Porous Substrate Insect Dispenser for Passive Diffusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing volatile material dispensers are often expensive and fragile, making them unsuitable for use in inclement environments, as they require costly materials and are susceptible to impact, extreme temperatures, and humidity changes.
Innovation Solution
A passive dispenser using a porous substrate impregnated with an insect control active, designed to have a minimal bending moment and effective release rate, which can be activated and placed in a confined space to efficiently release the volatile material without the need for expensive components or fragile materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If costly materials and complex dispensing mechanisms (heating device, fan) are used to enhance volatile material release, then the release rate is improved, but the device cost increases and durability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes complex dispensing mechanisms (heating devices, fans) from the system, retaining only the essential porous substrate for passive diffusion. This extraction eliminates fragile components while maintaining volatile material release functionality through the porous structure's inherent diffusion properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a porous substrate as the core dispensing mechanism. The porous structure enables passive diffusion of volatile materials without requiring additional mechanical or thermal components, achieving both cost reduction and improved durability while maintaining effective release rates.
2Ease of operation
If fragile volatile materials are incorporated into waxes and gel systems to enable dispensing, then the dispensing function is achieved, but the device becomes susceptible to impact, extreme temperatures, and humidity changes
Solution Approach 1:
The porous substrate provides a robust alternative to fragile wax and gel systems. It enables volatile material incorporation and dispensing while being resistant to impact, temperature extremes, and humidity changes, eliminating the environmental susceptibility associated with traditional fragile materials.
3Device complexity
If passive diffusion is used without a dispensing mechanism to simplify the device, then the device complexity and cost are reduced, but the release rate becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The porous substrate serves as both the structural support and the active dispensing mechanism. Its porous structure inherently enhances passive diffusion by providing increased surface area and optimized mass transfer pathways, achieving an effective release rate without requiring additional mechanical dispensing components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The dispenser provides an inexpensive and durable solution for releasing insect control actives, offering effective pest control in various environments with a controlled release rate and increased accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
These devices typically either allow passive diffusion of the volatile material to occur without the aid of a dispensing mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
Dispensers for dispensing an insect control active include a porous substrate impregnated with an insect control active. The porous substrate has a minimal bending moment of about 150 to about 275 g-cm. Upon activation, the dispenser exhibits an effective release rate of the insect control active of about 0.1 to about 0.3 mg/hr.