Method of packaging resiliently compressible articles

Abstract

A method of packaging a resiliently compressible article comprises the steps of inserting the article into a tube of deformable material such that excess material is provided at the ends of the tube. A first end of the tube is then sealed closed. Air is then evacuated from the tube through the second end thereby deforming the tube around the article and causing the article to compress. While a vacuum is maintained in the tube, the second end of the tube is sealed closed. A containment sleeve is fitted over the sealed tube to maintain the article in a compressed state. When the article is unpackaged, the containment sleeve is severed and the tube is allowed to expand in a gradual controlled fashion by the bleeding of air back into the tube.

Description

This application is a is may be sealed. The vacuum source is then removed.

It can now be appreciated that the packaging method in accordance with the invention provides a highly desirable method for packaging articles which are resiliently compressible. Although the invention has been described in connection with the packaging of coil string 10, it can be appreciated that numerous other compressible articles can be packaged with the present method for cost-effective shipment. The advantages of sealing the tube 22 at both ends 24 after evacuation should likewise be apparent. When the package 20 is delivered, the customer can sever the containment sleeve 26 and initially the tube 22 together with the article encapsulated therein will remain relatively compressed under the effect of the vacuum within the tube 22. Then, depending upon the type of end 24 sealing method used, air will gradually bleed into the tube 22 allowing the compressed article to slowly expand until the inside of the tube 22 reaches ambient air pressure. Accordingly, an undesirable, abrupt expansion of the tube 22 is avoided. If a sealing method is used which is too air tight, the tube 22 can simply be punctured with a small hole to allow air to enter the evacuated tube 22. By this method of packaging, strings 10 of pocketed coil springs 12 stacked 23 inches high can readily be compressed to a stack 5 inches high and, thereby, can be packaged for cost-effective shipment.

While the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of packaging a mattress assembly constructed of coil springs wherein each spring is contained within an individual pocket of fabric, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube of deformable material, said tube having a predetermined length;

inserting a mattress assembly constructed of pocketed coil springs into said tube, said mattress assembly having a length which is less than the length of said tube, thereby defining first and second tube ends of excess material;

sealing a first end of said tube;

evacuating air from said tube through said second end thereby deforming said tube around said mattress assembly and causing said mattress assembly to compress;

sealing said second end of said tube after evacuating said tube to a predetermined state;

inserting said evacuated tube into a containment sleeve which is dimensioned and configured to retain said compressed mattress assembly in a compressed state for shipment;

removing said evacuated tube from said containment sleeve; and

puncturing said evacuated tube to allow whereby said mattress assembly in said tube to gradually return returns to an uncompressed state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first end of said tube is sealed after gathering the excess material of said first end.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said evacuating step includes gathering said second end of said tube around a vacuum, evacuating means.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said tube is cut to said predetermined length from a continuous length of tube material.

5. A method of packaging a mattress assembly constructed of coil springs wherein each spring is contained within an individual pocket of fabric, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube of deformable material, said tube having a predetermined length;

inserting a mattress assembly constructed of pocketed coil springs into said tube, said mattress assembly having a length which is less than the length of said tube, thereby defining first and second tube ends of excess material;

sealing a first end of said tube;

evacuating air from said tube through said second end thereby deforming said tube around said mattress assembly and causing said mattress assembly to compress;

sealing said second end of said tube after evacuating said tube to a predetermined state;

inserting said evacuated tube into a containment sleeve which is dimensioned and configured to retain said compressed mattress assembly in a compressed state for shipment;

removing said evacuated tube from said containment sleeve; and

allowing said mattress assembly in said tube to gradually return to an uncompressed state.

6. A method of packaging a mattress assembly constructed of coil springs wherein each spring is contained within an individual pocket of fabric, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube of deformable material, said tube having a predetermined length;

inserting a mattress assembly constructed of pocketed coil springs into said tube, said mattress assembly having a length which is less than the length of said tube, thereby defining first and second tube ends of excess material;

sealing a first end of said tube;

evacuating air from said tube through said second end thereby deforming said tube around said mattress assembly and causing said mattress assembly to compress;

sealing said second end of said tube while said tube is being evacuated to a predetermined state;

inserting said evacuated tube into a containment sleeve which is dimensioned and configured to retain said compressed mattress assembly in a compressed state for shipment;

removing said evacuated tube from said containment sleeve; and

allowing said mattress assembly in said tube to gradually return to an uncompressed state.

7. A method of packaging a mattress assembly constructed of coil springs wherein each spring is contained within an individual pocket of fabric, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube of deformable material, said tube having a predetermined length;

inserting a mattress assembly constructed of pocketed coil springs into said tube, said mattress assembly having a length which is less than the length of said tube, thereby defining first and second tube ends of excess material;

sealing a first end of said tube;

evacuating air from said tube through said second end thereby deforming said tube around said mattress assembly and causing said mattress assembly to compress;

inserting said evacuated tube into a containment sleeve which is dimensioned and configured to retain said compressed mattress assembly in a compressed state for shipment;

removing said evacuated tube from said containment sleeve; and

allowing said mattress assembly in said tube to gradually return to an uncompressed state; and

said evacuated tube is punctured to allow said mattress assembly in said tube to gradually return to said uncompressed state.

8. A method of packaging a mattress assembly constructed of coil springs wherein each spring is contained within an individual pocket of fabric, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube of deformable material, said tube having a predetermined length;

inserting a mattress assembly constructed of pocketed coil springs into said tube, said mattress assembly having a length which is less than the length of said tube, thereby defining first and second tube ends of excess material;

sealing a first end of said tube;

evacuating air from said tube through said second end thereby deforming said tube around said mattress assembly and causing said mattress assembly to compress;

inserting said evacuated tube into a containment sleeve which is dimensioned and configured to retain said compressed mattress assembly in a compressed state for shipment;

removing said evacuated tube from said containment sleeve;

allowing said mattress assembly in said tube to gradually return to an uncompressed state; and

said containment sleeve is severed to allow said mattress assembly in said tube to gradually return to said uncompressed state.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said evacuated tube inserted into said containment sleeve is allowed to expand within said containment sleeve.