Patent Publication Number: US-2016221724-A1

Title: Re-sealable barrier bag for fragranced articles

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.