AU2004100742A4 - Reduced volume packaging of a compressible article - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: Reduced volume packaging of a compressible article The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 004537568 2 REDUCED VOLUME PACKAGING OF A COMPRESSIBLE ARTICLE Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the reduced volume packaging of a compressible article in a manner which allows substantially full volume recovery by reinflation of the article.

Background of the Invention It has been known to compress articles such as pillows and other fibre-filled products for more space-efficient shipping and storage. If an article is compressed and its compressed state maintained, it occupies less volume and is therefore less expensive to transport, and greater numbers of the article can be stored in a given space in warehouses and retail stores.

A number of methods for compressing an article have been disclosed. US patent 4,054,204 is an early example of using a vacuum to withdraw the air from within a sack containing an article fabricated from a flexible and compressive foam material. The sack is sealed by tying a piece of string around the top of the sack.

This method does not give an airtight seal, and so the compressed sack is placed in a box for transport and storage. To uncompress the article, it is wholly removed from the packaging.

US patent 4,768,247 discloses a travel pillow positioned in a plastic bag.

The end of the bag has a zipper to close the bag, and a one-way air valve is provided to exhaust air from within the bag and pillow when the bag and pillow are pressed firmly, thereby reducing the thickness of the pillow. Again, this method is not air-tight and to maintain a compressed state the pillow is either placed in a container or rolled up and secured by hook and loop fasteners or similar.

US patent 5,480,030 discloses a construction that can be permanently compressed. A pillow, or similar article, is placed in a bag and its open end is then sealed, by pinching the opening with an extrusion, to provide an air-tight seal. The excess air is then evacuated with a vacuum placed over a one-way valve. A cup is 004537568 3 thereafter placed over the valve to ensure a permanent seal. To release the compression, the cap is removed and the article slowly inflates, or the extrusion is removed.

The above valve mechanisms and sealing means are not acceptable in a retail environment. The packaging process and the package are relatively expensive and the bag is typically disposed of once the customer takes the article home.

A method of packaging has been disclosed in which an article housed in an open plastic bag is compressed and the bag then heat sealed closed, in a single operation. This permanently restrains the article in a compressed reduced-volume state. Although this simple arrangement reduces packaging costs, retailers and consumers have remained hesitant to accept compressible products such as pillows and other fibre-filled products in a compressed state. Consumers are reluctant to purchase articles such as pillows without the opportunity to test the pillow in store. It has been a practice in the past for the retailer to use a pair of scissors to remove a corner of the sealed bag, allowing the pillow to uncompress for display in the store and sale. This approach is less than ideal as it requires scissors to be on hand and, unless the pillow is immediately purchased, leaves the packaging in an unsatisfactory state.

It is an object of the invention to provide a compressed packaging system which is sufficiently attractive in its overall concept for retailers and consumers to more readily accept the use of the system in stores and other retail outlets.

Summary of the Invention It has been realised in accordance with the invention that the object can be met by providing compressed packaging with a reinflation opening rendered operative by drawing up a tab that overlies and seals the opening.

The present invention accordingly provides, in a first aspect, a packaged article comprising: 004537568 4 an article compressed from a normal volume to a reduced volume with removal of air therefrom, which article is maintained substantially at its reduced volume by being encased in an airtight bag; a reinflation opening in said bag for admitting air to the interior of the bag; a tab overlying said opening on the exterior of the bag, which tab is, in a first portion of the tab that extends about the opening, adhered to the bag by adhesive means to prevent admission of air into the bag; and a hand-graspable second portion of said tab not adhered to the bag, wherein said adhesive means and said opening are such that said graspable second portion of said tab may be grasped and drawn so as to release at least part of said first portion of the tab from adhesion to the bag without tearing the bag, whereby to admit air to the interior of the bag and reinflate said article substantially to said normal volume.

The present invention further provides, in a second aspect, a method for packaging a compressible article including: placing said article in a bag, said bag having an open end, a reinflation opening for admitting air to the interior of said bag and a tab overlying said opening on the exterior of said bag; compressing said article and said bag from a normal volume to a reduced volume with removal of air therefrom; and sealing said open end of said bag, so that said product is substantially maintained at its reduced volume encased in the bag as an airtight bag; wherein said tab has a first portion that extends about said opening, adhered to said bag by adhesive means to prevent admission of air into said bag, and a hand-graspable second portion not adhered to said bag; 004537568 and wherein said hand-graspable second portion of said tab may be grasped and drawn so as to release at least part of said first portion of the tab from adhesion to the bag without tearing the bag, whereby to admit air to the interior of the bag and reinflate said article substantially to said normal state.

In a third aspect the invention provides a bag for encasing a compressed reduced-volume product in an air-tight state, said bag including: a reinflation opening for admitting air to the interior of the bag; a tab overlying said opening on the exterior of the bag, which tab is, in a first portion of the tab that extends about the opening, adhered to the bag by adhesive means to prevent admission of air into the bag; and a hand-graspable second portion of said tab not adhered to the bag; wherein said adhesive means and said opening are such that said handgraspable second portion of said tab may be grasped and drawn so as to release at least part of said first portion of the tab from adhesion to the bag without tearing the bag, whereby to admit air to the interior of the bag and reinflate an article therein substantially to a normal volume.

Preferably, said bag is of a heat sealable polymeric material, eg.

polyethylene, whereby said bag may be made airtight after compression of the article by fusing the open end closed.

Preferably, said adhesive means is an adhesive film, web or network.

Where the bag is polyethylene, the adhesive film may be a removable adhesive.

Advantageously, said bag and packaged article reinflate, on release of said part of said first portion from adhesion to the bag, within 5-30 seconds, preferably within 10-20 seconds.

004537568 6 The diameter of the reinflation opening is dependent on the volume of the article and also of the bag, and on the desired time period for reinflation. When the article is a pillow, the reinflation opening may conveniently have a width or diameter in the range 0.5 to 2 cm, eg. about 1cm.

Said tab may be any shape or size, but is conveniently of oval shape.

Advantageously, said packaged article is a fibre-filled article typically for bedding, for example a pillow, quilt, mattress protector/cover, or pillow protector/cover.

Brief Description of the Drawing The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawing, which is a perspective view of a packaged pillow in a compressed state, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 shows a packaged compressible article 10, being a fibre-filled pillow 12 which is in a compressed state. Pillow 12 is encased in an air-tight bag 14, which maintains the pillow substantially at its reduced volume. Bag 14 includes a reinflation opening in the form of a generally circular hole 16, and a tab 18 overlying the hole.

Tab 18 is of oval configuration and includes a first, major, portion 20 and a second, minor, portion 22. First portion 20 overlies and extends about hole 16 and is adhered to bag 14 about the hole. Second portion 22, comprising one end of tab 14, is not adhered to bag 14 and is hand-graspable so as to be able to be drawn back to release at least part of first portion 20 from adhesion to the bag and thereby to expose hole 16 to the local atmosphere.

Tab portion 20 is adhered to the external surface of the bag 14 by an adhesive film selected so that the tab can be drawn back by hand and removed substantially without tearing bag 14.

004537568 7 Packaged article 10 is formed in the following manner. An uncompressed pillow is placed in bag 14 by passing the pillow in through an open end of the bag.

Pillow 10 and bag 14 are compressed from a normal volume to a reduced volume, removing air from therein in the process. The open end of bag 14 is then sealed closed, for example by applying heat to fuse the bag sides closed over the open end to form an airtight packaged article 10, which is maintained in its reduced volume by being encased in bag 14. The heat-fused end seam is indicated at 15 in the drawing.

Packaged pillow 10 is then ready to be transported and stored. Due to the reduced volume up to four pillows 10 are typically able to fit in a space previously required for one uncompressed pillow. When pillows 10 arrive at retail outlets, they can be stored in the compressed state. A selected pillow or number of pillows can be uncompressed either by the retailer for display and handling, or by the customer at the time of purchase or after purchase, eg. at home.

To uncompress the pillow, second portion 22 of tab 18 is grasped and drawn to release at least part of the first portion 20 from adhesion to the bag surface, thereby admitting air through hole 16 and allowing pillow 10 to quickly reinflate substantially to its normal volume in an uncompressed state.

To achieve reinflation within 5-30 seconds, preferably within 10-20 seconds, hole 16 is suitably around 0.5 to 2.0, eg. 1.0, cm in diameter. Tab 18 is large enough to well cover and surround hole 16, and for end-portion 22 to be comfortably and firmly grasped between finger and thumb or finger. A particularly suitable tab is an oval or rectangle, of major dimension in the range 30 to 100 mm and minor dimension in the range 25 to 50 mm.

The adhesive is selected to ensure an airtight closure of hole 16 for the desired storage period prior to retail sale, eg. a storage period up to several months, yet be releasable from bag 14 without tearing the bag. Where bag 14 is polyethylene, a suitable adhesive is a removable adhesive, eg. that sold commercially under the trade mark Raflatac.

004537568 8 In practice, tab 18 may initially have an adhesive film over its entire bottom surface, but a kill adhesive substance is applied to tab portion 22 to free it against from being adhesive.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated packaging system has significant attractions. The bag 10 is relatively simple to make, differing from a standard bag only by the presence of hole 14 and the attachment of tab 18. The initial compression and sealing operation is easily carried out with equipment already available, and the packaged article easily reinflated without use of a tool and just when convenient to the retailer and/or customer.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. A packaged article comprising: an article compressed from a normal volume to a reduced volume with removal of air therefrom, which article is maintained substantially at its reduced volume by being encased in an airtight bag; a reinflation opening in said bag for admitting air to the interior of the bag; a tab overlying said opening on the exterior of the bag, which tab is, in a first portion of the tab that extends about the opening, adhered to the bag by adhesive means to prevent admission of air into the bag; and a hand-graspable second portion of said tab not adhered to the bag; wherein said adhesive means and said opening are such that said graspable second portion of said tab may be grasped and drawn so as to release at least part of said first portion of the tab from adhesion to the bag without tearing the bag, whereby to admit air to the interior of the bag and reinflate said article substantially to said normal volume.

2. A packaged article according to claim 1, wherein said article is a pillow.

3. A method for packaging a compressible article including: placing said article in a bag, said bag having an open end, a reinflation opening for admitting air to the interior of said bag and a tab overlying said opening on the exterior of said bag; compressing said article and said bag from a normal volume to a reduced volume with removal of air therefrom; and sealing said open end of said bag, so that said product is substantially maintained at its reduced volume encased in the bag as an airtight bag; 004537568 wherein said tab has a first portion that extends about said opening, adhered to said bag by adhesive means to prevent admission of air into said bag, and a hand-graspable second portion not adhered to said bag; and wherein said hand-graspable second portion of said tab may be grasped and drawn so as to release at least part of said first portion of the tab from adhesion to the bag without tearing the bag, whereby to admit air to the interior of the bag and reinflate said article substantially to said normal state.

4. A method for packaging a compressible article according to claim 3, wherein said article is a pillow. A bag for encasing a compressed reduced-volume product in an air-tight state, said bag including: a reinflation opening for admitting air to the interior of the bag; a tab overlying said opening on the exterior of the bag, which tab is, in a first portion of the tab that extends about the opening, adhered to the bag by adhesive means to prevent admission of air into the bag; and a hand-graspable second portion of said tab not adhered to the bag; wherein said adhesive means and said opening are such that said hand- graspable second portion of said tab may be grasped and drawn so as to release at least part of said first portion of the tab from adhesion to the bag without tearing the bag, whereby to admit air to the interior of the bag and reinflate an article therein substantially to a normal volume. Pacific Brands Clothing Pty Ltd By its Registered Patent Attorneys Freehills Carter Smith Beadle 3 September 2004