Patent Application
20070264473
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a wrapping bag, more particularly to an air cushioning wrapping bag in strip form that may also be extendible to any length or width to wrap products in any size or shape and effectively prevent damages during the shipment.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional wrapping or packaging materials generally include Bubble-Wrap, Styrofoam, or other materials for wrapping products to prevent damages that might occur during the shipment. Bubble-Wrap, for example, consists of two layers of thin plastic material formed with random bubbles between the layers and filled with air at the time of manufacture. The Bubble-Wrap may wrap either of products in any shape or size. However, to avoid damages that might occur to wrapped products during the shipment, more Bubble-Wraps for protection to these products is required. For another example, Styrofoam is a light, resilient Polystyrene plastic material and widely used for product wrapping. To wrap products in different shape or size, Styrofoam may be made to conform to the shape or size of the products. But inflexible, also fixed, and consolidated characters of the Styrofoam make it inconvenient for manufacture, unable for the re-use, and even difficult on the compliance for environmental protection.
Referring to
Taiwan patent (Patent No. M285552) for “An air packing bag having reinforced sides with regulating pressure” discloses an air packing bag having two pressure adjustment devices on both sides of the air packing bag to prevent the collisions. The pressure adjustment device includes a number of collision preventive air chambers, and air adjustment chambers that cooperate with the collision preventive air chambers. When the collision occurs, the collision preventive chambers transfer air to the air adjustment chambers so that the breaking on the collision preventive air chambers due to the shocks is prevented.
Taiwan patent (Patent No. M263325) for “An air packing bag can adjust pressure” discloses an air packing bag having pressure adjustment mechanism. The air packing bag includes a plurality of main air tubes, and a plurality of supportive air tubes between the each and every of main air tubes. The diameter of main air tubes is larger than that of the pressure adjustment air tubes. Between each main air tube and supportive air tube, a heat seal line is disposed. An air channel on the heat seal line provides air flow between the main air tube and the supportive air tube. This arrangement defines an air tube group. Each of the groups is isolated from each other by heat seal lines. In other words, the air flow between groups is impossible. Therefore, when either the main air tube or the supportive air tube of one group leaks, the other groups may still function.
The above two patents merely disclose packing bags with pressure adjustment mechanism. By providing air flow between air tubes and supportive air tubes, or between collision preventive air chambers and air adjustment chambers, the breaking on the chambers or air tubes may be prevented. However, when either one of the chambers, or either one of the air tubes, breaks and then leaks, their counterpart also runs out of air. Also, these bags require pre-determining their sizes on the designing step for specific products. It may not be re-used for other products in different size or shape again. Since these bags are designed to pack specific size or shape of products, the rectangular-shape opening as entry for those specific products might tear. After these bags packed with products have been put into a box, their cambered surface on the front of the bags makes them unlikely to ideally conform to the box. Collisions between the inner walls of the box and these bags during the shipment inevitably occur.
An objective of the invention is to provide an air cushioning wrapping bag in strip form that may warp products in any shape or size.
Another objective of the invention is to provide an air cushioning wrapping bag that may maintain its functionality even one or more of its air tubes leak.
Another objective of the invention is to provide an air cushioning wrapping bag that may effectively prevent damages during the shipment.
To achieve the above objectives, in one aspect, the invention provides an air cushioning wrapping bag including a strip of main air tubes and a pair of peripheral air tubes strips. The main air tubes strip includes multiple main air tubes in a row arrangement that each main tube is separate from and parallel to each other. The main air tubes strip is divided into three sections, an upper main section, a lower main section, and a connecting main section. The connecting main section disposes between and connects with the upper and lower main sections. Multiple folding points are formed along the two sides of the connecting main section and between the upper and lower main sections. The two peripheral air tubes strips respectively connect with both sides of the main air tubes strip. Each of the peripheral air tubes strips includes a connecting peripheral section, an upper peripheral section and a lower peripheral section. The upper peripheral section and the lower peripheral section connect with the connecting peripheral section. In this embodiment, each of the main air tubes for both of the upper and the lower main sections contains equal length.
In another aspect, the air cushioning wrapping bag includes a strip of main air tubes and a pair of peripheral air tubes strips. The main air tubes strip includes multiple main air tubes in a row arrangement. The main air tubes strip includes five sections, two upper main section, a lower main section, and two connecting main section. Both of the connecting main sections dispose between and connect with the upper and the lower main sections. Multiple folding points are formed along the two sides of the connecting main section and between the upper and lower main sections. In this embodiment, each of the main air tubes' length of the lower main section is longer than the length for each of the main air tubes of the upper main sections. The two peripheral air tubes strips respectively connect with both sides of the main air tubes strip. Each of the peripheral air tubes strips includes two connecting peripheral sections, two upper peripheral sections, and a lower peripheral section. The connecting peripheral sections connect one ends with the lower peripheral section and the opposite ends with the upper peripheral sections.
In operation, the upper and lower main sections define their respective first folding unit and second folding unit. The peripheral air tube's diameter of the peripheral air tubes strips is larger than that of its respective main air tubes. When folding the first folding unit, the second folding unit, and their respective peripheral air tubes strips, a containing space for housing a product, such as an electronic device, and an air cushioning layer surrounding the containing space for protection are formed. The peripheral air tubes on the edges of the electronic device holds and firmly fastens the device in a manner that the mobility of the device is unlikely occurred. The device is therefore in a secure position. Since the electronic device is fastened in a secure position leaving no more space for possible collision between the peripheral air tubes and the electronic device, the damages to the device is preventable. Furthermore, when the wrapped electronic device is put into a box, the peripheral air tubes are against the inner walls of the box as well as the multiple main air tubes for the air cushioning, the damages by collision due to improper handlings or during the shipment may effectively prevent.
In another aspect, an air cushioning wrapping bag includes a strip of main air tubes and a pair of peripheral air tubes strips. The main air tubes strip includes multiple main air tubes in a row arrangement. The strip of main air tubes is divided into seven sections, four upper main sections, a lower main section, and two connecting main section. The lower main section which disposes in the middle of the main air tubes trip with its both sides perpendicular to the main air tubes connects with the connecting main sections. And the other sides of the connecting sections, which are not connected with the lower main section, connect with two upper main sections. These two upper main sections are arranged by connecting one to the other in sequence. Then, two peripheral air tubes strips connect with two sides of main air tubes strip. Each of the peripheral tubes strip includes a lower peripheral section, two connecting peripheral section connecting with two ends of the lower peripheral section, and two upper peripheral sections that is arranged in sequence connecting with the other end of the connecting peripheral section. These peripheral sections are parallel and with equal lengths to their respective main air tubes sections. The connecting folding units connect one side with the first folding units and the other side with the second folding unit. The peripheral air tubes of the peripheral air tubes strips contain larger tube diameter than that of all the main air tubes. When folding the first folding units, the second folding unit, and their respective peripheral sections, a containing space for which an electronic device may be housed in and an air cushioning layer surrounding the containing space for protection are formed. Multiple folding points are formed on and along each side of all the sections during the heat-sealing operation.
In another aspect, a modification of an air cushioning wrapping bag is described. A wrapping bag includes a strip of main air tubes and a pair of peripheral air tubes strips. The main air tubes strip includes multiple main air tubes in a row arrangement. The strip of main air tubes is divided into two sections, an upper main section and a lower main section. Multiple folding points are formed during the heat-sealing operation between the two main sections. Each of the two peripheral air tubes strips respectively connects with one side of the main air tubes strip. Further, each of the peripheral air tubes strips includes an upper and a lower peripheral section. The upper and lower main sections define their respective first folding unit and second folding unit. The folding points arrangement in the middle of the first folding unit and the second folding unit may allow them to fold.
Among the advantages of the invention are the following. The invention provides various configurations on the first folding unit and second folding unit of the wrapping bag in accordance with the shapes and sizes of the products. The strip form design for the wrapping bag may wrap any shape and size of products such as sensitive, sophisticated, and fragile products that require the prevention of damages during the shipment. To meet and warp any size or shape of products, the wrapping bag may be tailored by adding more or reducing some of the strips. Each of the main tubes and peripheral air tubes is a separate entity. Even under certain circumstance, one or more of the tubes may leak air, the remainder still functions. The peripheral air tubes on the edges of the electronic device holds and firmly fastens the device in a manner that the mobility of the device is unlikely occurred. The device is therefore in a secure position. Because the edges of the peripheral air tubes are against the inner walls of the box, the wrapped product may be fastened in a secure position. With the multiple air tubes providing the air cushioning to the products, inevitable damages due to the improper handling during the shipment may effectively prevent.
Referring to
Referring to
The embodiments of the invention may have various configurations in accordance with different arrangements of settings on the first folding unit, the second folding unit, the connecting unit, and their respective folding points. The strip form design of the invention provides extendibility that may meet and wrap products in any shape and size. The shape of the invention may be varied such as in the shape of L, U, triangle, or polygon. Of course, the other shapes are also possible. Each of the main tubes and peripheral air tubes is separate from each other. Even under certain circumstance, one or more of these air tubes leak, the remainder may still function. The peripheral air tubes on the edges of the electronic device holds and firmly fastens the device in a manner that the mobility of the device is unlikely occurred. The device is therefore in a secure position. Since the electronic device is fastened in a secure position leaving no more space for possible collision between the peripheral air tubes and the electronic device, the damages to the device is preventable. Because the edge of the peripheral air tubes are against the inner walls of the box as well as the multiple main air tubes as air cushioning layer, the inevitable damages due to improper handling during the shipment may effectively prevent. The wrapping bag of the invention may wrap any product or item, especially for those sensitive, sophisticated, and fragile electronic components that require more caring. The invention may be applicable to other products or items requiring similar damages prevention.
Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be considered broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.
