Display-carrying Pillow-enclosing Casing

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, an elongated tubular casing having transparent ends and tubular sides with an annularly extending partially-circumscribing zipper near one end of the casing for pivotably opening an end portion pivotal upon the connecting casing side remaining between opposite ends of the partially-circumscribing zipper, with a handle strap having opposite ends of the strap attached to opposite sides of the tubular casing near an end of the casing away from the open end of the casing, the zipper being mounted on an annular flange connecting a transparent round end portion to the free open-end circumscribing edge of the tubular casing, the points of union and securing of the opposite edges of the annular flange being each secured to the respective edges of the round end portion and the open-end circumscribing edge each respectively by each flange edge being shaped to a U-turn shape and made side-by-side flush with the joining free edge such that the free edge and flange edge extend in a common direction, with a separate strip folded width-wise such that the length of the strip circumscribes annularly the tubular shape while enveloping, for each paired edges, in a U-shape the matched edges thereby providing a neat appearance, and the enveloping opposing strip sides and the enclosed mated paired edges being secured by sewn threads extending therethrough.

Description

This invention relates to a novel pillow display and carrying packaging unit.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Prior to the present invention, pillows have been packaged for transport and/or display in typically flimsy plastic totally open-ended bags normally transparent in nature, with the result that often the pillows during transport to the retailer and/or during display and handling by the customers having soiled hands or dropping the pillow on the floor or the pillow sliding from its open-ended plastic bag onto the floor, resulted in substantial loss of salable goods. Also, the shipping of the pillows from the manufacturer to the retailer resulted in substantial costs because of the volume required to package the low density expanded pillows, this being particularly true of foam pillows. In like manner, upon purchase by a customer of one or more pillows, the carrying of the pillows required possibly both arms because of the volumous bulk thereof, not only making it difficult for the customer -- who also was likely to drop and soil the newly purchased pillow -- but also as a result of filling the carrying-capacity of the customer rendering it impossible or at least unlikely that the customer would make further purchases because of the inability of the customer to carry any more packages. For reasons stated above, the pillows became often soiled and/or contaminated. Such large bulk packages also rendered mailing difficult and costly -- shipping costs being based -- in trucking -- on total volume occupied by the goods being shipped. Also the opened plastic bags in the nature of dry-cleaning bags are a safety hazard to children from the standpoint of possible suffication when playing therewith. Also, not only for the required display space, but for normal storage by retailers, hotels, homes, and the like, the volumous prior pillows have constituted a real and expensive problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to overcome one or more of the difficulties, disadvantages, and problems of the type discussed above, together with additional advantages as noted hereafter.

Another object of the presnet invention, in particular, is to obtain a transport case for a pillow for sanitary and/or compact transport commercially, for ready display and/or storage, and/or for easy carrying and/or mailing.

Another object is a convenient and easy means of access to the packaged pillow.

Another object is to obtain the above-noted objects at low cost of manufacture and materials therefor.

Another object is to obtain a pillow packaging unit of which the casing is repeatedly reusable by the customer for and as a convenient carrying case for other purposes.

Other objects become apparent from the preceding and following disclosure.

One or more objects of the invention are obtained by the invention as defined herein.

Broadly the invention is directed to a transparent or at least translucent carrying case of limited small size having a pillow preferably of a foam type compactly rolled length-wise and inserted into the casing which is preferably of tubular shape having one closed end and one openable end held in the closed state by a suitable fastening means such as preferably a zipper extending annularly around the elongated side near one end of the tubular casing. At one end of the casing there preferably is a handle strap attached, preferably at the closed end of the casing such that the strap does not interfere with easy access to the pillow through the openable end of the casing. Because in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the casing is suitable for both transport from the manufacturer to the retailer saving shipping space, and saving storage and display retail space, and displaying the pillow wares to the customer as well as easy carrying or mailing of the purchased pillow by or to the customer, the packaged pillow is of a cylindrical nature in the pillow-packed state occupying a mimum of space and being readily visible and discernable of the pillow color(s) and/or design(s) through the translucent or transparent casing walls, the end-located carrying strap so-located to also not interfere with the visibility of the contained pillow on display. As a premium, the carrying case is a bonus of the purchase since it is utilizable for other multipurpose-carrying functions.

By utilization of the miniature cylindrical package, a foam pillow may be readily compacted and rolled into a small bundle which nevertheless presents the non-wrinkled ordinarily flat face in the enclosed rolled state for good representative display of the pillow appearance, as well as the rolled pillow packaging not causing any wrinkles or other damage of a permanent nature which might devalue the pillow's commercial and/or aesthetic value.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the following Figures.

THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a pillow in a rolled state adjacent the opened insertable end of the cylindrical transparent preferred embodiment also having the partially circumscribing zipper with a pivoted transparent end portion.

FIG. 2 illustrates an in-part view in enlargement, of the closed pillow-enclosed cylindrical casing of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an in-part view in cross-section taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates an in-part view in cross-section taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 illustrates an in-part view in cross-section taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 through 5 are different view of the same embodiment, illustrating various general and preferred features. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates the rolled state of typically a foam rubber pillow 5 before insertion into the tubular casing 6. It should be noted that a primary feature of the present invention is the display possibilities made possible by the unobstructed view through the elongated side tubular walls of the casing 6, such as the tubular side walls 7, and preferably also the end portion 10 also is transparent -- as is walls 7, or at least translucent such that the overall effect may be obtained of there being a fully visible encased pillow neatly packaged within the casing. The end portion 10 is typically and preferably connected to the tubular sides 7 by an intermediate annular flange 8 having a slit extending angularly around most of the annular flange along which slit is mounted a zipper in this preferred embodiment. Alternatively other fastening means may be utilized along the slit and also in non-preferred embodiments the openable end may be entirely separable from the tubular portion of the casing 6, but such is not preferred because of the certainty of the separate end portion in such embodiments becoming lost, or at least being dropped or having to be separately handled whenever the casing is opened for examination or removal of the pillow.

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of the combination 4 except in an in-part view of the openable end of the tubular casing 6 shown in the closed zipped-up state, and better illustrating the tubular walls 7, the intermediate flange 8, the zipper 11 connecting the separated portions 9 of the flange 8, the zipper 11 terminating at point 15. The flange 8 and the end portion 10 are joined by the U-turned enveloping strip 14 of FIG. 2, better illustrated in its cross-sectional relationship to the U-turned strip 14 which in FIG. 3 is designated in the laminated (sandwiched) relationship as 14a and 14b, and the side-by-side flushly sandwiched flange edges 8 and 10a as secured by thread 12 between the opposite edges 14a and 14b of U-turned strip 14. The other-surface threads 12a are shown in FIG. 2 and in dotted fashion in FIG. 3.

In similar fashion, the outer threads 13 and inner threads 13a are shown in FIG. 4, together with outer edge 7a and inner edge 7b of an enveloping U-turned strip enveloping the straight tubular edge of wall 7 and the edge of the U-turned flange 8 -- this being an opposite edge of the flange from that joined to the end portion 10.

FIG. 5 better illustrates the U-turn of the flange 8 edge sandwiched and secured to the edge of side 7 by the enveloping sides 7a and 7b of an enveloping U-turned strip.

It is to be understood that button(s), snaps or other fastening means may be substituted for the zipper, and that the end portion of the open-end of the casing may be otherwise closable, but the disclosed mechanism and structure is preferred. The handle 16 may be joined by means and at locations other than shown, but the positions of attachment at 16a and 16b and at the closed end are consistent with the most advantageous achieving of the inventive objects.

It is to be understood that the illustrated embodiments are intended to convey the spirit of the invention, together with preferred embodiments being illustrated, but are not intended to include all possible variations and substitutions of equivalent function which would, as the case may be, not be inconsistent with the afore-state objects. Accordinly, insofar as such modification(s) and variations and substitution of equivalents are not inconsistent with the stated objects of this invention, they are clearly within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A packaged rolled pillow comprising in combination: an elongated tubular casing having side walls and having one closed end and having an opposite openable end with closure means for the opening and for secure closing of the openable end, said openable end including a lid structure with a tubular flange and the flange at at-least one point along the tubular flange is pivotably connected to a side wall along the length of the tubular casing and other points along the tubular flange being detachably secured to the remaining circumscribing side wall of the length of the casing, thereby providing for pivotal opening of the openable end of the casing, the tubular flange having a casing openable-end portion mounted across an edge of the tubular flange as a partially circumscribing slit along which is mounted the fastening means, the casing having a predetermined cross-section transversely across the casing longitudinal axis of the casing, the casing having a major portion of the side walls substantially translucent sufficiently for discernment of pillow color and designs of a packaged pillow; and a foam pillow of predetermined length and width campactly and tightly rolled along its length such that the pillow width continues to extend along substantially a linear pillow-width axis in the rolled state; said compactly rolled foam pillow being inserted within said tubular casing with the pillow's width axis extending about parallel with the casing's longitudinal axis; and a handle means mounted on the casing on an outer wall thereof, the handle means including a strap attached to opposite sides of the tubular casing at the closed end of the tubular casing.

2. A packaged rolled pillow of claim 1, in which said casing includes substantially transparent walls extending along the length of the tubular casing.

3. A packaged rolled pillow of claim 2, in which said closure means is a zipper.

4. A packaged rolled pillow of claim 3, in which said tubular casing is substantially plastic walled.