Shrink wrapping with product touch aperture

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to point of sale shrink wrapped articles. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a shrink wrapped article having an aperture formed in the shrink wrapping to enable a prospective purchaser to feel the surface texture or other tactile feature of the article therethrough.

Books and other articles that are commonly encased in plastics shrink wrapping at the point of sale cannot be felt by a prospective purchaser. The tactile senses of a purchaser play a major part in making a decision to purchase an article. The “feel” of a leather-bound book for example, cannot be determined if the book is shrink wrapped on the shop shelf.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above problem and/or more generally to provide a shrink wrapped article having an aperture through the shrink wrapping to enable a tactile assessment of the article, or other touching action prior to purchase.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a point of sale article, comprising:

• • a shrink wrapped cover at least substantially encasing the article,
  • an aperture in the cover, and
  • a reinforcement surrounding the aperture.

Preferably, the reinforcement is a label adhered to the cover.

There is further disclosed herein a method of wrapping an article for point of sale display, comprising:

• • (a) placing a protective sheet upon the article,
  • (b) shrink wrapping a plastics cover onto the article retaining the protective sheet thereunder,
  • (c) cutting an aperture in the plastics cover adjacent to the protective sheet such that the protective sheet protects the article from cutting, and
  • (d) withdrawing the protective sheet through the aperture.

Preferably, the method further comprises the step of attaching a reinforcement to the cover after step (c).

Preferably, the reinforcement is an adhesive label.

Alternatively, the method further comprises the step of attaching a reinforcement to the cover before step (c).

In this alternative method, step (c) cuts an aperture through the reinforcement.

Electronic toys for example are often provided with a “Try me” pushbutton. Such articles might now be shrink wrapped in accordance with the present invention, wherein the prospective purchaser might insert his or her finger through the aperture to activate the pushbutton.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a hardcover book having a protective sheet placed thereon,

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 1 having a shrink wrapped cover thereon,

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 2 having a reinforcement sticker attached to the shrink wrapping above the protective sheet,

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 3 having an aperture cut through the reinforcement sticker and shrink wrapping,

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 4 having the protective sheet withdrawn through the aperture,

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 5 ready for stocking on the shelf of a bookshop,

FIG. 7 repeats FIG. 1,

FIG. 8 repeats FIG. 2,

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 8 having an aperture cut through the shrink wrapping,

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 9 having the protective sheet withdrawn through the aperture, and

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective illustration of the book of FIG. 10 ready for stocking on the shelf of a bookshop.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIGS. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically the various steps in a first method of shrink wrapping a book with the cover having an aperture therethrough. In this method, a book 10 which might have a leather bound cover has placed upon it a protective sheet 11. The sheet 11 might be made of metal foil, plastics material or other cut-resistant, flexible sheeting. The protective sheet 11 and book 10 are then shrink wrapped with a plastics cover 12. The shrink wrapping process entraps the protective sheet 11 against the book 10.

A sticker 13 is then adhered to the shrink wrapping directly above the position of the protective sheet 11.

A piece 15 of the sticker and the adhered shrink wrapping is then cut to form an aperture 14 in the shrink wrapping 12. This cutting step might be performed by a blade or a laser cutting tool. Either way, the protective sheet 11 prevents any damage being caused by the cutting operation to the book 10.

The protective sheet 11 is then withdrawn through the aperture 14 as shown in FIG. 5. V. wrapped book can then be stocked in a shop where the user can feel the surface texture of the leather through the aperture 14.

An alternative method is depicted in FIGS. 7 to 11. In this method, the aperture 14 is cut through the shrink wrapping and a piece 15 to be discarded comprises shrink wrapping only. The protective sheet 11 is withdrawn through the aperture 14 and the sticker 13 which has an aperture corresponding in shape and size to aperture 14 is adhered to the shrink wrapping 12 about aperture 14.

The sticker 13 might be imprinted with words such as “Feel me”, “Try me” etc. The sticker would also provide reinforcement to the shrink wrapping to prevent tearing of the shrink wrapping around the aperture 14.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, the protective sheet might be withdrawn from underneath the shrink wrapping other than through the aperture.