Gift Wrapping Material and Method

Abstract

Gift Wrapping Material and Method providing a paper-like material in sheet form having a design on at least one side of the material, having a means of separating the material such as perforations arranged in a pattern or grid, and having an adhesive means such as tape or glue arranged along the potential new edges created by separating the material, producing a gift wrapping material that may be used without tools or supplies in order to wrap gifts of a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and may be easily reused on other gifts of equal or smaller size.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/986,792 filed 9 Nov. 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Wrapping a gift in a traditional manner can be complex due to the need for tools like scissors and supplies like adhesive tape in addition to the wrapping paper itself. Determining the proper size to cut the paper is non-intuitive and difficult. Picking up and putting down tools and supplies while wrapping gifts is a further difficulty. Assembling the proper tools and supplies can be difficult for the occasional gift wrapper. Any mobility or coordination problems which make it difficult to use tools and supplies or make it difficult to hold wrapping paper in position while using tools and supplies can be a further complexity in wrapping a gift.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention is a Gift Wrapping Material and Method providing a paper-like material in sheet form having a design on at least one side of the material, having a means of separating the material such as perforations arranged in a pattern or grid, and having an adhesive means such as tape or glue arranged along the potential new edges created by separating the material, producing a gift wrapping material that may be used without tools or supplies in order to wrap gifts of a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and may be easily reused on other gifts of equal or smaller size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows two instances of embodiments of the invention in obverse and reverse view.

FIG. 2 shows three obverse views of embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a reverse view of an embodiment of the invention indicating placement of perforations and adhesive.

FIG. 4 shows two reverse views of embodiments of the invention having various patterns of perforations and adhesive and various overall shapes and sizes.

FIG. 5 shows three obverse views of embodiments of the invention having various designs and various overall shapes and sizes.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

This invention is a Gift Wrapping Material and Method providing a paper-like material in sheet form, such as paper, having a design on at least one side of the material, having a means of separating the material such as perforations arranged in a pattern or grid, and having an adhesive means such as tape or glue arranged along the potential new edges created by separating the material, producing a gift wrapping material that may be used without tools or supplies in order to wrap gifts of a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and may be easily reused on other gifts of equal or smaller size.

The method of the invention may be used for wrapping objects more mundane than gifts in the traditional sense. The method may be used, for example, on parcels to be sent through the mails.

The gift wrapping material is substantially flat, such as a piece of paper or similar known material. It has a design printed or otherwise placed on at least one of the two faces of the material, called the obverse face here. The presence or absence of any design or print-through on the reverse face is not critical. The design on the obverse face can be any of a variety of designs suitable for wrapping gifts, could be generally decorative or occasion-specific, and could be a minimal design such as a solid color or the raw appearance of the material itself.

The overall dimensions of any sheet of the gift wrapping material can be any size that reasonably accommodates its function. An approximate size of twenty inches by thirty-two inches is a useful size that can be conveniently displayed and transported while providing sufficient material to wrap an average gift not bigger than a bread box. Multiple sheets of the material may be used for large gifts.

The gift wrapping material incorporates a means of separating the material by hand, without using tools like scissors or other blades. Perforating the material using known methods is one such means. Suitable perforations will not be seen or will not be objectionable on the obverse face of the material having the design. Visibility of perforations on the reverse face is not objectionable.

In use, a gift to be wrapped may be placed upon the reverse face of the material and be tried for fit. The material is separated at the proper place without the need for any tool, and without having to let go of the gift and material in order to pick up any tool. In a high-volume gift wrapping environment, the economy of movement allowed by the invention may be significant.

In use, the just-separated new edge or edges of the material are adhered back to the material in a manner described below in order to complete the wrapping of the gift. This adhering step may also be performed without the use of tools or supplies like adhesive tape, and without having to let go of the material, facilitating more economy of movement.

The gift wrapping material also comprises an adhesive means arranged on the reverse face, by which a newly separated edge or an existing edge of the reverse face of the material may be adhered back to the material, usually at a location on the obverse face. The adhesive means is arranged on the reverse face of the material along the existing edges and along the separation means or perforations, forming strips of adhesive that will provide any newly-separated edge with a strip of adhesive already in place. Application of adhesive on the reverse face outside of the defined strips, or over the entire reverse face, may be allowable for certain types of adhesives and where such a method of manufacture is more economical, but the presence or absence of such extra adhesive is not critical to the operation of the invention.

The adhesive means may be a known means such as adhesive tape or an applied adhesive suitable for the purpose such as a pressure-activated adhesive. A moisture-activated adhesive is suitable, although its use requires an added small step of moistening the appropriate edge. A functioning prototype of the invention may be made up using known double-stick tape. Using a double-stick tape or a similar adhesive means will result in the existence of the tape's protective strips running along the edges and perforations of the reverse face of the material. If such protective strips are sufficiently thin and flexible, their presence will not interfere with the operation of the invention. Protective strips introduce an added small step of removing such strips during the wrapping process. If an adhesive such as double-stick tape is used, there is an advantage to placing the tape on the material before any perforating process is performed, so that the tape and protective strip may also be perforated and made more easily separable.

The gift wrapping material of the invention is conveniently reusable in a number of ways. Portions of a sheet not used for wrapping an initial gift may be used to wrap a subsequent smaller gift. After a gift is unwrapped, the material may be saved and reused on a subsequent gift of the same size or smaller. If the full amount of the used material is not suitable for reuse because of damage, a smaller amount of reusable material can be salvaged by separating the material at the proper line of separation.

Referring to FIG. 1, two sheets of an embodiment of gift wrapping material 10 according to the invention are shown. One sheet is shown in obverse 11, showing a design printed on the obverse face 13. The other sheet is shown in reverse 12, showing the reverse face 14, the means of separating the sheet 15 such as perforations arranged on the reverse face, and the adhesive means 16 such as tape arranged along the edges and along the means of separation such as perforations.

Referring to FIG. 2, three sheets of an embodiment of gift wrapping material 10 are shown in obverse 11, showing a variety of designs printed on the obverse faces 13.

Referring to FIG. 3, a sheet of an embodiment of gift wrapping material 10 is shown in reverse 12. Arranged upon the reverse face 14 are means of separating the sheet 15 such as perforations. In this embodiment, the perforations are arranged to form a grid forming oblong rectangles. If this embodiment were twenty inches high by thirty-two inches wide, which is a useful embodiment of the invention, then the horizontal lines of separation would be placed every two inches and the vertical lines of separation every four inches. Other dimensions and proportions are possible and useful. The adhesive means 16 such as tape is shown arranged along the outer or existing edges of the sheet of material and along the lines of separation, each of which potentially forms a new edge when the invention is used.

Referring to FIG. 4, alternative embodiments of the invention are shown having a variety of dimensions and proportions and arrangements of lines of separation and adhesive.

Referring to FIG. 5, alternative embodiments of the invention are shown in obverse, having a variety of dimensions, proportions, and designs.

While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to its preferred embodiments, the principles and modes of operation of the invention have also been described in this specification. The invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular forms disclosed, which are illustrative rather than restrictive. Modifications, variations, and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as described by the following claims.

Claims

1. A gift wrapping material comprising:

a paper-like material in sheet form, said sheet having edges and having an obverse face and a reverse face;

a decorative design on said obverse face;

at least one line of easy separation potentially dividing said material; and

strips of potential adhesion arranged on said reverse face along said edges and along said lines of easy separation.

2. The gift wrapping material of claim 1, wherein said paper-like material is paper.

3. The gift wrapping material of claim 1, wherein said lines of separation are formed by perforating said sheet.

4. The gift wrapping material of claim 1, wherein said strips of potential adhesion are further comprised of adhesive tape.

5. The gift wrapping material of claim 1, wherein said strips of potential adhesion are further comprised of an applied adhesive.

6. The gift wrapping material of claim 1, wherein said lines of easy separation form a grid.

7. The gift wrapping material of claim 1, wherein said lines of easy separation are arranged so that increments of approximately ten percent of said sheet's initial length or width may be separated at a given said line of easy separation.

8. The gift wrapping material of claim 1, wherein said decorative design is chosen from a list comprising paisley, circles, lines, flowers, plants, trees, geometric patterns, natural patterns, holiday symbols, religious symbols, sporting symbols, cultural symbols, musical symbols, and abstract designs.

9. A gift wrapping material comprising:

a paper-like material in sheet form, said sheet having edges and having an obverse face and a reverse face;

a decorative design on said obverse face;

at least one line of a means of easy separation potentially dividing said material; and

strips of means of potential adhesion arranged on said reverse face along said edges and along said lines of means of easy separation.

10. A method of wrapping gifts comprising:

providing a paper-like material in sheet form, said sheet having edges and having an obverse face and a reverse face;

providing a decorative design on said obverse face;

providing at least one line of easy separation potentially dividing said material; and

providing strips of potential adhesion arranged on said reverse face along said edges and along said lines of easy separation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said paper-like material is paper.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said lines of separation are formed by perforating said sheet.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said strips of potential adhesion are further comprised of adhesive tape.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said strips of potential adhesion are further comprised of an applied adhesive.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said lines of easy separation form a grid.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said lines of easy separation are arranged so that increments of approximately ten percent of said sheet's initial length or width may be separated at a given said line of easy separation.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said decorative design is chosen from a list comprising paisley, circles, lines, flowers, plants, trees, geometric patterns, natural patterns, holiday symbols, religious symbols, sporting symbols, cultural symbols, musical symbols, and abstract designs.