Patent Publication Number: US-6669021-B1

Title: Prewrapped gift package

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a prewrapped gift package, and in particular, to a prewrapped gift package which can accommodate different categories of gifts. 
     During gift giving occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, Mother&#39;s Day, and Father&#39;s Day, a laborious and time consuming chore is the wrapping of a gift. Many retail establishments offer to gift wrap packages for their customers. However, when it is a gift giving season such as Christmas, the lines to obtain gift wrapping from a retail establishment are long and there is usually an extra charge to have a package gift wrapped. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a prewrapped gift package. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing object and other objects of the invention are attained in a prewrapped gift package comprising a carton for holding the gift. Wrapping paper overlays an outer surface of the carton. A sleeve providing indicia identifying the gift is affixed to a portion of the wrapping paper. A protective outer wrap surrounds the carton, wrapping paper and sleeve. The invention also includes a method of forming a prewrapped gift package comprising the steps of forming the carton to hold a gift, placing gift-wrapping paper about the outer surface of the carton, placing a sleeve providing identifying indicia for the gift about a portion of the outer surface of the gift wrapping paper and then placing a protective outer wrap about the carton, wrapping paper and sleeve. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a prewrapped gift package; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view that illustrates a prewrapped gift package in a partially completed state; and 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a prewrapped gift package in substantially a complete state. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawing, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In referring to the various figures of the drawing, like numerals shall refer to like parts. 
     The prewrapped gift package  10  includes a carton  12  for holding a gift. The gift may be any product that can fit readily into a relatively small carton to be carried by the purchaser. Such gift may include small electric appliances such as food processors, coffeemakers, steam irons, and the like. 
     Festive wrapping paper  14  is placed about the outer surface of the carton. The wrapping paper may be of any type and may specifically be designed for association with a gift-giving season such as Christmas, Mother&#39;s Day, or the like. 
     A sleeve  16  is placed over a portion of the outer surface of the wrapping paper. The sleeve includes indicia identifying the gift found within the carton. Sleeves to identify different types of products can be readily interchanged so that the same size carton and identical gift-wrapping paper can be used with different categories of products. Only the sleeve requires changing to identify the specific product found within the carton. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, sleeve  16  includes indicia  20  identifying the product intended as a gift as a food processor. Sleeve  16  is self-locking to affix the sleeve about wrapping paper  14 . In lieu of sleeve  16 , a label may be used which would be glued or otherwise affixed to paper  14 . 
     Finally, an outer protective layer  18  is placed about the carton, wrapping paper and sleeve. The outer protective layer may comprise a plastic film shrink-wrapped about the carton, wrapping paper, and sleeve. 
     The entire prewrapped gift package may be stacked on shelves for ready removal by a purchaser. The outer layer surrounding the sleeve, wrapping paper, and carton protects the gift-wrapped package from damage.