The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 04, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 26, 1998
Janet T Keller, Eagan, MN (US);
Perry S Dotterman, Maplewood, MN (US);
Karen F MacDonald, St. Paul, MN (US);
3M Innovative Properties Company, Saint Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A gift package that comprises a bag having generally parallel front and rear walls, each having a top edge, a bottom edge, and two lateral edges, a pair of generally parallel side walls, each having a top edge, a bottom edge, and two lateral edges, wherein the lateral edges of the front and rear walls are joined to the lateral edges of the side panels, and a bottom panel having two pairs of generally parallel lateral edges, wherein the lateral edges of the bottom panel are joined to the bottom edges of the front, rear, and side walls to form a container having an opening defined by the top edges of the front, rear, and side walls, and wherein the bag has an expanded state and a collapsed state, where an area of the bag opening is larger when the bag is in its expanded state than when the bag is in its collapsed state. The gift bag further comprises a bag topper comprising a resilient member having a length and a width, wherein the resilient member has a relaxed state and a compressed state, wherein the bag topper in the compressed state is smaller in at least one of the length and width than when the bag topper is in the relaxed state, so that the bag topper urges the opening of the bag toward the expanded state of the bag as the bag topper moves from the compressed state of the bag topper to the relaxed state of the bag topper.