Patent Application
20120125807
Several packaging solutions have been commercially offered that comprise a relatively rigid cardboard panel and a polymeric film tube associated with a portion of the cardboard panel for cooperating with the cardboard panel to secure an article. In such designs, an article inserted between the rigid panel and the film tube may be held in place against the rigid panel by folding the sides of the structure to tighten the flexible film material against the object. The use of such packaging structures is often favored for transporting products that are not regarded as being highly breakable but for which immobilization during shipment would be nonetheless desirable (e.g., books, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), and the like). Additional designs of suspension packages have been proposed, including designs having a frame and a product-restraining hammock extending across a central opening in the frame. When the ends of the frame are folded to be perpendicular thereto in order to tension the hammock, a product may be suspended in the central opening.
In spite of such suspension packages and systems that have heretofore been proposed to handle the problems associated with conventional packaging structures, however, the need still remains for improvements in packages and package kits that reliably secure and protect articles to be shipped, stowed, or displayed.
The present invention provides, in one aspect thereof, an article suspension package for receiving an article is provided and this article receiving package can be provided as a standalone component on which an article is displayed, stowed, or carried, as a component for use in conjunction with other components such as, for example, a storage box or a shipping box in which the article suspension package and the therein received article are disposed, and as an integral component with a packaging kit that is configured such that a platform tier of the article suspension package and the other components of the package kit can be wholly or substantially formed from the same sheet material such as, for example, a cardboard sheet material.
One aspect of the present invention includes a package for retaining an article. The package comprises a sheet material, the sheet material having a lower panel, an upper panel, and a platform panel. The sheet material is disposable between a retaining configuration in which the platform panel is intermediate the lower panel and the upper panel as viewed relative to an elevation axis and a non-use configuration. The lower panel and the upper panel delimit, in the retaining configuration, a receipt volume having pair of lateral sides spaced apart from one another as viewed relative to a lateral axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and a pair of ends spaced apart from one another as viewed relative to a depth axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and the lateral axis. The platform panel is foldable about the lateral axis to dispose the platform panel within a respective area that will ultimately be delimited as the receipt volume once the sheet material is disposed in its retaining configuration. It also has an overlay, the overlay having a lateral extent across at least a portion of the platform panel and an opening edge. The overlay is arranged relative to the platform panel in a manner wherein the opening edge of the overlay and a counter facing portion of the platform panel together delimit an opening through which an article can be inserted for positioning of the article in a stowage position with the overlay extending along one side of the article and the platform panel extending along an opposite side of the article. The overlay opening edge is on one respective side of an opening border and the counter facing portion of the platform panel is on the other respective side of the opening border. The platform panel has a stage open path and at least a portion of the stage open path delimits a line that is not parallel to the lateral axis. The platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposable from an opening reducing position into an opening enlarging position and one given portion of the platform panel on one side of the stage open path moves relative to another given portion of the platform panel on an opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a package for retaining an article. The package comprises a sheet material, the sheet material having an anchor panel and a platform panel. The sheet material is disposable between a retaining configuration in which a portion of the platform panel is spaced from the anchor panel as viewed relative to an elevation axis and a non-use configuration. The anchor panel and the platform panel each have a fulcrum edge portion and the fulcrum edge portions of the anchor panel and the platform panel being connected to one another at a fulcrum location. The anchor panel and the platform panel are foldable relative to one another at the fulcrum location about a lateral axis perpendicular to the elevation axis. This aspect of the present invention also includes an overlay, the overlay having a lateral extent along at least a portion of the platform panel and having a depth extent as viewed relative to a depth axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and the lateral axis and the overlay having an opening edge. The overlay is arranged relative to the platform panel in a manner wherein the opening edge of the overlay and a counter facing portion of the platform panel together delimit an opening through which an article can be inserted for positioning of the article in a stowage position with the overlay extending along one side of the article and the platform panel extending along an opposite side of the article. The overlay opening edge is on one respective side of an opening border and the counter facing portion of the platform panel is on the other respective side of the opening border. The platform panel has a stage open path and at least a portion of the stage open path delimits a line that is not parallel to the lateral axis. The platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposable from an opening reducing position into an opening enlarging position and one given portion of the platform panel on one side of the stage open path moving relative to another given portion of the platform panel on an opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position. The anchor panel and the platform panel, in the retaining configuration, are folded relative to one another at the fulcrum location about the lateral axis to form a retention included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel and the platform panel and the anchor panel, in the non-use configuration, together delimits a sheet blank in which the included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel, as measured in the same direction as the retention included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel in the retaining configuration, is greater than the retention included angle. The platform panel and the anchor panel are cooperatively configured such that a movement of the one given portion of the platform panel on one side of the stage open path relative to the other given portion of the platform panel on the opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position does not substantially generate a movement of the anchor panel about the depth axis.
For a more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
One aspect of the present invention relates to a article suspension platform for receiving an article, and this article receiving platform can be provided as a standalone component on which an article is displayed, stowed, or carried, as a component for use in conjunction with other components such as, for example, a storage box or a shipping box in which the suspension platform and the therein received article are disposed, and as an integral component with a packaging kit that is configured such that the article suspension platform and the other components of the package kit can be wholly or substantially formed from the same sheet material such as, for example, a cardboard sheet material. To assist in an understanding of the versatility and flexibility of the article suspension platform of the present invention, reference will now be had to the figures of the drawings and to the following descriptions of exemplary configurations of the article suspension platform, exemplary configurations of the article suspension platform operable in conjunction with other packaging components, and exemplary aspects of the method of the present invention for forming an article suspension platform, and exemplary configurations of a packaging kit having an article suspension platform for disposing and securing an article in or on an article suspension platform.
One embodiment of an article suspension platform is illustrated in
For a more detailed overview of the ultimate uses into which the platform tier 10 shown in
As seen in
While the housing 50 can be configured as shown in
With reference again to
Reference is now had to
In the erected configuration of the sheet blank 100, the sheet blank forms all of the components of the housing 50 shown in
With reference to
The platform panel 106 has a stage open path and at least a portion of the stage open path delimits a line that is not parallel to the lateral axis LA-AX. The stage open path may be a single continuous series of locations along the platform panel 106 or may be a plurality of continuous series of locations along the platform panel 106. Two respective portions of the platform panel 106 can be folded relative to one another with the stage open path serving as the folding interface or interfaces and at least one of the continuous series of locations along the platform panel 106 forming the stage open path delimits a line that is not parallel to the lateral axis LA-AX. For exemplary purposes, the stage open path of the platform panel 106 is in the form of a pair of curved fold lines 112, 114, each being a continuous series of locations along the platform panel 106, and the fold line 112 delimits a vector line 116 that intersects the lateral axis LA-AX and, therefore, is not parallel to the lateral axis.
The platform panel 106 and the sleeve opening edge 108 are disposable from an opening reducing position into an opening enlarging position with the platform panel 106 in the opening enlarging position having a gap location G-PP and the sleeve opening edge 108 having a corresponding gap location G-OO with the respective gap locations defining a transverse line TL passing through the gap locations. The gap location G-PP of the platform panel 106 is spaced further from the corresponding gap location G-OO of the sleeve opening edge 108 relative to the transverse line TL when the platform panel 106 and the sleeve opening edge 108 are in the opening enlarging position than when the platform panel 106 and the sleeve opening edge 108 are in the opening reducing position. Additionally, one given portion of the platform panel 106 is on one side of the stage open path and this one given portion of the platform panel moves relative to another given portion of the platform panel that is on an opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel 106 and the sleeve opening edge 108 are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position. For example, with reference to
The article to be retained—namely, the cell phone 16—can be inserted through the sleeve opening 110 when the platform panel 106 and the sleeve opening edge 108 are disposed in the opening enlarging position and the sleeve 14 and the deck 12 will then cooperate together to retain the cell phone 16 therebetween. It can be understood that the respective edge of the sleeve 14 that is opposite the sleeve opening edge 108 as viewed relative to the depth axis DE-AX is advantageously drawn relatively securely against the platform panel 106, thereby effectively preventing the retained article such as the cell phone 16 from passing between this respective edge of the sleeve 14 and the platform panel 106 and thus no longer being secured in the desired retained position. This respective edge of the sleeve 14—hereinafter designated as the preliminary close off edge 112—is drawn tight against the platform panel 106 by virtue of the folding of the platform panel 106 about the lateral axis relative to the lower panel 102. This folding movement creates a laterally extending relatively rigid interface between the platform panel 106 and the lower panel 102 at the location at which these two panels are joined to one another and this relatively rigid interface operates on the respective region of the platform panel 106 adjacent this interface such that this respective region of the platform panel 106 resists any folding motion applied to the platform panel 106 that would cause folding about the elevation axis EL-AX. Thus, this respective region of the platform panel 106 maintains its full lateral dimension even when a specific folding motion is applied to the platform panel 106 to cause folding about the elevation axis EL-AX in the form of the right corner flap portion 118 of the platform panel 106 moving relative to the central portion 122 of the platform panel 106 as the platform panel 106 and the sleeve opening edge 108 are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position, whereupon, if the sleeve 14 is correspondingly dimensioned relative to the lateral dimension of the platform panel 106, this respective region of the platform panel 106 will maintain the preliminary close off edge 112 relatively securely against the platform panel 106.
With reference now to this mechanism by which the respective region of the platform panel 106 maintains the preliminary close off edge 112 relatively securely against the platform panel 106, it can now be understood that the lower panel 102 operates as a type of “anchor” panel relative to the platform panel 106, whereupon it is noted that one aspect of the present invention is thus directed to the concept of the cooperative influence of an “anchor” panel, such as the lower panel 102, and the platform panel 106 on each other during the retaining configuration of the platform tier 10. The present invention advantageously exploits the phenomenon that an “anchor” panel, such as the lower panel 102, and the platform panel 106 are, in the retaining configuration, folded relative to one another at a fulcrum location between the two panels about the lateral axis LA-AX to form a retention included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel. The retention included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel is shown as the retention included angle RE-AN in
The sleeve 14 may be dimensioned and adapted to be positioned on the platform panel 106 in a relatively loose fit to the extent that the sleeve 14 can be slid relatively along the sheet blank 100 to be positioned on the platform panel 106. The design constraint in configuring the relative looseness of the sleeve 14 is that it is desired that the sleeve 14 fit closely in a huggable type manner about the article that is to be retained on the platform panel 106 in the retaining configuration of the platform tier 10. Alternatively, if the sleeve 14 is configured as a single sheet and does not encircle the platform panel 106 in a closed loop manner, the sleeve 14 can be secured to the platform panel 106 via, for example, an adhesive application on opposite lateral sides of the sleeve to adhere these locations of the sleeve to the platform panel 106.
Reference is now had to
Reference is now had to
The present invention comprises a method for the immobilization of one or more articles of packaging within an outer container, wherein the outer container may be the housing 50 or may a container in which the housing 50 is retained such as the exterior box 52. As has been heretofore described, the sleeve 14 is disposed on the platform panel 106 with the opening 110 and the preliminary close off edge 212 at a spacing from one another relative to the depth axis DE-AX with the preliminary close off edge 212 being relatively closer to the fulcrum location at which the platform panel 106 and the lower panel 102 are connected to one another. Reference is now had again to
The folding of the support tab 214 about the fold line FL-12 serves to restore the platform panel 106 from its slightly folded disposition into its original flat, generally planar orientation, whereupon the opening 110 is reduced from its enlarged disposition to a reduced disposition. The cell phone 16 is now securely affixed between the opening edge 108 and the preliminary close off edge 212 of the sleeve 14 in the sense that the cell phone is substantially precluded from movement relative to the depth axis DE-AX. Additionally, due to the appropriate dimensioning of the sleeve 14 relative to the platform panel 106, the cell phone 16 is substantially precluded from shifting laterally relative to the lateral axis LA-AX.
Following the insertion of the cell phone 16 between the sleeve 14 and the platform panel 106, a longitudinal side panel 216 is folded about a lateral fold line FL-18 into a perpendicular orientation with respect to the lower panel 102. Then, the upper panel 104 is folded about a lateral fold line FL-20 relative to the longitudinal side panel 216 to dispose the upper panel 104 in an orientation in which the upper panel is parallel to the lower panel 102. A longitudinal side panel 218 is then folded a lateral fold line FL-22 relative to the upper panel 104 into an orientation in which this longitudinal side panel 218 is parallel to the other longitudinal side panel 216. An under tab 220 is then folded about a lateral fold line FL-24 relative to the longitudinal side panel 218 into an orientation in which the under panel 220 is parallel to, and below, the lower panel 102 and an under flap 222 is then folded about a fold line FL-26 relative to the under panel 220 to effect an insertion of the under flap 222 into a corresponding slot 224 formed in the lower panel 102. A lateral side tab 226 has two portions and one portion is folded flush against the other portion about a fold line FL-28 and the lateral side tab 226, now folded upon itself, is folded about a fold line FL-30 parallel to the depth axis DE-AX into a perpendicular orientation relative to the lower panel 102. Another lateral side tab 228 is formed on an opposite lateral side of the lower panel 102 and has two portions. One portion of the lateral side tab 228 is folded about a fold line FL-32 into a flush orientation with the other portion and the lateral side tab 228, with its two portions now in folded together with one another, is then folded about a fold line FL-34 parallel to the depth axis DE-AX to dispose the lateral side tab 228 in a perpendicular orientation to the lower panel 102.
The present invention also contemplates that the article to be retained—namely, the cell phone 16—can be disposed between the sleeve 14 and the platform panel 106 before the platform panel 106 has been folded relative to the platform panel 102. In this alternate article placement step, the cell phone 16 is inserted through the opening 110 while the sheet 100 is in its flat, generally planar configuration, and, as the platform panel 106 is thereafter folded about the fold line FL-10 relative to the lower panel 102, the operator ensures that the cell phone 16 remains disposed between the sleeve 14 and the platform panel 106 via, for example, applying an appropriate manual gripping of the sleeve 14 and the platform panel 106. The folding together of the sheet panel 100 then proceeds as has been described herein above with the exception that, since the cell phone 16 has already been disposed between the sleeve 14 and the platform panel 106, the article disposing step that is otherwise performed once the platform panel 106 has been folded relative to the lower panel 102 in not performed.
Once the housing 50 has been assembled as has been described with respect to the folding together of the sheet panel 100, an operator can optionally apply an appropriate adhesive such as, for example, single sided or double sided adhesive tape, to reinforce or supplement the various panels and tabs of the housing 50 in their folded together orientations. If the housing 50 is to serve as a stand-alone exterior box, labels or other printed indicia can be applied to the surfaces of the housing 50. On the other hand, if the housing 50 is to serve as an internal stabilization component of a package kit, the housing 50 can then be disposed within an outer container such as, for example, the exterior box 52 shown in
It is thus evident that the package, package kit, and method of the present invention offer flexibility and convenience in stowing, transporting, or displaying an article. The advantageous flexibility of the package can be seen, for example, in the flexibility to form the respective precursor blank that is ultimately assembled to form the tier platform 10 and allied package module—that is, the respective precursor blank exemplarily illustrated as the sheet blank 100—from any suitable single material or assembly of materials. Thus, the lower panel 102 can be formed of, for example, a double thickness cardboard material or a combination of a cardboard material and a polymer or plastic coating that is not subjected to any folding movement within the boundaries of the lower panel. This is for the reason that the lower panel 102 need not be subjected to a folding step perpendicular to the lateral axis LA-AX, whereas, in contrast, the platform panel 106 is subjected to a folding step perpendicular to the lateral axis LA-AX. Thus, the advantages of such a configuration over, for example, a package configuration in which the entirety of the precursor blank along its longitudinal dimension perpendicular to a lateral axis must necessarily be subjected to a folding movement applied to the precursor blank to cause folding about the longitudinal axis, are clear.
The present invention offers many and substantial advantages over prior art packaging kits, systems and methods, for example, and not to be limited to, the employment of minimum pre-use storage space since the items, that is the sheet blank 100 and the sleeve 14 means may be stored together or separately in a flat condition for high density storage. The invention permits a universal application, since the sleeve 14 may be adapted to stretch over one or more of a variety of articles to be packaged and pack a variety of different articles of regular or odd shapes, reducing substantially the inventory of packaging materials required where there are a number of articles to be packaged. The platform tier, kit, and method of the present invention can offer environmental appropriate configurations including, for example, a configuration of the sleeve 14 of a recyclable film, such as, for example, recycled polyethylene or other flexible plastic film or a corn-starch based plastic and a configuration of the sheet blank 100 of corrugated or paper-type material such as reusable corrugated cardboard.
The inventive platform tier and kit is reusable and can be knocked down easily and the immobilized article removed by placing the sheet blank 100 in an article insertion or open position, forming the housing 50 via folding and optional securing of the panels of the housing 50 to one another, and then removing the article from the housing 50 and therefore the sleeve 14 or the sheet blank 100 may be then used for later re-use. The platform tier and kit thus avoid several of the disadvantages found with loose tubes, foam-type material and foam in place packaging systems, and reduces disposable problems, as the components may be made of low-cost, easily disposed of, recyclable components. In the configuration of the sleeve 14 as a closed loop band that is not secured to the sheet blank 100 but is, instead, slid over the sheet blank, the sleeve facilitates recycling of the sleeve in that the sleeve can be readily slid off the sheet blank for recycling. The platform tier and the kit each provides the capability to be configured as a combination of various films of plastic film, non-plastic film, foam films, or air bubble plastic films with various sheet blank materials to be used, and therefore allows for a wide range of applications of sheet blank and sleeve materials for the platform tier, kit, and method.
The teachings of this application are not to be construed as being limited to any particular package, package kit, or method of configuring a package or a package kit. While various embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.
