US-12623832-B2 - Packaging material for a shirt

US12623832B2US 12623832 B2US12623832 B2US 12623832B2US-12623832-B2

Abstract

Packaging material for displaying a shirt is disclosed. The main purpose of the invention is to remove the use of plastics from the packing by more firmly holding the shirt using the cardboard shirt support. This is achieved using flaps and slots formed in the support cardboard, by using an easily removable plastic hook and by improving the collar support. A substantially plastic free twin pack for shirts is also disclosed.

Inventors

Ashley HEWITT

Assignees

MAINETTI (UK) LTD

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20201214
Priority Date: 20191213

Claims (16)

1 . A packaging material for a shirt, the packaging material comprising: a main shirt body support formed from a sheet of cardboard and comprising a body having a front surface, a rear surface, a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein said body has a slot located adjacent to said top edge and at least one locking feature located between the slot and the top edge, wherein the shirt is configured to be mounted to the main shirt body support such that a collar of the shirt is adjacent to the top edge of the body, a main body of the shirt is adjacent to the front surface of the body, and a tail of the shirt that extends beyond the bottom edge of the body is folded over the bottom edge of the body so that a lowermost portion of the tail can be passed through the slot; a collar support comprising a strip of cardboard material having an elongated top edge and a tab protruding from the elongated top edge, the tab comprising at least one aperture, wherein, in use, opposing ends of said strip are configured to be curved back towards one other to support the collar of the shirt, wherein said collar support is formed separately from said body; and a hook comprising a substantially planar hook body having a bottom edge, a hook slot formed through the substantially planar hook body, and at least one retaining projection extending from said hook body and located between a bottom edge of the hook slot and the bottom edge of the planar hook body; and wherein said main shirt body support, said collar support, and said hook are configured to be coupled together by inserting the tab of said collar support through said slot in said hook to align the at least one aperture of said collar support with said at least one locking feature of said main shirt body support and inserting said at least one retaining projection of said hook through said at least one locking feature of said main shirt body support and said at least one aperture of said collar support.
2 . The packaging material according to claim 1 , further comprising: the body of the main shirt body support comprising a first side edge and a second side edge extending between the top and bottom edges; the main shirt body support comprising: a first flap connected to said first side edge of said body at a first fold line, said first flap having a first top edge portion; and a second flap connected to said second side edge of said body at a second fold line, said second flap having a second top edge portion; and wherein the first and second flaps are configured to be folded about the first and second fold lines so that the first and second flaps overlie at least a portion of the rear surface of the body of the main shirt body support with the first and second top edge portions of the first and second flaps located between the slot and the bottom edge of the body of the main shirt body support.
3 . The packaging material according to claim 1 , wherein said collar support forms a loop and said ends are linked to one another by engaging slots formed in opposing long edges of said collar support, said slots being at least partially perforated.
4 . The packaging material according to claim 1 further comprising: the hook comprising a locking projection mounted on a flexible arm and adapted to engage a further locking aperture of said body of said main shirt body support such that when said locking projection is located in said further locking aperture movement of said body relative to the hook in a plane of said body is prevented.
5 . The packaging material according to claim 1 , wherein said body has a first side edge and a second side edge extending between the top and bottom edges, and wherein the slot of said body is elongated and extends linearly between the first and second side edges across a majority of a width of said body.
6 . A packaging material for a shirt, the packaging material comprising: a sheet of cardboard having a substantially rectangular body with at least four edges including a top edge which, when the packaging material is in use, is located adjacent a collar of the shirt mounted to the packaging material and left and right edges connected to, and located to the left and right of, the top edge, wherein said sheet further comprises a locking aperture and first and second flaps connected to said left and right edges of said body such that folding of said first and second flaps at least partially covers said body; a collar support formed separately from said body, said collar support comprising a strip of cardboard material, a tab, and a retaining aperture, wherein, in use, opposing ends of said strip can be curved back towards each other to support the collar of the shirt; and a hook for suspending the packaging material and shirt from a rail and for joining said body and collar support, wherein said hook comprises a substantially planar hook body having a hook slot formed therein and a retaining projection extending from said hook body; and wherein said tab of said collar support is configured to be inserted through said hook slot, and wherein said retaining projection of said hook is configured to be inserted through said retaining aperture of said collar support and through said locking aperture of said body of said sheet of cardboard to couple said collar support and said hook to said body.
7 . The packaging material according to claim 6 further comprising: said hook comprising a locking projection mounted on a flexible arm and adapted to engage a further locking aperture of said body of said sheet such that when said locking projection is located in said further locking aperture movement of said body relative to the hook in the plane of said body is prevented.
8 . A packaging material for a shirt, the packaging material comprising: a sheet of cardboard having a substantially rectangular body having a front surface, a rear surface, and at least four edges including a bottom edge and a top edge which, when the packaging material is in use, is located adjacent a collar of the shirt mounted to the packaging material and left and right edges connected to, and located to the left and right of, the top edge, said top edge extending from said left edge to said right edge, wherein said body has a slot extending therethrough from the front surface to the rear surface, the slot being linear and elongated between the left and right edges, said slot located adjacent to said top edge and extending across a majority of a width of said body adjacent said top edge, and wherein said sheet further comprises first and second flaps connected to said left and right edges of said body such that folding of said first and second flaps at least partially covers said body, each of said first and second flaps having a top flap edge that is located between the slot of the body and the bottom edge of the body when the first and second flaps are folded so that the first and second flaps do not cover any portion of the slot when the first and second flaps are folded.
9 . The packaging material according to claim 8 wherein said slot is oriented perpendicular to said left and right edges of said body.
10 . The packaging material according to claim 8 wherein said slot is oriented parallel to the bottom edge of said body.
11 . The packaging material according to claim 8 wherein said width of said body is measured from said left edge of said body to said right edge of said body.
12 . The packaging material according to claim 8 wherein the slot extends linearly between the left and right edges of said body such that a distance between said slot and said bottom edge of said body is constant.
13 . The packaging material according to claim 8 wherein the top flap edge of the first and second flaps lie in a plane that intersects the body of the sheet of cardboard at a location between the slot and the bottom edge.
14 . The packaging material according to claim 13 further comprising: the top flap edge of the first and second flaps being parallel to the bottom edge of the body; and the top edge of the body being oblique to the top flap edge of the first and second flaps.
15 . The packaging material according to claim 14 wherein an exposed portion of the left edge of the body extends from the top flap edge of the first flap to the top edge of the body and wherein an exposed portion of the right edge of the body extends from the top flap edge of the second flap to the top edge of the body.
16 . The packaging material according to claim 15 wherein a bottom edge of the slot extends along an axis that intersects the exposed portions of the left and right edges of the body, and wherein the axis does not intersect either of the first and second flaps.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS The present application is a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2020/053203, filed Dec. 14, 2020, which claims priority to United Kingdom Application No. 1918411.8, filed Dec. 13, 2019. The disclosures of the aforementioned priority applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The present invention relates to packaging material for a shirt and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to plastic-free packaging used by retailers to display collared shirts for sale. It has long been the practice for retailers to display shirts, and particularly collared front button up shirts, in a folded form supported on a cardboard mount. For many years this has increasingly involved the use of various plastics articles to assist in maintaining the shirt securely in position. These include various forms of plastic clips which are used to fix portions of the shirt to each other or to the cardboard mounting. Previously this function was achieved using metal pins. However, these have in recent years fallen out of favour due to the risk of pricking injuries. It is also very common for the shirt, once mounted on the cardboard, to be placed inside a transparent plastic bag. This both helps to hold the shirt in the required position and protects it when being transported and when on display. Unfortunately, it is generally the case that the vast majority of these transparent plastic bags and the small plastic clips do not get recycled. The transparent bags are commonly made from polypropylene and low density polyethylene and although these material can be recycled it is not consistently available as an option in household recycling and even where it is householders often do not recycle such plastic bags. Similarly, the size of the plastic clips makes them difficult to recycle and they are more often disposed of to landfill in household waste. Although in principle these packaging materials can be recycled it is more desirable to replace them with non-plastic articles of more easily and more commonly recycled materials. Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome or alleviate the above described disadvantages of the prior art. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a collar support used in packaging material for a shirt, the collar support comprising a first strip of cardboard material, wherein, in use, opposing ends of said first strip can be curved back towards each other to support the collar of a shirt and a tab connected to said first strip, wherein said tab comprises a button engager in the form of a cutaway portion in said strip. In a preferred embodiment the cutaway portion is an aperture. In another preferred embodiment the aperture is substantially cross shaped. In a further preferred embodiment the cutaway portion is a notch extending from an edge of said tab. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging material for a pair of shirts, the packaging material comprising: a first sheet of cardboard having a substantially rectangular body for engaging a first shirt;a first collar support comprising a second strip of cardboard material, wherein, in use, opposing ends of said second strip can be curved back towards each other to support the collar of said first shirt; anda second collar support as set out above for supporting the collar of a second shirt. The packaging material may further comprise a second sheet of cardboard having a substantially rectangular body for engaging said second shirt. In a preferred embodiment at least one of said first and second sheets comprises a substantially rectangular body with four edges including a top edge which, when the packaging material is in use, is located adjacent a respective collar of the shirt mounted to the packaging material and left and right edges connected to, and located to the left and right of, the top edge, wherein said sheet further comprises first and second flaps connected to said left and right edges of said body such that folding of said first and second flaps at least partially covers said body In another preferred embodiment the first shirt sheet comprises said first collar support. In a further preferred embodiment the second shirt sheet comprises said second collar support. The packaging material may further comprise a hook for suspending the packaging material and shirt from a rail and for joining said first sheet and said first collar support. In a preferred embodiment the hook comprises a substantially planar hook body having a hook slot formed therein and at least one retaining projection extending from said hook body and said collar support comprises at least one tab for extending through said hook slot and at least one respective retaining aperture for receiving said retaining projection. In another preferred embodiment the body of said sheet com