U.S. patent application number 11/231496 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-22 for display package for blanket or the like.
This patent application is currently assigned to Springs Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Starr Alldredge-Howard, Brian Munsey, Tracy Smith.
Application Number | 20070065049 11/231496 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37884198 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070065049 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alldredge-Howard; Starr ; et
al. |
March 22, 2007 |
Display package for blanket or the like
Abstract
A display package for a blanket comprises a bag formed of
flexible sheet material, the bag comprising a tubular side wall
having a first end and an opposite second end and a bottom wall
joined to the first end of the tubular side wall so as to close the
first end, the second end of the tubular side wall being open to
allow a consumer to feel a blanket contained in the bag. At least
one handle is bridged across the open second end to allow the
display package to be carried by the handle as well as to hinder
removal of the blanket through the open second end. The bag defines
an opening proximate the closed first end, a releasable fastening
system being arranged at the opening and being selectively
engageable to close the opening and disengageable to open the
opening for insertion and removal of a blanket therethrough.
Inventors: |
Alldredge-Howard; Starr;
(Charlotte, NC) ; Smith; Tracy; (Fort Mill,
SC) ; Munsey; Brian; (Spartanburg, SC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
101 SOUTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4000
CHARLOTTE
NC
28280-4000
US
|
Assignee: |
Springs Industries, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37884198 |
Appl. No.: |
11/231496 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/8 ; 383/106;
383/67; 383/97 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/07 20180101;
B65D 33/2591 20130101; B65D 33/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/008 ;
383/067; 383/097; 383/106 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/10 20060101
B65D033/10; B65D 33/16 20060101 B65D033/16; B65D 33/00 20060101
B65D033/00; B65D 33/04 20060101 B65D033/04 |
Claims
1. A display package for a blanket or the like, comprising: a bag
formed of flexible sheet material, the bag comprising a tubular
side wall having a first end and an opposite second end and a
bottom wall joined to the first end of the tubular side wall so as
to close the first end, the second end of the tubular side wall
being open to allow a consumer to manually feel a blanket contained
in the bag; at least one handle affixed to the second end of the
tubular side wall and bridging across the open second end, the
handle being structured and arranged to allow the display package
to be carried by the handle as well as to hinder removal of the
blanket through the open second end; and a releasable fastening
system joining the bottom wall to the first end of the tubular side
wall along at least a major portion of a periphery of the bottom
wall such that the bottom wall is at least partially detachable
from the tubular side wall in order to create an opening in the bag
for insertion and removal of a blanket.
2. The display package of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall is
substantially rectangular and the tubular side wall has a
substantially rectangular shape in cross-section, such that the bag
has a substantially cuboid shape that facilitates stacking of
display packages one upon another.
3. The display package of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of
the tubular side wall is transparent for viewing of a blanket
contained in the bag.
4. The display package of claim 1, wherein a pair of spaced-apart
handles are affixed to the second end bridging across the open
second end of the tubular side wall.
5. The display package of claim 1, wherein the releasable fastening
system comprises a zipper.
6. The display package of claim 5, wherein the zipper extends about
three-quarters of the way around the periphery of the bottom
wall.
7. The display package of claim 1, wherein the tubular side wall
comprises transparent polymer film formed into a tubular shape.
8. The display package of claim 7, wherein the bottom wall
comprises a sheet of non-transparent material.
9. The display package of claim 7, wherein the bottom wall
comprises a sheet of transparent material.
10. A display package for a blanket or the like, comprising: a bag
formed of flexible sheet material, the bag comprising a tubular
side wall having a first end and an opposite second end and a
bottom wall joined to the first end of the tubular side wall so as
to close the first end, the second end of the tubular side wall
being open to allow a consumer to manually feel a blanket contained
in the bag; at least one handle affixed to the second end of the
tubular side wall and bridging across the open second end, the
handle being structured and arranged to allow the display package
to be carried by the handle as well as to hinder removal of the
blanket through the open second end; and the bag defining an
opening proximate the closed first end, a releasable fastening
system being arranged at the opening and being selectively
engageable to close the opening and disengageable to open the
opening for insertion and removal of a blanket therethrough.
11. The display package of claim 10, wherein the releasable
fastening system comprises a zipper.
12. The display package of claim 11, wherein the opening is defined
at a juncture between the first end of the tubular side wall and a
periphery of the bottom wall.
13. The display package of claim 12, wherein the zipper extends
about three-quarters of the way around the periphery of the bottom
wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to display packages for
textile bedding articles such as blankets, throws, comforters,
quilts, and the like.
[0002] Such bedding products are frequently packaged in plastic
bag-type packages for display in retail stores. The bags generally
enclose the product completely. Although the packages are often
constructed at least in part of transparent plastic materials so
that the consumer can see the color and pattern of the product
through the bag material, consumers also are frequently interested
in the texture, thickness of material, and softness of the product.
Consequently, consumers often open the packages so that they can
feel the product. In many cases, once the package is opened, the
consumer may remove the product from the package. Once the product
is removed from the package, seldom is it replaced into the package
in as neat and orderly a fashion as it was originally packaged.
This leads to poor appearance of the packages on the store shelves,
which in turn can reduce the marketability of the products.
[0003] Some existing bags for bedding products include a small hole
through the front wall of the bag to allow a consumer to touch the
surface of the product. However, it is generally not possible with
such bags to insert the entire hand and grab a handful of the
product, and thus it is difficult to get a good sense of the
thickness of the blanket material.
[0004] Blankets and the like have also been packaged using "belly
bands", which are plastic or paper bands that encircle the folded
blanket at its middle and keep the blanket in the folded condition.
Although such packaging affords good access to the product, the
packages tend to have irregular shapes and thus look sloppy on
store shelves. Additionally, the packages are not readily stackable
because of their irregular shape.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves
other advantages by providing a display package for a blanket or
the like that allows a consumer to manually feel the blanket
without having to open the package or remove the blanket from the
package. The display package in accordance with one embodiment of
the invention comprises a bag formed of flexible sheet material,
the bag comprising a tubular side wall having a first end and an
opposite second end and a bottom wall joined to the first end of
the tubular side wall so as to close the first end, the second end
of the tubular side wall being open to allow a consumer to manually
feel a blanket contained in the bag. At least one handle is affixed
to the second end of the tubular side wall and bridges across the
open second end, the handle being structured and arranged to allow
the display package to be carried by the handle as well as to
hinder removal of the blanket through the open second end. The bag
defines an opening proximate the closed first end, a releasable
fastening system being arranged at the opening and being
selectively engageable to close the opening and disengageable to
open the opening for insertion and removal of a blanket
therethrough. Thus, with the package in accordance with the
invention, the product contained in the package can readily be felt
with the hand without having to open the package or remove the
product. Because the package does not have to be opened, there is
less tendency of the consumer to open the package and therefore
less tendency to remove the product.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the releasable fastening system
comprises a zipper. Alternatively, hook and loop fasteners,
slide-lock fasteners (i.e., of the type used on plastic sandwich
and food storage bags), snaps, pressure-sensitive adhesive
fasteners, or other types of releasable fasteners could be
used.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom wall is substantially
rectangular in peripheral shape, and the tubular side wall has a
substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape. The bag thus has a
cuboid shape (i.e., a rectangular parallelepiped shape), which
facilitates stacking two or more display packages one upon another,
such as on a retail store display shelf. The cuboid shape of the
package allows the package to retain a neat, stackable shape for
extended periods of time, thereby improving the appearance of the
products on store shelves. The retention of shape is further
facilitated by constructing the package from relatively heavy-gauge
polymer film material.
[0008] The zipper preferably extends about three-quarters of the
way around the periphery of the bottom wall (e.g., when the bottom
wall is rectangular, the zipper extends along three of the four
sides of the bottom wall).
[0009] At least a portion of the tubular side wall preferably is
transparent so that the blanket contained in the bag can be viewed
through the side wall. In a preferred embodiment, the tubular side
wall comprises one or more sheets of polymer film formed into a
tubular shape. In one embodiment, four separate sheets of
transparent polymer film are joined together at their edges,
forming a generally rectangular tubular structure. The bottom wall
can also comprise a transparent polymer film, or alternatively can
comprise a non-transparent polymer film or fabric. Herein,
"non-transparent" is used to connote translucent or opaque
materials.
[0010] The package can have a pair of spaced-apart handles affixed
across the open second end of the bag. This further hinders removal
of the blanket or inadvertent escape of the blanket out the second
end, and still allows substantially unimpeded consumer access to
the blanket so that its texture and softness can be felt. The
handle(s) can comprise straps of polymer film, fabric, or the like.
In a preferred embodiment, the handle(s) and the bottom wall of the
bag can comprise non-transparent polymer film that substantially
matches in appearance (e.g., same color, same texture, etc.). The
bag can also include a reinforcing strip of material affixed around
the tubular side wall at the second end.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0011] Having thus described the invention in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the stacking of
display packages in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention;
[0013] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a display package in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention, illustrating the
accessibility to the contained blanket afforded by the package;
[0014] FIG. 2B is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2A;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 in FIG.
1;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the display package
being carried by the handles;
[0017] FIG. 5A is a perspective view illustrating the releasable
fastening system being operated to create an opening at the bottom
end of the package; and
[0018] FIG. 5B is a perspective view illustrating the blanket being
removed or inserted through the opening.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The present inventions now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
some but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed,
these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should
not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein;
rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will
satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
[0020] FIGS. 1 through 5B depict a display package 10 in accordance
with one embodiment of the invention. The display package is useful
for the storage and display of textile bedding products such as
blankets, throws, comforters, quilts, and the like. The package 10
is formed of flexible sheet materials, which can include polymer
film, fabric, and the like. The package includes a tubular side
wall 12 that has a first end 12a and an opposite second end 12b.
The first end of the tubular side wall 12 is closed by a bottom
wall 14 (FIG. 5A) whose outer periphery is affixed to the first end
12a of the side wall by a releasable fastening system 16. The
releasable fastening system as illustrated comprises a zipper.
However, other types of releasable fastening systems that can be
used instead include but are not limited to slide-lock fasteners
such as used on resealable plastic sandwich and food storage bags,
metal or plastic snaps, hook and loop fasteners such as VELCRO.RTM.
or the like, and pressure-sensitive adhesive fasteners.
[0021] In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention,
the package 10 has a generally cuboid shape by virtue of the bottom
wall 14 having a substantially rectangular peripheral shape and the
tubular side wall 12 having a substantially rectangular shape in
cross-section. This facilitates stacking of the packages 10 as
depicted in FIG. 1.
[0022] The second end 12b of the tubular side wall is open so that
a blanket B contained in the package can readily be touched and
grabbed by a consumer as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. To
substantially impede the blanket from being removed through the
open end 12b, and to facilitate carrying of the package 10 (see
FIG. 4), one or more handles 18 are affixed to the side wall 12
adjacent the open end 12b and bridge across the open end. The
illustrated embodiment includes two handles 18 that are spaced a
slight distance apart. The handles preferably are relatively short
so that there is not so much slack in the handles that the blanket
B could be readily removed through the open end 12b. The handles
can be affixed to the side wall in various ways, including but not
limited to stitching, adhesive bonding, thermal welding, riveting,
stapling, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, each end of
each handle is sandwiched between the upper end of the side wall 12
and a reinforcing patch 20, and fasteners such as stitching are
used to fasten together these layers of material.
[0023] The tubular side wall 12 advantageously has at least a
portion that is transparent so that the blanket B can be viewed
through the side wall. In the illustrated embodiment, the side wall
12 comprises a portion 22 formed of transparent polymer film
material that is formed into a tubular shape. The portion 22 can
comprise one or more separate sheets of the polymer film material.
As one example, the portion 22 can be formed of four separate
rectangular sheets of polymer film material joined at their edges,
the seams between the edges forming the four corners of a generally
rectangular tubular portion 22. Stiffeners (not shown) can be
included in the seams at the corners, if desired. The tubular side
wall can also include a non-transparent (i.e., translucent or
opaque) portion 24 affixed, such as by any of the techniques noted
in the preceding paragraph, to the upper end of the transparent
portion 22. The non-transparent portion 24 can comprise polymer
film, fabric, or the like. The non-transparent portion 24 can
extend beyond the transparent portion 22, as shown, so as to form
the uppermost end of the tubular side wall 12. The handles 18 can
be affixed to the non-transparent portion 24, as shown.
Alternatively, the entire side wall 12 can be transparent and the
handles can be affixed directly thereto. As still another
alternative, the non-transparent portion 24 can overlap the
transparent portion 22 over the entire longitudinal length of the
non-transparent portion and the handles can be affixed to the
overlapping transparent and non-transparent portions.
[0024] The bottom wall 14 can comprise transparent polymer film, or
alternatively can comprise non-transparent (i.e., translucent or
opaque) material such as polymer film, fabric, or the like. The
bottom wall 14 and the non-transparent portion 24 of the side wall
can have the same appearance (i.e., same color, same texture,
etc.), and indeed can be made of identical sheet material, or
alternatively the bottom wall 14 and non-transparent portion 24 can
have different appearances and/or can be formed of different
materials. The handles 18 can be formed of the same sheet material
as the non-transparent portion 24, or can be a different material.
When they are the same material, the bag has an aesthetically
pleasing, coordinated appearance reminiscent of an upscale shopping
bag. Alternatively, the handles 18 and bottom wall 14 could be one
color while the non-transparent portion 24 is a contrasting color,
or various other color schemes and combinations could be
employed.
[0025] As noted, the releasable fastening system or zipper 16 joins
the bottom wall 14 to the first end 12a of the side wall.
Advantageously, the zipper 16 extends about three-quarters of the
way around the periphery of the bottom wall, such as along three of
the four sides of the bottom wall, such that when the zipper is
released, the bottom wall can be moved into a position that does
not impede removal or insertion of a blanket through the first end
12a of the side wall, as illustrated in FIG. 5B.
[0026] It is possible within the scope of the invention to locate
the releasable fastening system or zipper 16 at a position other
than the juncture between the periphery of the bottom wall 14 and
the first end 12a of the side wall. For example, the zipper 16 can
be located in the side wall 12 adjacent the first end 12a.
[0027] As noted, the cuboid shape of the package 10 facilitates
stacking of the packages on a store display shelf in a neat,
orderly fashion, as in FIG. 1. The open second ends 12b of the
packages are arranged so they face out toward the consumers passing
through the store aisles. A consumer can readily insert a hand into
the open end 12b and feel and grab hold of the blanket. Thus, in
many cases, there will be no need for the consumer to even remove
the package from the store shelf in order to determine whether the
product is of interest.
[0028] The retention of the desired cuboid shape can be facilitated
by constructing the package 10 of material that has some stiffness.
For example, polymer film material of relatively heavy gauge is
useful in the practice of the invention. As non-limiting examples,
the portion 22 of the side wall can comprise polymer film,
heavy-weight tulle, or polymer screen material, and can have a
thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 0.3 mm. The bottom
wall 14, portion 24, and handles 18 can comprise fabric, or
transparent or non-transparent polymer film, and can have a
thickness of at least about 0.2 mm. As shown in FIG. 3, the handles
advantageously can comprise a double-layer construction for added
strength. The bottom wall 14 can be reinforced with a cardboard or
chipboard stiffener concealed within layers of fabric.
[0029] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions
set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to
which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings
presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated
drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are
not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that
modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included
within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms
are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive
sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
* * * * *