GB2326864A - Supporting structure for a packaged shirt - Google Patents

Description

Title. SUPPORTING LINING FOR A SHIRT This invention relates to a supporting lining more particularly for shirts in which the supporting lining is specially designed for readily fixing to and folding of a shirt. The shirt can be readily fixed and folded during the packing process.

In the conventional packing process for a shirt, the shirt is firstly ironed and correctly folded while inserting a suitable supporting paper lining into the folded shirt. The collar is supported by a collar lining and a front supporting plate.

When the shirt is properly aligned with such supporting linings, a plurality of positioning pins are used to fix the shirt onto the supporting lining. The conventional lining is a fairly thick rectangular paperbard. Finally, the packed shirt is inserted into a packing pocket. This conventional packing process is tremendously laborious and costly. On the other hand, when a consumer unpacks the shirt, a large amount of waste is created. This brings about a negative impact on the environment.

Furthermore, when a consumer unpacks the shirt, he or she must pull out the positioning pins one at a time. Frequently, the consumer is accidentally pricked by one or more of the positioning pins. It can also be dangerous if a positioning pin is left on the shirt. Moreover, the use of positioning pins can badly damage a brand new shirt and leave an apparent pinhole therein.

The present invention aims to provide an improved supporting lining for a shirt which overcomes the drawbacks of conventional shirt packing in an advantageous manner.

According to the invention, there is provided a supporting lining for a shirt, comprising a butterfly buckle and a paper lining, wherein the butterfly buckle is made from a single paperboard defining two wings which are arranged to extend upwardly in an inclined direction, each of the wings of the buckle being provided with a retaining slot such that the tip of said wing can be retained within the associated slot when the tip is folded and inserted therein and wherein the paper lining comprises a main board, a right flap and a left flap, curved cutouts being located between the main board and the left and right flaps and the main board being provided with a plurality of slots, said right and left flaps being symmetrically disposed with respect to each other and each being provided with a finger engageable in a respective one of the slots in the main board, the top of said main board being provided with a collar lining connected to the main board by tabs, one end of said collar lining being provided with an insert and the other end being provided with a plurality of retaining slots.

Preferably, the bottom of the butterfly buckle is provided with a V-shaped portion which is adapted to engage with a button of a shirt.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the top portion of one of said right and left flaps is provided with a back flap having fingers which are adapted to be inserted into slots in said main board, said back flap being provided with a retaining hole adapted to be engaged with a button of the shirt.

According to another embodiment, the main board is provided with a curved flap having a retaining slot which is engageable with a button of a shirt.

The improved supporting lining according to this invention has the following advantages:1. A shirt is well protected both in transportation as well as when displayed for sale without the possibility of being deformed, wrinkled or damaged; 2. The supporting lining is specially designed and dimensioned which reduces waste to the lowermost level. This may bring about a positive intention of purchasing and selling opportunities. The shirt can be packed in a simplified and effective way.

3. The supporting lining according to the invention is specially designed such that the shirt can be positioned and fixed without the utilization of positioning pins during folding and positioning. The packing process is therefore simplified. The potential risk of being pricked by positioning pins is therefore eliminated.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shirt which is supported and packed with a supporting lining made according to one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a butterfly buckle attached to the front portion of the collar; Fig. 3 shows the layout of a blank to be formed into a supporting lining according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective schematic illustration showing the formation of the butterfly buckle; Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration showing the attachment of a collar lining to the collar; Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration showing the manner in which a shirt is folded at the back; Fig. 7 is a schematic illustration showing further folding of the back of the shirt; Fig. 8 shows the rear of a shirt packed with a lining according to the invention; Fig. 9 shows the rear of a shirt packed with a second embodiment of a lining according to the invention; Reference will first be made to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings in which a supporting lining made according to this invention generally comprises a paper lining 1 and a butterfly buckle 2. The butterfly buckle 2 is made from a single paperboard. The bottom of the buckle 2 is advantageously formed into a Vshaped portion 21. Each of the wings of the buckle 2 is provided with a retaining slot 23 such that the tip of the wing can be retained within said slot 23 when the tip is folded and inserted therein. By this arrangement, when the buckle 2 is attached to a shirt collar by the engagement between the V-shaped portion 21 and theflrstbutton3Ooftheshirt3, the collar can be well supported by the buclcle 2, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The paper lining 1 includes a main board 11, a right flap 12, a left flap 13, an upper collar flap 14 and a rear flap 15 disposed at one of the right and left flaps 12, 13. In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the rear flap 15 is disposed on the left flap 13.

As shown in Fig. 3, the right flap 12 and left flap 13 are symmetrically disposed with respect to one another. Each of the fold lines between the right and left flaps 12, 13 and the main board 11 is provided with a cutout 121, 131 for easy folding and positioning of the right and left flaps 12, 13. Referring to Fig. 6, each of the right and left flaps 12, 13 is provided in its upper region with a finger 122, 132 which can be inserted into a slot 111 of the main board 11 when the right flap 12 and left flap 13 are folded backward. By this arrangement, the right flap 12 and left flap 13 together with the shirt enclosed therein can be firmly positioned. Afterward, the lower part of the shirt 3 can be folded upwardly along the lower edge of the main board 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 7.

As shown in Fig. 7, when the lower part of a shirt 3 is folded upwardly the buttons 30 of the shirt 3 are presented to the rear of the main board 11 in such a manner that the rear flap 15 can be folded down and a central hole 151 can be engaged suitably with one of the buttons 30, preferably the first or lowermost one. Fingers 152 of the rear flap 15 can be inserted into slots 112 in the main board 11 to complete the packing of the shirt, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.

Refemng to Figs. 3 and 5, a collar flap 14 is attached to the main board 11 and includes a pair of connecting tabs 141 and a collar lining 142 attached to the connecting tabs 141. One end of the collar lining 142 is formed with an insert 143 and the other end is provided with a plurality of retaining slots 144 spaced apart from and substantially parallel to each other. As shown in Fig. 5, when the shirt 3 is folded on the main board 11 with the help of the right flap 12 and left flap 13, the collar flap 14 can be folded on to the front side of the main board 11 and adjacent to the collar 31 of the shirt 3. Then, the connecting tabs 141 can be folded down further such that the collar lining 142 can be located within the collar 31 of the shirt 3. Before the collar lining 142 is located in the collar31, both ends of the collar lining 142 can be connected to form a ring by the engagement between the insert 143 and the retaining slot 142. The outer diameter of the resulting ring can be suitably selected to fit and support the collar 31 of the shirt 3.

Referring to Fig. 9, the main board 11 can be equipped with a curved flap 16 having a retaining slot 161 which can be engaged with a button 30 of the shirt to replace the back flap 15.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

1. A supporting lining for a shirt, comprising a butterfly buckle and a paper lining, wherein the butterfly buckle is made from a single paperboard defining two wings which are arranged to extend upwardly in an inclined direction, each of the wings of the buckle being provided with a retaining slot such that the tip of said wing can be retained within the associated slot when the tip is folded and inserted therein and wherein the paper lining comprises a main board, a right flap and a left flap, curved cutouts being located between the main board and the left and right flaps and the main board being provided with a plurality of slots, said right and left flaps being symmetrically disposed with respect to each other and each being provided with a finger engageable in a respective one of the slots in the main board, the top of said main board being provided with a collar lining connected to the main board by tabs, one end of said collar lining being provided with an insert and the other end being provided with a plurality of retaining slots.

2. A supporting lining according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the butterfly buckle is provided with a V-shaped portion which is adapted to engage with a button of a shirt.

3. A supporting lining according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the top portion of one of said right and left flaps is provided with a back flap having fingers which are adapted to be inserted into slots in said main board, said back flap being provided with a retaining hole adapted to be engaged with a button of the shirt.

4. A supporting lining according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the main board is provided with a curved flap having a retaining slot which is engageable with a button of a shirt.

5. A supporting lining for a shirt substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.