FLORAL PRESERVATIVE AND AROMATHERAPY PRODUCT, APPARATUS AND METHOD

Abstract: To preserve flowers (6) and provide aromatherapy, low temperature paraffin (1) is heated (2) to a liquid state of approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit. A floral nutrient and preservative (3) such as a saccharide such as sugar is then added to the low temperature paraffin (1). Optionally, scents (4) and/or color dyes (5) are also added. The heads of flowers (6) to be preserved are then dipped (7) in this paraffin mixture for one to three seconds and thereafter allowed to dry. The flower (6) can then be used immediately, or optionally hung (8) upside down for one to three weeks prior to use to further improved shelf life. The flower (6) can further be sprayed with a floral spray paint (9).

Description: FLORAL PRESERVATIVE AND AROMATHERAPY PRODUCT, APPARATUS AND METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of floral preservatives, and specifically, to a device and method used to preserve cut flowers well beyond their ordinary shelf life BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Flowers have long been a special gift for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and many other special occasions However, the gift of flowers only lasts for a short time Withm a few short days or weeks, cut flowers wilt and die unless they have been properly preserved Over time, various approaches to preserving flowers have been developed These include freeze drying, hang drying, use of silica gels and sand mixtures, and spraying with the various compounds such as polyurethane, hairspray, and shellac However, none of these approaches is fully satisfactory in terms of the shelf life achieved, the ability to achieve a lasting, pleasant aroma, and / or providing suitable coloration U S Patent 5,723,407 observes that "[t]o avoid full exhaustion of nutrients in cut flowers, it is known that a sacchande such as sugar is added to vase water The effects of these additives can however be varying and are not always attainable to a noticeable extent " (column 2, lines 5-8) This patent goes on to disclose a sulfonylsemicarbazide derivative composition for preserving the cut flower freshness of the general formula O R 1 — S0 2 NH — C — NH — N — R 2 (I) R 3 Thereafter, in column 12, lines 52-61, this patent states that, in reference to the compound (I), "[ajdjuvants such as sacchandes may be incorporated therein further, as needed Further, the composition can also be formulated by mixing and diluting the compound of the general formula (I) appropriately with a solid earner, for example a sacchande " Thus, while a sacchande such as sugar is stated to be a suitable adjuvant (l e , a helping or supplementary agent) to the composition (I), this patent does not disclose or suggest that a sacchande such as sugar might be fully capable of preserving flowers all by itself, and without combination with a further chemical composition such as (I) Indeed, the statement that "the effects of these additives can however be varying and are not always attainable to a noticeable extent" teaches clearly away from using a sacchande such as sugar all by itself and omitting any other preserving agent such as (I) Similarly, the entire thrust of this patent, which focuses throughout on synthesizing and using many different vanations of the compound (I), makes clear that the compound of the general formula (I) is the "effective ingredient" (column 12, line 41), and that a sacchande such as sugar is merely an adjuvant Nowhere does this patent disclose or suggest that a sacchande itself can work well as the sole "effective ingredient" for floral preservation Nowhere is it disclosed or suggested that flowers can be similarly preserved by omitting the specialized compound (I), which is much less widely-available than sugar, and which is likely much more expensive Additionally, desired scents and colorations, if any, are frequently introduced after the flower has already been preserved, rather than dunng the preservation process itself, which makes these susceptible to weanng off over time It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved device and method for preserving flowers which increases their shelf life substantially It is further desirable to integrate such an improved device and method for preserving flowers with an improved device and method to provide a lasting, pleasant aroma, and / or the ability to provide suitable coloration to the preserved flowers SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Low temperature paraffin is heated to a liquid state of approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit A floral nutnent and preservative such as a sacchande such as sugar is then added to the low temperature paraffin Optionally, scents and / or color dyes are also added The heads of the flowers to be preserved are then dipped in this paraffin mixture for one to three seconds and thereafter allowed to dry The flower can then be used immediately, or optionally hung upside down for one to three weeks pnor to use to further improve shelf life The flower can further be sprayed with a floral spray paint BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth in the appended claims The invention however, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following descnption taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing m which FIG 1 is a schematic view illustrating the apparatus and method through which the paraffin mix used to preserve flowers is prepared and used in the preferred embodiment of the invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Low temperature paraffin 1 is first heated 2 to a liquid state of approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit In a preferred embodiment, low temperature paraffin 1 is a member of the petroleum hydrocarbon family, and is preferably a petroleum paraffin wax It is preferred that low temperature paraffin 1 be highly refined so as to compnse long chain saturated hydrocarbon molecules Next, a floral nutnent and preservative 3 is mixed into low temperature paraffin 1 In a prefened embodiment, floral nutnent and preservative 3 compnses a sacchande such as sugar preferably white granulated or liquid sugar Approximately one pinch of floral nutnent and preservative 3 is added for each pound of low- temperature paraffin 1 In alternative embodiment of the invention, floral nutnent and preservative 3 may compnse, alternatively or in addition to sugar, one or more of honey, sacchann, aspartame, or any other known sweetener Next, for each pound of low-temperature paraffin 1, approximately 1/2 ounce of scent 4 is added Scent 4 can be a floral or a non-floral scent, and is generally in a liquid form but may also be m a powder of other solid form as well within the scope of this disclosure and its associated claims Scent 4 may compnse, but is not limited to, one or more of jasmine, rose, lavender, petitgrain, patchouli, jumper, ginger, orange blossom, tangenne, rosemary, peppermint, peach blossom, eucalyptus, lemon, balsam fir, bergamot, ylang, neroli, sandalwood, chamomile, geranium, musk, frankincense, cedar, plum, mandarin, pine, tea tree, clary sage, vetiver, cypress, conander, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, cordamom, basil, lilac, everlasting, lily, lily of the valley, and any and all other known scents Optionally, if coloration is desired, approximately 1/24 gram of a colored dye 5 for whatever color is desired is then added, for each pound of low-temperature paraffin 1 Dye 5 is also typically a liquid, but can also be a powder or similar solid formulations as well within the scope of this disclosure and its associated claims Finally, the flower 6 head only, is dipped 7 into the above paraffin mixture compπsing low-temperature paraffin 1 and any or all of floral nutnent and preservative 3, scent 4, and dye 5, for a predetermined dip time of approximately one to three seconds Then, flower 6 is used for decorative purposes and / or for aromatherapy, as desired A single, short dip 7 such as descnbed abo\ e coats the flower lightly with the paraffin mix and keeps the flower looking more natural and alive Longer, and / or multiple dips, would cause the flower to appear heavy and waxy, and would diminish shelf life Optionally, pnor to use, to bnng about an even longer shelf life, flower 6 may be hung upside down 8 for a predetermined hang time of approximately one to three weeks, or until the stem becomes hard like a stick This strengthens the flower stem and enables it to better support the weight of the paraffin mixture on the flower 6 head Floral nutnent and preservative 3 is particularly important, since it adds a great deal of shelf life to preserved flower 6 over what is achieved by dipping in low temperature paraffin 1 alone In particular, formaldehyde contained within sugar and similar sacchande embodiments of floral nutnent and preservative 3 is released from the paraffin mix over time, so that floral nutnent and preservatrv e 3 not only feeds flower 6, but also acts to preserve / mummify it From a functional standpoint, this means that an> nutnent which feeds flower 6 over time and also releases formaldehyde or a similar preservative compound over time is suitable for use as floral nutnent and preservative 3 Scent 4 allows flower 6 to emit a pleasing aroma long after flower 6 has been preserved, and enables flower 6 to be used for aromatherapy and related purposes It is also possible, for aromatherapy, maintain the paraffin mix compnsmg low temperature paraffin 1 and scent 4 in a heated, liquid state, whether or not a flower is dipped into it Aroma from this mix then wafts into the surrounding environment, again, providing a pleasing aroma After flower 6 has been dipped 7, dned, and optionally hung 8, flower 6 may optionally be sprayed with a floral spray paint 9. This adds more shine to flower 6, and keeps the color more vibrant and realistic-lookmg over time It is to be understood that for commercial purposes, it may be desirable to prepare the entire paraffin mixture in a mass-production setting, cool the paraffin mixture into a portable solid, and then distribute this cooled, solid paraffin mixture to the end user in tubs or similar containers These tubs, and the solid paraffin mixture they contain, would then be slowly heated by the end user to approximately 130 degrees and liquefied as noted above This slow heating can utilize any of the means known in the art for such a purpose For example, it can be heated in a double-boiler, where the temperature of the heated water is maintained below about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, or in a crock pot with a suitable controlled temperature The low (130 degree) temperature (and quick dip) is important for a number of reasons, including that this minimizes possible adverse impacts of heat on the flower itself Flowers 6 are then dipped 7 into this heated liquid paraffin mixture as outlined above It is to be understood that the invention disclosed and claimed herein includes all of the paraffin mixture disclosed herein (flower preservative product / composition of matter), the method by which this paraffin mixture is produced (method of manufactunng flower preservative product), the method by which flowers are preserved using this paraffin mixture (flower preservative process), and preserved flowers which are themselves produced by this flower preserving process (preserved flower products by flower preservative process) It is important to observe that the floral nutnent and preservative 3 consists only of a sacchande such as sugar and of no other nutrifying and preserving substances such as the chemical composition (I) of U S Patent 5,723,407 In other words, it is important to observe that one or more sacchandes such as sugar, by themselves, mixed in with the paraffin, are sufficient to preserve a flower 6, and that these sacchandes need not be mixed together with any other nutnfying or preserving chemical substance such as (I) to achieve the floral preserving benefits of this invention In short, it is possible to entirely omit any other nutrfiymg or preserving agent, and particularly agents which are far less-available and more expensive than sacchandes This is not at all disclosed or suggested by U S Patent 5,723,407 While only certain prefened features of the invention have been illustrated and descnbed, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spint of the invention

Claims: I claim 1 A floral preservative, compnsmg low-temperature paraffin (1), and a floral nutnent and preservative (3 ) consisting only of at least one sacchande, mixed into said paraffin ( 1 ) 2 The floral preservative of claim 1, further compnsmg at least one scent (4) mixed into said paraffin (1) 3 The floral preservative of claim 1 , further compnsmg at least one colored dye (5) mixed into said paraffin (1) 4 The floral preservative of claim 2, further compnsmg at least one colored dye (5) mixed into said paraffin (1) 5 A method of manufactuπng a floral preservative, compnsmg the steps of heating (2) low temperature paraffin (1) to a liquid state, and mixing a floral nutnent and preservative (3) consisting only of at least one sacchande, into said paraffin (1) 6 The manufacturing method of claim 5, further compnsmg the steps of mixing at least one scent (4) into said paraffin (1) 7 The manufactunng method of claim 5, further compnsmg the steps of mixing at least one colored dye (5) into said paraffin (1) 8 The manufactuπng method of claim 6, further compnsmg the steps of mixing at least one colored dye (5) into said paraffin (1) 9 The manufactunng method of claim 5, further compnsmg the steps of cooling paraffin (1) to a solid state after mixing said floral nutnent and preservative (3) into said paraffin (1) 10 The manufactunng method of claim 6, further compnsmg the steps of cooling said paraffin (1) mixture to a solid state after mixing said floral nutnent and preservative (3), and said scent (4), into said paraffin (1) 11 The manufactunng method of claim 7, ftuther compnsmg the steps of cooling said paraffin (1) mixture to a solid state after mixing said floral nutnent and preservative (3), and said colored dye (5), into said paraffin (1) 12 The manufactunng method of claim 8, further compnsmg the steps of cooling said paraffin (1) mixture to a solid state after mixing said floral nutnent and preservative (3) said scent (4), and said colored dye (5), into said paraffin (1) 13 A method of preserving flowers, compnsmg the steps of dipping (7) at least a head of a flower (6) into a floral preservative heated (2) into a liquid state, said floral preservative compnsmg low-temperature paraffin (1), and a floral nutnent and preservative (3) consisting only of at least one sacchande, mixed into said paraffin (1) 14 The method of claim 13, said floral preservative further compnsmg at least one scent (4) mixed into said paraffin (1) 15 The method of claim 13, said floral preservative further compnsmg at least one colored dye (5) mixed into said paraffin (1) 16 The method of claim 14, said floral preservative further compnsmg at least one colored dye (5) mixed into said paraffin (1) 17 The method of claim 13, compnsmg the further step of hanging (8) said flower (6) upside down for a predetermined hang time subsequent to said dipping (7), thereby hardening a stem of said flower (6) 18 The method of claim 13, compnsmg the further step of spraying said flower (6) with a floral spray paint (9) 19 A preserved flower (6) produced by a method of producing preserved flowers, said method compnsmg the steps of dipping (7) a head of said flower (6) into a floral preservative, said floral preservative compnsmg low-temperature paraffin (1), and a floral nutnent and preservative (3) consisting only of at least one sacchande, mixed into said paraffin ( 1 ) 20 The preserved flower (6) of claim 19, said floral preservative further compnsmg at least one scent (4) mixed into said paraffin (1) 21 The preserved flower (6) of claim 19, said floral preservative further comprising at least one colored dye (5) mixed into said paraffin (1) 22 The preserved flower (6) of claim 20, said floral preservative further compnsmg at least one colored dye (5) mixed into said paraffin (1) 23 The preserved flower (6) of claim 19, said method of producing preserved flowers compnsmg the further step of hanging (8) said flower (6) upside down for a predetermined hang time subsequent to said dipping (7), thereby hardening a stem of said flower (6) 24 The preserved flower (6) of claim 19, said method of producing said preserved flowers compnsmg the further step of spraying said flower (6) with a floral spray pamt (9)

Inventors: HAMLEY ROBERT J, HAMLEY, ROBERT, J.
Applicants: HAMLEY ROBERT J, HAMLEY, ROBERT, J.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A01N3
IPC codes: A01N3