EP0297959A1 - Article for containing a sample of a fragrant substance - Google Patents

Abstract

- The invention relates to an article intended to contain a sample of an odorous substance revealable by friction, of the type consisting of an adhesive film (11) in which are incorporated micro-capsules (12) containing said substance. - According to the invention, the article (1) comprises, on the one hand, a tongue (2) of which one (10) of the faces has such an adhesive film, and on the other hand, a surface (8) capable of coming into contact with said film (11), said tongue (2) and said surface (8) being able to be displaced relative to each other so that, during their relative displacement, the friction generated between those -ci causes the tearing of said microcapsules (12), and the diffusion of said odorous substance. - Application of the said article in particular for advertising and commercial purposes, and in the perfume industry.

Description

The present invention relates to an article intended to contain at least one sample of an odorous substance, such as for example a perfume, revealable by friction.

The commercial article according to the invention can be intended for various uses, for example for advertising purposes to promote to the general public the launch of a new perfume, or else to stimulate the sale of a product recalling a specific perfume. The use of said article can also be appreciated by professionals in the perfume industry where each article can then contain a specific odorous substance such as a determined natural essence, a composition of a perfume, or others.

We already know an embodiment of such an article of the advertising type which is constituted by a support, generally made of paper, on one side of which is disposed an adhesive film in which are incorporated a plurality of microcapsules containing an odorous substance. The fragrance is revealed by scraping the film by means of the user's fingernail or an object. During the scraping operation, the microcapsules are destroyed, causing the fragrance they contain to diffuse. Although the article is attractive from an advertising point of view, the need to scrape the adhesive film with the help of the nail to reveal the perfume tarnishes its image since, on the one hand, part of the peeled film is deposited under the fingernail of the user, and that on the other hand, the hand of the latter is impregnated with the perfume diffused during the destruction of the micro-capsules, which can be appreciated by a user fond of the diffused perfume but certainly otherwise. Such an article is therefore unsuitable in the aforementioned application intended for perfume professionals.

In addition, the presentation of this article is unattractive since it comes down to a simple paper support with no originality.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks and relates to an article carrying an odorous substance revealable by friction, which eliminates the scraping operation, and which prevents said odorous substance from being impregnated on the hand of the 'user.

To this end, the article according to the invention intended to contain at least one sample of an odorous substance which can be revealed by friction, of the type consisting of an adhesive film in which are incorporated a plurality of microcapsules containing said substance, and which can be destroyed by pressure, is remarkable in that it comprises, on the one hand, a tongue or the like of which at least one of the faces has at least one such adhesive film, and on the other hand, a surface capable of coming into contact of said film, said tab and said surface being able to be displaced relative to each other so that, during their relative displacement, the friction generated between them causes the destruction of said microcapsules, and the diffusion of said odorous substance.

In a preferred embodiment, said tongue is removably housed in a case, one of the sides of which, which may come into contact with said face of the tongue having said film, defines said surface.

Advantageously, one end of said tongue emerges from said case, allowing the latter to be accessible from the outside. Furthermore, said emerging end is not coated with said film containing the microcapsules. Thus, the user's hands are not in direct contact with the odorous substance, since it acts, on the one hand, on the external flanks of said case and on the other hand, on the emergent end not coated with the tongue. When the user has extracted the latter out of said case, the friction of which relative to each other has caused the release of the perfumed substance, he carries said tongue in the vicinity of his nasal appendage in a manner identical to the gesture performed by a perfume expert when he identifies a fragrance essence or composition. Consequently, the article according to the invention is also intended for perfumery professionals, where each of the articles may contain a specific odorous substance.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said side of said case, intended to come into contact with the coated face of the tongue, may include scraping means. Thus, the micro-capsules are not only torn by the friction created during the movement of the tongue out of said case, but also by the scraping means.

In a preferred embodiment, the latter consist of an adhesive film deposited on said flank and containing abrasive particles, so that, when the tongue is moved out of said case, the abrasive particles tear up the perfumed microcapsules.

• La figure 1 représente, en vue de face, un mode préféré de réalisation dudit article selon l'invention tel qu'il se présente avant son utilisation.
• La figure 2 est une vue en coupe de l'article selon la ligne II-II de la figure 1.
• La figure 3 illustre à une échelle agrandie le détail A de la figure 2.
• La figure 4 représente, en vue de face, l'article après son utilisation.
• La figure 5 est une vue en coupe de l'article selon la ligne V-V de la figure 4.

The figures of the appended drawing will make it clear how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical references designate similar elements.

• Figure 1 shows, in front view, a preferred embodiment of said article according to the invention as it appears before its use.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of the article along line II-II of Figure 1.
• FIG. 3 illustrates on an enlarged scale the detail A of FIG. 2.
• Figure 4 shows, in front view, the article after its use.
• FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the article along the line VV in FIG. 4.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, article 1, carrying an odorous substance, in this case a perfume which can be revealed by friction, according to the invention comprises a removable elongated tongue 2 flat, housed for the most part in a substantially flat case 3 , which has an opening 4 in its upper part for the passage of the tongue 2.

The lower end 5 of the latter comes in the vicinity of the bottom 6 of the case 3 while its upper end 7 emerges from the case 3 consisting of two sides 8 and 9. The thickness of the latter as well as that of the tab has been exaggerated in Figures 2 and 5.

As shown in Figure 1, article 1 advantageously has an external shape whose aesthetic recalls that of a bottle containing a perfume. Thus, the emerging upper end 7 has a plug shape.

According to the invention, one of the faces of the tongue 2, for example the face 10, is coated, on its part intended to be housed in the case 3 and therefore excluding the emerging end 7, d an adhesive film 11 in which are incorporated a plurality of microcapsules 12 which contain a perfume. The other face 14 of the tongue 2 could also be coated with such a film.

In addition, the sidewall 8 has on its internal face 15, facing the face 11 of the tongue 2, scraping means consisting, for example, of an adhesive film 16 deposited on the internal face 15, and which contains a plurality of abrasive particles 17. FIG. 3 illustrates on a larger scale this particular embodiment, although, in another alternative embodiment, the need for such scraping means is not essential for the revelation of the perfume itself contained in microcapsules, as explained above.

The manual for said article 1 according to the invention is carried out as follows: the user presses with his thumb and forefinger (arrows F1, FIG. 5) on the sides 8 and 9 of the case 3 so that the film 16 containing the abrasive particles 17 comes into contact with the film 11 containing the microcapsules 12. While keeping the two sides pressed, he pulls, by means of the thumb and forefinger of his other hand, on the emerging end 7 of the tongue 2 (arrow F2, FIG. 4), so that, during the displacement of the latter out of said case, the friction generated between the films 16, fixed, and 11, mobile, and to which friction is added, in this embodiment, the action of the abrasive particles 17 which penetrate into the film 11, cause destruction micro-capsules 12, then the diffusion of the perfume which they contain. As shown in Figure 4, after the release of the tongue, the adhesive film 11 is partly striated and torn off under the action of friction and abrasive particles.

The user, holding the emerging end 7 then carries the tongue 2 releasing the fragrances (represented by the arrows F3, FIG. 5) emitted by the perfume in the vicinity of his nasal appendage, thus enabling him to appreciate and judge according to his personal criteria said perfume.

Consequently, the manipulation of the article according to the invention is carried out properly, since, on the one hand, no removal of material is to be carried out directly by the user to reveal said perfume, and that, on the other hand, the fingers thereof do not soak up the perfume since they are in contact either with the external faces of the sides 8 and 9, or with the upper end 7 of the tongue.

For these reasons, in addition to using the article for advertising and commercial purposes, it is also suitable for perfume professionals. The article can be made of plastic or of suitable paper.

Claims (5)

1 - Article intended to contain at least one sample of an odorous substance revealable by friction, of the type consisting of an adhesive film (11) in which are incorporated a plurality of microcapsules (12) containing said substance, and destructible by pressure , characterized in that it comprises, on the one hand, a tongue (2) or the like of which at least one (10) of the faces has at least one such adhesive film, and on the other hand, a surface (8 ) capable of coming into contact with said film (11), said tongue (2) and said surface (8) being able to be displaced relative to each other so that, during their relative displacement, the friction generated between these cause the tearing of said microcapsules (12), and the diffusion of said odorous substance. 2 - Article according to claim 1, characterized in that said tongue (2) is removably housed in a case (3) including one (8) of the sides, capable of coming into contact with the face (10) of the tab having said film defines said surface. 3 - Article according to claim 2, characterized in that one end (7) of said tongue (2) emerges from said case (3), allowing the latter to be accessible from the outside. 4 - Article according to one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that said flank (8) of said case (3), intended to come into contact with the coated face (10) of the tongue, comprises scraping means ( 16.17). 5 - Article according to claim 4, characterized in that said scraping means consist of an adhesive film (16) deposited on said side (8) and containing abrasive particles (17), so that, during the movement of said tongue out of said case, the abrasive particles (17) destroy said microcapsules (12).

Images