GB1596366A - Packages - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO PACKAGES (71) We, JOLLYDAY SOWENIRS GmbH, of Kennedyallee 125, 6000 Frankfurt/Main 70, Federal Republic of Germany, a German Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a package comprising an article and a stiffening sheet for the article.

The inclusion in the package of the stiffening sheet, which may be of cardboard or the like, is desirable for the attractive presentation of flexible objects for example textiles or the like. Such stiffening sheets have long been known in a variety of different forms suited to various objects.

Thus for example a shirt may be mounted on a stiffening sheet with the assistance of pins or pegs, the package being completed by an envelope for protection against dust and moisture, which is usually made from transparent plastics sheet material.

Once articles presented in this attractive way have been sold, the stiffening sheets have fulfilled their function. They are then thrown away or destroyed by the purchaser.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a package including a stiffening sheet of such a kind that it can be further used in an advantageous way after fulfilling its stiffening function.

The invention accordingly provides a package comprising an article and a stiffening sheet supporting the article, the stiffening sheet having on at least one side thereof means facilitating deformation of the sheet into a container after separation from the article.

Thus, the stiffening sheet can be so arranged that after fulfilling its function as a stiffening element, it can be further used as a packaging or transporting container, and also, by appropriate sound track printing, later as a gramophone record. For this purpose it is necessary only that the sheet be cut, bent or folded along bending and perforation lines or other appropriate markings on at least one side according to instructions printed thereon or printed separately. According to the object (e.g.

cushion, head scarf, table set, wall picture, or the like) and depending on the purpose of use (e.g. partial transmission or conveyance), the container made in this way from the stiffening sheet can exhibit the form of a simple mailing envelope, a oox, a case, a carrying holder, a basket or the like.

For articles of only small volume, for example head scarves, neck ties or pocket handkerchiefs, it is sufficient for the area of the stiffening sheet to be such as to provide a simple envelope. For volu miniuous articles for example cushions or the like, it can however advantageously be that the stiffening sheet is formed of two or more layers, in order that a sufficient surface of the blank for the container is made available.

By way of further explanation and for better understanding of the invention, an illustrative embodiment thereof is described below with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing has a backing sheet 1 of cardboard which serves as a stiffening sheet for a headscraf 2 which, for protection against dirt and moisture, is enclosed in a plastics envelope 3. The stiffening sheet 1, the headscarf 2 and the plastics envelope 3 represent a single sales unit, shown in the drawing as being one partially withdrawn from the other solely for explaining the structure.

The stiffening sheet 1 is on one side provided with markings and/or formations comprising, in its middle region, four bending lines 4 each parallel to an edge of the sheet and defining a rectangle or square, which limit the eventual front face 7 of the blank which is later produced from the sheet 1. Under the bending lines 4 there are provided in the present case linear regions, which possess lesser strength than the main region of the stiffening sheet 1, so that on conversion of the blank into a dispatch or transport container by folding or bending, clean edges at precisely predetermined positions are always formed.

In the present illustrative example, there connect to the bending lines 4 continuations perforation lines 5, which run to the sheet edges. Under the perforation lines 5 there are linear regions in the present case, in which the greater part of the sheet material is separated, so that only spaced links remain, which hold together the material on the two sides of the line.

In the present illustrative example, the stiffening sheet 1 is transformed into a transit envelope by the removal, by the application of a slight force, of rectangular edge regions 9 defined by the perforation lines 5 and the sheet edges in the regions of the corners of the sheet, and the bending back through 1800 of flaps 6 so formed about the bending lines 4. On the flaps 6 are self adhesive regions or connecting formations (not shown) which permit the flaps to be connected together. The space formed, in this way, between the flaps 6 and the front wall 7 serves for reception of the folded head scarf 2. The previously torn off edge regions 9 serve to receive multi-language instructions for use, as indicated by reference numeral 8.

The front wall 7 is, moreover, provided on its forward side with pre-printed regions for particulars of the address and the sender and on the rear side with lines for use as a letter substitute. Moreover, it is possible to record on the front wall, i.e.

to form this as a phonograph disc.

Packages with stiffening sheets in accordance with this invention are suitable especially where the articles are gifts or souvenirs. The purchaser has the possibility of converting the stiffening sheet with a little manual handling into a transit or carrying holder. This means that the purchaser is in the position to make the purchased article ready for delivery or sending immeliately. The frequently bothersome search for suitable packing material can thus be avoided.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A package comprising an article and a stiffening sheet supporting the article, the stiffening sheet having on at least one side thereof means facilitating deformation of the sheet into a container after separation from the article.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is adapted to contain the article.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet has markings to facilitate transmission of the container by mail.

4. A package as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said means consists of deformations comprising at least one of a perforation line, a scored line, or a line of weakness to facilitate bending or separation.

5. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the stiffening sheet comprises a plurality of separate layers.

6. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the article is a textile article.

7. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the pakage comprises an outer cover.

8. A package substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. dispatch or transport container by folding or bending, clean edges at precisely predetermined positions are always formed. In the present illustrative example, there connect to the bending lines 4 continuations perforation lines 5, which run to the sheet edges. Under the perforation lines 5 there are linear regions in the present case, in which the greater part of the sheet material is separated, so that only spaced links remain, which hold together the material on the two sides of the line. In the present illustrative example, the stiffening sheet 1 is transformed into a transit envelope by the removal, by the application of a slight force, of rectangular edge regions 9 defined by the perforation lines 5 and the sheet edges in the regions of the corners of the sheet, and the bending back through 1800 of flaps 6 so formed about the bending lines 4. On the flaps 6 are self adhesive regions or connecting formations (not shown) which permit the flaps to be connected together. The space formed, in this way, between the flaps 6 and the front wall 7 serves for reception of the folded head scarf 2. The previously torn off edge regions 9 serve to receive multi-language instructions for use, as indicated by reference numeral 8. The front wall 7 is, moreover, provided on its forward side with pre-printed regions for particulars of the address and the sender and on the rear side with lines for use as a letter substitute. Moreover, it is possible to record on the front wall, i.e. to form this as a phonograph disc. Packages with stiffening sheets in accordance with this invention are suitable especially where the articles are gifts or souvenirs. The purchaser has the possibility of converting the stiffening sheet with a little manual handling into a transit or carrying holder. This means that the purchaser is in the position to make the purchased article ready for delivery or sending immeliately. The frequently bothersome search for suitable packing material can thus be avoided. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A package comprising an article and a stiffening sheet supporting the article, the stiffening sheet having on at least one side thereof means facilitating deformation of the sheet into a container after separation from the article.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is adapted to contain the article.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet has markings to facilitate transmission of the container by mail.

4. A package as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said means consists of deformations comprising at least one of a perforation line, a scored line, or a line of weakness to facilitate bending or separation.

5. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the stiffening sheet comprises a plurality of separate layers.

6. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the article is a textile article.

7. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the pakage comprises an outer cover.

8. A package substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.