A cardboard article for use in a retail packaging and display device and a garment hanger

Abstract

A Cardboard Article for use in a Retail Packaging and Display Device and a Garment Hanger A cardboard article for use in a retail packaging and display device is disclosed together example of the article used in a wrap band and various garment hangers. The article is formed from a cardboard sheet material with a series of rows of multiple cut extending substantially across the width of that portion between opposing edges. This forms a flexible portion which can be used as a hinge or to allow the card to flex without creasing.

Description

[0001] A Cardboard Article for use in a Retail Packaging and Display Device and a Garment Hanger

[0002] The present invention relates to a cardboard article for use in a retail packaging and display device and to a garment hanger and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a series of products formed from recyclable cardboard that use a mechanism of the invention for displaying garments and the like.

[0003] The use of cardboard in the packaging of articles such as clothes has in recent years become increasingly popular with retailers and customers due to the ease of recycling of cardboard materials compared to equivalent plastic materials. For example, plastic garment hangers have the disadvantage that they are formed from a variety of polymer materials which should be separated for ideal recycling and not all of which can be successfully recycled. Furthermore, the shape of a hanger, with hooks and arms, tend to make them more likely to become fouled in a recycling sorting conveyor machine meaning that their domestic recycling is not encouraged. Although the recycling and reuse of hangers in a physical retail environment is straightforward more clothing is being bought online and hangers must be sufficiently versatile to be used in store whilst being lightweight enough to be transported for online purchases.

[0004] Cardboard hangers however have the disadvantage that they are structurally weaker and more prone to damage than equivalent plastic products, especially in the presence of moisture. The hook of such hangers is a point of particular vulnerability. This is especially the case where cardboard hangers are being used and transported for online purchases. Typically, the packaging for online purchase of clothing is in plastic bags offering no protection to the hanger. Some packaging products which appear to be formed from cardboard in fact contain sufficient levels of reinforcing plastics that they cannot be properly recycled with the cardboard products. For example, a wrap band which is used to contain a folded garment, such as a sweater or knitwear item of clothing, appears to be made from a paper or thin cardboard material. However, in order to have the strength to resist breakage under normal use the thin card is reinforced by laminating with a plastic coating. This reduces the likelihood of the sheet material being ripped. If the sheet material were to be replaced with a purely paper fibre material the cardboard would need to be so thick that it would not bend correctly and would be likely to fold in random creases which would be aesthetically unsatisfactory for display to customers.

[0005] Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome or alleviate the above described disadvantages of the prior art.

[0006] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a cardboard article for use in a retail packaging and display device, the article comprising at least one cardboard sheet material having, in at least one portion, a plurality of rows of cuts, each row containing a plurality of the cuts, the rows extending substantially across the width of the portion between opposing edges thereby forming a flexible portion.

[0007] By forming a flexible portion in a piece of cardboard that is normally too thick to be bent to form a curve, the advantage is provided that a high fibre content cardboard, such as grey board or kraft board, can be used where previously it has been necessary to use a thinner more flexible cardboard which, in order to have the strength two function properly, requires a significant plastic or other binder content making it less or completely unsuitable for recycling. As a result, packaging and display devices of the present invention will be produced and easily recycled in household recycling.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment the cuts in the rows of cuts form a repeating pattern.

[0009] By using a repeating pattern of rows of cuts the advantage is provided that a uniform curve can be created in a sheet of otherwise quite rigid cardboard.

[0010] In another preferred embodiment the repeating pattern is substantially uniform along the length of the flexible portion.

[0011] A density of cuts may decrease towards at least one end of the flexible portion.

[0012] By decreasing the density of cuts towards the ends of the flexible portion the advantage is provided that the curve of the flexible portion gently finishes and reduces the risk of crease damage resulting from an abrupt transition from rigid cardboard to flexible cardboard.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment the cuts include indentations cut into the edges of the cardboard at the flexible portion.

[0014] In another preferred embodiment the cuts are through the thickness of the cardboard and the through cuts may be open apertures .

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment the cuts are made from one side of the cardboard and do not extend through the thickness of the cardboard.

[0016] Alternatively, the cuts are made from both sides of the cardboard and do not extend through the thickness of the cardboard .

[0017] By varying the size, depth and direction from which the cuts are made the advantage is provided that the amount of flexibility in the flexible portion can be controlled depending upon the situation that the cardboard product is being used. In a preferred embodiment the cardboard is a laminated cardboard having a grain and the rows may be cut parallel to the grain .

[0018] In another preferred embodiment the cuts are shaped us ing curves which are connected at a pair of point intersections .

[0019] In a further pre ferred embodiment the cuts are shaped as a pair of connected curved brackets .

[0020] These curved shaped cuts allow a particularly good balance between flexibil ity and strength . The curves allow the f lexibi lity in thicker ribs between the cuts thereby increas ing the strength .

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention there i s provided a garment hanger for garments having an elasticated wai stband, the hanger compri sing a suspension portion for suspending the hanger from a rail and a cardboard article as set out above , the article further compri sing : a central portion connected to the suspension portion ; a pair of arms extending from the central portion and connected thereto by a pair of the flexible portions , the arms each having at least one tooth extending therefrom for engaging a waistband o f a garment ; and at least one retainer for retaining the arms in folded engagement .

[0022] By having a garment hanger formed from cardboard with the f lexible portions acting as a hinge between a central portion and a pair o f arms which have teeth extending therefrom, the advantage is provided that garments with elasticated waistbands , such as lingerie and swimwear, can be hung on a cardboard hanger very succes s ful ly . In particular , because the flexible portion acts as a hinge the cardboard i s doubled over and that doubled strength of the card reduces any chance of the cardboard flexing under strain of the elasticated waistband . Furthermore , the folding arms produce an aesthetically pleasing front display panel with the arms taking up any excess material and hiding it behind the central portion of the hanger.

[0023] Each arm preferably comprises a plurality of teeth.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment the retainer comprises a slit in the central portion and at least one tab extending from an end of an arm.

[0025] The slit preferably is formed in a tab that is connected to the central portion by a further flexible cardboard connecting article set out above.

[0026] In another preferred embodiment the retainer comprises interlocking slits formed adjacent ends of the arms.

[0027] Providing slits and tabs to act as the retainer means that the whole hanger can be formed from a single piece of cardboard material allowing the whole product to be easily recycled in household recycling.

[0028] In a further preferred embodiment the retainer comprises a retaining band.

[0029] The suspension portion, the central portion and the arms may all be formed from a single sheet of cardboard.

[0030] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a hanger for suspending a box or bag, the hanger comprising a cardboard article as set out above, the article further comprising: a suspension portion for suspending the hanger from a rail; a retainer tab for extending inside a box or bag wherein the flexible portion joins the retainer tab to the suspension portion and the retainer tab has a width greater than the width of the flexible portion.

[0031] By producing a hanger for a box or a bag which includes a flexible portion located between a hook and a tab, the advantage is provided that an easily recyclable cardboard hook can be attached to a box but the hook is able to move out of the way ensuring the most efficient transportation of multiple boxes together. This also reduces the likelihood of damage occurring to the hook while the box is being used.

[0032] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a display box for an article or garment, the display box comprising: a box; and a hanger as set out above.

[0033] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a wrap band for use in displaying a folded garment, the wrap band comprising a cardboard article as set out above, wherein the article comprises an elongate strip of the cardboard having at least one flexible portion formed therein and at least one retainer for retaining opposing ends of the strip in engagement with each other.

[0034] By producing a wrap band with flexible portions the advantage is provided that a high fibre content cardboard can be used to produce a wrap band that can be easily recycled in household recycling. In wrap bands of the prior art, the only way to create the flexibility in the cardboard was to use a thin cardboard with a very high binder and plastic content which is then very difficult or impossible to recycle. Using the flexible portions of the present invention in such a wrap band enables a high fibre content cardboard that is thick enough to be sufficiently strong to undertake the job required of such a band without the need for additional plastic reinforcement.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment the retainer comprises, at opposing ends of the strip, at least one tab and at least one slot for receiving and retaining the tab. Using a slot and tab closure mechanism enables the wrap band to be produced entirely from cardboard material without the need even for an adhesive.

[0036] The wrap band may further comprise a pair of flexible portions .

[0037] Using a pair of flexible portions enables a wrap band to be produced which has a stadium shaped cross section when viewed from the side which is particularly aesthetically pleasing for securing garments such as knitwear.

[0038] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a garment hanger comprising: a suspension portion for suspending the hanger from a rail; a garment support portion formed from cardboard and having an aperture extending therethrough, in use a lower edge of the aperture supporting a garment hung thereon; and an article as set out above, wherein the article comprises a strip of cardboard material having a pair of flexible portions allowing ends of the strip to be folded back on themselves and secured to allow sliding movement of the article across the aperture .

[0039] By providing a garment hanger with an article including the flexible portions previously described which act in a sliding movement to trap a garment against a lower edge of an aperture in a garment support portion, the advantage is provided that an entirely cardboard hanger can be produced which has functions which have only previously been possible with plastic hangers or at least hangers which includes significant quantities of plastic or rubber materials. Even where a plastic hanger includes a trouser bar and elasticated attachment, the materials used to produce the hanger body and bar and to produce the elasticated garment retainer are different and must be recycled separately. The product of the present invention can be recycled entirely without any disassembly required.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment the article extends through slots cut in the garment support portion adjacent the aperture.

[0041] In another preferred embodiment the ends are adhered to a central portion of the strip between the flexible portions.

[0042] In a further preferred embodiment the ends engage each other to form a loop.

[0043] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0044] Figures la to Im are examples of articles of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2a is top view of a wrap band of an aspect of the present invention incorporating an example of the articles in figures la to Im;

[0046] Figure 2b is a closeup view of one end of the wrap band of figure 2a;

[0047] Figure 3a is a front view of a garment hanger of an aspect of the present invention incorporating an example of the articles in figures la to Im;

[0048] Figures 3b to 3e are views of the garment hanger of figure 3a in use;

[0049] Figure 4a is a front view of a hanger device of another aspect of the present invention incorporating an example of the articles in figures la to Im;

[0050] Figures 4b and 4c are views of the hanger device of figure 4a in use;

[0051] Figures 5a and 5b are front and perspective views of a garment hanger of a further aspect of the present invention incorporating an example of the articles in figures la to Im; Figures 5c to 5e are views of the hanger device of figures 5a and 5b in use;

[0052] Figure 6a is a front view of a garment hanger of an aspect of the present invention incorporating an example of the articles in figures la to Im; and

[0053] Figure 6b is a close up of the article of the present invention used in figure 6a.

[0054] Referring initially to figures la to Im, an article 10 is formed for use in retail packaging and display devices. The article 10 is formed from a sheet of thick cardboard typically, but not exclusively, having a thickness of 1.5mm to 5mm.

[0055] The article 10 has a plurality of rows 12 of cuts 14 with each row containing more than one cut. The rows extend substantially across the whole width of the article 10 from one cut edge 16 to another cut edge 18. The plurality of rows of cuts together form a flexible portion 20 which allows the cardboard to bend and flex without significantly damaging the structure of the cardboard by causing tears and the like.

[0056] The examples shown in figures la to Im all demonstrate a repeating pattern of the rows 12 of cuts 14 with the majority of the patterns being uniform along the whole length of the flexible portion 20. However, figures li, Ij, Ik and 11 show a variation in the density of the pattern with a gradually reducing number of cuts in each row towards either end of the flexible portion 20. This is useful as it gradually reduces the flexibility of the cardboard towards the end of the flexible portion .

[0057] In the examples shown in figures 1c, li, Ij, Ik and Im the edges 16 and 18 of the cardboard do not contain any cuts. However, in figures lb, la, Id, le, If, 1g, Ih and 11, there are cuts or indentations 22 in the edges 16 and 18. The cuts can take various forms which include cuts that are made from one bite of the cardboard and extend through to the other side. These may be in the form of slits which are simply cut by a narrow knife which is retracted removing nothing more than a few fibres. However, and as shown in the examples in figures le, If, Ij, 11 and Im, the cuts may be larger open apertures which result in small portions or pellets of the card being removed and discarded. Alternatively, the cuts may not extend entirely through the card. This could be either by cutting from one side partially through the card or by cutting from both sides partially through the card either with the cutting blades aligned or not aligned with each other.

[0058] To form cardboard of this thickness it is generally necessary to produce a product which is laminated. Examples of this type of board include grey board or kraft board which are cardboard products which contain a very high proportion of fibre and relatively low proportion of binder products. The production of such product, in common with the majority of paper products is that it produces a grain. This grain affects the ability of the cardboard to bend and fold with the cardboard preferring to bend parallel to the grain which results in creases being formed which are also parallel to the grain. This is useful as it gradually reduces the flexibility of the cardboard towards the end of the flexible portion. Ideally the grain of the cardboard is aligned so that the flexible portion bends across the grain, that is that the rows of the cuts 14 are inline and parallel to the grain of the cardboard.

[0059] Cardboard which has been treated with the cuts as described above to produce a flexible portion 20 allows the manipulation of the cardboard without significant risk to the structure of the board and in a controlled manner. The flexible portion 20 is therefore able to act as a hinge or to allow a controlled bend to be formed in the cardboard allowing products to be produced for packaging and display which would otherwise not be possible. Examples of such products will now be described.

[0060] Figure 2 shows a simple product which incorporates the flexible portion 20. The cardboard article shown in figure 2 is a wrap band 24 which is used to surround a folded garment, such as a sweater or knitwear item, to help the garment remain in the intended folded condition to create an aesthetically pleasing display. The wrap band 24 has a pair of flexible portions 20 which are formed in an elongated strip of cardboard 26. At opposing ends of the strip of cardboard 26 are a retaining tab 28 and a series of slots 30 which are sized to receive the tab 28 so as to connect the opposing ends of the strip and act as a retainer. Detail of the tab 28 is shown in figure 2b. The tab 28 has a width DI which is almost as wide as the distance between the two edges 16 and 18 of the strip of cardboard 26. The tab 28 is formed by two notches 32 being cut into the cardboard strip 26 just below the tab 28. The distance D2 measured from the inside of one of the slots 32 to the opposing outer edge of the tab 28 is substantially the same, or slightly less than the length of the slot 32 which is less than the distance DI. As a result, by the slight angling of the tab 28 as it enters the slot 30, the distance D2 can be matched with the slot so as to allow the tab to enter the slot. However, when the strip of cardboard 26 is realigned so that the edges 16 and 18 at either end ah lined back up with each other, the greater distance DI of the tab prevents the tab from being pulled back through the slot 30 very easily. Generally, this action is undertaken once a garment is folded and the wrap band is wrapped around the garment with that tab 28 then being inserted into the slot 30.

[0061] A typical shape for a folded garment is somewhat flat but knitwear items tend to be sufficiently bulky to result in a folded garment with a significant depth. As a result, the length of the flexible portion 20 along the strip of cardboard 26 is ideally sufficient to match the thickness of the folded garment. The wrap band 24 then forms a stadium shape with two separated semi circles connected by straight lines when viewed from the side. Printed information can be placed anywhere on the wrap band 24 but is most usefully placed in the central portion between the two flexible portions 20. As an alternative, a significantly longer flexible portion 20 can be used in which it extends along most of the length of the band including the central portion mentioned above.

[0062] Referring now to figures 3a to 3e, a garment hanger 34 incorporating a flexible portion 20 will now be described. The garment hanger 34 is for use in the storage and display of garments which include an elasticated waistband and are particularly, but not exclusively, for use with garments such as lingerie, swimwear and intimates. The hanger 34 has a suspension portion, in the form of a hook 36. In the embodiment shown this hook 36 is formed from a sheet of cardboard along with the rest of the hanger. However, the hook could be formed separately and could be formed from another material, such as an injection moulded thermoplastic attached to the rest of the hanger .

[0063] In the embodiment shown, the hook 36 is joined to a central portion 38 from which a pair of arms 40 extend. The junction between the central portion 38 and the arms 40 is defined by a pair of flexible portions 20 of the type described above. On each arm there is at least one, and preferably plurality of teeth 42 extending down from the arm.

[0064] A retainer also forms part of the hanger 34. In the example shown in figure 3, the retainer is formed from a slit or slot 44 which is formed in the central portion 38 below the hook 36. Also forming part of the retainer is a pair of tabs 46 on either end of the arms 40 which, when the hanger is in use, extend into the slot 44. With particular reference to figures 3b to 3e, the hanging of a garment on the hanger will now be described. The item of clothing is placed into engagement with the hanger 34 by slightly stretching the waistband of the garment and extending it over a tooth 42 on each arm 40 of the hanger as shown in figure 3b. Larger items will be engaged with the teeth towards the outermost end of the arm 40 whereas smaller items will engage the teeth 42 that are closer to the central portion 38. The two arms 40 are folded back on themselves (see figures 3c and 3d) making use of the flexible portion 20 that joins the arms 40 to the central portion 38 as a hinge and the tabs 46 are lifted slightly upwards, towards the hook 36, and pushed into the slot 44 thereby retaining the arms 40 and ensuring that the garment extends around the outside of the central portion 38, as shown in figure 3e. The hanger 34 and garment are now ready for displaying on a rail. In embodiment shown in the figures the hanger 34 is formed entirely from cardboard and can therefore be easily recycled in household recycling.

[0065] Turning now to figures 4a to 4c, a hanger 48 is provided for suspending a box 50 (or bag) from a rail (not shown) . The hanger 48 has a suspension portion, in the form of a hook 52 which in use engages the rail for display. There is also a retainer tab 54 which, when the hanger 48 is in use, as shown in figures 4b and 4c, extends inside the box through a slot 56. The width W1 of the tab 54 is less than the width W2 of the slot 56 therefore when the hanger 48 extends through the slot 56, the tab 54 is prevented from passing through the slot thereby allowing the hanger 48 and box 50 to be hung on a rail. The junction between the hook 52 and the tab 54 is defined by a flexible portion 20 of the type described above. This flexible portion 20 allows the hook to fold over without causing damage to the hanger 48. As a result, the space required for transporting the goods contained within the box is minimised since the boxes 50 can be packed close together with the hook hinged, at the flexible portion 20, over the lid of the box.

[0066] Looking finally at figures 5a to 5e, a garment hanger 58 has a suspension portion in the form of a hook 60 for suspending the hanger from a rail (not shown) . In the embodiment shown this hook 60 is formed from a sheet of cardboard along with the rest of the hanger 58. However, the hook could be formed separately and could be formed from another material, such as an injection moulded thermoplastic attached to the rest of the hanger .

[0067] The hook 60 is connected to a garment support portion 62 which is formed from the sheet cardboard material and has a large rectangular aperture 64 extending therethrough. A lowermost edge 66 of the aperture 64 in garment support portion 62 in use engages and acts to support a garment hung on the hanger 58. A pair of slots 68 are also cut through the garment support portion 62. These slots 68 extend vertically adjacent the sides 70 of the garment support portion 62. The components of the hanger 58 described so far are formed from a single sheet of cardboard material and do not require the flexible portions 20 previously described.

[0068] The hanger 58 also includes a garment retaining bar 72 which is used to help prevent garments hung on the lowermost edge 66 of the aperture 64 from separating from the hanger. The garment retaining bar 72 is formed with a pair of the flexible portions 20 which act as hinges enabling a pair of ends 74 of the garment retaining bar 72 to fold back on themselves towards a central portion 76.

[0069] Formation of the hanger 58 will now be described. The two components, that is, the garment retaining bar 72 and the garment support 62, together with hook 60, are brought together to form the garment hanger 58. The ends 74 of the garment retaining bar 72 are pushed through the slots 68 and, utilising the hinge like flexibility of the flexible portions 20, are folded back on themselves and adhered to the central portion 76. As a result, the retaining bar 72 is able to slide up and down in the slots 68. It can therefore be seen that the hanger 58 is therefore made entirely from the sheet cardboard with the small addition of an adhesive. As a result, the whole hanger is easily recyclable in household recycling but includes the garment retaining function that has not been previously possible from a cardboard hanger.

[0070] In order to load a garment onto the hanger 58, the retaining bar 72 is raised towards the top of the slots 68 as shown in figure 5b. A garment is hung over the lowermost edge 66 of the aperture 64 as shown in figure 5c and then the retaining bar 72 is lowered, see figure 5d, so as to engage an upper edge 78 of the folded over garment, see figure 5e.

[0071] As an alternative to sticking the ends 74 of the garment retaining bar 72 to central portion 76, the ends can be made longer so that they can engage each other. The use of adhesive can also be avoided by providing a pair of mutually engaging slots, or a tab and slot arrangement as described in conjunction with the device shown in figure 2.

[0072] An alternative example of a garment hanger 34 is shown in figure 6a, which uses the rows 12 of cuts 14 to create the flexible portions 20. As can be seen in more detail in figure 6b, the shape of the cuts 14 in this example could be described as pairs of curly brackets which are connected to each other. As a result, the shape of each cut 14 has rounded ends 80 which extend into curved sides 82 which in turn meet in the middle in points 84. The cuts 17 are elongate but are formed of continuous curves which join at the centrally located points 84. As with the previously described cuts, these cuts 14 are arranged offset relative to each other so that the central connecting points 84 from a cut in one is positioned between two rounded ends 80 of adjacent pairs of cuts 14 from another row. This results in a particularly effective flexible portion that can have quite thick portions of card between the cuts 14 while maintaining its flexibility. The hanger works 34 in essentially the same way as that shown in figure 3a with the hinges on the arms allowing the garment to be securely attached and folded onto the hanger. The addition of the flexible tab 86 in the centre of the bottom of the hanger 34 makes the insertion of the tabs 46 at the ends of the arms easier by putting less strain on the tabs 46 and the securing slots 44.

[0073] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the protection which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims1. A cardboard article for use in a retail packaging and display device, the article comprising at least one cardboard sheet material having, in at least one portion, a plurality of rows of cuts, each row containing a plurality of said cuts, the rows extending substantially across the width of said portion between opposing edges thereby forming a flexible portion.

2. A cardboard article according to claim 1 wherein said cuts in said rows of cuts form a repeating pattern.

3. A cardboard article according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said repeating pattern is substantially uniform along the length of said flexible portion.

4. A cardboard article according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a density of cuts decreases towards at least one end of said flexible portion.

5. A cardboard article according to any preceding claim wherein said cuts include indentations cut into said edges of said cardboard at said flexible portion.

6. A cardboard article according to any preceding claim wherein said cuts are through the thickness of the cardboard.

7. A cardboard article according to claim 6 wherein said cuts are open apertures.

8. A cardboard article according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said cuts are made from one side of said cardboard and do not extend through the thickness of said cardboard.

9. A cardboard article according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said cuts are made from both sides of said cardboard and do not extend through the thickness of said cardboard.

10. A cardboard article according to any preceding claim wherein said cardboard is a laminated cardboard having a grain.

11. A cardboard article according to claim 10 wherein said rows are cut parallel to said grain.

12. A cardboard article according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein said cuts are shaped using curves which are connected a point intersections.

13. A cardboard article according to claim 12, wherein said cuts are shaped as a pair of connected curved brackets which face each other.

14. A garment hanger for garments having an elasticated waistband, the hanger comprising a suspension portion for suspending the hanger from a rail and a cardboard article according to any of claims 1 to 13 the article further comprising : a central portion connected to said suspension portion; a pair of arms extending from said central portion and connected thereto by a pair of said flexible portions, said arms each having at least one tooth extending therefrom for engaging a waistband of a garment; and at least one retainer for retaining said arms in folded engagement .

15. A garment hanger according to claim 14 wherein each arm comprises a plurality of teeth.

16. A garment hanger according to claim 14 or 15 wherein said retainer comprises a slit in said central portion and at least one tab extending from an end of an arm.

17. A garment hanger according to claim 16, wherein said slit is formed in a tab that is connected to said central portion by a further cardboard article according to any of claims 1 to 13.

18. A garment hanger according to claim 14 or 15 wherein said retainer comprises interlocking slits formed adjacent ends of said arms.

19. A garment hanger according to claim 14 or 15 wherein said retainer comprises a retaining band.

20. A garment hanger according to any of claims 14 to 19 wherein said suspension portion, said central portion and said arms are all formed from a single sheet of cardboard.

21. A hanger for suspending a box or bag, the hanger comprising a cardboard article according to any of claims 1 to 13, the article further comprising: a suspension portion for suspending the hanger from a rail; a retainer tab for extending inside a box or bag wherein said flexible portion joins said retainer tab to said suspension portion and said retainer tab has a width greater than the width of said flexible portion.

22. A display box for an article or garment, the display box comprising : a box; and a hanger according to claim 21.

23. A wrap band for use in displaying a folded garment, the wrap band comprising a cardboard article according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the article comprises an elongate strip of said cardboard having at least one flexible portion formed therein and at least one retainer for retaining opposing ends of said strip in engagement with each other.

24. A wrap band according to claim 23 wherein said retainer comprises, at opposing ends of said strip, at least one tab and at least one slot for receiving and retaining said tab.

25. A wrap band according to claim 23 or 24 further comprising a pair of flexible portions.

26. A garment hanger comprising: a suspension portion for suspending the hanger from a rail;a garment support portion formed from cardboard and having an aperture extending therethrough, in use a lower edge of said aperture supporting a garment hung thereon; and an article according to any of claims 1 to 13 wherein the article comprises a strip of cardboard material having a pair of flexible portions allowing ends of said strip to be folded back on themselves and secured to allow sliding movement of said article across said aperture.

27. A garment hanger according to claim 26 wherein said article extends through slots cut in said garment support portion adjacent said aperture.

28. A garment hanger according to claim 26 or 27 wherein said ends are adhered to a central portion of said strip between said flexible portions.

29. A garment hanger according to claim 26 or 27 wherein said ends engage each other to form a loop.

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