Patent Application
20250171184
The present application relates to a packaging system, and more particularly to an expandable foam packaging system.
The mail-order business has a long history of buying goods and services and having those goods and services delivered to the clients. The previous business models usually involved catalogs or other descriptive devices to inform customers of the goods for sale. Many companies in the United States were built upon this principle. Companies such as Sears and Roebuck, Montgomery Wards, J.C. Penny, and many others were created and sustained by the mail-order concept.
Currently, such powerhouses as Amazon, Wal-Mart, and many others have embraced online purchasing and delivery. Amazon, UPS, and The US Post Office, among others, constantly deliver packages worldwide.
One of the things most establishments have in common is they utilize cardboard boxes for packaging to protect the items during handling and transit. The cardboard box is an acceptable packaging material but has drawbacks and inefficiency. The time and effort required to package an object in cardboard is costly in terms of material and time needed to process. The entire process should be updated with more cost-effective and efficient solutions to the cardboard box package.
Although strides have been made, shortcomings remain. It is desired that a system be provided that is designed to replace the cardboard box for shipping efficiency with a cost-effective and labor-reducing system of expandable foam packaging.
It is an object of the present application to provide a box-less packaging system and process that eliminates the time-consuming and inefficient practice of boxing shipping items. The system provides thicker protection for fragile packages while being superior in size and weight reduction. It is a further object of the present system to facilitate more freight on aircraft and vehicles in the shipping industry, as well as save time and money and significantly improve the logistics, materials, and labor over operations currently using cardboard box methods.
Ultimately the invention may take many embodiments. In these ways, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the prior art. The more important features have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and to ensure that the present contribution to the art is appreciated. Additional features will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.
Many objects of the present application will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the various purposes of the present design. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present application.
The novel features believed characteristic of the application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the application itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
While the embodiments and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the application to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.
Illustrative embodiments of the preferred embodiment are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
In the specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as the devices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present application, the devices, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the embodiments described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.
The embodiments and method in accordance with the present application overcomes one or more of the above-discussed problems commonly associated with the prior art discussed previously. The packaging system of the present application is an innovative solution that reinvents conventional shipping and packaging procedures. It provides an effective and environmentally friendly method of packaging items of various sizes by doing away with the need for boxes. Products are selected, which are then gathered on a conveyor system. The size and dimensions of each item are ascertained by scanning a UPC code on the product with infrared technology. This information is used to program a special containment packaging jig that seals the products with a liquid-tight seal. The items are then enclosed in airtight vacuum packaging to safeguard them during transit.
The packaging system substitutes expandable foam for boxes. The structural integrity provided by this foam negates the need for additional packaging materials and will allow for thicker protection for fragile materials. The vacuum packaging has a nylon strip embedded in it to make opening the package simple. The packaging system allows for the combination of material of various shapes and sizes that are going to one location. This helps to contribute to the reduction of freight sizes from 1% to 99%, allowing more packaging in planes or vehicles. To make labeling easier, shipping tags with laser printing are directly applied to the foam packaging. Overall, the packaging system provides a green option that minimizes material waste and simplifies the shipping and packaging process. It represents a significant improvement in logistics and supply chain operations by optimizing space utilization and reducing labor needs. It will also open the possibility of a smaller system for households or small businesses that will include a kit to ship items without machinery. These and other unique features are discussed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The embodiments and method will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the assembly may be presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless otherwise described.
Referring now to the Figures wherein like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements in form and function throughout the several views. The following Figures describe embodiments of the present application and its associated features. With reference now to the Figures, embodiments of the present application are herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
Referring now to
It is understood that packaging system 99 may include one or more devices or units configured to work in combination with one another to achieve the desired end product. Such devices and units may include scanners, foam dispensers, conveyors, printers, and so forth. Information related to the product may be captured via these devices or units. The information may be processed and stored within a controller 100 which may subsequently transmit data related to a particular product for downstream functions.
Referring now also to
A second set of infrared scanners scan 103 the product in at least 2 dimensions to determine a more accurate physical size. Sizing information is necessary downstream to provide accurate packaging. The infrared scan data provided through steps 102 and 103 is provided to controller 100 for programming 104 into a custom containment jig which is subsequently adjusted based on the UPC data and physical infrared scanning data through steps 102 and 103.
A custom containment packaging jig 105 is placed around the product. The vacuum packaging creates a liquid tight seal on the conveyor system so as to eliminate leakage. A vacuum packaging system engages the product 106 to create an airtight enclosure around the outside of the product. This serves to protect the product and its packaging from the subsequent foam packaging that will be applied later. The term vacuum packaging refers to the technique of removing air from a pack prior to sealing it.
An opening strip is embedded within the vacuum packaging 107 and is configured to bisect the product in either a horizontal or vertical plane. The opening strip is configured to contact the packaging and be used as a means of removing foam packaging applied subsequently. The opening strip may be made from many different materials but a suitable material may be that of nylon.
System 99 includes the use of a foaming device configured to apply a layer of expandable foam 108 to the package. The expandable foam is directed toward the packaging within the containment jig. The expanding foam is defined as a two-component mixture that reacts when mixed and will expand to fill a cavity formed between the product and the containment jig. It is understood that the opening strip is at least partially embedded within the expanded foam. At the appropriate time a user may grasp a portion of the opening strip and divide or cut through an area of expandable foam so as to obtain the product within. The expandable foam hardens into a shape around the product as defined by the customized containment jig. Foam fills the jig and solidifies into the form determined by such jig thereby sealing the product within the foam. As a hardened foam, the foam eliminates the need for additional packing materials such as peanuts or inflated cushions.
It is understood that controller 100 may be configured to regulate the thickness of the foam packaging in relation to a characteristic of the product. An example of a product characteristic may be that of Its susceptibility to breakage. A fragile product may need extra foam packaging or a different density of foam for packaging. System 99 is configured to add different foam densities to the package as a whole or may selectively do it in particular vulnerable areas. System 99 will compensate for various shapes and multiple items.
System 99 is configured to apply shipping information externally upon the outside of the foam packaging 109. This may include a laser printed SKU and shipping tag. This information will be used for the shipping of the product to an end destination as well as contain information related to the product therein. Products are then ready and routed for shipping 110 through downstream functions and activities.
The current application has many advantages over the prior art including at least the following: (1) the reading of UPC code information and subsequent infrared scanning to obtain the physical dimensions of the product; (2) Generating a physical jig around the product configured to accept expandable foam configured to surround the product; (3) Using a vacuum seal around the product so as to provide protection within the expandable foam; (4) minimizing product shipping weight and size through use of expandable foam packaging; (5) applying shipping information and product information via laser printing directly to an external surface of the foam packaging.
The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the application may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. It is apparent that an application with significant advantages has been described and illustrated. Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, it is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.
This application claims the benefit of an earlier filing date and right of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/603,241, filed 28 Nov. 2023, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63603241 | Nov 2023 | US |
