GB2382027A

GB2382027A - Medium for vehicling perfumes and similar products

Info

Publication number: GB2382027A
Application number: GB0222893A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giovanni Gaidano
Original assignee: Cithera Di De Rossi Renata & S
Current assignee: Cithera Di De Rossi Renata & S
Priority date: 2001-10-04
Filing date: 2002-10-03
Publication date: 2003-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-03
Also published as: FR2830452A3; FR2830452B3; GB2382027A8; ES1053121U; GB0222893D0; DE20215305U1; ES1053121Y; GB2382027B; ITTO20010186U1

Abstract

The medium (1), designed, for example, to be used for enabling olfactive examination of samples of perfume or similar products, comprises a tubular body, preferably having a diverging shape and being provided with end openings (3a, 3b), which are pervious when the tubular body is brought into a divaricated position. The body of the medium (1) comprises an external layer (4) which is made of a material that is on the whole compact and/or impermeable and inside which there is applied a layer of absorbent material (5) that is able to vehicle a sample of perfume or of a similar product applied thereon, for example by spraying. After the medium has been brought into the divaricated condition so as to receive the sample of perfume and to enable olfactive examination thereof, it can be re-closed by bringing it into a substantially flattened condition in which the absorbent layer (5) that vehicles the sample of perfume is enclosed in substantially sealed conditions by the wrapper formed by the external layer (4).

Description

"Medium for vehicling perfumes and similar products" TEXT OF DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to media that can be used for vehicling, for example as samples, perfumes or similar products (essences, fragrances, etc.) that can be at least temporarily absorbed by an absorbent means, for example one having a porous or spongy structure.

In shops and in points of sale in which perfumes and similar products are sold, small strips of absorbent material (generally a paper-based material) are used on which a sample of perfume or of a similar product can be applied by spraying or by immersion, the aim being to enable a potential buyer to appreciate the olfactive characteristics of the particular product.

Albeit representing a valid alternative to the practice of spraying the perfume on the hand, arm, or face, the above traditional solution is not altogether satisfactory. Whenever the aim is to keep in some way the sample vehicled on the strip in question (for example to enable appreciation of the product by a person who is not present in the shop or point of sale), it is necessary to insert the strip inside an envelope. Besides constituting an additional and separate element, an envelope of this type is not generally able to ensure preservation of the olfactive effect for a sufficiently long period.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a medium for vehicling perfumes and similar products that is perfected in terms of effectiveness and convenience of application and use as compared to the solutions according to the prior art.

In accordance with the present invention, the above purpose is achieved thanks to a medium having the characteristics specified in the ensuing claims.

The invention will now be described, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a medium for perfumes made according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken . along the line II-II of Figure 1; - Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of the modalities of use of the medium according to the invention ; and - Figure 4 illustrates the medium represented in Figures 1 and 3 in another possible condition of use.

In the attached drawings, the reference number 1 designates, as a whole, a medium designed to be used for vehicling perfumes or similar products in order to enable, for example, olfactive appreciation thereof.

In brief, the medium 1 consists of a body which may be roughly likened, also as regards its overall dimension$, to a small envelope or wrapper which comprises two cheeks 2a, 2b of a preferably trapezoidal shape. The cheeks 2a, 2b are connected together at the homologous oblique sides in such a way as to give rise to a substantially tubular structure.

Starting from a generally flattened position (which will be examined later on with reference to Figure 4), the medium 1 can be thus brought into the opened/divaricated position represented in Figure 1, so as to assume a configuration which can be substantially likened to that of a bottomless cup, i. e. , with end openings, one of which is designated by 3a and the other by 3b.

Even though the trapezoidal shape illustrated herein represents, for the formation of the cheeks 2a, 2b, a preferred choice, it is in any case understood that said parts of the medium 1 can be made with a

different shape, for example rectangular, in which case, the cup-like configuration obtained in the condition of divarication represented in Figure 1 will correspond, instead of to the shape of a cup made like a truncated cone, to the shape of a substantially cylindrical cup.

The two cheeks 2a, 2b that make up the body of the medium 1 are made of a laminar material, which, as may be better seen in the cross-sectional view of Figure 2, has a stratified structure. In particular, an external layer 4 is present, which is made of a substantially compact and/or impermeable material (for example, a laminated plastic material or a compact cardboard) and to which there is joined (according to altogether known techniques, that are applied, for instance, in the technology for packaging foodstuffs, pharmaceutical products or cosmetics) an internal layer 5 of a material substantially absorbent in regard to a product, such as a perfume, a fragrance or an essence.

For instance, the absorbent layer 5 may be made of one of the materials currently used for making the absorbent strips mentioned in the introductory part of the present description.

Preferably, the external layer 4 extends vertically further than the internal layer 5, and, in the proximity of the top margin adjacent to the opening 3a (the same applies also to the bottom margin adjacent to the opening 3b) a closing element 6 is provided which may consist, for instance, of a tab or strip of separable adhesive material.

Adhesives of this kind (sometimes also referred to as"sticky"or"tacky"adhesives) afford the advantage that they enable adhesive connection between two parts, at the same time also enabling the two parts to be separated after being stuck together, the possibility

being preserved unaltered of re-establishing adhesive connection between the separated parts by bringing the parts into a condition of mutual contact.

The line of adhesive connection 6 can be present either on only one cheek or on both of the cheeks 2a, 2b.

In any case, to a person skilled in the sector other solutions are altogether evident that make it possible to achieve, in an equivalent way, the same result as that achieved by means of the adhesive line 6, namely enabling, by bringing the medium 1 into the flattened position, closing of the end openings 3a, 3b in sealed conditions.

The aim of the foregoing is to enable the absorbed material S present on at least one, and preferably on both, of the cheeks 2a, 2b to. be enclosed by the wrapper consisting of the external layer 4, which is for this purpose made of a substantially impermeable material.

In order to use the medium, according to the modalities schematically illustrated in Figure 3, the said medium 1 is brought into the opened or divaricated position. This result can be conveniently obtained by gripping the medium 1 at its"vertical"edges (namely, the edges which, in the embodiment herein illustrated, correspond to the oblique sides of the trapezoidal shape of the cheeks 2a, 2b) and squeezing moderately the medium 1 between the thumb and one or more of the

other fingers of a hand.

In these conditions, the medium 1 opens like a cup and is ready to receive a sample of perfume or of a similar product that is applied on it by spraying using a tester or a similar dispenser (see Figure 3).

During performance of the above operation, it becomes important for the medium 1 to have openings

(such as the openings 3a and 3b), when divaricated, at both of its ends.

A general closed-bottom configuration (i. e. , a cup- like configuration), albeit not being excluded from the scope of the present invention, is not altogether

satisfactory in the case where, the sample of perfume is . t'- ' applied by spraying. The said configuration may, in fact, be likely to induce phenomena of turbulence, and hence of return, in the sample of perfume that is sprayed on the medium 1.

The perfume applied on the medium 1 is absorbed primarily by the absorbent layer 5.

In these conditions, the medium 1 can be brought up to the nose in an opened condition, so as to enable olfactive examination of the perfume, fragrance or essence that has been absorbed by the layer 5.

Precisely on account of the presence of the openings 3a, 3b, any inspiration is accompanied by a free flow of air through the medium 1 such as to lap the surface of the absorbent layer 4 and favour diffusion of the perfume.

Starting from the divaricated condition, the medium 1 can be brought, by means of a simple operation of squeezing performed by acting on the cheeks 2a, 2b, into the condition represented in Figure 4, namely into a condition in which the medium 1 is essentially made up of the layer 5 (either a single layer or a double layer, according to whether it is present on just one or on both of the cheeks 2a, 2b) impregnated with perfume and enclosed in sealed conditions (on account of the presence of the adhesive lines 6 or of equivalent closing means) inside the substantially impermeable wrapper defined by the external layer of both of the cheeks 2a, 2b.

The medium 1 can now be conveniently put in a

pocket, a pouch or bag, or in any other container, in conditions of minimal encumbrance.

Of course, whenever it is desired to proceed again to an olfactive examination of the sample of perfume vehicled by the medium 1, the said medium will just have to be brought again into. the divaricated position (i. e., the one represented in Figures 1 and 3).

Moreover, it will be possible to rely on the fact that, precisely on account of the sealed structure defined by the medium 1 in its closed condition, the sample of perfume will be preserved for a sufficiently long time, and undesired phenomena of fast evaporation and dispersion into the environment will be effectively combated.

I will moreover be appreciated that the fact that the external layer 4 of the cheeks 2a, 2b is made of a substantially compact material facilitates application, on said cheeks, of printed matter of various nature (graphic representations, wordings, etc. ) aimed at illustrating the product or products vehicled by the medium (for instance, the so-called"pyramid"of a perfume), or else advertising and/or promotional indications of various nature.

Of course, the effects of the present invention extend also to models that enable the same utility to be achieved using the same innovative idea.

Claims

1. A medium for vehicling perfumes or similar products, comprising a substantially tubular body which has, at least in part, a stratified structure with an internal layer (5), which is able to absorb a sample of perfume or of a similar product and an external layer (4), which is compact and/or impermeable; the arrangement being such that said substantially tubular body can be selectively brought into: - an opened position (Figure 1), in which the tubular body is at least partially divaricated, and said internal layer (5) is accessible for receiving a perfume or a similar product and for enabling olfactive examination thereof ; and - a closed position (Figure 4), in which the tubular body is flattened, and said internal layer (5) is enclosed, in substantially sealed conditions, by said external layer (4) ;

2. The medium according to Claim 1, characterized in that said internal layer (5) is made of a porous or spongy material.

3. The medium according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that said external layer (5) is made of a material such as a plastic material or compact cardboard.

4. The medium according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tubular body has at least one end opening (3a, 3b) which is pervious in said opened position of the medium (1).

5. The medium according to Claim 4, characterized in that associated to said at least one opening (3a, 3b) are means for closing (6) in a substantially sealed condition when said tubular body (1) is in said closed position.

6. The medium according to Claim 5, characterized

in that said closing means comprise a formation of adhesive material (6), a tab or a similar closing means.

7. The medium according to Claim 6, characterized in that said adhesive material (6) is an adhesive material that enables detachment. and < re.-attachment of the parts that are joined together.

8. The medium according to any one of Claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said tubular body is provided with openings (3a, 3b) at both of its ends, both of said openings being pervious when said tubular body is in said opened position.

9. The medium according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tubular body (1) has a substantially divergent configuration, for example that of a truncated cone.

10. The medium according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said external layer (3a) carries on it graphic material.

11. A medium for perfumes or similar products, substantially as described and illustrated and for the purposes herein specified.