Packing supports

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packing support for a shirt, the shirt having a collar defining a collar opening. In one aspect, the packing support comprises a support panel and an under-collar support configured for supporting the folded collar, in use. The support panel has a width defined between respective outermost lateral edges, and the under-collar support extends substantially parallel to the width of the panel and has a width no more than 20% greater than the width of the support panel. In another aspect, the packing support comprises a support panel around which the shirt is folded, in use, and a collar support member configured for supporting the folded collar, in use. The support panel and the collar support member are separate components, connected to one another to form the packing support. The support panel is cut from a corrugated fibreboard sheet material, and the collar support member is cut from a transparent plastics sheet material. The present invention seeks to provide an alternative to shirt packaging of the prior art, and particularly to have less wastage of typically fibreboard sheet material from which the support panel is cut.

1 . A packing support for a shirt, the shirt having a collar defining a collar opening, the packing support comprising:
 a support panel around which the shirt is folded, in use; and   an under-collar support configured for supporting the folded collar, in use;   wherein the support panel has a width defined between respective outermost lateral edges, and wherein the under-collar support extends substantially parallel to the width of the panel and has a width no more than 20% greater than the width of the support panel.   
     
     
         2 . The packing support of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the under-collar support is no more than 15% greater than the width of the support panel. 
     
     
         3 . The packing support of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the under-collar support is no more than  10 % greater than the width of the support panel. 
     
     
         4 . The packing support of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the under-collar support is substantially equal to the width of the support panel. 
     
     
         5 . The packing support of  claim 1 , wherein the packing support is a single, integrally formed component. 
     
     
         6 . The packing support of  claim 1 , wherein the packing support is formed from a sheet material. 
     
     
         7 . The packing support of  claim 6 , wherein the sheet material is corrugated fibreboard. 
     
     
         8 . The packing support of  claim 1 , wherein the support panel and the under-collar support are separate components, connected to one another to form the packing support, wherein the support panel is formed from a first sheet material, and wherein the under-collar support is formed from a second sheet material, different to the first. 
     
     
         9 . The packing support of  claim 8 , wherein first sheet material comprises corrugated fibreboard and the second sheet material comprises a transparent plastics sheet material. 
     
     
         10 . The packing support of  claim 8 , wherein one of the under-collar support and the support panel has defined therein at least a connecting slot, and the other of the under-collar support and the support panel has extending therefrom at least a complimentary connecting tab, arranged to connect the under-collar support to the support panel by engagement of the connecting tab in the connecting slot. 
     
     
         11 . A packing support for a shirt, the shirt having a collar defining a collar opening, the packing support comprising:
 a support panel around which the shirt is folded, in use; and   a collar support member configured for supporting the folded collar, in use;   wherein the support panel and the collar support member are separate components, connected to one another to form the packing support, wherein the support panel is formed from a first sheet material, and wherein the collar support member is formed from a second sheet material, different to the first.   
     
     
         12 . The packing support of  claim 11 , wherein first sheet material comprises corrugated fibreboard and the second sheet material comprises a transparent plastics sheet material. 
     
     
         13 . The packing support of  claim 12 , wherein the transparent plastics sheet material comprises polypropylene. 
     
     
         14 . The packing support of  claim 11 , wherein one of the collar support member and the support panel has defined therein at least a connecting slot, and the other of the collar support member and the support panel has extending therefrom at least a complimentary connecting tab, arranged to connect the collar support member to the support panel by engagement of the connecting tab in the connecting slot. 
     
     
         15 . The packing support of  claim 11 , wherein the collar support member comprises:
 a connection portion including said at least a connecting slot or at least a complimentary connecting tab;   an under-collar support configured for supporting the folded collar, in use; and   an inner collar support configured for forming, in use, a ring within the collar opening.   
     
     
         16 . The packing support of  claim 15 , wherein the collar support member further comprises a connecting member connecting the connection portion to the inner collar support by extending from an end of the connection portion to the inner collar support wherein the connecting member is dimensioned to connect the inner collar support to the connection portion while the inner collar support is positioned within the collar opening of the shirt. 
     
     
         17 . The packing support of  claim 16 , wherein the length of the connecting member between the connection portion and the inner collar support is at least the depth of the inner collar support. 
     
     
         18 . The packing support of  claim 15 , wherein the under-collar support is connected to the connection portion between the inner collar support and the connection portion. 
     
     
         19 . The packing support of  claim 11 , wherein the shirt has a series of front buttons and is folded when packed with a lower portion of the front of the shirt behind an upper portion of the front of the shirt, the packing support further comprising a button tab configured to secure one of the front buttons of the lower portion of the packed shirt to the packing support to retain the packed shirt in a folded configuration, wherein the button tab has at least one hole defined therein for engagement with one of the front buttons. 
     
     
         20 . The packing support of  claim 19 , wherein the button tab is defined by at least one cut through the material of the packing support. 
     
     
         21 . The packing support of  claim 11 , wherein the packing support further comprises a hanging tab for connection to a hanger. 
     
     
         22 . The packing support of  claim 21 , wherein the hanging tab extends from the support panel. 
     
     
         23 . The packing support of  claim 21 , wherein the hanging tab comprises at least one creased line provided between the hanging tab and the support panel. 
     
     
         24 . The packing support of  claim 11 , wherein the support panel comprises a central portion that is foldable along a fold line to bring a free end thereof downward to a position beyond a lower edge of the support panel prior to said fold, thereby extending the effective height of the support panel. 
     
     
         25 . The packing support of  claim 11 , wherein the support panel defines, in use, a portion of the front of the packed shirt behind which the remainder of the front of the shirt is folded. 
     
     
         26 . The packing support of  claim 11  in combination with a shirt.