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US-12622991-B2 - Scent window sniffer card

US12622991B2US 12622991 B2US12622991 B2US 12622991B2US-12622991-B2

Abstract

A scent and freshener device and a method of manufacturing the device comprising a layered stack. The scent composition is encapsulated thus preventing leakage and the scent remains pure and uncompromised. A scent sniff card may hold one fragrance or multiple encapsulated fragrances. The scent sniff card is streamlined and uses minimal parts thus reducing manufacturing costs and landfill waste.

Inventors

  • John Clarke

Assignees

  • John Clarke

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240906

Claims (12)

  1. 1 . A fragrance scent sniff card consisting essentially of: a first substrate, a first adhesive on the inside of the first substrate; a first impermeable barrier polymer on the inside of the first substrate; the first impermeable to oil-permeable to vapor barrier polymer adhered to the first adhesive; a second adhesive on the inside of a second substrate, a second impermeable to oil-permeable to vapor barrier polymer adhered to the second adhesive, wherein the first and second impermeable to oil-permeable to vapor barrier polymers are adjacent thereto and a fragrance scent oil composition encapsulated between first and second impermeable to oil-permeable to vapor barriers; wherein the impermeable to oil-permeable to vapor barrier layers allow the molecular transfer of the fragrance scent oil to escape and prevents the outward passage of the fragrance scent oil.
  2. 2 . The scent sniff card of claim 1 wherein the first and second impermeable barrier polymers comprise low density polyethylene.
  3. 3 . The scent sniff card of claim 1 further comprising at least one perforated cut aperture and a pull and lift tab cut on the first substrate.
  4. 4 . The scent sniff card of claim 3 wherein the first and second substrates are printed.
  5. 5 . The scent sniff card of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of perforated cut apertures on first and second substrates; each aperture comprises the same or different fragrance scent oil compositions.
  6. 6 . The scent sniff card of claim 1 wherein the adhesive layers comprise a water-based adhesive.
  7. 7 . The scent sniff card of claim 1 wherein the first and second substrates are printed.
  8. 8 . A method of making the scent sniff card of claim 1 comprising: feeding a substrate through an in-line press; custom printing a first side of the substrate; cutting an aperture in the substrate with a rotary steel die, said aperture is kiss cut and a cut-out window is held with notches or perforations; applying an adhesive coating layer on the substrate underside; applying an impermeable barrier layer over the adhesive coating layer, creating a laminated stack; die-cutting the laminated stack into single laminated stack pieces; positioning the laminated stack pieces for injecting an amount of a scent composition on the impermeable barrier layer opposite kiss cut aperture window; aligning the impermeable layer of the inside of the laminated stack piece on top of the impermeable layer of a second laminated stack piece; pressing the two-piece substrate stack; and heat sealing the two-piece laminated stack only on the outside of the scent apertures thereby encapsulating the scent composition and bonding the stack into a single laminated scent card.
  9. 9 . The method of making a scent sniff card according to claim 8 , further comprising kiss-cutting a plurality of apertures on the substrate and injecting at least one scent composition in the apertures.
  10. 10 . The method of making a scent sniff card according to 8 , wherein the substrate comprises card stock.
  11. 11 . The method of making a scent sniff card according to 8 , wherein the impermeable barrier layer comprises low density polyethylene.
  12. 12 . The method of making a scent sniff card according to claim 8 wherein the substrate comprises card stock and the impermeable barrier layer comprises low density polyethylene and the adhesive layer comprises a water based stabilized vinyl acrylic copolymer.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is being filed as a non provisional patent application, claiming benefit to provisional patent application 63/538,832, filed Sep. 17, 2023. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a scent window sniffer card that provides a prospective consumer the opportunity to smell a fragrance of a product. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the scent-fragrance art to provide small doses of scent samples to potential and existing customers to provide a sample of the scent of a product to assist their purchasing decision. There are different scent devices available that emit a fragrance that can be used to freshen up confined areas as cars, purses, gym bags, attaché cases, luggage, etc. Scent samplers are also used by package good companies, soap, deodorant, cleaner, perfume and any other companies wanting to introduce and distribute new fragrance scents for their products to prospective customers at point of sale, event parties, concerts, ballgames, magazine ads, and catalogs. Current scent sampling techniques include, scratch and sniff stickers, whereby the consumer scratches the surface of the printed paper to release the scent encapsulation mechanisms and experiences the scent; another technique known in the art is the “Snap & burst” paper, whereby the consumer breaks open the flap of the paper to break open the encapsulation to smell the scent; another type of scent sampler is the squeezable puffer, this device emits a mist of the fragrance when pressure is applied; another type of scent sampler is the overwrapped blotter paper with an injected scent oil. In this type of sampler, the oil is applied directly to an absorption blotter card paper. The oil and paper are overwrapped in a barrier film to prevent fragrance oil from immediately evaporating and preventing the corrosive oil meeting another surface. The blotter paper does not have a coating, so the printed reproduction of the paper is inferior and does not meet the four colors commercially printing standards for quality advertising magazine reproduction. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is drawn to an innovative scent and freshener device that does not have the shortcomings of known scent devices in the prior art. The present invention does not rely on known scent encapsulation techniques that result in a product with a contaminated scent profile. The prior art encapsulation processes adulterate the fragrance resulting in an inaccurate and distorted rendition of the intended scent. The contamination of the fragrance is due to the prior art encapsulation process that relies on high heat, inclusion of additional additives, and adhesives to create the encapsulation shell for holding the fragrance. The prior art scent substances are also contaminated if the sniff tester device requires scratching the area to release the scent molecules as mechanical activation of the fragrance area releases both the intended scent and the chemical molecules in the paper thereby creating an inaccurate scent profile of the sample. Similarly, rubbing the paper to activate and release the scent creates an adulterated scent profile as the scratching or rubbing the fragrance saturated area of the sample contaminates the sample with any products on the consumers hands, nails, or skin. Also known in the art are the squeezable puffers of U.S. Pat. No. 8,777,127. This puffer device comprises a paper shell that houses a polyurethane foam. The fragrance oil is injected into the foam. When the shell and foam are squeezed the fragrance scent is released. However, the fragrance oil is contaminated by absorbing the residual odor molecules of the foam, thus resulting in a distorted scent profile. Additional adulteration of the fragrance oil occurs when it is exposed to ambient air, thus the foam and fragrance oil housed in the interior of the shell absorb surrounding scents, further tainting the intended fragrance. Another shortcoming of this type of device is that the oil injected into the foam is limited by the amount to help prevent leakage onto the paper shell which results in a weakened and shorter life scent release. The oil can also stain the paper and cause the advertising printing inks to run and be compromised on the paper impeding production. Another problem with this squeezable device is that the fragrance molecules that are forced out as a puff can get into the consumer eyes or nose causing irritation, skin rashes, allergic reactions, and other unwanted effects. The overwrapped blotter paper with injected scent device is another device known in the art it requires the consumer to cut, with a cutting instrument, as a scissor, the seal of the barrier overwrap film and slowly slip the paper through the opening of the film on a gradual timetable. Several problems are posed by this device, namely it is not a convenient and easy-to-use scent sniffing device, which may deter the consumer from smelling the