Solid Dryer Fragrance Dispenser for Controlled Residual Scent
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fragrance dispensers for dryers either fail to provide a residual fragrance on fabrics or require multiple components, and existing dryer sheets are typically single-use and not designed for controlled fragrance release across multiple drying cycles.
Innovation Solution
A solid fragrance dispenser comprising a carrier component and a fragrance component, designed to release fragrance only at dryer temperatures above 100°F, ensuring the carrier component remains solid and the fragrance is evenly distributed across multiple cycles without melting or transferring to fabrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a fragrance dispenser uses a solid carrier component that remains solid at dryer temperatures, then the carrier component does not flow onto the fabric, but the fragrance component may not dispense sufficiently to impart residual fragrance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the fragrance component by incorporating it into a solid carrier matrix. The fragrance component is dispersed throughout the solid carrier component in a controlled manner, allowing it to remain solid at dryer temperatures while still enabling gradual fragrance release through sublimation or diffusion mechanisms without the carrier melting or flowing onto fabric.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining a solid carrier component (such as polymer beads or encapsulated particles) with a fragrance component. This composite structure allows the fragrance to be held within the carrier matrix, providing both the structural integrity to prevent fabric contamination and the controlled release mechanism to deliver sufficient fragrance quantity during the drying cycle.
2Ease of manufacture
If dryer sheets are designed for single use, then they are simple to manufacture and dispose, but they cannot provide fragrance across multiple drying cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fragrance dispenser into multiple independent solid carrier components, each containing fragrance. These segmented units can be individually manufactured and then combined in a container that spans multiple drying cycles. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing of individual units while enabling extended duration through the accumulation of multiple segments in a reusable dispenser system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares fragrance-loaded solid carrier components in advance during manufacturing, allowing them to be stored and then deployed across multiple drying cycles. This preliminary action of pre-loading fragrance into stable solid carriers enables the system to extend beyond single-use limitations while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized pre-prepared units.
3Quantity of substance
If the fragrance dispenser releases fragrance at room temperature, then fragrance is available immediately, but the carrier component may transfer to fabric during storage and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality control by creating regions within the solid carrier component where fragrance is concentrated in specific zones or encapsulated in controlled-release structures. This allows fragrance to be released only under specific local conditions (such as elevated dryer temperatures) while the bulk carrier material maintains its structural integrity and does not transfer to fabric during normal storage and handling at room temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition properties of the fragrance component, designing it to transition from a solid-bound state at room temperature to a volatile release state at dryer temperatures. The fragrance remains trapped within the solid carrier matrix during storage but releases through controlled phase changes (sublimation or melting) when exposed to the higher temperatures of the dryer, preventing carrier transfer while ensuring fragrance availability when needed.
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 effectively imparts a residual fragrance to fabrics that can be detected for over 24 hours, with the option for single or multiple use cycles, ensuring consistent fragrance distribution without fabric damage or excessive carrier transfer.
Implementation Method 1
when the fragrance dispenser is placed in a dryer and contacts fabric being dried during a drying cycle at a temperature of up to about 170° F.
Implementation Method 2
the carrier component does not flow onto the fabric
Data Source
AI summary
A fragrance dispenser is provided according to the invention. A fragrance dispenser is provided for use in a dryer for dispensing a fragrance onto fabric or laundry dried in the dryer. The fragrance dispenser includes a mixture of a carrier component and a fragrance component so that the fragrance dispenser is provided in a solid form. The carrier component and the fragrance component are selected so that, when the fragrance dispenser is placed in a dryer and contacts fabric being dried during a drying cycle at a temperature of up to about 170° F., the carrier component does not flow onto the fabric and the fragrance component dispenses in an amount sufficient to impart a residual fragrance to the fabric. A method for dispensing fragrance onto fabric in a dryer is provided.