U.S. patent application number 12/384447 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-08 for product for liquid delivery fragrance samples.
Invention is credited to Sven Dobler, Blaine Stambaugh.
Application Number | 20090250530 12/384447 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41132346 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090250530 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stambaugh; Blaine ; et
al. |
October 8, 2009 |
Product for liquid delivery fragrance samples
Abstract
The product for liquid delivery fragrance samples lacks a liquid
tight and a vapor tight, perimeter glue band or heat seal. The
product comes from easily produced, in-line manufacturing of a
commercially printable paper which has an applied barrier coating
to defeat permeation by the liquid fragrance material. The product
has a substantially irregular, or textured, fragrance sample
material mounting and application surface that creates an
occlusive, cohesive seal between the substrate layers when
fragrance materials are applied. The opposing, textured substrates
of the product are in close proximity where the textured surfaces
defeat the capillary action of the fragrance sample, and thereby
occlude the migration of the fragrance sample out from the product.
Also, the inability of the fragrance to flow in conjunction with
its inherent surface tension makes the fragrance sample
substantially repose within the texture of the barrier coating.
Then for usage, the fragrance sample is accessed by a prospective
customer who opens a fold or removes a die-cut portion.
Inventors: |
Stambaugh; Blaine; (Signal
Mountain, TN) ; Dobler; Sven; (Huntington,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Paul M. Denk
763 South New Ballas Road, Suite 170
St. Louis
MO
63141
US
|
Family ID: |
41132346 |
Appl. No.: |
12/384447 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61072974 |
Apr 4, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
239/34 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 34/02 20130101;
A45D 2200/1018 20130101; A45D 40/0087 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
239/34 |
International
Class: |
A24F 25/00 20060101
A24F025/00 |
Claims
1. A device for delivering a sample of cosmetic, including
fragrances, to a consumer comprising: at least one sheet of
flexible material; at least one barrier coating applied to said at
least one sheet of material, said barrier coating forming an
impermeable surface across said at least one sheet of material; at
least one section of textured coating applied to a portion of said
at least one sheet of material upon said barrier coating, said
textured coating having a perimeter; and said sample of cosmetic
being placed within said textured coating and interiorly of the
perimeter of said textured coating, wherein said textured coating
retards wetting and capillary action of said sample of cosmetic
into said at least one sheet of material, and wherein the surface
tension and the repose of said sample of cosmetic retains said
sample within said textured coating.
2. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: said
sheet of material having a fold line; said barrier coating being
applied upon said sheet of material upon both sides of said fold
line; said textured coating section being applied coextensively
upon said sheet of material upon at least one side of said fold
line; and wherein said textured coating section containing said
sample rests upon said barrier coating section until said device is
unfolded by a consumer to access said sample of cosmetic.
3. The sample delivery device of claim 2 further comprising: a
cover locating outward of said fold line and opposite the remainder
of said sheet of material, said cover having a barrier coating
thereon; said textured coating section being applied to a portion
of said cover in registration with said barrier coating; and said
sample of cosmetic being accessed by opening said cover from the
remainder of said sheet of material.
4. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: said
textured coating section having one of a spaced apart cellular
pattern, a plurality of pockets, a plurality of raised concentric
ridges, or a plurality of raised concentric surfaces.
5. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: said
textured coating section including aggregate particles therein thus
creating a textured surface.
6. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: said
textured coating section including a substantially textured barrier
film.
7. The sample delivery device of claim 6 further comprising: said
barrier film including one of a coating or a mechanical alteration
thereof wherein said barrier film provides a textured surface.
8. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: a
porous coating layer upon one of said textured coating section and
said barrier coating.
9. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: a
first sheet of material and a second sheet of material adjoining
said first sheet of material, and at least one of said first sheet
of material and said second sheet of material having one of an
adhesive coating or a cohesive coating applied thereto for
securement when said first sheet of material adjoins said second
sheet of material; said first sheet having said barrier coating
applied thereto and said second sheet having said barrier coating
applied thereto; at least a portion of said second sheet having
said textured coating section applied thereto and said sample
locating within said textured coating; and said second sheet being
in registration with said first sheet wherein said sample of
cosmetic remains confined within said textured coating and said
barrier coating of said first sheet.
10. The sample delivery device of claim 9 wherein said first sheet
of material and said second sheet of material are made of
dissimilar materials.
11. The sample delivery device of claim 1 wherein said barrier
coating is an ultraviolet curable cationic barrier coating.
12. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: at
least one of said textured coating section or said barrier coating
includes a die cut portion wherein removal of said die cut portion
provides access to said sample of cosmetic.
13. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: said
sample of cosmetic is one of lipstick, non-liquid cosmetic
material, liquid cosmetic material, liquid fragrance, or
substantially gelled fragrance, placed between said textured
coating section and said barrier coating.
14. The sample delivery device of claim 13 further comprising: said
liquid fragrance having chemically altered viscosity and surface
tension.
15. The sample delivery device of claim 13 further comprising: at
least one of said textured coating section and said barrier coating
includes a die cut portion wherein removal of said die cut portion
provides access to said sample of cosmetic; and said die cut
portion serves as an applicator for said sample of cosmetic.
16. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: at
least one of said textured coating section and said barrier coating
including a means for adhering said at least one sheet of material
wherein said barrier coating being in registration with said
textured coating thus, closing said device; said at least one sheet
of material including a second adherence means securing said device
to a mailpiece; and wherein said adherence means includes one of a
pressure sensitive adhesive coating or repositionable glue and said
second adherence means includes one of a pressure sensitive
adhesive coating or repositionable glue.
17. The sample delivery device of claim 1
18. The sample delivery device of claim 1 further comprising: a
first sheet of material and a second sheet of material; said
barrier coating being applied to said first sheet and to said
second sheet; said textured coating section being applied to said
second sheet; said sample of cosmetic locating within said textured
coating of said second sheet then said textured coating resting
upon said barrier coating section; and said second sheet being in
registration with said first sheet wherein said sample of cosmetic
remains within said device and wherein said textured coating
occludes capillary action of said sample of cosmetic until said
device is opened.
19. A sample delivery device for liquid cosmetics, including
fragrances, sent to a consumer comprising: a first sheet of
material having a barrier coating applied thereto; a sample of
liquid cosmetic; a second sheet of material generally parallel to
said first sheet of material, said second sheet of material having
a barrier coating applied thereto in a thickness of about 0.3 to
about 0.6 mils, and said sample of liquid cosmetic locating between
said first sheet of material and said second sheet of material; at
least one textured coating upon said barrier coating of said first
sheet of material, said at least one textured coating confining
said sample therein, and said textured coating retarding capillary
activity of said sample into said first sheet of material and said
device; and said barrier coating of said second sheet of material
abutting said barrier coating of said first sheet of material thus
sealing said sample of liquid cosmetic within said at least one
textured coating and said barrier coating of said first sheet of
material and said barrier coating of said second sheet of
material.
20. The sample delivery device of claim 19 further comprising: said
first sheet of material being hingedly connected to said second
sheet of material wherein said second sheet of material overlays
said first sheet of material in registration.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This non-provisional application claims priority to the
provisional application for patent Ser. No. 61/072,974 filed Apr.
4, 2008, which is commonly owned by the same assignee.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This product for liquid delivery fragrance samples relates
to the manufacture of a fragrance sampler page or piece and more
specifically to liquid-delivery type fragrance samplers. These
samplers are well known in the industry and are commonly found in
magazines, used as retail handouts, or contained in advertising
mailers. A unique aspect of the system is retention of a liquid
fragrance sample upon the sampler using surface tension of the
fragrance in cooperation with the texture of the sampler and
without a perimeter weld or gluing of the sampler.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] Typically, liquid-delivery type samplers comprise a liquid
fragrance contained in a hermetically sealed film envelope which
has a heat-sealed, or glued, perimeter so as to contain the liquid
fragrance within these samplers without leaking. These samplers are
generally manufactured in the form of a label comprising multiple
film layers. Generally, the manufacturing process produces the
samplers at slow speeds on small-format web or label presses that
have been modified to suit the application. Machinery then
mechanically or physically attaches the samplers to a carrier page
for later incorporation into magazines or other mailings. Further,
small stand-alone sampler pieces also provide handouts or flyers in
retail establishments.
[0004] The liquid fragrance material carried by the sampler is
generally accessed by removing, or pealing away, a laminated cover
portion of the sampler. These sample devices provide to fragrance
manufactures methods and devices that present a rendition of their
products for trial by prospective customers. In addition, the
sample pages and pieces include graphics and advertising prose
printed thereon, commonly seen in printed advertising media for
another viable sales instrument.
[0005] Prior art label-type pieces such as Bootman et al., U.S.
Pat. No. 5,391,420, Muchin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,688, and, Bishopp,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,172, teach methods of producing an effective
liquid-fragrance advertising device. This type of devices rely upon
a perimeter glue band, or heat seal, to prevent capillary action of
the fragrance from occurring between the substrate layers of the
sampler. Fragrance capillary action arises from the surface tension
of the fragrance and the close proximity of the substrates and
layers. Fragrance capillary action would cause leakage from within
the sampler and onto the sample page, the carrier, or the magazine.
Prospective customers avoid fragrances that leak from a sampler and
damage a magazine. Leaky fragrance samples also lose their volatile
components upon exposure to the atmosphere. The seal also aids in
preventing leakage caused by compression loads, which occur with
common frequency in sampler pieces that are contained in large
stacks of magazines during assembly, mailing, transport, and
display.
[0006] The manufacturing operations, necessary to produce these
perimeter seals, require continuous process monitoring because even
slight process variation can cause the perimeter seals to fail.
These products also require a minimum of three expensive,
discontinuous auxiliary operations to produce a finished sampler
page.
[0007] More particularly, Bootman describes a pressure sensitive
label comprising two plies of a film or plastic material: one
bottom pressure sensitive ply, a deposit of fragrance material and
an overlay of a second ply which traps the fragrance deposit. The
sealing is by a perimeter heat seal. The draw back of this product
is that the fragrance material is often forced into and through the
seal areas under pressure from the stacking forces of many
magazines, or inserts, in distribution.
[0008] Then, Muchin builds upon Bootman by introducing a center ply
material which has a die-cut window. This window ply is introduced
onto the bottom pressure sensitive ply and thus creates a well for
the fragrance material. The top, third ply is then added and the
result is that stacking forces are distributed on to the widow ply
and the fragrance material is exposed to less force that would have
lead to seal failures and leakage: a major defect from Bootman.
[0009] A more cost-effective method to produce liquid-delivery
sample pages, or pieces, constructs the page from a commercially
printable paper substrate and contains the liquid, volatile,
fragrance material between layers of the substrates. By following
this method, a single manufacturing platform completes the entire
printing and assembling process in-line. The paper and other
required materials are mounted and processed on the single line,
and the finished product exits the end of the manufacturing line
for packaging and then shipment.
[0010] Other prior art includes some instances of liquid fragrance
delivery devices that are also produced in-line during a single
operation. The patent to Charbonneau, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,958
discloses a paper-based sampler page designed to defeat fragrance
pre-release by applying a volatile liquid treatment or coating to
the sample application area so as to block the penetration of
fragrance oils into the paper.
[0011] This method requires sequential layers of barrier coating
and involves the use of huge curing ovens to provide an adequate
barrier. Most existing printing lines lack the floor space required
for such additions. Therefore, the necessity exists to design and
to construct a custom manufacturing line for implementation of this
product.
[0012] Further, Charbonneau does not disclose any method that would
prevent the fragrance material from leaking out of the sampler. The
types of coatings cited by Charbonneau have high susceptibility to
surface inconsistencies, known as pin-holes. The pin holes appear
from vapor off-gassing during the curing stage of the process. Then
the thick coatings that resist the off-gassing cause the paper to
curl badly.
[0013] Then the patent to Whitaker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,161
discloses a multiplicity of construction methods. One embodiment
comprises a heat-sealed perimeter that contains the liquid
fragrance. Such heat sealing is a slow, cumbersome, and expensive
manufacturing method. The maximum speed of the heat-seal unit falls
short of the minimum operational speed of present day printing
presses leading to a bottle neck of production at the heat seal
unit while the presses operate at less an optimum rates. Another
embodiment involves equipment that applies a patch of barrier-type
film to the moving paper web of a printing press. This operation,
too, would also fall behind the minimum operational speed of a
modern printing press.
[0014] The patent to Jones et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,614
discloses a method of manufacturing a laminated page comprising a
paper substrate carrier and a film substrate barrier layer. This
continuous, film-type barrier layer glues to a paper substrate web
to provide impermeability to the. film. Then to defeat fragrance
material capillary action between the film layers and leakage
during compression loads, an additional adhesive is applied to
become a perimeter seal on the film layer. Ideally, this secondary
glue band requires in-line curing to avoid off-odor detectable by
the prospective customer which can occur from interaction between
the adhesive and the fragrance material. The fragrance is then
printed onto the film, and the area of the page containing the
laminated film is then folded over onto itself, forming a pouch, or
envelope, containing the fragrance material. The application of the
perimeter glue band requires continuous monitoring through visual
inspection by workers or automated sensors of the finished pieces
as they come along the manufacturing line.
[0015] Another challenge from the laminated, film and paper,
construction of Jones, Whitaker, and Charbonneau, exists in the
manufacturing scraps and wastes. The paper related recycle waste
stream at bindery operations becomes contaminated by the film
substrate during magazine edge-trimming operations. This
contamination can be avoided by an expensive secondary die-cutting
operation that removes the film substrate from the magazine
trim-off area. This secondary operation though defeats the original
economics of performing an all in-line construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] This sampler contains liquid fragrance within the texture of
one or more substrate layers. When a material, such as a liquid,
attains a steady state upon a surface, the liquid has reached a
state of repose, also called a state of rest or inactivity. In that
state, the liquid or other loose, cohesion-less material, comes to
rest in a pile of a known geometry defined by its angle of repose
which is the maximum angle of slope measured from a horizontal
plane. The angle of repose is related to the coefficient of
friction of the material.
[0017] The preferred embodiment of the liquid-delivery fragrance
sample page or piece has a construction without a liquid tight and
a vapor tight, perimeter glue band or heat seal. The
liquid-delivery fragrance sampler page comes from easily produced,
in-line manufacturing of a commercially printable material,
preferably paper, which has an applied barrier coating to defeat
permeation by the liquid fragrance material. The material of this
invention, preferably paper, provides a substantially irregular, or
textured, fragrance sample material mounting and application
surface that self creates an occlusive, cohesive seal between the
substrate layers when fragrance materials are applied between the
layers. The material of the invention provides a self sealing
device that retains a fragrance sample placed therein. Then at the
place of usage of the sampler, the fragrance sample materials are
easily accessed for trial by a prospective customer who opens a
fold or removes a die-cut portion on the page of the sampler.
[0018] More particularly in this invention, the opposing, textured
substrates of the sampler plies are maintained in close proximity.
There, the textured surfaces modify the behavior of the deposited
fragrance material so as to defeat its capillary action and,
thereby, act to occlude the migration of the fragrance material
from its application area out from the sampler. Also, because the
textured surface contains the liquid fragrance, the inability of
the fragrance to flow in conjunction with its inherent surface
tension makes the fragrance material substantially repose and
maintain its position within the texture of the barrier
coating.
[0019] Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of the
presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment of
the present invention when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings. Before explaining the current embodiment of
the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention
is not limited in its application to the details of construction
and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the
following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention
is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried
out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology employed
herein are for the purpose of description and should not be
regarded as limiting.
[0020] Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide
a product for liquid delivery fragrance samples that requires no
continuous perimeter heat seal or glue band in the fragrance or
sample material's containment zone.
[0021] Another object of the product for liquid delivery fragrance
samples is to occlude capillary action of the fragrance material by
separation of the substrates using the coated substrate's
texture.
[0022] Another object of the product for liquid delivery fragrance
samples is to substantially fill the textured surface without
affecting the position, or repose, or the fragrance sample within
the textured surface by compressive loads. The reposed fragrance
material remains within the application area's target zone.
[0023] Another object of the product for liquid delivery fragrance
samples is to provide the fragrance material's angle of contact in
the finished sampler of at least ninety degrees.
[0024] Another object of the product for liquid delivery fragrance
samples is to create a cohesive seal between the substrate layers'
barrier coating because of the inherent surface tension of the
fragrance material, thereby substantially reducing the fragrance
material's contact with the atmosphere and thus greatly reducing
its ability to evaporate.
[0025] And lastly, another object of the product for liquid
delivery fragrance samples is to determine the volume of the sample
material contained in the sample application area by the total area
of the textured surface and surface tension characteristics of the
sample material.
[0026] These together with other objects of the invention, along
with the various features of novelty that characterize the
invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the
specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to
the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is
illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] In referring to the drawings,
[0028] FIG. 1 shows a sampler in plan view;
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed depiction of a tight grid, or
cross hatch, texture pattern with an application of liquid
fragrance material;
[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed magnified depiction of a quad
cell-type texture pattern with an application of liquid fragrance
material;
[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed depiction of a wide grid, or
dot matrix-type, texture pattern with an application of liquid
fragrance material;
[0032] FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed depiction of a random dot
pattern applied to the base coating layer through the use of an
atomizer and an application of liquid fragrance material;
[0033] FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of a pattern of concentric
shaped ridges of coating material on the base barrier coating layer
and an application of liquid fragrance material; and,
[0034] FIG. 7 describes in a detailed view the interaction of
liquid fragrance materials with adjoining surface texture.
[0035] The same reference numerals refer to the same parts
throughout the various figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0036] The present art overcomes the prior art limitations by
assembling a product for liquid delivery fragrance samples where
the liquid fragrance remains within the surface texture of a
substrate because of a high angle of contact, thus limiting the
adverse effects of capillary infiltration of the fragrance into the
material of the invention. The high angle of contact of the
fragrance sample in relation to the material of the present
invention prevents wetting of the sample into the material. The
present invention utilizes a highly hydrophobic systems that
induces an angle of contact exceeding ninety degrees. The present
invention 10 begins with the components of a fragrance formulation
selected by a fragrance house or manufacturer. The fragrance
formulation is then rendered into a liquid for placement upon a
sampler, or piece, as in FIG. 1 where the preferred embodiment is
shown opened. The printable paper page, sheet of material, or
substrate 1, has a generally rectangular shape where the
longitudinal axis is longer than the lateral axis. In this figure,
the longitudinal axis is oriented upright. The substrate has a fold
line, as at 2, slightly off center to allow for covering the
fragrance sample and the application of adjacent printing. The fold
line divides the substrate into a base 1a to the left of the fold
line and a cover 1b to the right of the fold line. Alternatively,
the cover may be a hinged portion of the base that folds upon a
portion of the base. In a further alternate embodiment, the cover
and the base may be of separate sheets of material that overlay at
least a portion of one sheet. Mutually spaced apart from the fold
line 2 and in mutual registration, the substrate has two
ultraviolet light cured, cationic barrier-type coated surfaces, as
at 3 on the left or base 1a and as at 4 on the right or the cover
1b, that come into registered contact when the cover is folded
along the fold line 2 upon the base. The coated surface 3, or
section of barrier coating, has a substantially smooth surface. In
contrast, the opposite coated surface 4 includes a textured surface
of known geometry applied upon a barrier coating, as later shown in
FIGS. 2-5, and an application of liquid fragrance sample material 5
within the perimeter of the textured surface. Though a sample
material is described broadly, the sample includes lipstick, liquid
cosmetics, liquid fragrances, substantially gelled fragrances, and
liquid fragrances with chemically altered viscosity and surface
tension. The liquid fragrances include various additives that
manipulate the viscosity and surface tension of the fragrance
solution without affecting its scent. Then an enlarged depiction of
the coated surface 4, or textured coating section, appears in FIGS.
2-6.
[0037] The liquid fragrance sample may undergo modification of its
viscosity in various ways. Such modifications utilize fragrance
oils or other fluids to change the resulting viscosity of the
modified fragrance solution. Typically, fragrance oil has a
viscosity range of about 2 to about 12 centipoise. However, the
type of applicator or dispensing equipment may require thickening
of the liquid, that is a higher viscosity, for proper passage of
the fragrance liquid through the equipment. Most equipment operates
upon liquids having a viscosity between 40 centipoise and 2400
centipoise, however, liquid viscosity in the range of 200,000
centipoise are still accommodated. The liquid fragrance of modified
viscosity includes a blend of materials, or the addition of
rheology modifiers, emulsions, suspensions, reacted materials, and
other forms of thickened liquids. The liquid fragrance of modified
viscosity may or may not have adhesive qualities.
[0038] The Applicants foresee modifying the liquid fragrance's
viscosity using various components. Those components include blends
of cellulose gums, cellulose derivatives, carboxymethylcellulose,
sodium carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose,
hydroxyethylcellulose, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose or ethycell;
vegetable gums, xanthan gum, acacia gum; alginates, carrageenan,
alcogum; silicones, versagels, silicone fluid 200; clays, veegum,
bentone gel, silicas, untreated fumed silica or Cabosil.RTM. M-5
from Eager Plastics of Chicago, Ill., specially treated fumed
silica or Cabosil.RTM.TS-720, TS-630; surfactants, sodium lauryl
sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate; fillers, calcium polycarbophil;
emulsions, polyvinyl alcohol or Celvol.RTM. from Celanese Corp. of
Dallas, Tex.; and suspensions, acrylic acid derivatives such as
Carbopol.RTM. 940 and Ultrez.RTM. 10 from Lubrizol Corp. of
Wickliffe, Ohio. One example of medication adjusts the viscosity of
fragrance oil by adding ethycell at the rate of five percent by
weight and mixing the solution at room temperature under high shear
for five hours. This modification produces a fragrance oil with its
viscosity increased to the range of 1700 to 1900 centipoise.
[0039] In the operations of this invention, the textured coating
has the cosmetic sample locating within its interstices. Then
mutually parallel barrier coatings layer upon and confront the
textured coating. The sample remains with the textured coating
because of stilting and its repose while the textured coating
becomes effectively sealed by the adjacent barrier coatings. This
layered arrangement of textured coating and barrier coating does
not require a perimeter seal by heat or other welding methods.
[0040] Generally, the textured coating section has a pattern of
spaced apart cells or a plurality of pockets. The sample page 1
also has a plurality of means to adhere the invention into a closed
form including non-permanent adhesive applications, as at 6, in a
pattern upon the cover 1b that maintain the barrier surfaces 3 and
4 in close proximity when the cover 1b is closed upon the base 1a
as at the end of manufacturing, during shipment, and through the
mail. The adhesive applications may include a pressure sensitive
adhesive activated during manufacturing when the textured coating
section is closed upon the barrier coating section and a
repositionable glue that adheres the material of the device to
itself temporarily but allows for ready separation of the parts of
the device or the device from a mailpiece. The adhesive
applications, 6, keep the sampler 1 closed until the cover 1b is
opened from the base 1a by the prospective consumer. Additionally,
either coated surface, 3, 4, or the sheet of material may have a
further application of pressure sensitive adhesive that activates
upon insertion of the invention into a printed material. This usage
of adhesive secures the invention, when closed, upon a page or a
card or into a magazine or other material as part of a consumer
mailing campaign.
[0041] Alternatively, the textured coating section and the barrier
coating section are located upon separate. sheets of material, such
as select papers. Each sheet of material then has a barrier coating
applied thereto and one sheet has the textured section applied upon
its barrier coating. Though on separate sheets. the textured
coating section registers with the barrier coating section of
another sheet so that the individual pieces of texture retain the
liquid fragrance sample within the spaces of the textured surface
as later shown in FIG. 7.
[0042] The barrier coating, or base coat, of the invention begins
with an existing low odor, ultraviolet curable, cationic type
varnish. Such a varnish includes RAD-KOTE product number K261 from
Actega Radcure of Wayne, N.J. This varnish has a viscosity of
approximately 375 centipoise. The low odor attribute of this
varnish makes it preferable over coatings from other manufacturers.
The barrier coating is applied on to a printed web of material
using a flexographic coater with a Cyrel type printing plate. The
printing plate has a smooth finish and is sized to meet the
dimension of the desired application. Generally, the barrier
coating is applied to the web of material in a thickness of about
0.3 to about 0.6 mils, depending on the surface finish or porosity
of the web of material, commonly paper or substrate. An about 0.3
to about 0.4 mil thick application of base coat is effective on a
high quality, smooth finish paper which is used in commercial
printing. The coating then undergoes curing at an ultraviolet light
curing station mounted directly after the flexographic coater. The
intensity of ultraviolet light used relates to the desired
operation speed of the press. Generally, printers provide
approximately 100 watts of ultraviolet light per every 100 feet per
minute of press web speed. As an example, a press running at 1000
feet per minute calls for 1000 watts of ultraviolet light curing
capability.
[0043] The present invention also provides an embodiment where the
prospective customer accesses the sample of fragrance through a die
cut opening. The die cut opening can be in the textured coating
section, the opposite barrier coating section, or both the textured
coating section and the barrier coating section. In usage, the
textured coating section has the sample of fragrance deposited upon
it and then folded upon the barrier coating section with the die
cut opening upwards. The prospective customer then removes the
textured coating section within the die cut to test the
fragrance.
[0044] Then FIG. 2 depicts a detailed view of a tight grid, or
cross hatch, texture pattern upon the coated surface 4. This
pattern has lines intersecting at right angles with the lines of
thinner width than the squares of substrate between adjacent lines.
This pattern provides a suitable application surface for liquid
fragrance sample material, as at 5, along the thin lines between
the squares of substrate material.
[0045] The texture coating is preferably a low odor, ultraviolet
curable, cationic type adhesive. Such an adhesive includes RAD-KOTE
product number K6004B from Actega Radcure of Wayne, N.J. This
adhesive has a viscosity of approximately 825 centipoise. The
Applicants prefer this adhesive for its ability to build height to
the texture, as it possesses a greater viscosity and solids content
than what is used for the base coat. Though described as an
adhesive, the present invention has the adhesive cured immediately
in a pattern as later shown that builds the texture of the
invention.
[0046] The texture coating is also applied to the material, paper,
or substrate, using a flexographic coater with a Cyrel type
printing plate followed by immediate curing at an ultraviolet
station as previously described. This printing plate though has a
raised, or negative image, of the desired texture pattern in the
appropriate size for the desired product. Generally, the texture
coating is applied in a thickness ranging from about 0.25 mils to
about 2.5 mils depending on the amount of fragrance loaded into the
present invention. The Applicants prefer a thickness in the range
of about 0.5 miles to about 1.25 mils. As an example of single
sided texture delivery device includes a one square inch fragrance
fluid application upon a 30 line per inch grid texture where the
grid has a 1.0 mil height. This example yields a payload of
approximately 0.27 fluid drams or about 0.1 milliliter. The present
invention also includes textured coating upon both surfaces which
doubles the fragrance payload.
[0047] Alternatively, the liquid fragrance material is applied by a
flexographic coater as previously described. This printing plate
though is made of a soft, closed cell foam material, such as
Poron.RTM.. These plates, or pads, possess a smooth surface and a
low memory attribute that enhances application repeatability,
usually for adhesive application.
[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of an alternate
embodiment of the texture pattern as a quad cell-type pattern also
upon the coated surface 4. This pattern has individual cells, of
substrate material, with rounded corners where the cells are
oriented at a forty five degree angle to the edges of the product
sampler. The application of liquid fragrance material, as at 5,
generally occupies the diamond like shapes between the cells in
this figure.
[0049] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a dot matrix-type texture
pattern upon the coated surface 4. Similar to FIG. 2, this pattern
also has lines at right angle intersections with the lines having
similar width to the squares of substrate between adjacent lines.
This pattern has a suitable application surface for liquid
fragrance sample material, as at 5, along the wider lines between
the squares of substrate material.
[0050] FIG. 5 provides another detailed view but of a random dot
pattern of the base coating layer applied to the substrate as the
coated surface 4 through the use of an atomizing device.
Alternatively, the random dot pattern arises upon mixing a fine
aggregate particle material, such as nylon spheres of a certain
diameter, into the barrier coating material and applying the
mixture upon the substrate to create texture that secures an
application of liquid fragrance material, as at 5. In a further
alternate embodiment, a textured barrier film applied to the cover
forms the coated surface 4. In another alternate embodiment,
mechanically altered, or distressed, coating film applied to the
cover makes the textured coating section. The textured coating
section may also have porosity that defines a pattern of texture
for retaining liquid fragrance material.
[0051] And then, FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of a pattern of
concentric shaped ridges of coating material on the base barrier
coating layer, or coated surface 4. The ridges, or surfaces,
generally follow the shape of the perimeter of the sampler product
and each ridge is spaced at an interval inwardly from the previous
ridge. The interval, or spacing, between adjacent ridges retains an
application of liquid fragrance material, as at 5, upon the sampler
product. In alternate embodiment, the outermost ridge may also be a
glue band that seals the two surfaces together thus preventing
contamination of the fragrance sample therein.
[0052] Following the description of the various patterns upon the
coated surface 4, FIG. 7 shows the interaction of a liquid
fragrance sample with the surface texture in a pattern similar to
that shown in FIG. 4. This view is highly magnified, generally
showing individual droplets of fragrance secured within the
texture, particularly its surface features. The paper of this
invention provides a textured mounting surface, as at 4, to which
is applied fragrance material, as at 5, here shown between
individual cells of texture, as at 4. Opposite the mounting surface
4, the invention has a smooth surface 3 onto which the mounting
surface abuts. The individual textures of the mounting surface
contact the smooth surface and seal the gaps between individual
textures. The individual textures modify the behavior of the
deposited fragrance material, such as at 5 between two adjacent
textures 4, so as to defeat its capillary action. The textured
surface thus occludes the migration, or flow, of the fragrance
material from its application location through the smooth and the
textured surfaces as at 3, 4 and then out of the product sampler.
The present invention achieves stilting between the cover and the
mounting surface. In an embodiment with two separate films as the
cover and mounting surface, the separate films with the appropriate
surface coatings and textures avoid or retard the capillary
infiltration of a liquid cosmetic into the fibers of the sampler.
Further, because the textured surface contains the liquid
fragrance, the inability of the fragrance to flow along with its
inherent surface tension causes the fragrance material to
substantially repose and remain within its locations inside the
texture of the barrier coating supplied upon the textured surface
4. Thus, the mounting surface and the smooth surface create an
occlusive, cohesive seal between the surfaces at each location
where fragrance materials are applied thus removing the need for
any perimeter seal of the product sampler.
[0053] In an alternate embodiment, two opposed textured surfaces,
such as 4, can be used. The high points of each textured surface
abut each other and form a liquid retaining seal. Preferably, the
two opposed textured surfaces utilize raised cross hatch patterns
that seal against each other.
[0054] From the aforementioned description, a product for liquid
delivery fragrance samples has been described. The sampler product
is uniquely capable of retaining a liquid fragrance sample upon a
substrate within a folded cover and without a perimeter adhesive or
heat seal. The sampler product may be manufactured from many
materials, including but not limited to, paper, cardstock,
paperboard, polymers, ferrous and non-ferrous metal foils and their
alloys, and composites.
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