The present invention relates to packaging and more particularly to dunnage for containing fragile contents within a container.
Dunnage is widely used in conventional packaging to cradle and support articles within an outer container, such as a cardboard box. The primary function of dunnage is to protect the packaged articles from damage during shipping and handling. Dunnage is available in a wide variety of styles and configurations. For example, expanded foam dunnage is often used to support consumer electronics sold in conventional cardboard boxes, such as computers, DVD players, etc. The configuration of foam dunnage may vary from application to application. In some applications, eight foam corners are provided to be separately fitted into the eight corners of the container to hold the article. In other applications, two foam supports are provided to be separately fitted into the top and bottom of the container to cradle the article from top and bottom. Foam dunnage is available in a variety of other configurations. Although it is lightweight and relatively inexpensive, foam dunnage suffers from a number of problems. For example, foam is bulky and occupies a relatively large amount of space. This can present significant increased inventory costs. Further, foam can be easily broken apart leaving small beads that can get stuck in the packaged article.
Perhaps in response to the disadvantages of foam dunnage, there is an ever-increasing use of polymeric dunnage. Polymeric dunnage is often produced by molding a polymeric sheet to include a plurality of contours that fill the space between the article and the walls of the outer container. Typically, these contours include a variety of bulbous shapes that are configured and positioned to receive and absorb external forces, such as the forces that may result from dropping or other rough handling of the packaged article. Polymeric materials are inexpensive and, if properly designed, provide excellent protection for packaged articles. Polymeric materials are also easily nestable and therefore occupy less space when not in use. This can result in significant inventory savings. Further, polymeric materials are readily recyclable and therefore can provide environmental benefits. Although commonly considered to be a marked improvement over foam dunnage in many aspects, conventional polymeric dunnage suffers from some limitations. For example, it is often desirable to create deep contours in select regions of the polymeric material to provide large cushioning elements for supporting the article in such regions. Unfortunately, deep contours require the stock material to undergo deep draws, which in turn results in significant thinning and weakening of the material in the regions where deep contours are desired. To compensate for this thinning in specific areas, it is typically necessary to increase the overall thickness of the entire sheet of stock material. More specifically, the entire sheet of stock material must be of sufficient thickness so that the areas of greatest thinning remain at an acceptable thickness after the sheet has been formed. As a result, those regions of the dunnage that do not undergo as much thinning are thicker than necessary to perform their function and this additional thickness represents waste material.
Further, significant labor can be associated with the use of conventional dunnage. With conventional dunnage, an individual is typically required to manually place one or more pieces of dunnage in the container before the article is packaged. This may require the individual to reach deep into a container, which can be ergonomically undesirable. The article can then be place in the container, but special care must be taken not to move or damage the dunnage as the article is being inserted. This can be somewhat difficult with heavy articles or loose dunnage pieces. Another option is to fit the dunnage onto the article before it is inserted into the container. This option presents a different set of difficulties because it can be difficult to grab and hold the article while it is fitted with dunnage. It may also be difficult to fit the article into the container when it is fitted with dunnage. Further, it may be difficult to prevent the dunnage from falling off of the article during insertion into the container.
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for polymeric dunnage that provides more efficient use of material while maintaining the desired level of protection, as well as dunnage that requires less labor during packaging.
The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention which provides articulated polymeric dunnage with at least two corner support portions joined along a hinge. The dunnage is movable between an open orientation and a folded configuration. The dunnage may be formed in the open configuration so that the dunnage is biased in the open orientation by the shape memory of the polymeric material. The dunnage is configured to be fitted around a portion of the article and to extend between adjacent corners of the container when in the folded configuration.
In one embodiment, each corner support portion includes a plurality of contours configured to receive a corner, edge or surface portion (or any combination thereof) of the article to be packaged. In this embodiment, the dunnage is formed in the flat configuration with contours that are generally triangular when viewed in cross section. When the dunnage is articulated into the folded configuration, the contours of the two corner support portions pivot to cooperatively define a generally rectangular opening that will typically be configured to closely receive a portion of the article to be packaged, such as the bottom end of the article.
In another embodiment, each corner support portion includes alternating container engaging surfaces and article engaging surfaces that are joined by support walls. The container engaging surfaces may be configured to directly engage the walls of the container and the article engaging surfaces may be configured to directly engage the article. The support walls interconnect the container and article surfaces.
In one embodiment, the container surfaces may be shaped to define corner recesses. As a result of these recesses, the dunnage does not extend fully into the corners of the container, which leave a void between the corner of the container and the dunnage. Among other things, this allows the corner of the container to deform a certain amount without causing corresponding deformation in the dunnage.
In one embodiment, the dunnage is shaped to provide details that become undercut only when the dunnage is moved into the folded configuration. The details may be configured to partially enclose a portion of the article to be packaged. In effect, these undercut details permit the article and the dunnage to interlock as the dunnage articulates into the folded configuration.
The present invention also provides a method for packaging an article in a container. The method generally includes the steps of (a) providing articulating dunnage that is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, (b) providing a container defining an opening, (c) placing the dunnage in the open configuration on the container over the opening, (d) moving the article into engagement with the dunnage, (e) inserting the article and dunnage into the container through the opening, the action of inserting the article and dunnage into the container causing the dunnage to move from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
The present invention provides effective and efficient polymeric dunnage. Unlike conventional hinged dunnage, which may include top, bottom, side and/or end walls that are hinged in the corners, the present invention includes corner support portions that are hinged together at a location between the corners of the container. Because the hinge is not located in the corner, the dunnage can be configured to provide improved protection for the article in the corners of the container, where impact forces can be highly focused. As a result of the articulating nature of the dunnage, the support contours can be formed in a way that provides relatively uniform thinning of the stock material. For example, the contours can be provided with a triangular shape that minimizes localized stretching during forming. When the dunnage is articulated into the folded position, the generally triangular contours pivot to cooperatively define a generally rectangular article receiving void. Further, because the dunnage is configured to close on the article, the dunnage may be provided with contours that become undercut when the dunnage is in the folded configuration. Accordingly, the dunnage can entrap a portion of the article. Also, the present invention can provide support on three sides of an article using only a single hinge. Convention dunnage with corner hinges requires two hinges (one in each corner) to protect three sides of an article. Hinges can negatively impact the protection and strength of the dunnage because they place limits on the shape of the dunnage at and around the hinge locations. Therefore, the reduced number of hinges associated with the present invention provides the opportunity for increased protection and strength.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the current embodiment and the drawings.
Articulating dunnage in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the term “corner” is used herein to refer both to three-wall corners (i.e. convergence of three walls, such as the convergence of the top, front and right side walls) and two-wall corners (i.e. convergence of two walls, such as the convergence of the bottom and right side walls).
As noted above, the present invention is described in connection with the packaging of a computer A in a cardboard box C.
As noted above, the dunnage 10 generally includes a pair of corner support portions 12 and 14 that are joined along a hinge 16 (See
As perhaps best shown in
Each corner support portion 12 and 14 also includes end contours disposed at opposite ends. In the illustrated embodiment, each corner support portion 12 and 14 includes two end contours 40a-b and 40c-d disposed at each end. The end contours 40a-d of this embodiment are somewhat rectangular in shape and are configured to snuggly engage the end walls of the article A. The size, shape and configuration of the end contours 40a-d may vary from application to application. The end contours 40a-d may be entirely eliminated in some application, if desired.
The dunnage 10 may also include limit contours 42 configured to resist over-folding of the dunnage 10. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the contours 42 of the two support portions 12 and 14 are configured to abut once the dunnage 10 has been moved into the folded configuration (See
As noted above,
In one embodiment, the dunnage 10 and 10′ is manufactured by forming an essentially planar sheet of polymeric material (not shown) using conventional molding techniques and apparatus (not shown). For example, the stock material may be vacuum molded using conventional vacuum molding equipment. In this embodiment, a generally conventional vacuum mold (not shown) is used to form the dunnage 10 and 10′. The dunnage 10 and 10′ is molded from a sheet of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) in the described embodiment. However, essentially any thermoformable material may be used, including without limitation HDPE, PETG, PVC and LDPE. In this embodiment, a vacuum mold (not shown) is provided with contours corresponding with those of the dunnage 10 as described and illustrated. The stock material may be heated and drawn over the vacuum mold in a conventional manner. In one embodiment, the stock material is clamped at its periphery, heated to the appropriate temperature and then drawn over the mold. The peripheral edges of the stock material may be trimmed after molded to provide the flange 18.
The present invention is also directed to a method for packaging articles in a container using articulating dunnage. With reference to the embodiment illustrated above, the method generally includes the steps of: (a) providing articulating dunnage 10 that is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, (b) providing a container C defining an opening C1 through which the article A is to be inserted into the container C, (c) placing the dunnage 10 in the open configuration on the container C over the opening C1, (d) moving the article A into engagement with the dunnage 10, (e) inserting the article A and dunnage 10 into the container C through the opening C1 such that the action of inserting the article A and dunnage 10 into the container C causes the dunnage to move from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
In an alternative embodiment, the dunnage 210 may include contours 260 that become undercut as the dunnage 210 moves from the open configuration to the closed configuration. The undercut contours 260 permit the dunnage 210 to be designed to interlock with the article A′. For example, as shown in
Although the present invention is described above in connection with dunnage 10 having two corner support portions 12 and 14, the dunnage may alternatively include additional corner support portions. For example, as shown in
The above description is that of the current embodiment of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.