METHOD OF PACKAGING RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE ARTICLES.

摘要

A method of packaging a resiliently compressible article (10) comprises the steps of inserting the article into a tube of deformable material (22) such that excess material is provided at the ends of the tube. A first end (24) of the tube is then sealed closed. Air is then evacuated from the tube through the second end thereby deforming the tube around the article and causing the article to compress. While a vacuum is maintained in the tube, the second end of the tube is sealed closed. A containment sleeve (26) is fitted over the sealed tube to maintain the article in a compressed state. When the article is unpackaged, the containment sleeve is reversed and the tube is allowed to expand in a gradual controlled fashion by the bleeding of air back into the tube.