Spill-resistant air freshener canister

Abstract

A spill-resistant air freshener canister includes: a supply vessel filled with aromatic liquid that has a threaded mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane; a cylindrical inner sleeve incorporating a socket that sealably engages the threaded mouth of the supply vessel, the sleeve also having a cylindrical axial aperture at the bottom of the socket, and at least one seepage aperture at the very bottom of the socket which enables liquid from inside the supply vessel to escape in a radially outward direction to the exterior of the cylindrical sleeve; a cylindrical wick surrounding the cylindrical inner sleeve; and an evaporator cage into which the cylindrical sleeve is inserted, the evaporator cage having a fully-enclosed bottom portion containing a central projecting blade that fits through the axial aperture at the bottom of the socket. The bottom portion is ultrasonically welded to the bottom of the cylindrical inner sleeve.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air freshener canister comprising:
 a supply vessel for holding an aromatic liquid, said supply vessel having a mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane;   a container for holding the supply vessel with the puncturable membrane facing downward, said container having an evaporator cage which surrounds at least a major portion of the supply vessel, and a base attached to the evaporator cage, said base having at least one upwardly-projecting blade which punctures the membrane when the supply vessel is manually propelled, with a twisting motion, in a downward direction so that the mouth is proximate the base, thereby preventing the spilling of aromatic liquid from the mouth and enabling the aromatic liquid to seep outwardly from the mouth; and   a wick which is disposed within the evaporator cage, which also surrounds the supply vessel and extends downwardly to the base, so that it receives and absorbs aromatic liquid that seeps outwardly from the mouth once the membrane has been punctured.   
     
     
         2 . The air freshener canister of  claim 1 , which further comprises a cap, said cap having internal threads that engage external threads on the mouth of the supply vessel, said cap enabling the puncturable membrane to be compressed against the edges of the mouth by tightening the cap on the mouth of the supply vessel, thereby ensuring more effective sealing of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during a process of inductive sealing of the puncturable membrane to edges of the mouth of the supply vessel. 
     
     
         3 . The air freshener canister of  claim 2 , which further comprises a resilient washer that is inserted between the cap and the mouth of the supply vessel, said resilient washer ensuring application of a more even force of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during the inductive sealing process. 
     
     
         4 . The air freshener canister of  claim 1 , wherein the manual twisting motion operates to engage a curved ramp, which propels the supply vessel in a downward direction. 
     
     
         5 . The air freshener canister of  claim 4 , wherein said cap is also equipped with external threads, which engage a socket within the base and operate as the curved ramp. 
     
     
         6 . An air freshener canister comprising:
 a supply vessel for holding an aromatic liquid, said supply vessel having a mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane;   a container for enclosing the supply vessel with the puncturable membrane facing downward, said container having an evaporator cage which surrounds at least a major portion of the supply vessel, and a base coupled to the evaporator cage, which has at least one upwardly-projecting blade which punctures the membrane when the supply vessel is manually propelled in a downward direction so that the mouth is proximate the base, thereby preventing the spilling of aromatic liquid from the mouth, yet allowing the aromatic liquid to seep outwardly from the mouth; and   a cylindrical wick which is disposed within the evaporator cage, and which also surrounds the supply vessel and extends downwardly to the base, so that it receives and absorbs aromatic liquid that seeps outwardly from the mouth of the supply vessel once the membrane has been punctured.   
     
     
         7 . The air freshener canister of  claim 6 , wherein the supply vessel is propelled in a downward direction via a twisting motion that engages a curved ramp, which operates to propel the supply vessel. 
     
     
         8 . The air freshener canister of  claim 6 , which further comprises a cap, said cap having internal threads that engage external threads on the mouth of the supply vessel, said cap enabling the puncturable membrane to be compressed against the edges of the mouth by tightening the cap on the mouth of the supply vessel, thereby ensuring more effective sealing of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during a process of inductive sealing of the puncturable membrane to edges of the mouth of the supply vessel. 
     
     
         9 . The air freshener canister of  claim 8 , which further comprises a resilient washer that is inserted between the cap and the mouth of the supply vessel, said resilient washer ensuring application of a more even force of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during the inductive sealing process. 
     
     
         10 . The air freshener canister of  claim 9 , wherein said cap is also equipped with external threads, which engage a threaded socket within the base, which operates as the curved ramp. 
     
     
         11 . An air freshener dispenser comprising:
 a supply vessel for holding an aromatic liquid, said supply vessel having a mouth sealed with a puncturable membrane;   a container for enclosing the supply vessel with the puncturable membrane facing downward, said container having an evaporator cage which surrounds at least a major portion of the supply vessel, and a base attached to the evaporator cage, said base having at least one upwardly-projecting blade which punctures the membrane when the supply vessel is manually propelled, with a twisting motion, in a downward direction so that the mouth is proximate the base, thereby preventing the spilling of aromatic liquid from the mouth, yet allowing the aromatic liquid to seep outwardly from the mouth;   a cap having internal threads that engage external threads on the mouth of the supply vessel, said cap enabling the puncturable membrane to be compressed against the edges of the mouth by tightening the cap on the mouth of the supply vessel, thereby ensuring more effective sealing of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during a process of inductive sealing of the puncturable membrane to edges of the mouth of the supply vessel; and   a wick which is disposed within the evaporator cage, which also surrounds the supply vessel and extends downwardly to the base, so that it receives and absorbs aromatic liquid that seeps outwardly from the mouth once the membrane has been punctured.   
     
     
         12 . The air freshener dispenser of  claim 11 , which further comprises a resilient washer that is inserted between the cap and the mouth of the supply vessel, said resilient washer ensuring application of a more even force of the puncturable membrane against the edges of the mouth during the inductive sealing process. 
     
     
         13 . The air freshener canister of  claim 11 , wherein the twisting motion operates to engage a curved ramp, which propels the supply vessel in a downward direction. 
     
     
         14 . The air freshener canister of  claim 11 , wherein said cap is also equipped with external threads, which engage a threaded socket within the base and operate as the curved ramp.