Abstract:
Wrapping material organizers, dispensers and systems, as well as methods for making and using the same, are provided. In one embodiment, an organizer is provided with a plurality of holders located on a portable housing, each configured to hold a roll of wrapping material for dispensing in a generally horizontal orientation. The holders are located in a generally vertically spaced arrangement. In another embodiment, a wrapping material dispensing system comprises a scanner configured to read a Universal Product Code (UPC) symbol of an item to be wrapped, a database relating a plurality of UPCs to one or more wrapping dimensions associated with products having the UPCs; and a controller configured to communicate a UPC from the scanner to the database and output a related wrapping dimension

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e), this application claims priority to: U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/774,140 filed on Feb. 15, 2006, the disclosure of which priority application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to wrapping material organizers and dispensers.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     According to certain aspects of various embodiments of the present invention, a storage container is provided for organizing and dispensing multiple rolls of gift wrapping material, tape, ribbons, bows, scissors, cards, tags, writing utensils and the like. According to other aspects, built-in cutters are provided for cutting off wrapping paper dispensed from the rolls. According to further aspects, easy visual and dispensing access is provided to the gift wrapping supplies, tools and other items simultaneously. According to yet further aspects, the organizer is portable and quickly converts between dispensing and carrying modes. According to still further aspects, the organizer is provided with automatic dispensing features. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  is an end perspective view of a gift wrap organizer and dispenser constructed according to aspects of the present invention.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is an opposite end perspective view of the gift wrap organizer shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the gift wrap organizer shown in  FIG. 1 , with top cover  24  removed for clarity.  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the gift wrap organizer shown in  FIG. 1 , with top cover  24  removed for clarity.  
         [0008]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial view of the gift wrap organizer of  FIG. 5  showing a cutting mechanism.  
         [0009]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the gift wrap organizer of  FIG. 1 , illustrating its portability.  
         [0010]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment gift wrap organizer. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a gift wrapping organizer and dispenser  10  constructed according to the aspects of the present invention is shown. In the configuration of this embodiment, organizer  10  has an elongated box shape with a carry handle  12  located on a top surface  14  thereof for carrying organizer  10 . A plurality of horizontally oriented gift wrap holders or dispensing receptacles  16  may be vertically spaced along a front side  18  of organizer  10 , each for receiving a role of gift wrap paper  20 . Rolls  20  may be removably covered by a transparent front cover  22  to help retain and protect them when not in use. During use, front cover  22  may be moved out of the way by pivoting, sliding, unhooking, or otherwise moving it so as to provide access to rolls  20 . In this embodiment, top cover  24  is provided along the front edge of top surface  14  and is shown in a closed position in  FIG. 1 . Top cover  24  may be attached to organizer  10  with hinges  26  so that it can be pivoted up and back to an open position.  
         [0012]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , organizer  10  is shown with front cover  22  removed and top cover  24  in an open position exposing a plurality of rolls of ribbon  28  and one or more tape dispensers  30 . Ribbon rolls  28  may be coaxially mounted on a common shaft  32  so that they may rotate for dispensing ribbon. According to aspects of some embodiments of the invention, ribbon  28  and tape  30  are located directly above gift wrapping paper  20 , are easily viewed simultaneously and are dispensed in the same direction as paper  20 . Storage compartment  34  may be provided within organizer  10  for storing additional rolls  36  of wrapping paper. According to one embodiment of the invention, a transparent door  38  is provided on end  40  of organizer  10  to help protect and retain gift wrap roles  36  but allow them to be viewed when not in use. Door  38  may slide, pivot or otherwise move away from covering the opening of storage compartment  34  to provide access to rolls  36 . Alternatively, door  38  may be the front of a drawer that pulls out from organizer  10  with rolls  36 . When needed for dispensing, stored rolls  36  may individually be exchanged with rolls  20  in receptacles  16 . When rotatably retained in a receptacle  16 , a roll  20  or  36  may be easily dispensed. For example, bottom roll  20  has a portion  42  that is shown being dispensed in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0013]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a rear side  44  of organizer  10  is shown with various storage compartments, bins and or drawers  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52 . These storage areas may be used to organize items such as flat wrapping paper  54 , wrapping tissue, additional tape, ribbons, bows, string, tags, scissors  56 , writing utensils  58 , receipts, documents, and other such items related to gift wrapping. In the embodiment shown, these storage areas are enclosed by transparent panels with molded pull handles so that they may be easily viewed and accessed. Other arrangements of storage areas may alternatively be used, such as areas that are accessed from the top  14 , front  18 , end  40 , opposite end  72 , or combinations of the above.  
         [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a front view of organizer  10  is shown. In use, organizer  10  may be placed on a table, counter, shelf, bed, floor or other suitable surface. In this embodiment, a user positioned in front of organizer  10  has easy visual and dispensing access to multiple rolls  20  of gift wrapping paper, tape  30  and ribbons  28 . Other gift wrapping items are within easy reach on the rear side  44  of organizer  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . Rolls  20  may fit loosely into dispensing receptacles  16  and be retained there by raised edges  60 . This arrangement allows rolls  22  to easily rotate for dispensing and allows them to be quickly removed and exchanged with additional rolls  36  in storage compartment  34 . As gift wrapping paper  20  is dispensed in this embodiment, it is pulled over the associated raised edge  60 . A cutter  62  may be provided for each of the dispensing receptacles  16  for quick dispensing and cutting of gift wrapping paper  20 . Each cutter  62  may include an independently operable handle  64  for laterally sliding a cutting blade along track  66  on raised edge  60  to slit gift wrapping paper  20  after a desired length has been dispensed. According to aspects of the present invention, each cutter  62  may be provided with a double-sided blade such that it may make cuts to wrapping paper  20  in both directions. With this arrangement, a cutter  62  may be moved from the left position as shown in  FIG. 4  to the right side of cutter track  66  to cut a first portion of gift wrapping paper  20  that has been dispensed. Additional gift wrapping paper  20  may then be dispensed from the same role and cut by sliding cutter  62  from right to left along cutting track  66  without having to first move the cutter  62  back to its original left position before dispensing and cutting. Alternatively, cutters  62  may be provided with spring return means to automatically return cutters  62  to their original positions when released. The cutting blades of cutters  62  may be located between the rails of cutting tracks  66  and beneath cutter handles  64  so that personal injury as well as other inadvertent cutting is avoided.  
         [0015]     One or more tape dispensers  30  may he configured to accept individual roles of transparent or other tape on spindles  68 , and may each be provided with a tape cutter such as a serrated blade  70  attached to organizer  10 . Alternatively, or in combination with the above arrangement receptacles may be provided in organizer  10  to removably receive commercially available disposable tape dispensers having their own tape, dispensing and cutting means, in a fixed and easily accessible position for dispensing tape.  
         [0016]     Ribbon supporting shaft  32  may be configured with different portions of various diameters for different sized rolls of ribbon, or provided with removable spacer rings to accomplish this purpose. Alternatively, shaft  32  may be of such a diameter so as to fit through the smallest ribbon spool  28 , allowing larger diameter spools to fit loosely on shaft  32 . Shaft  32  may be removable at one or both ends from organizer  10  to allow ribbon spools  28  to be added or removed from shaft  32 . In other embodiments, support shaft  32  may be omitted and ribbon spools  28  may instead be supported by a round-bottomed cradle located in top surface  14  of organizer  10 . Additional trays or compartments may also be located under top cover  24  to hold additional supplies or items used in gift wrapping in an easily accessible position.  
         [0017]     Gift wrap organizer  10  may be configured to accommodate standard 30 inch long rolls of gift wrapping paper in dispensing receptacles  16  and storage compartment  34 . Alternatively, receptacles  16  and or compartment  34  may be configured to accommodate longer or shorter rolls of paper and/or rolls having an oversized diameter. Organizer  10  may be configured with fewer or more than the three dispensing receptacles  16  shown. In one embodiment, organizer  10  may have overall dimensions of 32 inches long, 12 inches high and 12 inches deep. Organizer  10  may be formed from plastic, aluminum, steel or other suitable materials and may be assembled from a plurality of components or formed as a unitary design.  
         [0018]     According to aspects of some embodiments of the present invention, organizer  10  may be configured to be easily carried by handle  12  and quickly set up to provide everything needed for gift wrapping within easy reach. In some embodiments, more than one roll of gift wrapping paper  20  is positioned for easy dispensing, and each role is provided with its own cutter. After use, organizer  10  may be stowed horizontally or vertically in a closet, cabinet, garage, shelf, under a bed, or in other suitable locations. To aide in storing vertically, an additional handle may be added to end  72  of organizer  10 . To aid in storing under beds, the inventive organizer may be configured with a low profile, or the back portion of the organizer may be removable from the front portion such as in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 . In such an embodiment, the two portions may be releasably connected together by a hinge, snaps, slides, hooks, Velcro® type hook and loop fastening material, or other suitable securing means. Separate modules of the organizer may be sold separately or together.  
         [0019]     According to aspects of embodiments of the present invention, a gift wrapping organizer may be provided with an automatic feed feature. Such a feature may be incorporated into the embodiment described above, or incorporated in a commercial gift wrapping station, such as found in a department store customer service department. The automatic feed feature may involve holding rolls  20  on a spindle, and/or feeding the gift wrapping paper between pinch rollers. A lever or other manual mechanism may be employed to advance gift wrapping paper from the dispenser. Such spindles or pinch rollers may be driven by an electric motor. The motor may be operated by a pushbutton, or operated automatically by a controller as described below.  
         [0020]     According to aspects of embodiments of the present invention, the gift wrapping dispenser may be provided with a Universal Product Code (UPC) bar-code scanner, a controller, a data memory and the electric motor arrangement described above. For all commercially available products having a UPC symbol, or for a subset or subsets thereof, wrapping dimensions for each product may be compiled, and a recommended length of wrapping paper may be established. The established wrapping paper length associated with each UPC symbol may then be stored in the data memory of the gift wrapping dispenser. In use, an operator may position the product to be wrapped in front of the UPC barcode scanner of the gift wrapping dispenser. The gift wrapping dispenser may then immediately, or after further user input such as selecting the type of wrapping paper, automatically feed out the length of wrapping paper that is stored in the memory for that product. Automatic cutting of the dispensed paper may also be provided. This arrangement can speed up the time involved in wrapping an item and may allow for more efficient use of wrapping paper. The established wrapping paper lengths for various UPC symbols located in the dispenser memory may be updated by the use of removable media, such as a flash memory card or CD-ROM, by wireless or wired connection to a computer network, or by other suitable means. The data memory of the automatic gift wrapping dispenser itself may be built into the dispenser or provided by removable media. The dispenser controller may operate independently and be located within the dispenser, or the operations described above may be controlled by an external computer controller. Similarly, the UPC barcode scanner may be built into the dispenser, may be wired to or wirelessly communicate with the dispenser, or may be connected through an external controller or computer.  
         [0021]     As for additional details pertinent to the present invention, materials and manufacturing techniques may be employed as within the level of those with skill in the relevant art. The same may hold true with respect to method-based aspects of the invention in terms of additional acts commonly or logically employed. Also, it is contemplated that any optional feature of the inventive variations described may be set forth and claimed independently, or in combination with any one or more of the features described herein. Likewise, reference to a singular item, includes the possibility that there are plural of the same items present. More specifically, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “and,” “said,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely,” “only” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or use of a “negative” limitation. Unless defined otherwise herein, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The breadth of the present invention is not to be limited by the subject specification, but rather only by the plain meaning of the claim terms employed.