Aroma diffuser

Abstract

To provide an aroma diffuser that can easily diffuse fragrance without requiring a power source, and also boasts an excellent design. [Solution] The aroma diffuser 10 has an up-and-down direction Y and comprises a bottle 20 containing aromatic liquid 2 and a storage box 30 in which the bottle 20 is housed. The bottle 20 has a bottle body 21 and a lid 22 that is detachably attached to the bottle body 21. By housing the bottle body 21 inverted in the storage box 30, the aromatic liquid 2 discharged from the drain port 21a of the bottle body 21 seeps into the storage box 30, and aromatic components are released from the storage box 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aroma diffuser that naturally evaporates a liquid perfume containing an aromatic component such as an aromatic liquid.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an aroma diffuser that diffuses a scent using a liquid perfume containing an aromatic component such as an aromatic liquid is known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an aroma diffuser that includes a tank for storing a liquid perfume such as an aromatic liquid, and a suction core for sucking up the perfume from the tank, and releases the aromatic component sucked up and evaporated by the suction core to the outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the aroma diffuser disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a power source because it is used by being powered on, and also has a tank for storing a liquid, so it has larger external dimensions compared to other interior items placed on indoor shelves such as small boxes and jewelry boxes, or storage shelves in the entrance, and cannot be placed in a place without a power source or in a narrow space, and there were cases where the placement location was restricted.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to improve the prior art, and to provide an aroma diffuser that can easily diffuse a scent without requiring a power source and is also excellent in design.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention relates to an aroma diffuser comprising a bottle having an up-and-down direction and containing an aromatic liquid, and a storage box in which the bottle is housed.

[0008] The fragrance diffuser according to the present invention comprises a bottle having a bottle body and a lid that is detachably attached to the bottle body, and by placing the bottle body upside down in the storage box, the fragrance liquid discharged from the drain port of the bottle body seeps into the storage box, and fragrance components are released from the storage box. The storage box has a printing area located on its outer surface, and the printing area is printed with a water-based coloring ink that develops color when exposed to the fragrance liquid. It is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the fragrance diffuser is placed upside down in a storage box containing a bottle of fragrance liquid, allowing the fragrance liquid to permeate the storage box. This naturally releases the fragrance components of the perfume, creating a pleasant aroma that diffuses throughout the surrounding area and provides a relaxing effect. Furthermore, the remaining amount of fragrance liquid in the bottle can be visually recognized by observing the changes in the printed area on the outer surface of the storage box over time, and the device also offers aesthetic appeal by allowing users to enjoy the changes in appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] The drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention, including not only essential components of the invention but also optional and preferred embodiments. [Figure 1] A perspective view of an aroma diffuser according to the present invention. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the bottle being removed from the storage box. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the bottle in an inverted state when stored in the storage box. [Figure 4] Plan view of the storage box. [Figure 5] An enlarged view of the tip of the bottle body in the embodiment shown in Figure 3. [Figure 6] (a)~(c) Diagrams showing how a fragrance liquid comes into contact with the ink for water-based coloring in the printing area, forming a colored area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, an aroma diffuser (fragrance device) 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the aroma diffuser 10 according to this embodiment has intersecting vertical Y, horizontal X, and front-to-back Z directions, and includes a bottle 20 containing aromatic liquid and a storage box 30 in which the bottle 20 is housed.

[0013] The bottle 20 comprises a bottle body 21 having a drain port 21a at its tip for discharging the aromatic water solution, and a lid 22 to which the bottle body 21 is detachably attached. An inner lid 23 is attached to the drain port 21a located at the tip of the bottle body 21 to adjust the amount of liquid drained so that the aromatic liquid 2 drips out when the bottle body 21 is inverted.

[0014] When using the aroma diffuser 10, open the top 31 of the storage box 30, remove the bottle 20 from the storage box 30, and remove the lid 22 from the bottle body 21. Next, as shown in Figure 3, invert the bottle body 21 and position it on the bottom of the storage box 30 so that the drain port 21a faces the bottom surface. This allows the fragrance liquid 2 discharged from the drain port 21a to seep into the storage box 30 and gradually diffuse, causing the fragrance to naturally volatilize and diffuse the aromatic components evenly into the surrounding area or room.

[0015] In addition to the illustrated configuration, the bottle 20 can be made from a wide variety of designs, and there are no restrictions on its shape, size, or material. For example, it can be made from glass, ceramics, aluminum, metal, or synthetic resin (plastic) material.

[0016] The aromatic liquid 2 is composed of a fragrance (stock solution), water, and a surfactant as an option. The fragrance is a volatile oil (liquid component) derived from natural plants such as roses, jasmines, chamomiles, or lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, etc., and those provided as essential oils, aroma oils, etc. can be preferably used. The volume of the aromatic liquid 2 varies depending on the size of the bottle, for example, it is 30 to 100 ml.

[0017] In this embodiment, a total of 50 ml of aromatic liquid, which is 10 ml of aroma oil, 5 ml of a base liquid composed of a mixture of a surfactant and ethanol, and 35 ml of water, is preferably used.

[0018] The storage box 30 is formed of a material having required liquid absorption and liquid diffusion properties, and can be formed of, for example, paper, cardboard, non-woven fabric, etc. In these materials, the liquid enters the gaps between the constituent fibers and is absorbed and diffused. In addition, when the constituent fibers are composed of water-absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers and cotton fibers, higher water absorption and liquid diffusion properties can be exhibited. Further, it is preferable that the entire outer surface side of the storage box 30 is subjected to water-resistant processing.

[0019] The storage box 30 is substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and has an outer surface and an inner surface, a top surface 31 and a bottom surface 32 that are opposed in the vertical direction Y, both side surfaces 33, 34 that are opposed in the horizontal direction X, and a front surface 35 and a rear surface 36 that are opposed in the front-rear direction Z.

[0020] On the outer surface of the outer peripheral surface composed of both side surfaces 33, 34, the front surface 35, and the rear surface 36, a printing (ink) area 40 is located. The printing area 40 has a character display area 42 in which instructions regarding the usage method of the product, the product concept, etc. are described, and a decorative display area 41 composed of decorative elements 41a such as figures, symbols, patterns, etc.

[0021] The printing area 40 is printed with ink for water coloring, and for example, a combination of a water-soluble vehicle and a water-soluble dye, or a combination of an oil-based vehicle and a water-soluble dye can be used. The water-soluble dye can be made to develop color by applying water to such ink for water coloring. The water-soluble or oil-based vehicle may contain various auxiliary agents, colorants and / or additives.

[0022] The water-soluble dyes used in water-based coloring inks may be single-color pigments such as red, yellow, blue, purple, and indigo, or mixtures of these pigments in the required proportions. In this embodiment, for example, a mixture of 30% yellow pigment, 40% red pigment, and 30% indigo pigment can be suitably used.

[0023] Water-based inks do not contain any hazardous substances that fall under the "Voluntary Regulations Concerning Printing Inks for Food Packaging Materials (NL Regulations)" imposed by the Japan Printing Ink Manufacturers Association.

[0024] As a printing method for the printing area 40, known technologies such as screen printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing, offset printing, inkjet printing, and other digital printing methods can be employed. In this embodiment, printing is performed by dry offset or resin relief printing.

[0025] Referring to Figure 4, the storage box 30, in its unfolded state, has a first side edge 51 extending in the vertical direction C and the width direction D, forming the top surface 31 side, a second side edge 52 extending in the width direction D forming the bottom surface 32 side, and first and second end edges 53 and 54 located between them and extending in the vertical direction C.

[0026] When assembling the storage box 30, the outer surface of the storage box 30 can be formed by folding along multiple folding lines extending in the vertical direction C and the width direction D, and by inserting multiple outwardly protruding pieces 54a located at the second edge 54 into multiple slits 42a located at the first edge 53 that are spaced apart in the vertical direction C, and then folding and locking them in place.

[0027] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the bottom surface 32 is formed by folding multiple rectangular sections together. The outermost section 38 has a pair of protruding pieces 38a that project outward in the vertical direction C. The bottom surface 32 of the storage box 30 is formed by inserting the protruding pieces 38a into a pair of slits 38b formed in the section opposite to section 38, folding them, and locking them in place.

[0028] A waterproof film 39 is attached to at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the outermost portion 38 of the bottom surface 32 of the storage box 30. In this way, the bottom surface 32 is formed from multiple layers, which prevents the fragrance liquid 2 that seeps out of the drain port 21a of the bottle body 21 when it is inverted and diffuses into the storage box 30 from leaking out to the outside. However, the bottom surface 32 may be a single layer instead of multiple layers, as long as it has the required waterproof performance.

[0029] Furthermore, the presence of a waterproof film 39 attached to the outermost portion 38 of the bottom surface 32 further suppresses leakage of the fragrance liquid 2 from the storage box 30 to the outside. In addition, spaced-out legs 60 made of soft plastic or rubber are attached to the outer surface of the outermost portion 38. This ensures that when the storage box 30 is placed on a surface such as a table, the legs 60 come into contact with the surface, keeping the bottom surface 32 separated from it. Therefore, even if the fragrance liquid 2 diffuses to the outer surface of the bottom surface 32, it is possible to suppress adhesion of the fragrance liquid 2 to the surface being placed.

[0030] The text display area 42 of the printing area 40 is located on the outer side of the rear surface 36 of the storage box 30, and the decorative display area 41 is located on the outer side of the front surface 35 and both sides 33 and 34. The portion of the text display area 42 that displays the product concept is located on the top surface 31 side, and the explanatory text on how to use the product is located on the bottom surface 32 side.

[0031] The decorative display area 41 contains multiple decorative elements 41a representing the outlines and English lettering of plants derived from the fragrances used in the aromatic liquid 2, such as orange, bergamot, hot leaf, hinoki, and palma rose. However, the decorative elements 41a may also be pictures, characters, etc., unrelated to the fragrances of the aromatic liquid 2.

[0032] Figures 6(a) to 6(c) show how the fragrance liquid 2 is discharged from the drain port 21a of the bottle body 21, which is stored upside down inside the storage box 30, and how it permeates and diffuses into the storage box 30.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6(a), the fragrance liquid 2 penetrates the bottom surface 32 of the storage box 30 and gradually diffuses upward, causing water to adhere to the water-coloring ink in the printing area 40 located on the outer surface of the outer periphery of the storage box 30, resulting in color development. As a result, the water-coloring ink bleeds, causing the characters in the character display area 42 and the decorative elements 41a in the decorative display area 41 that form the printing area 40 to become lighter in color or disappear.

[0034] As the fragrance liquid 2 diffuses, the water-coloring ink moves upward in a blurred state, and because the water-coloring ink itself is composed of a mixture of red, yellow, and blue pigments, the areas where the water-coloring ink has developed color exhibit a gradient-like appearance.

[0035] As shown in Figures 6(b) and (c), as more time passes, the fragrance liquid 2 diffuses upward, and accordingly the gradient colored area 70 created by the water-based ink moves further upward. Below the colored area 70, the characters in the character display area 42 of the printing area 40 and the decorative elements 41a in the decorative display area 41 become faint or disappear.

[0036] In this way, the fragrance liquid 2 is diffused throughout the storage box 30, and the fragrance components are evenly diffused from the entire storage box 30 into the surrounding area or room, providing a relaxing effect to the user. Furthermore, as the fragrance liquid 2 diffuses, the color development area 70 of the water-coloring ink moves upward in a gradient over time, allowing the user to visually recognize the remaining amount of fragrance liquid 2 in the bottle body 21 and enjoy the visual changes in appearance, resulting in excellent design.

[0037] Furthermore, the Aroma Diffuser 10 does not require a power source and is relatively compact, making it highly portable and easy to place on a desk, in a cabinet in your room, or on a shelf in your entryway.

[0038] In this embodiment, the decorative element 41a of the decorative display area 41 has a design that correlates with the raw materials of the fragrance in the aromatic liquid 2. That is, if the fragrance in the aromatic liquid 2 is plant-derived, the decorative element 41a has the outline of orange, bergamot, hot leaf, or hinoki depending on the raw materials. As a result, the information obtained from the sense of smell and the information obtained from the sense of sight coincide, which can further enhance the relaxation effect.

[0039] As illustrated, the decorative elements 41a in the decorative display area 41 and the characters in the character display area 42 within the printing area 40 are formed with dot-like lines. This dot-like formation allows the pigments of the water-coloring ink to break down more easily, resulting in more vivid colors compared to continuous lines.

[0040] Furthermore, in the decorative display area 41, the decorative element 41a is composed of the outline of a plant and the letters located in its center, and has a shape such that a relatively wide area of ​​non-printed area is formed within the outline where no water-coloring ink is printed. As a result, compared to when the water-coloring ink is printed densely without gaps, the pigments of the water-coloring ink are more easily broken down, and a clearer color can be produced.

[0041] In this embodiment, as previously described, a fragrance liquid 2 consisting of 10 ml of aroma oil, 5 ml of a base liquid consisting of a mixture of surfactant and ethanol, and 35 ml of water, totaling 50 ml, is preferably used. However, a fragrance liquid 2 consisting only of aroma oil and water can also be used.

[0042] For example, when using an aromatic liquid 2 containing 70-80% by mass of water and 20-30% by mass of aroma oil, when the bottle body 21 is inverted inside the storage box 30, the aroma oil will be positioned above the water due to its specific gravity, forming a region consisting only of water below. In this case, the region consisting only of water will adhere to the water-based coloring ink, resulting in a more vivid color compared to when aroma oil is mixed in. Furthermore, as time passes, the region consisting only of aroma oil located above the aromatic liquid 2 will be discharged, allowing a stronger aroma to be emitted from the storage box during the latter half of the usage period.

[0043] On the other hand, if, for example, an aromatic liquid 2 containing 60-70% by mass of water, 20-30% by mass of aroma oil, and 5-10% by mass of surfactant is used, when the bottle body 21 is inverted inside the storage box 30, the surfactant will cause the water and aroma oil to mix together. In this case, the color development of the water-coloring ink will not be as vivid, but since the aroma oil is discharged already mixed with the water from the beginning, a pleasant aroma can be emitted from the storage box 30 immediately after use.

[0044] Referring again to Figures 6(a) to (c), when the fragrance liquid 2 has completely diffused into the container 30, the colored area 70 caused by the fragrance liquid 2 has not completely moved to the top surface 31, but is located on the outer surface of the container 30. In this way, by adjusting the diffusion range of the fragrance liquid 2, the colored area 70 can always be located on the outer surface during use, maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0045] Specifically, the area of ​​the storage box 30 in its unfolded state is 180-250 cm². 2 The mass of the cardboard used as the material is 50-70 g / m². 2 Thickness 0.2-0.4 mm, density 0.5-0.8 g / cm³ 3 In this case, by having 20 to 100 ml, preferably 40 to 70 ml, of the fragrance liquid in the bottle body 21, the colored area 70 caused by the fragrance liquid 2 does not completely move to the top surface 31, but is located on the outer surface of the storage box 30, thus avoiding the outer surface becoming colorless.

[0046] The present invention described above may include at least the following embodiments. These embodiments may be adopted separately or in combination with each other. ( 1 The printing area comprises a character display area formed from dot-like lines and a decorative display area having multiple decorative elements, the decorative elements having an outline, and within the outline there is a non-printing area where the water-coloring ink is not printed. ( 2 The ink for the water-based coloring book has a water-soluble dye which is a mixture of multiple pigments, and the printing area forms a color-developing region that exhibits a gradient when it comes into contact with the fragrance liquid. ( 3 The aforementioned aromatic liquid consists of an aroma oil, a mixture of a surfactant and ethanol, and water. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 2 Aromatic liquid 10 Aroma Diffusers 20 bottles 21 Bottle body 22 Lid 30 storage boxes 40 print area 41 Decorative display area 41a Decorative elements 42 character display area Y vertical direction

Claims

1. An aroma diffuser comprising a bottle containing a fragrance liquid and a storage box in which the bottle is housed, having an up-and-down orientation, The bottle comprises a bottle body and a lid that is detachably attached to the bottle body. By placing the bottle body in the storage box in an inverted state, the fragrance liquid discharged from the drain port of the bottle body seeps into the storage box, and the fragrance components are released from the storage box. The aroma diffuser is characterized in that the storage box has a printing area located on its outer surface, and the printing area is printed with a water-coloring ink that develops color when exposed to the aromatic liquid.

2. The aroma diffuser according to claim 1, wherein the printing area comprises a character display area formed from dot-like lines and a decorative display area having a plurality of decorative elements, the decorative elements having an outline, and a non-printing area within the outline where the water-coloring ink is not printed.

3. The aroma diffuser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ink for water coloring has a water-soluble dye obtained by mixing a plurality of pigments, and the printing area forms a color-developing region that exhibits a gradient when it comes into contact with the aromatic liquid.

4. The aroma diffuser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fragrance liquid comprises an aroma oil, a mixture of a surfactant and ethanol, and water.

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