Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Fold at edge
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-19
2004-06-08
Pyon, Harold (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Fold at edge
C428S127000, C428S126000, C428S121000, C428S036600, C428S035700, C428S036700, C428S905000, C428S041500, C428S480000, C239S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06746750
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a device, notably to a device for sampling fragrances or other volatile materials.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
In our U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,341,992 and 5,439,172 we have described various forms of sampler for a fluid volatile material, for example a liquid fragrance oil in an alcohol or other fluid carrier or diluent. In a preferred embodiment, the sampler comprises a base layer, notably one made from a polymer, especially a polyester polymer, which is micro-permeable to an organic volatile fluid applied to it, whereby the base layer absorbs the fluid on a molecular scale and acts as a reservoir for the volatile fluid. A cover layer, preferably also of a polyester or similar polymer, is applied over at least that area of the base layer which carries the volatile fluid. The cover is secured in position by an adhesive, preferably in the form of an annulus around the area of the base layer which carries the volatile fluid. The base and cover layers form, with the adhesive seal therebetween, a substantially vapour proof envelope for the volatile material.
When the cover layer is peeled back or otherwise removed to expose that part of the base layer carrying the volatile fluid to the atmosphere, the volatile fluid can volatilise directly into the atmosphere or the surrounds of the device. The adhesive is preferably of a pressure sensitive type, for example a water based acrylic adhesive, so that the seal between the base and cover layers can be broken when the cover layer is peeled back, and yet the cover layer can be re-applied to the base layer to re-form the seal and prevent further release of the volatile material from the base layer.
Such devices provide a simple means by which a volatile material can be presented to a user in a substantially sealed sampler from which little or none of the volatile material escapes until required and which can then be re-sealed to prevent further escape once the user has sampled the volatile material within the device. However, we have found that with prolonged storage of such devices where the volatile liquid material is a fragrance oil or the like, the apparent strength of the fragrance perceived by a user when the cover layer is peeled back from the base layer is less than would have been expected. Attempts to apply a greater loading of the volatile fluid to the base layer, for example by increasing the nip gap of the printing roller used to apply the fluid composition containing the liquid volatile material as described in our U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,172, have not been wholly successful.
It was also proposed in our U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,172 to apply the fluid composition to the cover layer rather than the base layer. A possible method for reducing the perceived loss of fragrance might be to apply the fragrance oil to both the base and cover layers. However, this would then require that the fragrance coated base and cover layers be brought into exact register with one another so as avoid the fragrance printed areas of the two layers overlapping the adhesive applied to either or both layers. Due to the aggressive nature of fragrance oils, this would result in degradation of the adhesive and contamination of the rendition of the fragrance. Accurate registration of two moving webs of material is complex and requires strict control of the operation of the machinery for bringing the two webs into contact with one another. The control and accuracy required is often more than can be achieved on a commercial scale operation.
We have now devised a form of construction of the sampler which reduces these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a generally planar closed envelope device formed from material having vapour barrier properties, which envelope comprises a base layer and a cover layer applied to the base layer and a continuous or discontinuous seal therebetween, characterised in that:
a. each of the base and cover layers carries a fluid composition containing a liquid volatile material upon a selected area of the opposed faces thereof;
b. the base and cover layers are formed by folding over a single piece of sheet material so as to bring the selected areas of the base and cover layers into opposing register with one another; and
c. there is a separable and reformable seal between the base and cover layers to retain them in the folded configuration.
The invention also provides a method for making a device for selectively releasing a volatile material into its environment, which device comprises a substantially vapour tight envelope containing a volatile material which it is desired to release into that environment by opening of the envelope, which envelope comprises:
a. a base layer having vapour barrier properties, having applied directly to a selected area of a first face thereof a fluid material containing a liquid volatile material;
b. a cover layer having vapour barrier properties applied over said selected area of the said first face of the base layer; and
c. a seal between at least the periphery of said base and cover layers so as to form with said base and cover layers a substantially vapour tight envelope for said liquid volatile material, said seal being separable whereby the cover layer can be removed at least partially from said base layer to expose at least part of the base layer so as to permit release of the volatile material, said seal also being re-formable upon replacement of said cover layer so as to prevent further release of said volatile material when the cover layer is replaced upon said base layer,
characterised in that the method comprises:
i. applying the fluid material containing the liquid volatile material to two selected areas of a single sheet of the material of said base layer;
ii. severing the material carrying both such selected areas from said sheet as a single unit;
iv. prior to, during or subsequent to the severing of the unit from the sheet, folding the material carrying the two selected areas so as to bring the faces carrying the two selected areas into opposition with one another and thus form the base and cover layers of the envelope for the volatile material; and
v. securing the folded material in the folded configuration so as to form the substantially vapour tight envelope.
Preferably, the base and cover layers are secured in the folded configuration by a continuous or discontinuous strip of an adhesive composition around at least part of the periphery of either or both the selected areas on the base and/or cover layers. Preferably also the base and cover layers are generally planar and are formed from a substantially vapour proof material.
Preferably, the base and cover layers are formed as substantially congruent circular pieces of material linked by a bridging piece about which the circular pieces can be folded so as to bring them into opposed register with each other and form the envelope device of the invention. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the envelope device of the invention is formed by printing the liquid volatile material or a liquid, gel or slurry composition containing it onto the circular ends of a generally figure of eight shaped area of a substantially vapour proof sheet material. A strip of adhesive is then applied around at least part of the peripheries of either or both of the areas to which the volatile material has been applied. The sheet material is then folded at the neck of material linking the circular ends of the figure of eight, the bridging piece, to bring the circular ends into opposition to one another with the adhesive and the area(s) of the volatile material sandwiched between them and thus form a generally circular envelope containing the volatile material. The use of a single piece of sheet material to form both the base and cover layers of the device ensures accurate positioning of the selected areas and adhesive strips on the sheet of material and ensures accurate registration of these areas as the sheet of material is folded. The invention thus overcomes the difficulties imposed by the use of separat
AKI, Inc.
Miggins Michael C.
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Pyon Harold
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