This invention relates to a fragrance card, and one which incorporates a suspension system, incorporating a cord, which is contained by the sealing window that maintains the fragrance card sealed within its container, as to such time as the windowed container is removed, exposing the cord for suspension, and releasing the fragrance to the ambient atmosphere.
Air fresheners have become widely popular in the last twenty years. They are produced in a wide range of fragrances and as well as shapes and sizes. They are used in a variety of locations form large rooms to small rooms to automobiles. Personal preferences in both the type of fragrance and the strength of the fragrance very widely. In addition to making a wide range of fragrances available it would be desirable to be able to control the rate or the amount of fragrance that was released in a given time. This would not only satisfy the personal preference of the user, but would conserve the fragrance making a fixed amount last for a longer period of time.
A particular type of fragrant air freshener that has become popular is one that is made of absorbent material and saturated with a volatile fragrant substance. This type of air freshener is referred to herein as a fragrance card. These fragrance cards are inexpensive, compact and disposal. The fragrance card is typically provided with a cord by which to hang the device in a room or automobile. The cord allows the fragrance card to be suspended, not only to improve volatilization of the fragrance, but also to allow the user to limit their physical contact with the fragrance card. The volatile materials and solvents that are impregnated in the air fragrance card are often oily, sticky, or possess such an intense aroma that the user may find it difficult to remove from their hands. The cord provides a means to handle the fragrance card with minimal direct contact. For these same reasons, it is also desirable that the fragrance card be contained in packaging that is easy to open and that the cord is easily and directly assessable after opening.
A number of efforts have been made to address the issues of controlled release of fragrance or packaging that limits the user's direct contact with the fragrance card. For example U.S. Pat. No. 2,757,957, separates the cord from the fragrance card within the container. However, the user is likely to tear the container and the container is not designed to regulate the fragrance after opening. U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,915 provides a container which may regulate the fragrance after opening but its use is limited to a fragrance card with a particular shaped. It requires a ridged and pointed fragrance card in order to pierce the container. It also does not allow easy access to the cord after opening. There is also a more recent patent that has issued upon a Fragrance Package, Dispenser, and Method, in the United States Patent Office, U.S. Pat. No. 7,926,735. But, there is no suggestion that it may be used as a display or hung or used in an automobile. What is needed is an inexpensive and easy to fragrance card and packaging that limits direct contact by the user, controls release of the fragrance after opening, and may also be used in combination with the hanging fragrance cards of different shapes.
This invention contemplates the formation of a fragrance card, which is attached to a suspension means, such as a cord or string, which is embodied within a wrapper like container, that incorporates a window and heat sealed seams. The fragrance card is within the wrapper like container, and the window has a cover thereover, with a cord beneath it, and the window cover can be peeled for removal, to expose the cord for suspension of the card, and to allow the fragrance impregnated upon the card to be released into the ambient atmosphere.
It is, therefore, the principle object of this invention to provide a fragrance card that can be maintained and sealed closure, but when opened, allows its fragrance to be released, while simultaneously providing a means for its suspension during usage.
These and other objects may become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the invention as provided herein, and upon undertaking a study of the description of the preferred embodiment.
In referring to the drawings:
As illustrated in the figures, a preferred embodiment of the instant invention is a fragrance card 2 with an attached cord 4 packaged within a container 8, the container being non-porous and comprising a window 10 to allow vaporization of the fragrance. The window 10 of the container 8 is sealed with a window cover 14 until use to retain the fragrance of the fragrance card 2. Upon removal of the window cover 14, the user gains access to the cord 4, attached to the fragrance card 2. The cord 4 enables the user to suspend the fragrance card 2 while avoiding direct contact between the user and the fragrance card 2. The fragrance card 2, being larger than the window 10, retains the container 8 which then functions as a fragrance limiting device. The window cover 14 once removed from the window 10, partially exposes the fragrance card 2 to the ambient air, and allows dispersal of the fragrance at a rate predetermined by the size of the window 10 and the aromatic nature of the fragrance. The preferred embodiment will work with a fragrance card of any shape.
Turning to the figures more specifically, illustrated in
In another embodiment, the container may contain more than one window. Each window may be covered by a separate window cover, or one window cover may cover multiple windows. The cord will necessarily be co-located with one of the windows. This embodiment would allow the user to remove the one or more window covers as desired to control the amount of fragrance released. Illustrated in
Fragrance Card
In a preferred embodiment the fragrance card is an absorbent device to store and disperse the fragrance, by way of example, a simple blotter board. The blotter board may be of any shape or size thereby allowing the individual to choose by aesthetic appeal. In one preferred embodiment the fragrance card that is a blotter board of rectangular shape of approximately 2.125 by 3.375 inches and between 0.062 to 0.25 inches in thickness. In general usage the longitudinal sides are up right orientation by the user. Other shapes envisioned are polygons, triangles, and circles, as well as the shapes of plants, flowers, animals, or known characters including movie or cartoon characters. The fragrance card 2 or blotter board typically has a means for support, preferably a hole 6, through the fragrance card 2 to secure a cord 4 or string for hanging. The cord 4 or string may be comprised of any suitable material known in the art including elastic material. It is anticipated the fragrance card may be decorated with aesthetic designs, perhaps floral patterns to reflect the type of fragrance contained. Alternatively, the fragrance card may contain advertisements of goods or services thought to be useful to the user.
The fragrance card or blotter board may be manufactured from almost any absorbent material. Preferred examples included blotter paper, absorbent paper, and wicking paper, cardboard, perforated and micro perforated paper. Other examples include but are not limited to clay coated paper, cardstock, cardboard, chipboard, fiberboard, polymers, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, ferrous and non-ferrous metal foils, their alloys, and composites.
The blotter board or absorbent device may be permeated with fragrances of unlimited variety. Preferred examples are well known in the art and include floral plants and spices. Non-limiting examples of floral fragrances include, azaleas, chamomile, chrysanthemum, clematis, corylopsis spicata, crab pyrus coronaria, flowering currant, garland flower, honeysuckle, iris, itea virginica, jasmine, lavender, lilacs, lilies, magnolia, olive, peony, phlox, primrose, pyrus angustifolia, rhododendron, ribes aureum, rose, rubus deliciosus, sweet pea, wallflower, and yucca. Non-limiting examples of spices induce allspice, ajwain, anise, black cumin, black pepper, caraway seed, cardamom, cassia, cayenne, celery seeds, chili pepper, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, fenugreek, frankincense, galangal, garlic, ginger, horseradish, jalapeno pepper, juniper berries, licorice, mace, mustard, nutmeg, onion, paprika, peppercorns, saffron, sesame, star anise, sumac, Tabasco pepper, tamarind, and turmeric. Also included are bergamot, bitter gourd, blue gum, bottle gourd, carrot, carrot seed, cashew fruit, cacao, cedar wood, coconut, custard apple, cinnamon bark, clary sage, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, ginger, helichrysum italicum jasmine, lemon, jackfruit, lemongrass, mango, okra, Melissa, neem, oregano, Otto, patchouli, peppermint, pineapple, rosemary, sandalwood, and vanilla.
As many fragrances are poorly soluble in water, in particular the essential oils, the addition of a solvent or carrier oil may prove beneficial in solubilizing the extracts. Solvent solutions known in the art include alcohols, dipropylene glycol, diethyl phthalate, hexylene glycol, water, and so forth. The exact formulation of the solvents and fragrance may be varied to adjust the rate of release of the fragrance. The fragrance card may then be permeated with the fragrance/solvent or fragrance/oil mixture by spraying, dipping, soaking, or any number of means known in the art.
Non-Porous Container and Window Cover
Illustrated in the figures is a non-porous container which also functions as packaging for holding and protecting fragrance card before use. The non-porous nature of the container prevents vaporization of the fragrance. The container may comprise one or more windows to allow vaporization and dispersal of the fragrance during use. The size or area of the window or windows may be predetermined by the manufacturer based on the knowledge of the vaporization rate of the fragrance and the most desirable rate of fragrance release. The vaporization rate of the fragrance may be known based on the particular fragrance/solvent or fragrance/oil combination.
Shown in the figures is a window cover adhesively and reversibly attached to the container so as to cover and seal the one or more windows. The size of the window cover will necessarily be slightly larger than the windows so as to overlap slightly on the container. Preferably, the adhesive is applied only to the window cover. Preferably the adhesive is a tacky adhesive that remains with the container window cover after the window cover is removed. After removal, the window cover may be discarded or reapplied to the container to retain the remaining fragrance if the user desirers.
Methods of making non-porous containers or packaging that enclose fragrance cards are known in the art. A non-limiting example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,926,735 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The inner dimensions of the non-porous containers will necessarily be slightly larger than the fragrance card to so as to enclose the fragrance card and allow for a small volume of air. The fragrance card may be placed in the container, or the container may be manufactured around the fragrance card. The window may be made in the non-porous material before or after sealing the container, and is made by way of example by cutting. Typically a non-porous container may be constructed from a simple sheet of non-porous material. In the figures are shown one example of a sheet of non-porous material wrapped around the fragrance card with seams that are heat sealed at both ends and on one side of the container. The seams may be sealed preferably by heat sealing, or any appropriate means known in the art including adhesives. Several suitable film materials are known in the art for constructing the non-porous container and/or the windows. Among these are polyethylene terephthalate polyester (commonly referred to as Mylarâ„¢), polypropylene film, and cellophane. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the advantages of each with respect to cost, durability, workability, and so forth. The container may be transparent, semi-transparent or opaque. It is anticipated the container may be decorated with aesthetic designs, perhaps floral patterns to reflect the type of fragrance contained. Alternatively, the container may convey advertisements of goods or services thought to be useful to the user.
From the aforementioned description, is a fragrance card and container combination that is uniquely capable of limiting the amount of fragrance dispersed while enabling the user to manipulate the fragrance card with little or no contact with the fragrant oils. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Therefore, the claims include such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
This continuation-in-part patent application claims priority to the non-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 13/986,594, filed on May 16, 2013, which claims priority to the provisional patent application having Ser. No. 61/690,212, filed on Jun. 21, 2012, which claims priority to the non-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 12/657,743, filed on Jan. 26, 2010, now abandoned.
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Ludacer, Randy, Black Ice Car-Freshener, 2008, Beach Packaging Design, https://beachpackagingdesign.com/boxvox/black-ice-car-f (Last visited Oct. 5, 2020). (Year: 2008). |
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20160000957 A1 | Jan 2016 | US |
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61690212 | Jun 2012 | US |
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Parent | 12657743 | Jan 2010 | US |
Child | 13986594 | US |
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Parent | 13986594 | May 2013 | US |
Child | 14756483 | US |