Emulsion for air freshener device

Abstract

The present invention relates to liquid air freshener devices and specific emulsions for use in said liquid air freshener devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to liquid air freshener devices and specific emulsions for use in the liquid air freshener devices. Background Art

[0002] Air fresheners are consumer products that typically emit a scent and are used in home or commercial interiors such as restrooms, foyers, hallways, vestibules, and other smaller indoor areas, as well as larger areas such as hotel lobbies, car dealerships, spa facilities, public venues, and other large indoor spaces.

[0003] Many liquid air fresheners are commercially available in different forms, such as reed or wick diffusers, electrical plug-in devices, aerosols or sprays. The fragrance composition of the air freshener may be a true solution or a colloidal solution, such as a microemulsion.

[0004] EP 2629807 B1 claims a liquid reed diffuser fragrance composition comprising: (a) 0.1% to 60% by weight of an oil phase comprising a fragrance; (b) at least 10% by weight of water; (c) a fragrance carrier comprising at least one mono-, di-, or polyglycol ether; and (d) an amphiphilic solubilizer.

[0005] EP 2810663 B1 (RECKITT) describes a fragrance composition comprising at least two different fragrance accords, wherein at least 30% by weight of each fragrance accord comprises a key contributor to said fragrance accord, and wherein the odor detection threshold mean of said key contributor to each fragrance accord is within the same order of magnitude as the odor detection threshold mean of the key contributors to said other fragrance accords; and wherein the base note of each fragrance accord comprises less than 15% of the notes of said accord. The composition is particularly useful in reed diffusers.

[0006] WO 2016 1196601A1 relates to a fragrance composition comprising a fragrance compound and a solvent or carrier, wherein at least 10% by weight based on the total weight of the solvent and the carrier of the fragrance composition is one or more specific low vapor pressure volatile organic compound (VOC). The new fragrance composition is particularly suitable for air purification devices, such as reed diffusers.

[0007] GB 2474042 B2 claims a method of mixing valerian oil with other essential oils, water and a dispersant, using a reed diffuser to slowly release the properties of the composition into the environment to help relieve stress and its related symptoms in humans and other mammals. Preferably, the composition contains valerian, vetiver, sweet basil and sage oils. The preferred dispersant is 3-methyl-3-methoxybutyl acetate.

[0008] Traditional liquid air fresheners include high levels of volatile organic compound (VOC) solvents, such as dipropylene glycol methyl ether (Dowanol DPM), which are expensive and unpopular due to environmental and safety issues, and may increase concerns about regulatory requirements. Therefore, many traditional air freshener formulations, including water-based formulations, impose restrictions on fragrance creativity and the level of fragrance that can be used due to fragrance solubility or solubilization issues. For example, a scented liquid air freshener containing a high content of water generally requires a large amount of solubilizers, such as surfactants, to achieve the required transparency and stability of the final product. Such products may contain only a low fragrance content, which may result in a poor impact on the room when used, or contain an excessive amount of solubilizer relative to a higher fragrance dosage, which over time has an unsatisfactory effect on fragrance performance, such as clogging of the suction core due to fragrance release. In addition, traditional water-based air fresheners often have certain disadvantages and limitations. Therefore, due to limited or even unacceptable fragrance performance, product life, aesthetics, or temperature product stability over time, its performance may be unsatisfactory.

[0009] In particular, reed diffuser compositions are usually based on expensive and sometimes ecologically harmful solvents, such as dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether (DPM). Therefore, the perfume industry is looking for alternatives, preferably water-based systems. However, water-based systems mostly do not work technically or only allow low fragrance contents. This leads to a poor room effect when used. In order to obtain similar fragrance performance as with ordinary systems, the same amount of perfume must be added to the water phase. In order to make this fragrance content soluble, the solubilizer content must be significantly increased. Unfortunately, if large amounts of non-evaporating solubilizers are used, the wick becomes blocked after only a short period of use and further evaporation is not possible.

[0010] The use of high concentrations of solubilizers can result in unacceptable product performance, for example due to the solubilizer clogging capillary channels in the diffuser, resulting in suppressed or ineffective release of fragrance through a delivery device such as a wick or reed, leading to limited performance over time. Thus, there is a need for improved water-based air freshener formulations that address these and other problems.

[0011] The complex object of the present invention is to provide a specific composition for use in an air freshener device, in particular a wick or reed diffuser, to solve the problems and disadvantages of the above-mentioned water-based formulations. Therefore, within the scope of the present invention, the composition should be a water-based formulation that increases the amount of essential oil that can be added, has a combination of a low solubilizer content and a small amount of solvent to optimize the solubility of the fragrance, while reducing the risk of the solubilizer clogging the capillary channels in the diffuser, in particular the wick or reed. Summary of the invention

[0012] The subject of the present invention is a liquid air freshener system comprising or consisting of: (i) containers; (ii) a liquid air freshener composition; and (iii) a diffuser for diffusing the air freshener composition into the surrounding air, Wherein, the liquid air freshener composition is an oil-in-water emulsion, which contains or consists of the following ingredients: (a) aqueous phase; (b) an oil phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or an essential oil; (c) at least one surfactant; (d) at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate or polymethacrylate thickeners, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, alginic acid, alginates, agar, carrageenan, welan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, pectin, polysaccharides, starch, dextrin, gelatin, casein, modified starch and modified cellulose, and mixtures thereof; and optional (e) at least one other additive and / or adjuvant; Wherein the amount of surfactant is 0.4 to 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the oil phase, the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of about 1 to about 15 μm.

[0013] Surprisingly it has been found that the use of an oil-in-water emulsion as defined above in a liquid air freshener system, in particular a wick or reed diffuser, allows an increase in the amount of perfume or fragrance that can be added and a reduction in the concentration of surfactants compared to conventional water-based freshener formulations, while achieving comparable or even improved evaporation performance when compared to non-aqueous diffusible compositions based on dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether.

[0014] Furthermore, it has surprisingly been found that typical clogging problems of diffusers (wicks or reeds) associated with the large amounts of surfactants required for conventional air freshener formulations, including water-based formulations, have been significantly reduced.

[0015] As mentioned above, the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of about 1 to about 15 μm. It can be determined that the average oil droplet size plays an important role in improving the stability of the oil-in-water emulsion. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the average oil droplet size of the oil-in-water emulsion is ≥1 μm and <10 μm.

[0016] Oil droplet size may be measured by any known method, for example by laser diffraction using known techniques and instruments. For example, a Mastersizer 2000 (Malvern Instruments of Malvern, Worchestershire, United Kingdom) may be used.

[0017] Component (a) of the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the present invention is water or alternatively a combination of water and a polar solvent which is miscible with water but not with the oil phase. Specific non-limiting examples of such water-miscible solvents include ethanol, DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide), DPG (dipropylene glycol) or PEG (polyethylene glycol). Preferably, the aqueous phase of the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is pure water.

[0018] The proportion of the aqueous part is 25 to 99.9% by weight, preferably 50 to 99% by weight, more preferably 80 to 98% by weight, particularly preferably 85 to 97% by weight and most preferably 89 to 96% by weight, relative to the total weight of the oil-in-water emulsion.

[0019] Component (b) of the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention is an oil phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or essential oil; finally, in case of olfactory requirements, the at least one flavor or fragrance substance or essential oil can be mixed with DPM (dipropylene glycol methyl ether) or ethanol.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, component (b) of the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention consists of at least one flavor or fragrance substance or essential oil.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment, component (b) of the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention does not contain dipropylene glycol methyl ether and / or ethanol.

[0022] The proportion of component (b) is 0.1 to 75% by weight, preferably 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 2 to 20% by weight, particularly preferably 2 to 10% by weight, most preferably 3 to 8% by weight, relative to the total weight of the oil-in-water emulsion.

[0023] The mixing ratio of component (a) to component (b) is preferably in the range of 999.09:0.01 to 250:750, preferably 990:10 to 500:500, more preferably 900:50 to 850:150.

[0024] The choice of at least one flavor or fragrance substance or essential oil in component (b) is not important per se and depends entirely on the desired application. The only limiting factor is that they must be in the form of oil or have sufficient oil solubility. Therefore, at least one flavor or fragrance substance in component (b) is a hydrophobic or lipophilic substance.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the amount of at least one flavor or fragrance substance or essential oil in the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention is from 0.1 to 75% by weight, preferably from 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably from 2 to 20% by weight, particularly preferably from 2 to 10% by weight, most preferably from 3 to 8% by weight, relative to the total weight of the oil-in-water emulsion.

[0026] Here, a flavoring substance or aromatic substance is understood to be a compound whose main purpose is to impart or modify an odor. In other words, in order to be considered a perfuming substance, this ingredient must be considered by a person skilled in the art to be able to impart or modify the odor of a composition at least in a positive or pleasant manner. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "essential oil" or "aroma" includes a combination of perfuming ingredients used to modify or impart an odor.

[0027] The odorous or aromatic substances specified below can be used as a single substance or mixed with at least one other odorous or aromatic substance - a large number of fragrances or aroma mixtures selected from a wide range of natural and synthetic substances. However, this list of active substances and other ingredients is non-limiting and may include other active ingredients and other ingredients not further clarified below.

[0028] Fragrance substances or aromatic substances suitable for combination are listed, for example, in S. Arctander's Perfume and Flavor Materials, Volumes I and II, Montclair, NJ 1969, private publication, and / or H. Surburg, J. Panten's Common Fragrance and Flavor Materials, 6th edition, Wiley-VCFI, Weinheim 2016. The following list includes examples of known odorous substances or aromatic substances: The spices and essential oils may be natural fragrance mixtures, for example fragrance mixtures obtained from plant sources, for example extracts of natural raw materials, such as essential oils, extracts, absolutes, resins, balsams, tinctures, for example: ambergris tincture, tantalum oil, angelica seed oil, angelica root oil, anise oil, valerian oil, basil oil, tree moss absolute, bay leaf oil, wormwood oil, benzoin resin, bergamot oil, beeswax absolute, birch char Oil, bitter almond oil, savory oil, buchu leaf oil, Brazilian sandalwood oil, juniper oil, calamus oil, camphor oil, ylang-ylang oil, cardamom oil, quinoa oil, cinnamon oil, acacia absolute, castoreum absolute, cedar leaf oil, cedarwood oil, labdanum oil, citronella oil, lemon oil, copaiba balsam, copaiba balsam oil, coriander oil, costus root oil, cumin oil, cedarwood oil, davana oil, dill grass oil, dill seed oil, eau de brouts absolute, oakmoss absolute, elemi oil, tarragon oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, eucalyptus oil, fennel oil, fir needle oil, gabion oil, gabion resin, geranium oil, grapefruit oil, guaiac wood oil, guarana balsam, guarana balsam oil, helichrysum absolute, helichrysum oil, ginger oil, iris root absolute, iris root oil, jasmine absolute, calamus oil, blue chamomile oil, Roman chamomile oil, carrot seed oil, quinoa oil, pine needle oil, peppermint oil, caraway oil, labdanum oil, labdanum absolute, labdanum resin, lavender absolute, lavender oil, lavender absolute, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, angelica oil, distilled white lemon oil, pressed white lemon oil, agarwood oil, litsea cubeba oil, bay leaf oil, nutmeg oil, oregano oil, citrus oil, massoia bark oil, mimosa absolute, ambrette oil, musk tincture, sage oil, nutmeg oil, myrrh absolute, myrrh oil, myrtle oil, clove leaf oil, clove flower oil, neroli oil, frankincense absolute, frankincense oil, opoponax oil, neroli absolute, orange oil, oregano oil, palmarosa oil, patchouli oil, perilla seed oil, Peru balsam oil, parsley leaf oil, parsley seed oil, petitgrain oil, peppermint oil, allspice oil, pine oil, round mint oil, rose absolute, rosewood oil, rose oil, rosemary oil, dal Matthias sage oil, Spanish sage oil, sandalwood oil, rapeseed oil, spike lavender oil, star anise oil, benzoin oil, marigold oil, cedar needle oil, tea tree oil, turpentine oil, thyme oil, tolu balsam, tonka bean absolute, tuberose absolute, vanilla extract, violet leaf absolute, verbena oil, vetiver oil, juniper oil, cognac oil, wormwood oil, wintergreen oil, ylang-ylang oil, hyssop oil, civet absolute, cinnamon leaf oil, cinnamon bark oil, and fractions thereof or contents separated therefrom; Individual odor substances selected from the group including hydrocarbons such as 3-carene, α-pinene, β-pinene, α-terpinene, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, bisabolene, camphene, caryophyllene, cedrene, farnesene, limonene, longifolene, perillene, ocimene, valencene, (E,Z)-1,3,5-undecatriene; styrene; diphenylmethane; Aliphatic aldehydes and their acetals, such as hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, decanal, undecanal, dodecanal, tridecanal, 2-methyloctanal, 2-methylnonanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-4-heptenal, 2,6-dimethyl-5-heptenal, 10-undecenal, (E)-4-decenal, 2-dodecenal, 2,6,10-trimethyl-9-undecenal, 2,6,10-trimethyl-5,9-undecadienal, heptanal diethyl acetal, 1,1-dimethoxy-2,2,5-trimethyl-4-hexene, citronellyloxyacetaldehyde, 1-(1-methoxy-propoxy)-(E / Z)-3-hexene; Cycloaliphatic aldehydes, such as 2,4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexenecarboxaldehyde, 2-methyl-4-(2,2,6-trimethyl-cyclohexen-1-yl)-2-butenal, 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methylpentyl)-3-cyclohexenecarboxaldehyde, 4-(4-methyl-3-penten-1-yl)-3-cyclohexenecarboxaldehyde; Aromatic and aromatic aliphatic aldehydes, such as benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, 3-phenylpropanal, hydroatrol, 4-methylbenzaldehyde, 4-methylphenylacetaldehyde, 3-(4-ethylphenyl)-2,2-dimethylbenzaldehyde, 2-methyl-3-(4-isopropylphenyl)propanal, 2-methyl-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)propanal, 2-methyl-3-(4-isobutylphenyl)propanal, 3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)propanal, meat Cinnamaldehyde, α-butylcinnamaldehyde, α-amylcinnamaldehyde, α-hexylcinnamaldehyde, 3-methyl-5-phenylvaleraldehyde, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3-ethoxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-methylenedioxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, 2-methyl-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propionaldehyde, 2-methyl-3-(4-methylenedioxyphenyl)propionaldehyde; Aliphatic carboxylic acid esters, such as (E)- and (Z)-3-hexenyl formate, ethyl acetoacetate, isoamyl acetate, hexyl acetate, 3,5,5-trimethyl-hexyl acetate, 3-methyl-2-butenyl acetate, (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, (E)- and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, octyl acetate, 3-octyl acetate, 1-octen-3-acetate, ethyl butyrate, butyl butyrate, isoamyl butyrate, hexyl butyrate, (E) and (Z)-3-hexenyl isobutyrate, hexyl crotonate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl-2-methyl valerate, ethyl hexanoate, allyl hexanoate, ethyl heptanoate, allyl heptanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate, methyl 2-octenoate, methyl 2-nonenoate, allyl 2-isopentyloxyacetate, methyl 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienoate; 4-methyl-2-pentyl crotonate; Esters of cyclic alcohols, such as 2-tert-butylcyclohexyl acetate, 4-tert-butylcyclohexyl acetate, 2-tert-amylcyclohexyl acetate, 4-tert-amylcyclohexyl acetate, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexyl acetate, decahydro-2-naphthyl acetate, 2-cyclopentyl cyclopentyl crotonate, 3-pentyl-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4 acetate, decahydro-2,5,5,8a-tetramethyl-2-naphthyl acetate, 4,7-methylene-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-5- or -6-indenyl acetate, 4,7-methylene-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-5- or -6-indenyl propionate, 4,7-methylene-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-5- or -6-indenyl isobutyrate, 4,7-methyleneoctahydro-5- or -6-indenyl acetate; Esters of aromatic aliphatic alcohols and aliphatic carboxylic acids, for example benzyl acetate, benzyl propionate, benzyl isobutyrate, benzyl isovalerate, 2-phenylethyl acetate, 2-phenylethyl propionate, 2-phenylethyl isobutyrate, 2-phenylethyl isovalerate, 1-phenylethyl acetate, α-trichloromethylbenzyl acetate; α,α-dimethylphenethyl acetate, α,α-dimethylphenethyl butyrate, cinnamyl acetate, 2-phenoxyethyl isobutyrate, 4-methoxybenzyl acetate; Esters of cycloaliphatic alcohols, for example 1-cyclohexylethyl crotonate; Cycloaliphatic carboxylic acid esters, for example allyl 3-cyclohexylpropionate, allyl cyclohexyloxyacetate, methyl cis- and trans-dihydrojasmonate, methyl cis- and trans-jasmonate, methyl 2-hexyl-3-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate, ethyl 2-ethyl-6,6-dimethyl-2-cyclohexenecarboxylate, ethyl 2,3,6,6-tetramethyl-2-cyclohexenecarboxylate, ethyl 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolanecarboxylate; Aromatic and aromatic aliphatic carboxylic acids and their esters, for example benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, methyl benzoate, ethyl benzoate, hexyl benzoate, benzyl benzoate, methylphenyl acetate, ethylphenyl acetate, geranylphenyl acetate, phenylethyl phenylacetate, methyl cinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, benzyl cinnamate, phenylethyl cinnamate; cinnamyl cinnamate, allyl phenoxyacetate, methyl salicylate, isopentyl salicylate, hexyl salicylate, cyclohexyl salicylate, cis-3-hexenyl salicylate, benzyl salicylate, phenylethyl salicylate, methyl 2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethylbenzoate, ethyl 3-phenylglycidate, 3-methyl-3 Ethyl phenyl glycidate; fatty alcohols such as hexanol, octanol, 3-octanol, 2,6-dimethylheptanol, 2-methyl-2-heptanol, 2-methyl-2-octanol, (E)-2-hexenol, a mixture of (E)- and (Z)-3-hexenol, 1-octen-3-ol, 3,4,5,6,6-pentamethyl-3,4-hepten-2-ol and 3,5,6,6-tetramethyl-4-methyleneheptan-2-ol, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienol, 3,7-dimethyl-7-methoxyoctan-2-ol, 9-decenol, 10-undecenol, 4-methyl-3-decen-5-ol; Aliphatic ketones and their oximes, for example 2-heptanone, 2-octanone, 3-octanone, 2-nonanone, 5-methyl-3-heptanone, 5-methyl-3-heptanone oxime, 2,4,4,7-tetramethyl-6-octen-3-one, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one; Aliphatic sulfur-containing compounds, such as 3-methylthiohexanol, 3-methylthiohexyl acetate, 3-mercaptohexanol, 3-mercaptohexyl acetate, 3-mercaptohexyl butyrate, 3-acetylthiohexyl acetate, 1-menthene-8-thiol; Aliphatic nitriles, such as 2-nonenoic acid nitrile, 2-undecenoic acid nitrile, 2-tridecenoic acid nitrile, 3,12-tridecadienoic acid nitrile, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienoic acid nitrile, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid nitrile; acyclic terpene alcohols such as citronellol, geraniol, nerolidol, linalool, lavandulol, nerolidol, farnesol, tetrahydrolinalool, tetrahydrogeraniol, 2,6-dimethyl-7-octen-2-ol, 2,6-dimethyloctan-2-ol, 2-methyl-6-methylene-7-octen-2-ol, 2,6-dimethyl-5,7-octadien-2-ol, 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-octadien-2-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-4,6-octadien-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol, 2,6-dimethyl-2,5,7-octatrien-1-ol, and their formates, acetates, propionates, isobutyrates, butyrates, isovalerates, valerates, hexanoates, crotonates, Tiglinates and 3-methyl-2-butenoates; Acyclic terpene aldehydes and ketones, such as geranial, citral, citronellal, 7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloctanal, 7-methoxy-3,7-dimethyloctanal, 2,6,10-trimethyl-9-undecenal, geranylacetone, and dimethyl and diethyl acetals of geranial, citral, and 7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloctanal; Cyclic terpene alcohols such as menthol, isopulegol, alpha-terpineol, terpineol-4, menthan-8-ol, menthan-1-ol, menthan-7-ol, bornyl alcohol, isobornyl alcohol, linalool oxide, nopol, cedrol, ambroxanol, vetivol, guaiacol, and their formates, acetates, propionates, isobutyrates, butyrates, isovalerates, valerates, hexanoates, crotonates, Tiglinate and 3-methyl-2-butenoate; Cyclic terpene aldehydes and ketones, such as menthone, isomenthone, 8-mercaptomenthan-3-one, carvone, camphor, fenchone, α-ionone, β-ionone, α-n-methylionone, β-n-methylionone; α-isomethylionone, β-isomethylionone, α-irone, α-damascenone, β-damascenone, β-damascenone, δ-damascenone, γ-damascenone, 1-(2,4,4-trimethyl-2-cyclohexane)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1-yl)-1 Hexen-1-yl)-2-buten-1-one, 1,3,4,6,7,8a-hexahydro-1,1,5,5-tetramethyl-2H-2,4a-methylenenaphthyl-8(5H)-one, 2-methyl-4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-2-butenal, nootkatone, dihydronootkatone, 4,6,8-megatrien-3-one, α-sweet orange aldehyde, β-sweet orange aldehyde, acetyl cedar oil (methyl cedar aldehyde); Cyclic alcohols, such as, for example: 4-tert-butylcyclohexanol, 3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexanol, 3-isobornylcyclohexanol, 2,6,9-trimethyl-(Z2,Z5,E9)-cyclododecatrien-1-ol, 2-isobutyl-4-methyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-ol; Cycloaliphatic alcohols, such as α-3,3-trimethylcyclohexylmethanol, 1-(4-isopropylcyclohexyl)ethanol, 2-methyl-4-(2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopent-1-yl)butanol, 2-methyl-4-(2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopent-1-yl)-2-buten-1-ol, 2-ethyl-4-(2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopent-1-yl)-2-buten-1-ol, 3-methyl-5- (2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopent-1-yl)-pentan-2-ol, 3-methyl-5-(2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopent-1-yl)-4-penten-2-ol, 3,3-dimethyl-5-(2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopent-1-yl)-4-penten-2-ol, 1-(2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexyl)pentan-3-ol, 1-(2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexyl)hexan-3-ol; Cyclic and alicyclic ethers, for example: eucalyptol, methyl cedar ether, cyclododecyl methyl ether, 1,1-dimethoxycyclododecane, (ethoxymethoxy)cyclododecane, α-epoxycedrene, 3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyldodecahydronaphtho[2,1-b]furan, 3a-ethyl-6,6,9a-trimethyldodecahydronaphtho[2,1-b]furan, 1,5,9-trimethyl-13-oxabicyclo[10.1.0]-tridecyl-4,8-diene, rose oxide, 2-(2,4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexen-1-yl)-5-methyl-5-(1-methylpropyl)-1,3-dioxane; Cyclic ketones and macrocyclic ketones, such as, for example: 4-tert-butylcyclohexanone, 2,2,5-trimethyl-5-pentylcyclopentanone, 2-heptylcyclopentanone, 2-pentylcyclopentanone, 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, 3-methyl-cis-2-penten-1-yl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, 3-methyl-2-pentyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, 3-methyl-4-cyclopentadecenone, 3-methyl-5-cyclopentadecenone, 3-methylcyclopentadecanone, 4-(1-ethoxyvinyl)-3,3,5,5-tetramethylcyclohexanone, 4-tert-pentylcyclohexanone, 5-cyclohexadecene-1-one, 6,7-dihydro-1,1,2,3,3-pentamethyl-4(5H)-indanone, 8-cyclohexadecene-1-one, 9-cycloheptadecene-1-one, cyclopentadecanone, cyclohexadecanone; Cycloaliphatic ketones, for example: 1-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexyl)-4-penten-1-one, 2,2-dimethyl-1-(2,4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexen-1-yl)-1-propanone, 1-(5,5-dimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-4-penten-1-one, 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-2-naphthylmethyl ketone, methyl-2,6,10-trimethyl-2,5,9-cyclododecantrienone, tert-butyl-(2,4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexen-1-yl) ketone; Aromatic hydrocarbons, such as styrene and diphenylmethane; Aroaliphatic alcohols, for example benzyl alcohol, 1-phenylethanol, 2-phenylethanol, 3-phenylpropanol, 2-phenylpropanol, 2-phenoxyethanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-phenylpropanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-(3-methylphenyl)propanol, 1,1-dimethyl-2-phenylethanol, 1,1-dimethyl-3-phenylpropanol, 1-ethyl-1-methyl-3-phenylpropanol, 2-methyl-5-phenylpentanol, 3-methyl-5-phenylpentanol, 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol, 1-(4-isopropylphenyl)ethanol; Aromatic aliphatic ethers, for example: 2-phenylethyl methyl ether, 2-phenylethyl isopentyl ether, 2-phenylethyl-1-ethoxyethyl ether, phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal, phenylacetaldehyde diethyl acetal, solanum nigrum dimethyl acetal, phenylacetaldehyde glycerol acetal, 2,4,6-trimethyl-4-phenyl-1,3-dioxane, 4,4a,5,9b-tetrahydroindeno-[1,2-d]-m-dioxine, 4,4a,5,9b-tetrahydro-2,4-dimethylindeno[1,2-d]-m-dioxine; Aromatic and aromatic aliphatic ketones, such as acetophenone, 4-methyl-acetophenone, 4-methoxyacetophenone, 4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylacetophenone, 4-phenyl-2-butanone, 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, 1-(2-naphthyl)ethanone, 2-benzofuranethanone, (3-methyl-2-benzofuranyl)ethanone, benzophenone, 1,1,2,3,6-hexamethyl-5-indanylmethyl ketone, 6-tert-butyl-1,1-dimethyl-4-indanylmethyl ketone, 1-[2,3-dihydro-1,1,2,6-tetramethyl-3-(1-methylethyl)-1H-5-indenyl]ethanone; 5',6',7',8'-tetrahydro-3',5',5',6',8',8'-hexamethyl-2-naphthylacetophenone; Aromatic nitrogen compounds, for example: 2,4,6-trinitro-1,3-dimethyl-5-tert-butylbenzene, 3,5-dinitro-2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylacetophenone, cinnamonitrile, 3-methyl-5-phenyl-2-pentenoic acid nitrile, 3-methyl-5-phenylvaleric acid nitrile, methyl anthranilate, methyl N-methyl anthranilate, Schiff base of methyl anthranilate and 7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloctanal, 2-methyl-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)propanal or 2,4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexenecarboxaldehyde, 6-isopropylquinoline, 6-isobutylquinoline, 6-tert-butylquinoline, 2-(3-phenylpropyl)pyridine, indole, skatole, 2-methoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine; 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine; Phenols, phenyl ethers and phenyl esters, for example: estragole, anethole, eugenol, eugenol methyl ether, isoeugenol, isoeugenol methyl ether, thymol, carvacrol, diphenyl ether, β-naphthyl methyl ether, β-naphthyl ethyl ether, β-naphthyl isobutyl ether, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene, eugenyl acetate, 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol, 2-ethoxy-5-(1-propenyl)phenol, p-cresyl phenylacetate; Heterocyclic compounds, such as 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-2H-furan-3-one, 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-2H-furan-3-one, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4H-pyran-4-one; Lactones, such as 1,4-octanolactone, 3-methyl-1,4-octanolactone, 1,4-nonanolactone, 1,4-decanolactone, 8-decene-1,4-lactone, 1,4-undecalactone, 1,4-dodecalactone, 1,5-decanolactone, 1,5-dodecalactone, 4-methyl-1,4-decanolactone, 1,15-pentadecalactone, cis- and trans-11-pentadecadecene-1,15-lactone, cis- and trans-12- Pentadecene-1,15-lactone, 1,16-hexadecene-1,16-lactone, 9-hexadecene-1,16-lactone, 10-oxo-1,16-hexadecene-lactone, 11-oxo-1,16-hexadecene-lactone, 12-oxo-1,16-hexadecene-lactone, vinyl-1,12-dodecyl-dialactone, vinyl-1,13-tridecyl-dialactone, coumarin, 2,3-dihydrocoumarin, octahydrocoumarin; and mixtures of the above substances.

[0029] The oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the present invention further comprises at least one surfactant or emulsifier. The choice of the at least one surfactant has a significant influence on the properties of the emulsion, especially in order to maintain the stability of the emulsion.

[0030] Surfactants are classified by their hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) number, which is used as a measure of the ratio of these groups and can be used to identify surfactants for oil-in-water emulsions. It is a value between 0 and 20 that defines the affinity of the surfactant for water or oil. The HLB value is calculated for nonionic surfactants, and the numerical range of these surfactants is 0 to 20. HLB values ​​over 10 indicate an affinity for water (hydrophilicity), and HLB values ​​below 10 indicate an affinity for oil (lipophilicity). In order to form and stabilize the oil-in-water coarse emulsion according to the present invention, at least one surfactant with an HLB value of 8 to 18 is used. Preferably, a surfactant with an HLB value between 10 and 14 is used. In the most preferred variant, the coarse emulsion of the present invention comprises at least one surfactant with an HLB value of 11 to 13.

[0031] At least one surfactant or emulsifier used in the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the present invention is selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants and mixtures thereof.

[0032] Typical examples of nonionic surfactants are fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, alkylphenol polyglycol ethers, fatty acid polyglycol esters, fatty acid amide polyglycol ethers, fatty amine polyglycol ethers, alkoxylated triglycerides, mixed ethers or mixed formals, optionally partially oxidized alkyl(en)yl oligoglycosides or glucuronic acid derivatives, fatty acid-N-alkylglucamides, protein hydrolysates (especially wheat-based vegetable products), polyol fatty acid esters, sucrose esters, sorbitan esters, polysorbates and amino oxides.

[0033] Typical anionic surfactants or emulsifiers are aliphatic fatty acids having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, such as palmitic acid, stearic acid or behenic acid, and dicarboxylic acids having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, such as azelaic acid or sebacic acid. Typical examples of anionic surfactants are soaps, alkylbenzenesulfonates, alkanesulfonates, olefinsulfonates, alkyl ethersulfonates, glyceryl ethersulfonates, α-methyl estersulfonates, sulfofatty acids, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, glyceryl ether sulfates, fatty acid ether sulfates, hydroxy mixed ether sulfates, monoglyceride (ether) sulfates, fatty acid amide (ether) sulfates, mono- and dialkyl sulfosuccinates, mono- and dialkyl sulfosuccinates, sulfotriglycerides, amide soaps, ether carboxylic acids and their salts, fatty acid isethionates, fatty acid sarcosinates, fatty acid taurates, N-acylamino acids, such as acyl lactylates, acyl tartrates, acyl glutamates and acyl aspartates, alkyl oligoglycoside sulfates, protein fatty acid condensates (especially wheat-based vegetable products) and alkyl (ether) phosphates.

[0034] In addition, zwitterionic surfactants can be used as surfactants or emulsifiers. Surfactant compounds having at least one quaternary ammonium group and at least one carboxylate and one sulfonate group in the molecule are referred to as zwitterionic surfactants. Particularly suitable zwitterionic surfactants are so-called betaines, such as N-alkyl-N, N-dimethyl ammonium glycinates, such as coconut alkyl dimethyl ammonium glycinates, N-amidopropyl-N, N-dimethyl ammonium glycinates, such as coconut acylaminopropyl dimethyl ammonium glycinates, 2-alkyl-3-carboxymethyl-3-hydroxyethyl imidazoline and coconut acylaminoethyl hydroxyethyl carboxymethyl glycinate having 8 to 18 C atoms in the alkyl or acyl groups, respectively. Particularly preferred are fatty acid amide derivatives known to have the CTFA name cocoamidopropyl betaine. Other suitable emulsifiers are amphoteric surfactants. Amphoteric surfactants are understood to be surfactant compounds that contain at least one free amino group and at least one -COOH- or -SO3H group in the molecule in addition to a C8 / 18 alkyl or acyl group and are capable of forming an inner salt. Examples of suitable amphoteric surfactants are N-alkylglycines, N-alkylpropionic acids, N-alkylaminobutyric acids, N-alkyliminodipropionic acids, N-hydroxyethyl-N-alkylamidopropylglycines, N-alkyltaurines, N-alkylsarcosines, 2-alkylaminopropionic acids and alkylaminoacetic acids having about 8 to 18 C atoms in the alkyl radical, respectively. Particularly preferred amphoteric surfactants are N-coconutalkylaminopropionates, cocoacylaminoethylaminopropionates and C12 / 18 acylsarcosines. Typical examples of amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants are alkylbetaines, alkylamidobetaines, aminopropionates, aminoglycinates, imidazoliniumbetaines and sulfobetaines. The above surfactants are known compounds alone. Further typical examples of particularly suitable surfactants are fatty alcohol polyglycol ether sulfates, monoglyceride sulfates, mono- and / or dialkyl sulfosuccinates, fatty acid isethionates, fatty acid sarcosinates, fatty acid taurates, fatty acid glutamates, α-olefin sulfonates, ether carboxylic acids, alkyl oligoglycosides, fatty acid glucamides, alkylamidobetaines, amphoteric acetals and / or protein fatty acid condensates, the latter preferably based on wheat protein.

[0035] Preferably, at least one nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of:

[0036] Preferably, at least one anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of:

[0037] Preferably, the at least one amphoteric surfactant is selected from the group consisting of: EO is ethylene oxide and PO is propylene oxide.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, at least one surfactant is a nonionic surfactant or an emulsifier. Non-limiting examples of nonionic surfactants that can be cited include those belonging to the following categories: · C of the addition product of 1 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide and glycerol 12 / 18 Fatty acid monoesters and diesters; mono- and di-glycerides, mono- and di-sorbitan esters and ethylene oxide addition products thereof of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms; Polyol esters, in particular polyglycerol esters, for example polyglycerol polyricinoleate, polyglycerol poly-12-hydroxystearate or polyglycerol dimer isostearate. Mixtures of several compounds from these classes are also suitable; Based on straight chain, branched, unsaturated or saturated C 6 / 22 partial esters of fatty acids, ricinoleic acid and 12-hydroxystearic acid and glycerol, polyglycerol, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, sugar alcohols (e.g. sorbitol), alkyl glucosides (e.g. methyl glucoside, butyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside) and polyglucosides (e.g. cellulose); addition products of 2 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide and / or 0 to 5 mol of propylene oxide with linear fatty alcohols having 8 to 22 C atoms, fatty acids having 12 to 22 C atoms, alkylphenols having 8 to 15 C atoms in the alkyl group and alkylamines having 8 to 22 C atoms in the alkyl group; Alkyl (alkenyl) groups: alkyl and / or alkenyl oligoglycosides having 8 to 22 carbon atoms and their ethoxylated analogs; Addition products of 1 to 15 mol of ethylene oxide onto castor oil and / or hardened castor oil; Addition products of 15 to 60 mol of ethylene oxide onto castor oil and / or hydrogenated castor oil; Glycerol and / or sorbitan with unsaturated straight-chain or saturated branched fatty acids having 12 to 22 carbon atoms and / or or partial esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids having 3 to 18 carbon atoms and adducts thereof with 1 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide; polyglycerol partial esters (average degree of self-condensation 2 to 8), polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 400 to 5000 g / mol), trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, sugar alcohols (e.g. sorbitol), alkyl glycosides (e.g. methyl glycoside, butyl glycoside, lauryl glycoside) and polyglycosides of saturated and / or unsaturated, linear or branched fatty acids having 12 to 22 carbon atoms and / or hydroxycarboxylic acids having 3 to 18 carbon atoms (e.g. cellulose) and adducts thereof with 1 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide; - mixed esters of pentaerythritol, fatty acids, citric acid and fatty alcohols and / or mixed esters of fatty acids having 6 to 22 carbon atoms, methyl glucose and polyols, preferably glycerol or polyglycerol, mono-, di- and tri-alkyl phosphates and mono-, di- - and / or triPEG alkyl phosphates and salts thereof; Alkyl and / or alkenyl oligoglycosides; Lanolin alcohol; Polysiloxane-polyalkyl-polyether copolymers or corresponding derivatives; block copolymers, for example PEG-30 dipolyhydroxystearate; Polymeric emulsifiers, such as Pemulen types from Goodrich (TR-1, TR-2) or Cognis SP; Polyalkylene glycol and glycerol carbonate.

[0039] Particularly suitable emulsifiers are described in more detail below: Alkoxylates. Addition products of ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide with fatty alcohols, fatty acids, alkylphenols or castor oil constitute known, commercially available products. These are homologous mixtures whose average degree of alkoxylation corresponds to the quantitative ratio of ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide and substrate to which the addition reaction is carried out. C12 / 18 fatty acid monoesters and diesters of addition products of ethylene oxide with glycerol are known for use as refatting agents for cosmetic preparations. Alkyl and / or alkenyl oligoglycosides. Alkyl and / or alkenyl oligoglycosides and their preparation and use are known in the prior art. In particular, they are produced by reacting glucose or oligosaccharides with primary alcohols having 8 to 18 carbon atoms. As far as the glycosidic group is concerned, monoglycosides in which the cyclic sugar group is glycosidically bonded to the fatty alcohol and oligoglycosides having a preferred degree of oligomerization of about 8 are suitable. Here, the degree of oligomerization is the statistical average value on which the common homologous distribution of such technical products is based. Partial glycerides. Typical examples of suitable partial glycerides are hydroxystearic acid monoglyceride, hydroxystearic acid diglyceride, isostearic acid monoglyceride, isostearic acid diglyceride, oleic acid monoglyceride, oleic acid diglyceride, ricinoleic acid monoglyceride, ricinoleic acid diglyceride, linoleic acid monoglyceride, linolenic acid diglyceride, linolenic acid monoglyceride, linolenic acid diglyceride, erucic acid monoglyceride, erucic acid diglyceride, tartaric acid monoglyceride, tartaric acid diglyceride, citric acid monoglyceride, citric acid diglyceride, malic acid monoglyceride, malic acid diglyceride and technical mixtures thereof which still contain small amounts of triglycerides originating from the production process. Addition products of 1 to 30 and preferably 5 to 10 mol of ethylene oxide to the abovementioned partial glycerides are also suitable. Sorbitan esters. Suitable sorbitan esters include sorbitan monoisostearate, sorbitan sesquiisostearate, sorbitan diisostearate, sorbitan triisostearate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan monoerucate, sorbitan sesquierucate, sorbitan dierucate, sorbitan trierucate, sorbitan monoricinoleate, sorbitan sesquiricinoleate, sorbitan diricinoleate, sorbitan triricinoleate ...ricinoleate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan Sorbitan monohydroxystearate, sorbitan sesquihydroxystearate, sorbitan dihydroxystearate, sorbitan trihydroxystearate, sorbitan monotartrate, sorbitan sesquitartrate, sorbitan ditartrate, sorbitan tritartrate, sorbitan monocitrate, sorbitan sesquicitrate, sorbitan dicitrate, sorbitan tricitrate, sorbitan monomaleate, sorbitan sesquimaleate, sorbitan dimaleate, sorbitan trimalate and technical mixtures thereof. Also suitable are the addition products of 1 to 30 and preferably 5 to 10 mol of ethylene oxide to the abovementioned sorbitan esters. Polyglycerol esters. A typical example of a suitable polyglycerol ester is polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate ( PGPH), polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate ( TGI), polyglyceryl-4 isostearate ( GI 34), Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate, Diisostearyl Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate ( PDI), Polyglyceryl-3 Methyl Glucose Distearate (Tego 450), Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax (Cera )、Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate (Polyglyceryl Caprate T2010 / 90), Polyglyceryl-3 Cetyl Ether ( NL), Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate ( GS 32) and polyglycerol polyricinoleate ( WOL 1403), polyglyceryl dimerate isostearate and mixtures thereof. Other examples of suitable polyol esters are the monoesters, diesters and triesters of lauric acid, coconut acid, tallow acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, behenic acid and the like, optionally reacted with 1 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide, and trimethylolpropane or pentaerythritol.

[0040] The above-mentioned surfactants can be used alone or in combination of two, three, four or more surfactants, preferably in the form of a mixture of two or three surfactants. The selection of this surfactant system depends on the structure and polarity of the component (b) material to be emulsified and the remaining components of the oil phase of the crude emulsion. In a preferred variant of the present invention, a surfactant composition of a combination of an ionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, i.e., a combination of surfactants with different HLB values, is used to prepare and stabilize an oil-in-water emulsion. For example, a surfactant with an HLB value of 19 can be combined with a surfactant with an HLB value of 2. Ionic surfactants provide an electric charge to the surface of the droplets. The electrostatic charge thus generated can prevent the droplets from coalescing. However, nonionic surfactants prevent diffusion on the interface. The ratio of ionic surfactants to nonionic surfactants and the HLB value thus generated are adjusted according to the final emulsion system. The oil-in-water emulsion of the air freshener system according to the present invention can be best stabilized by a surfactant composition showing an appropriately adjusted HLB value. Therefore, in another preferred variant, the oil-in-water emulsion of the air freshener system according to the invention comprises a surfactant composition having a final or average HLB value between 10 and 14, wherein a final or average HLB value between 11 and 13 is best for stabilizing the emulsified system.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention comprises from 0.4 to 25% by weight of surfactant or emulsifier, preferably from 1 to 20% by weight, more preferably from 4 to 15% by weight and most preferably from 8 to 12% by weight, based on the total weight of the oil phase or dispersed phase, or from 0.004 to 18% by weight of surfactant or emulsifier, preferably from 0.01 to 10% by weight, more preferably from 0.08 to 3% by weight, particularly preferably from 0.2 to 1.5% by weight and most preferably from 0.3 to 1.3% by weight, based on the total weight of the macroemulsion.

[0042] In a further preferred embodiment, the ratio between surfactant or emulsifier and at least one flavor or fragrance substance or essential oil is from 0.4:99.6 to 25:75, preferably from 1:99 to 20:80, more preferably from 4:96 to 15:85, most preferably from 8:92 to 14:86.

[0043] The oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention additionally comprises at least one stabilizer. Due to the low surfactant concentration, the stabilizer is an essential ingredient, since it stabilizes the emulsion and prevents it from degrading into phase separation (creaming, sedimentation), Oswald ripening, aggregation processes (flocculation, coagulation, coalescence) or phase inversion. The stabilizer used according to the invention acts as a thickening agent or thickener and gives the crude emulsion favorable rheological properties. A thickening agent or thickener is a substance that can increase the viscosity of a liquid without significantly changing its other properties. The stability of an emulsion depends directly on its viscosity. The higher the viscosity, the better the stability of the crude emulsion. By using a stabilizer, i.e. a thickener, the migration speed of the oil droplets in the crude emulsion can be reduced, thereby slowing down all demulsification processes. Therefore, the emulsion of the present invention is kinetically stable. As mentioned above, the at least one stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate or polymethacrylate thickeners, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, alginic acid, alginates, agar, carrageenan, welan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, pectin, polysaccharides, starch, dextrin, gelatin, casein, modified starch and modified cellulose, and mixtures thereof.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention comprises up to 1.5 wt. % stabilizer, ie thickener, preferably 0.1 to 1.3 wt. % and more preferably 0.6 to 1.1 wt. %, based on the total amount of the macroemulsion.

[0045] In addition to the above components, the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the present invention may optionally contain additives and / or adjuvants. Preferably, the additives and / or adjuvants are selected from the group consisting of colorants, preservatives, deposition aids, etc., but are not limited to these components.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention comprises up to 1% by weight, in particular 0.1 to 0.9% by weight, of additives and / or auxiliaries.

[0047] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the oil-in-water emulsion of the liquid air freshener system according to the invention comprises or consists of the following components: 25 to 99.9% by weight, preferably 50 to 99% by weight, more preferably 80 to 98% by weight, particularly preferably 81 to 97% by weight, most preferably 89 to 96% by weight of an aqueous phase; 0.1 to 75% by weight, preferably 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 2 to 20% by weight, particularly preferably 3 to 10% by weight, most preferably 3 to 8% by weight of an oily phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or essential oil; 0.004 to 18 wt %, preferably 0.01 to 10 wt %, more preferably 0.8 to 3 wt %, particularly preferably 0.2 to 1.5 wt %, most preferably 0.3 to 1.3 wt % of a surfactant; Up to 1.5 wt. %, preferably 0.6 to 1.1 wt. % of a stabilizer; and optionally Up to 1% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 0.9% by weight, of additives and / or auxiliaries; Based on the total weight of the crude emulsion.

[0048] In further preferred embodiments, the diffuser is a natural or synthetic porous material that allows the air freshener composition to diffuse. In certain embodiments, the diffuser comprises one or more wicks, reeds, or natural or synthetic porous diffusers. Preferably, the diffuser is selected from the group consisting of wicks, reed diffusers, wood or cardboard.

[0049] In another preferred embodiment, the reed diffuser is made of a material selected from wood, fiber or paper.

[0050] In another preferred embodiment, the reed diffuser is made of natural wood, preferably cork.

[0051] In certain embodiments, the air freshener further comprises a removable device (e.g., a lid, cap, or other removable closure for the container) for preventing the air freshener composition from diffusing into the surrounding air. The removable device can prevent diffusion of the liquid composition before the air freshener system is activated, but can be opened or removed to allow diffusion of the liquid composition when the air freshener system is activated.

[0052] In another preferred embodiment, the liquid air freshener system according to the present invention is an electric liquid air freshener.

[0053] The present invention further relates to the use of an oil-in-water emulsion as a liquid air freshener composition in a liquid air freshener system, wherein the oil-in-water emulsion comprises or consists of the following ingredients: (a) aqueous phase; (b) an oil phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or an essential oil; (c) at least one surfactant; (d) at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate or polymethacrylate thickeners, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, alginic acid, alginates, agar, carrageenan, welan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, pectin, polysaccharides, starch, dextrin, gelatin, casein, modified starch and modified cellulose and mixtures thereof; and optionally (e) at least one other additive and / or adjuvant; The amount of the surfactant is 0.4 to 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the oil phase, and the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of about 1 to about 15 μm.

[0054] In this context, the above statements regarding the emulsions (eg components (a) to (e) . . . etc.) and the liquid air freshener systems also apply.

[0055] The liquid air freshener system is preferably a wick device or a reed diffuser.

[0056] The present invention further relates to an oil-in-water emulsion comprising or consisting of the following ingredients: (a) aqueous phase; (b) an oil phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or an essential oil; (c) at least one surfactant; (d) at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate or polymethacrylate thickeners, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, alginic acid, alginates, agar, carrageenan, welan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, pectin, polysaccharides, starch, dextrin, gelatin, casein, modified starch and modified cellulose and mixtures thereof; and optionally (e) at least one other additive and / or adjuvant; The amount of surfactant is 0.4 to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the oil phase, and the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of ≥1 μm and <15 μm.

[0057] In this context, the above statements regarding the emulsion (eg components (a) to (e) . . . etc.) also apply.

[0058] The present invention also relates to the use of the oil-in-water emulsion with an average oil droplet size of ≥1 μm and <15 μm as a liquid air freshener composition in a liquid air freshener system.

[0059] The oil-in-water emulsion according to the present invention can be prepared by an emulsification method using a typical technique known in the prior art of the emulsion field. Specifically, the oil-in-water emulsion described herein has been prepared according to the method described in WO 2020 / 234196 A1.

[0060] The present invention also relates to a method for perfuming and / or freshening ambient air, the method comprising diffusing the liquid air freshener composition described herein with the device described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an evaporation test using a liquid air freshener composition according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an evaporation test using a liquid air freshener composition based on dipropylene glycol methyl ether. Fig. 3 Evaporation tests using diffusers made of different materials (wooden board and cardboard). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The following examples further illustrate the present invention but should not be construed as limiting its scope. Example 1

[0062] In order to evaluate the efficacy of the liquid air freshener system according to the present invention, evaporation tests have been conducted in which different liquid air freshener compositions were used. In the first set of tests, the liquid air freshener system contained a liquid air freshener composition according to the present invention. The different emulsions differed only in the essential oil. Evaporation tests were performed using 90 g samples of each emulsion and 8 x 24 cm plastic fiber reeds. The tests were performed for 50 to 60 days. For comparison purposes, the test was repeated using a liquid air freshener composition based on dipropylene glycol methyl ether (Dowanol DPM). Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the experimental results obtained. Complete evaporation of the liquid air freshener composition was confirmed. In addition, the evaporation of the liquid air freshener system according to the present invention was slightly slower than that using a liquid air freshener composition based on dipropylene glycol methyl ether (Dowanol DPM) under similar conditions of the same dosage, sample size and reed length. It is important to point out that when approximately 10% of the air freshener composition remains, the air freshener is visually empty because the remaining 10% may be "hidden" in the wick. The evaporation curve of the emulsion according to the invention is flatter than that of the DPM variant; however, the air fresheners according to the invention do empty the bottle later than those containing the DPM-based composition.

Claims

1. A liquid air freshener system comprising or consisting of the following parts: (i) containers; (ii) a liquid air freshener composition; as well as (iii) a diffuser for diffusing the air freshener composition into the surrounding air, Wherein, the liquid air freshener composition is an oil-in-water emulsion, which contains or consists of the following ingredients: (a) aqueous phase; (b) an oil phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or an essential oil; (c) at least one surfactant; (d) at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate or polymethacrylate thickeners, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, alginic acid, alginates, agar, carrageenan, welan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, pectin, polysaccharides, starch, dextrin, gelatin, casein, modified starch and modified cellulose, and mixtures thereof; and optionally (e) at least one other additive and / or adjuvant; Wherein the amount of surfactant is 0.4 to 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the oil phase, the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of about 1 to about 15 μm.

2. The liquid air freshener system of claim 1, wherein the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of ≥ 1 μm and < 15 μm.

3. Liquid air freshener system according to any preceding claim, wherein the proportion of the at least one fragrance or aroma substance or essential oil of the oil-in-water emulsion is 0.1 to 75% by weight, in particular 3 to 8% by weight, relative to the total weight of the oil-in-water emulsion.

4. A liquid air freshener system according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one surfactant of the oil-in-water emulsion has an HLB value of from 8 to 18, in particular an HLB value of from 10 to 14.

5. The liquid air freshener system according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one surfactant of the oil-in-water emulsion is selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants and mixtures thereof.

6. A liquid air freshener system according to any preceding claim, wherein the oil-in-water emulsion comprises or consists of: 25 to 99.9% by weight, in particular 89 to 96% by weight, of an aqueous phase; 0.1 to 75% by weight, in particular 3 to 8% by weight, of an oily phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or an essential oil; 0.004 to 18% by weight, in particular 0.3 to 1.3% by weight, of surfactants; Up to 1.5% by weight, in particular 0.6 to 1.1% by weight, of stabilizers; and optionally Up to 1% by weight, in particular 0.1 to 0.9% by weight, of additives and / or auxiliaries; Based on the total weight of the oil-in-water emulsion.

7. The liquid air freshener system according to any preceding claim, wherein the diffuser is a natural or synthetic porous material that allows diffusion of the air freshener composition.

8. The liquid air freshener system of any preceding claim, wherein the diffuser comprises one or more wicks, reeds, or natural or synthetic porous diffusers.

9. The liquid air freshener system according to any preceding claim, wherein the diffuser is selected from the group consisting of a wick, a reed diffuser, a wooden board or a cardboard.

10. The liquid air freshener system of claim 9, wherein the reed diffuser is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a wick, a reed diffuser, wood, or cardboard.

11. The liquid air freshener system according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid air freshener system further comprises a removable means for preventing the air freshener composition from diffusing into the surrounding air.

12. Use of an oil-in-water emulsion as a liquid air freshener composition in a liquid air freshener system, the oil-in-water emulsion comprising or consisting of the following ingredients: (a) aqueous phase; (b) an oil phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or an essential oil; (c) at least one surfactant; (d) at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate or polymethacrylate thickeners, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, alginic acid, alginates, agar, carrageenan, welan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, pectin, polysaccharides, starch, dextrin, gelatin, casein, modified starch and modified cellulose and mixtures thereof; and optionally (e) at least one other additive and / or adjuvant; The amount of the surfactant is 0.4 to 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the oil phase, and the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of about 1 to about 15 μm.

13. The use according to claim 12, wherein the liquid air freshener system is a wick device or a reed diffuser.

14. An oil-in-water emulsion comprising or consisting of the following ingredients: (a) aqueous phase; (b) an oil phase comprising at least one flavor or fragrance substance or an essential oil; (c) at least one surfactant; (d) at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate or polymethacrylate thickeners, xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum, alginic acid, alginates, agar, carrageenan, welan gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, pectin, polysaccharides, starch, dextrin, gelatin, casein, modified starch and modified cellulose and mixtures thereof; and optionally (e) at least one other additive and / or adjuvant; The amount of surfactant is 0.4 to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the oil phase, and the oil-in-water emulsion has an average oil droplet size of ≥1 μm and <15 μm.

15. A method for perfuming and / or freshening ambient air, the method comprising diffusing a liquid air freshener composition according to any preceding claim using a device according to claims 1 to 11.

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