US3311289A

US3311289A - Prefabricated wrapper for containers

Info

Publication number: US3311289A
Application number: US534950A
Authority: US
Inventors: French Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-02-21
Filing date: 1966-02-21
Publication date: 1967-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-03-28

Description

PREFABRICATED WRAPPER FOR CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 21, 1966 2 xx xx x '60 f 40 45 42 52 Q4 ,Lv62 I 26 -56 XKKNKV K K FIG-.5

PAUL 9 132 365 Z7]- 5 BY l m ax J United States Patent 3,311,289 PREFABRICATED WRAPPER FOR CUNTAINERS Paul French 4715 Allencrest Road, Dallas, Tex. 78204 Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 534,950 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-87) This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 394,695, filed September 8, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a prefabricated wrapper for a container such as a box, and which is adapted to be folded in position around the box so as to completely enclose the same and establish an outer wrap or cover therefor. One particularly advantageous use is in the field of gift wrapping in department stores or the like.

It is necessary in many instances to provide an outer cover, wrap or over wrap to a container. In many instances boxes or other containers must be wrapped, usually with a protective or decorative wrapping material such as gift wrap or waterproof or other cover. Clean boxes are often gift wrapped or provided with an outer wrapper in department stores. Cigarette cartons often are wrapped at Christmas time or other times with a decorative outer covering. Sometimes this is provided at the factory when the merchandise is packed. However, in many instances the container in which the merchandise is shipped or in which the merchandise is placed after shipping is not wrapped and must be wrapped in the establishment where it is sold or prior to that time after packing at the factory. The ordinary wrapping of a merchandise-containing box so as to produce a gift wrapped package is oftimes a time consuming process especially in a rush period in a department store such as during the holidays or at other times when personnel is limited.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitation that is attendant upon the gift wrapping of boxes, particularly rectangular boxes, and toward this end the invention contemplates the provision of a novel preformed wrapper which is in the form of a flattened tube of flexible and preferably decorative sheet stock, the material of the tube being provided with score or crease lines which are commensurate with the rectangular outlines of the particular box to be gift wrapped so that when the box is inserted Within the tube the latter may be folded upon the box in such a manner that all of the score lines will coincide with the longitudinal and transverse edges of the box, thus enhancing the appearance of the gift wrapped package in that the side faces of completed package will be entirely devoid of longitudinal, transverse or diagonal score or crease lines.

The provision of a preformed wrapper of the character briefly outlined above being among the principal objects of the invention, it is a further object to provide such a wrapper which is formed from a single rectangular sheet of flexible material and in which the oppositely facing longitudinal side edge regions of the sheet are sealed to each other in slightly overlapping relationship to provide a seam and thus produce the tubular structure, the various score or crease lines being so disposed that when the tube is folded about a box, the seam is entirely concealed beneath plural layers of the material, and moreover lies closely adjacent to one longitudinal edge of the box undergoing wrapping so that its presence will not be apparent through the layers of the material which it underlies.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tabular wrapper of this character which is reversible in end-to-end fashion, which is to say that the operator, when applying the wrapper to a box, may insert the box into either end of the tubular structure preparatory to effecting the folding operations, thus obviating the necessity of attaining a specific end-to-end orientation of the wrapper for each successive wrapping operation.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tubular wrapper which is so constructed that in its fiattened condition certain adjacent areas thereof are exposed for application thereto of a pressure sensitive adhesive by a single application effective on one side of the wrapper only, these areas, during the folding operation of the wrapper about a box, moving into register with one another and ultimately into coextensive face-to-face contact to effect the final package sealing operation.

A similar and related object of the invention is to provide a tubular wrapper which, in the flattened condition thereof as marketed, has the pressure sensitive adhesive applied thereto only one one side of the wrapper so that a plurality of the wrappers may be stacked upon one another without danger of the adhesive surfaces on adjacent wrappers becoming bonded to each other. By such an arrangement, successive wrappers may be withdrawn from a stack without interference due to interbonding of adhesive coatings on adjacent wrappers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will readily suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood.

In the accompanying single sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a completed outer wrapper for a rectangular box;

IGURE 2 is a perspective view of the outer wrapper of FIGURE 1, inserted over the box and positioned in place for the final folding;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the front end of the box and wrapper shown in FIGURE 2 with the side gusset folded into final position;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of the end of the box and wrapper shown in FIGURE 3, illustrating the further additional step of folding the side end tabs in place;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the end of the box shown in FIGURE 4, with the bottom end flap folded on top of the top end flap for the final folded position.

It is to be understood that while only the front end of the box is shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the other end of the wrapper is folded in the identical manner and has parts identical to those shown in the one end illustrated. Further, while there is shown in the drawings a rectangular container, it is to be understood the container may be round, cylindrical or square or other shapes and that the same generic prefabricated wrap will apply to those containers in other shapes.

Referring initially to FIGURE 1, an outer prefabri cated wrapper it), which is fabricated at a folding plant or the like, may be of any material such as enameled or other decorative gift wrap material. The wrapper 19 is adapted to be applied, by a folding operation and in a manner that will be described in detail presently, to a rectangular box of predetermined dimensions and, when so applied, it constitutes a completed gift wrap for the box, although, if desired, a decorative ribbon or the like may be suitably applied about the thus wrapped box.

The material has been folded fiat upon itself to provide longitudinally extending cusped

marginal side edges

12 and 14 with the

terminal ends

16, 18 of the material overlapped to form a seam having an edge 20 within the confines of one side of the wrapper 1d. Scored or other lines defining creases on the top panel 22 of the wrapper 10, may be identified for clarity as longitudinal fold line 24 on the gusseted side of the box wrapper 1t and a fold line 26 on the bottom panel 23 of the wrapper spaced from marginal edge 12, defining one side of the wrapper 10 opposite from the gusseted side designated as 28.

The gusseted side 28 of the wrapper, which includes the seam and edge 20, has thereon a perforated longitudinal line 39, which may be defined in some other manner and which is intermediate the scored line 24 and fold line 14, actually being located a distance approximately the depth of the side of the box to define the side 32.

Transverse fold lines

34, 36 on opposite ends of the wrapper 10, define the end flaps 38, 49 on the top and extend around the tubular wrapper 1t} and define the near bottom flap 412 as well as an identical flap at the other end of the wrapper (not shown but hereinafter referred to as flap 44);

fold lines

34 and 36 also define composite three-ply side

end fold tabs

46, 48 on the ends of the box.

A self-sticking or pressure sensitive adhesive of any conventional formula is applied next to the marginal edge 14 and next to the fold line 24 within the gusset area and also self-sticking adhesive is applied to the outside of one end flap 38, 4t and the inside of the end flaps 42, 44. The illustrated indentations in the flaps 33 and 40 permit the adhesive to be applied simultaneously to the respective pairs of fiaps 38, 4 4 and 4t 42 from the same side of the wrapper namely, the upwardly facing side shown in the drawing and this application may be done by a suitably wiping or rolling action in connection with conventional adhesive applying equipment. These indentation also facilitate the opening of the wrapper to receive the box 52. The adhesive may optionally be of the type that is protected by a removable strip, in which case the adhesive is applied by rolling the tape into the desired position for the adhesive; in such case, the protective tape would have to be removed before the wrapper is used.

In the operation of the previously described wrapper, the fingers or the hands may be inserted in either end of the wrapper, as by depressing, for instance, flap 42 from flap 40 through the working space defined by the indentation in flap 40 to spread open the tube sufliciently to insert the box 52 which has been selected according to size and shape to fit accurately within the wrap 10. Box 52 is inserted inside of the outer wrapper 10 bringing the top edge of the box on one side into engagement with the marginal edge 12 and the bottom edge 26 on that side, which positions the box beneath fold line 24 and the corresponding bottom fold line beneath perforated line 30 in the manner shown in FIGURE 2.

Proceeding from the position shown in FIGURE 2, the gusseted side 23 is then formed by folding the double fold at marginal edge 14 inwardly on itself about the perforated line 30 thus bringing that portion into coextensive engagement with the outer surface of side 32 and bringing the self-sticking adhesive into contact, thereby providing an upwardly extending gusset, the upper edge of which is substantially coincident with the adjacent upper longitudinal edge of the box 52. Then the selfsticking adhesive is pressed smoothly into engagement by hand and the folding of the ends is completed in the manner shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5.

The folding of the material about the line 3i) and the end scored

lines

34, 36 on each respective end of the wrapper 18, forms double side ends 58 next to a single flap 60 and a corresponding single flap 62 on the other side which are all folded inwardly about the respective scored lines 34 into engagement with the front 64 of box 52.

'Diagonal score lines 68 on the end flaps 33, 4t), 42 and 44 of the wrapper 10 enable the composite three-

ply flaps

46 and 48 to fold inwardly in the manner shown in FIGURE 4.

Finally, the top end flaps 38 and 40 are folded downwardly against the box 64 and the bottom end flaps 42 and 44 are folded on top of the end flap 40 and the selfsticlting adhesive is brought into contact and engagement.

It is to be understood that throughout this specification and in the appended claims, the term crease line is intended to imply any longitudinally, transversely-or diagonally extending line of weakening in the flexible sheet material along which a fold or a bend is ultimately effected. Such a crease line may be in the form of a score line, a line of closely spaced perforations or simply a precreased line which has been flattened. Where such a crease line has been referred to as an infold crease line, it is intended to imply that the line separates two sections of the sheet which are ultimately to be folded upon each other or toward each other in a direction extending toward to central regions of the tubular sheet. Similarly, where such a crease line has been referred to as an outfold crease line, it is intended to imply that the sections on opposite sides of the line will ultimately be folded in a direction extending away from the central regions of the tubular sheet.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention for purposes of illustration and to teach one skilled in the art how to construct the invention, various modifications, changes, eliminations, deviations, ramifications, revisions and departures may be made from the embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated wrapper especially adapted for wrapping containers of parallelepiped configuration and of predetermined size, said wrapper comprising:

an open ended fiat tubular member formed from a generally quadrilaterally shaped sheet of wrapper material having two opposed ends of the material secured together in overlapping relation to form a seam that extends longitudinally of said member,

said member defining creased marginal side edges that extend longitudinally thereof, and top and bottom sides separated by said side edges,

said side edges each being formed by the adjacent portions of said bottom and top sides along the respective side edges being folded flat,

one of said creased side edges defining an outfold crease line,

said member being coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on the exterior surface of one side thereof and throughout an area bordering and coextensive with the other of said side edges,

said member also being coated on said surface of said one side thereof with a pressure sensitive adhesive throughout a second area paralleling said first area and having its inner margin spaced from said outfold crease line approximately the width of the container size to be wrapped,

said member being proportioned so that said inner margin of said second area is spaced from said other edge thereof a distance approximating twice the eight of the container size to be wrapped,

said seam being located within the last mentioned distance, said member at either end thereof having said side thereof indented inwardly of the other side thereof,

said member being coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on said surface of said one side thereof at either end thereof and throughout an area at either end thereof that borders the respective indentations,

said member being further coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on the interior surface of said other side thereof at either end thereof throughout an area at either end thereof that underlies the respective indentations of said one side thereof,

said member sides each being formed with an end flap =3 forming fold line at either end of said member, with said end flap forming fold lines of each side of said member extending transfersely thereof and being spaced apart approximately the length of the container size to be Wrapped, whereby, when said member is opened by separating said sides thereof to receive the container to be wrapped, on positioning one longitudinally extending corner edge of the container in interfitting engagement with said outfold crease line and centering the container between said adhesive coated areas at the ends of said member, the portion of said member between said other edge thereof and said inner margin of the second mentioned adhesive coated area of said one side thereof may be doubled over fiat against the adjacent side of the container using as a center the longitudinally extending corner edge of the container that is diagonally opposite said one corner edge thereof, with the end flaps of said one side of the member being turned against the respective ends of the container and the end flaps of said other side of the member being turned against the respective said one side end flaps to provide a hidden seamed uniform appearing gift wrapped container in which all exposed portions of the wrapper are free from decoration marring discontinuities. 2. A prefabricated wrapper especially adapted for wrapping containers of parallelepiped configuration and of predetermined size, said wrapper comprising:

an open ended flat tubular member formed from a generally quadrilaterally shaped sheet of wrapper material having two opposed ends of the material secured together to form a seam that extends longitudinally of said member,

said member defining cusped marginal side edges that extend longitudinally thereof, and top and bottom sides separated by said side edges,

said side edges each being formed by the adjacent portions of said bottom and top sides along the respective side edges being disposed in substantial juxtaposition,

one of said side edges defining an outfold crease line,

said member being coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on the exterior surface of one side thereof and throughout an area bordering and coextensive with the other of said edges,

said member being proportioned so that said inner margin of said second area is spaced from said other edge a distance approximating twice the height of the container size to be Wrapped,

said seam being located within the last mentioned distance,

said member being coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on said surface of said one side thereof at either end thereof and across an area at either end thereof that borders the respective indentations,

said member sides each being formed with an end flap forming fold line at either end of said member, with said end flap forming fold lines of each side of said member extending transversely thereof and being spaced apart approximately the length of the container size to be wrapped,

whereby, when said member is opened by separating said sides thereof to receive the container to be wrapped, on positioning one longitudinally extending corner edge of the container in interfitting engagement with said outfold crease line and centering the container between said adhesive coated areas at the ends of said member, the portion of said member between said other edge thereof and said inner margin of said second mentioned adhesive coated area of said one side thereof may be doubled over fiat against the adjacent side of the container using as a center the longitudinally extending corner edge of the container that is diagonally opposite said one corner edge thereof, with the end flaps of said one side of the member being turned against the respec tive ends of the container and the end flaps of said other side of the member being turned against the respective said one side end flaps to provide a hidden seamed uniform appearing gift wrapped container in which all exposed portions of the wrapper are free from decoration marring discontinuities.

3. A prefabricated wrapper especially adapted for wraping containers of parallelepiped configuration and of predetermined size, said wrapper comprising:

an open ended fiat tubular member formed from a generally quadrilaterally shaped sheet of wrapper material having two opposed ends of the material secured together to form a seam that extends longitudinally of said member,

one of said side edges defining an outfold crease line,

said seam being located within the last mentioned distance,

said member being coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on said surface of said one side thereof at either end thereof along areas extending transversely of said member,

said member being further coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on the interior surface of said other side there of at either end thereof throughout an area at either end thereof that extends transversely thereof,

whereby, when said member is opened by separating said sides thereof to receive the container to be wrapped, on positioning one longitudinally extending corner-edge of the container in interfitting engagement with said outfold crease line and centering the container between said adhesive coated areas at the ends of said member, the portion of said member between said other edge thereof and said inner margin of said second mentioned adhesive coated area of said one side thereof may be doubled over fiat against the adjacent side of the container using as a center the longitudinally extending corner edge of the container that is diagonally opposite said one corner edge thereof, with the end flaps of said one side of the member being turned against the respective ends of the container and the end flaps of said other side of the member being turned against the respective said one side end flaps to provide a hidden seamed uniform appearing gift Wrapped container in which all exposed portions of the wrapper are free from decoration marring discontinuities.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,628,764 2/1953 Rubenstein et a1. 5 2,704,183 3/1955 Stern 22953 FOREIGN PATENTS 614,223 12/1948 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner.

Claims

1. A PREFABRICATED WRAPPER ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR WRAPPING CONTAINERS OF PARALLELEPIPED CONFIGURATION AND OF PREDETERMINED SIZE, SAID WRAPPER COMPRISING: AN OPEN ENDED FLAT TUBULAR MEMBER FORMED FROM A GENERALLY QUADRILATERALLY SHAPED SHEET OF WRAPPER MATERIAL HAVING TWO OPPOSED ENDS OF THE MATERIAL SECURED TOGETHER IN OVERLAPPING RELATION TO FORM A SEAM THAT EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBER, SAID MEMBER DEFINING CREASED MARGINAL SIDE EDGES THAT EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, AND TOP AND BOTTOM SIDES SEPARATED BY SAID SIDE EDGES, SAID SIDE EDGES EACH BEING FORMED BY THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID BOTTOM AND TOP SIDES ALONG THE RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGES BEING FOLDED FLAT, ONE OF SAID CREASED SIDE EDGES DEFINING AN OUTFOLD CREASE LINE, SAID MEMBER BEING COATED WITH A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF ONE SIDE THEREOF AND THROUGHOUT AN AREA BORDERING AND COEXTENSIVE WITH THE OTHER OF SAID SIDE EDGES, SAID MEMBER ALSO BEING COATED ON SAID SURFACE OF SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF WITH A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE THROUGHOUT A SECOND AREA PARALLELING SAID FIRST AREA AND HAVING ITS INNER MARGIN SPACED FROM SAID OUTFOLD CREASE LINE APPROXIMATELY THE WIDTH OF THE CONTAINER SIZE TO BE WRAPPED, SAID MEMBER BEING PROPORTIONED SO THAT SAID INNER MARGIN OF SAID SECOND AREA IS SPACED FROM SAID OTHER EDGE THEREOF A DISTANCE APPROXIMATING TWICE THE HEIGHT OF THE CONTAINER SIZE TO BE WRAPPED, SAID SEAM BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE LAST MENTIONED DISTANCE, SAID MEMBER AT EITHER END THEREOF HAVING SAID SIDE THEREOF INDENTED INWARDLY OF THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF, SAID MEMBER BEING COATED WITH A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON SAID SURFACE OF SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF AT EITHER END THEREOF AND THROUGHOUT AN AREA AT EITHER END THEREOF THAT BORDERS THE RESPECTIVE INDENTATIONS, SAID MEMBER BEING FURTHER COATED WITH A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID OTHER SIDE THEREOF AT EITHER END THEREOF THROUGHOUT AN AREA AT EITHER END THEREOF THAT UNDERLIES THE RESPECTIVE INDENTATIONS OF SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF, SAID MEMBER SIDES EACH BEING FORMED WITH AN END FLAP FORMING FOLD LINE AT EITHER END OF SAID MEMBER, WITH SAID END FLAP FORMING FOLD LINES OF EACH SIDE OF SAID MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSFERSELY THEREOF AND BEING SPACED APART APPROXIMATELY THE LENGTH OF THE CONTAINER SIZE TO BE WRAPPED, WHEREBY, WHEN SAID MEMBER IS OPENED BY SEPARATING SAID SIDES THEREOF TO RECEIVE THE CONTAINER TO BE WRAPPED, ON POSITIONING ONE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CORNER EDGE OF THE CONTAINER IN INTERFITTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OUTFOLD CREASE LINE AND CENTERING THE CONTAINER BETWEEN SAID ADHESIVE COATED AREAS AT THE ENDS OF SAID MEMBER, THE PORTION OF SAID MEMBER BETWEEN SAID OTHER EDGE THEREOF AND SAID INNER MARGIN OF THE SECOND MENTIONED ADHESIVE COATED AREA OF SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF MAY BE DOUBLED OVER FLAT AGAINST THE ADJACENT SIDE OF THE CONTAINER USING AS A CENTER THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CORNER EDGE OF THE CONTAINER THAT IS DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE SAID ONE CORNER EDGE THEREOF, WITH THE END FLAPS OF SAID ONE SIDE OF THE MEMBER BEING TURNED AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF THE CONTAINER AND THE END FLAPS OF SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE MEMBER BEING TURNED AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE SAID ONE SIDE END FLAPS TO PROVIDE A HIDDEN SEAMED UNIFORM APPEARING GIFT WRAPPED CONTAINER IN WHICH ALL EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE WRAPPER ARE FREE FROM DECORATION MARRING DISCONTINUITIES.