T-shirt handling device

Abstract

A card shaped device for securing, storing and moving a plurality of T-shirt bags has a series of interconnected apertures such that multiple pairs of T-shirt bag are collected by their handles inserted at the edge of the card via a slit or cut that extends from the obverse face to the reverse face of the card. The slit and apertures are located on the card so as not to interfere with printing or machine-readable indicia disposed on other regions of the card.

1 . A closing or holding device comprising: 
 a) a substantially rectangular planar sheet, said sheet comprising;    b) an access port formed at an indentation on a first side of the sheet and terminating at an apex,    c) a slit through the surface of the sheet defining a jaw region, said slit having a proximal end connected to the apex of the access port wherein the slit oscillates about a direction defined by a line perpendicular to the first side of the sheet.    d) an elongated aperture slot defining a throat region extending substantially co-linear with an insertion direction defined by said slit, and having a proximal end connected to the distal end of said slit,    e) a substantially circular aperture defining an accumulator region connected to the distal end of said elongated aperture slot,    f) wherein flexure of the plane of the sheet separates the slit opening the jaw region to provide access to insert one or more straps from the outside of the device to the accumulator via the access port and throat region.    
     
     
         2 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein the width of said elongated slot aperture decreases toward the distal end thereof.  
     
     
         3 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein said slit follows a substantially serpentine path.  
     
     
         4 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein said slit follows a series of interconnected linear paths.  
     
     
         5 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein said slit follows a series of interconnected paths having right angle intersections.  
     
     
         6 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 3  wherein the serpentine path terminates via a tangent to the elongated slit.  
     
     
         7 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein the circular aperture is offset from the centerline of the sheets long axis and a machine-readable indicia is disposed on the opposing side of the centerline offset there from.  
     
     
         8 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein said indicia uniquely defines the identity of the intended possessor of the device.  
     
     
         9 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  further comprising written or symbolic indicia.  
     
     
         10 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein said planar sheet has a laminate construction in at least a part of a cross section therethrough.  
     
     
         11 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein said planar sheet has a laminate construction that provides reinforcement to a portion of the sheet proximal to said circular aperture.  
     
     
         12 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  having a planar region of a first thickness and second planar region thicker than the first thickness.  
     
     
         13 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  having a planar region of a first thickness and second planar region thicker than the first thickness having machine readable indicia selectively disposed on the first planar region.  
     
     
         14 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  having a first planar region of a first area and second planar region of a second area, wherein the second area is greater than the first area and the first and second region are readily separable along at least a partial channel on one or more faces of the device thus defining the border between the first planar region and the second planar region.  
     
     
         15 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 9  further comprising a removable adhesive label disposed on at least one of the first side and second side.  
     
     
         16 . A method of using a planar holding device, the method comprising: 
 a) flexing a planar sheet to open a passage from the edge of the sheet at slit extending to first linear aperture formed in the face of the sheet,    b) inserting at least a first pair of handle straps of a first T-shirt bag through the passage into the first linear aperture,    c) inserting the first pair of handle straps through the elongated aperture into a substantially circular aperture,    d) inserting at least a second pair of handle straps of a second T-shirt bag through the passage into the first linear aperture,    e) inserting the second pair of handle straps through the elongated aperture into the substantially circular aperture such that the first and second handle straps are substantially adjacent,    f) lifting the first and second T-shirt bags by grasping the first and second pairs of handle straps adjacent to the holding device.    
     
     
         17 . The method of using a planar holding device according to  claim 16 , the method further comprising drawing the straps upward through the circular aperture to substantially close the T-shirt bag opening around the contents held there within.  
     
     
         18 . A closing or holding device according to  claim 1  wherein the device has a width and length that are less than about 4 inches and greater than about 1.5 inches.