DIMENSIONALLY STABLE HOLLOW ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR STORING AT LEAST ONE HOSIERY ITEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a dimensionally stable hollow article for storing at least one hosiery item, particularly tights or a pair of stockings, comprising an inner cavity for receiving part of the stocking, a front side with respect to a longitudinal axis of the hollow article, and a rear side opposite of the front side along the longitudinal axis, and a lower side with respect to the longitudinal axis, and an upper side opposite of the lower side perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The invention further relates to a method for storing at least one hosiery item such that the at least one hosiery item has an improved identifiability of the colour, pattern, and thickness of the hosiery items.

Claims

1. A dimensionally stable hollow article (100) for storing at least one hosiery item (200) comprising: an inner cavity (101) for receiving part of the hosiery item (200), a front side (110) with respect to of a longitudinal axis (L) of the hollow article (100), and a rear side (120) opposite of the front side (110) along the longitudinal axis (L), and a lower side (130) with respect to the longitudinal axis (L), and an upper side (140) opposite of the lower side (130) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L), wherein the hollow article (100) is designed to be inserted, front side (110) first, along the longitudinal axis, into a thigh portion (211) of the hosiery item (200), wherein the upper side (140) is convexly curved about the longitudinal axis (L) at least in sections, wherein the hollow article (100) tapers along the longitudinal axis (L) from the rear side (120) to the front side (110) at least in a front section (150) of the hollow article (100) adjacent to the front side (110), wherein at least the rear side (120) comprises at least one receiving opening (121) at least for receiving part of another hollow article (100a) according to the invention, which is oriented in the same way as the hollow article (100), in the cavity (101) of the hollow article (100), wherein the corners and/or the edges of the hollow article (100) are rounded, characterized in that the lower side (130) and the rear side (120) respectively comprise at least one planar standing surface (131) for stably mounting the hollow article (100) on a horizontal base.

2. The hollow article (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the front side (110) is, at least in portions, convexly curved about a transverse axis (Q) oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis (L) and along the lower side (130) and/or about a vertical axis (H) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L) and to the transverse axis (Q).

3. The hollow article (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower side (130) comprises at least one receiving opening (121) for receiving at least part of another hollow article (100a) according to the invention oriented in the same way as the hollow article (100) in the cavity (101) of the hollow article (100).

4. The hollow article (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the upper side (140) is smooth.

5. The hollow article (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow article (100) is elastically deformable during the insertion into the thigh portion (211) so that the thigh portion (211) is stretched by the inserted hollow article (100).

6. The hollow article (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the upper side (140) is illuminable at least in portions.

7. The hollow article (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the upper side (140), at least in portions, has a high colour contrast to typical hosiery colours.

8. The hollow article (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper side (140) comprises a recess for receiving at least part of a front thumb section of a user of the hollow article (100) when the hollow article (100) is inserted into the thigh portion (211) of the hosiery item (200).

9. A method for storing at least one hosiery item (200) using a hollow article (100) according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized by the following steps: inserting the hollow article (100), with the front side (110) of the hollow article (100) first, along the longitudinal axis (L) of the hollow article (100), into a thigh portion (211) of a leg section (210) of the hosiery item (200), stowing a hip section (220) and another leg section (210a) of the hosiery item (200) or stowing another hosiery item (200a) in the cavity (101) of the hollow article (100), stretching a lower leg portion (212) of the leg section (210) over the lower side (130) of the hollow article (100), and inserting a foot portion (213) of the leg section (210) into the cavity (101) of the hollow article (100) through the receiving opening (121) of the rear side (120) of the hollow article (100).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the insertion of the hollow article (100) into the thigh portion (211) is performed so that, in the end of the insertion, the upper side (140) of the hollow article (100), at least in portions, abuts on a front side of the thigh portion (211), and/or the front side (110) of the hollow article (100), at least in portions, abuts on a knee portion (214) of the leg section (210).

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the insertion of the foot portion (213) into the cavity (101) comprises seizing the foot portion (213) in the cavity (101).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a hollow article according to the invention.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows another schematic perspective view of a hollow article according to the invention.

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a plurality of hollow articles according to the invention inserted into each other.

[0054] FIG. 4 schematically shows a first step of a method according to the invention.

[0055] FIG. 5 schematically shows a second step of a method according to the invention.

[0056] FIG. 6 schematically shows a third step of a method according to the invention.

[0057] FIG. 7 schematically shows a fourth step of a method according to the invention.

[0058] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0059] FIG. 1

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view obliquely from the front of a hollow article 100 according to the invention comprising an inner cavity (not visible in FIG. 1) for receiving part of a hosiery item, a front side 110 with respect to a longitudinal axis L of the hollow article 100, and a rear side 120 opposite of the front side 110 along the longitudinal axis L, and a lower side 130 with respect to the longitudinal axis L, and an upper side 140 opposite of the lower side 130 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L.

[0061] The upper side 140 is convexly curved about the longitudinal axis L, the hollow article 100 being tapered along the longitudinal axis L from the rear side 120 to the front side 110 at least in a front section 150 of the hollow article 100 adjacent to the front side 110.

[0062] The lower side 130, and preferably also the rear side 120, comprise a planar standing surface 131 for stably mounting the hollow article 100 on a horizontal base.

[0063] The rear side 120, and preferably also the lower side 130, comprise a receiving opening 121 for receiving part of another hollow article according to the invention oriented in the same way as the hollow article 100 in the cavity of the hollow article 100. Preferably, the receiving opening 121 occupies the entire rear side 120 or lower side 130 except for an edge area, a width of the edge area preferably corresponding to a wall thickness of the hollow article 100. The edge area may particularly form the standing surface 131 of the rear side 120 or the lower side 130.

[0064] The front side (110) is preferably convexly curved about a vertical axis (H) oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis (L) and transverse to the lower side (130), and about a vertical axis (H) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L) and to the transverse axis (Q).

[0065] FIG. 2

[0066] FIG. 2 shows another schematic perspective view of a hollow article 100 according to the invention, particularly of the hollow article of FIG. 1, obliquely from behind.

[0067] In this illustration, particularly the rear side 120 of the hollow article 100 with its receiving opening 121 and the inner cavity 101 of the hollow article 100 can be clearly seen.

[0068] FIG. 3

[0069] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a plurality of, for example four, hollow articles 100, 100a, 100b, 100c according to the invention inserted into each other.

[0070] Here, in three of the hollow articles 100, 100a, 100b, a further hollow article 100a, 100b, 100c oriented in the same way is partly inserted, with the respective front side 110 first, through the respective receiving opening 121 of the rear side 120, in the inner cavity of the respective hollow article 100, 100a, 100b along the longitudinal axis L, respectively.

[0071] FIG. 4

[0072] FIG. 4 schematically shows a first step of a method according to the invention for storing a hosiery item 200, particularly tights, using a hollow article 100 according to the invention.

[0073] The illustrated step comprises an insertion of the hollow article 100 along the longitudinal axis L of the hollow article 100 with the front side 110 of the hollow article 100 first into a thigh portion 211 of a leg section 210 of the hosiery item 200.

[0074] The insertion of the hollow article 100 into the thigh portion 211 is preferably performed so that, in the end of the insertion, the upper side 140 of the hollow article 100 abuts on a front side of the thigh portion 211 and/or the front side 110 of the hollow article 100 abuts on a knee portion 214 of the leg section 210.

[0075] The leg section 210 of the hosiery item 200 further comprises a lower leg portion 212 and a foot portion (not illustrated). Furthermore, the hosiery item 200 comprises a hip section 220 and another leg section 210a.

[0076] FIG. 5

[0077] FIG. 5 schematically shows a second step of a method according to the invention, particularly after the first step shown in FIG. 4.

[0078] The illustrated step comprises stowing the hip section 220 and the other leg section 210a of the hosiery item 200, particularly through the receiving opening 121 of the rear side 121 of the hollow article 100, in the cavity 101 of the hollow article 100. Here, particularly the thigh portion 211 of the leg section 210 of the hosiery item 200 may be stretched over the upper side 140 of the hollow article 100.

[0079] FIG. 6

[0080] FIG. 6 schematically shows a third step of a method according to the invention, particularly after the second step shown in FIG. 5.

[0081] The illustrated step comprises stretching the lower leg portion 212 of the leg section 210 over the lower side 130 of the hollow article 100 closed by the thigh portion 211 of the leg section 210 whereby particularly the thigh portion 211 of the leg section 210 can be further stretched over the upper side 140 of the hollow article 100.

[0082] FIG. 7

[0083] FIG. 7 schematically shows a fourth step of a method according to the invention, particularly after the third step shown in FIG. 6.

[0084] The illustrated step comprises inserting the foot portion 213 of the leg section 210 through the receiving opening 121 of the rear side 120 of the hollow article 100 into the cavity 101 of the hollow article 100.

[0085] The insertion of the foot portion 213 into the cavity 101 preferably comprises seizing the foot portion 213 in the cavity 101, particularly with the aid of the parts 220, 210a of the hosiery item 200 already contained in the cavity 101.

LIST OF NUMERALS

[0086]

TABLE-US-00001 100 Hollow article 101 Cavity 110 Front side 120 Rear side 121 Receiving opening 130 Lower side 131 Standing surface 140 Upper side 150 Front section 200 Hosiery item 210 Leg section 211 Thigh portion 212 Lower leg portion 213 Foot portion 214 Knee portion 220 Hip portion H Vertical axis L Longitudinal axis Q Transverse axis

[0087] Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.