The present invention relates to a packaging for a textile product, comprising a container in which the product can be received, which container comprises a wall in which are provided inspection means whereby the product becomes available for at least visual inspection and which container comprises carrying means by which the container can be picked up.

For many textile products it is desirable and important that the product is visible to, and can preferably also be touched by, a potential purchaser thereof in order to be able to determine a nature, design, colour scheme and/or structure of a fabric used for the product. Partly for this reason many textiles are left unpackaged, which however entails a risk of fouling and degradation of the product. Instead, use is therefore also made of a textile packaging which protects the product against fouling and creasing. Such a packaging is for instance known for bedding such as (fitted) sheets, pillow cases and

(duvet) covers. A known textile packaging comprises a container from a clear, transparent plastic film, for instance of polyester, in which the product is accommodated in folded state. The product is here usually placed in or accompanied by a suitable paper or cardboard inlay, which provides space for an applicable imprint.

This packaging however has the drawback that the application of plastics for packaging is generally deemed undesirable from an environmental viewpoint. The known packaging moreover provides no further carrying means, so that in practice a carrier bag is usually offered therefor, which is often also made of plastic. Finally, the known textile packaging limits the product to a visual inspection, and the product cannot be touched therein. The present invention has for its object to provide a completely new packaging for a textile product, which obviates these and other drawbacks to at least significant extent.

In order to achieve the stated object a packaging of the type described in the preamble has for this purpose the feature according to the invention that the container is composed at least substantially wholly from an opaque, natural sheet material and that the inspection means comprise a panel which is manually removable from the wall and leaves a window in the wall. In a particular embodiment the sheet material comprises here a cardboard. The packaging is thus composed wholly of a natural sheet material, such as a cardboard, and is not dependent on a (transparent) plastic to enable a visual inspection of the product. Instead, the container is composed at least substantially wholly from a natural material. Despite the use of an otherwise opaque material for the packaging, the packaging thus need not be opened to nevertheless have a tangible or touchable product and to also be able to physically experience it in this way. This only requires the window to be opened up by removing the panel in situ. It is noted here that said removability of the panel may imply both a fully detachable panel and a replaceable, for instance hinged, panel.

The container according to the invention provides in at least one of the walls thereof a panel which can be manually detached therefrom. This provides a window in the relevant, otherwise opaque wall, through which the product is visible and, in particular, now also becomes available to touch. This visibility and touchability can be limited to a single packaging from a plurality of packagings with the same product in order to preserve the integrity of the other packagings and the products enclosed therein. The packaging can thus serve in particular as display packaging on a shelf with the same or similar products.

A particular embodiment of the packaging has the feature according to the invention that the wall comprises a separation zone around the panel, particularly a weakening zone in the sheet material, more particularly a perforation zone. Such a separation zone will usually be visually recognisable as such, whereby a user will achieve a removal of the panel wholly intuitively and thus open up the product for a visual inspection. In a preferred

embodiment the packaging according to the invention has the feature here that the panel comprises on a periphery thereof a distal tab which can be pressed out of the wall. Such a tab is defined in particular by said separation zone, which provides here a radially stretching extension to the outline of the panel and thus forms the tab. Pressing this tab into the container creates an opening in the wall which provides an engagement on the panel, whereby the panel can be pulled out of the wall. No additional tool or means is thus required in order to release the panel from the wall.

A further preferred embodiment of the packaging has the feature according to the invention that the carrying means comprise a handle which can be lifted up from the sheet material and which was released from the sheet material. The handle which was thus released from the sheet material provides a particularly practical engaging means by which the packaging can be carried along. A separate (plastic) carrier bag is therefore per se unnecessary, whereby the environment is in this respect also spared.

A particular embodiment of the packaging has the feature here according to the invention that the sheet material comprises along a part of an outline of the handle an incision and forms along a remaining part of the outline of the handle a fold line with the handle. The incision can here extend wholly or partially over a whole thickness of the sheet material and enables a manual release of the handle from (the surrounding part of) the sheet material. A portion of the outline of the handle has not been cut into here in order to thus provide a flat film hinge to the surrounding part of the sheet material.

With a view to increasing the stability of the handle thus formed from the sheet material, a further preferred embodiment of the packaging has the feature according to the invention that the handle comprises a set of handle parts which can be pivoted toward each other.

By taking up the container by these handle parts a rigid connection is realized

therebetween, which provides a particularly stable carrying comfort. Owing to application of the described container, the packaging according to the invention is not only particularly practical and environmentally friendly, but can also be put together in particularly efficient manner. A further preferred embodiment of the packaging has for this purpose the feature according to the invention that the container is folded entirely from a flat sheet of the sheet material. Up until the moment of being put together, the container thus takes up no or hardly any space, other than that being taken up by the (still) flat sheet. Furthermore, no separate components are required therefor, and a clever folding process suffices.

The invention therefore also relates to such a flat sheet, from which the container can be formed entirely. According to the invention, such a sheet is characterized by an outline which defines the final packaging and fold lines between individual wall parts of the container to be folded therefrom, wherein at least one of the wall parts comprises a panel which can be manually removed therefrom and is separated along a periphery of the panel from an adjacent part of the relevant wall part by a separation zone.

The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment and an accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a flat sheet according to the invention, from which a container according to the invention can be folded; Figure 2 is a first perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a container

according to the invention, which was assembled entirely from the sheet of figure 1;

Figure 3 is a second perspective view of the container of figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a third perspective view of the container of figure 2. It is otherwise noted here that the figures are purely schematic and not always drawn to (the same) scale. Some dimensions in particular may be exaggerated to greater or lesser extent for the sake of clarity. Corresponding parts are designated in the figures with the same reference numeral.

Figure 1 shows a flat sheet 10 with an outline which defines a final container foldable from the shown sheet. Such a sheet is usually referred to as the blank and in this embodiment is formed wholly from cardboard. The cardboard used in this case takes a two-layer form, which layers were glued to each other to have a combined thickness of several millimetres. This provides sufficient stability and strength to the walls of the container ultimately formed therefrom. A single-layer cardboard, cardboard with more layers and/or corrugated cardboard can otherwise also be applied for this purpose. Natural materials other than cardboard, such as wood fibreboard and bamboo, can additionally also be applied. The sheet material per se is naturally opaque and, if desired, is an ideal base for a suitable imprint.

Besides by the outline of shown sheet 10, the container to be formed therefrom is defined mainly by a number of fold lines 1 1 between contiguous walls 10A-10F of the container to be formed. These fold lines can be indicated only by a relevant imprint, but ideally, as in this embodiment, also comprise a weakening of the material of sheet 10 in the form of so- called scores or perforation lines. The sheet material is for this purpose processed locally with a suitable scoring or perforating member, such as a (perforating) wheel, for forming a local compression or broken line therein. These fold lines 1 1 ultimately correspond to the ribs of the container to be formed.

According to the invention, at least one of the walls 10A comprises a panel 15 which is removable therefrom. This panel 15 is defined by a separation zone in the form of a broken perforation line 12 which was arranged in the sheet material. A local extension thereof also defines a distal tongue or tab 16 on panel 15, which extends radially outward. Further provided in the sheet material is a set of cutting lines 13 which run all the way through a thickness of the sheet material and thereby define a set of handle parts 17. These handle parts 17 are connected over optionally imaginary fold lines 14 to the adjacent area of sheet material 10.

For the purpose of a final assembly and stability of the container, the sheet material comprises an adhesive strip 18 and a set of strengthening walls 21 which are likewise provided with a fold line 1 1. Also formed in/from the sheet material is a set of closing tongues 20 which are received in slots 19 provided for this purpose. Figure 2 shows which container can be folded from the sheet material 10 of figure 1 by simply folding over the different parts along the predefined fold lines 1 1, placing tongues 20 in the slots 19 provided therefor, and glueing glue strip 18 to a back of the adjacent wall 10D.

The final packaging comprises a stable block-shaped container in which a textile product 30, such as a (fitted) sheet, duvet, duvet cover or pillow case, is accommodated. This product lies enclosed and protected within the walls 10A-10F of the container, but is accessible after panel 15 is removed. For this purpose a finger is used to press the pressing lip/tab 16 inward and thus force an opening for a finger in wall 10A. This opening then provides a point of engagement for pulling panel 15 from wall 10A along the separation zone 12 provided for this purpose, and removing it. This creates a window 25, see also figure 3, through which product 30 can be visually inspected and, if desired, can moreover be touched by taking hold of the thus accessible part of product 30. The colour, composition and also other physical properties of the product can thus be assessed and experienced without having to open the packaging any further.

A set of handle parts can be removed from the relevant wall 10F on an upper side of the container, along the incisions 13 which were arranged. These handle parts can here be pivoted toward each other about a pivot axis imposed by fold line 14. Together, handle parts 17 form a particularly practical and stable handle as soon as they have been brought together, see also figure 4.

In closed form, the packaging shown in the figures provides a particularly strong and stable packaging for the product, which optimally protects the integrity thereof. In this form the packaging can serve particularly well for storage and stocking, but is also suitable for posting of the product, which thereby need no longer be wrapped or provided with a surrounding transport box, also referred to as outer box. The chosen form of the packaging not only provides advantages in respect of storage, but is also ideal as presentation means for the product without case or shelf, and makes the packaging especially well stackable.

On the product shelf, panel 15 can be removed and the packaging takes on the form of figure 3 so as to display the product and allow it to be touched. The panel can remain joined, for instance on a longitudinal side, particularly on an underside, to an adjacent part of the relevant side of the packaging, whereby it hinges relative thereto over an optionally scored hinge line. The panel can also take a different reclosable form, whereby a packaging, once opened, can be returned at least substantially to the original position and state without damage or visible opening. The function of the packaging as protection for the product can thus be fully restored, not only against physical damage or fouling but also against discolouration or other degradation as a result of the effect of sunlight.

Finally, handle 17 provides a practical means by which a product, once purchased, can be carried along. The packaging provides all these functions from a sheet material of natural origin and thereby spares the environment. The chosen block shape moreover enables a close stacking of products packaged therein, whereby loss of space in transport, storage and shelf space is prevented as far as possible. Although the invention has been further elucidated above with reference to only a single exemplary embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto. On the contrary, many variations and embodiments are still possible within the scope of the invention for a person with ordinary skill in the art. The example is thus based on a block shape as embodiment of the packaging according to the invention, but the invention can likewise be applied in a packaging with a different shape, such as for instance spherical, pyramidal, pentagonal or any other suitable embodiment. The invention obviates drawbacks associated with existing packagings in all cases in that, at least in one or more embodiments, the invention:

allows the packaging to be opened and reclosed invisibly in order to thus be able to see and/or feel the product;

provides sufficient protection against sunlight for light-sensitive products, which will thereby not become discoloured and/or degrade prematurely;

does not require a variety of materials, which would otherwise often be impossible to recycle together, or even impossible or difficult to recycle at all, this without detracting from practical usability;

is very suitable for products of various natures and/or dimensionings; owing to the choice of at least highly form-retaining sheet material for the walls, the packaging according to the invention provides a strong, dimensional ly stable covering;

can always be displayed adequately, also without a shelf;

can per se be (wholly) closely stacked and moreover carried and posted, without requiring an outer box or the like for this purpose;

is fully recyclable with hardly any loss of value, for instance in that, owing to the use of a mono-material such as cardboard therefor, this material can once again be fully used as mono-material when reused.