Scented fragrance chip sandwich articles and housing device, and methods of manufacturing the same

Abstract

Technologies are described herein which present a novel and elegant means of manufacturing and using Casino Chips [originally manufactured and intended as a means of trading monetary value for gaming type entertainment] as a means of housing an antimicrobial wafer comprising fragrance oils, and a means of connecting such housing device in a friction fit and non abrasive means throughout one's personal space and / or for placements in any means of transportation, collectable or the like.

Description

[0001] SCENTED FRAGRANCE CHIP SANDWICH ARTICLES AND HOUSING DEVICE, AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] It is well established in the art of air fresheners, that impregnating cotton, paper, clay or the like, with fragrance oils, and / or placement of such substrates within another housing device, can help to emit pleasant fragrances throughout various personal space. Different functional devices and novel designs and elements have been commercialized throughout the art; however, a need remains for long-lasting and aesthetically appealing air freshener devices.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure provides novel and elegant means of distributing aromatic scents.

[0006] The art of adding air freshening devices is a "complimentary" feature to homes, cars, boats, planes, trains, gym bags, or the like is well known. Often times these devices can be a paper or cardboard cut out of novel designs or prints, or can be in novel shapes or ornamental designs.

[0007] The present inventor(s) are further engaged in the art of preserving, restoring and / or marketing "collectables" such as cars, toys, juke boxes, pinball machines, record players, gas pumps, phone booths or the like. The art of preserving, restoring and / or marketing such "collectables" comes with some unique challenges which can be both costly and time consuming. Including of which can be masking old odors, with more pleasant aromatic pleasures.

[0008] Upon information and belief, as the game of poker took hold in the American West, players used anything at hand to denote their wager, be it coins, gold nuggets, even gold dust. However, the need for some kind of standard denomination led to the stamping of the first casino chips in the 1880s. Such casino chips are currently manufactured and formed from pressed sand and clay, and with metal discs inside the sand and clay to provide added weight and feel.

[0009] In the gaming industry, the value of different denominations can vary to denote the actual trade in value of the Casino Chip to the currency value of their choice. For example, Casino Chips can be printed with $1 currency exchange values, or printed with $100 currency exchange values. The distinct look and print values of these different style Casino Chips can vary and infinite designs are capable of representing different creative renderings.

[0010] In the art of preserving, restoring and / or marketing collectables can be both costly and time consuming, and often times these values can be overlooked.

[0011] The present inventor(s) further designed, developed and manufactured a means of using an novel air freshener device, that one in the art of "collectable valuations" could identify with as having "high value" as a means of corresponding and identifying the source of a high value "collectable" that has been preserved and / or restored to the highest level of standards.

[0012] One in the art would associate a high value casino chip having a $100 value, to the equal value of a $100 bill. American paper currency currently comes in seven denominations: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. As such the highest current value of American Paper Currency is $100.

[0013] As the present inventor(s) are in the art of preserving, restoring and / or marketing "collectables," there is a need to establish that their efforts have been made to the highest level of standards available at the time of completion for preserving, restoring and / or marketing such collectables. As such, one of the other novel aspects of the present inventor(s) invention is utilizing a high value Casino Chip as a housing device for an air freshener, is to create, design and produce an air freshener device that can demonstrate that their "collectable" having the presence of this current invention; that has been preserved, restored and / or marketed, was in fact done so to the highest level of standards.

[0014] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a device comprising a porous substrate configured to temporarily retain a fragrance; a housing configured to partially or fully surround the porous substrate; and a holding facet associated with the housing.

[0015] In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a scented fragrance chip device comprising the steps of: (a) forming a template for housing a casino chip;

[0016] (b) placing a casino chip into the template; (c) removing (e.g., by a subtractive manufacturing process) to form a cavity in the casino chip; (d) placing a porous material in the cavity of the casino chip; and (e) contacting the porous substrate with an aromatic substance.

[0017] In other embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a housing device comprising the steps of: (a) forming a holding facet from a metal or polymer substance, wherein the holding facet includes at least one leg having an inner surface area that is less than its overall length, (b) placing a compressive material in a mold cavity; and (c) placing the legs of the holding facet into the mold cavity to form a layer of compressive material on an outer surface of the legs.

[0018] BRIEF DESCRITION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of an air freshening device consistent with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a casino chip including holes and / or slots for use in an air freshening device consistent with the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an air freshening device in a suitable holder consistent with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows a bottom perspective view of the air freshening device of FIG. 3.

[0023] FIG. 5 shows a side perspective view of an air freshening device consistent with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a jig and / or mold plate configured to temporarily hold casino chips in place for machining, consistent with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a holding facet configured to retain an air freshener device consistent with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of legs of or configured to mate with a holding facet consistent with another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a top lid of a mold cavity consistent with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a bottom mold cavity configured to mate with the top mold cavity of FIG. 9.

[0028] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a holding facet with legs in the bottom mold cavity of FIG. 10.

[0029] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a holding facet with legs in the bottom mold cavity of FIG. 10.

[0030] FIG. 13 shows a front view of legs including a hard non compressive material and a softer compressive flexible material consistent with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Fig. 14 shows a bottom perspective view of the legs of FIG. 13.

[0032] DETAILED DESCRITION

[0033] Upon information and belief, none of the aforementioned prior art disclosures comprise the combination of elements or features of the inventor(s) present invention.

[0034] One embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of manufacturing a new sandwich article housing device 10 from polymers via (a) creating new designs and models which can (b) be produced via thermoplastic or thermoset injection molding in the form of a casino chip 100, and (c) be placed into a temporary housing device 200 which can be temporarily affixed on and / or nearby a person, in a vehicle, and / or nearby a collectable (Fig. 1 & 2) and in another embodiment of the present invention comprises a series of steps for manufacturing a new sandwich article housing device 10 from an existing casino chip 100, including but not limited to (a) making a mold or a jig 300 to hold the casino chips 100 in place for further modification, (b) creating a toolpath for use on a computer numerically controlled machine which can create cavities, holes and / or slots in the casino chips 100 to create a sandwich article 10, and (c) creating a housing device 200 for the sandwich article 10 which comprises a means of temporarily affixing the sandwich article 10 to the housing device 200, and (d) of which the housing device 200 for the sandwich article 10 comprises a means of manufacturing a set of legs 400 for the housing device having at least 2 different planar surfaces within the inner legs of the housing device , and / or having at least 2 different materials one being compressive [under temporary engagement mounting pressure] and one being non compressive [under temporary engagement mounting pressure] to a temporarily fixed article, such as a louver. (Fig. 3, 4, 5, 6)

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sandwich article comprising recessed pockets, holes and / or slots can be temporarily fixed together via a "friction fit clasp" comprising at least a planar surface area that is approximately equal to the planar surface area diameter, and also having "positive extrusions" relative to the "negative cavities" that extend beyond the diameter of the planar surface of the sandwich article. (Fig 1&2)

[0036] In another embodiment of the present invention, the sandwich article 10 comprising recessed pockets, holes and / or slots 110 can be temporarily fixed together with a friction fit clasp 250 comprising at least a planar surface area 260 that is approximately equal to or greater than the planar surface area thickness. (Fig 7)

[0037] In another embodiment of the present invention comprises the use of an antimicrobial fabric 120; (Fig 1 & 3) impregnated with fragrance oil, and then placed within the cavity of each sandwich article housing 10 and either (a) designed and manufactured to resemble a casino chip 10 (Fig 1) and / or (b) an housing device 20 manufactured and produced from an actual casino chips 10 (Fig 3).

[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, the casino chip sandwich article housing device 20 is comprising a means 250 of temporarily being affixed to another surface. In one embodiment of the present invention, the sandwich article 100 comprising the wafer, is temporarily affixed to the housing device 20, and thereby forms a loop, whereby the device 20 can be temporarily affixed to a strap or fabric from another article. (Fig 5).

[0039] In another embodiment of the present invention, the casino chip sandwich article housing device 20 can be temporarily engaged to a housing device comprising a set of legs 400 for temporarily affixing to surface such as a vent louver. (Fig 4) In this embodiment of the present invention, the legs 400 themselves of the housing device 20, have an inner surface diameter d which is less than the length L of the legs themselves, (Fig 8) and further which is comprising both a hard non compressive material 410 which does not compress upon temporary engagement to a mounting surface such as a louver, and a softer compressive flexible material 420 which does compress under normal temporary mounting pressure, (Fig 13 & 14) to which creates a non abrasive compression form fitting means to such a louver, as to (a) prevent the housing device 20 with a means of having a firm grip from disengaging and (b) a means of having a non abrasive form fitting grip by temporarily affixing the housing device 20 to the a surface such as a louver.

[0040] Casino chips themselves are not truly porous in nature as compared to paper, foam, fabric or the like, and thereby are not on their own, capable of "absorbing" fragrance materials for disbursement into the air. Another embodiment of the present invention is to impregnate an anti microbial fabric material 120 which is commercially available in commerce with fragrance oils. Accordingly the nature of the target material according to the present invention, is to rely on the featured benefit, that they comprise a means of preventing bacterial growth on the fabric 120.

[0041] It is well established in this field, that bacterial growth can cause foul or unwanted odors, as such the present inventor(s) have provided a means to prevent the introduction of any additional foul or unwanted odors by incorporating an anti-microbial fabric into the air freshener housing device. The object for this embodiment of the invention is to create an effective means of distributing pleasant fragrances throughout the housing device 20, and thereby to prevent the introduction of any foul or unwanted odors.

[0042] One method of producing devices according to the present invention, is to create a housing device 100 resembling a casino style chip via injection molding (Fig 1). This process involves designing a mold cavity which can produce a casino style chip from other polymers, and either printing designs or themes onto the exterior faces of the chip or using stickers to present the "themes" of the air freshener device. In this fashion, the interior planar surface of the casino style chips would have to have a cavity whereas to house the anti microbial fabric impregnated with the fragrance oil.

[0043] In this casino chip manufacturing industry, it is accepted that casino style chips range in diameter from 30 to 45 mm (millimeters) in diameter, and range from 3 to 4 mm in thickness, and have a body comprised of single colors, multiple colors and / or custom printed text, language and / or some monetary denomination of considerable value printed on one or more surfaces. As such, in producing a new housing article to look like a casino style chip according to the present invention, the housing article would be fashioned accordingly to the highest of standards as defined previously.

[0044] In another method of producing devices according to the present invention, the housing devices 20 are actually manufactured from casino chips 10 themselves. (Fig 3). The invention process of for this method is comprehensive and requires the design and production of the casino chips 10 to the desired theme, and then having the casino chips 10 placed onto a computer numerically controlled machine (CNC) to create recessed pockets or cavities 110 along with holes or slots, within both the planar and non planar surfaces of the casino chips 10 themselves to (a) house a wafer 120 that can be the carrier for the fragrance oil and (b) provide for means of ventilation of the fragrance oil between the sandwiched article.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, it is preferable that at least a portion of one or more of the planar surface areas of the casino chip 10 is removed in order to create a pocket and / or cavity for the scented wafer to rest and / or slots for the fragrance oils to be emitted into the air. Accordingly in order to create a successfully cavity, holes and / or slots 110 on existing casino chips 10 having at least a cavity, holes and / or slots according to the present invention, the means of using a CNC comprises a series of steps which includes but is not limited to as follows (Fig 6); (a) creating a jig and / or mold plate 300 to temporarily hold the casino chips in place so that they can be machined, on a true and planar surface and (b) using a CNC machine with a high powered air cooled spindle, (c) the spindle of the CNC machine further comprising the use of approximately 2.6 mm or equal CNC router bit capable of cutting metal, (d) the computer programming for the CNC machine further comprising a novel toolpath having approximately a feed rate of 200mm per minute and a step down rate of at least 0.5mm per minute.

[0046] In the embodiment of this invention, the present inventor(s) have further designed a method of producing housing devices 20 and the holding facets 250 capable of temporarily affixing them to other surfaces, including but not limited to purses, bags, vent louvers or the like, includes producing such holding facets from metals like aluminum, copper, brass, steel or the like, and even includes producing such holding facets from thermoplastic materials such as nylon, pvc, hdpe or the like.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the holding facet 250 includes at least one planar surface 270 that is in approximate equal diameter to the outer diameter of the Casino Chip housing device 10, and at least another planar surface 260 that has a value and distance that is greater than the thickness of the Casino Chip housing device on at least 2 different planar levels. (Fig 7)

[0048] In one embodiment of the present invention, the holding facet 250 comprises a permanent and / or temporarily affixed set of legs 400 (Fig 8); in which the inside diameter d between the legs is a value that is at least less than the length L of the legs themselves. Further, in this embodiment according to the present invention, at least one planar surface area of the legs of this device, comprise different values in accordance with the planar surfaces. (Fig 13) In this embodiment, at least one planar surface of a non compressive material 410, is an equal and / or greater distance and value as compared to the compressive material 420. (Fig 14)

[0049] Further, as part of this invention, the present inventor(s) have designed a novel mold cavity 500 for producing the embodiment of the legs which can be scaled for production values, comprising different surface area and compressive materials as previously described above. In this embodiment of the present invention, a mold cavity is produced having a top 520 and bottom 510 configuration (Fig 12) of which, the top portion 520 of the mold cavity 500 having pockets 530 that are approximately of equal value to the legs of (Fig 8) and wherein the bottom section 510 of the mold cavity is having a series of negative cavities 540 having both a greater diameter and depth value as compared to the individual legs 400 of the housing device (Fig 8). Accordingly, the present invention includes the method of manufacturing comprising the steps of (a) placing the sandwich article housing device comprising a compressive polymer material 420 into the bottom 510 of the mold cavity (Fig 10) and then placing the top lid 520 of the mold cavity (Fig 9) onto the bottom of the mold cavity 510 (Fig 10), and then placing the sandwich article housing device 20 (Fig 7&8) into the top cavity 530 so that the compressive material 420 can be mated with the non compressive material 410.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A device comprising: a porous substrate configured to temporarily retain a fragrance; a housing configured to partially or fully surround the porous substrate; and a holding facet associated with the housing.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the fragrance is an aromatic oil.

3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the housing comprises: a base plate including an outer rim and an inner void; a spacer configured to surround an outer periphery of the porous substrate and to mate with the outer rim of the base plate; and a top plate including: at least one channel in fluid communication with the porous substrate, and a rim configured to mate with the spacer.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the top plate is a casino style chip.

5. The device of any one preceding claim further comprising at least one leg affixed to the holding facet and configured to affix (e.g., temporarily affix) the housing to a surface (e.g., a vent louver).

6. The device of any one preceding claim wherein the holding facet includes one or more arms configured to retain an outer rim of the housing.

7. The device of any one of claims 3-6 wherein the holding facet is configured to form a gap between a bottom surface of the base plate and the holding facet.

8. The device of any one of claims 3-7 wherein the spacer comprises: at least one bottom tab configured to mate with a recess in the base plate; and at least one top tab configured to mate with a the rim of the top plate.

9. The device of any one of claims 3-8 wherein the at least one channel in the top plate comprises at least one cavity, a hole, or a slot.

10. The device of claim 8wherein at least 1 of the base plate, spacer, top plate, and / or porous substrate includes at least one or more protrusions having a surface area substantially similar to a surface area of the cavities, holes or slots.

11. The device of any one preceding claim wherein the housing has a diameter of 10 to 50 mm and a thickness of 3 to 10mm.

12. The device of any one preceding claim wherein the housing comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of a thermoset and / or thermoplastic polymer.

13. The device of any one preceding claim wherein the porous substrate comprises an antimicrobial fabric.

14. The device of any one of claims 5-13 wherein the at least one leg affixed to the holding facet has an inner surface diameter less than its overall length.

15. The housing device of claim 14 wherein the at least one leg comprises either: at least one non compressive material, or a first compressive material having a first compressibility index, and a second compressive material having a second, lower compressibility index than the first compressive material.

16. A method of manufacturing a scented fragrance chip device comprising the steps of:(a) forming a surface of a top plate to resemble a casino style gaming chip, wherein the device comprises a porous substrate;(b) placing an aromatic oil into a porous substrate;(c) mating the top plate resembling the casino style chip with the porous substrate; and(d) optionally affixing the sandwich article to a holding facet, wherein the holding facet is configured to be temporarily affixed to another planar surface area (e.g., a vent louver).

17. A method of manufacturing a scented fragrance chip device comprising the steps of:(a) forming a template for housing a casino chip;(b) placing a casino chip into the template;(c) removing (e.g., by a subtractive manufacturing process) to form a cavity in the casino chip;(d) placing a porous material in the cavity of the casino chip; and (e) contacting the porous substrate with an aromatic substance.

18. A method of manufacturing a housing device comprising the steps of:(a) forming a holding facet from a metal or polymer substance, wherein the holding facet includes at least one leg having an inner surface area that is less than its overall length,(b) placing a compressive material in a mold cavity; and (c) placing the legs of the holding facet into the mold cavity to form a layer of compressive material on an outer surface of the legs.

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