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US-12623244-B2 - Flameless energizer for treatment agent

US12623244B2US 12623244 B2US12623244 B2US 12623244B2US-12623244-B2

Abstract

An energized assembly to enhance efficacy of a treatment agent in a local environment. The assembly includes an emanator or holder element to hold treatment agent, and a flameless energizing source to energize the treatment agent and thereby, place the treatment agent into an enhanced operational state. Preferred embodiments operate for a period of time of between about 4 and 8 hours, and can then be discarded. Typically, a housing associates the treatment agent and the energizing source. Embodiments may sometimes include one or more of: a gas-tight boundary element, a thermal transfer element, a trigger mechanism, a safety mechanism, a termination mechanism, a time-delay mechanism, solidized treatment agent to avoid spills, and a sequestering arrangement to avoid premature combination of reactants.

Inventors

  • Ashok V. Joshi

Assignees

  • MICROLIN, LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230601

Claims (19)

  1. 1 . An apparatus, comprising: a holder for treatment agent, the holder comprising a volume in communication with a surface area configured and arranged to disperse energized treatment agent into a local vapor phase environment, the local vapor phase environment being disposed exterior to the apparatus during use of the apparatus; a quantity of treatment agent disposable inside the volume; and a flameless heat source comprising a mixture of selected components of a metal-air battery with all corresponding chemically reactant elements, except oxygen, being intermingled and confined inside a housing, the heat source disposed in operable association with the volume to apply heat energy to the treatment agent therein, the heat source being configured and arranged to permit an exothermic chemical reaction to propagate subsequent to introduction of oxygen into the housing.
  2. 2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the heat source is configured and arranged to attain a surface temperature greater than about 60° C. under the boundary conditions of uninsulated operation for one hour when exposed to an ambient still air temperature of 25° C.
  3. 3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the housing comprises a wall having no more resistance to water flow there-through than a woven cotton cloth.
  4. 4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the heat source comprises a chimney to improve air flow through a thickness of the battery to facilitate oxygen uptake by the constituent reaction materials.
  5. 5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein: the chimney is formed by a void disposed in vertical penetration through an upstanding length of an elongate portion of the heat source.
  6. 6 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein: the chimney comprises a top aperture and an oppositely disposed bottom aperture to facilitate vertical draft air flow from the bottom aperture toward the top aperture, the top and bottom apertures providing no more resistance to air flow there-through than a cotton cheese cloth woven at 100 threads per inch.
  7. 7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the heat source comprises an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte with one of the anode or cathode being isolated, or the electrolyte being isolated in whole or in part until a user performs a release operation to permit operable combination of the anode, cathode, and electrolyte to cause an exothermic chemical reaction.
  8. 8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a heat conducting element disposed between the heat source and the volume to facilitate heat transfer from the heat source toward the volume.
  9. 9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein: the heat conducting element is configured to resist migration of the treatment agent from the volume toward the heat source.
  10. 10 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein: the heat conducting element comprises metallic foil, perforated metal, or porous metal fabric.
  11. 11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a container configured to contain the holder and the heat source, the container comprising a plurality of apertures to permit migration of treatment agent in vapor phase from the surface area to the local environment.
  12. 12 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a container configured to contain the holder and the heat source, wherein: the container is configured to define a safety perimeter to resist contact of the heat source or a harmful component of the apparatus with a child's tongue or fingers.
  13. 13 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein: the container further comprises a cap; and the container and cap are configured to cooperate upon assembly of the apparatus to resist nondestructive disassembly and unauthorized access to the holder and heat source; and the container and cap are configured to define lower and upper portions of a chimney, respectively.
  14. 14 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the holder comprises a cleaning wipe.
  15. 15 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the entire amount of treatment agent carried by the assembly is disposed in the volume that is acted on by the heat source.
  16. 16 . An apparatus, comprising: an emanator comprising a volume to hold a treatment agent; a quantity of the treatment agent disposed within the volume, the volume communicating to a surface area configured and arranged to disperse energized treatment agent into a local vapor phase environment, the local vapor phase environment being disposed exterior to the apparatus during use of the apparatus such that the energized treatment agent is physically untethered to the apparatus; a flameless heat source in operable association with the emanator, the heat source an exothermic mixture of chemicals arranged for on-demand production of heat; and a housing configured to hold the emanator in operable association with the heat source, the housing to resist unauthorized access to the heat source during use of the apparatus to energize the treatment agent, wherein: the flameless heat source comprises a mixture of selected components of a metal-air battery with all corresponding chemically reactant elements, except oxygen, being intermingled and confined inside the housing.
  17. 17 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: an air-tight packaging envelope operable to resist combination of oxygen from a local atmosphere with the exothermic chemicals prior to placement in service to treat a local environment; and a quantity of treatment agent is disposed inside the volume prior to encapsulating the holder and flameless heat source inside the envelope.
  18. 18 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising: an air-tight packaging envelope operable to resist combination of oxygen from a local atmosphere with the exothermic chemicals prior to placement in service to treat a local environment; and a quantity of treatment agent is disposed inside the volume prior to encapsulating the volume and flameless heat source inside the envelope.
  19. 19 . An apparatus, comprising: an emanator comprising a volume to hold a treatment agent; a quantity of the treatment agent disposed within the volume, the volume communicating to a surface area configured and arranged to disperse energized treatment agent into a local vapor phase environment, the local vapor phase environment being disposed exterior to the apparatus during use of the apparatus such that the energized treatment agent is physically untethered to the apparatus; a flameless heat source in operable association with the emanator, the heat source comprising an exothermic mixture of chemicals arranged for on-demand production of heat; and a housing configured to hold the emanator in operable association with the heat source, the housing to resist unauthorized access to the heat source during use of the apparatus to energize the treatment agent, wherein: the flameless heat source comprises a mixture of selected components of a metal-air battery with all corresponding chemically reactant elements, except oxygen, being intermingled and confined inside the housing; an air-tight packaging envelope operable to resist combination of oxygen from a local atmosphere with the exothermic chemicals prior to placement in service to treat a local environment; and a quantity of treatment agent is disposed inside the volume prior to encapsulating the volume and flameless heat source inside the envelope.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM This application is a continuation-in-part of International Application Serial No. PCT/US21/60145, filed Nov. 19, 2021 for “FLAMELESS ENERGIZER FOR TREATMENT AGENT”, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 17/353,742, filed Jun. 21, 2021 for “FLAMELESS ENERGIZED EMANATOR”, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 17/322,849, filed May 17, 2021, for “FLAMELESS ENERGIZED EMANATOR”, and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of the filing date of Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/120,664, filed Dec. 2, 2020, for “ENERGIZED EMANATOR”; and Ser. No. 63/133,686, filed Jan. 4, 2021, for “ENERGIZED EMANATOR”, the entire disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated herein by this reference. BACKGROUND Field This invention relates to devices configured to enhance efficacy of a treatment agent. Background Art Several ways are known to treat a local environment with a dispersed treatment agent. One way to treat a local environment is to apply an aerosolized form of treatment agent into the air. Devices such as perfumed or scented candles are available to create a pleasing smell in a local environment. Citronella candles are commercially available for insect abatement, and may be burned when treatment of a local area is desired. For mosquito relief, various machines may be employed to burn propane and emit a fog of repellant or poison. Products are available to apply a room temperature treatment agent to a surface, e.g., for cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing, insect abatement, or creating a pleasing scent. Exemplary treatment agents may be sprayed onto a surface, and sometimes, wiped off with a cloth or paper towel. Cleaning wipes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,555,521; 10,687,536; 10,260,030; and 10,808,211. All of the aforementioned patents are hereby incorporated by reference. Known currently available products either lack sufficient efficacy, are cumbersome to use, or are too costly to gain wide acceptance. It would be an improvement to provide an effective product to energize a treatment agent to improve its efficacy. Desirably, a device could be provided that is simple to use and sufficiently low cost to permit its disposal after a single use. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Embodiments typically include a holder for a quantity of treatment agent, a treatment agent associated with the holder, and an energizing source. A holder may operate as an emanator of enhanced treatment agent (e.g., in vapor or heated fluid phase), and may sometimes be made reference to as an emanator. The energizing source functions to enhance efficacy, and/or emanation in vapor or fluid phase, of the treatment agent. A holder typically has a surface area disposed in operable association with a volume in which to hold a quantity of treatment agent. A holder may sometimes have a vapor-emitting surface area in excess of about 1000 mm2. Treatment agent may sometimes volatize, sublimate, or evaporate from the surface area to broadcast treatment agent in vapor phase. Other times, treatment agent may be spread over a surface by a wiping motion of the holder against the surface. A workable holder may include a material selected from cotton, paper, cellulose, woven or nonwoven textile or random mat or sheet or 3-dimensional structure comprising natural or synthetic fibers, natural or synthetic open or closed cell sponge, high surface area (HSA) materials having a surface area greater than 10 m2/gm, diffusion membrane, porous metal, metallized fabric, and the like. One workable holder is a cleaning wipe. In one embodiment, a wipe may include an insulating layer for hand protection. In that case, the insulating layer is generally disposed on the opposite side of the exothermic material from a wiping surface. Efficacy of a treatment agent (e.g., cleaning, disinfecting, or sterilizing fluid) is enhanced by heat supplied by the exothermic reaction. It is within contemplation that a wipe may not include an insulating element. Such an uninsulated wipe may sometimes be used with a handle or implement that protects a user from heat produced by the exothermic reaction. The flameless energizing source may be disposed in a variety of operable configurations with the volume to apply heat energy to the treatment agent therein. Certain embodiments may include a treatment agent-holding volume that is directly bounded in part or in whole by the surface area. In one such case, a flameless heat source may be partially or fully surrounded by the volume to dispose the volume between the heat source and an evaporating surface. Sometimes, the entire quantity of treatment agent contained in an assembly is disposed to simultaneously receive heat from the heat source. A workable embodiment may include an agent storage volume that is configured to receive energizing input on a portion of its volume-defining boundary area. Sometimes, the volume-defining boundary area may include a