Patent Application
20150210457
The present invention relates to a bottle shipping system and more particularly to a system for packaging bottles having a body and a neck extending upward from the body that prevents movement of the bottles during transport.
Historically, bottles and containers have been shipped in many styles and shapes of inner packaging using many different kinds of materials. The goal of these packages, was and is, to protect bottles and containers during rigorous parcel shipping conditions such as the Post Office, UPS, Fed Ex, etc. So far, only a few of those packages have been successful in their structural protection of the shipped product, as well as satisfying additional areas such as ease of assembly and packaging as well as cost effectiveness to purchase and minimizing environmental impacts.
Specific difficulties arise in the transport of small quantities of wines. The products are typically of high value and mixed selections are often packaged together for transport. Therefore, packaging has to be adapted to take bottles of varying sizes and to be able to protect them from injury. For years there have been ongoing design efforts to develop the “perfect package,” but there has not been much success and the packaging companies' design departments' struggle along every day with little or no success. The products that are on the market today do not live up to the needed requirements for safely shipping bottles and containers as well as satisfying the other considerations.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a bottle shipping system adapted for packaging bottles having a body and a neck extending upward from the body in a carton having a rectangular shaped prism having four side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall, that prevents movement of the bottles during transport. The bottle shipping system includes a first foam section, a second foam section, a third foam section and a fourth foam section. The first foam section is adapted to be placed on the bottom wall of the carton adapted to provide a support surface on which the bottles are placed. The second foam section having a first plurality of openings therethrough to receive the body of the bottles is adapted to being disposed within the carton above the first foam section. The third foam section having a second plurality of openings therethrough adapted to receive the neck of the bottles is adapted to being disposed within the carton between the second foam section and the top wall. The fourth foam section adapted to being is to being placed against the top wall of the carton adapted to provide a buffer surface against which the top of the bottles are pressed.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a method for packaging bottles having a body and a neck extending upward from the body in a carton having a rectangular shaped prism having four side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall that prevents movement of the bottles during transport. First, a first foam section is placed on an interior side of the bottom wall of the carton to provide a support surface on which the bottles are placed. Then, the bottles are placed within the carton atop the first foam section. Next, a second foam section having a first plurality of openings therethrough is placed above the bottles and lowered into the carton whereby the bottles extend through the first plurality of openings. Continuing, a third foam section having a second plurality of openings therethrough is positioned within the carton whereby the second plurality of openings are spatially placed immediately above the first plurality of openings through the second foam section. The third foam section is lowered within the carton whereby the bottle necks extend through the second plurality of openings. Finally, a fourth foam section is placed within the carton onto the top of the bottles.
The structure, operation, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures (FIGs.). The figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Certain elements in some of the figures may be omitted, or illustrated not-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The cross-sectional views may be in the form of “slices”, or “near-sighted” cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines which would otherwise be visible in a “true” cross-sectional view, for illustrative clarity.
In the drawings accompanying the description that follows, both reference numerals and legends (labels, text descriptions) may be used to identify elements. If legends are provided, they are intended merely as an aid to the reader, and should not in any way be interpreted as limiting.
In the description that follows, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations of these specific details are possible while still achieving the results of the present invention. Well-known processing steps are generally not described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obfuscating the description of the present invention.
In the description that follows, exemplary dimensions may be presented for an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The dimensions should not be interpreted as limiting. They are included to provide a sense of proportion. Generally speaking, it is the relationship between various elements, where they are located, their contrasting compositions, and sometimes their relative sizes that is of significance.
In the drawings accompanying the description that follows, often both reference numerals and legends (labels, text descriptions) will be used to identify elements. If legends are provided, they are intended merely as an aid to the reader, and should not in any way be interpreted as limiting.
The transport of wine bottles poses well documented problems. Such packing and shipping containers are relatively heavy and susceptible to breakage. Although a number of packaging solutions have been devised to overcome the problems associated with transporting of glass bottles, no adequate options exist. For example, cases of wine bottles in cardboard cartons can be transported with a flimsy card web placed between neighboring bottles to ensure that they do not damage one another. However, this packaging is inadequate in a number of situations and breakages occur all too readily. A breakage is not only a costly exercise for the owner of the product but is also undesirable from the point of view of those transporting the product.
The bottle shipping system 10 addressed the issue of packaging and shipping bottles, specifically wine bottles 12. Bottle shipping system 10 is directed to a packaging arrangement suitable for use with wine bottles 12 and like bottles that provides support against movement during transport for these bottles. The carton 22 used with the bottle shipping system 10 has also been designed to take into account the need to minimize space and weight occupied by items to be transported, while being able to be manufactured from materials such as cardboard. Further, bottle shipping system 10 is designed to preserve the aesthetic labeling of the wine bottles 12 during shipping.
The foam sections 14, 16, 18 and 20 are designed to secure the wine bottles 12 in position, and preclude them from hitting into one another and into the carton 22 while in transport. The wine bottles 12 will not get damaged if the carton 22 is dropped, since the foam can withstand shock and retain its original shape and strength. Typically, the wine bottles 12 are packed in the carton 22 twelve at a time, and arranged in a 3×4 array. However, it is within the terms of the embodiment that any amount of wine bottles be used, such as six wine bottles or three wine bottles, as seen in
The carton 22 may be constructed of any desired material, such as corrugated fiberboard. It is within the terms of the embodiment to utilize a prefabricated carton 22, such as a commercially available corrugated fiberboard box. Typically, the fiberboard box is shipped flat to the packager who sets up the box, fills it, and closes it for shipment. Once the box 22 is set up as shown in
First foam section 14 is placed along the interior side of the bottom wall 30 of the carton 22 during packaging and acts as a buffer between a bottom 12a of the bottles 12 and the bottom wall of the carton. In a similar manner to the construction of the top wall 31, there are typically two flaps (not shown) of the carton 22 that form a bottom wall 30 that may be sealed during shipping. It is also within the terms of the embodiment to form the bottom wall 30 with an additional two flaps (not shown) which close and are covered over by the two flaps (not shown). Typically, the height of first foam section 14 is between about 0.5 inches and 2 inches and preferably about 1 inch. Although it is within the terms of the embodiment that the first foam section 14 has indentations or openings to secure the bottles 12, in the preferred embodiment first foam section 14 is uniformly flat. The bottoms 12a of the bottles 12 simply rest on upper surface 14b of the foam section 14, which acts as a buffer between the bottles and the bottom wall 30 of the carton 22.
Second foam section 16 is positioned above the first foam section 14, and preferably has a thickness of between about 1.5 inches and 3 inches and preferably about 2 inch. There is a first plurality of openings 32 extending through the second foam section 16, designed to temporarily secure the body 12b of the wine bottles 12, as seen in
Third foam section 18 is positioned above the second foam section 16, and preferably has a height of between about 0.5 inches and 2 inches and preferably about 1 inch. There is a second plurality of openings 34 extending through third foam section 18, designed to temporarily secure the neck 12c of the wine bottles 12, as seen in Figure The second plurality of openings 34 are spatially placed immediately above the corresponding ones of the first plurality of openings 32 through the second foam section 16, which secure the body 12b of the wine bottles 12. The second plurality of openings 34 through the third foam section 18 have a second uniform diameter and are of a constant distance d between centers of adjacent openings 34 that prevent the wine bottles 12 from contacting each other. The openings 34 may have a range of diameters, but typically have a diameter of between about 0.75 inches and 1.25 inches and preferably about 1 inch to accommodate a commonly sized neck 12c. However, any desired diameter of opening 34 may be used to accommodate a variety of different bottle sizes. Typically, the first plurality of openings 32 has a larger diameter than the second plurality of openings 34.
Fourth foam section 20 is positioned above the third foam section 18, and against the two flaps 22a and 22b of the carton 22 during packaging. Typically, the height of the fourth foam section 14 is between about 0.75 inches and 2 inches and preferably about 1 inch. Although it is within the terms of the embodiment that the fourth foam section 20 has indentations or openings to secure the bottles 12, in the preferred embodiment upper facing surface 14a of first foam section 14 is uniformly flat. The tops 12d of the bottles 12 simply rest against the bottom facing surface 20a of foam section 20, which acts as a buffer between the tops 12d of the bottles and the two flaps 22a and 22b of the carton 72.
Preferably, the distance y between the upper surface 20b of the fourth foam section 20 and the bottom facing surface 14a of the first foam section 14 is selected to correspond to the height z of the carton 22 so that the four foam sections 14, 16, 18 and 20 are securely held within the carton 22 when the flaps 22a and 22b are closed as shown in
A carton (not shown) is a rectangular shaped prism having four side walls (not shown), a bottom wall (not shown) and a top wall (not shown). A first foam section 104 is placed on the bottom wall (not shown) of the carton (not shown) adapted to provide a support surface on which the bottoms 102a of the bottles 102 are placed. A second foam section 106 is disposed above the first foam section 104, the second foam section having a first plurality of openings 112 therethrough adapted to receive the body 102b of the bottles 102. A third foam section 108 is disposed between the second foam section 106 and the top wall (not shown), the third foam section having a second plurality of openings 114 therethrough adapted to receive the neck 102c of the bottles 102. A fourth foam section 110 is placed against the top wall (not shown) adapted to provide a buffer surface against which the neck 102c of the bottles 102 are pressed.
A carton (not shown) is a rectangular shaped prism having four side walls (not shown), a bottom wall (not shown) and a top wall (not shown). A first foam section 204 is placed on the bottom wall (not shown) of the carton (not shown) adapted to provide a support surface on which the bottoms 202a of the bottles 202 are placed. A second foam section 206 is disposed above the first foam section 204, the second foam section having a first plurality of openings 212 therethrough adapted to receive the body 202b of the bottles 202. A third foam section 208 is disposed between the second foam section 206 and the top wall (not shown), the third foam section having a second plurality of openings 214 therethrough adapted to receive the neck 202c of the bottles 202. A fourth foam section 210 is placed against the top wall (not shown) adapted to provide a buffer surface against which the neck 202c of the bottles 202 are pressed.
Further disclosed is a method for packaging bottles 12 having a body 12b and a neck 12c extending upward from the body that prevents movement of the bottles during transport. The method includes using the bottle shipping system 10 with a carton 22 having a rectangular shaped prism having four side walls 24, 25, and 27, a bottom wall 30 and a top wall 31. The method further includes placing a first foam section 14 on an interior side 30a of the bottom wall 30 to provide a support surface on which the bottles 12 are placed, and then placing the bottles within the carton atop the first foam section. The method further includes positioning a second foam section 16 having a first plurality of openings 32 therethrough above the bottles 12, and lowering the second foam section within the carton 22 whereby the bottles extend through the first plurality of openings. The method further includes positioning a third foam section 18 having a second plurality of openings 34 therethrough whereby the second plurality of openings are spatially placed immediately above the first plurality of openings 32 through the second foam section 16, and lowering the third foam section within the carton 22 whereby the bottles 12 extend through the second plurality of openings. Finally, the method includes placing a fourth foam section 20 within the carton 22 onto a top 12d of the bottles 12.
The method further includes lowering the second foam section 16 whereby the first plurality of openings 32 are disposed about the body 12b of the bottles 12, and lowering the third foam section 18 whereby the second plurality of openings 34 are disposed about the neck 12c of the bottles.
The method further includes closing the top wall 31 of the carton 22 against an upper surface 20b of the fourth foam section 20 whereby the fourth foam section acts as a buffer between a top 12d of the bottles 12 and the top wall 31 of the carton.
The method includes forming the first foam section 14, second foam section 16, third foam section 18, and fourth foam section 20 into a rectangular shape with an equal distance between first and second pairs of parallel edges 14c and 14d, 16a and 16b, 18a and 18b, and 20c and 20d, respectively.
The method further includes selecting the first foam section 14, second foam section 16, third foam section 18, and fourth foam section 20 whereby the first and second pairs of parallel edges 14c and 14d, 16a and 16b, 18a and 18b, and 20c and 20d, respectively of the first foam section, second foam section, third foam section, and fourth foam section abut against the interior surface of the opposite facing side walls 23 and 24, and against the interior surface of the opposite facing front and rear side walls 25 and 27 of the carton 22.
The method further includes closing and securing the top wall 31 of the carton 22.
It is also within the terms of the embodiment that prior to the wine bottles 12 being placed within the carton 22, the second foam section 16 will be lowered and then secured about the middles of the body 12b of the wine bottles 12. Then, the third foam section 18 is positioned above the wine bottles 12, with openings 34 spatially placed immediately above the corresponding openings 32 of second foam section 16. The third foam section 18 will be lowered and then secured about the neck 12c of the wine bottles 12. After the second foam section 16 and the third foam section 18 have been secured about the bottles 12, the bottles and foam sections will be placed within the carton 22, atop the first foam section 14. Then, the fourth foam section 20 is placed against the tops 12d of the bottles 12 and acts as a buffer between the tops of the bottles and the two flaps 22a and 22b of the carton 22. Finally, the two flaps 22a and 22b may be closed and secured, typically with tape or other adhesive.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, certain equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, etc.) the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more features of the other embodiments as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
