RE-SEALABLE BARRIER BAG FOR FRAGRANCED ARTICLES

Abstract

A receptacle for fragranced articles. The receptacle comprising a pair of opposing panels sealingly joined along a plurality of edges. The receptacle includes a sealing element disposed adjacent a first one of the edges. The sealing element spans a distance between a second one of and third one of the opposing edges. The sealing element is configured to be unsealed and re-sealed. The panels of the receptacle are formed of a laminate barrier including a plurality of films, wherein each of the films is configured to optimize a performance characteristic of the receptacle.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/111,702, filed on Feb. 4, 2015. The entire disclosure of the above application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present technology relates to articles of manufacture, kits, and methods for shipment and storage of fragranced articles. In particular, the disclosure relates to re-sealable packaging that retains the fragrance of an article placed therein.

BACKGROUND

In manufacturing fragranced articles, such as air fresheners and bathroom supplies, it is desirable to maintain a fragrance of the article as long as possible, especially until the article is ready for use. In order to retain a fragrance loading until the article is used, fragranced articles are typically sealed within an impermeable material, such as a plastic liner. Fragranced articles may be packaged individually or in bulk.

By packaging fragranced articles individually, a single article can be opened and used without unsealing the remaining articles. This allows the unused articles to retain respective fragrance loadings for a longer period of time. However, individually packaging fragranced articles is costly, as additional packaging materials and labor are needed to package each article. Additionally, individually packaged articles typically must be packaged into a larger container for shipping and storage.

As an alternative to individual packaging, fragranced articles may be packaged in bulk. Bulk packaging is desirable to manufacturers because it is more cost effective than individual packaging. A single package may be filled with a desired quantity of the fragranced articles. However, unlike individual packaging, conventional bulk packaging lacks the ability to retain the fragrance loading of the individual fragranced articles contained therein once the bulk package is opened. Typically, bulk packaging is unsealed when a first one of the fragranced articles is retrieved, and cannot be subsequently resealed. Thus, remaining fragranced articles remain continuously exposed to ambient air, causing the fragrance load to be prematurely depleted.

Furthermore, existing liners or other packaging materials for fragranced materials are constructed for the sole purpose of retaining the fragrance load of the product. In order to minimize costs, manufacturers make the impermeable material as thin as possible to sufficiently retain the fragrance. Although suitable for fragrance load retention, the thin material of conventional bulk packaging lacks the durability necessary to withstand normal rigors of shipping and handling. Thus, to ship the fragranced articles using conventional bulk packaging, the liner must be packaged within a more durable, rigid enclosure, such as a carton, box, or crate. The addition of a rigid enclosure further increases manufacturing costs.

Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for an apparatus for and a method of bulk packaging fragranced articles capable of retaining a fragrance load after the packaging is opened, and minimizes shipping costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In concordance with the instant disclosure, an apparatus for and a method of bulk packaging fragranced articles capable of retaining a fragrance load after the packaging is opened, and minimizes shipping costs, is surprisingly discovered.

One embodiment includes a receptacle for fragranced articles. The receptacle comprises a pair of opposing panels sealingly joined along a plurality of edges, and further includes a sealing element disposed adjacent a first one of the edges. The sealing element spans a distance between a second one of and third one of the opposing edges. The sealing element is configured to be unsealed and re-sealed. The panels of the receptacle are formed of a laminate barrier including a plurality of films, wherein each of the films is configured to optimize a performance characteristic of the receptacle.

In another embodiment, a method of packaging a plurality of fragranced articles is disclosed. The method includes providing a receptacle having a sealing element. A plurality of fragranced articles are placed within a cavity of the receptacle, and the cavity is sealingly enclosed. The receptacle is opened to retrieve a first fragranced article therefrom. The receptacle is then re-sealed using the sealing element. The sealing element is unsealed and re-sealed each time additional fragranced articles are retrieved from the receptacle.

In a third embodiment, a kit for storing fragranced articles includes a receptacle for fragranced articles. The receptacle comprises a pair of opposing panels sealingly joined along a plurality of edges. The receptacle includes a sealing element disposed adjacent a first one of the edges. The sealing element spans a distance between a second one of and third one of the opposing edges. The sealing element is configured to be unsealed and re-sealed. The panels of the receptacle are formed of a laminate barrier including a plurality of films, wherein each of the films is configured to optimize a performance characteristic of the receptacle. A plurality of fragranced articles are disposed within the cavity of the receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle according to an embodiment of the disclosure, wherein a plurality of fragranced articles is enclosed within the receptacle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle of FIG. 1, wherein the sealing element of the receptacle is shown after opening;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a receptacle and a container according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4A is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a laminate barrier according to an embodiment of the disclosure showing a portion of the laminate barrier separated;

FIG. 4B is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a laminate barrier according to another embodiment of the disclosure showing a portion of the laminate barrier separated;

FIG. 4C is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a laminate barrier according to another embodiment of the disclosure showing a portion of the laminate barrier separated; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the laminate barrier in circle 5 of FIG. 4C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. In respect of the methods disclosed, the steps presented are exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps is not necessary or critical.

FIGS. 1-3 show a re-sealable receptacle 10 for storage of fragranced articles 14, according to the instant disclosure. The receptacle 10 includes a pair of opposing panels 14 and a sealing element 16.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the panels 14 of the receptacle 10 are rectangular in shape and joined together along edges 18, 20, 22 to form a cavity 24 intermediate the panels 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the edges 18, 20, 22 include a pair of opposing longitudinal edges 18, a top edge 20, and a bottom edge 22. However, it will be understood by the skilled artisan that the receptacle 10 may include more or fewer edges. For example, each of the panels 14 of the receptacle 10 may be a polygonal shape having five or more edges, wherein a perimeter of the cavity 24 substantially corresponds to a polygonal shape of items to be contained therein.

In the illustrated embodiment of the receptacle 10, the edges 18, 20, 22 of the receptacle 10 are formed by sealingly joining each of the pair of the opposing panels 14 to each other. The edges 18, 20, 22 may be thermally joined by a heat sealing process. Alternatively, the edges 18, 20, 22 may be chemically joined, using an adhesive. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other methods of joining the panels 14 can be used as desired. In one embodiment, the receptacle 10 is formed by folding a single panel 14 upon itself, wherein a crease of the fold forms one of the edges 18, 20, 22 and the remaining edges 18, 20, 22 are formed by a joining process, as described above.

In the illustrated embodiment, the panels 14 are sealingly joined along the top edge 20 of the receptacle 10 to enclose the cavity 24 of the receptacle 10. In this embodiment, the top edge 20 is removable, wherein when the cavity 24 of the receptacle 10 is accessed for the first time, the sealingly joined top edge 20 is removed from the receptacle 10 and the sealing element 16 is opened to provide a mouth 26 to the cavity 24. A tear notch 28 may be formed in one of the longitudinal edges 18 of the receptacle 10, adjacent the top edge 20. The tear notch 28 is configured to provide a relief point in the longitudinal edge 18 of the receptacle 10 to minimize a force required to remove the top edge 20 of the receptacle 10. As shown, a pair of the tear notches 28 is formed in opposing longitudinal edges 18. Additionally, a series of perforations or indentations forming a tear line 30 may be formed in each of the panels 14 adjacent the top edge 20. The tear line 30 spans a distance between the pair of the tear notches 28. In alternate embodiments of the receptacle 10, the top edge 20 of the receptacle 10 is not sealingly joined, and the mouth 26 is provided through the sealing element 16 into the cavity 24.

The sealing element 16 is disposed adjacent the top edge 20 of the receptacle 10 and spans a distance between the longitudinal edges 18. The sealing element 16 is a re-sealable sealing element 16, configured to sealingly close the mouth 26 of the receptacle 10. The sealing element 16 can be unsealed and re-sealed repeatedly, thereby allowing the cavity 24 of the receptacle 10 to be sealingly enclosed after the top edge 20 is removed. In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing element 16 is a plastic zipper, wherein a wherein a first portion of the sealing element 16 on a first one of the panels 14 engages a second portion of the sealing element 16 on a second one of the panels 14 to sealingly enclose the cavity 24. The sealing element 16 may include a slider 32 configured to engage and disengage the sealing element 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the slider 32 is configured to engage the first portion of the sealing element 16 and the second portion of the sealing element 16 with each other when the slider 32 is advanced in a first direction, and to disengage the first portion of the sealing element 16 from the second portion of the sealing element 16 when the slider 32 is advanced in an opposing second direction. In alternate embodiments the sealing element 16 may be an adhesive strip disposed intermediate the panels 14, wherein the panels 14 are releasably adhesively joined to each other to sealingly enclose the cavity 24 when the panels 14 are pressed together. Additionally, the receptacle 10 may include a plurality of the sealing elements 16. For example, a pair of the sealing elements 16 may be disposed in the mouth 26 of the receptacle 10 adjacent the top edge 20. Alternately, one of the sealing elements 16 may be disposed adjacent each of the top edge 20 and the bottom edge 22, wherein each of the top edge 20 and the bottom edge 22 can be removed, as described above.

The panels 14 of the receptacle 10 are flaccid, and are formed of at least one film 34. The film 34 may be configured based on a desired performance characteristic of the panels 14. The performance characteristic may be a gas permeability, a liquid permeability, a tensile strength, a resilience, a color, and an ultraviolet light transmission. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate additional performance characteristics to be considered. For example, the panels 14 of the receptacle 10 may be desirably gas impermeable, liquid impermeable, resistant to tearing and abrasion, and restrictive to ultraviolet light. Configuration of the film 34 includes selection of a material type and a thickness based on the desired performance characteristic.

The material type of the film 34 may be a polymeric material. For example, the material may be selected from a polyester, a polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), a polyethylene (PET), an ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), a nylon, and a polypropylene, or a combination thereof. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other materials

In addition to the material type, the thickness of the film is also selected based on at least one of the desired performance characteristics of the panels 14. The thickness of the film is typically between 50 microns (0.002″) and 254 microns (0.010″). An increase in the thickness of the film 34 may advantageously maximize the performance characteristics of the receptacle 10.

As shown in FIG. 4A, a first embodiment of the laminate barrier 36 comprises a first film 34 and a second film 34′, wherein the first film 34 is configured based on a first one of the performance characteristics and the second film 34′ is configured based on a second one of the performance characteristics. Accordingly, the first film 34 is formed of a first material type and has a first thickness, and the second film 34′ is formed of a second material type and has a second thickness. In the first embodiment of the laminate barrier, the first film 34 is formed of a first one of polyester, PVDC, PET, EVOH, nylon, and polypropylene, and the second film is formed of a second one of polyester, PVDC, PET, EVOH, nylon, and polypropylene, different from the first one of polyester, PVDC PET, EVOH, nylon, and polypropylene. Favorable results have been obtained where the first thickness of the first film 34 is between 50 microns and 254 microns and the second thickness of the second film 34′ is between 50 microns and 254 microns. The first thickness may be the same as the second thickness, or the first thickness may be different from the second thickness.

In a second embodiment of the laminate barrier 36′, shown in FIG. 4B, the laminate barrier 36′ comprises a third film 34″, wherein the third film 34″ is configured based on a third one of the performance characteristics. Accordingly, the third film 34″ is formed of a third material type and has a third thickness. In the second embodiment of the laminate barrier 36′, the third film is formed of one of the PVDC, the PET, the EVOH, the nylon, and the polypropylene. The material type of the third film 34″ is different from at least one of the material type of the first film 34 and the material type of the second film 34′. Favorable results have been obtained where the third thickness of the third film 34″ is between 50 microns and 254 microns, and may be the same as one of the first thickness and the second or different from the first thickness and the second thickness.

In a third embodiment, shown in FIG. 4C, the laminate barrier 36″ comprises a fourth film 34″′, wherein the fourth film 34″′ is configured based on a fourth one of the performance characteristics. Accordingly, the fourth film 34″′ is formed of a fourth material type and has a fourth thickness. In the third embodiment of the laminate barrier 36″, the fourth film 34″′ is formed of one of the PVDC, the PET, the EVOH, the nylon, and the polypropylene. The material type of the fourth film may be the same as or different from the material of the first film 34, the material type of the second film 34′, and the material type of the third film 34″. Favorable results have been obtained where the fourth thickness of the third film 34″ is between 50 microns and 254 microns, and may be the same as one of the first thickness, the second thickness, and the third thickness, or may be different from the first thickness, the second thickness, and the third thickness.

Although the panels 14 of the receptacle 10 may be formed of a single film 34, it has been surprisingly discovered that combining a plurality of films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ to form a laminate barrier 36, 36′, 36″ is advantageous, as the configuration of each of the films 34, 34″, 34″′ of the laminate barrier 36, 36′, 36″ may be optimized based on a single one of the performance characteristics. For example, one of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ may have a desirable gas permeability, but also have an undesirable liquid permeability and tensile strength, while another of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ may have a desirable liquid permeability and tensile strength, but an undesirable gas permeability. By combining the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ in the laminate barrier 36, 36′, 36″, the panels 14 may have desirable gas permeability, liquid permeability, and tensile strength. Additional films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ providing any one of the desired performance characteristics may be added to the laminate barrier 36, 36′, 36″.

Opposing faces of adjacent ones of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ of the laminate barrier 36, 36′, 36″ are bonded to each other. As shown in FIG. 5, the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ may be chemically bonded to each other using an adhesive 38, 38′, 38″, wherein the adhesive is disposed intermediate each of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′. An adhesive type is selected based the material type of each of the adjacent films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ in order to maximize the bond between the adjacent films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′. For example, the adhesive type may be an acrylic-based adhesive, or a urethane. When more than two of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ are present, a different one of the adhesive types may be disposed intermediate each of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′. For example, the first film 34 and the second film 34′ may be bonded to each other by a first adhesive 38, the second film 34′ and the third film 34″ may be bonded to each other by a second adhesive 38′, and the third film 34″ and the fourth film 34″′ may be bonded to each other using a third adhesive 38″, depending on the material types of each of the first film 34, the second film 34′, the third film 34″, and the fourth film 34″′.

Alternatively, the adjacent ones of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ may be thermally bonded to each other, wherein the adjacent films are joined together using a heating process.

In each of described embodiments of the laminate barrier 36, 36′, 36″, an exterior one of the films 34, 34′, 34″, 34″′ may be configured to be directly printed on by an ink printing means, a pressure printing means, or a thermal printing means.

In use, a plurality of fragranced articles 12 is placed within the cavity 24 of the receptacle 10. The fragranced articles 12 may be placed within the cavity 24 using a manual process, such as by hand. Alternatively, the receptacle 10 may be configured to be filled semi-automatically or automatically by a machine.

Wirth the fragranced articles 12 placed within the cavity 24 and the cavity 24 is sealingly enclosed, as described hereinabove, to retain the fragrance load of the fragranced articles 12 within the receptacle 10. The cavity 24 may be sealingly enclosed by closing the sealing element 16, sealingly joining the top edge 20, or a combination thereof.

The receptacle 10 may then be packaged and shipped to a user. The panels 14 of the receptacle 10 are robust enough to allow the receptacle 10 to be shipped directly through a parcel service. Alternatively, the receptacle 10 may be placed within a rigid container 40, such as a box, for example, as shown in FIG. 3. Additionally, a plurality of the containers 40 including the receptacles 10 may be packaged within a larger shipping container such as a carton (not shown), and a plurality of the cartons may be packaged within a crate (not shown).

When a first fragranced article 38 is retrieved from the receptacle 10, the cavity 24 of the receptacle 10 is made accessible through the mouth 26. Accessing the cavity 24 of the receptacle 10 may require the user to permanently remove the top edge 20 of the receptacle 10, where the top edge 20 has been sealingly joined. In this instance, the top edge 20 is removed by initially tearing the panels 14 at the tear notch 28 formed in the longitudinal edges 18 and along the tear line 30. The sealing element 16 is then unsealed to provide the mouth 26 into the cavity 24, and a desired quantity of the fragranced articles 12 is removed.

When the user no longer needs access into the cavity 24 of the receptacle 10, the sealing element 16 is closed and the receptacle 10 is placed into storage until another fragranced article 12 is needed.

The receptacle 10 described above and shown in FIGS. 1-5 advantageously provides several benefits. However, all benefits may not be present in all embodiments.

One benefit of the disclosed receptacle 10 is the reduction of production costs. By packaging a plurality of fragranced articles 12 within a single receptacle 10, production time and materials are minimized.

Another benefit of the illustrated receptacle 10 is the ability to retain the fragrance of the fragranced articles 12 after the receptacle 10 is initially accessed. Yet another benefit of the disclosed receptacle 10 is the ability to ship fragranced articles 12 through a parcel service without the need for separate packaging.

From the foregoing description, one ordinarily skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.

Claims

1. A receptacle for fragranced articles, comprising;

a pair of opposing panels sealingly joined along a plurality of edges, wherein a cavity is formed intermediate the opposing panels;

a re-sealable sealing element disposed adjacent a first one of the plurality of edges and spanning a distance between a second one of the plurality of edges and a third one of the plurality of edges, wherein the first one of the edges is configured to be removed, the receptacle including a tear notch and a tear line formed intermediate the sealing element and the first one of the edges.

2. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein each of the panels is formed of a laminate barrier comprising a plurality of films.

3. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of films are bonded to each other using an adhesive.

4. The receptacle of claim 3, wherein a configuration of each of the films is selected to optimize at least one performance characteristic, the performance characteristic one of a gas permeability, a liquid permeability, a tensile strength, a resilience, a color, and an ultraviolet light transmission.

5. The receptacle of claim 4, wherein the configuration of the film includes selection of a material type and a thickness of each of the films.

6. The receptacle of claim 5, wherein the material type is at least one of a polyester, a polyvinylidene chloride, a polyethylene, an ethylene vinyl alcohol, a nylon. and a polypropylene.

7. The receptacle of claim 5, wherein the thickness of each of the films is between 50 microns and 254 microns.

8. The receptacle of claim 2, wherein the laminate barrier includes a first film and a second film.

9. The receptacle of claim 8, wherein the first film is configured to optimize a first performance characteristic and the second film is configured to optimize a second performance characteristic different from the first performance characteristic.

10. The receptacle of claim 9, further comprising a third film configured to optimize a third performance characteristic.

11. The receptacle of claim 10, further comprising a fourth film configured to optimize a fourth performance characteristic.

12. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein sealing element is a zipper, wherein a first portion of the sealing element engages a second portion of the sealing element to sealingly enclose the cavity.

13. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the edges are chemically joined.

14. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is configured to be shipped without a container.

15. A method of storing a plurality of fragranced articles, comprising:

providing a receptacle having a pair of panels defining a cavity, and a sealing element configured to sealingly enclose the cavity;

placing the plurality of the fragranced articles within the cavity;

sealingly enclosing the fragranced articles within the cavity by closing the sealing element;

opening the sealing element to provide a mouth to cavity of the receptacle;

retrieving one of the fragranced articles therefrom; and

closing the sealing element to sealingly enclose the cavity of the receptacle.

16. A kit for storing fragranced articles comprising:

a receptacle having a pair of opposing panels sealingly joined along a plurality of edges, wherein a cavity is formed intermediate the opposing panels, the receptacle further including a sealing element disposed adjacent a first one of the edges and spanning a distance between a second one of the edges and a third one of the edges, the sealing element configured to be opened and closed to seal and un-seal the cavity; and

a plurality of the fragranced articles disposed within the cavity.

17. The kit of claim 16, further comprising a container, wherein the plurality of fragranced articles and the receptacle are disposed within the container.

18. The kit of claim 16, wherein the panels of the receptacle are formed of a laminate barrier comprising a plurality of films, a first one of the plurality of the films configured to optimize a first performance characteristic, the first performance characteristic being a first one of a gas permeability, a liquid permeability, a tensile strength, a resilience, a color, and an ultraviolet light transmission, and a second one of the plurality of the films configured to optimize a second performance characteristic, the second performance characteristic being a second one of a gas permeability, a liquid permeability, a tensile strength, a resilience, a color, and an ultraviolet light transmission.

19. The kit of claim 18, wherein the laminate barrier further comprises a third one of the films configured to optimize a third performance characteristic, the third performance characteristic being a third one of a gas permeability, a liquid permeability, a tensile strength, a resilience, a color, and an ultraviolet light transmission.

20. The kit of claim 18, wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of the films is between 50 microns and 254 microns, and a material type of each of the plurality of the films is one of a polyester, a polyvinylidene chloride, a polyethylene, an ethylene vinyl alcohol, a nylon, and a polypropylene.