Abstract:
A fragrance is supplied in a gel form. The fragrance includes a fragrance oil, alcohol, and a sufficient amount of polymer to increase the viscosity of the oil and alcohol to the point where it will not readily pour from a container.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/057,126, filed Aug. 28, 1997, and which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the concept of providing a fragrance that is blended with polymers in order to thicken the viscosity of the material into a gel form, that can be easily dispensed from a bottle, through a pump actuator, as a roll-on product, or from a packet structure, for applying a fragrance to the person. 
     Fragrances have been used and applied for the purpose of enhancing personal aroma from the days of the Romans, if not earlier. Today, fragrance oil is mixed with alcohol, and some water, to produce what is generally referred to as toilet water, and the like. Such is sold in bottles with a spray actuator pump or in a bottle as a splash applied product. In both cases, the dispensing of the product is difficult to control. Especially, with spray application mechanisms, sometimes only a little and frequently too much of the fragrance is undesirably dispensed. 
     To the inventor&#39;s knowledge, the only fragranced gel products that have been marketed, to date, are generally for use for hair styling and for sustaining hair coiffures once set. Such gels, as is normally known, usually feel &#34;greasy&#34; to the touch, and do not absorb easily into the skin, once applied. Such type gels are not designed nor or they meant to be used as a personal fragrance. 
     There are other types of wet fragrance liquid form of sampling products, or carrying vehicles, that are used in the marketplace today, as a means for sampling of perfumes, toilet water, and the like. Scent seals are available, and are pressure sensitive type of labels that incorporate a wet fragrance formulation. This is used only for sampling purposes, and has no retail application. Vials of pure fragrance toilet water, in glass containers, are available, but these exhibit some of the &#34;uncontrolled&#34; dispensing problems normally associated with the less viscous liquid type of applications. The True Scent type of capsules, that are also available in the art, are large gelatin type capsules containing pure fragrance inside of them. These types of capsules also have problems with dispensing, and have little or no retail application for personal usage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the principal object of this invention to provide a gel form of fragrance that may be dispensed for retail or for sampling purposes, in packets or other containers, or for direct application during normal usage. 
     The gel fragrance material of the current invention is designed to allow for a controlled dispensing of any of the infinite number of fragrances available upon the market. The gel can be filled into packets for samples or into bottles or pumps for retail use. The fragrance can be gently squeezed out of the container in just the right dosage, without spilling, for application to the skin. There is enough content of the gel material to be applied at all of the various pulse points or for multiple applications, as fragrances and perfumes are normally applied during standard usage. The packets of this current invention are ideal for in store or direct mail sampling, or as a gift for use for over-night trips, purses, gym bags, or for any time the need for such an actual perfume product is required, but when conveying the same within a bottle is inconvenient and impractical. 
     With the novel gel formulation of this invention, the fragrance, as applied, does not spill, splash, or spray out of the bottle, or its packet, and the gel can be easily squeezed out of its bottle, with a pump, or it may be dispensed from a packet sampler, in a very controlled manner. The gel composition as formulated is not greasy, and easily absorbs into the skin, without leaving any sticky feeling. 
     In addition, since the formulated fragrance of the packet of this invention is easily absorbed into the skin, such can be achieved without leaving any stains, or a creamy or overly moist surface, once applied. 
     Hence, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a gel form of dispensing means that can contain fragrance oil, and be used either for sampler purposes, or for direct application during standard usage. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a very controlled amount of a fragrance gel that may be sampled or packaged for application. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a gel-like formulation for containing or absorbing a fragrance, of any one of the multitude of perfume manufacturers, for use either for sampling or personal application. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a gel formulation for holding a fragrance that will not spill, splash, or spray out of its bottle or container, once applied. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a fragrance gel that is not greasy, and can easily be absorbed into the skin, without leaving any sticky or moist feeling. 
     Still another object of this invention is to utilize the fragrance gel of this application as a water-resistant composition ideal for sports or athletic applications. 
     These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     This invention contemplates the formation of a heavier viscous form of gel, that may be doctored or treated with any of a variety of fragrances, perfumes, toilet water, or the like, for the purpose of providing a new and novel means for application of fragrances to the person, or for sampling purposes. 
     The formulation for this particular gel, to which the fragrance or fragrance oil may be applied, includes denatured alcohol, and either organic or inorganic polymers or a combination of such polymers, to add to the viscosity of the composition, and to allow for the absorption of the fragrance oil therein, once mixed. 
     Examples of such polymers are as follows: 
     
         __________________________________________________________________________Acrylamides Copolymer                Benzoic Acid/Phthalic Anhyride/Pentaerythri-                                     Dodecanedioic Acid/Cetearyl                                     Alcohol/Glycol  Acrylamide/Sodium Acrylate Copolymer tol/Neopently Glycol/Palmitic Acid                                     Copolymer Copolymer  Acrylate/Acrylamide Copolymer Butadiene/Acrylonitrile Copolymer                                     Ethylene/Acrylate Copolymer                                      Acrylate/Ammonium Methacrylate                                     Copolymer Butylated Urea-Formald                                     ehyde Resin Ethylene/Maleic                                     Anhydride Copolymer  Acrylates Copolymer Butly Benzoic Acid/Phthalic Anhydride/ Ethylene/Viny                                     l Acetate Copolymer  Acrylates/Diacetoneacrylamide Copolymer Trimethyiolethane Copolymer                                     Ethyl Ester of PVM/MA Copolymer  Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer Butyl Ester of Ethylene/Mal                                     eic Anhydride Hexadimethrine                                     Chloride  Acrylic/Acrylate Copolymer Copolymer Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers  Adipic Acid/Dimethylaminohydroxypropyl Butyl Ester of PVM/MA Copolymer                                     Hydrogenated Polyisobutene                                      Diethylenetriamine Copolymer                                     Calcium/Sodium PVM/MA Copolymer                                     Hydroxyethyl PEI-1000  Adipic Acid/Epoxypropyl Carbomer 910 Hydroxyethyl PEI-1500  Diethylenetriamine Copolymer Carbomer 934 Isobutylene/Isoprene Copolymer  Allyl Stearate/VA Copolymer Carbomer 934P Isobutylene/Maleic Anhydride                                     Copolymer  Aminoethylacrylate Phosphate/Acrylate Carbomer 940 Isopropyl Ester of                                     PVM/MA Copolymer  Copolymer Carbomer 941 Melamine/Formaldehyde Resin  Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer Corn Starch/Acrylamide/Sodium Acrylate                                     Methacryloyl Ethyl Betaine/Metha                                     crylates  Ammonium Styrene/Acrylate Copolymer  Copolymer  Copolymer  Ammonium Vinyl Acetate/Acrylates Copolymer DEA-Styrene/Acrylates/Divinyl                                     benzene Methoxy PEG-22/Dodecyl                                     Glycol Copolymer  AMP Acrylates/Diacetoneacrylamide Copolymer  Copolymer Methylstyrene/Vin                                     yltoluene Copolymer  AMPD Acrylates/Diacetoneacrylamide Diethylene Glycolamine/Epichlorohydri                                     n/ Nylon  Copolymer  Piperazine Copolymer Nylon-12  Octadecene/Maleic Anhydride Copolymer Polyquaternium-4 Sodium Polymethac                                     rylate  Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Polyquaternium-5 Sodium                                     Polynaphthalene Sulfonate                                      Methacrylate Copolymer                                     Polyquaternium-6 Sodium                                     Polystyrene Sulfonate  Octylacrylamide/Acrylates Copolymer Polyquaternium-7 Sodium Styrene/Acry                                     late/PEG-10  Oxidized Polyethylene Polyquaternium-8 Dimaleate Copolymer  PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer Polyquaternium-9 Sodium Styrene/Acrylate                                     s/Divinylbenzene  PEG-45/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer Polyquaternium-10  Copolymer  PEI-7 Polyquaternium-11 Sodium Styrene/PEG-10 Maleate/Nonoxynol-                                      PEI-15 Polyquaternium-12 10                                     Maleate/Acrylate Copolymer                                      PEI-30 Polyquaternium-13                                     Starch/Acrylates/Acrylamide                                     Copolymer  PEI-45 Polyquaternium-14 Stearyvinyl Ether/Maleic Anhydride Copolymer                                      PEI-275 Polyquaternium-15                                     Styrene/Acrylamide Copolymer                                      PEI-700 Polystyrene Styrene/Acr                                     ylate/Acrylonitrile Copolymer                                      PEI-1000 Polyvinyl Acetete                                     Styrene/Acrylate/Ammonium                                      PEI-1500 Polyvinyl Alcohol                                     Methacrylate Copolymer  PEI-2500 Polyvinyl Butyral Styrene/Acrylate Copolymer  Phthalic Anhydride/Glycerin/Glycidyl Polyvinyl Imidazolinium Acetate                                     Styrene/Maleic Anhydride                                     Copolymer  Decanoate Copolymer Polyvinyl Laurate Styrene/PVP Copolymer  Phthalic/Trimelitic/Glycols Copolymer Polyvinyl Methyl Ether Sucrose                                     Benzoate/Sucrose Acetate Isobu-  Polyacrylamide Potassium Aluminum Polyacrylate  tyrate/Bytyl Benzyl                                     Phthalate Copolymer  Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid PVM/MA Copolymer Sucrose                                     Benzoate/Sucrose Acetate Isobu-  Polyacrylic Acid PVP  tyrate/Butyl Benzyl Phthalate/Methyl  Polyaminopropyl Biguanide PVP/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate  Methcrylat                                     e Copolymer  Polyamino Sugar Condensate  Copolymer Sucrose Benzoate/Sucrose Acetate                                      Polybutene PVP/Eicosene                                     Copolymer  Isobutyrate Copolymer  Polybutylene Terephthalate PVP/Ethyl Methacrylate/Methacrylic Toluenusul                                     fonamide/Formaldehyde Resin                                      Polychlorotrifluoroethylene                                     Acid Copolymer Urea/Formaldehyde                                      Resin  Polydipentene PVP/Hexadecene Copolymer Urea/Melamine/Formaldehyde Resin  Polyethylacrylate PVP-Iodine Vinyl Acetate/Crotonates Copolymer                                      Polyethylene PVP/VA Copolymer                                     Vinyl Acetate/Crotonic Acid                                     Copolymer  Polyisobutene PVP/Vinyl Acetate/Itaconic Acid Copolymer Vinyl Acetate/Cr                                     otonic Acid/Methacryloxy-                                      Polyisoprene Rayon  benzophenon                                     e-1 Copolymer  Polyquaternium-1 Sodium Acrylate/Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer Vinyl Acetate/C                                     rotonic Acid/Vinyl  Polyquaternium-2 Sodium C4-12 Olefin/Maleic Acid Copolymer  Neodecanoate                                      Copolymer__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     The packets in which the gel may be applied, if it is dispensed in single dosage applications, may be formed of any type of standard industry laminated packet structures, such as polyethylene film, or the structures including but not limited to polyester, saran, sirlin, barex, foil, polyethylene or the like, that may be heat sealed around their edges, and have a quantity of the gel applied thereto, for sampling purposes. Or, such gel packets can be used for single dosage applications, and be sold in that manner, to supply just the efficient amount of fragrance type of gel, of this invention, to the user, once opened. On the other hand, the formulation of this invention, containing its fragrance oil, can be applied into glass bottle form, into pumps, or into squeeze bottles that dispense upon applying pressure to the sides of the vessel, to obtain just the right amount of dispensed fragrance, within the gel, for immediate application to the various body parts to which perfumes are normally applied. 
     The fragrance gel of this invention can be packaged within the packets, for hand-out purposes, or even for direct mail sampling, in order to help stimulate the sales of particular perfumes, that may be marketed at the retail outlets. The gel can also be packaged in retail bottles, and can be sold directly as perfume products, by any other variety of well-known marketing methods, whether it be by mail-order, catalog, or from the retail store. 
     The fragrance oil components of this composition are normally added to the gel composition in an amount from approximately 10% to 20% by weight of the completely formulated product. 
     In addition, the fragrance packets of this invention may be printed as in standard industry flexographic or rotogravure equipment. Print is either applied to the surface of the structure with a varnish overcoat to protect against scuffing or color fading of the samples, or the print can be &#34;burned&#34; within the laminate structure. 
     The fragrance gel includes (by weight) about 10-20% fragrance oils, about 80-85% denatured alcohol, and about 5% polymer. The polymer can be any organic or inorganic, synthetic or natural polymer, and is used to increase the viscosity of the formulation. 
     Variations or modifications to the formulation of this invention, and other types of ingredients that may add to the texture, coloration, or even degrees of viscosity to the gel, may be considered by those skilled in the art upon reviewing this description of the invention as provided herein. Such variations or modifications are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention as analyzed and described herein. The specific ingredients as listed, for the formulation as provided, is done so for illustrative purposes only.