Patent Application
20120111763
This invention relates to packaging inserts and blanks for the same, and more specifically inserts for transporting and cushioning articles such as foiled food tubs.
The secure packing and transporting of articles to consumers is critical for producers and distributors of goods. Replacing and/or repairing damaged articles is a high financial burden to the responsible party. To avoid this expense, it is cost-effective to protect articles with inserts during storage and transportation. Packaging inserts support the articles during transportation to ensure that the articles arrive at their destination in proper condition. Fragile items such as bottles, vials, dishes, and packaged food tubs should usually be shipped with packaging inserts. Often, articles may simply be stacked in secondary containers without packaging inserts for storage and transportation. While packing articles without protective inserts is simple and economical, articles shipped without protective inserts are very likely to arrive damaged at their destination. Alternatively, articles may be packed in secondary containers with packing supplies, such as foam peanuts, bubble wrap, paper or tissue. However, articles packed with these packing supplies are not sufficiently compartmentalized when multiple articles are shipped in a single secondary container and are still likely to arrive at their destination damaged. Further, such packing supplies are expensive and labor intensive to handle both during packing and unpacking.
Different packaging inserts serve different purposes. Inserts may be used to economize space in the shipping container in order to increase the number of articles per shipment. Alternatively, light-weight inserts or those incorporating air cushions may be used to decrease the overall weight of each shipment. As another example, inserts may be used to improve packing and/or unpacking efficiency. As a final example, inserts may be used to provide additional support to different parts of the packed article, for example, the base of a vial, the neck of a bottle, or the corners of a dish. Additionally, packaging inserts may be made of many different types of material including paper, paperboard, corrugated board, foam, and plastics.
It is desirable in the art to devise packaging inserts that hold multiple articles wherein each article is held in an individual compartment. Some articles require individual compartments during transportation to preserve the integrity of the article. For example, foiled food tubs are best stored and transported in individual compartments to ensure that the foil tub and thin shrink wrap film sealed to the foil tub are not damaged during storage and transportation. Additionally, shrink wrap film is expensive; therefore, it is preferable to transport such tubs in protective inserts that preserve the integrity of the delicate, thin film seals rather than increasing the weight of the film. It is also desirable for such packaging inserts to be stackable within a secondary container so that more articles can be shipped per secondary container. Further, it is desirable in the art to devise packaging inserts that provide air-cushions between multiple layers of articles in stacked inserts within secondary containers. Finally, it is desirable in the art to devise packaging inserts that are simple and cost effective to both use and manufacture. Inserts that can be quickly assembled and positioned within the secondary container are very cost effective to form and pack on the production lines. Packaging inserts that can be quickly hand-folded into position without specialized equipment are further cost-effective to form and pack. Additionally, packaging inserts from a single, unitary blank are cost effective to manufacture.
The packaging inserts currently in the art do not meet these qualifications. Specifically, known inserts do not provide individual compartments for each article with corner supports around each compartment. Additionally, known inserts often consist of multiple pieces and are difficult and time-consuming to assemble and position within the secondary container. Finally, known stackable inserts do not have air-cushions between multiple layers of articles in stacked inserts within an secondary container to adequately support the packed articles.
The present packaging insert is formed from a single, unitary blank, which is sized to fit into a secondary container. The blank can be folded into a fray-like packaging insert with individual compartments. Each insert has a two or more substantially rectangular bases. The number of bases in an insert corresponds to the number of article compartments when the insert is positioned in the secondary container. The present insert has support tabs at the corner of each base that extend outwards. Between adjacent bases, the support tabs meet at a triangular connector. When the insert is positioned within the secondary container, the ends of the support tabs fold upwards and inwards. The support tabs and triangular connectors rest against the interior wall of the container. Articles placed within the positioned insert are suspended on the support tabs and triangular connectors; this provides an air cushion between the layers of articles when multiple inserts are stacked upon each other.
While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention. The present disclosure and preferred embodiments should be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention.
The insert 10 is formed from a single, unitary blank B. The blank B has a plurality of substantially rectangular bases 12. The number of bases 12 in a blank B corresponds to the number of compartments 80 the insert 10 will have when the blank B is folded into position, as is best shown in
The blank B has rectangular support tabs 24 rotationally positioned at fold lines 20 of each base 14. Between adjacent bases 14, the support tabs 24 meet at a triangular connector 32. Two sides of the triangular connector 32 are connector fold lines 34 that join the triangular connector 32 to the support tabs 24 of adjacent bases 14. When the remaining side of the triangular connector 32 is along the perimeter of the insert, the side is a connector edge 36. A connector edge 36 terminates the triangular connector 32 in a flat edge. Support tabs 24, on the exterior corners of each base 14 form support end tab edges 26.
The blank B has cutouts 22 between adjacent bases 14. These cutouts 22 are preferably hexagonal as shown in
The blank B may be manually or hand folded to form the insert 10, as shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
When the insert 10 is positioned within the secondary container 106, articles 100 may be placed within the compartments 12. The ledge 102 of the articles 100 rests on the support tab ends 26 and the triangular connectors 32 around each compartment 12. Because the depth (S) of the insert 10 in its folded position is slightly higher than the article height (H), articles stored in the positioned inserts 10 are suspended above the bases 14. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the articles 100 are suspended 3/16th inch above the bases 14. Multiple inserts 10 may be stacked upon each other. When the inserts 10 are stacked, the base 14 of the top insert 10 rests on the article 100. In the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein where the insert material is singlewall, B-flute corrugated board and the insert has two compartments in a single column for the storage and transportation of foiled food tubs, three layers of articles 100 in stacked inserts 10 may be packaged per secondary container 106. Additional compartments, alternative articles and/or alternative material may necessitate fewer layers of articles 100 or allow more layers of articles 100 per container 106.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the insert 10 blank B is made of corrugated board. In another embodiment, the blank is made of double face, singlewall, B-flute corrugated board. Alternatively, the corrugated board could be single face and/or doublewall, triplewall, or any other suitable construction. Additionally, the flute can be A-flute, C-flute, E-flute, F-flute, micro-flute, or any other suitable flute size. Alternatively, the blank could be made with non-corrugated board, including but not limited to paper, paperboard, foam, plastics and combinations thereof.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
