Patent Application
20080159661
The present invention relates to retail packaging and in particular, to a collapsible travel bag for displaying and holding a shirt not only at a point of purchase but also during travel and includes a plurality of openings and windows to allow the consumer to better view and feel the quality of the shirt at the point of purchase.
In the retail sale of dress shirts and dress shirts and tie combinations, it is desirable to present the merchandise in a manner that permits potential customers to have a good look at the product. On the other hand, it is important for retailers to keep the product clean and free of any soil or stains that may result from handling, to protect against theft, and to maintain the shirts in an orderly and well-folded condition so that their displays remains attractive to passers by.
It is also desirable that the packaging that is used be economical to manufacturer, that it be made with minimal waste, and that it provide extra utility to the consumer.
There is also a need to protect the shirt or shirt/tie combination or other type of combination during transportation from one location to another location. This type of transportation is not just limited to transportation from a warehouse to a retail point of purchase, such as a department store, but it also includes when the purchaser travels for pleasure and business and would like to keep the shirt in a clean, secure environment or even when going to and from work where the shirt will be worn at a later time, e.g., after a morning gym workout.
The embodiments described herein satisfy these and other needs.
A collapsible bag for displaying and holding an item includes a plurality of panels attached to one another to define an interior in which the item is disposed. The panels are formed of a fabric material except for a top panel that is formed of a transparent, flexible plastic material to permit viewing of the item. The plurality of panels define side walls and a first end wall that are foldable along fold lines so as to cause each side and end wall to fold over itself resulting in the bag collapsing when the interior is empty. The plurality of panels further includes a selectively openable second end panel though which the interior is accessible when the second end panel is opened.
The panels that define the side walls and the first end wall fold inwardly such that an upper section of each panel is folded at the fold line over a lower section thereof to cause a peripheral edge of the top panel to overlie a peripheral edge of bottom panel. The item can be selected from a group consisting of a single shirt, a two shirt combination, a tuxedo set including a tuxedo shirt, bow tie and cummerbund, a shirt set including a shirt and a tie and optionally a hanky and cufflinks.
These and other aspects, features and advantages shall be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description of certain embodiments of the invention.
Referring to
More specifically, the collapsible bag 100 is a structure that can easily be collapsed to a relatively flat or compact structure when an interior 102 of the bag 100 is empty.
The collapsible bag 100 is formed by securely attaching a number of individual panels. For example, the collapsible bag 100 includes a bottom panel 110 that has opposing side edges 112 and opposing end edges 114. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom panel 110 has a rectangular shape and thus, the edges 112 are parallel to one another and the edges 114 are parallel to one another. The bottom panel 110 thus defines a floor on which the shirt 10 rests.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the bottom panel 110, along with other panels as described below, is formed of a non-woven fabric that permits the panel 110 to be easily bent, flexed, folded, shaped etc., so that the panel 110 assumes a desired shape or condition. Any number of different fabrics, including natural and synthetic ones, can be used to form the panel 110. For example, the fabric can be a non-woven material formed of polyethylene or it can be formed of cotton. In addition, woven materials can be used.
The collapsible bag 100 can be formed with a hole 300 in one of the panels that forms the bag 100 and in particular, the hole 300 can be formed in the bottom panel 110. Hole 300 is positioned such that the outline of the hole overlies a portion of the shirt 10 contained in the bag 100. This arrangement provides access to the garment(s) inside the bag 100 so that consumers can touch and feel the garments yet does not compromise the structural integrity of the bag 100 and without having to open the bag 100. It will be appreciated that the shape and size of the hole 300 are not critical and the hole 300 is therefore not limited to having an oval shape but can have any number of irregular and regular shapes, including, a circle, square, rectangle, triangle, etc. The hole 300 is formed through the fabric bottom panel 110 and thus, the hole 300 is not covered over by any protective film element or the like but instead, the hole 300 allows free access into the interior of the bag 100.
The collapsible bag 100 also is formed of a number of other panels and in particular, the bag 100 includes a top panel 120 that lies opposite (overlies) the bottom panel 110. The top panel 120 is complementary to the bottom panel 110 and includes opposing side edges 122 and opposing end edges 124. Identical to the bottom panel 110, the top panel 120 has a rectangular shape and therefore, the two side edges 122 are parallel to one another and the two end edges 124 are parallel to one another. In contrast to the bottom panel 110, the top panel 120 is not formed of a fabric material but instead is formed of a transparent material that permits the underlying shirt 10 to be viewed. For example, the top panel 120 can be formed of a transparent synthetic material, such as vinyl; however, any number of other materials can be used.
The collapsible bag 100 also includes a main side and end panel 130 that is in the form of an elongated strip when it is in stretched, flat state. The side and end panel 130 thus is defined by a first end edge 132, a second end edge 134 and two side edges 136 that extend between the two end edges 132, 134. As with the other panels, the side and end panel 130 has a rectangular shape. As will be described in more detail below, the panel 130 defines a substantial length of the two sides of the bag 100 and defines one end of the bag 100.
As with the bottom panel 110, the side and end panel 130 is formed of a fabric material, such as a non-woven. Any of the above mentioned fabric materials can be used to make the side and end panel 130.
The collapsible bag 100 also includes an end panel 140 that is actually formed of several joined end sections. For example, the end panel 140 includes an upper section 150 and a lower section 160 that are separate members and are spaced from one another, with a zipper 200 being attached to and connecting the upper section 150 and lower section 160. The upper section 150 includes opposing end edges 152 and opposing side edges 154 and preferably, the upper section 150 has a rectangular shape and therefore, the end edges 152 are parallel to one another and the side edges 154 are parallel to one another. The lower section 160 includes opposing end edges 162 and opposing side edges 164 and preferably, the lower section 160 has a rectangular shape and therefore, the end edges 162 are parallel to one another and the side edges 164 are parallel to one another.
One end edge 152 of the upper section 150 is attached to the first end edge 132 and the opposite end edge 152 is attached to the second end edge 134. One side edge 154 is attached to one end edge 122 of the upper panel 120 and portions of the side edges 124 of the upper panel 120. The other side edge 154 is free to be attached to the zipper 200. One end edge 162 of the lower section 160 is attached to the first end edge 132 and the opposite end edge 162 is attached to the second end edge 134. One side edge 164 is attached to one end 112 of the bottom panel 110 and portions of the side edges 114 of the bottom panel 110. The other side edge 164 is free to be attached to the zipper 200.
The zipper 200 is of a conventional design and therefore includes two fabric strips 202, 204, with one of the strips 202 being attached to the side edge 154 and the other strip 204 being attached to the side edge 164. Each strips 202, 204 carries tens or hundreds of specially shaped metal or plastic teeth. A zipper slider 206, operated by hand, moves along the rows of teeth. Inside the slider 206 is a Y-shaped channel that meshes together or separates the opposing rows of teeth, depending on the direction of its movement.
The manner of constructing and attaching the various panels of the bag 100 is now described. First and second connecting strips 210, 220 are used to connect various adjacent panels as shown in
To construct the bag 100, the side and end panel 130 is attached to the bottom panel 110 using the second connecting strip 220. More specifically, the side and end panel 130 is positioned so that it is generally vertically oriented relative to bottom panel 110 and one side edge 134 of the panel 130 is positioned adjacent or along lengths of the two side edges 114 of the bottom panel and along the entire length of one end edge 112. As can be seen in the figures, the panel 130 does not extend the entire length of each of the side edges 114 of the bottom panel 110. The second connecting strip 220 is folded over and is attached to both the panel 130 and the bottom panel 110 and therefore, the strip 220 provides a means for connecting multiple panels. The attachment between the second connecting strip 220 and the panels 110, 130 can be accomplished by means of stitching the panels to one another.
The other side edge 134 of the panel 130 is attached to the top panel 120 using the first connecting strip 210 in a manner similar to how the second connecting strip 220 is attached to panels 110, 130. The first connecting strip 210 is folded over and is attached to both the other side edge 134 of the panel 130 and the top panel 120. The other side edge 134 of the panel 130 is positioned adjacent or along lengths of the two side edges 124 of the top panel 120 and along the entire length of one end edge 122. As can be seen in the figures, the panel 130 does not extend the entire length of each of the side edges 124 of the top panel 120. The first connecting strip 210 is folded over and is attached to both the panel 130 and the top panel 120 and therefore, the first connecting strip 210 provides a means for connecting multiple panels. The attachment between the first connecting strip 210 and the panels 120, 130 can be accomplished by means of stitching the panels to one another.
The end panel 140 is attached to the panels 110, 120, and 130. One end edge 152 of the upper section 150 is attached to the first end edge 132 and the opposite end edge 152 is attached to the second end edge 134. This can be accomplished using conventional fastening means, such as stitching the panels to one another. One side edge 154 is attached to one end edge 122 of the upper panel 120 and portions of the side edges 124 of the upper panel 120 by means of the first connecting strip 210. Once again, the first connecting strip 210 is folded over and attached to upper section 150 and the top panel 120. The other side edge 154 is free to be attached to the zipper 200 as by means of stitching the two together. Similarly, one end edge 162 of the lower section 160 is attached to the first end edge 132 and the opposite end edge 162 is attached to the second end edge 134 using conventional techniques, such as stitching. One side edge 164 is attached to one end 112 of the bottom panel 110 and portions of the side edges 114 of the bottom panel 110 by means of the second connecting strip 220. Once again, the second connecting strip 220 is folded over and attached to the second section 160 and bottom panel 110. The other side edge 164 is free to be attached to the zipper 200 as by means of stitching the two together.
The first connecting strip 210 extends around the complete perimeter of the upper panel 120 and the second connecting strip 220 extends around the complete perimeter of the bottom panel 110.
The collapsible nature of the bag 100 is due to a number of folds or creases that are formed in the various panels to assist in some of the panels folding over themselves. In particular, the side and end panel 130 and the panel 140 are formed so as to permit the sides and ends of the bag 100 to easily collapse into a relatively flat state, as shown in
The panel 130 is folded at two corners of the bag 100 so that it extends around and along the lengths of the ends 112, 122 of the panels 110, 120 so as to enclose one end of the bag 100. The panel 130 can thus be thought of as having two side sections 170, 180 that are formed and lie along the sides 114, 124 to close in and define sides of the bag 100 and an end section 190 formed between the side sections 170, 180 that closes off and defines one end of the bag 100. The fold lines 131 are thus formed along the side sections 170, 180.
The end section 190 also includes a fold line 192 that is formed generally in the middle or center of the end section 190 and is parallel to the side edges 136 of the panel 130. The fold lines 131 and 192 are thus formed in similar locations that permit one half of the panel 130 to fold over the other half of the panel 130 so as to permit the entire bag 100 to assume a relatively flat construction where the top and bottom panels 110, 120 lie adjacent one another.
At two corners of the bag 100 where the side section 170, 180 transition into the end section 190, a fold structure is formed so that the bag 100 likewise collapses in these two corners. In particular, a series of fold lines are formed in the sections 170, 180, 190 to permit the corners to fold over themselves and thus fold down along the fold lines 131, 192. The location and number of fold lines in the sections 170, 180, 190 are not critical so long as the panel 130 permits the bag 100 to collapse on top of itself. For example, the section 170 can contain two side fold lines that intersect at one end the fold line 131 in the event the fold line 131 does not extend completely to the corner between the sections 170, 190. The section 190 can contain two fold lines at the corner between the sections 170, 190, with one end of the two fold lines intersecting the fold line 192. The section 180 can contain one or more fold lines to permit the folding over of the sections 170, 180, 190. As illustrated in
It will be appreciated that the folding action of the panel 130 is one where the fold lines 131, 192 are directed inward.
In contrast, the panel 140 is constructed so that in the collapsed state, the panel 140 folds outwardly as opposed to the inwardly folding panel 130. The panel 140 generally folds about the zipper 200 such that the zipper 200 defines one end of the collapsed bag 100. In other words, when the corners between panels 130, 140 are folded down, the section 150 folds over on top of the section 160. The sections 150, 160 and the zipper sections 202, 204 thus pucker out during folding.
Since all of the panels except for the top panel 120 are formed of a fabric material, the bag 100 can easily be folded over itself when it is empty. This is desirable since it is intended for the bag 100 to be used as a travel bag both empty and when it contains an item, like shirt 10, and therefore, the bag 100 must not be rigid but instead should be freely flexible and compact.
It will also be appreciated that the interior of the bag 100 can hold not only a single shirt but it can be constructed to hold other items, besides a shirt and tie combination as shown, and for example, the interior can hold two shirts, a tuxedo shirt and cummerbund and tie set, etc., all of which are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Nos. Ser. No. 11/435,830 filed May 16, 2006; Ser. No. 11/470,930, filed Sep. 7, 2006; 60/851,146. filed Oct. 11, 2006; and International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US06/34793, filed Sep. 6, 2006, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Now referring to
The bag 400 is formed of a bottom panel 410, an opposite top panel 420, first and second side panels 430, 440, an end panel 450 and an end flap 460. As mentioned above, each of the panels 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460 is formed of a transparent plastic material. Like the bag 100, the bag 400 is formed so that it can be flattened into a collapsible state of reduced thickness when a shirt 10 is not present in its interior.
In the illustrated embodiment, the top and bottom panels 420, 410 have rectangular shapes. The side panels 430, 440 and end panel 450 also have rectangular shapes but have smaller dimensions compared to the panels 430, 440. Each side panel 430, 440 extends between and is attached along its edges to adjacent panels as by heat sealing or some other type of bonding process. When panels 410, 420, 430, 440, 450 are joined together, they define an interior 402.
The end flap 460 serves to close off the end of the bag 400 opposite the end flap 460 and in the illustrated embodiment, the end flap 460 is an extension of the bottom panel 410 in that it is integral thereto and when the flap 460 is in an open position, the flap 460 extends beyond the ends of the other panels. The end flap 460 can have any number of different shapes and sizes so long as when it is folded, the end flap 460 completely closes off the end of the bag 400 and extends to the top panel 420. In particular, the end flap 460 is securely yet releasably attached to the top panel 420 using conventional techniques. In the illustrated embodiment, the end flap 460 has an inwardly tapered construction.
Fastening means 470 is provided for releasably attaching the end flap 460 to the top panel 420. For example, the fastening means 470 can be in the form of a snap fit button in which a base 472 of the button 470 is attached to the bottom panel 410 and a cap 474 of the button 470 is attached to the end flap 460.
A support substrate 500 is provided and is designed to support an object, such as shirt 10, that is placed into the interior of the bag 400. The support substrate 500 can be in the form of a cardboard substrate that is sized to be received and held within the interior. The support substrate 500 can include an opening 510, as shown, which allows the user to easily grasp and pull the substrate 500 from the interior of the bag 400. While the opening 510 is shown as being oval shaped, this is merely exemplary, and the opening 510 can have any number of other shapes, such as circular, square or rectangular, etc. When a shirt 10 is inserted into the bag 400, it is first fitted around the support substrate 500 as shown in
Since the panels are transparent, the consumer can view the shirt 10 easily as at a point of purchase, such as a department store. However, the bag 400 is constructed so that the side panels 430, 440 are freely foldable and collapsible. This permits the entire bag 400 to be easily collapsible and be flattened such that it can be packed in a suitcase for travel. At the same time, the bag 400 will protect the contents, i.e., the shirt 10, due to its construction.
While, the transparent panels of the bag 400 can have a clear color, it will be appreciated that they can also have any number of other colors and further, some of the panels can be opaque so long as the top panel 420 is transparent to permit viewing of the shirt 10.
It will also be appreciated that the bottom panel 410 can include an opening, identical or similar to opening 300, in the bag 100 through which the consumer can touch and feel the quality of the shirt fabric at the point of purchase.
It will be understood that, each of the bags 100, 400 can hold any number of different items, including, a single shirt, a two shirt combination, a tuxedo set (tuxedo shirt, bow tie, and cummerbund), a shirt set (shirt, tie, hanky, cufflinks), etc.
While the invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments thereof, the invention is capable of being practiced in other forms and using other materials and structures. Accordingly, the invention is defined by the recitations in the claims appended hereto and equivalents thereof.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/883,292, which was filed Jan. 3, 2007, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60883292 | Jan 2007 | US |
