Patent Publication Number: US-2015076248-A1

Title: Fragrance accessories for use with home fashions and consumer products

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/831,073, filed Jun. 4, 2013, and titled “Fragrance Accessories For Use With Home Fashions And Consumer Products,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Decorative objects and so-called “home fashions” are in widespread use by consumers. Such items provide consumers with opportunities to personalize their living or work spaces according to their own fashion sensibilities. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This Summary does not in any way limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     In an embodiment, a fragrance accessory kit includes a container defining an open interior and having a lid to enclose the interior, and a plurality of packets that are each formed of a vapor-permeable fabric. Each packet is sheet-like in geometry. A scented material is within each of the packets. The vapor-permeable fabric is secured about the scented material as to prevent escape of the scented material from the packet. The packets are stacked adjacent each other within the container. 
     In an embodiment, a fragrance accessory system includes a fragrance accessory, including a packet formed of a vapor-permeable fabric, and a portion of scented material. The vapor-permeable fabric is secured about the scented material as to prevent escape of the scented material from the packet. The consumer product is configured to removably receive the fragrance accessory such that the portion of scented material provides a scent for the consumer product. 
     In an embodiment, a method of implementing a fragrance accessory for use with a consumer product includes securing a scented material within a packet so as to prevent escape of the scented material from the packet. The packet includes a vapor-permeable fabric and forms the fragrance accessory. The method further includes configuring the consumer product to removably receive the fragrance accessory. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Aspects of the present disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a fragrance accessory, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a fragrance accessory retained within a consumer product, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates insertion of a fragrance accessory within another consumer product, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates insertion of a fragrance accessory within another consumer product, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates insertion of a fragrance accessory within another consumer product, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates fragrance accessories outside of and within packaging for retail sale, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  schematically illustrates options for marketing fragrance accessories, and consumer products configured to receive the fragrance accessories, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Features of the drawings herein are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a fragrance accessory  100 . Fragrance accessory  100  includes a packet  110  formed of a vapor-permeable fabric  120  that encloses scented material  130 , as shown. FIG. 
       1  shows fabric  120  as transparent in  FIG. 1  for clarity of illustrating scented material  130  within packet  110 , but fabric  120  need not be transparent. Scented material  130  may include a fragrant natural substance such as plant material, for example, and/or may include artificial items such as scented beads or paper. In particular, scented beads may be formed of a mixture of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and a fragrance. The vapor permeability of fabric  120  allows fragrance  140  from scented material  130  to diffuse into air adjacent to packet  110 , where fragrance  140  may be smelled. Fragrance  140  adds a layer of fashion sensibility to the visual focal point provided by fragrance accessory  100  and/or a consumer product associated with fragrance accessory  100 , as discussed further below. Fabric  120  is secured about scented material  130  sufficiently to prevent scented material  130  from escaping from packet  110 ; for example fabric  120  may be sewn, stapled or heat-sealed about scented material  130 . Packet  110  forming fragrance accessory  100  is shown as relatively flat and square in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but in other embodiments fragrance accessory  100  need not be either flat or square (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 ). 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , fragrance accessory  100  is a rectangular packet formed of a sleeve of vapor-permeable fabric  120  that is secured about scented material with seams  150  at opposing sides of packet  110 . In another embodiment, a fragrance accessory is a rectangular packet that is formed of a portion of vapor-permeable fabric that forms a folded edge on one side, and is secured about the scented material with seams opposing one another and opposing the folded edge. In still another embodiment, a fragrance accessory is a rectangular packet that is formed of two rectangular portions of vapor-permeable fabric that are secured about the scented material with four seams, one seam on each edge. Rectangular fragrance accessories are sheet-like in geometry to facilitate adjacent stacking within retail packaging and placement within consumer products; herein “sheet-like in geometry” means that a fragrance accessory is substantially flat and thinner in one dimension than in other dimensions. For example, a rectangular fragrance accessory has a thickness that is about one-eighth, or less, of a shortest one of the rectangular edges. In still other embodiments, fragrance accessories may not be rectangular and/or sheet-like in geometry. 
     When scented material  130  includes scented beads, the beads may be ellipsoidally shaped; in particular, the beads may be shaped as oblate spheroids to facilitate their placement into packets while keeping the packets substantially sheet-like in geometry. Scented beads may be 1/16 to ½ inch in longest dimension, and a single packet may contain 20 to 1000 beads. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates fragrance accessory  100  within a consumer product  200 . Similar to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  shows consumer product  200  and fabric of fragrance accessory  100  as transparent for clarity of illustrating fragrance accessory  100  and scented material  130  respectively, but consumer product  200  and fabric of fragrance accessory  100  need not be transparent. Consumer product  200  is for example a pillow or slipcover that is manufactured with a pocket  210  sewn in. 
     Thus, in the embodiment shown, consumer product  200  is in the form of an outer pocket (e.g., a pillow case) while pocket  210  forms an inner pocket within consumer product  200 . Pocket  210  may include means for removably retaining fragrance accessory  100 ; for example  FIG. 2  schematically shows a hook and loop fastener  220  (e.g., Velcro ™), but the means for removably retaining fragrance accessory  100  could instead utilize one or more flaps, buttons, snaps, hook and eye fasteners, or zippers. Fragrance accessory  100  is thus easily removable from pocket  210 , for example when it is desired to clean consumer product  200 , or so that a different fragrance accessory  100  may be inserted into pocket  210  when scented material  130  loses its potency or a different fragrance is desired. Pocket  210  may be formed within consumer product  200  as shown (when a zipper  230  closes, pocket  210  will be within product  200  such that pocket  210  and/or fragrance accessory  100  will not be visible), or pocket  210  may be formed on an exterior surface of consumer product  200 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates insertion of a fragrance accessory  300  within a consumer product  310 , which is for example a decorative throw that a pocket  320  forms an integral part of Fragrance accessory  300  may be inserted within pocket  320 , as suggested by an arrow, and may be retained within pocket  320  by utilizing a flap  330  that removably retains fragrance accessory  300 . Fragrance accessory  300  is formed of one or more of the same types of vapor-permeable fabric, and contains one or more of the types of scented material described in connection with fragrance accessory  100 ,  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Pocket  320  may be formed with an exterior surface of consumer product  310 , or may be formed interior to consumer product  310 . Forming pocket  320  interior to consumer product  310  may allow fragrance accessory  300  to provide a more diffuse and/or longer lasting scent than forming pocket  320  with an exterior surface. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates insertion of a fragrance accessory  400  within a consumer product  410 , and  FIG. 5  illustrates insertion of a fragrance accessory  500  within a consumer product  510 . Each of fragrance accessories  400  and  500  are formed of one or more of the same types of vapor-permeable fabric, and contain one or more of the same types of scented material, as described in connection with fragrance accessory  100 ,  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Fragrance accessories  400  and  500  are retained within consumer products  410  and  510  respectively by gravity. Fragrance accessories  400  and  500  are embodiments that are not necessarily either round or flat, but are shaped according to generally conform to an outline of a consumer product. 
     Many consumer product types may be configured to removably receive fragrance accessories, for example by attaching a pocket, basket or similar holding mechanism to an inconspicuous surface thereof, for example undersides of tables, desks, chairs, entertainment centers, dresser or kitchen cabinet drawers, back sides of cabinets, various hidden surfaces of kitchen and bathroom sink enclosures, and the like. Holding mechanisms for fragrance accessories may be fixedly mounted in such locations (e.g., with permanent fasteners such as screws) or may be removably mounted (e.g., with adhesives or with removable fasteners such as snaps, or by hanging the holding mechanism from an existing feature). Whether the holding mechanism is fixedly or removably mounted, the mechanism itself allows the fragrance accessory to be easily removed and replaced with another fragrance accessory of the same scent or of a different scent, when a scent of the original fragrance accessory fades or when a different scent is desired. Consumer product types that can be configured for compatibility with (that is, the ability to removably receive) fragrance accessories include, but are not limited to, pillows, bedcovers, cushions, bedcovers, drapes or other window coverings, automobile seats or head liners, and others. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates fragrance accessories  600  outside of and within packaging for retail sale, according to embodiments. Several fragrance accessories  600  are shown as if resting on a surface, and several more fragrance accessories  600  are shown within a retail package  610 . As noted above, fragrance accessories are substantially flat such that many fragrance accessories  600  can be packaged within a single retail package  610 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , retail package  610  is a container with an open interior and a lid that encloses the interior, and is made for example of plastic that may optionally be transparent so that a customer can see fragrance accessories  600  in the interior. In the illustration of  FIG. 6 , retail package  610  includes an optional vent  630  so that the customer can smell fragrance accessories  600 . Optional vent  630  is covered with a decorative tape  640  that may be pulled back by a prospective customer, using a tab  650 , to expose vent  630  so that the prospective customer can smell fragrance accessories  600 . Vent  630  may then be resealed by replacing decorative tape  640  over vent  630 . Retail package  610  with a plurality of fragrance accessories  600  stacked adjacent each other therein may be understood to be a fragrance accessory kit. Other fragrance accessory kits may include retail packages that are not rectilinear packages like retail package  610 , may have different ways of retaining fragrance accessories therein, and/or may have different means for providing prospective customers with scent samples (e.g., slidable vent coverings, scratch-and-sniff cards, and the like) as compared to retail package  610 . 
     A retail outlet may, for example, offer a variety of scents available in packets of identical shape and size, and may configure a variety of consumer product types and/or holding mechanisms for compatibility with the identically shaped and sized packets.  FIG. 7  schematically illustrates options for marketing fragrance accessories  700  and consumer products  720  configured to receive the fragrance accessories  700 . Fragrance accessories  700  are offered for sale in a variety of scents, with fragrance accessories  700 ( 1 ),  700 ( 2 ) and  700 ( 3 ) corresponding to different scents and packaged in respective retail packages  710 ( 1 ),  710 ( 2 ) and  710 ( 3 ); consumer products  720  may be offered for sale at the same location as fragrance accessories  700 . A consumer can purchase one retail package  710  with some number of fragrance accessories  700  therein, and can also select one or more consumer products  720  in which to place individual ones of the fragrance accessories  700 . For example,  FIG. 7  shows a consumer product  720 ( 1 ) as a pillow, a consumer product  720 ( 2 ) as an adhesive backed holder, a consumer product  720 ( 1 ) as a candle and a consumer product  720 ( 4 ) as a decorative throw. In embodiments, various consumer products  720  may retain identically sized and shaped fragrance accessories by different mechanisms (e.g., flaps, zippers, buttons, latching baskets and others). 
     The consumer thus perceives fragrance accessories  700  and consumer products  720  associated with fragrance accessories  700 , as a customizable fragrance accessory system. The consumer may choose to implement a “theme” based on a common scent across various locations of the consumer&#39;s home. The consumer may further choose to extend the “theme” across other locations—such as the consumer&#39;s office, studio, or other workplace—or to objects that may travel with the consumer, such as the consumer&#39;s car, briefcase, purse or jacket. The consumer may choose to continue to provide new fragrance accessories  700  of the same scent when the original packets lose their scent, or may choose to switch partially or completely to a different scent from time to time. Marketed for this purpose, availability of the packets may encourage a consumer to purchase multiple consumer product types that are compatible with the identically shaped and sized packets. 
     Embodiments have now been described in detail for the purposes of clarity and understanding. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.