GB2354229A

GB2354229A - Container for fragranced articles

Info

Publication number: GB2354229A
Application number: GB0021390A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Iain Russell; Janet Russell
Original assignee: ARRAN AROMATICS Ltd
Current assignee: ARRAN AROMATICS Ltd
Priority date: 1999-09-02
Filing date: 2000-09-01
Publication date: 2001-03-21
Also published as: GB9920619D0; GB0021390D0

Abstract

A container 10 used for packaging of fragranced articles is so arranged that a consumer can sample the scent of the articles inside the container 10 without the need to open the container 10 by pressing a resilient surface of the container 10 so that air from within the container emerges through an aperture 21.

Description

2354229 1 1 "Container" 2 3 The present invention relates to a container

used 4 particularly, but not exclusively, for packaging of fragranced articles.

6 7 Conventional containers used to package fragranced 8 articles fully enclose the article thus preventing 9 any fragrance from emanating out of the container.

11 The disadvantage in this type of conventional 12 container is that it is difficult for a consumer of 13 the fragranced articles to sample the scent of the 14 fragrance without opening the container.

16 According to the present invention there is provided 17 a container comprising: a number of surfaces 18 defining the container, at least one surface being 19 resilient; means for enabling fluid, such as air, to pass out of and in to the container when a force is 2 1 respectively applied to and then removed from the 2 resilient surface.

3 4 Preferably, said means is an aperture in one of said surfaces.

6 7 Preferably, said aperture is in said resilient 8 surface.

9 Preferably, said resilient surface is able to deform 11 elastically when a force is applied to it such that 12 the deformation forces the fluid from inside the 13 container to outside the container.

14 Preferably, when the force is removed, the container 16 returns to its original form thus drawing fluid into 17 the container from outside the container.

18 19 Preferably, the fluid which is expelled from inside the container is fragranced by any articles which are 21 inside the container.

22 23 Embodiments of the present invention will now be 24 described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

26 27 Fig. I is an isometric view of a container in 28 accordance with present invention.

29 Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a container 10 31 being generally rectangular in shape; comprising 3 1 front and back panels 11 and 12 respectively, top and 2 bottom panels 13 and 14 respectively, and first and 3 second end panels 15 and 16 respectively, said panels 4 having surfaces which define the container 10. 5 6 The container is formed by one piece moulded plastics 7 which is folded and hinged along hinge edge 17 by 8 means of hinges 17a and l7b and is releasably joined 9 along edges 18, 19 and 20, thus forming the generally 10 rectangular container 10. 11 12 The front and back panels 11 and 12 are resilient, 13 but are flexible enough to allow them to deform 14 elastically when a small force is applied, for 15 example, by a consumer pressing the front or back 16 panels 11 and 12 with their hands. 17 18 An aperture 21 is provided in the front panel 11 of 19 the container 10. The aperture 21 allows air to pass 20 in to and out of the container 10 when the small 21 force is applied to the front panel 11 of the 22 container 10. 23 24 The air that is expelled through the aperture 21 is 25 fragranced with the scent of articles inside the 26 container 10. 27 28 Therefore, a consumer can sample the scent of the 29 articles inside the container 10 have without the 30 need to open the container 10. 31 4 1 When the force is removed from the container 10, the 2 container 10 returns to its original form, thus 3 drawing air in to the container 10 from outside. 4 5 In an alternative embodiment, an air permeable 6 membrane forms part of the front panel 11. The 7 membrane serving the same purpose as the aperture 21 8 in that it allows air to pass in to and out of the 9 container 10. 10 11 Modifications and improvements may be made to the 12 foregoing without departing from the scope of the 13 present invention for example, the shape of the 14 container 10 may be different; the aperture 21 may be 15 on any surface and/or may be of a different shape or 16 there may be a plurality of apertures on a number of 17 the surfaces of the container.

Claims

1 CLAIMS

2 3 1. A container comprising a number of surfaces 4 defining the container, at least one surface being resilient; means for enabling fluid, such as air, to 6 pass out of and in to the container when a force is 7 respectively applied to and then removed from the 8 resilient surface.

9

2. Container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said 11 means is an aperture in one of said surfaces.

12 13

3. Container as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said 14 aperture is in said resilient surface.

16

4. Container as claimed in any preceding claim, 17 wherein said resilient surface is able to deform 18 elastically when a force is applied to it such that 19 the deformation forces the fluid from inside the container to outside the container.

21 22 S. Container as claimed in Claim 4, whereby when 23 the force is removed, the container returns to its 24 original form thus drawing fluid into the container from outside the container.

26 27 6. Container as claimed in any preceding claim, 28 wherein the fluid which is expelled from inside the 29 container is fragranced by any articles which are inside the container.