics of the constituents of said first control element. However, the second control element exerts a control function that is independent of the substance characteristics of the volatile substance and the material characteristics of the constituents of said first control element. The first control element is located between the reservoir and the second control element and is permeable to at least one volatile substance. The second control element consists of a material that is impermeable to the volatile substance and contains defined material cavities. Perfumes, crop protection agents, pheromones and repellents, which can be released in a controlled manner, constitute the volatile substances.

1 . A method of delivering a volatile substance to an environment, comprising:
 providing a dispenser for controlled release of the volatile substance, comprising:
 a reservoir that is flat and has a top face and a bottom face, the reservoir containing at least one volatile substance; 
 a layer of material which is impermeable to the at least one volatile substance, and which covers the top face of the reservoir; 
 a first control element which:
 is composed of a material which is permeable to the at least one volatile substance; 
 covers the bottom face of the reservoir; and 
 exerts control over the release rate of said at least one volatile substance by means of diffusion dependent on the physical properties of the at least one volatile substance and the material properties of said permeable material of the first control element; and 
 
 a second control element which:
 is composed of a material which is impermeable to the at least one volatile substance; and 
 exerts control over the release rate of said at least one volatile substance, by controlling the size of the surface of the first control element, independent of the physical properties of the at least one volatile substance and the material properties of said permeable material of the first control element; 
 
 wherein the second control element is in the form of a film that possesses gaps through which the at least one volatile substance moves, wherein the number of said gaps is from 500 to 8000 gaps per m 2  of said film; 
 wherein said first control element is pressure-sensitively adhesive, and is fully covered by said second control element such that, during the use of the dispenser, the at least one volatile substance moves from the reservoir first through the first control element and then through the gaps in the second control element; and 
 wherein the first control element and the second control element jointly control release of the at least one volatile substance from the reservoir; and 
   introducing the dispenser to the environment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the environment is a gaseous environment.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 ;
 wherein the gaseous environment is selected from the group consisting of a furniture item, room, vehicle, shoe, baking oven, garbage pail, suitcase   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the environment is a liquid environment.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 ;
 wherein the liquid environment is selected from the group consisting of an aquarium, a toilet bowl, and a washing machine.   
     
     
         6 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the reservoir is a cavity which contains the at least one volatile substance.   
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the reservoir comprises a carrier material which is capable of accommodating a volatile substance in the form of a solution, a suspension, a dispersion, an adsorbate, or an absorbate.   
     
     
         8 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the reservoir has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 2.5 cm and a length and a width between 4 mm and 20 cm.   
     
     
         9 . The dispenser of  claim 7 ;
 wherein the carrier material comprises a natural or synthetic polymer.   
     
     
         10 . The dispenser of  claim 7 ;
 wherein the carrier material is in solid matrix, fiber, textile woven, nonwoven, knitted, foam, powder, gel, solution, granule, or web form.   
     
     
         11 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the first control element comprises further auxiliaries selected from the group consisting of plasticizers, tackifiers, pigments, thickeners, gel formers, film formers, antioxidants, and dyes.   
     
     
         12 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the material which is permeable to the at least one volatile substance comprises a natural or synthetic polymer selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, cellulose esters, hemicelluloses, alginates, rayon, cellulose nitrates, acetate rayon, starch, gelatin, carrageenan, gum arabic, chitin, pectin, cellulose, viscose staple, polyacrylates, polyacrylonitrile, polybutadiene, polybutene, polycarbonate, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polydialkylsiloxane, polyisoprene, polyethers, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol esters, polyethylene glycol ethers, polyglycol esters, polyisobutene, polypeptides, polypropylene, polystyrene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl esters, polyvinyl ethers, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylpyrrolidone, proteins, and styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers and blend thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the second control element is in the form of a film and has a thickness of between 50 μm and 2.5 mm.   
     
     
         14 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the gaps in the second control element are tubular, spherical, or irregular.   
     
     
         15 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the at least one volatile substance is selected from the group consisting of disinfectants, detersives, fragrances, crop protection agents, pharmaceuticals, pheromones, cleaning agents, repellents, attractants, and detergents.   
     
     
         16 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the at least one volatile substance is selected from the group consisting of fragrances and pheromones.   
     
     
         17 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the at least one volatile substance comprises a fragrance, a pheromone, or a mixture thereof which possesses an attractive or repellent effect on insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, or mammals.   
     
     
         18 . The disperser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the second control element is an open-pore foam or is a web material.   
     
     
         19 . The dispenser of  claim 18 ;
 wherein the second control element is an open-pore foam.   
     
     
         20 . The dispenser of  claim 18 ;
 wherein the web material is fiber membrane having a basis weight of 100 g/m 2 .   
     
     
         21 . The dispenser of  claim 18 ;
 wherein the web material is a fiber membrane consisting of 100% viscose or 70% viscose and 30% polyethylene terephthalate.   
     
     
         22 . The dispenser of  claim 17 ;
 wherein the at least one volatile substance is a pheromone selected from the group consisting of muscalure, disparlure, bombykol, brevicomin, (E,E)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol, (Z)-9-dodecenyl acetate, (E)-9-dodecenyl acetate, 7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene, Z-11-hexadecenal, Z-11-hexadecenyl acetate, (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienal, cis-11-tetradecenyl acetate, trans-11-tetradecenyl acetate, Z-9-tricosene, Z,E-9,12-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate, (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienal, (E)-2-octadecenal, E(10),(Z)12-hexadecadien-1-ol, and (E)-4-tridecen-1-yl acetate.   
     
     
         23 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the first control element is between the reservoir and the second control element is uncovered.   
     
     
         24 . The dispenser of  claim 22 ;
 wherein the first control element is in at least partial contact with the layer of material impermeable to the at least one volatile substance.   
     
     
         25 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the gaps are tubular and possess a diameter of from 2 μm to 2 mm.   
     
     
         26 . The dispenser of  claim 25 ;
 wherein the tubular gaps possess a diameter of from 50 μm to 0.5 mm.   
     
     
         27 . The dispenser of  claim 26 ;
 wherein the tubular gaps possess a diameter of from 100 μm to 250 μm.   
     
     
         28 . The dispenser of  claim 1 ;
 wherein the gaps possess a cross-sectional area of from about 3.14 μm 2  to about 3.14 mm 2 .   
     
     
         29 . The dispenser of  claim 28 ;
 wherein the cross-sectional of the gaps is from about 1960 μm 2  to about 0.196 mm 2 .   
     
     
         30 . The dispenser of  claim 29 ;
 wherein the cross-sectional of the gaps is from about 7,850 μm 2  to about 49,100 μm 2 .