This invention relates generally to packaging/construction methodology and apparatus and to a new material design that is a combination of an outer, smooth, semi-rigid surface to be folded into, for example, a variable sized box, and an inner, cushion layer that will protect box contents as well as add strength to the assemblage due to the material's internal structure.
A vast multitude of items have been sold via eBay auctions on a daily basis. Everything from toy soldiers, to chairs to Star Wars cookie jars to Barbie dolls to music boxes. These items tend to differ greatly in size and weight, and necessitate a panicked search on many occasions for not only a cardboard box of suitable size, but also packing/cushioning materials (bubble wrap, foam noodles, cardboard, shredded paper, etc.) that would safeguard box contents.
A vast segment of the shipping industry utilizes cardboard boxes, and the new material described herein is not meant to replace all of them. Whenever a manufacturer of DVD players, for example, needs to ship 50,000 identical units, it is known beforehand what the dimensions will be for a suitable shipping box, and there is economy in ordering huge numbers of boxes of identical size. It should be noted that in the industry segment that ships electronic components, that the custom foam or other internal structures frequently rival the cost of the box itself.
Alternatively, the unique material shown in the illustrative embodiment provide a viable alternative due to economy of scale that can be employed in its manufacture: It can be molded in one piece (bonding 2 pieces would be a viable alternative), in contrast to the larger number of packaging components found in the referenced example of a DVD player shipping box, which at a minimum would consist of the box and custom foam forms. Other components—even toys—commonly use not only foam but additional cardboard inner boxes and braces.
The illustrative embodiments described herein permit packaging, protecting, and quickly shipping dozens of variably sized items to various customers that were winners of my eBay auctions. The illustrative embodiments allow creation of self-cushioned, variable sized boxes that are believed to be an improvement for not only my own shipping needs, but for many other people's preparation of packages for gifts and various other items.
The illustrative embodiments offer a dramatic improvement in the way internet merchants and many other purveyors of variable size and weight items can conveniently package and simultaneously protect even fragile items, and also may indeed offer a viable alternative to industries that ship many identical items.
The illustrative embodiments described herein may comprise a material with outer flat and inner cushioned layers for fabricating shipping and gift boxes of various sizes, to handle items of diverse dimensions and weights. The material may be of variable density foam or a bonded material that, for example, includes: A flat outer surface—thin, strong sheet that will remember a right angle bend after scoring or hand-flexing; and molded or bonded to the sheet's inner surface, a grid of right-angle pyramid shapes that will consist of plastic closed cell, other foam or alternative material soft enough to cushion fragile items placed inside a variable sized box made from the subject material. The base of each pyramidal form may be the same dimensions for a given piece or run of the material, but the material may be available in different size sheets and pyramid sizes, depending the dimensions and weight of the items to be boxed. Because in this implementation all of the pyramidal shapes are right angle pyramids at their peaks, the larger their base dimensions, the taller the pyramid. Hence, thicker cushioning will be provided for larger, heavier, or more fragile items by pyramids with larger bases. The right angle pyramids will allow easy scoring and bending of the material, and each right angle formed for the box under construction will have one right angle pyramid abut another, forming a larger right angle pyramid that along with the bend in the material sheet will afford great rigidity to the finished box. Excess material will be easily scored and trimmed away for future use or utilized as additional box padding, especially if multiple items are packed in one box. Transparent, strong tapes either provided with a “kit” including the subject material sheet, or a generally available packaging tape, will be used to seal the outer, flat box surfaces in the same way that a conventional cardboard box is sealed.
Reference is made in the various sections of the Description to the following briefly identified drawings (
a illustrates a top view of the interior surface of the subject material, the pyramidal grid structure, showing the overall pyramidal architecture in rows and columns, as well as an individual pyramidal structure 100.
b illustrates a top view of the exterior flat surface of the subject material.
c illustrates a top view of the exterior surface, with gift-oriented printed decoration as part of the manufacturing process.
a illustrates a perspective view of a box being formed.
b is a smaller version of
a illustrates a perspective view of the next step in formation of a box: Another surface has been folded; a box is taking shape complete with intrinsic cushioning.
b is a smaller version of
The illustrative embodiments herein described comprise a new material with outer flat and inner cushioned layers for fabricating shipping and gift boxes of various sizes to handle items of diverse dimensions.
a illustrates a top view of the interior surface of the subject material, the pyramidal grid structure, showing the overall pyramidal architecture in rows and columns, as well as an individual pyramidal structure 100 and the valley 110 running between rows and columns of pyramidal structures; this lowest point on the interior surface being the backside of the exterior, flat surface. This valley is where all selective folding and trimming of the material will take place to construct variably configured box-like and/or wall-like structures.
b illustrates a top view of the exterior flat surface of the subject material.
The material may, for example, be made of a variable density foam or a bonded material that includes: A flat outer surface—thin, strong sheet that will remember a right angle bend (
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a package may have pyramid bases measuring 3 inches on a side, giving an internal cushioning height (distance from the base to the peak of each pyramid) of 1.5 inches. However, the material lends itself to scaling up or down in size, and would be available in different size sheets and pyramid sizes to suit dimensions and weight of the items to be boxed.
This material, however, is not only pertinent for construction of boxes: Scaled up in size so that pyramid base sizes would start at approximately 1 foot, this material would be useful for constructing walls for both conventional buildings and lightweight structures such as habitable, large box constructs and walls.
Wall structures could also be fashioned from 2 opposing sheets of the material (
Scaled down in size, so that pyramid base sizes' would start at approximately 1 inch or less; this material would be very useful and fun to manipulate in forming walls for construction toys and architectural planning kits.
Because the pyramidal shapes are right angle pyramids at their peaks, the larger their base dimensions, the taller the pyramid. Hence, thicker cushioning will be provided for larger, heavier, or more fragile items by pyramids with larger bases. The right angle pyramids will allow easy scoring and bending of the material, and each right angle formed for the box under construction will have one right angle pyramid abut another, forming a larger right angle pyramid with its peak situated in the corner formed by the abutting pyramidal structures, that along with the bend in the material sheet will afford great rigidity to the finished box (
When fashioning a box from this material, the user need only place the object to be boxed on the inside of a sheet of material to be able to visually decide on the fold lines and what parts of the sheet are not needed for a given application. None of the material would go to waste, since it could be utilized for smaller boxes, or as previously stated, to divide or cushion the box interior in the event that more than one item is to be packed within.
To complete box construction, transparent, strong tapes either provided with a “kit” including the subject material sheet or a generally available packaging tape will be used to seal the outer, flat box surfaces (
The illustrative embodiments incorporate a new material design that is a combination of an outer, smooth, semi-rigid surface (
a illustrates a perspective view of a box being formed; one material surface has been folded at a right angle along a valley line 200 to begin the process to construct a 6-sided box from the subject material. When folded at a right angle, one or more pyramidal structures 210 from each of the folded planes will come into contact, offering additional structural strength to the box-like structure being developed.
b is a smaller version of
a illustrates a perspective view of the next step in formation of a box: Another surface has been folded; a box is taking shape complete with intrinsic cushioning.
b is a smaller version of
The particular descriptions provided are illustrative examples, and features and advantages of each example may be interchanged with, or added to the features and advantages in the other embodiments and examples herein. And, in general, although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, alterations, substitutions, additions and modifications can be made without departing from the intended scope of the invention, as defined in the Claims section.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended cs.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/748,591, filed Dec. 9, 2005, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
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Entry |
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Pyramid Foam, Mar. 8, 2002, Foam Factoryy, Inc., p. 1-5. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070172634 A1 | Jul 2007 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60748591 | Dec 2005 | US |