Package of treatment material heated by microwave

Abstract

An apparatus for treatment of a body part such as the hair of a user which includes a treatment material such as coconut oil contained as a single portion within a closed and sealed flexible pouch formed of a flexible laminated plastic material which is foil free so that it can be heated in a microwave oven to warm the treatment material to a required temperature. The pouch includes printed instruction material comprising instructions to warm the material in a microwave oven, to knead the product when heated within the closed pouch and to re-heat in stages to the required temperature and to form an opening in the pouch and apply the warmed treatment material.

Claims

1. A method for application of a treatment material to head hair of a user comprising: supplying the treatment material in a closed package containing the treatment material; wherein the package is formed of a flexible plastics material which is impermeable and is impermeably closed or sealed around all edges to form a fully sealed pouch; wherein the package includes reverse-printing of instructions information inside of the plastics material; the package being formed of a laminate of plastic materials: which is foil free; which has an oxygen transfer rate (OTR) for it to be heated correctly and consistently in a microwave oven or in a hot water bath without bursting and without escape of the treatment material while the package remains sealed; while the package remains sealed with the treatment material contained therein, warming the material in a microwave oven; forming an opening in the package; removing the warmed treatment material from the package; and applying the removed warmed treatment material directly onto the head hair of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the package is formed of a plastics material which is Bisphenol A (BPA)-free.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the package is formed of a laminate of polyester film and polyethylene film.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the treatment material comprises coconut oil which is solid at room temperature and is warmed to a temperature sufficient to melt the coconut oil to form a liquid.

5. The method according to claim 1 including the steps of forming a built-in spout formed at an opening in the package at a defined location and re-sealing the opening.

6. The method according to claim 4 including the steps of forming a built-in spout formed at an opening in the package at a defined location and re-sealing the opening.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the laminate of plastic materials is transparent and wherein the reverse printing is applied to cover the package apart from a transparent window in the package formed by omitting the reverse printing at the window.

8. The method according to claim 4 wherein the laminate of plastic materials is transparent and wherein the reverse printing is applied to cover the package apart from a transparent window in the package formed by omitting the reverse printing at the window.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the laminate of plastic materials is transparent and wherein the reverse printing is applied to cover the package apart from a transparent window in the package formed by omitting the reverse printing at the window.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the step of the method of use of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a cross-section along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) A microwaveable flexible package 10 in the form of a pouch or packet, formed of a microwave safe material which can tolerate the required temperatures and the heating action is inserted into a microwave oven 12 for a matter of seconds for example 20-30 seconds for the purpose of warming its contents. The pouch is formed of a plastics material which is impermeable to its contents. The pouch is sealed at 14 around the edges. Any suitable shape can be used including circular, rectangular and tailored shapes.

(4) The contents typically are maintained at a storage temperature which is typically room temperature of the order of 18 to 25 degrees C. However some products may be stored in refrigeration so that the initial temperate is lower. In most cases the product is heated only to a warm temperature of the order of 25 to 30 degrees C.

(5) At these temperatures the preferred material of coconut oil is solid at the storage temperature and liquid at the warmed temperature. When solid the pouches can be readily packaged in a box or the like, stored and handled without danger of bursting the pouch. Other materials will be typically liquid but could be solid or semi-solid, such as gel at refrigerated temperatures.

(6) For filling the pouches, when used with coconut oil, it is preferable that the coconut oil be in liquid form and poured into the pouches and then allowed to set. The admixture of other oils can be used but to amounts which preferably do not interfere with the solid to liquid transition.

(7) Coconut oil has been found to be particularly effective at treatment of hair and scalp conditions.

(8) The treatment oil can include, but is not limited to: coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, kukiu oil, amla oil, and admixtures thereof.

(9) The flexible package or pouch does not require opening, puncturing or piercing prior to inserting into microwave and does not vent during heating.

(10) The apparatus contains an instruction material which instructs the consumer to insert the package into the microwave oven for the recommended time, then take the package out of the microwave, heat-check it at step 10A, open it at step 10B, and squeeze its warm oil contents onto their hair and scalp, massaging it in gently, for treatment purposes. A hair cap, plastic wrap or towel is then applied to the head and scalp and hair.

(11) The package contains instruction material 16 printed on the package itself or on other associated material and contains instructions for the user to engage or knead the treatment material in the hands of the user as indicated at 10A to check for a required temperature, prior to the treatment material being applied at 10B.

(12) The instruction material 16 contains instructions for the user to apply additional heat to the treatment material in additional increments if required, prior to the treatment material being applied.

(13) Where a microwave is not available, the instruction material 16 contains instructions for the user to heat the treatment material in the flexible unopened pouch by submersing in hot water.

(14) The pouch 10 includes an indication 18 of an opening location where the package is intended to be cut by the user. At that location, when cut, the flexible pouch can defines a built-in spout 20 of suitable dimensions to control the flow of the material out of the pouch and to enable the user to more easily direct the contents.

(15) The flexible pouch is formed of a flexible plastics material 22 which is sealed and arranged to be kept sealed prior to inserting into the microwave oven. In particular the flexible pouch is a laminate of plastics layers comprising polyester film 22A and polyethylene film 22B so as to be foil free and Bisphenol A (BPA)-free and so as to provide an oxygen transfer rate (OTR) for it to be heated correctly and consistently in a microwave oven.

(16) The flexible pouch includes a transparent window 24 at one location for viewing the contents and has the instruction material 16 reverse-printed inside of the laminate. For best aesthetic effect, the window is formed as part of a graphic of the printing on the package so that the absence of the printing ink at the window is used as a part of the attractive appearance.

(17) In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the flexible pouch includes a re-sealable opening enabling the pouch to provide more than one portion or treatment for future use.

(18) It is suggested the consumer leave the treatment material in for twenty minutes to 1 hour and as long as overnight for best results; at which point they shampoo and condition their hair to finish the treatment.

(19) The purpose of warming the treatment material is to benefit the hair and scalp. For example, it is widely known that heat is desirable or more effective in order for oils and other formulas and conditioners to actually penetrate the hair shaft.

(20) It is a single use, disposable, application package, which may or may not be re-sealable and may be formed of plastics materials selected so that they might also be recyclable.

(21) There may be additional applications for the idea and method described above, such as microwaveable warmed/heated facial treatments (masques/masks) to promote healthy skin, anti-aging (wrinkles, skin elasticity, etc) as well as to help skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema.

(22) In such application, the contents of the flexible microwaveable package could contain but not be limited to: oils, formulas, lotions, creams, gels, pastes, serums, muds, clays, milk products such as coconut milk, honey, egg yolk and so on)

(23) The invention can solve the problems:

(24) The package can provide speed, convenience, and no mess. Traditionally the user would need to warm up treatment material such as oil in a pot or pan, or if using a microwave, a bowl or cup would be required. This also requires a jar or additional vessel container from which to source/extract the treatment material from, and using a spoon to do so. And one is faced with doing dishes afterwards as part of the clean-up, which of course requires a sink and detergent.

(25) The invention eliminates virtually all of these steps; no jar or tube of treatment material (separate product), requiring no bowl, no spoon, no pots or pans, no sink, no dishes and no detergent. This clearly demonstrates the speed, convenience and no-mess of the invention.

(26) The individual package treatments also solve other problems and provide additional benefits in other important ways to such as:

(27) 1) The package is travel-friendly in that it is much easier to travel with a flexible pouch or packet relative to a big jar or container of the material. In North America for example, most if not all hotel rooms do have microwaves, but they do not have pots, pans, bowls, mugs or spoons, rendering the former DIY traditional method useless.

(28) 2) The initial cost is reduced in that purchasing the single package treatment costs far less than purchasing a full container or jar of the treatment material.

(29) Since various modifications can be made in our invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.