_Th e present invention relates to a necktie package, intended for storage and transport of neckties and providing both a periferial support as well as a radial support.

Neckties often have a considerable length and therefore in most packages it will be found necessary to store and transport them in a folded condition.

The wrinkles which then arise, will very often be visible when the necktie is used afterwards when it has been unpacked.

This problem appears particularly during travels when a number of neckties must be packed into a suitcase offering limited space, and normally without any protection against folding or wrinkling. Also in the different stages of the distribution chain this kind of problem arises.

In U.S. Patent No. 5,181,670 is disclosed a storage apparatus for storing a necktie. The apparatus includes a case with one or two slits and a lid with a first and a second necktie rod connected to the lid. The apparatus is primarily intended for the storage of a necktie folded in two. One disadvantages with this solution is that the roll will not be round but oval due to the the two rods and there is not full support of the necktie as every second layer may contain a much narrower portion of the necktie.

The object of the invention therefore has been to accomplish a necktie package, which permits a storage of a necktie such that it may be stored unfolded with a good support from the underlying layer, but still within a limited space.

Another object has been to accomplish a package which fully protects the necktie and which is simple to use and cheap to produce.

For the realization of these and other object the invention has the characteristics as stated in the appended claims.

In the appended drawings a couple of indicated embodiments of the invention are demonstrated as examples, whereby

Fig. 1 is a side view, in part in cross section, of a first embodiment of the new necktie package according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the package according to Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is finally a longitudinal cross section of a second embodiment of the invention.

The necktie package shown in Figs. 1-2 comprises a drum, generally indicated by the reference number 1, which exhibits a preferably hollow hub 2 having an axially running, penetrating slit 3. The flanges of the drum run essentially perpendicular to the hub in the first portions 4a, 4b of their radial extension, but change at a distance from the center of the drum into portions 5a, 5b which may have a stepped or curved contour and being constituted such, that a line, parallel to the rotational axis of the drum, starting from a point on the first portion 5a and ending at a point on the other portion 5b, will have a length which increases with the distance of this line from the center of the drum in a manner which will be stated later.

The portion 5b of one flange 4b in the illustrative embodiment shown changes into a cylindrical portion 6, which in turn changes into a somewhat larger cylindrical portion 7.

In the end surface of said flange 4b one or more notches 8 are arranged.

The necktie package according to Figs. 1-2 additionally comprises a cylindrical gable, generally indicated by the reference number 9, exhibiting a centrally disposed shaft 10, in relation to which the drum 1 is pivotally journalled. In a notch 11 in said gable

is arranged a shaft 12 around which a lever 13 is pivotally journalled, which lever by a spring, not shown, is held in the position demonstrated in Fig. 1. The lever is journalled close to its free end and, as is demonstrated by the Figure, the upper portion of the lever therefore will constitute an influencing means when a person by means of a finger wants to swing the lever up to the position indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 1. As is further seen from Fig. 1, the lever preferably in the influencing position abuts the portion 6 of the drum, but it may have any suitable form for the intended purpose.

A necktie is indicated by 14 and a tubular, preferably transpar¬ ent, sleeve by reference number 15. This sleeve is intended to be pushed onto the drum in an enabled position according to Fig. 1.

The presently described necktie package operates in the following way: To put a necktie into the package the sleeve 15 is first removed, which in Fig. 1 is done by pushing it downwards. Said sleeve 15 may preferably in a known manner present an undercut cooperating with a corresponding projection in the gable 9 for the holding in an enabled position. Subsequently the gable 9 is held such that the lever 13 is swung to the passive position indicated by the dashed line. By means of the other hand the end of the narrower portion of the necktie is inserted into the slit 3 in the hub 2 of the drum, whereupon the drum is turned around preferably by a finger being placed in any of the notches 8 and a turning takes place.

As is obvious from Fig. 1 the distance between the flanges 4a and 4b is chosen such that it somewhat exceeds the width of the necktie at its narrower portion. Then of course each coiled layer forms a support for the next coiled layer. The radial extension of flange portions 4a, 4b is then chosen such that they will be replaced by the flange portion 5a and 5b just where the wider portion of the necktie starts. The flange portions 5a and 5b have in the demonstrated embodiment a curved form, which in cross

section runs along a radius, but said portions may also run ter¬ raced or stepped. Namely, the object of the flange portions 5a, 5b is that they together with the underlying coiled layers of the necktie should form support for the necktie at its wider portion, i.e. there should for the necktie be formed a number of support planes parallel to each other. For each necktie there is of course an ideal form regarding the flange portions 5a and 5b, but is has proven that a compromise is fully satisfying for covering most of the demands.

When the necktie is fully wound onto the drum a further turning is made until the lever 13 is found to be near to the end of the necktie whereupon the lever is let free such that it by the mentioned spring force may take the position demonstrated in Fig. 1. In this position the lever holds the necktie squeezed at the same time as it obstructs the rotation of the drum due to its interfering friction with the cylindrical portion 6 of the drum. The necktie now is coiled without wrinkles or folds and the protective sleeve 15 is then applied.

When the necktie should be removed out of the package the procedure will of course be performed in the opposite order.

The presently described package, the parts of which preferably being made of plastic material in a injection-moulded procedure, is extremely appropriate for use both for travels as well as for exposure in connection with display of goods or the like. It is possible, for instance by forming the shaft 10 hollow, to apply a number of such rolls on a bar, which in turn together with other such rods with packages may, for example, be arranged horizontally in a stand, a carousel or the like. Due to that the protective sleeve 15 preferably is produced in a transparent material a good exposure then is achieved at the same time as the neckties are stored well protected from dust and damage and as mentioned without any disturbing folds.

However it is also possible to simplify the package such that it

may _b e produced at such a low cost, that it even may be used by manufacturers of neckties for unity packing of the necktie.

Then it is possible to refrain from the lever 13 and eventually fabricate the drum in a blow moulding process and to even do without the gable 9.

It is also possible to design the package adjustable in width such, that is may be adapted to different wide neckties.

In Fig. 3 such an alternative embodiment is demonstrated, whereby at the same time the gable is omitted.

In this embodiment the drum comprises two portions, from which the portion 16 in part forming one flange 17 having the same principal form as just described, and in part forming the hub 18 of the drum with its axial slit 19. At its free end the hub 18 exhibits a number of circumferential slots or bulges 20, which preferably may have a sawtooth shaped profile.

The portion 21 of the drum then exhibits a sleeve shaped portion 22, which fits over the hub 18 of the first main portion 16 and this sleeve shaped portion exhibits internal bulges or slots 23 being essentially complementary to the slots or bulges 20 of the first main portion 16 and serve for the connection of the two portions to each other. Said second main portion further exhibits, like the first main portion 16, a flange portion 24 of the particular shape as just described.

The slots and bulges 20, 23 cooperating with each other, are intended for achieving a snap-on connection between the two main portions. In this case the connection is designed such that the portions after snap-on may be rotated relative to each other, but even in the cases when the connection is arranged such that the main portions will be essentially fixed in relation to each other a possibility is achieved for adapting the width of the hub to the present dimension of the necktie by pushing together the main

portions more or less.

It is important to be able to coil the necktie properly and not have to fold it in two. Then the first end is inserted into a slit in center of device forming a circular drum, according to the present invention, and the necktie may then be quite firmly wound to create a good support for the subsequent layers which will counteract any wrinkles and the package which form a perfect round roll. When refraining from folding the necktie into two the subsequent layers will have almost the identical width, which also improves the support when storing the necktie. Furthermore at the widening portion of the necktie it will then also obtain support from the adapted slanted gables of the drum taking up the necktie. Thus the package of the present invention will provide both a periferial support as well as a radial support for the necktie. As already mentioned the drum may then easily be arranged with a through hole which may be used for storing a number of packages on a suitable rod. This is applicable also for display purposes.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 3 to facilitate the rotation both main portions are preferably provided with intervening walls 25 such that room for a finger is present for the rotation and one main portion may preferably have a central notch for facilitating the turning of the drum.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 1-2 the gable 9 must have a certain thickness to be able to host the influencing portion of the lever 13. I the cases when it is considered unacceptable having such a package width a diametrically running guide for a movable influencing portion is arranged, which in turn may act on the lever.

Of course it will be possible to combine in any optional manner the embodiments presented above and in other ways to vary the invention within the scope of the claims.