Fragrance sampler insert

Details Fragrance sampler insert Fragrance sampler insert

2000-03-20

2001-06-26

Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Preparations characterized by special physical form

C206S484000, C428S905000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06251408

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fragrance samplers which are inserted in magazines or used in direct mailings.
Traditionally fragrance samplers were dry pre-scented blotter cards that had to be individually overwrapped to contain the fragrance for use in direct mail or magazine advertising. Beginning in the late 1970's, the micro-encapsulated Scentstrip® style magazine and direct mail insert was introduced. The Scentstrip insert is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,182 to Ross. This product was produced on wide web offset printing equipment and therefore offered significant cost efficiencies for mass marketing. However, this was still a dry sample since the water moisture in the deposited fragrance slurry would very quickly wick into the paper substrate and leave the product sample dry. In fact, the entire technology depended on this moisture wicking since the wet microcapsules would not bond to the paper and would not break upon opening of the sampler. The microcapsules only break and release the fragrance oil when they are dry and are bonded to the paper. The draw back with this product was that it did not replicate the actual wet perfume product very well. In order to sample the fragrances in its real life wet form, the moisture wicking of the wet fragrance slurry deposited in the wide web offset printing process needed to be prevented. This was most easily accomplished by using existing narrow web flexographic label printing technology to create a pressure sensitive product that incorporated a wet fragrance or cosmetic sample material between impervious barrier materials such as plastic films and foil structures.
Currently there are three main fragrance sampler patents that guide us in wet fragrance or cosmetic sampling in magazines and direct mail. One is U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,420 to Bootman, which 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 said fragrance deposit. The sealing is by 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.
The other patent is U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,688 to Muchin which perfects upon the Bootman product 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 forces that may lead to seal failures and leakage: a major defect in the original product. A modification of this second patent concept is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,263 to Greenland. Greenland uses a liquid polyethylene or other hot liquid plastic material that creates the above-mentioned well and also assists in the heat sealing process. The draw back of the Muchin patent is that the additional window ply involves additional cost and manufacturing complications for die-cutting and introducing the third ply in the process. The Greenland concept also adds additional material cost and slows the process as the liquid plastic material needs to be deposited and bonded to the top and bottom ply. Further, the hot liquid plastic material introduces foreign odor and can, in some circumstances, contaminate the cosmetic or fragrance sampling material.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The current invention creates a protective well for the cosmetic or fragrance material without the cost or slowdown of the additional third window ply of film or liquid polyethylene barrier wall deposit. The well is created by embossing, debossing or both embossing and debossing an interlocking double well wall into the two foil ply materials, thus creating a structure that is significantly stronger and can withstand stack pressure and forces experienced during distribution and mailing. The cosmetic or fragrance sampling material is deposited into the well. The top and bottom plies are bonded by a cohesive bond, by adhesive, or by heat seal bonding. Under stacking pressure in magazines, such described samples will maintain the seals better than the Bootman product and will be more cost effective than the Greenland or Muchin products.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4487801 (1984-12-01), Turnbull et al.
patent: 4493869 (1985-01-01), Sweeny et al.
patent: 4606956 (1986-08-01), Charbonneau et al.
patent: 4661388 (1987-04-01), Charbonneau et al.
patent: 4720423 (1988-01-01), Fraser
patent: 4751934 (1988-06-01), Moir et al.
patent: 4769264 (1988-09-01), Dreger
patent: 4848378 (1989-07-01), Moir et al.
patent: 5161688 (1992-11-01), Muchin
patent: 5192380 (1993-03-01), Hanada et al.
patent: 5391420 (1995-02-01), Bootman et al.
patent: 5562112 (1996-10-01), Gunderman et al.
patent: 5622263 (1997-04-01), Greenland
patent: 5645161 (1997-07-01), Whitaker et al.
patent: 5666693 (1997-09-01), Levay
patent: 5690130 (1997-11-01), Gunderman et al.

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