Method of attaching two or more different refills to a volatile material dispenser

Abstract

A method of attaching two or more different refills to a volatile material dispenser includes the steps of providing a volatile material dispenser that includes a housing and a cavity adapted to accept two or more different refills containing volatile materials and attaching a first refill within the cavity of the volatile material dispenser. The method further includes the steps of removing the first refill from the cavity and attaching a second refill within the cavity of the volatile material dispenser, wherein the second refill has at least one feature that is different than at least one feature of the first refill.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method of attaching two or more different refills to a volatile material dispenser, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a volatile material dispenser that includes a housing and a cavity adapted to accept two or more different refills containing volatile materials;   attaching a first refill within the cavity of the volatile material dispenser;   removing the first refill from the cavity; and   attaching a second refill within the cavity of the volatile material dispenser, wherein the second refill has at least one feature that is different than at least one feature of the first refill.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of attaching the first refill within the cavity includes the step of attaching the first refill to the housing by a latch that interacts with a structure on a neck portion of the first refill to prevent downward movement of the first refill. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the latch does not retain the second refill. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the volatile material dispenser further includes a channel disposed within the cavity for accommodating first and second wicks extending from the first and second refills, respectively, and a heater disposed within the housing and spaced from the channel such that heat is transferred from the heater to each of the wicks when the respective refills are attached to the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first refill is symmetrical about a plane that extends along a width of the first refill and through a vertical axis of the first refill and the second refill is asymmetrical about a plane that that extends along a width of the second refill and through a vertical axis of the second refill. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature of the first refill includes similarly-shaped protrusions extending from front and rear surface thereof and the feature of the second refill does not include similarly-shaped protrusions extending from front and rear surfaces thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feature of the second refill includes a cylindrical projection extending from the rear surface thereof and the feature of the first refill does not include a cylindrical projection extending from the rear surface thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A method of attaching two or more different refills to a volatile material dispenser, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a volatile material dispenser that includes a housing, a cavity adapted to separately accept two or more different refills containing volatile materials, a first implement that attaches a first refill to the housing, and a second implement that attaches the second refill to the housing, wherein the first and second implements are different and retain the first and second refills, respectively, in different manners;   attaching the first refill within the cavity of the volatile material dispenser such that the first implement retains the first refill;   removing the first refill from the cavity; and   attaching the second refill within the cavity of the volatile material dispenser such that the second implement retains the second refill, wherein the second refill has at least one feature that is different than at least one feature of the first refill.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first implement does not attach the second refill to the housing and the second implement does not attach the first refill to the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of attaching the first refill within the cavity includes the step of attaching the first refill to the housing by a latch that interacts with a structure on a neck portion of the first refill to prevent downward movement of the first refill. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the latch does not retain the second refill. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the volatile material dispenser further includes a channel disposed within the cavity for accommodating first and second wicks extending from the first and second refills, respectively, and a heater disposed within the housing and spaced from the channel such that heat is transferred from the heater to each of the wicks when the respective refills are attached to the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first refill is symmetrical about a plane that extends along a width of the first refill and through a vertical axis of the first refill and the second refill is asymmetrical about a plane that that extends along a width of the second refill and through a vertical axis of the second refill. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the feature of the first refill includes similarly-shaped protrusions extending from front and rear surface thereof and the feature of the second refill does not include similarly-shaped protrusions extending from front and rear surfaces thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the feature of the second refill includes a cylindrical projection extending from the rear surface thereof and the feature of the first refill does not include a cylindrical projection extending from the rear surface thereof.