Scented Picture Frame
The present invention is directed to a scented picture frame having removable scent boards attached in spaced relation to provide an aromatic ambiance with the display of an item such as a picture. The present invention features a holder on the back of the frame, capable of holding one or more scent boards in parallel adjacent the back of the frame, whereby an aroma is dissipated from a scented oil on the scent board to enhance the experience of viewing the item. Scents are impregnated into the scent board and retained by individually wrapping the scent boards for future use. One or more scents may be used with the present invention by hanging multiple scent boards on the scented picture frame. The scent boards may be removed and replaced when the scent is dissipated or to change the aroma. A picture pouch is used to protect the item in the scented picture frame from absorbing an aroma of the scent board.
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The present invention relates to a scented picture frame for use in a car, at home or in any room. The present invention is not funded by Federally Sponsored Research and does not relate back to any prior application
RELATED PRIOR ARTPicture frames are well known in the art for providing device for displaying pictures, certificates and other mementoes Picture frames are designed to hold one or more pictures in a viewable position to allow observation without touching the picture. Br addition, scented cutouts are used to hold and disperse a scent into cars and rooms to deodorize and freshen the air and provide aromatic ambience by dispersing a scent into the air.
Prior art disclosures a variety of devices for combining an air freshener with a photo frame. Design U.S. Pat. No. DES. 269,902 for COMBINED AIR FRESHENER AND PHOTO FRAME OR SIMILAR ARTICLE issued Jul. 26, 1983 discloses an air freshener chamber with a recessed pocket on one or both sides to hold a picture. It is unclear how the '902 patent dispenses a fragrance into the air.
Alternatively, an AUTOMOBILE AIR FRESHENER UNIT, U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,212 to Daniel Spector, discloses a picture holder for sticking on a car window. The picture frame has a porous frame impregnated with a volatile fragrance. The frame has a transparent window for holding and protecting a picture between the window and the car window and held in place with the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,522 for an AIR FRESHENER PICTURE FRAME, and a COMBINATION PICTURE FRAME AND AIR FRESHENER RECEPTACLE, U.S. Pat. No. DES 366,107 to Kevin Shaffer discloses a picture frame with an enclosure on the backside for retaining an air freshener material and a window on the front for displaying a picture.
The prior art does not disclose a convenient, inexpensive and compact picture frame having removable attachable fragrance sheets. The prior art also does not disclose a lightweight frame safe for use in a car or vehicle having alternate fragrance sheets attachable to the frame for covering odors, or creating an ambiance in the vicinity of the frame.
Smell is known to be a strong link to memory in human beings. The scent and fragrance technology allows manufacturers to synthetically create smells and aromas to create an atmosphere for mood setting. Aromatherapy has created oils and aromatic scents for keeping people alert, reducing stress, and other mood altering scenarios. In some cases different aromas are used together to create a desired effect.
In addition, the user of this device may want to change the smell or scent or aroma to correspond to a desired or present situation The prior art does not disclose an easy to change scented picture frame for use in a car of home environment. The prior art discloses devices requiring liquid or other messy additions to add a scent or odor to a frame Furthermore, the prior art does not provide an inexpensive, easy and clean way to change or remove the scent source.
The present invention solves this problem by integrating a frame having a tab on projecting from the back of the frame for removeably engaging one or more separate scent boards. The present invention is shipped as a kit having separate, individually wrapped scent boards for removable attachment to the frame The separate scented board could be attached to or removed from the frame for changing the aroma in the surrounding area The present invention is adapted to be hung in a car as an air freshener or mood enhancer or to be placed in a room such as in a home by standing the frame on a table or other surface having the scented board hidden from view. The scented board is replaceable with a similar scented board or a scented sheet having a different scent.
The present invention is designed to remedy this deficiency in the prior art by a frame having a separate, removable scented board. The frame may be placed in a viewing position by hanging from a support or in an alternate embodiment, standing the frame on a table or surface. The scent board is easily removed or replaced with out disassembly or destruction of the frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a picture frame having a removable scent board for use as a room deodorizer
Another object of the present invention is to provide a picture frame having a scent board mounted outside the body of the frame to prevent scent impregnation into the frame for removal or changing scents.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a scented picture frame having removable, outboard scent boards.
Another object of the invention is to provide a picture frame having a tab on the frame wherein a plurality of scent boards may be removably attached to create an ambient aroma of mixed scents for aromatic enhancement of the surrounding air.
The present invention is directed to a scented picture frame having removable scent boards attached in spaced relation to provide an aromatic ambiance with the display of an item such as a picture. The present invention features a holder on the back of the frame, and out of sight of a viewer looking at the item, capable of holding one or more scent boards in parallel adjacent the back of the frame, whereby an aroma is dissipated from a scented oil on the scent board to enhance the experience of viewing the item. Scents are impregnated into the scent board and retained by individually wrapping the scent boards for future use One or more scents may be used with the present invention by hanging multiple scent boards on the scented picture frame. The scent boards may be removed and replaced when the scent is dissipated or to change the aroma. A picture pouch is used to protect the item in the scented picture frame from absorbing an aroma of the scent board
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In use, the picture frame 10 is shipped with one or more scent boards 28, 128 for removably attaching to the frame 10 to form a scented picture frame 10. The picture frame is preferably made of a fiber material such as paper, cardboard, fiber board, or other lightweight easy to cut material, however the components of the body 12, 112 may alternatively be made from plastic, ceramic, glass or metal The scent boards 28, 128 are made of a porous or absorbable material such as paper or cardboard. Either or both of the frame body 12 or the scent board 28 may be made of an absorbent plastic material such as foam or the like. The sheet holder on the back comprising a tab 50 or foot 147 may be a separate device attached to the back by glue or staple or the like and folded out from the back for engaging the slot in the scent board Alternatively, the sheet holder may be integrally formed in the back of the body by die cutting the shape in the support layer and folding the holder outward from the body to support the scent board.
The scent boards 28, 28a, 128, 128a may be impregnated with a variety of scents and aromatherapy solutions The scent boards are individually sealed for holding in the scent until use. The scent board may be scented on only one side to prevent mixing scents when used in combination with a different scented scent board. The scent board is usually impregnated with a scent carried in an oil or other liquid for application. The scent board may be impregnated with scents selected from oil and aroma ingredients to simulate a smell selected from the list of: a variety of perfumes, food and flower smells, new car or evergreen or other commercial fragrances, berries, animals and smoke scents. Alternatively, the scent board may be impregnated with aromatherapy mixtures such as Lavendar, Ylang Ylang, Mandarin, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Lemon, and Peppermint and the like or combinations thereof.
Although the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein.
Claims
1. A scented picture frame for displaying a display item, comprising:
- a frame body having opposing front and rear surfaces, with the front surface defining a window therethrough for viewing the display item when supported by the frame body;
- a holder member projecting outwardly from the frame; and
- a scent board impregnated with an aroma and defining an aperture therethrough sized to receive the holder member and suspend the scent board therefrom under the force of gravity.
2. The scented picture frame of claim 1, wherein the holder member and scent board aperture are sized so the holder member removably holds the scent board.
3. The scented picture frame of claim 1, wherein:
- the frame body and holder member each have a lower surface for contacting a support surface upon which the scented picture frame rests; and
- the scent board has a periphery sized to isolate the scent board from contacting the support surface when suspended from the holder member while the scented picture frame rests upon the support surface.
4. The scented picture frame of claim 1, wherein the scent board has opposing scented and unscented surfaces, with the impregnation of said aroma being from the scented surface, and with the scented surface bearing indicia which is absent from the unscented surfaced.
5. The scented picture frame of claim 1, wherein:
- the holder member is sized to receive plural scent boards;
- said scent board comprises a first scent board and said aperture comprises a first aperture;
- said aroma comprises a first aroma; and
- the scented picture frame further comprises a second scent board impregnated with a second aroma, with the second scent board defining a second aperture therethrough sized to receive the holder member and suspend the second scent board therefrom under the force of gravity.
6. The scented picture frame of claim 5, wherein the second aroma is different from said first aroma and the first and second scent boards on the holding member defining an airflow passageway therebetween.
7. The scented picture frame of claim 5, wherein:
- each of the first and second scent boards has opposing scented and unscented surfaces, with the impregnation of said first and second aromas being from the scented surface of the respective first and second scent boards;
- the scented surface of the first and second scent boards each bear indicia which is absent from the unscented surface; and
- said indicia projects outwardly from the scented surfaces of the first and second scent boards, with said indicia of at least one of the first and second scent boards spacing apart the first and second scent boards to define an airflow passageway therebetween.
8. The scented picture frame of claim 1 wherein the holder member comprises
- a frame support structure projecting from the frame body rear surface to contact a support surface upon which the scented picture frame rests; and
- the scent board aperture sized to receive and reinforce at least a portion of the frame support structure.
9. The scented picture frame of claim 8, wherein:
- said scent board comprises a first scent board;
- said aroma comprises a first aroma; and
- the scented picture frame further comprises a second scent board impregnated with a second aroma, the second scent board defining a second aperture size to receive and reinforce at least a portion of the frame support structure.
10. The scented picture frame of claim 8 wherein the scent board support further comprises a tab having a first end on the rear surface and a second end spaced from the frame body, the second end of the tab sized to fit into the aperture on the scent board whereby the scent board is suspended from the frame body under force of gravity.
11. The scented picture frame of claim 8 wherein the scent board is suspended from the frame support structure under force of gravity intermediate the support surface and the rear surface of the frame body.
12. A method of changing an aroma emitted by a picture frame, comprising:
- framing a display item within a window defined by a frame body having opposing front and rear surfaces, and having a holder member projecting outwardly from the rear surface;
- removably suspending a first set comprising one or more of plural scent boards from the holder member under the force of gravity, each of the one or more plural scent boards impregnated with a unique aroma;
- separating the first set from the frame body; and
- suspending a second set comprising one or more of said plural scent boards, different from said first set, from the holder member under the force of gravity.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising suspending the the first set from the holder member adjacent the second set after suspending said second set.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
- defining an airflow space between adjacent scent boards when suspended from the holder member.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second set further comprising a second aroma, the second aroma different from the unique aroma.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
- defining an airflow space between adjacent scent boards when suspended from the holder member
- mixing aromas impregnated within said adjacent scent boards in said airflow space to provide a composite aroma.
17. A kit for changing an aroma emitted by a picture frame having a frame body defining opposing front and rear surfaces, and having a holder member projecting outwardly from the rear surface, the kit comprising a first interchangeable scent board having a unique aroma and defining an aperture therethrough sized to receive the holder member, the holder member removably inserted in the aperture to suspend the scent board therefrom under the force of gravity.
18. The kit of claim 17, further comprising a second interchangeable scent board, said second interchangeable scent board impregnated with an aroma different from the unique aroma, said second interchangable scent board having an aperture adapted to receive the holder member removably therein, and a means sealed in said pocket.
19. The kit of claim 17 wherein the frame body further comprises a window in one of the opposing surfaces, the window adapted for framing a display item within the window, the frame body further comprises means for supporting the frame body in a viewing orientation on said frame body.
20. The kit of claim 19 further comprising a means for spacing said interchangeable scent board from said display item.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 1, 2008
Publication Date: Jun 11, 2009
Applicant: Potomac Corporation (Wheeling, IL)
Inventor: Peter Graves (Palos Hills, IL)
Application Number: 12/325,995