Prefabricated gift wrapper

Abstract

A prefabricated gift wrapper includes a tubular sleeve having opposite open ends through either of which a gift box is insertable, and independently movable end flaps for closing each open end to rapidly and conveniently wrap the box without excessive manual manipulations.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims. I claim:  
     
         1 . A prefabricated wrapper for wrapping a parallelepiped-shaped box having two mutually parallel end walls spaced apart along a longitudinal direction, two mutually parallel side walls spaced apart along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and two mutually parallel top and bottom walls spaced apart along a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions, the wrapper comprising: 
 a) a sleeve of sheet material and extending along the longitudinal direction between opposite open ends through either of which the box to be wrapped is insertable, the sleeve including two mutually parallel top and bottom sleeve portions overlying and engaging the top and bottom walls of the box after insertion, two mutually parallel side sleeve portions overlying and engaging the side walls of the box after insertion, and two end flap systems overlying and engaging the end walls of the box after insertion, each end flap system including two independently movable top and bottom flaps foldably connected to the top and bottom sleeve portions respectively, and two independently movable side flaps foldably connected to the side sleeve portions respectively, the top bottom and side flaps of each end flap system being folded into an overlapping relationship to close a respective open end of the sleeve; and    b) an adhesive on one of the flaps of each end flap system for maintaining the overlapping relationship of each end flap system after folding.    
     
     
         2 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sheet material is paper.  
     
     
         3 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the top, bottom and side portions of the sleeve has a rectangular shape.  
     
     
         4 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each flap is foldably connected along a fold line to the respective top, bottom and side sleeve portions; and wherein each flap has a linear outer free edge parallel to the respective fold line, and two linear side free edges extending between the fold line and the outer edge.  
     
     
         5 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the free edges of adjacent flaps subtend an acute angle.  
     
     
         6 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the acute angle is on the order of four degrees.  
     
     
         7 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is applied on one of the top and bottom flaps of each end flap system.  
     
     
         8 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the adhesive extends along a linear course.  
     
     
         9 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 1;  and further comprising a protective strip overlying the adhesive in each end flap system and peelably removable from the respective adhesive to expose the respective adhesive.  
     
     
         10 . The prefabricated wrapper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve consists of a blank of the sheet material having overlapping regions adhering to each other.