FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a foam packaging apparatus for protecting one or more articles, and more particularly to a foam packaging box to customize the one or more articles' packaging.
BACKGROUND
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Various types of packaging materials are known for packaging and shipping perishable or fragile articles. In some cases, a box containing an article is suspended within another package or box for protection during shipping or storage, and “loose-fill” packaging materials may be used to space and protect the inner articles within the outer box. In particular, the use of “loose-fill” materials such as expanded plastic beads (polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), may be extruded and cut into a variety of shapes, which can be used to fill a void and surround an article placed inside a shipping container or box to cushion and protect the articles against damage. Accordingly, the fragile devices or articles such as electronic devices, medical devices, glassware, etc., surrounded by the “loose-fill” packaging materials may be protected from the vibration and shock due to the impact.
However, the loose-fill materials provide a low weight “resilient envelope” such that it has been found that heavier articles may wander or settle within the loose-fill medium over time due to vibration during transport. While the loose-fill materials may have good pourability for filling a void or space between an article and its container, they are particularly difficult to dispose of, as the low density and high volume provide tremendous quantities of loose beads that the consumer must deal with and that many waste management companies do not see as recyclable materials. A further disadvantage of the loose-fill materials is that the low density and large volume make storing and transporting the materials before use very inefficient and costly.
Foam-in-place materials provide another option to package articles. Thermoset two-component urethane precursors may be reacted together and poured or sprayed to expand and fill an open space to provide cushioning. Thermoplastic beads may be expanded in shaped molds to form customized sections of packaging for the protection of contents. An alternate means to provide packing materials has been to cut a block or sheet of, for instance, a foamed material to shape. That is, however, an extremely wasteful process as a lot of scrap is generated from the material removed from the blank and usually a lot of dust or debris is generated.
“Bubble-wrap” is another type of packaging for articles, where a sheet of plastic bubbles can be wrapped around an article having a regular shape. However, the ability of “bubble-wrap” to fill irregular shaped spaces or voids is poor and, once again, disposal is difficult, unless one wants to crush all the bubbles to reduce the volume to a practical level. In the packaging of heavy products, further, appliances and the like, corner and top support pads may be provided between a corner of the appliance and an outer container. These pads provide impact protection as well as stacking strength. Often these support pads are formed to shape of paper board and adhesive. They are not however generally reusable in a different configuration.
“Styrofoam” is another type of packaging for articles to cut into shapes of the articles. However, this packaging lacks protection as Styrofoam (EPS) breaks when dropped, loosens against the article, and will eventually fail if dropped multiple times. Further, an article is protected with foldable corrugated configuration which wraps around the article shape. However, this packaging is time consuming to assemble and to package the article, and also as the corrugated material gets damaged when dropped and also loosens against the article.
Further, packaging, especially for artistic products such as framed paintings and art sculptures, have typically been accomplished using some sort of foam material, corrugated cardboard, or a combination of materials placed inside a container (e.g., a box) for storing and/or shipping to a destination. Packing such components using these types of materials helps to prevent the article being boxed from being damaged in storage or during shipment. For example, a single piece of corrugated cardboard cut into an elongated cross-shape and four elongated rectangular pieces of foam can be attached to the underside of the corrugated cardboard at equidistant intervals along a horizontal length of the corrugated cardboard to protect an artistic product, such as a framed painting, from being damaged during the shipment process. Accordingly, the artistic product may be placed in and protected only by the elongated foams or the corrugated cardboard along with the elongated foams. However, the manufacturing process of the combined corrugated cardboard and/or foam pieces can be expensive and complicated. A more simple and cost effective type of packaging assembly is desired for delicate items to be shipped without damage within a container. Accordingly, a packaging assembly that includes a packaging material provides an easily configurable shape that may be customized to efficiently package a given article and is readily reusable and more easily disposed of is desirable.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure relates to a foam packaging assembly for protecting an article during storage and/or shipment (i.e., transport). In particular, the present disclosure provides a foam packaging pad formed from a single sheet of material for protecting delicate items such as artistic products, electronic devices, etc. According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the packaging pad for enclosing and packaging one or more articles includes a single sheet of material with a top section, a bottom section, and a plurality of wall sections. The single sheet of material further includes a plurality of cutting portions cut through an entire thickness of the material and a plurality of connecting hinge portions connected between each of the plurality of wall sections and the bottom section such that each of the plurality of wall sections is positioned in an angle relative to the bottom section.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the single sheet of material includes at least one first extended section configured to extend from one of the plurality of wall sections toward a side of the bottom section connected to the one of the plurality of wall sections, and also at least one second extended section configured to extend from one of the plurality of wall sections toward a side of the top section connected to the one of the plurality of wall sections.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, in a folded configuration, each of the plurality of wall sections is configured to be folded substantially perpendicular to the bottom section to form a container for receiving an article, and the top section is configured to be folded substantially perpendicular to one of the wall sections to form a lid for covering an opening of the container.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, in a folded configuration, an extended length of the at least first extended section from the wall sections is substantially the same as a thickness of the single sheet of material. Further, each of the plurality of wall sections is configured to retain its folded position due to the at least one first extended section separated from the bottom section and coupled to a side surface of the bottom section.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, in the folded configuration, the bottom section includes at least one first aperture configured to receive a pad block such that the pad block inserted into the at least one first aperture is configured to support the position of the plurality of wall sections, and the top section includes at least one second aperture configured to receive the pad block such that the pad block inserted into the at least one second aperture is configured to support the position of the top section in a closed state.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the single sheet of material includes a first layer and a second layer attached to each other, and the first layer is thicker than the second layer. In the folded configuration, the second layer has the plurality of connecting hinge portions configured to be bend to form a container and/or lid.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the single sheet of material further includes at least one locking aperture formed in a side of the top section and at least one locking extended section extending from one of the plurality of wall sections opposite from one of the plurality of wall sections connected to the top section. In a folded configuration, the at least one locking extended section is engaged with the at least one locking aperture of the top section such that the top section is releasably locked with a container formed by the bottom section and the plurality of wall sections.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a foam packaging pad for receiving a portion of an article comprises a single sheet of material including a first section, a second section, and a wall section disposed between the first second and the second section. The single sheet of material includes a plurality of cutting portions cut through an entire thickness of the material and a plurality of connecting hinge portions connected between the wall section and each of the first and second sections such that the wall section is positioned in an angle relative to each of the first and second sections.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the single sheet of material includes at least one first extended section configured to extend from the first section toward the wall section and at least one second extended section configured to extend from the second section toward the wall section. In a folded configuration, the foam packaging pad has one open side receiving the portion of the article to provide a cushioning protection.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the single sheet of material includes a protective layer selectively attached to a surface of the first section and configured to protect a surface of the article. The single sheet of material further includes a second wall section connected to a side of the first section. The second wall section includes a locking aperture to receive a locking extended section extending from a side of the second section. In a folded configuration, the locking extended section of the second section is engaged with the locking aperture of the second extended section such that the second section is releasably locked with the second wall section to receive and protect a corner of the article.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the single sheet of material includes at least one second extended section configured to extend from the first section toward the second wall section, positioned in an angle relative to the first section.
Further details and benefits will become apparent from the following detailed description of the appended drawings. The drawings are provided herewith purely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an unfolded corner pad according to the present disclosure, FIG. 1A shows an inner perspective view of the folded corner pad of FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure, and FIG. 1B shows an outer perspective view of the folded corner pad of FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 shows an outer perspective view of a folded side pad having a dovetail section according to the present disclosure, and FIG. 2A shows an inner perspective view of the folded side pad of FIG. 2 according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 shows an outer perspective view of a folded side pad having two dovetail sections according to the present disclosure;
FIGS. 4A-4C show a packaging assembly process of the article with a plurality of pads placed inside the container according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an insert board with a plurality of pads according to the present disclosure;
FIGS. 6A-6D show a packaging assembly process using the insert board of FIG. 5 according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of a configurator used for a packaging assembly according to the present disclosure, FIG. 7A shows a first output without the dimensions of the insert board determined by the configurator of FIG. 7 according to the present disclosure, and FIG. 7B shows a second output with the dimensions of the insert board determined by the configurator of FIG. 7 according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 8A shows a plan view of a single sheet of a pad according to the present disclosure, FIG. 8B shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of a container, FIG. 8C shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of a lid, FIG. 8D shows a perspective view of a foam packaging pad formed by the single sheet of FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8E shows a perspective view of the foam packaging pad having an article inside the container of FIG. 8B;
FIG. 9A shows a perspective view of a pad block according to the present disclosure, FIG. 9B shows a perspective view of the container with the inserted pad block of FIG. 9A, and FIG. 9C shows a top view of the lid with the inserted pad block of FIG. 9A;
FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the foam packaging pad placing in a cardboard box according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 11A shows a plan view of a single sheet of a pad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 11B shows a perspective view of the foam packaging pad of FIG. 11A;
FIG. 12A shows a plan view of a single sheet of a pad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 12B shows a perspective view of the foam packaging pad of FIG. 12A;
FIG. 13A shows a plan view of a single sheet of a pad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 13B shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of a container, FIG. 13C shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of a lid, and FIG. 13D shows a perspective view of a foam packaging pad having a locking feature of FIG. 13A;
FIG. 14A shows a plan view of a single sheet of a pad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 14B shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of the pad of FIG. 14A, FIG. 14C shows another view of the folded configuration of the pad of FIG. 14A, and FIG. 14D shows a perspective view of the pad of FIG. 14A receiving an article according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of the pad of FIG. 14A having an additional protective layer.
FIGS. 16A and 16B show plan views of side foam packaging pads with different sizes from the pad of FIG. 14A
FIG. 17A shows a plan view of a single sheet of a pad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 17B shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of wall sections of FIG. 17A, FIGS. 17C and 17D show perspective views of a folded configuration of a top section of FIG. 17A, FIG. 17E shows a perspective view of the foam packaging pad of FIG. 17A with a locking feature, and FIG. 17F shows a perspective view of the pad of FIG. 17A receiving an article according to the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure or its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thermoplastic corner pad in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of the folded corner pad of FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the corner pad 10 has a base segment 12 and two sub-segments 14 and 16. As shown in FIGS. 1, 1A and 1B, the base segment 12 and each of the sub-segments 14 and 16 are folded to form an L-shape respectively, and the folded pad may be configured into a corner pad 10 by rotating each of the end sub-segments 14 and 16 in the direction of R1 and R2. Further, the corner pad 10 has one dovetail section 18 formed in each of the sub-segments 14 and 16 to ensure that the sub-segments 14 and 16 remain essentially perpendicular to the base segment 12 when the sub-segments 14 and 16 are each folded to form in the corner pad 10, which is defined as a folded corner pad configuration.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 1A, and 1B, each of the dovetail sections 18 is cut into each of the sub-segments 14 and 16, and a connecting hinge portion 20 may be used to connect the sub-segments 14 and 16 with the base segment 12. Further, the connecting hinge portion 20 may be located on either side of the dovetail section 18 (see FIG. 1B). Accordingly, the base segment 12 and each of the sub-segments 14 and 16 remain connected and each of the sub-segments 14 and 16 may be rotated to form a corner pad 10. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the sub-segments 14 and 16 are each rotated by substantially 90 degrees and held in the position to configure into the corner pad 10. By controlling the width and thickness of the connecting hinge portion 20, the rotation angle may be controlled and the rotation angle between the base segment 12 and each of the sub-segments 14 and 16 may be different in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.
Further, in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure, the dovetail section 18 may be formed with any other forms of the geometry. So, when the sub-segments 14 and 16 are each rotated to a substantially perpendicular configuration relative to the base segment 12, such geometry is one that creates an interference as between the base segment 12 and each of the sub-segments 14 and 16. Accordingly, they remain in a position for use in packaging as a corner pad. When the sub-segments 14 and 16 are each rotated in the direction of arrows R1 and R2 around the hinge portions 20 relative to the base segment 12, the dovetail sections 20 of the base segment 12 is cleared from the inner wall of the sub-segments 14 and 16, and separated from the sub-segments 14 and 16. So, in the folded corner pad configuration of FIG. 1B, the ear portions 19 of the dovetail section 18 may clear the side wall and recover their original shape to act as a locking mechanism to ensure that the sub-segments 14 and 16 are substantially perpendicular to the base segment 12. Accordingly, the sub-segments 14 and 16 may be retained by the dovetail section 18 in a position substantially perpendicular to the base segment 12 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B).
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the base segment 12 and the sub-segments 14 and 16 are each about 3 inches square, and also the segments are about 2 inches thick and preferably about 1.687 inches thick. Further, the dovetail section extends about 1.625 inches into the sub-segments 14 and 16 from the base segment 12, and has a width about 1.5 inches across the ear portions 19 and about 1.125 inches at its narrowed portion, which is located at the connecting location with the base segment 12. Accordingly, as shown in the folded corner pad configuration of FIG. 1B, the length of the dovetail section 18 may substantially match to or may be little less than the thickness of the sub-segments 14 and 16 to provide the folded configuration of the corner pad 10. In accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure, the dimensions of the corner pad 10 may be changed according to the size of the articles and/or the inner box 102 storing the article (i.e., depending on the application requirements, see FIG. 4B). The corner pads 10, in general, may be located at the top and bottom corners of an inner box 102 storing an article or an article itself, which is packaged and stored by the container 100 (i.e., an outer box). In some embodiments, the inner box is formed with other shapes such as a circular shape or a polygonal shape according to the article's shape or size.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1-1B, the corner pad 10 has a first identifier 21 and a second identifier 23. The first identifier 21 is coupled to a first surface 11 of the base segment 12 of the corner pad 10 and the second identifier 23 is attached to a second surface 13 of the base segment 12 of the corner pad 10. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, for example, the first and second identifiers 21 and 23 are each glued on each of the first and second surfaces 11 and 13 of the corner pad 10. In some embodiments, the identifier may be coupled to the surface of the pads with other forms of bonding methods including adhesives, chemical bonding, etc. Further, in some embodiments, the identifier may be formed on the surface with other forms of processing method including a marking, a cutting, etc. In FIG. 1B, the first surface 11 of the corner pad 10 having the first identifier 21 is faced upward to position the corner pads 10 in a first orientation, which is an optimal orientation of the corner pad 10 to effectively protect the article inside the container 100 when the corner pads 10 are placed in a first portion of the container 100 (e.g., the top location of the inner box or the article as shown in FIG. 4C). In FIG. 1A, the second surface 13 of the corner pad 10 having the second identifier 23 is faced upward to position the corner pad 10 in a second orientation, which is another optimal orientation of the corner pad 10 in an opposing second portion (e.g., the inside bottom location of the container 100 as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B) opposite from the first portion of the container 100. Accordingly, each of the first and second identifiers 21 and 23 coupled to the corner pads 10 allows a user or an automatic packaging machine to place the corner pads 10 inside the container 100 quickly and correctly.
For example, in FIGS. 4A-4C, when one or more corner pads 10 are placed in the second portion of the container 100 (i.e., in the inside bottom of the container), the second surface 13 having the identifier 23 of the corner pads 10 is faced upward and disposed in the container 100 in the second orientation of the corner pad 10. When one or more corner pads 10 are placed in the first portion of the container 100 (i.e., over the top of the article or the inner box 102), the first surface 11 having the identifier 21 of the corner pads 10 is also faced upward and disposed in the container in the first orientation of the corner pad 10. Accordingly, due to the first and second identifiers 21 and 23 of the corner pads 10, the user or automatic machine may be able to place the corner pads 10 in each of the first and second portions of the container 100 quickly in the first and second orientations of the corner pads 10 such that the pads 10 inside the container 100 provide the effective protection for the article. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the first and second identifiers 21 and 23 are in the form of a circular shape, but the identifiers 21 and 23 may be formed with other shapes such as a rectangular shape in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 2 and 2A are perspective views of a first side pad 30 having one dovetail section 38 with the folded sub-segment in the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the first side pad 30 includes a base segment 32 and a sub-segment 34 such that the first side pad 30 may be configured into a side pad by rotating the sub-segment 34 in the direction of R3. Further, the first side pad 30 has one dovetail section 38, which is generally formed with the same design (i.e., same dimensions) as the dovetail section 18 of the corner pad 10 shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2, the first side pad 30 has the dovetail section 38 formed in the sub-segment 34 to ensure that the sub-segment 34 remain essentially perpendicular to the base segment 32 when the sub-segment 34 is folded to form in the side pad, which is defined as a folded side pad configuration. In some embodiments, the thickness, shape, and size of the first side pad 30 may vary depending on the application requirements.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second side pad 40 having at least two dovetail sections 48 in the folded sub-segment in the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the second side pad 40 includes a base segment 42 and a sub-segment 44 such that the second side pad 40 may be configured into a side pad by rotating the sub-segment 44 in the direction of R4. Further, the second side pad 40 has at least two dovetail sections 48, which are each formed with the same design (i.e., same dimensions) as the dovetail section 18 of the corner pad 10 shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, the second side pad 40 has at least two dovetail sections 48 formed in the sub-segment 44 to ensure that the sub-segment 44 remain essentially perpendicular to the base segment 42 when the sub-segment 44 is folded to form in the side pad, which is defined as a folded second side configuration. In some embodiments, the thickness, shape, and size of the second side pad 40 can vary depending on the application requirements.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the number of the dovetail section in the side pads 30 and 40 is generally dependent on the length of the side pad along a longitudinal direction X, which is parallel to the connecting hinge portion 20. In accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure, the side pad may have more than two dovetail sections along the longitudinal direction X of the side pad. Further, the base segment and the sub-segment in the first and second side pads 30 and 40 are each about 2 inches thick (preferably 1.687 inches thick) but the size (i.e., a length and a width) of the side pads are different from each other along the longitudinal direction X before the side pads are folded. The first and second side pads 30 and 40, in general, may be placed between the corner pads 10 at top and bottom over the inner box or article packaged and stored in the container (see FIG. 4B). In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2, 2A, and 3, each of the first and second side pads 30 and 40 also has the first and second identifiers 21 and 23, which are each coupled to the first surface 31 and 41 and the second surface 33 and 43 of the base segments 32 and 42. As described in the corner pad 10, the first identifier 21 of the side pads 30 and 40 allows the user or the automatic machine to position the side pads 30 and 40 inside the container in the first orientation of the side pads 30 and 40, and also the second identifier 23 of the side pads 30 and 40 allows the user or the automatic machine to position the side pads 30 and 40 inside the container in the second orientation of the side pads 30 and 40.
FIGS. 4A-4C show the packaging assembly process of the inner box 102 storing the article with a plurality of corner and side pads 10 and 30 (with no an insert board) defined as a first packaging configuration. In FIGS. 4A-4C, when the inner box 102 storing the article is disposed in the packaging container 100, one or more pads including the corner pads 10 and the first side pads 30 are each positioned between the inner box 102 and the packaging container 100 to protect the article. Some of the corner and side pads 10 and 30 are disposed and spaced apart from each other in the first portion of the container 100 (i.e., the top location of the container) and the others are also disposed and spaced apart from each other in the opposing second portion of the container (i.e., the bottom location of the container). For example, in FIGS. 4A-4C, four corner pads 10 and four side pads 30 in each of the top and bottom locations of the container 100 are disposed in the packaging container 100 without the insert board, which is defined as a first arrangement of the pads.
As shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, in the first packaging configuration, some of the corner and side pads 10 and 30 disposed in the bottom location of the container 100 have the second identifier 23 faced upward. After that, the inner box 102 storing the article is placed inside the packaging container 100 such that the inner box 102 sits on the pads 10 and 30 disposed in the inside bottom of the packaging container 100. Finally, other corner and side pads 10 and 30 disposed in the top location of the packaging container 100 have the first identifier 21 faced upward. Accordingly, in the first packaging configuration, the first arrangement of the pads inside the container is configured to efficiently protect the inner box 102 storing the article. Further, due to the identifiers 21 and 23, each of the pads could be quickly and correctly placed inside the container 100 such that the assembly time and labor could be saved.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the corner and side pads 10 and 30 coupled to an insert board 104, which is defined as a second arrangement of the pads in the present disclosure. In FIG. 5, the insert board 104 is formed with a rectangular shape. In some embodiments, the insert board 104 may be formed with other shapes such as a square shape, a circular shape, any other shapes according to the shape of the container, inner box, and/or article, etc. In FIG. 5, the corner pads 10 are each positioned in the corner of the insert board 104, and the side pads 30 are each positioned between the corner pads 10 along the perimeter edge of the insert board 104 and spaced apart from the corner pads 10. In some embodiments, the corner and side pads may be attached to the insert board in the different arrangements of the pads according to the different application in the packaging assembly. As shown in FIG. 5, due to the insert board 104, the corner and side pads 10 and 30 coupled (or attached) to the insert board 104 could be placed inside the packaging container 100 at one time in each of the top and bottom locations of the container 100 such that the packaging assembly labor and time for the articles could be saved. In general, the insert board 104 having the corner and side pads 10 and 30 for protecting the article may be used in a high volume package assembly to save the packaging time and labor.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the insert board 104 has at least one score 106 formed perpendicularly to the length direction L of the insert board 104 to be folded along the score such that the insert board 104 having the corner and side pads 10 and 30 could be placed easily over the top area of the inner box 102 in the packaging container 100. In some embodiments, the score 106 may be formed perpendicularly to a width direction W of the insert board, in any other ways such as diagonally, etc. For example, when the pads attached to the insert board 104 are placed over the top of the inner box 102 storing the article, the scores 106 formed in the insert board 104 may be at least partly folded along the score 106 such that the corner and side pads are efficiently disposed between the inner box 102 storing the article and the container 100 (see FIG. 6C).
Further, in the second packaging configuration, the pads 10 and 30 have at least the first identifier 21 attached to or glued on the first surfaces 11 and 31 of the pads 10 and 30, and the first surfaces 11 and 31 of the pads 10 and 30 are each attached to the insert board 204 by one of the bonding methods such as using an adhesive material. Accordingly, the first identifier 21 attached to the pads 10 and 30 could be used to indicate the surface for attaching the pads to the insert board 104 such that the first surfaces 11 and 31 of the corner and side pads 10 and 30 are each attached to the insert board 104 with the first orientation of the pads. Further, the score 106 of the insert board 104 is formed perpendicularly in the length direction L of the insert board 104 between two adjacent pads attached to the insert board 204. For example, in FIG. 5, the first and second scores 105 and 107 are each formed between one of the corner pads 10 and the first side pad 30 perpendicularly in the length direction of the insert board 104.
FIGS. 6A-6D show the packaging assembly process of the inner box 102 storing the article with a plurality of corner and side pads 10 and 30 attached to the insert board 104 inside the container 100 in the second packaging configuration. In FIG. 6A, for example, a second insert board 108 having some of the pads 10 and 30 (see FIG. 5) is disposed in the inside bottom of the packaging container 100 (i.e., the opposing second portion of the container 100), and in FIG. 6B, the inner box 102 storing the article is placed inside the packaging container 100 such that the inner box 102 sits on the pads 10 and 30 disposed in the inside bottom of the packaging container 100. In FIG. 6C, a first insert board 104 having additional corner and side pads 10 and 30 is inserted over the top of the inner box 102 inside the packaging container 100 (i.e., the first portion of the container 100). As the first insert board 104 is inserted over the top of the inner box 102, the scores 106 formed in the first insert board 104 are at least partly folded one by one along the line of the score. In FIG. 6D, finally, the first insert board 104 having the plurality of pads 10 and 30 covers the top of the inner box 102 in the packaging container 100 such that the corner and side pads 10 and 30 attached to the insert board 104 in the second arrangement of the pads could protect the articles during storage or transport.
FIG. 7 generally illustrates an exemplary method 200 having a process of a foam packaging configurator, such as a configurator 150 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) used in the foam packaging assembly. The configurator 150 is designed to provide a user (i.e., a customer) with outputs such as the dimensions (a length, a width, and a depth) of the packaging container 100, the dimensions (a length and a width) of the insert board 104, the number of the corner and/or side pads 10, 30, and 40, etc. Further, the configurator 150 allows the user to select the first or second packaging configuration described above as one of the input variables. In the configurator 150, if the user selects an option (i.e., without insert board), the configurator 150 provides the user with a first output 152 having one or more dimensions of the container 100 and/or the number of the corner and/or side pads 10, 30, and 40, which is defined as the first packaging configuration. In the configurator 150, if the user selects another option (i.e., with insert board), the configurator 150 provides the user with a second output 154 having one or more dimensions of the insert board in addition to the first output 152, which is defined as the second packaging configuration. In FIG. 7, the method 200 may be performed by the processing logic that may include hardware (circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software, or a combination of both. The configurator 150 may be performed by one or more processors of a computing device with a user interface 151 implementing the method 200. The user interface 151 is generally connected to a personal computer or a tablet device such as a tablet computer or smartphone, which is held manually by the user to implement the method and shows the first output 152 or the second output 154 based on the user's selection described above via the personal computer screen or tablet device. Further, the method 200 may be implemented as computer instructions stored on a memory device and executable by the one or more processors.
FIGS. 7A and 7B show two different packaging configurations with the first output 152 and the second output 154 of the foam packaging configurator 150, which may be displayed on the user's tablet device, appropriate computer screen, or any other desired device with the user interface. In some embodiments, the configurator 150 may provide the user with more than two different packaging configurations according to the user's selection. In the first packaging configuration of FIG. 7A, the first output 152 includes one or more dimensions of the container 100, the number of the corner and/or side pads 10, 30, and 40, and any other desired information for use without the insert board 104. In the second packaging configuration of FIG. 7B, the second output 154 includes one or more dimensions of the container 100, one or more dimensions of the insert board 104, the number of the corner and/or side pads 10, 30, and 40, and any other desired information. As shown in FIG. 7B, the second output 154 having the one or more dimensions of the insert board 104 is generally used in a high volume packaging assembly. However, the user may select either option such as with the insert board 104 or without the insert board 104 in the configurator 150 according to the user's preference regardless of the volume of the packaging assembly.
In block 202, the configurator 150 receives one of the options (with insert board or without insert board) according to the user preference. So if the user needs the corner and side pads attached to the insert board 104 (i.e., the second arrangement of the pads), the user may select the option of with insert board to have the one or more dimensions of the insert board 104 as one of the outputs in the configurator 150. If the user does not need the insert board 104 (i.e., the first arrangement of the pads), the user may select the option of without insert board to have the individual corner and side pads, which are individually inserted over the article inside the container without the insert board 104. In each of blocks 204 and 214, after selecting one of the previous options, the configurators 150 further allows the user to input at least one variable including one or more dimensions (e.g., length, width, or depth) of the inner box 102 storing the article or the article itself. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the configurator 150 may allow the user to select the type of flute and/or box flaps based on the menu listed in the configurator 150.
In each of blocks 206 and 216, the configurator 150 calculates and determines one or more dimensions such as a length, a width, and/or a depth of the packaging container 100 defined as a first determination. In some embodiments, the container may be formed with other shapes such as a circular shape or other polygonal shape such that the configurator could calculate and determine one or more dimensions according to the container's shape (e.g., in the circular shape, the configurator is able to determine a diameter of the circular container). In general, the configurator 150 calculates the dimensions of the container 100 based on the inputted dimensions of the inner box 102 and the dimensions of the corner and side pads 10, 30, and 40. In block 216, further, the configurator 150 calculates and determines one or more dimensions such as a length and/or a width of the insert board 104 defined as a third determination to provide the corner and side pads, which are each attached to the insert board 104 in the second packaging configuration. For example, the third determination could be determined based on the input variables such as the dimensions of the inner box or the article, or could be determined based on the first determination (i.e., the size of the container) in the second packaging configuration. In each of blocks 208 and 218, the configurator 150 calculates and determines the number of the corner pads 10, and/or the number of the first and/or second side pads 30 and 40, which is defined as a second determination.
In each of blocks 210 and 220, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the configurator 150 determines and shows the outputs 152 and 154 such as the dimensions of the container 100, the dimensions of the insert board 104, and/or the number and/or types (e.g., size) of the corner and side pads. Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, the configurator 150 determines and outputs one or more selections, such as “Loose fit” and “Tight Fit,” for a user to choose the dimensions of the container 100 to package the inner box 102 storing the articles according to the user's preference. Accordingly, the configurator 150 determines and outputs the dimensions of the packaging containers (i.e., the outer box) with the number of the pads based on the input variables and also the dimensions of the pads for the robust protection of the article.
Referring to FIGS. 8A-8E, a foam packaging pad 300 made by a single sheet 301 of a thermoplastic pad is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8A shows a single sheet of the pad formed of a material such as a polyethylene foam, which can be made by one layer or laminated by multiple layers (or also cross-linked) such that the foam packaging pad 300 is configured to provide adequate cushioning for articles such as artistic products, electronic devices, etc. As shown in FIG. 8A, for example, the foam packaging pad 300 is comprised of a single rectangular sheet formed from the thermoplastic pad having a first layer 301a and a second layer 301b that are coupled to each other. In an example of FIG. 8A, the first and second layers 301a and 301b are fixedly attached to each other. The single sheet 301 is formed with approximately 1.125 inches in thickness, 18 inches in width, and 23 inches in length or any other desired dimensions or combination thereof. These dimensions are set forth for the purpose of discussing a preferred embodiment in the present disclosure, and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.
In the present disclosure, the foam packaging pad comprises polyethylene foam of about 1.0 pounds per cubic foot density, but may be any rigid or semi-rigid foam composition of any density suitable for packaging articles to protect them in storage or transport. As shown in FIG. 8A, for example, the first layer 301a of the foam packaging pad 301 may preferably comprise polyethylene foam of about 2.0 to about 6.0 pounds per cubic foot density. Further, the foam may comprise, but not limited to, polystyrene, polyolefin, epoxy and polyurethane, and blends, alloys and copolymers thereof. For efficient packaging, the density range of the foam (i.e., the first layer of the foam) may comprise, but not limited to, about 0.4 to about 10 pounds per cubic foot. The foam's (i.e., the first layer) materials described here are also applied to the previous embodiments above and subsequent embodiments described below.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the single sheet 301 of the foam packaging pad 300 has a plurality of cutting portions 302 (solid line shown in FIG. 8A), which are cut through the entire thickness of the pad including the first and second layers 301a and 301b, and a plurality of connecting hinge portions 304 (dot lines shown in FIG. 8A), which are cut partially through the thickness of the pad, (i.e., cut through the thickness of only the first layer 301a and connected in the second layer 301b). Accordingly, the single sheet 301 can be bend (i.e., folded) along the plurality of connecting hinge portions 304 (see FIGS. 8A and 8B). Further, the single sheet 301 of the foam packaging pad 300 includes a plurality of dovetail sections 306 and 307, a plurality of wall sections 308, a bottom section 310, and a top section 312. Each of the plurality of dovetail sections 306 and 307 extends from each side of the plurality of wall sections 308 toward the top section 312 and/or the bottom section 310.
As shown in FIG. 8A, for example, four first dovetail sections 306 extend toward the bottom section 310 and are each cut into each side of the bottom section 310, and the connecting hinge portions 304 may be used to connect the bottom section 310 with each side of the wall sections 308. Also, two second dovetail sections 307 extend toward one side of the top section 312 and are each cut into the one side of the top section 312, and the second connecting hinge portions 305 may be used to connect the top section 312 with one of the wall sections 308. In accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first dovetail sections 306 and the second dovetail sections 307 may be formed with any other forms of the geometry including a shape, a size, configuration, number of the dovetail sections, etc.
As described above and shown in FIGS. 8B-8D, the first and second dovetail sections 306 and 307 and the plurality of wall sections 308 may be rotated (i.e., bend or folded) inward to form a container 314 to receive an article 316 (see FIG. 8E). As shown in FIG. 8B, the wall sections 308 are each rotated by substantially 90 degrees and held in the position to configure into the container 314 with an opening 313. By adjusting the thickness of the connecting hinge portions 304 and 305 (i.e., the thickness of the second layer 301b), the folded angle between the wall sections 308 and the bottom section 310 may be varied (e.g., 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, etc.) in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, in accordance with other forms of the present disclosure, the first and second dovetail sections 306 and 307 may be formed with any other forms of the geometry including a shape, a size, configuration, number of dovetail sections, etc.
In FIGS. 8A-8C, the single sheet 301 further includes the top section 312 defined as a lid 315 to cover an opening 313 of the container 314 by rotating the top section 312 by substantially 90 degrees from an open position (see FIG. 8B) along the second connecting hinge portions 305 defined between one of the wall sections 308 having both dovetail sections 306 and 307 and the top section 312. Accordingly, the lid 315 may be arranged in at least three different positions according to the folded angle of the top section 312. FIG. 8B shows the open position of the lid 315 to place the article 316 inside the container 314, and FIG. 8D shows a closed position of the lid 315 to cover the opening 313 of the container 314. Further FIG. 8C shows the lid 315, which is positioned in a state between the open position and the closed position. As shown in FIGS. 8B-8D, accordingly, the foam packaging pad 300 having the container 314 and the lid 315 can receive the article 316 to store and/or transport the article 316.
As shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, when the wall sections 308 are each rotated to a substantially perpendicular configuration relative to the bottom section 310, the wall sections 308 are held in the position relative to the bottom section 310. Further, the dovetail sections 306 extending toward the bottom section 310 are each separated from the bottom section 310, and in the folded configuration of FIGS. 8A-8D, the ear portions 324 of the dovetail sections 306 may recover the ear portions' original shape to act as a locking mechanism to ensure that the wall sections 308 are substantially perpendicular to the bottom section 310. Accordingly, the bottom section 310 and the wall sections 308 are locked together by the dovetail sections 306 to form the container 314. Further, the top section 312 and one of the wall sections 308 are locked together by the second dovetail sections 307 in the closed state of the lid 315.
As shown in FIG. 8B, in the folded configuration of the foam packaging pad 300, the container 314 has one or more first apertures 318, which are formed as a dovetail shape because the dovetail sections 306 extending toward the bottom section 310 are separated from the bottom section 310. Also, in FIG. 8D, in the closed state of the lid 315, the lid 315 has one or more second apertures 319, which are formed as a dovetail shape because the second dovetail sections 307 extending toward the top section 312 are separated from the top section 312.
FIG. 9A shows a pad block 320 formed with a dovetail shape to fit into the first and second apertures 318 and 319. In FIG. 9B, the pad block 320 is inserted into the first apertures 318 formed in the bottom section 310 according to the size of the first apertures 318, and in FIG. 9C, the pad block 320 is also inserted into the second apertures 319 formed in the top section 312 according to the size of the second apertures 319. So, the dimension and shape of the pad block 320 may be changed according to the dimension and shape of the first and second apertures 318 and 319. Further, FIG. 9B shows the container 314 having the dovetail pad blocks 320, which are each fitted into the first apertures 318, and FIG. 9C shows the lid 315 having another dovetail pad blocks 320, which are each fitted into the second apertures 319. When the pad blocks 320 are each inserted into the first and second apertures 318 and 319, the foam packaging pad 300 is in the folded configuration of the pad 300 to form the container 314 and the lid 315, which are each locked in its position in the closed state of the foam packaging pad 300. Further, in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure, a steel rod may be coupled to the foam packaging pad 300 along a length of the connecting hinge portions 304 and 305 to be held in the position of the wall sections 308 and/or the top section 312 in the folded configuration of the foam packaging pad 300.
As shown in FIG. 8E, the foam packaging pad 300 provides a low cost solution for the packaging of delicate items, including artistic products, electronic devices, etc. For example, the cost of manufacturing the foam packaging pad 300 is substantially reduced because it is comprised of a single sheet of a thermoplastic pad and may be manufactured in one simple operation by compressing the piece of pad and making knife cuts through the material (e.g., in the shape and with the incisions shown in FIG. 8A). The knife cuts may extend through the entire thickness of the single sheet 301 (e.g., for the dovetail sections 306 and 307) and/or through a portion of the thickness of the single sheet 301 (e.g., for the connecting hinge portions 304 and 305 (see FIG. 8A)). No additional steps of manufacturing other parts, assembly or gluing needs to be performed during the production phase of the product. A user may adjust portions of the container 314 into different configuration of the foam packaging pad 300.
FIG. 10 shows a cardboard box 322 for placing the foam packaging pad 300 having the article 316. When the article 316 has been packaged using the foam packaging pad 300 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 8D) and placed into the cardboard box 322, which is formed with a corrugated cardboard box as shown in FIG. 10, the article 316 may be shipped and/or stored while protecting the article 316 from being damaged. Due to the resilient cushion of the foam packaging pad 300 within the box 322, the article 316 inside is protected by both the foam packaging pad 300 and the cardboard box 322.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure, FIGS. 11A-11B show a second foam packaging pad 400 comprising of a single sheet formed from a thermoplastic pad (e.g., a single sheet 401) having a first layer 401a and a second layer 401b. FIG. 11A shows an unfolded configuration of the second foam packaging pad 400 and FIG. 11B shows a folded configuration of the second foam packaging pad 400. As shown in FIG. 11A, compared to the embodiment of FIG. 8A (e.g., the single sheet 301), the single sheet 401 does not include the second dovetail sections 307 extending toward the top section 412 from one of the wall sections 408. So, the foam packaging pad 400 in the second embodiment of the present disclosure is similar to the foam packaging pad 300 with exception of the second dovetail sections 307 extending toward the top section 312. So, in the foam packaging pad 400 of FIG. 11A, each of the dovetail sections 406 extends toward its corresponding side of the bottom section 410 configured to form a container 414 for receiving the article 316.
Further, the container 414 of the foam packaging pad 400 is formed by the substantially same folding operation as in the container 314 formed by the folding operation of the foam packaging pad 300 (see FIG. 8B). However, as shown in FIG. 11B, the top section 412 does not include the second apertures 319 formed by the second dovetail sections 307 that extend toward the top section 312. Accordingly, in the folded configuration of the foam packaging pad 400, the top section 412 is folded by substantially 90 degrees along the substantially whole length of the top section (i.e., a connecting hinge portion 405) defined in a length direction of the top section 412, and held in a position to cover an opening 413 of the container 414 (see FIG. 11B).
In accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure, FIGS. 12A-12B show a third foam packaging pad 500 comprising of a single sheet 501 formed from a thermoplastic pad (e.g., a single sheet 501) having a first layer 501a and a second layer 501b. FIG. 12A shows an unfolded configuration of the third foam packaging pad 500 and FIG. 12B shows a folded configuration of the second foam packaging pad 500. As shown in FIG. 12A, compared to the embodiments of FIG. 8A (e.g., the single sheet 301), the single sheet 501 does not include the dovetail sections 306 and 307 extending toward each of the top and bottom sections 310 and 312 from the wall sections 308. So, the foam packaging pad 500 in the third embodiment of the present disclosure is similar to the foam packaging pad 300 with exception of the dovetail sections 306 and 307 formed in the wall sections 308. Accordingly, in FIGS. 12A-12B, the single sheet 501 includes four wall sections 508, a bottom section 510, and a top section 512. Further, the wall sections 508 are each rotated by substantially 90 degrees and held in a position to configure into a container 514 for receiving the article 316.
The container 514 of the foam packaging pad 500 is formed by the substantially same folding operation as in the container 314 formed in the foam packaging pad 300 (see FIG. 8B). However, as shown in the folded configuration of FIG. 12B, the top section 512 and the bottom section 510 do not include the apertures 318 and 319 formed by the dovetail sections 306 and 307 of the foam packaging pad 300. Accordingly, in the folded configuration of the foam packaging pad 500, the top section 512 is folded by substantially 90 degrees along the substantially whole length of the top section 512 (i.e., a connecting hinge portion 505) defined in a length direction of the top section 512, and held in a position to cover an opening 513 of the container 514 for receiving the article 316 (see FIG. 12B).
In accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, FIGS. 13A-13D show a fourth foam packaging pad 600 comprising of a single sheet 601 formed from a thermoplastic pad. The single sheet 601 of the thermoplastic pad includes a first layer 601a and a second layer 601b. FIG. 13A shows an unfolded configuration of the fourth foam packaging pad 600, FIGS. 13B and 13C show a top section 612 rotated (i.e., bend or folded) with an angle to cover an opening 613 of a container 614, and FIG. 13D shows a folded configuration of the foam packaging pad including a locking feature 630. As shown in FIG. 13A, compared to the second embodiment of FIG. 11A (e.g., a single sheet 401 of a thermoplastic pad), the single sheet 601 includes the locking feature 630. So, the foam packaging pad 600 in the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is similar to the foam packaging pad 400 with exception of the locking feature 630 of the foam packaging pad 600. So, in the foam packaging pad 600 of FIGS. 13A and 13B, each of the dovetail sections 606 extends toward a corresponding side of the bottom section 610 configured to form a container 614 for receiving the article 316. Further, the container 614 of the foam packaging pad 600 is formed by the substantially same folding operation as in the container 414 formed by the folding operation of the foam packaging pad 400 (see FIGS. 11B and 13C).
As shown in an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 13A, one or more locking dovetail sections 632 extend from one of the wall sections 608 (i.e., a locking wall section 608a), which is located in an opposite side from a wall section 608b connected with the top section 612. Further, the top section 612 includes a locking aperture 634 formed in a side of the top section 612, which is engaged with the locking wall section 608a when the top section 612 is rotated to cover the opening 613 of the container 614 (see FIG. 13D), which is defined as a folded configuration of the foam packaging pad 600. In FIGS. 13A and 13D, the foam packaging pad 600 includes the locking feature 630 having the locking dovetail section 632 and the locking aperture 634, which are securely coupled with the locking dovetail section 632 when the top section 612 is rotated to cover the opening 613 of the container 614 formed by the bottom section 610 and the wall sections 608. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 13D, the top section 612 (i.e., a lid 615) is configured to releasably lock the foam packaging pad 600 to protect the article 316 stored in the container 614 of the foam packaging pad 600. In another approach, the locking feature 630 of the foam packaging pad 600 may be changed with a different shape to releasably lock the foam packaging pad 600 to protect the article 316 stored in the container 614.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, FIGS. 14A-14C show a side foam packaging pad 700 to protect sides of the delicate items (i.e., articles 316), including artistic products, electronic devices, etc. when the articles 316 are shipped or stored. In FIG. 14A, the side foam packaging pad 700 made by a single sheet 701 of a thermoplastic pad is comprised of a first layer 701a and a second layer 701b, and configured to provide adequate cushioning for the articles. The side foam packaging pad 700 includes a first section 708, a second section 710, and a middle wall section 712 located between and connected to the first section 708 and the second section 710. As shown in FIG. 14A, for example, the single sheet 701 has a plurality of cutting portions 702 (i.e., solid lines shown in FIG. 14A), where are cut through the entire thickness of the pad including the first and second layers 701a and 701b, and a plurality of connecting hinge portions 704 (i.e., dot lines shown in FIG. 14A), which are cut partially through the thickness of the pad (i.e., cut through the thickness of only the first layer 701a and connected in the second layer 701b).
As shown in an example of FIG. 14A, the side foam packaging pad 700 includes four first dovetail sections 706 extending from the first section 708 toward the middle wall section 712 and two second dovetail sections 707 extending from the second section 710 toward the middle wall section 712. In another approach, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the number of the first and second dovetail sections 706 and 707 may be changed according to the size of the side foam packaging pad 700. For example, FIG. 16A shows a side packaging pad 730 having two first dovetail sections 706 extending from the first section 708 and two second dovetail sections 707 extending from the second section 710, and FIG. 16B shows a side packaging pad 740 having two first dovetail sections 706 and one second dove tail section 707. Accordingly, the side foam packaging pads 700, 730, and 740 are each selected to use for transporting and/or storing the articles based on the size of the articles 316.
FIGS. 14B and 14C show the side foam packaging pad 700 in a folded configuration. FIG. 14B shows an isometric view of the side foam packaging pad 700 and FIG. 14C shows another view of the side foam packaging pad 700. As shown in the folded configuration of FIGS. 14B and 14C, the side foam packaging pad 700 has an open side 714 to securely receive a side of the article 316 (see FIG. 14D). Accordingly, for example, at least two foam packaging pads 700 can be placed on at least two sides of the article 316 such as a picture or painting frame to securely ship or store the article. According to the dimension of the article, more than two side foam packaging pads 700 including the different side foam packaging pads 730 and 740 (see FIGS. 16A and 16B) can be selectively used for protecting the articles when they are transported or stored.
FIG. 15 shows the side foam packaging pad 700 having a protective sheet foam layer 750, which is selectively attached to a surface 709 of the first section 708 (see also FIG. 14B). In particular, the protective sheet foam layer 750 made from a plastic material such as a polyethylene or a cross-linked polyethylene foam is fixedly attached to the surface 709 of the second layer 701b and is also configured to provide for tear-resistant protection of the articles with sharp edges, high-cushioning and compression strength minimizing shock and vibration during transport, non-abrasive materials protecting the integrity of the surface (i.e., Class “A” part protection), and/or excellent resiliency and highly resistant against water, fungus, and dust, when the articles are shipped or stored with the foam package pads described above in the present disclosure.
In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, FIGS. 17A-17F show a corner foam packaging pad 800 to protect corners of the delicate items including artistic products, electronic devices, etc. FIG. 17A shows a plan view of a single sheet of the corner foam packaging pad 800, FIG. 17B shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of wall sections of FIG. 17A, FIG. 17C shows a perspective view of a folded configuration of a top section of FIG. 17A, FIG. 17D shows a different perspective view of FIG. 17C, FIG. 17E shows a perspective view of the corner foam packaging pad releasably locked between the top section and one of the wall sections of FIG. 17A, and FIG. 17F shows the corner foam packaging pad 800 receiving the corner of the picture or painting frame.
As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the corner foam packaging pad 800 made by a single sheet 801 of a thermoplastic pad is configured to provide adequate cushioning for the articles 316 above. The corner foam packaging pad 800 has a first layer 801a and a second layer 801b that are fixedly attached to each other. Further, the single sheet 801 of the corner foam packaging pad 800 has a plurality of cutting portions 802 (solid lines shown in FIG. 17A), which are cut through the entire thickness of the pad including the first and second layers 801a and 801b, and a plurality of connecting hinge portions 804 (dot lines shown in FIG. 17A), which are cut partially through the thickness of the pad, (i.e., cut though the thickness of only the first layer 801a and connected in the second layer 801b). Accordingly, the single sheet 801 can be bend (i.e., folded) along the plurality of connecting hinge portions 804 (see FIGS. 17B-17D).
As shown in FIG. 17A, further, the single sheet 801 of the corner foam packaging pad 800 includes a first section 806, at least two side wall sections 808, a second section 810. The first section 806 is formed as a rectangular shape and includes two first dovetail sections 812, which each extends from each side of the first section 806 toward each of two side wall sections 808 connected to the first section 806 by the connecting hinge portions 804. The second section 810 is formed as an L-shape and includes one second dovetail section 813, which extends from a side of the second section 810 toward one of the side wall sections 808 connected to the second section 810 by the one of the connecting hinge portions 804. Further, the second section 810 further includes a locking dovetail section 832 extending from the second section to engage with a locking aperture 834 formed in the one of the side wall sections 808, which is not connected with the second section 810. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17E, the corner foam packaging pad 800 is securely held in a folded configuration and receive a portion of the article 316 in the folded configuration of the corner foam packaging pad 800 (see FIG. 17F). In accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first, second, and side wall sections of the foam packaging pad 800 may be formed with any other forms of geometry including a shape, a size, configuration, number of the dovetail sections, etc.
As shown in FIGS. 17A-17E, compared to the embodiments of FIGS. 8A and 13A (e.g., single sheets of FIGS. 8A and 13A), the material of the pad and the folding operation of the pad used in the corner foam packaging pad 800 are substantially same as used in the foam packaging pads 300 and 600 shown in FIGS. 8A and 13A. So, the foam packaging pad 800 is similar to the foam packaging pads 300 and 600 with exception of the shape of the single sheet 801 having the first, second, and side wall sections as described above. Further, as shown in FIG. 17E, the corner foam packaging pad 800 includes a locking feature 830 having the locking dovetail section 832 and the locking aperture 834 which are the same configuration as the locking feature 630 of the foam packaging pad 600 described above. Accordingly, the corner foam packaging pad 800 is releasably locked in the folded configuration of the pad.
In addition, the corner foam packaging pad 800 includes an open side 814 to securely receive a corner of the article 316 (see FIG. 17F), which is the same configuration as the open side 714 of the side foam packaging pad 700, which is described above and shown in FIGS. 14B and 14C. Further, the corner foam packaging pad 800 may have the protective sheet foam layer 750, which is selectively attached to the a surface 807 of the first section 806 that has the same configuration as described above and shown in FIG. 15.
The foregoing description of various forms of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The forms discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the disclosure in various forms and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
Patent Application
20240124207
