Patent Publication Number: US-2006013993-A1

Title: Article releasing a fragrance and including a lenticular image

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      Not Applicable  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
      Not Applicable  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates generally to aromatic articles, and more particularly to decorative aromatic articles.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Researchers continue to discover the reasons behind the link between human senses and memory. In particular, the sense of smell has long been hailed the “memory sense,” the sense most likely to provoke reminiscence. The phenomenon that a familiar smell has the power to conjure up a detailed images of the past is common. Patients with brain damage can reportedly have amnesia stretching back several years, but still recall smells from their childhood.  
      Lenticular images produce eye-catching animations or three-dimensional (3-D) effects without the need for special viewers. A typical lenticular image includes a composite image and an overlying transparent plastic lens sheet. The composite image includes alternating portions of two or more images. The lens sheet allows the viewer to see a single one of the images dependent upon an orientation of the lenticular image with respect to the viewer. As the viewer moves (e.g., rotates) the lenticular image, the viewer sees different ones of the images in succession.  
      The eye-catching nature of lenticular images reflects their ability to greatly stimulate the sense of sight. The link between sight and memory is also significant. It would thus be advantageous to have an article that stimulates the senses of smell and sight simultaneously. Such an article would be a delightful novelty, and may also be used to provoke reminiscence.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An article is disclosed including a substantially rigid, porous substrate having two opposed surfaces and a volatile liquid fragrance dispersed therein, and a lenticular image formed on a corresponding one of the two opposed surfaces of the substrate.  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
      The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a front view of an article as seen from a particular viewing angle;  
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the article of  FIG. 1  as indicated in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the components of the article of  FIGS. 1 and 2  during the making of a hanging air freshener embodiment of the article;  
       FIG. 3B  is a front elevation view of the completed hanging air freshener embodiment of the article of  FIG. 3A ;  
       FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the components of the article of  FIGS. 1 and 2  during the making of a greeting card embodiment of the article; and  
       FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of the greeting card embodiment of the article of  FIG. 4A  illustrating a folding operation.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 1  is a front view of an article  10  as seen from a particular viewing angle. As described in detail below, the article  10  has the ability to stimulate the senses of smell and sight simultaneously. Due to the link between human senses and memory, the article  10  may be used to provoke reminiscence. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the article  10  may be, for example, a hanging air freshener, or a card such as a greeting card, a post card, or a business card. In  FIG. 1  the article  10  has an optional hole  12  passing therethrough for hanging the article  10 .  
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the article  10  of  FIG. 1  as indicated in  FIG. 1 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the article  10  includes a substantially rigid, porous substrate  14  having an upper surface  16  and an opposed underside surface  18 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2  the two opposed surfaces  16  and  18  are substantially rectangular. The porous substrate  14  may be made of or include, for example, cellulose fiber. In one example, the porous substrate  14  is a sheet of card stock paper.  
      The porous substrate  14  has voids or pores  20  dispersed therein, and a volatile liquid fragrance is introduced into at least some of the pores  20 . When the article  10  is exposed to the atmosphere, the article  10  releases the fragrance at a gradual rate. The volatile liquid fragrance may be, for example, a fragrance oil or an essential oil.  
      The article  10  has a lenticular image  22  formed on the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 . In general, the lenticular image  22  includes a composite image  24  fixedly positioned between the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14  and an overlying transparent lens sheet  30 . In the, embodiments of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the composite image  24  is made of ink, and the ink is printed on the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 . In other embodiments, the ink may be printed (in reverse) directly on an underside surface  34  of the transparent lens sheet  30 . In yet other embodiments, the composite image  24  may include a separate carrier substrate positioned between the substrate  14  and the lens sheet  30 .  
      In general terms selected to cover all of the above possible forms of the composite image  24 , the composite image  24  is characterized as having an upper surface  26  and an opposed underside surface  28 . The underside surface  28  of the composite image  24  is attached to the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 , and the upper surface  26  of the composite image  24  is attached to the underside surface  34  of the lens sheet  30 .  
      According to a common method of forming lenticular images, the composite image  24  includes alternating strips of two or more images. An upper surface  32  of the transparent lens sheet  30  has multiple parallel lenticular ridges  36  forming lens elements. The lens sheet  30  may be formed from, for example, a plastic material substantially transparent to visible light. In common fashion, the alternating strips of the images are spaced in optical registry with the lenticular ridges  36 . Relative movement between a viewer of the lenticular image  22  and the article  10  causes the viewer to see different ones of the images, preferably only one image at a time.  
      In general, the images may be graphic images or photographs. The images may be, for example, of one or more subjects in different positions, and relative movement between the viewer and the article  10  may cause the viewer to see the one or more subjects move between the different positions. Alternately, the images may be of one or more subjects in a static position from different points of view, and relative movement between the viewer and the article  10  may give the image a three-dimensional effect.  
      In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the lenticular ridges  36  of the lens sheet  30  are oriented vertically with respect to the article  10  and the composite-image  24 . It is noted that in other embodiments, the lenticular ridges  36  may be oriented horizontally with respect to the article  10  and the composite image  24 . It is also noted that a second lenticular image may be formed on the underside surface  18  of the substrate  14 .  
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  will now be used to illustrate one method of making a hanging air freshener embodiment of the article  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the components of the article  10  during the making of the hanging air freshener embodiment. The volatile liquid fragrance, labeled  40  in  FIG. 3A , is introduced into at least some of the pores of the porous substrate  14  as described above.  
      In the embodiment of  FIG. 3A , the composite image  24  is made of ink, and the ink is printed on the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 . As noted above, the ink may be printed (in reverse) directly on an underside surface of the transparent lens sheet  30 , or the composite image  24  may be formed on a separate carrier substrate positioned between the substrate  14  and the lens sheet  30 . In general, the underside surface  28  of the composite image  24  is attached to the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 .  
      As indicated in  FIG. 3A , an adhesive  42  is used to attach the underside surface  34  of the transparent lens sheet  30  to the upper surface  26  of the composite image  24 . It is noted that where the composite image  24  is formed on a separate carrier substrate, the adhesive  42  may also be used to attach the underside surface  28  of the composite image  24  to the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 .  
       FIG. 3B  is a front elevation view of the completed hanging air freshener embodiment of the article  10  of  FIG. 3A . In  FIG. 3B  the hole  12  shown in  FIG. 1  and described above has been formed through the article  10 , and a loop of string  44  has been passed through the hole  12  for hanging.  
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  will now be used to illustrate one method of making a greeting card embodiment of the article  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the components of the article  10  during the making of the greeting card. The volatile liquid fragrance  40  is introduced into at least some of the pores of the porous substrate  14  as described above.  
      In the embodiment of  FIG. 4A , the composite image  24  is made of ink, and the ink is printed on the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 . As noted above, the ink may be printed (in reverse) directly on an underside surface of the transparent lens sheet  30 , or the composite image  24  may be formed on a separate carrier substrate positioned between the substrate  14  and the lens sheet  30 . In general, the underside surface  28  of the composite image  24  is attached to the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 .  
      As indicated in  FIG. 4A , the adhesive  42  is used to attach the underside surface  34  of the transparent lens sheet  30  to the upper surface  26  of the composite image  24 . It is noted that where the composite image  24  is formed on a separate carrier substrate, the adhesive  42  may also be used to attach the underside surface  28  of the composite image  24  to the upper surface  16  of the substrate  14 .  
       FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of the greeting card embodiment of the article  10  of  FIG. 4A  illustrating a folding operation. In  FIG. 4A  a leftmost half of the substrate  14  is folded under the rightmost half. As a result, the lenticular image  22  is positioned on a front portion of the greeting card.  
      While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.