Descenting systems and methods

Abstract

The present invention, in certain aspects, discloses systems and methods for treating a human being and / or items with descenting material, the systems, in certain aspects, including a generator for producing descenting material, and, in certain aspects at least one direction apparatus in communication with the generator for receiving produced descenting material from the generator and for directing said descenting material in a desired direction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 018,620 filed Dec. 21, 2004, said application co-owned with the present invention and incorporated fully herein for all purposes and from which application the present invention and application claim priority under the Patent Laws.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention is directed to descenting systems and methods; in certain aspects, to such systems and methods for facilitating human / animal encounters and activities; and in other aspects to methods and systems for reducing or eliminating human odors that are detectable by animals. The invention relates to a method of descenting the clothes and apparatus of sportsmen, both professional, non professional, military personnel, bikers, campers and the like. In certain aspects a method is provided for reducing or removing human scent and any other scent that is...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] The present invention, in certain aspects, is directed to systems and methods which use gaseous ozone to kill bacteria and reduce or eliminate odors emanating from humans, e.g. in breath or from skin, as well as odors in clothing worn by a person that are volatilized into the air space between the human and the wildlife to prevent wildlife from detecting the presence of humans and / or to enhance encounters with and the attraction of wildlife. One embodiment is directed to wearing or carrying a portable ozone generator while walking, waiting for, or engaging in attracting wildlife. Another embodiment is directed to wearing or carrying a portable ozone generator while engaging in an activity, e.g. walking, waiting for wildlife, or engaging in preventing wildlife from detecting the presence of humans. Another embodiment is directed to clothing incorporating or combined with ozone directing apparatus or devices. Yet another embodiment is directed to the treatment of clothing—e.g. directly with ozone, prior to or while being worn—to enhance the attraction of wildlife. Yet another embodiment is directed to the use of gaseous ozone in or around a tent, site, or blind to reduce or eliminate odors to enhance the attraction of wildlife, e.g. for hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and wildlife photographers. Yet another embodiment is directed to the use of gaseous ozone in or around a tent, site, or blind to reduce or eliminate odors to prevent the detection of humans by wildlife, e.g., for hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and wildlife photographers.

[0020] The invention relates to a method for deodorizing the clothing and apparatus of sportsmen, professional or non professional. More particularly, there are provided methods for reducing or eliminating human scent or any other foreign scent from clothing etc.; and there are provided methods for removing human scent or any other foreign scent (collectively “foreign scents”) from items and / or clothing, e.g. clothing used by hunters before or during a hunt—through the use of ozone or hydroxyl and hydroperoxide ions produced by ionization in a manner that would not cause irritation or injury to the user or equipment. Also, there is provided a method for removing fish odor from fishermen and their clothing and equipment while in the field including lures, tackle boxes and containers. The principal objective of the invention is the provision of a method for effectively removing human scent from clothing used by sportsmen.

[0021] It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method for military personnel to escape detection by other humans or by scent animals (e.g., scent dogs). In certain particular aspects the present invention provides methods for reducing or eliminating human or any other foreign scent from items, e.g. from clothing and equipment, used by military personnel desiring to evade detection or capture—through the use of ozone or ozone with hydroxyl and hydroperoxide ions produced by ionization in a manner that would not cause irritation or injury to the user or equipment.

[0024] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of deodorizing clothing with ozone so that it will not cause irritation or harm.

[0034] New useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious systems and methods for reducing foreign scent in a space between a human being and an animal.

Problems solved by technology

Scents that are not a natural part of the environment will often function as a warning to deer, which may result in the deer being spooked and running from the unnatural scent.

While it is not known which specific compound or blends of compounds emanating from humans are identified by an animal as human, there is currently no effective way to eliminate or reduce odors from humans and from clothing and equipment enough to reduce the odors to inhibit detection by wildlife or effectively attract wildlife.

Some commonly used masks are carbon sprays which, in addition to being dangerous to inhale and which can irritate skin, become ineffective once dry.

Many of the attractants contain deer urine or estrous, which besides being offensive to the human user, have limited shelf life and are generally ineffective since especially the estrous tend to occur naturally only in certain seasons.

Cover scents such as fruit extracts or fragrances last a short time and are often so over-powering that the deer easily identifies the smell as unnatural and runs.

The use of descenting soaps and shampoos is messy, time-consuming, often skin irritating, often ineffective and does not address breath odor.

Breath descenting using herbs are generally distasteful, and face masks containing carbons or sieves are extremely uncomfortable.

However, activated carbon has a very low capacity for odorants and requires temperatures preferably above 400° C., more preferably above 600° C. to regenerate the carbon.

Placement of clothing in ovens capable of achieving 400 C plus temperatures needed to regenerate the carbon can damage the fabric of a garment.

Silver or other metal-containing clothing requires direct contact of the metal with the bacteria to be effective, which is almost never the case since the clothing would then be so restricting as to be uncomfortable.

These types of clothing are also expensive and do not address human odors such as those in human breath, nor do they address any of the odors emanating from the foot or any exposed part of the skin like the head and hands.

Unfortunately the animal scents which are utilized, are obnoxious and linger on the clothing for long periods of time and often do not mask out human scents.

There are other drawbacks in utilizing animal scents or any other scents.

Also, the weapon used by the hunter has an odor recognizable by some animals which cannot be disguised with a scent.

Fishermen have the problem of fish odor on their hands and clothes which is difficult to remove.

For fishermen camping overnight the fish odor is not only undesirable because of the odor but can also attract animals such as bears which the fishermen is not prepared to meet.

The washing materials may also leave an odor.

However, out in the field the hunter can sweat and permeate the clothing with a human scent.

The reference recognizes that ozone in large quantities can be harmful or irritating.

Ozone also readily self-destructs into simple diatomic oxygen due to its inherent instability.

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