EP1970880A1

EP1970880A1 - Label of a fibrous sheet containing a fragrant substance

Info

Publication number: EP1970880A1
Application number: EP07103989A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jan Overwater
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-13
Filing date: 2007-03-13
Publication date: 2008-09-17

Abstract

The invention relates to a label of a fibrous sheet wherein comprised an absorbed fragrant substance and containing means for attaching the label to a flower or a stem of a flower and to a label comprising means for attaching the label to a (stem of a) flower. The label is preferably a paper sheet and can be provided with a print. The invention further pertains to a bouquet of cut flowers and/or plants and said label.

Description

The present invention firstly relates to a label of a fibrous sheet wherein comprised an absorbed fragrant substance. The invention further pertains to a bouquet of cut flowers and/or plants and said label.
Particularly, as a result of breeding and selection of flowers and plants for obtaining a production that is as large as possible and for obtaining resistance against diseases, the natural property of flowers and plants to release a scent is weakened substantially. Many commercial cut flowers and plants nowadays do not or virtually do not release any scent, or even release an unpleasant scent. However, to the consumer it is of importance that flowers and plants smell agreeable. In the past some attempts have been made to find a solution to this problem. None of these solutions, however, has lead to a commercial success.
One of the most promising solutions to this problem was described in EP 1483957 . According to this patent application a bouquet of cut flowers and/or plants and a device provided with a reservoir containing a fragrant substance for releasing the fragrant substance to the surroundings was disclosed. More specifically the device is a hogla reed which has the shape and size that is about that of the stems of the cut flowers or plants of the bouquet, so that the device is recognized as little as possible as a strange object in the bouquet. The kernel of the hogla reed serves as reservoir for releasing the fragrant substance. Although this seems an attractive solution, there are still problems. First these reeds are relatively costly to be prepared and in order to fit with different sizes of cut flowers a variety of sizes of reeds should be kept in stock. Apart from these disadvantages, it further was intended that the fragrant substance in the reeds, when placed in the water, is transported from the part of the reed that is in contact with the water to the water, but it now appeared that this still leads to a negative influence on the life time of the flowers and/or plants, due to the fact that the flowers or plants are sensitive to the oils wherein the fragrant is dissolved. The same applies in the soil if plants and the device are use in potting compost. Furthermore, if used in water, because of transport of the oily substance into the water, it troubles which results in a less attractive esthetic appearance.
The present invention has to its object to find an improvement to the above hogla reed, which is simpler and therefore cheaper to produce and cannot influence negatively the life time of the flowers and plants.
To this end the invention pertains to a method and device wherein cut flowers and/or plants are provided with a scent, that cannot have a negative influence on the life time of the flowers and/or plants, that can be produced and provided is a simple and cheap manner, which is esthetically acceptable and can be used as a carrier for advertisement, and which can be thrown away with the flowers or plants when died.
The inventors have succeeded in developing such a simple method to give a scent to a bouquet of flowers and/or plants. To this end the invention relates to a label of a fibrous sheet wherein comprised an absorbed fragrant substance and containing means for attaching the label to a flower or a stem of a flower.
This label can be attached to a flower or a stem of a flower in a bouquet of cut flowers and/or plants, and such bouquet or plant is also the subject of this invention.
The fragrant substance in principle can be any required fragrant substance, but preferably it is a flower or plant scent that fits to the bouquet. The term "bouquet" means at least one flower or plant. Usually the bouquet will contain a plurality of flowers or plants, and optionally other elements such as fern, leaves, branches, berries, and the like.
The label is made of fibrous material which contains pores. These pores can absorbed the fragrant substance, which is released thereof again to the surroundings.
There is further an aesthetic advantage if the device has the shape and size, and preferably the color of the flowers, leaves, or the stems of the cut flowers or plants of the bouquet, so that the label is recognized as little as possible as a strange object in the bouquet.
The fibrous sheet can be any sheet of woven or non-woven material that contains pores to absorb the fragrant substance. Particularly useful is paper, and even more preferably in view of the life time of the flower, acid-free paper. Paper can easily be shaped in any desired shape and can be obtained in any desired color and size. Furthermore the label can contain a print, such as the name of the flower, the name of the shop, the trade name of the manufacturer, a manual, or any other advertisement, information or instruction.
The invention also relates to a label comprising means for attaching the label to a (stem of a) flower, with an opening for receiving the (stem of the) flower, said opening being connected to the surroundings by a groove starting at an outer edge of the label and extending to said opening, and wherein the material of the label surrounding said opening is sufficiently flexible for allowing said groove to be opened and closed for receiving the (stem of the) flower in the opening and maintaining it therein, respectively. The groove is shifted over the stem or flower, until the flower or stem reaches the enclosed opening, which fits there over and thus remains at that site of the flower or stem.
Preferably the groove diverges from the outer edge of the label towards the opening. Still further it is preferred then that, as seen in an upright position of the label, the upper edge of the groove extends downwardly from the outer edge of the label towards said opening, and the lower edge of the groove extends upwardly from the outer edge of the label towards said opening.
In a preferred embodiment, as seen in an upright position of the label, the lower edge of the groove defines an S-curve having, in the direction from the outer edge of the label towards the opening, a concave part followed by a convex part. Then it further is possible that the convex part of the lower edge of the groove substantially is positioned opposite the end of the upper edge of the groove positioned at the outer edge of the label.
One or a plurality of labels can be attached to the stem or flower. The attaching means may also be any common attaching means, such as binder materials, rubber bands, staples, and the like.
Still further it is preferred then, that the label is a fibrous sheet wherein comprised an absorbed fragrant substance.
In the figures embodiments of a label according to the invention have been shown.
Fig. 1 shows a label containing absorbed fragrant substance.
Fig. 2 shows a label with attaching means comprising a groove and enclosed opening, which fits to a flower or the stem of a flower.
Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the label.
Figure 1 shows a label 1 of fibrous sheet, such as paper, which is provided with fragrant substance by bringing the label in contact with a solution or suspension of a fragrant substance for sufficient time for the label to absorb the required amount of the fragrant substance. The contact of the label and the solution or suspension can, for instance, be brought about by immersing, impregnating, or spraying the label. In this manner the pores of the fibrous material can be partially or completely saturated with a fragrant substance-containing solution or suspension within a few seconds to a few hours by spraying or immersing. When saturated with fragrant substance, the fragrant substance can be released again slowly by evaporation from the pores of the fibrous material. It is preferred that this evaporation process at least continues as long as the lifetime of the cut flowers. Preferably, this is at least a week.
The labels can directly be provided to the bouquet or they can be packaged, such as in a box which preferably is tight in order to prevent premature release of the fragrant substance, and provided to the bouquet at the detail shop or consumer.
The fragrant substance can be any usual fragrant substance, particularly a flower scent. These fragrant substances contain ethereal oils, perfumes, perfume oils, and the like. Examples of fragrant substances are Rose Sonia, Rose Tros, freesia, carnation, lily-of-the-valley, lilac, floral bouquet, sweet freesia, Rose Fruity, Banana sweet, pine aroma, menthol, and cinnamon.
The solution or suspension can be aqueous or organic, or a mixture thereof. Organic solvents are for instance alcohols, particularly mono and poly alcohols such as propanol, glycol, ethylene glycol, and the like, or ethers such as polyethylene glycol, or thereof derived solvents such as monopropylene chloride.
In Figure 2 part of the label 1 has been shown for representing its attaching means comprising a groove 2 and an enclosed opening 3 having the shape and size of the stem of a flower. The opening 3 is connected to the surroundings by said groove 2 which starts at an outer edge 4 of the label and extending to said opening 3. The material of the label 1 surrounding said opening is sufficiently flexible for allowing said groove to be opened and closed for receiving a (stem of a) flower in the opening and maintaining it therein, respectively. The groove might for example be opened in the plane of the label 1 or in a direction perpendicular thereto by flexing a part of the label out of this plane.
As seen the groove 2 diverges from the outer edge 4 of the label towards the opening 3. As seen in an upright position of the label 1, the upper edge 5 of the groove 2 extends downwardly from the outer edge 4 of the label towards said opening 3, and the lower edge 6 of the groove extends upwardly from the outer edge of the label towards said opening.
Further, in the represented embodiment, the lower edge 6 of the groove defines an S-curve having, in the direction from the outer edge of the label towards the opening, a concave part 7 followed by a convex part 8. This allows an easy automated application of the label to a flower.
Preferably convex part 8 of the lower edge 6 of the groove 2 substantially is positioned opposite the end of the upper edge 5 of the groove positioned at (or meeting) the outer edge 4 of the label.
Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the label 1' with a groove 2' which is fit for manual application to a flower.

Claims

A label of a fibrous sheet wherein comprised an absorbed fragrant substance and containing means for attaching the label to a flower or a stem of a flower.
The label of claim 1 wherein the fragrant substance has a scent of flowers, plants, or trees.
The label of claims 1 or 2 wherein the label is provided with a print.
The label of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the label has the shape and/or color of a leave of a flower or a plant.
The label of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the fibrous sheet is a paper sheet.
The label of claim 5 wherein the paper is acid-free paper.
A label comprising means for attaching the label to a (stem of a) flower, with an opening for receiving the (stem of the) flower, said opening being connected to the surroundings by a groove starting at an outer edge of the label and extending to said opening, and wherein the material of the label surrounding said opening is sufficiently flexible for allowing said groove to be opened and closed for receiving the (stem of the) flower in the opening and maintaining it therein, respectively.
The label according to claim 7, wherein the groove diverges from the outer edge of the label towards the opening.
The label according to claim 8, wherein, as seen in an upright position of the label, the upper edge of the groove extends downwardly from the outer edge of the label towards said opening, and the lower edge of the groove extends upwardly from the outer edge of the label towards said opening.
The label according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, as seen in an upright position of the label, the lower edge of the groove defines an S-curve having, in the direction from the outer edge of the label towards the opening, a concave part followed by a convex part.
The label according to claim 10, wherein the convex part of the lower edge of the groove substantially is positioned opposite the end of the upper edge of the groove positioned at the outer edge of the label.
The label of any one of claims 7-11 wherein the label is a fibrous sheet wherein comprised an absorbed fragrant substance.
A bouquet of cut flowers and/or plants provided with the label of any one of claims 1-12.