DECORATIVE GIFT PACKAGE

Abstract: A gift package is adorned with an integral self-forming bow (44) movable from a bow-unformed position to a bow-formed position by a pull-type or folding-type actuator to which the bow is operatively connected. The actuator may be integral with an article such as a shopping bag (10) to be decorated, or the actuator and the bow (44) may be formed as a discrete assembly which is separately attached to the article, or the bow (44) may be integral with the article.

Description: This invention relates to a decorative gift package and, more particularly, to a shopping bag integrated with a self-forming bow which, when formed, closes the bag and completes a gift-receiving package. In earlier efforts to integrate a package and a bow in a unitary combination, as described, for example, in US-A-4,608,283 which serves as a basis for the preamble of claims 1 and 12 and 4,566,592, the bow was formed at one side of the package. However, such gift presentations were only attractive when viewed from the side adorned by the bow. The opposite side of the package was plain by comparison. In addition, the known integrated package and bow combinations were not tamper-resistant in the sense that they were readily openable and re-usable. The need persists for a package which is not only effectively closed to deter theft, but also which is attractive as viewed from all sides of the package. One object of this invention is to simultaneously close a package and adorn it with a bow which is visible from all sides of the package. A further object is to effectively seal a package and prevent its re-use. Another object is to provide a compact, integrated bag and bow combination which lies generally flat in an unformed or unerected condition for ease of storage, shipment and display. In keeping with these objects, this invention resides in the decorative gift packages as defined in claims 1 and 12. The package has walls, e.g. a front and a rear wall, which oppose each other. The front and rear walls are movable away from each other to bound an upper opening through which the object may pass, and are also movable toward each other to close the opening. In a preferred embodiment, a paper or synthetic plastic material shopping bag having two carrying bails, one on each of the front and rear walls, is employed. Upon formation of the bow, the upper opening is simultaneously closed. The bow extends above the closed opening and is visible from all sides of the bag. The forming means includes actuator means mounted on the bag for manual displacement. The actuator means may be displaced in various ways, for example, by a folding- or a pull-type action. The forming means also includes bow means displaceable by the actuator means between a bow-unformed position and a bow-formed position. Means are further provided for securing the bow means in the bow-formed position. In the case of a folding-type actuator means, a flap is manually unfoldable about a folding axis from a folded state to an unfolded state. The bow means has one bow end stationarily mounted on the article, and another bow end displaceable about the folding axis by the flap from the bow-unformed position in the folded state in which the flap covers and substantially conceals the bow means from view, to the bow-formed position in the unfolded state in which the flap uncovers and exposes the bow means to view. In one embodiment, the flap, preferably planar, is mounted at and overlies one of the two opposing walls, e.g. the front wall, at one side of the bag. The flap extends at least partly along an upper marginal linear edge of, and is of one piece with, the front wall. This upper linear edge is co-linear with the aforementioned folding axis. In the bow-unformed position, the bow means is located between the front wall and the flap, and is substantially hidden from view. The stationary bow end is secured to an exterior surface of the front wall, and the displaceable bow end is secured to an inner surface of the flap. In the bow-formed position, the flap overlies the other opposing wall, e.g. the rear wall, at an opposite side of the bag. At the same time, the bow means extends over the closed opening, and is visible from all sides of the bag. In a preferred embodiment, the bow means assumes a generally circular configuration. During the displacement of the flap about said upper linear edge, the bow means, in a preferred embodiment, is expanded and caused to extend along a circular path over the closed opening. In addition, the front and rear walls, which were in generally mutual parallelism in the bow-unformed state, remain so during and after said displacement to the bow-formed state so that the general configuration of the bag is not substantially altered. The securing means, in a preferred embodiment, comprises an adhesive layer coated on an exterior surface of the flap, and a removable protective sheet overlying the adhesive layer, which is preferably a permanent-type adhesive. After removal of the protective sheet, preferably by peeling it off the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer permanently adheres the flap to an exterior surface of the rear wall. This insures that the bag will remain closed, thereby not only deterring theft, but also preventing the bow means from returning to its initial bow-unformed position. Hence, not only is a decorative bow capable of being formed rapidly by unskilled personnel with a minimum of fuss and bother, but also the complete package itself is an attractive gift package. In another embodiment, the actuator means and the bow means together comprise a discrete assembly which is separately made from the article, and subsequently, in use, attached to a surface thereof, for example, a wall of a bag. The assembly includes a pair of generally planar flaps hinged together along a common fold line extending along the folding axis for folding movement about the fold line between a closed collapsed state in which the flaps closely overlie each other, and an open unfoldable state in which the flaps are moved away from each other. The bow means has one end secured to one flap, and an opposite end secured to the other flap. When the flaps are in the closed state, the bow means is collapsed between, and concealed by, the flaps. During the folding movement toward the open state, the bow means is successively opened to a greater and greater extent until, in the open state, the bow means is fully opened and exposed to view. The assembly may be adhesively attached to the bag in the closed collapsed state by the bag manufacturer, whereupon, the compact package is easy to ship. The retail clerk or gift giver may also attach the assembly to the bag. In any event, when it is desired to adorn the bag, the flap, which is not directly attached to the bag, is folded to the open state, whereupon, the bow means is displaced to its exposed condition. As previously mentioned, the actuator means can be displaceable by a pull-type action, in which case, the bow means is likewise formed by such a pulling action. In a preferred embodiment, the bow means is integral with the bag walls and comprises a plurality of elongated, crescent-shaped, bow elements formed at upper marginal portions of the bag. The bow elements are arranged in groups extending circumferentially around the upper opening of the bag about a longitudinal axis, as well as being stacked, one above another, along the longitudinal axis. Each bow element has opposite ends, and lies essentially flat in the bow-unformed state. The actuator means includes a gathering loop extending circumferentially around, and threaded through slits formed in, the upper marginal portions of the bag about the upper opening, as well as a gripping portion extending from the bag and accessible to be grasped. Upon pulling the gripping portion away from the bag, the perimeter of the gathering loop grows smaller, eventually closing the upper opening. At the same time, the ends of each bow element are drawn toward each other, thereby forming individual loops which together form the decorative bow at the top of the bag and is visible in all directions. In a variant of the last-mentioned construction, the formation of the bow need not simultaneously cause the upper marginal portions of the bag to be gathered. Instead, pulling on the gripping portion causes the gathering loop only to form the bow at the upper opening of the bag. This invention will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a gift package in accordance with this invention, in an open state; FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the gift package of FIG. 1, in a closed state; FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a view analogous to FIG. 4, but of a modification of the gift package; FIG. 6 is a view analogous to FIG. 4, but of a different modification of the gift package; FIG. 7 is a front view of yet another modification of the gift package in an open state; FIG. 8 is a front view of the gift package of FIG. 7 in a closed state; and FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 7 Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally identifies a shopping bag of the expandable type. The bag 10 is shown in an open state in FIG. 1 and in a closed state in FIG. 2. Shopping bag 10 has walls, preferably of paper, bounding an interior for containing a gift or like object. Two of the walls consist of a front wall 12 and a rear wall 14 which oppose each other in a generally parallel relationship. The front and rear walls 12, 14 are movable away from each other to bound an upper opening 26 through which the object may pass, and are movable toward each other to close the opening 26. Additional bag walls include side walls 16 and 18 which extend between the front and rear walls, as well as a bottom wall 24 which closes the bottom of the bag. Side walls 16, 18 are formed with upright creases 20, 22 respectively, in central regions thereof. The creases extend along a longitudinal direction. The front and rear walls are movable in a transverse direction. The front and rear walls are movable in a transverse direction toward and away from each other generally perpendicular to said longitudinal direction. A pair of carrying bails 28, 30 are attached in conventional manner to upper marginal regions of the front 12 and rear 14 walls of the bag. Each bail forms an opening through which one's hand may pass for carrying the bag. The shopping bag 10, as described so far, is entirely conventional in the art, and need not be made of paper, but can also be made of plastic material, fabric material, leather, vinyl, laminates, and virtually any other material, preferably limp, which is capable of supporting objects. In accordance with this invention, means are provided for closing the bag for not only resisting tampering, but also for simultaneously forming a decorative bow which is visible from all sides of the bag. Said means includes actuator means displaceable relative to the bag. In one embodiment, the actuator means is of the folding type, and includes a generally planar flap 32 pivotably mounted at, and normally overlying, one of the two opposing walls, e.g. front wall 12, at one side of the bag. The flap 32 extends at least partly along an upper marginal linear edge 34 of the front wall 12. The foldable flap 32, as best shown in FIG. 3, is of one-piece construction with front wall 12. Flap 32 has an interior surface 36 facing an exterior surface of front wall 12, and an opposite exterior surface 38 facing away from front wall 12. Flap 32 is pivotably displaceable about the upper linear edge 34 which extends along a folding axis from the folded position shown in FIG. 3 over the closed opening of the bag, to the unfolded position shown in FIG. 4 for a purpose to be explained below. The invention also includes means for fixedly securing the flap 32 in the FIG. 4 position and, for that purpose, an adhesive layer 40, preferably a permanent or aggressive adhesive, is coated on the exterior surface 38 of flap 32. A removable peel-off protective sheet 42 overlies the adhesive layer 40 and is peelable therefrom to expose the adhesive layer. Bow means, including a collapsible/expandable bow 44, is operatively connected to the flap 32 and displaceable by the same. The bow 44, just like the flap 32, is mounted on the bag for displacement about said upper linear edge 34 over the closed top between a bow-concealed or bow-unformed position shown in FIG. 3 and a bow-exposed or bow-formed position shown in FIG. 4. As best shown in FIG. 3, the collapsed bow 44 has one bow end 46 fixedly and stationarily secured to an upper marginal region of the front wall 12. An opposite bow end 48 is fixedly secured to the interior surface 36 of flap 32. Due to the collapsed condition of bow 44 and its location between flap 32 and front wall 12, the bow 44 is substantially hidden from view. During displacement of the flap 32 from the FIG. 3 to the FIG. 4 position, the collapsed bow 44 begins to unfold and expand in the manner of an opening accordion or bellows. The bow extends along a circular path through the openings in the bails over the closed opening of the bag. Eventually, the flap 32 overlies an upper marginal region of rear wall 14. Once the protective sheet 42 has been removed to expose the adhesive layer 40, the flap 32 may now be adhered to the rear wall 14, thereby insuring that the opened bow 33 will not collapse and return to its initial collapsed condition. Hence, not only is the bag effectively closed and sealed, but also is adorned with an attractive bow which is visible from all sides of the bag. As described so far, the flap 32 is of one piece with the front wall 12 and, hence, a standard shopping bag cannot be used. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to manufacture the actuator means and the bow means together as a discrete assembly which is made separately from, and to subsequently attach the assembly to, a standard shopping bag, i.e. one having no flap. As shown in FIG. 5, the front wall 12 has no integral flap 32. Instead, the actuator means includes two flaps 50, 52 hinged at, and foldable about, fold line 54 which extends along a folding axis. The flaps may be coated with individual adhesive layers, or with a single continuous adhesive layer 56. A bellows- or accordion-like bow identical to bow 44 is mounted between the flaps, and is opened when the flaps are outfolded away from each other, and closed when the flaps are folded inwardly toward each other. Flap 50 can be adhered to front wall 12 by the retail clerk, or by the gift giver, merely by pressing the exposed adhesive on the flap 50 against the front wall 12. Preferably, the bag manufacturer could pre-glue the flap 50 to front wall 12. The discrete assembly comprised of a bow 44 and the two hinged flaps 50, 52 can be applied to any article requiring adornment, and not necessarily to a bag, box or like article in which a gift article is contained. FIG. 6 illustrates a different assembly, again comprised of two flaps 50, 52 hinged along linear fold line 54 and adhered to adhesive layer 56 to front and rear walls 12, 14, of bag 10. However, rather than a bellows- or accordion-like bow, a bow 60 is secured to the flaps. Bow 60 includes a compressible spherical shell 62, preferably of elastomeric material, in which the inner ends of a plurality of elongated elements 64 are embedded. In the illustrated open or bow-exposed position, the elements 64 extend radially outwardly in a starburst-like configuration. In the closed or bow-concealed position, the flaps overlie one another; the shell 62 is compressed; and the elements lie in a closely stacked state. In the above-described embodiments of the folding type, once one end of the bow, or one flap, is fixedly secured to one wall of the bag, the opposite flap is free to be pivotably displaced over the top of the bag about a linear folding axis until the opposite flap overlies and is fixedly secured to an opposite wall of the bag. The linear axis can be the upper linear edge 34 of a bag wall, or the fold line 54. The bow can be made of many different designs, and is not intended to be restricted to the accordion- or bellows-type bow shown in FIGs. 4 and 5, or the starburst-like bow shown in FIG. 6. For example, the bow can be comprised of a plurality of folded-over loops arranged in a pompon, rosette, or other configuration. The bow can be comprised of a honeycomb design. Virtually any bow design is contemplated by this invention. Turning now to the embodiment of FIGs. 7-9 the actuator means is displaceable by a pulling action which, in turn, is used to form the decorative bow atop a bag 72. The bag 72 has a front wall 74 and a rear wall 76 bounding an upper opening 78. Upper marginal portions of the front and rear walls are formed with crescent-shaped, elongated bow elements which are integral with the front and rear walls. Each wall is cut along curved slits 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90 to form the bow elements 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102. The bow elements 92, 98 circumferentially surround in endwise manner the bag walls. Bow elements 94, 100 are stacked above elements 92, 98; and bow elements 96, 102 are stacked longitudinally above the elements 94, 100. More or fewer bow elements could be employed. The pull-type actuator means is a drawstring 101 which is threaded through apertures cut into upper marginal portions of the bag to form a gathering loop 104 which extends circumferentially around the upper marginal portions of the bag, and a gripping or handle portion 106 which extends outwardly of the bag. The drawstring, as shown, is threaded through aperture 108 to the outside of the front wall 74, and then returned to the interior of the bag through aperture 110, and then threaded through aperture 112 to the outside of front wall 74, and then returned to the interior of the bag through aperture 114, and so on, around the circumference of the bag. The apertures serve as tube means through which the gathering loop is passed. In this manner, when the handle portion 106 is grasped and pulled, the periphery of the gathering loop 104 gradually decreases to smaller sizes, eventually closing the upper opening 78 of the bag. At the same time, each bow element is folded about its middle to form a loop, since the in-and-out threading of the drawstring adjacent opposite ends of each bow element causes said ends to be drawn together, thereby forming the respective loop. All the so-formed loops together form a bow 114 shown in FIG. 8. Thus, in the unformed state, the bow elements lie essentially flat, whereas in the formed state, the bow elements form the bow 114.

Claims: A decorative gift package, comprising: (A) a container (10) to be decorated, said container (10) having walls (12,14) bounding an opening (26); (B) means on the container (10) for forming a decorative bow, including (i) actuator means (32) manually displaceable from a first state to a second state, and (ii) bow means (44;60) displaceable by the actuator means (32) between a bow-unformed position in the first state, and a bow-formed position in the second state; (C) means (40;56) for securing the bow means (44;60) in the bow-formed position; wherein the improvement is characterized in that: i) the bow means (44) has one bow end (46) stationarily mounted on one (12) of the walls of the container (10) at one side of the opening (26), and another bow end (48) mounted on and displaceable by the actuator means (32) to the other (14) of the walls of the container (10) at the other side of the opening (26) in the bow-formed position; ii) the bow means (44;60) in the bow-formed position extends outwardly and upwardly above the opening (26); iii) the bow means (44;60) in the bow-formed position is visible from all sides of the container (10); and iv) the actuator means (32) covers and substantially conceals the bow means (44) from view in the bow-unformed position. The gift package as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuator means (32) is a flap mounted on the container for pivoting movement about an axis (34) from the first state in which the flap overlies one (12) of the walls and the bow means (44) in the bow-unformed position, to the second state in which the flap overlies the other (14) of the walls in the bow-formed position. The gift package as recited in claim 2, wherein the two walls (12,14) oppose, and are movable relative to, each other; and wherein the opening (26) is closed upon movement of the two walls (12,14) toward each other, said bow (44) extending above the closed opening (26). The gift package as recited in claim 3, wherein the actuator means (32) is simultaneously operative for closing the opening (26), said flap being operatively connected to said other bow end (48) for joint movement therewith, and being pivoted about said axis (34) to displace said other bow end (48) over the closed opening (26). The gift package as recited in claim 4, wherein the container (10) is a shopping bag bounding an interior for containing an object, said bag having a carrying bail (28,30) on each said two opposing walls (12,14), each bail (28,30) forming a bail opening; and wherein the flap and said other bow end (48) are displaced along a path which extends through each bail opening. The gift package as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuator means (32) is integral with the container (10). The gift package as recited in claim 6, wherein one wall (12) of the container (10) has an upper marginal linear edge (34), and wherein the actuator means (32) is a flap of one piece with said one wall (12), said upper edge (34) being co-linear with an axis about which the flap is pivotable. The gift package as recited in claim 1, wherein one wall (12) of the container (10) has an exterior surface, and wherein the actuator means (32) is a flap having an inner generally planar surface (36) facing the exterior surface of said one wall (12) in the bow-unformed position, and wherein said one bow end (46) is stationarily secured to said exterior surface of said one wall (12), and wherein said other bow end (48) is secured to said inner surface (36) of the flap for joint displacement therewith. The gift package as recited in claim 1, wherein the bow means (60) and the actuator means (50,52) constitute an integral assembly initially discrete from, and in use attachable to, the container (10). The gift package as recited in claim 9, wherein the actuator means (50,52) includes a pair of generally planar flaps hinged together, and pivotable about, an axis (54), said bow means (44;60) having opposite bow ends (46,48) being respectively secured to said flaps. The gift package as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuator means (32) is a flap having an exterior generally planar surface (38), and wherein the securing means (40) includes an adhesive layer coated on the exterior generally planar surface (38) of the flap, and a removable protective sheet (42) peelably overlying the adhesive layer. A decorative gift package, comprising: (A) a container (72) to be decorated, said container (72) including walls (74,76) having edges bounding an opening (78); (B) means on the container (72) for forming a decorative bow, including (i) actuator means (101) manually displaceable from a first state to a second state, and (ii) bow means (114) displaceable by the actuator means (101) between a bow-unformed position in the first state, and a bow-formed position in the second state; (C) means (56) for securing the bow means (114) in the bow-formed position; wherein the improvement is characterized in that: i) the bow means (114) includes a plurality of elongated bow elements (92,94,96,98,100,102) each having opposite bow ends integral with the edges of the walls (74,76) of the container (72); ii) the actuator means (101) includes a gathering loop (104) extending circumferentially around upper marginal portions of the container (72), and a pull-type gripping portion (106) operative, when pulled, to urge the bow ends of each bow element (92,94,96,98,100,102) to move toward each other and form individual bow loops which together form the bow; iii) the bow means (114) in the bow-formed position extends outwardly and upwardly above the opening (78); and iv) the bow means (114) in the bow-formed position is visible from all sides of the container (72). The gift package as recited in claim 12, wherein the gripping portion (106) is also operative to gather the upper marginal portions of the container (72) toward each other to close the opening (78) simultaneously with the formation of the bow. The gift package as recited in claim 13, wherein a first group (92,98) of said plurality of bow elements (92,94,96,98,100,102) extends circumferentially around the opening (78) about a longitudinal axis, and wherein additional groups (94,100;96,102) of said bow elements are stacked, one above another, along the longitudinal axis. The gift package as recited in claim 14, wherein each bow element (92,94,96,98,100,102) has a crescent shape in the bow-unformed position, and wherein the actuator means (101) is a drawstring-type ribbon.

Inventors: CHENG, PETER S.C.
Applicants: CHENG, PETER S.C.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B65D33
IPC codes: B44C1, A45C13, B65D33