Patent Publication Number: US-6712309-B1

Title: Method and means for packaging draperies for purposes of storage or transportation

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a method of packaging draperies for purposes of storage or transportation. It also relates to a packaging element for packaging draperies, and the resultant drapery package. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Draperies are typically pleated at their upper ends, making it impossible to fold them flat for purposes of storage or transportation. Another way to accommodate them, therefore, had to be devised. In the past, they were commonly hung on low-grade wire hangers and shipped in wardrobe cartons, using a combination of materials and methods. The folding and packaging for shipment or storage, however, results in the draperies frequently getting creased or wrinkled. Attempts have been made to overcome these difficulties. Some prior art approaches involve wrapping the pleated or fan-folded fabric around a flat, corrugated cardboard core. The problem with such a system is that the fabric receives distinct fold lines when wrapped onto such a two-dimensional core. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,996 attempts to improve on this problem by showing a drapery package comprising a three dimensional core member that essentially has a C-shaped profile defining. The 996 patent requires that the drapery first be longitudinally folded, and then its lower end inserted into a U-shaped gap defined by the core member. The resultant drapery packages are placed into cartons and shipped. Not only does the need for folding the drapery require significant amounts of labor, the drapery is also prone to creasing by virtue of the fact that the packages abut one another. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     According to the invention, there is provided a packaging element for packaging fabric, comprising a core and a pair of side panels sandwiching the core between them, wherein the core defines a substantially C-shaped structure. 
     Preferably, the core has a U-shaped end and a V-shaped end and is made by folding a planar material into the core&#39;s C-shaped configuration. The core may be secured to the side panels by means of tabs formed integrally with the rest of the core to extend from the core. The tabs are passed through complimentary slots in the side panels. Preferably, the side panels include incisions or other means for securing at least one free end of the fabric. Instead of such means on the side panels, or in addition thereto, the drapery may be secured relative to the core by means of separate securing means such as elastic bands or shrink wrap. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the drapery is mechanically wound onto the packaging element. For this purpose the side panels may include facilities for securing the packaging element to a winder for winding the fabric onto the core. For instance, the side panels may have holes for receiving pins that can be attached to a winding motor. 
     Further, according to the invention there is provided a drapery package comprising a packaging element and a drapery wound around the packaging element. 
     Still further, according to the invention, there is provided a method of packaging a drapery comprising the steps of providing a packaging element that includes a C-shaped core sandwiched between two side panels, inserting a portion of the drapery into the C-shaped core, and winding the drapery around the core. 
     Preferably, the pleats at the upper end of the drapery are pushed together and inserted into the core. In an embodiment where the core has a U-shaped end, the pleats are preferably inserted into the U-shaped end. Typically, the drapery is wound around the core by rotating the packaging element. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a three dimensional partially exploded view of one embodiment of a packaging element in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of one embodiment of a core element in a flat, unfolded state; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of one embodiment of a side panel forming part of the packaging element of the invention showing the positioning of the core element in broken lines; and 
     FIG. 4 is part of one embodiment of a system showing the formation of drapery packages using the packaging element of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The packaging element of the present invention is intended to address some of the shortcomings of drapery packaging systems known in the art today. FIG. 1 shows a packaging element of the invention. The element  10  includes a central core or core element  12  which is sandwiched between two side panels  14 . 
     The core element  12  is shown in an unfolded, flat configuration in FIG.  2 . The core element  12  is made of a planar material such as corrugated cardboard, or suitable plastics or laminates. The core element  12  includes a central body  16  which has a number of crease lines  18 , and may, in fact, be scored along the crease lines  18 . Tabs  20  extend from either side of the body  16 . Each tab  20  includes two crease lines  22 ,  24 . The tabs  20  may be scored along the crease lines  22 ,  24 . The crease lines/score lines  18  define how the core element  12  is folded to achieve the C-shaped configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. In its folded state, the core element  12  includes a V-shaped end  30 , and a U-shaped end  32 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3, the side panels  14  define a series of slots  34  for receiving the tabs  20  of the core element  12 . Each of the tabs  20  is inserted into a slot  34  and bent at 90° along crease line  22  to lie flush with the outer surface of its side panel  14 . Each tab  20  is also bent along crease line  24  at a 90° angle to allow the free end of the tab  20  to be fed back, into the slots  36 . It will be appreciated that the one slot, which is depicted by reference numeral  38 , is somewhat wider to accommodate the free ends of the two tabs lying on either side of it, depicted by reference numerals  40  in FIG.  2 . As can be seen on FIG. 2, the crease lines  24  of the tabs  40 , are somewhat angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the body  16  in order to accommodate the relative angles between the slot  38  and its two adjacent slots, which are depicted by reference numerals  44 . 
     The tabs  20 , thus serve to secure the two side panels  14  to the core element  12 , thereby sandwiching the core element  12  between them. It will be appreciated that the side panels could be secured to the core element by other means that need not necessarily be formed integrally with the body of the core, such as clips, lengths of wire, adhesive, etc. 
     FIG. 3 also shows two H-shaped incisions  46  formed in the side panels  14 . The incisions  46  serve to secure the free end of a drapery once the drapery is wrapped around the core element  12 . Typically the drapery is protected by a plastic sheath or bag that forms a protective covering and extends beyond the upper and lower ends of the drapery. The portion of the sheath that extends beyond the free end of the drapery, once the drapery is wound onto the core, is inserted into one of the H-shaped incision  46  where it is captured and held in place. Either one of the two H-shaped incisions  46  can be used for this purpose depending on which of the incisions  46  is closest to the free end of the drapery. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the process of forming a drapery package by winding a drapery  50  around the core element  12  of the packaging element  10 . In this embodiment, an automatic winding apparatus is used to wind the drapery onto the core element  12 . The automatic winding apparatus includes a jig  52  secured to a motor  54  that serves to rotate the jig  52 . The jig  52  includes two pins  56  that pass through complimentary holes  58  in the side panels  14 . The draperies  50  that are wound up on to the packaging element  10  are typically pleated. Thus it is easy to push the pleats together so as to abut each other. The upper pleated portion of the drapery is then typically inserted into the U-shaped end  32  of the core element  12 , whereafter the rest of the drapery  50  is wound around the core element  12 . As discussed above, typically the drapery is protected by a plastic sheath or bag (not shown) that forms a protective covering and extends beyond the upper and lower ends of the drapery. The portion of the sheath extending beyond the upper pleated portion of the drapery is inserted into the incision  60  in the core element  12  (FIG.  2 ), thereby securing an initial portion (in this case, the pleated upper portion) of the drapery  50  relative to the core. It will be appreciated that any other portion of the drapery  50  could equally well be inserted into the U-shaped end  32  and the rest of the drapery  50  wound around the core element  12 . As explained above, the free end or ends of the drapery  50 , once the rest of the drapery has been wound around the core element  12 , is/are secured by inserting the protective sheath into one or both of the H-shaped incisions  46  in either one of the side panels  14 . 
     The resultant drapery package, comprising the drapery  50 , with its protective sheath, wound onto the packaging element  10 , is then removed from the jig  52  and placed into a carton. Typically a number of drapery packages, for example, 5, are packed into a carton and the carton sealed for shipping. 
     Instead of inserting the free end or ends of the drapery into the H-shaped incisions  46 , or in addition thereto, the drapery may be secured relative to the packaging element  10  by an elastic band, stretched wrap, or other suitable means. 
     It will be appreciated that the side panels  14  serve not only to space a drapery  50  from the inner surface of the carton to further reduce wrinkling of the drapery  50 , it also helps to avoid the drapery resting on the floor once it is removed from the carton. Furthermore, the side panels  14  help to retain the drapery between them, thereby avoiding the drapery slipping off the core element  12 . 
     It will be appreciated that the specific configuration of the embodiment illustrated in the FIGS. 1 through 4 is given purely by way of illustration and does not in any way limit the scope of the invention. Other embodiments for receiving and protecting a drapery can be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.