Patent Grant
10609973
The present disclosure relates in some aspects to soap flowers and methods for creating the soap flowers, and including systems and methods for producing soap flowers, which may be used in flower arrangements.
Artificial flowers are typically made out of silk, cloth, paper, polyester, nylon, glass, or plastic. Current processes for manufacturing artificial flowers add single petal layers to a center petal holder. Faster, more automated, less expensive processes that do not in some cases require separate attachment of individual petals together to form a flower would be desirable.
Some embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are directed to artificial decorative items, including but not limited to flowers, and methods for producing such artificial decorative items, e.g., flowers.
In some embodiments, a method to assemble an artificial flower can comprise first stacking a plurality of soap sheets, and pressing a first stamp into the plurality of soap sheets to produce a column of flower wraps. In some embodiments, the column of flower wraps can comprise at least two flower wraps. In some embodiments, the first stamp can comprise a shape corresponding to that of the flower wrap. In some embodiments, the first stamp can comprise a peg.
The method can comprise separating a plurality of individual flower wraps from the column of flower wraps. An individual flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps can comprise a central hub, a plurality of petals, and/or a hole. The plurality of petals can extend radially outward from the central hub. The central hub and plurality of petals can be integrally formed with each other. The method can also comprise pressing a second stamp to embed a detail on at least one flower petal of the flower wrap. The detail can comprise a texture. The method can comprise creating an artificial flower construct. Creating the artificial flower construct can comprise wrapping the first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around a core using an adhesive, folding each of the petals of the first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the core using an adhesive, layering a second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps using an adhesive, folding each of the petals of the second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the first flower wrap using adhesive, layering a third flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps using an adhesive, folding each of the petals of the third flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps using an adhesive, attaching a calyx to the third flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps using an adhesive, and/or advancing a flower mounter through the core. The flower mounter can comprise anchors, such as barbs.
In some embodiments, the soap sheets can comprise a flame retardant material. The calyx can comprise a flame retardant material.
In some embodiments, a method of assembling an artificial flower can comprise stacking a plurality of pliable material sheets, and pressing a first stamp into the plurality of pliable material sheets to produce a column of flower wraps. The column of flower wraps can comprise at least two flower wraps. The first stamp can comprise a peg. The first stamp can comprise a shape corresponding to that of the flower wrap. The method can also include separating a plurality of individual flower wraps from the column of flower wraps. An individual flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps can comprise a central hub and a plurality of petals. The plurality of petals can extend radially outward from the central hub, and the central hub and plurality of petals can be integrally formed with each other; and creating an artificial flower construct. Creating the artificial flower construct can comprise wrapping the first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around a core, folding each of the petals of the first flower wrap around the core, layering at least a second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the first flower wrap, attaching a calyx, and/or inserting a flower mounter through the core.
In some embodiments, the material sheets or calyx can comprise a flame retardant material. The method of assembling an artificial flower can further comprise advancing a flower mounter through an aperture in the core, first flower wrap, and second flower wrap. The material sheet can be soap.
In some embodiments, a method of assembling an artificial flower can comprise pressing a first stamp into at least one pliable material sheet to produce at least one flower wrap; and creating an artificial flower construct. Creating the artificial flower construct can comprise wrapping the first flower wrap around a core, and layering at least a second flower wrap around the first flower wrap.
In some embodiments, an artificial flower can be created by forming a plurality of flower wraps from stacking a plurality of soap sheets. The plurality of soap sheets can comprise a flame retardant material. The flower wraps can comprise a central hub and a plurality of petals that can extend radially outward from the central hub, the central hub and plurality of petals can be integrally formed with each other, and/or the flower wraps can be formed by pressing a first stamp into a stack of soap sheets to produce a column of flower wraps. The column of flower wraps can comprise at least two flower wraps. The first stamp can comprise a peg. The method can also include separating a plurality of individual flower wraps from the column of flower wraps; pressing a second stamp to embed a detail on at least one petal of the flower wrap; wrapping a first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around a core; folding each petal of the first flower wrap; layering a second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the first flower wrap; layering a third flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the second flower wrap; attaching a calyx to the third flower wrap using an adhesive, and/or advancing a flower mounter through the core. The flower mounter can comprise barbs.
In some embodiments, the flower wraps, calyx, and/or flower mounter can comprise a flame retardant material. The core can comprise of foam, cork, and/or other materials. The flower can further comprise a stem.
In some embodiments, an artificial flower can be created by forming a plurality of flower wraps from a stacking a plurality of pliable material sheets. The flower wraps can comprise a central hub and a plurality of petals can extend radially outward from the central hub. The central hub and plurality of petals can be integrally formed with each other. The flower wraps can be formed by pressing a first stamp into a stack of soap sheets to produce a column of flower wraps, separating a plurality of individual flower wraps from the column of flower wraps; wrapping a first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around a core; folding each petal of the first flower wrap; layering at least a second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the first flower wrap; attaching a calyx using an adhesive; and/or inserting a flower mounter through the core.
In some embodiments, artificial flower can be created by forming a plurality of flower wraps from stacking a plurality of pliable material sheets. The flower wraps can comprise a central hub and a plurality of petals that can extend radially outward from the central hub. The central hub and plurality of petals can be integrally formed with each other. The flower wraps can be formed by pressing a first stamp into a stack of soap sheets to produce a column of flower wraps, separating a plurality of individual flower wraps from the column of flower wraps; wrapping a first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around a core; folding each petal of the first flower wrap; and/or layering at least a second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the first flower wrap.
Artificial flowers and methods of creating the same can include one or more of the following. The pliable material can be soap. The excess of material created from pressing the stack of sheets can be recycled. The flower wrap can comprise a 3-petal, 4-petal, 5-petal design, or more or less petals. The flower can comprise at least a vein. The flower can comprise at least a fold. The method to assemble an artificial flower can further include at least one flower wrap to make a flower bud. The method to assemble an artificial flower can further have at least three flower wraps used to make a flower. The method to assemble an artificial flower can further have a calyx that can be used to hold the flower together. The method to assemble an artificial flower can further have a stem may be attached to the flower. The core or flower can further comprise foam. The core or flower can comprise sponge material. The method to assemble an artificial flower can comprise advancing a flower mounter comprising an elongate tubular member through an aperture in the core, first flower wrap, and second flower wrap. The second flower wrap can have the same shape as the first flower wrap. The second flower wrap can have a different shape from the first flower wrap.
In some embodiments, a method to assemble an artificial flower comprises creating a flower wrap from a stack of sheets made out of a pliable material using a first mold to make multiple flower wraps out of a single motion. The stack of individual flower wraps can then be removed from the stack of sheets. The flower wraps may have petals. A second mold may mark the flower wraps to embed a design on to the flower wrap. A first flower wrap layer may be wrapped around a core. A subsequent flower wrap layer may be wrapped around the previous flower wrap layer.
In some embodiments, the pliable material can be soap. The excess of material created from pressing the stack of sheets can be recycled. The flower wraps can comprise of a 3, 4, or 5-petal design, or include more petals. The design may comprise at least a vein. The design may comprise at least a fold. At least one flower wrap can be used to make a flower bud. In some embodiments, three or more flower wrap layers are used to make a flower. A calyx may be used to hold the flower together. A stem may be attached to the artificial flower.
In some implementations, the artificial flower may comprise a core. The artificial flower may comprise a first flower wrap made out of a pliable material wrapped around the core. The artificial flower may also comprise at least a second flower wrap made out of a pliable material. The second flower wrap layer may be wrapped around the previous flower wrap layer.
In some embodiments, a core of the flower can be made out of foam, sponge, or cork. The flower can further comprise a calyx or stem.
The method of manufacturing an artificial flower can comprise forming a plurality of flower wraps from a stack of individual blanks made out of a pliable material. The flower wraps may comprise a central hub and may have a plurality of petals extending radially outward from the central hub. The central hub and plurality of petals may be integrally formed with each other. The flower wraps may be formed by stamping the stack of individual blanks with a first mold thereby creating the flower wraps. The first mold may comprise a shape corresponding to that of the flower wrap. The method can also include separating the plurality of flower wraps from the stack of individual blanks. The method can also include marking the petal with a second mold to embed a design on to the flower petal. The method can also include wrapping a first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around a core. The method can also include folding each petal of the first flower wrap and/or layering a second flower wrap around the first flower wrap.
In some embodiments, the pliable material can be soap. A third flower wrap can be wrapped around the second flower wrap. Advancing a flower mounter can include an elongate tubular member through an aperture in the core, first flower wrap, and second flower wrap. The second flower wrap may have the same shape as the first flower wrap. The second flower wrap may have a different shape from the first flower wrap.
In some implementations, an artificial flower may be created. A plurality of flower wraps can be formed from a stack of individual blanks made out of a pliable material. The flower wraps can comprise a central hub and a plurality of petals extending radially outward from the central hub. The central hub and plurality of petals may be integrally formed with each other. The flower wraps may be formed by stamping the stack of individual blanks with a first mold thereby creating the flower wraps. The first mold may comprise a shape corresponding to that of the flower wrap. The plurality of flower wraps can be separated from the stack of individual blanks. The petal(s) can be marked with a second mold to embed a design on to the flower petal(s). The first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps can be wrapped around a core. Each petal of the first flower wrap can be folded. At least a second flower wrap can be layered around the first flower wrap.
A method to assemble an artificial flower can comprise pressing a stamp into the plurality of pliable material sheets to produce a column of flower wraps, wherein the column of flower wraps comprises at least a first flower wrap and a second flower wrap. The stamp can further comprise a shape corresponding to the first flower wrap and the second flower wrap. The method can further comprise separating a plurality of individual flower wraps from the column of flower wraps, wherein each flower wrap comprises a central hub and a plurality of petals, wherein the plurality of petals extends radially outward from the central hub, and the central hub and plurality of petals are integrally formed with each other. The method can further comprise creating an artificial flower construct, wherein creating the artificial flower construct comprises wrapping the plurality of petals of a first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps around the plurality of petals to make the artificial flower construct. An artificial flower can be created by the aforementioned method.
In some embodiments, the first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps are wrapped by folding each of the petals around a core. In some embodiments, the second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps is layered around the first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps and each of the petals of the second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps are folded around the first flower wrap to make a two layer artificial flower. In some embodiments, the third flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps is layered around the second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps and each of the petals of the third flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps are folded around the second flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps to make a three layer artificial flower. In some embodiments, a flower mounter can be inserted into the artificial flower construct. In some embodiments, the flower mounter comprises a snap-lock end that is configured to couple to a preformed hole of a substrate. In some embodiments, the pliable material sheets comprises flame retardant material. In some embodiments, the core comprises flame retardant material.
An artificial flower can comprise of a first flower wrap comprising a pliable material made from a first stamp comprising a first central hub and a first plurality of petals, wherein the first plurality of petals extends radially outward from the first central hub, and the first central hub and first plurality of petals are integrally formed with each other. The artificial flower can further comprise a second flower wrap comprising the pliable material made from a second stamp comprising a second central hub and a second plurality of petals, wherein the second plurality of petals extends radially outward from the second central hub, and the second central hub and second plurality of petals are integrally formed with each other. The artificial flower can further comprise a third flower wrap comprising the pliable material made from a third stamp comprising a third central hub and a third plurality of petals, wherein the third plurality of petals extends radially outward from the third central hub, and the third central hub and third plurality of petals are integrally formed with each other, wherein the first plurality of petals of the first flower wrap are wrapped around each other to make an artificial flower construct, the second plurality of petals of the second flower wrap are wrapped and folded over the artificial construct, and the third plurality of petals of the third flower wrap are wrapped and folded over the second flower wrap.
In some embodiments, a first flower wrap of the plurality of flower wraps is wrapped and folded over a core. In some embodiments, the artificial flower further comprises a calyx attached to the third flower wrap. In some embodiments, the artificial flower further comprises a flower mounter that is inserted into the artificial construct. In some embodiments, the flower mounter comprises a snap-lock end that is configured to couple to a preformed hole of a substrate. In some embodiments, the pliable material comprises flame retardant material. In some embodiments, the core comprises flame retardant material. In some embodiments, the pliable material comprises soap.
The features disclosed herein are described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings are provided to illustrate embodiments of the inventions described herein and not to limit the scope thereof.
Overview
Embodiments described herein relate to artificial decorative items, including but not limited to flowers, and methods for producing such artificial decorative items, e.g., flowers, soap flowers. Real flowers may be used in flower arrangements, however, due to the shelf life of a real flower, such real flowers will die, wither, or rot after a relatively short time has elapsed. Artificial or faux flowers made out of silk, cloth, paper, polyester, nylon, glass, or plastic may alternatively be used. However, such artificial flowers lack certain characteristics, e.g., an aroma of natural flowers, and thus may not appeal to potential customers. As disclosed herein, artificial or faux flowers may be formed out of soap and/or other materials to address some shortcomings of other types of artificial flowers. For example, soap can advantageously be scented to increase their appeal, flowers, e.g., the soap material out of which these flowers are made. Methods for producing soap flowers may comprise carving and/or hand-molding processes. Carving soap flowers may involve cutting or sculpting the flower out of soap. Hand-molding soap flowers may involve folding, pinching, trimming, and/or bending soap to create an artificial flower. Both carving and hand-molding are generally expensive and labor-intensive processes. Soap flowers may also be constructed by adding single petal layers to a center petal holder. However, this process can be time consuming and expensive. It is desirable to reduce or eliminate expenses and amount of labor required to make artificial soap flowers. One or more of the methods disclosed herein involve a process that uses flower wraps (also called flower wrappers) to advantageously reduce the amount of labor or time needed to construct faux flowers. A central structure may advantageously be used to provide stability and/or to reduce the fragility (e.g., increase the sturdiness, durability, or toughness) of the artificial soap flower. Such cores may advantageously reinforce the shape of the faux flower as it is being arranged, thereby preventing and/or reducing the amount of deformation of the flower when contacted against a substrate.
In step two 104, the soap sheet(s) may be transferred to a stamping mechanism that stamps out flower wraps (e.g., individual flower wraps or columns of flower wraps). Various embodiments of stamping mechanisms are described herein. Flower wraps can be a single layer of pliable material, e.g., soap. The flower wraps may have a central shape with a center portion and multiple petal portions extending therefrom. The flower wraps may have a plurality of number of petals. The flower wraps can then be easily wrapped or folded into an artificial soap flower. Flower wraps may advantageously eliminate the need to form a faux flower petal-by-petal.
In step three 106, details may be added to or embedded in the flower wraps. Examples of details that may be embedded or added are disclosed herein.
In step four 108, the flower wraps can be folded, wrapped, or shaped (with or without a core) to produce artificial flowers, e.g., soap flowers. Some of the methods disclosed herein may be used to produce flowers without cores (e.g., daisies, anemone, amaryllis, antherium, sunflowers, bougainvillea, hibiscus, magnolias, wallflowers, plumerias, jasmine, poppy, daffodils, orchids, poinsettias, petunias). Some of the methods disclosed herein may be used to produce flowers with cores (e.g., roses, lilies, poppies, lotus, gardenias, marigolds, chrysanthemum, carnations, gerbera, freesia, hydrangea, protea, tulips).
In step five 110, the artificial flowers can be placed in arrangements. For example, the artificial flowers produced according to method 100 may be fixed to a foam core having a shape (e.g., a shape of a bear, a shape of a heart, etc.). In this way, the method 100 may be used to easily create long-lasting and aesthetic flower arrangements.
Soap Flower
In some embodiments, the soap flowers further comprise one, two, or more flame retardant materials. All or any number of parts of the artificial flower, such as, but not limited to, the flower wrappers, calyx, and/or flower mounter, can include flame retardant material. In some embodiments, one or more parts of the artificial flower do not comprise flame retardant materials. The flame retardant material can be mixed into the material used to create the soap flower petals. The flame retardant material can be mixed into the materials used to make the calyx 200, stem 230, and other aforementioned additional parts and accessories. In some embodiments, the flame retardant material include any of, or any combination of one, two, three, four, or more of the following compounds. Such compounds can include, but are not limited to, aluminum hydroxide (ATH), magnesium hydroxide (MDH), huntite, and hydromagnesite, various hydrates, red phosphorus, and boron compounds, such as borates. In some embodiments, the flame retardant material includes organophosphorus compounds. Organophosphorus compounds can include organophosphates (e.g., triphenyl phosphate (TPP), resorcinol bis(diphenylphosphate) (RDP), bisphenol A diphenyl phosphate (BADP), and tricresyl phosphate (TCP)). phosphonates (e.g., dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP); and phosphinates such as aluminium diethyl phosphinate. In one class of flame retardants, compounds include both phosphorus and a halogen. Such compounds include tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate (brominated tris) and chlorinated organophosphates such as tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (chlorinated tris or TDCPP) and tetrakis(2-chlorethyl)dichloroisopentyldiphosphate (V6). In some embodiments, the flame retardant material includes organohalogen compounds. Organohalogen compounds can include organochlorines (e.g., chlorendic acid derivatives and chlorinated paraffins), organobromines (e.g., decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE)), decabromodiphenyl ethane (a replacement for decaBDE), polymeric brominated compounds (e.g., brominated polystyrenes), brominated carbonate oligomers (BCOs), brominated epoxy oligomers (BEOs), tetrabromophthalic anyhydride, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). Some halogenated flame retardants can be used in conjunction with a synergist to enhance their efficiency. Antimony trioxide is widely used but other forms of antimony such as pentoxide and sodium antimonate can also be used. In some embodiments, three to four parts of halogenated flame retardants are used to one part of antimony oxide or another antimony compound on a weight basis. In some embodiments, using more than the 4:1 ratio offers little additional protection. The stoichiometric ratio of chlorine to antimony in antimony trichloride is 3:1. Formulations in different applications will depend on thermal stability, cost, tinting strength, change in physical properties, smoke considerations, streaking, blend ability, and the flame retardant specification. In some embodiments, the flame retardant comprises 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, or less of the weight of the materials used to make the soap petals, or ranges including any two of the foregoing values In some embodiments, the flame retardant is can be 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50% or more of the weight of the materials used to make the soap petals, or ranges including any two of the foregoing values. In some embodiments, additional coloring components are used to offset the color of using flame retardant materials in the soap petals.
The flower 200 may comprise multiple flower wraps, each of which comprises one or more petals 210 integrally formed together, e.g., via a stamping process rather than petals 210 being attached together one by one. The multiple flower wraps can be wrapped or stacked consecutively, and the petals 210 may be bent or folded into a desired shape, e.g., a natural shape. In some embodiments, each flower wrapper has a different number of petals 210. In some embodiments, each flower wrapper has the same number of petals 210. In some embodiments, some flower wrappers have the same number of petals 210 and some flower wrappers have different numbers of petals. In some embodiments, the flower 200 is constructed out of one or more flower wrappers having only (e.g., no more than) 1 petal. In some embodiments, the flower 200 is constructed out of one or more flower wrappers, at least one of which has about, at least about, or no more than about 2 petals, 3 petals, 4 petals, 5 petals, 6 petals, 7 petals, 8 petals, 9 petals, 10 petals, 11 petals, 12 petals, or etc., or any ranges incorporating any two of the aforementioned values. In some embodiments, the flower 200 is constructed out of one or more flower wrappers, at least one of which has about, at least about, or no more than about 30 petals or less, 25 petals or less, 20 petals or less, 18 petals or less, 16 petals or less, 14 petals or less, 12 petals or less, 10 petals or less, 8 petals or less, 6 petals or less, 4 petals or less, 2 petals or less, or other numbers of petals that may practically allow folding a faux flower, or any ranges incorporating any two of the aforementioned values. In some embodiments, each consecutive flower wrapper layer has one more petal than the last flower wrapper used, e.g., the first flower wrapper layer used inside. In some embodiments, each consecutive flower wrapper layer has two, three, four or more than four more petals compared with the last flower wrapper.
In other embodiments, the flower wrappers have petal details such as, but not limited to, veins, blemishes, creases, ridges, bumps, insects, textures, scents, paints, glitters, sheens, anti-sticking materials, or other types of features embedded into or applied onto the sheets out of which the flower wrappers are made, e.g., soap sheets. In some embodiments, substances are applied to better increase the structure of the folded flower and/or to prevent drying (e.g., adhesives, water, oils, sealant).
As shown in
In some embodiments, the flowers are mounted on an artificial stem 230. The flower may be mounted after formation, e.g., sticking a wire into the bottom of the flower 200 or calyx 220. The flower may be mounted prior to formation, e.g., a core around which the flower wrappers are wrapped may include a wire extending therefrom, which may be sequentially passed through the flower wrappers as or before the petals are wrapped around the core to form the flower. In some embodiments, one or more of the faux flower parts are attached to the stem 230. In some embodiments, the stem 230 has calyx (e.g., veins, blemishes, creases, ridges, bumps, insects, texture, scents, paints, glitters, sheens, anti-sticking materials, or other types of features) embedded into or applied onto the aforementioned faux flower parts.
Depending on the number of petals a flower wrap has, the layers of flower wraps used, the way the flower wraps may be wrapped, and/or the use of other faux plant parts, many different flower designs may be made. For example,
Systems and Methods for Making Soap Flowers
One or more of the systems and methods for making soap flowers disclosed herein advantageously allow soap flowers to be mass-produced and allow advantageous creation of lifelike faux flowers. Flower wraps with different characteristics (e.g., number of petals, different shapes, different sizes, colors, etc.) may first be made (e.g., by a flower wrap press, flower wrapper roller, manual stamping, laser cutting, high-pressure water cutting, etc.). The systems may simultaneously produce multiple flower wraps in a single layer. The system may simultaneously produce flower wraps in stacks, e.g., multiple layers of flower wraps at once. In some embodiments, the system simultaneously produces varying quantities of flower wraps, including but not limited to about, at least about, or no more than about 10-1000, 20-950, 30-900, 40-850, 50-800, 60-750, 70-700, 80-650, 90-600, 100-550, 110-500, 120-450, 130-400, 140-350, 150-300, 160-250, 170-200, or any ranges incorporating any two of the aforementioned values. In some embodiments, the system simultaneously produces varying quantities of flower wraps, including but not limited to, about, at least about, or no more than about 1500 or less, 1000 or less, 900 or less, 800 or less, 700 or less, 600 or less, 500 or less, 400 or less, 300 or less, 200 or less, 100 or less, or any ranges incorporating any two of the aforementioned values. In some embodiments, the system simultaneously produces varying quantities of flower wraps, including but not limited to about, at least about, or no more than about 10 or more, 20 or more, 30 or more, 40 or more, 50 or more, 100 or more, 200 or more, 300 or more, 400 or more, 500 or more, 600 or more, 700 or more, 800 or more, 900 or more, 1000 or more, 1500 or more, or any ranges incorporating any two of the aforementioned values.
The stamp 400 may contain a peg 410 to create a hole in the flower wrap. In some embodiments, there is no peg 410. In some embodiments, the peg 410 is off center. In some embodiments, the peg 410 is centered. In some embodiments, the peg 410 has a circular shape or a square shape or a triangular shape. In some embodiments, the peg 410 is shaped differently. The stamp 400 may have a stamp body 420. In some embodiments, the stamp body 420 is made out of metal. In some embodiments, the stamp body 420 is made out of plastic. In some embodiments, the stamp body 420 is made out of wood. In some embodiments, the stamp body 420 is made out of stone. In some embodiments, the stamp has a non-stick coating. In some embodiments, the stamp has a hydrophobic coating. In some embodiments, the stamp 400 has a hydrophilic coating. In some embodiments, glitter, paint, scent chemicals, and other materials are coated on the stamp to impart the materials onto the flower wraps. In this example, the stamp 400 may either have a raised edge 422 like a cookie cutter. In some embodiments, there is no raised edge and the stamp design is indented into the stamp body 420. The edge 422 may have a beveled edge, sharpened edge, serrated edge, or any type of cutting edge. The stamp 400 may have an inner portion that slides in and out of the raised edge 422 to eject stacks of flower wraps.
In some embodiments, the stamp is used in conjunction with a press arm or a roller. The press arm or rollers may be hydraulically, electrically, or manually powered.
A plurality of sheets 502 may be used. In some embodiments, about, at least about, or no more than about 1 sheet, 2 sheets, 3 sheets, 4 sheets, 5 sheets, 6 sheets, 7 sheets, 8 sheets, 9 sheets, 10 sheets, or more are used. In some embodiments, between about 1-100 sheets may be used, between about 10-80 sheets, between about 20-60 sheets, between about 30-40 sheets, between 1-1000 sheets may be used, between 1-10,000 sheets, or any other number of sheets that may practically be used in a manufacturing setting, or any ranges incorporating any two of the aforementioned values. In some embodiments, a sheet of material, e.g., a soap sheet, is about, at least about, or no more than about between about 0.1 mm-1 mm thick, between about 0.1 mm-5 mm thick, between about 0.1-10 mm thick, or any thickness that would allow practical use for flower wrapper folding/wrapping, or any ranges incorporating any two of the aforementioned values. In some embodiments, the soap sheets comprise pleated designs, ridges, perforations, visual markers, or other features to ensure proper and seamless stacking. The soap sheets may also have details stamped or embedded into the soap sheets prior to stamping flower wraps out of the sheets. These details can be flower or petal folds, flower or petal veins folds, veins, blemishes, creases, ridges, bumps, insects, creatures, textures, scents, paints, glitter, sheens, anti-sticking materials, or other types of features. In some embodiments, the sheets comprise chocolate, sugar, taffy, plastic-like substances, or any other pliable edible or non-edible material. In some embodiments, substances are applied to better increase the structure of the folded flower and/or to prevent drying (e.g., adhesives, water, oils, sealant, or other substances).
The designs 516, 526, 536 may have petals 505 with or without holes 503. In some embodiments, other plant shapes (e.g., leaves, anthers, filaments, stigmas, styles, ovaries, ovules, sepals, pistils, seeds, peduncles, leaves, branches, roots, shoots, seeds, spores, caps, tendrils, lobes, calyx, stems, or other features may be stamped out as well) or other shapes (e.g., animals, raindrops, logos, and words) are stamped out. In some embodiments, the device 510 uses a press arm with stamps as shown in
Flower wraps 516, 526, 536, may have petals 405 and/or holes 403. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, flower wraps with 1 petal are made. In some embodiment, flower wraps with a plurality of petals may be made such as about, at least about, or no more than about 2 petals, 3 petals, 4 petals, 5 petals, 6 petals, 7 petals, 8 petals, 9 petals, etc. In some embodiments, about, at least about, or no more than about 10 petals or less, 20 petals of less, 50 petals or less, 100 petals or less, 200 petals or less, 500 petals or less, or other designs with different numbers of petals are made, or ranges including any two of the aforementioned values.
The flower wraps may be made by cutting one or more sheets of soap at a time, e.g., sheets of soap may be stacked (with or without a non-stick layer in-between) then cut. The device 510 may be a stamping device that uses a flower petal stamp.
The device 510 may also allow interchangeability of different types of flower petal stamps. The device 510 may also use laser cutting. The device 510 may also use high-pressure water cutting. The device 510 may use a physical cutting mechanism such as a saw, band-saw, or guillotine blade. In some embodiments, different kinds of stamps are used interchangeably in the stamping mechanism. For instance, a 2-petal stamps may be swapped out with a 3-petal stamp, a 4-petal stamp, or in other types of stamps, including other types of non-flower wrap stamps. In some embodiments, different kinds of stamps are used at the same in the stamping mechanism. For example, a 2-petal stamp may be used alongside a 3-petal stamp, a 4-petal stamp, or in other numerous combinations.
Additional details that detail embedding device 600 may embed may include, but are not limited to, folds, veins, blemishes, insects, creatures, creases, ridges, bumps, texture, or other types of features embedded into or onto the flower wraps 106. Plant or fungus parts, such as, but not limited to, anthers, filaments, stigmas, styles, ovaries, ovules, sepals, pistils, seeds, peduncles, leaves, branches, roots, shoots, seeds, spores, caps, tendrils, lobes, calyx, or stems may also be embedded. Flower details may be embedded with a mechanical press. In some embodiments, flower details are embedded manually. Flower details may be embedded with chemical etching. In some embodiments, flowers are embedded with a mold. In some embodiments, flower details are embedded with a stencil. In some embodiments, flower details are embedded with an embedding method. In some embodiments, fungus shaped wraps (e.g., mushroom caps, mushroom stems) are made.
Some embodiments of the upper portion stamp 615, 625, 635 that have example petal features 618, 628, 638 are shown in
In some embodiments, the user can introduce flower wrap details between each step. These details can be folds, veins, blemishes, creases, ridges, bumps, insects, texture, scents, paint, glitter, sheen, anti-sticking material, or other types of features embedded to the flower wraps. In some embodiments, substances are applied to the flower wrap between each step to better increase the structure of the folded flower and/or to prevent drying (e.g., adhesives, water, oils, sealant, or other substances). In some embodiments, optional faux flower accessories can be added between each subsequent step such as, but not limited to, anthers, filaments, stigmas, styles, ovaries, ovules, sepals, pistils, seeds, peduncles, leaves, branches, roots, shoots, seeds, spores, caps, tendrils, lobes, calyx, stems, or other features are added. Other decorative objects may be added between each step. Objects include, but are not limited to, organisms (e.g., insects, birds, lizards, mammals, amphibians, bacteria, mold, invertebrates). In some embodiments, objects are faux dew. Textures can also be added to the flower wrap between each subsequent step.
In some embodiments, the artificial flower can be obtained or considered completed after step two 760, step three 770, step four, step five, step six, step seven, step eight, step nine, step ten, and etc.
Artificial flowers formed using the methods disclosed herein may be used in arrangements.
As shown in the schematic view of
Many other variations than those described herein will be apparent from this disclosure. For example, depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of any of the steps described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithms). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can be performed concurrently. In addition, different tasks or processes can be performed by different machines and/or computing systems that can function together.
The foregoing description and examples has been set forth merely to illustrate the disclosure and are not intended as being limiting. Each of the disclosed aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure may be considered individually or in combination with other aspects, embodiments, and variations of the disclosure. In addition, unless otherwise specified, none of the steps of the methods of the present disclosure are confined to any particular order of performance. Modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the disclosure may occur to persons skilled in the art and such modifications are within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, all references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Terms of orientation used herein, such as “top,” “bottom,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” and “end” are used in the context of the illustrated embodiment. However, the present disclosure should not be limited to the illustrated orientation. Indeed, other orientations are possible and are within the scope of this disclosure. Terms relating to circular shapes as used herein, such as diameter or radius, should be understood not to require perfect circular structures, but rather should be applied to any suitable structure with a cross-sectional region that can be measured from side-to-side. Terms relating to shapes generally, such as “circular” or “cylindrical” or “semi-circular” or “semi-cylindrical” or any related or similar terms, are not required to conform strictly to the mathematical definitions of circles or cylinders or other structures, but can encompass structures that are reasonably close approximations.
Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that some embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, blocks, and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
Conjunctive language, such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.
The terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” as used herein represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, in some embodiments, as the context may dictate, the terms “approximately”, “about”, and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than or equal to 10% of the stated amount. The term “generally” as used herein represents a value, amount, or characteristic that predominantly includes or tends toward a particular value, amount, or characteristic. As an example, in certain embodiments, as the context may dictate, the term “generally parallel” can refer to something that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 20 degrees.
Unless otherwise explicitly stated, articles such as “a” or “an” should generally be interpreted to include one or more described items. Accordingly, phrases such as “a device configured to” are intended to include one or more recited devices. Such one or more recited devices can be collectively configured to carry out the stated recitations. For example, “a processor configured to carry out recitations A, B, and C” can include a first processor configured to carry out recitation A working in conjunction with a second processor configured to carry out recitations B and C.
The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Likewise, the terms “some,” “certain,” and the like are synonymous and are used in an open-ended fashion. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.
Overall, the language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims. The language of the claims is not to be limited to the non-exclusive embodiments and examples that are illustrated and described in this disclosure, or that are discussed during the prosecution of the application.
Although systems and methods for and of making soap flowers and soap flowers have been disclosed in the context of certain embodiments and examples, this disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the embodiments and certain modifications and equivalents thereof. Various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of systems and methods for and of making soap flowers and soap flowers. The scope of this disclosure should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described herein.
Certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Although features may be described herein as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as any subcombination or variation of any subcombination.
While the methods and devices described herein may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular forms or methods disclosed, but, to the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments described and the appended claims. Further, the disclosure herein of any particular feature, aspect, method, property, characteristic, quality, attribute, element, or the like in connection with an embodiment can be used in all other embodiments set forth herein. Any methods disclosed herein need not be performed in the order recited. Depending on the embodiment, one or more acts, events, or functions of any of the algorithms, methods, or processes described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithm). In some embodiments, acts or events can be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. Further, no element, feature, block, or step, or group of elements, features, blocks, or steps, are necessary or indispensable to each embodiment. Additionally, all possible combinations, subcombinations, and rearrangements of systems, methods, features, elements, modules, blocks, and so forth are within the scope of this disclosure. The use of sequential, or time-ordered language, such as “then,” “next,” “after,” “subsequently,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to facilitate the flow of the text and is not intended to limit the sequence of operations performed. Thus, some embodiments may be performed using the sequence of operations described herein, while other embodiments may be performed following a different sequence of operations.
Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, and all operations need not be performed, to achieve the desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described herein should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope of this disclosure.
Some embodiments have been described in connection with the accompanying figures. Certain figures are drawn and/or shown to scale, but such scale should not be limiting, since dimensions and proportions other than what are shown are contemplated and are within the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein. Distances, angles, etc., are merely illustrative and do not necessarily bear an exact relationship to actual dimensions and layout of the devices illustrated. Components can be added, removed, and/or rearranged. Further, the disclosure herein of any particular feature, aspect, method, property, characteristic, quality, attribute, element, or the like in connection with various embodiments can be used in all other embodiments set forth herein. Additionally, any methods described herein may be practiced using any device suitable for performing the recited steps.
The methods disclosed herein may include certain actions taken by a practitioner; however, the methods can also include any third-party instruction of those actions, either expressly or by implication. For example, actions such as “positioning an electrode” include “instructing positioning of an electrode.”
In summary, various embodiments and examples of systems and methods for and of making soap flowers and soap flowers have been disclosed. Although the systems and methods for and of making soap flowers and soap flowers have been disclosed in the context of those embodiments and examples, this disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or other uses of the embodiments, as well as to certain modifications and equivalents thereof. This disclosure expressly contemplates that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another. Thus, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described herein, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.
The ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all overlap, sub-ranges, and combinations thereof. Language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” “between,” and the like includes the number recited. Numbers preceded by a term such as “about” or “approximately” include the recited numbers and should be interpreted based on the circumstances (e.g., as accurate as reasonably possible under the circumstances, for example ±5%, ±10%, ±15%, etc.). For example, “about 1 V” includes “1 V.” Phrases preceded by a term such as “substantially” include the recited phrase and should be interpreted based on the circumstances (e.g., as much as reasonably possible under the circumstances). For example, “substantially perpendicular” includes “perpendicular.” Unless stated otherwise, all measurements are at standard conditions including temperature and pressure.
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/198,489, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING SOAP FLOWERS, filed on Nov. 21, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/662,146, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING SOAP FLOWERS, filed on Apr. 24, 2018; the disclosure of each of the foregoing of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10364408 | Nguyen | Jul 2019 | B1 |
| 20150201690 | Hazawa | Jul 2015 | A1 |
| 20160296426 | Yazbek | Oct 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 103215149 | Feb 2015 | CN |
| 2886636 | Jun 2015 | EP |
| 01178599 | Jul 1989 | JP |
| 04245902 | Sep 1992 | JP |
| 5-17800 | Jan 1993 | JP |
| 2012021246 | Feb 2012 | JP |
| 201617240 | May 2016 | TW |
| WO 2008004793 | Jan 2008 | WO |
| WO 2014027493 | Feb 2014 | WO |
| Entry |
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| Machine Translation of Japanese Patent 5-17800, Date Unknown. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190320748 A1 | Oct 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62662146 | Apr 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16198489 | Nov 2018 | US |
| Child | 16428725 | US |
