Patent Application
20070008144
The present invention is broadly directed to containers that may be used for shipping parcels between senders and recipients in a parcel carrier industry. The present invention especially concerns containers and methods that integrate advantageous and cost saving techniques wherein the shipping pouches/containers can be conveniently tracked during transport and reused.
A fundamental need of commerce based societies is the transportation of goods from one location to another. The development of various postal systems, first on the national and then on an international basis, established an organized system wherein a carrier, for a price, would convey a parcel from a shipper to a recipient. The service provided by such carriers resulted in increasing demand and expansion of their served customer base. In addition to the governmentally sponsored postal services, private carriers have been organized to transport a wide variety of parcels for paying customers. Such companies include those known as United Parcel Service, Federal Express, DHL, Airborne and Emory, to name a few. The proliferation of such companies demonstrates the increasing need for their services.
In addition to the ordinary demands on the parcel carrier industry, the expansion of internet commerce already has and is expected to continue to place increasing demands on the need to ship small parcels from a merchant to a customer. The role of the parcel carrier is becoming increasingly integral to the success or failure of consumers' on-line experience and business in general. Shippers know the importance of having a dependable carrier who ultimately provides dependable service to the end-use customer.
The shipping trend in recent times has been toward smaller parcels, some of which are breakable but the majority of which are considered non-fragile or non-breakable. Indeed, as much as 65% to 70% of the entire parcel market in the United States may be classified as non-fragile, meaning that the actual products being shipped are resistant to damage if handled with any degree of care. However, traditional shipping techniques as far as packaging the parcels are not varied greatly between fragile and non-fragile items with the sometimes exception of the degree of cushioning in the material used for more fragile items.
For the past 40-50 years, shippers have been conditioned to excessively package parcel shipments because there have been few alternatives. Such excessive packaging leads to increased packing costs. This packaging cost results from two factors. First, the cost of packaging materials is not trivial. Typically, parcels are packed inside a one-time use only container, such as a paperboard carton, with the interior of the container filled with cushioning materials, such as styrofoam “peanuts”, shredded paper or other paper based filler, to name a few. Second, there is a substantial time investment in packaging that results from the need to carefully pack and seal the paperboard carton and prepare the shipping documents for the same.
In addition to the problem of cost, packing waste is one of the leading contributors to landfill waste today and is a frustration for both the shipper and the recipient. This results from the need to inventory and dispose of these non-reusable materials. As internet commerce and mobile inventory management processes continue to grow, waste from shipped parcels can only be expected to worsen. This is especially true since a vast majority of parcels are excessively over-packaged with the actual product accounting for only about 25% of the available space inside each paperboard box. This is despite the fact that a majority of products could have been shipped without any packaging materials.
Such wasted space also reduces the volume shipping capacity of carriers, be it air transport or land based transport, such as trucks. The shipping of the packaging waste exhibits both direct costs as well as indirect costs in increased fuel consumption, wear and tear on airports, highways, etc. as well as environmental impact. By reducing the amount of waste materials, such indirect costs could be reduced.
While carriers profess to be interested in understanding the hardships on shippers, the only response to these hardships seems to have been in logistics planning. Little effort has been made to avoid unnecessary effort because the carriers would be required to change the service they offer. Further, the presence of several dominant players in the carrier industry have virtually dictated the packaging techniques that have been used for the last few decades, with these rules being those that have resulted in the costs discussed above.
Therefore, while current handling methods were acceptable in the past, there has been an increasing need felt for many years to develop better parcel handling techniques. The environmental and financial factors have been suggesting for many years the need for better solutions to providing carrier services. Indeed, even political factors are changing with governmental agencies listing the activities of box packaging and taping as an activity subject for repetitive motion injury. Accordingly, there is an ever increasing need for solutions to reduce or eliminate the liabilities of current parcel packaging and carriage.
There is also an increasing need to implement added security measures for the transportation of parcels between shippers and recipients. This is particularly true given recent events involving tainted mail which is intended to injure or kill innocent and unwary recipients. While it is important that mail service of parcels not be delayed in reaching their intended recipients, it is equally if not more important that for individuals, corporations or other entities to verify the shipper's identity so at least a preliminary determination can be made as to whether the parcel is of questionable origin. At the same time, it is also desirable to meet this security need without frustrating the carrier's ability deliver the parcels is a manner which is both time efficient and economically feasible.
A container is provided which is adapted to receive a parcel for shipment to an intended recipient. Broadly, the container comprises a pouch having a pouch interior and a mouth communicating with the interior, a closure movable between open and closed positions, and a protective insert structure removably disposed in the interior of the pouch. The protective insert structure has an associated interior adapted to substantially envelop the parcel to reduce risk of damage thereto during shipment.
A removable label is also provided and includes a strip constructed of a selected strip material along with an area to receive information corresponding to an address of the intended recipient. The label also has a layer of selected adhesive. The container has a label panel secured to the container body with the label panel including an exposed surface portion formed of a material to which the selective adhesive will adhere sufficiently to retain the label on the container body during shipment, yet from which the label may be forcefully removed without tearing the strip of material.
The container's pouch is preferably flexible and includes first and second body panels joined about a majority of their periphery to define a sealed edge with an unjoined portion defining the mouth. The pouch's closure may be a zipper having a pull-tab. A first grommet may be disposed on the first body panel and a second grommet may be disposed on the second body panel, with each of the first and second grommets being located proximately to the pull-tab of the zipper when the zipper is closed. This defines a locking structure for the pouch. A locking member is then provided and is operative to engage the first and second grommets and the pull-tab thereby to secure the zipper in the closed position. This locking member may be a cable tie that extends through the grommets and engages the pull-tab such as extending through the eye thereof. The first and second body panels of the pouch may be formed with a multi-layered construction and a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitter may be supported within this flexible pouch, such as in a pocket formed thereon.
The puncture resistant lining is preferably formed from a stiff yet flexible material such as semi-rigid plastic or Kevlar. Preferably also, the puncture resistant lining is disposed in the pouch's interior in confronting relationship to the first and second body panels. The lining is releasably secured to the flexible pouch through the use of one or more fastening structures such as cooperative hook and loop fastening elements disposed, respectively, on the lining and the pouch.
FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), respectively, are top and bottom plan views of the container's puncture-resistant lining, and showing the lining in an unfolded condition;
According to the present invention, then, a container is provided for receiving a parcel for shipment to an intended recipient. The container may have a modular construction with one or more protective components so that it can be used for shipping non-breakable, non-fragile and even many fragile parcels. Further, the container may additionally incorporate a radio frequency (RF) transmission component which contains imbedded shipping information and provides tracking capabilities which a parcel is en route between a shipper and a recipient. The container, whether in its exemplary embodiment that is primarily discussed herein and shown in the figures or in another modular form, can form part of a system that includes a plurality of containers along with cartons or “totes” that may be palletized between support and cover pallets during transportation. Moreover, the present invention includes a shipping method that incorporates the modular container forms described herein. Accordingly, the present invention provides an extension to the teachings of my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. Ser. No. 09/956,478, filed Sep. 18, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
With reference initially to
Pouch 8 of container 10 includes a front pouch panel 16 and a back pouch panel 18 which are rectangular in shape and are joined about three edges, 21, 22 and 23 which are located at the perimeter thereof. As discussed more thoroughly below with reference to
With reference to
In any event, it may be seen with reference to
From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that zipper 30 provides a closure for container 10 that is movable between an open position such that the parcel may be inserted and removed from the interior 14 of container 10 and a closed position so as to retain the parcel in the interior 14 as a received parcel. It should be understood, however, that closures other than zipper 30 are contemplated by this invention. As an example, zipper 30 could be replaced by a tamper- resistant seal akin those typically found on bags which are used to ship pharmaceuticals. Such tamper-resistant seals exhibit a first color to ensure that the container is appropriately sealed, yet exhibit a second color when broken to provide a visual indication that tampering has occurred. Where a tamper-resistant seal is employed, it is contemplated that the container's pouch 8 could still be constructed of an appropriate fabric material as discussed above, or a somewhat more rigid material such as 20 mil rigid plastic.
Regardless of which closure construction is employed, the closure (such as zipper 30) can be retained in the closed position by a locking structure. For the representative structure described above, a portion of this locking structure is provided by the two grommets. In this exemplary embodiment, the locking structure is completed by the use of a cable tie 50 of the type known in the art. Cable tie 50 has a locking head 52 provided with a ratcheting locking mechanism (not shown) with locking head 52 located on an end of an elongated tail 54. Tail 54 is adapted to extend through the openings formed by the grommets, respectively, and through an eye 33 of pull-tab 32. Tail 54 is then inserted through locking head 52 so that ratchet teeth 56 engage the locking structure and locking head 52, as is well known in the art of cable ties. At this point, the closed or “sealed” container 10 cannot be opened without either damaging cable tie 50 or zipper 30 or otherwise compromising the construction of container 10. That is, the sealed container is resistant to any tampering during the ordinary course of shipment of parcel 12. To this end, also, panels 16 and 18 should be opaque such that a person may not readily view the contents of the received parcel 12.
The puncture resistant lining 70 which may be used in connection with modular container 10 is best shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). As stated above, puncture resistant lining 70 serves a variety of useful purposes. On the one hand, it can line the inside of flexible pouch 80 and provide protection for parcels that are not shipped inside an air bladder. As such, the liner 70 provide abrasion and shock resistance for products shipped inside the pouch 8. Further, it will provide some protection to the flexible pouch 8 if shipped items are oily or dirty. Furthermore, when the inflatable bladder 80 is used, the lining 70 can provide enhanced puncture resistance to both the inflatable bladder 80 and the shipped parcel. In its preferred form, puncture resistant lining 70 is a elongated rectangular member that is creased about a midline 73 to form a pair of geometrically congruent panel sections 72 and 74 which are oriented in a generally a spaced apart, confronting relationship to one another during shipment. To this end, puncture resistant lining 70 is any appropriate material which is both flexible yet which exhibits the protective capabilities discussed herein. As such, it may be a semi-rigid plastic insert or be formed of Kevlar or other appropriate material.
A plurality of fastening structures are provided on both the puncture resistant lining 70 and the inner panels 36 and 40 of flexible pouch 8 so that the lining 70 can be removably, yet semi-permanently, positioned within the flexible pouch 8. While a variety of fastening structures could be employed for this purpose, in the exemplary form of the protective lining 70, these fastening structures are provided as cooperative hook fastening strips 75 positioned along longitudinal and transverse edge margins of lining 70. Hook fastening strips are appropriately maintained on lining 70 through adhesive, sewing or other appropriate securement means.
As shown in
In FIGS. 6(b) and 8, it may be seen that a second fastening set, defined by of cooperative hook and loop fastening strips 76 and 76′ may be adhered, respectively, to the inner surface of lining 70. As such, when lining 70 is creased about crease line 73, panel sections 72 and 74 can also be fastened together to better envelop the parcel during shipment and prevent dislodgement.
An alternative construction for the puncture resistant lining is shown in
With reference now to
As shown in
Alternatively, as generally represented in
An alternative construction for an inflation/deflation valve for use with the bladder 80 of the present invention is shown in
Still another alternative construction for an inflatable bladder which may be used in the container of present invention is shown in
Another contemplated use for such a bladder 280 when used in conjunction with the flexible pouch discussed above is that it can serve as both a floatble dry storage device (for storing things such as one's personal items when rafting, canoeing or otherwise), or it can even be used as a pillow while camping by virtue of its inflatability. Indeed, any of the bladder constructions discussed herein may used in conjunction with a variety of flexible pouch constructions, including those described, to create such a pillow structure.
Looking now at
The above construction, thus, provides for enhanced reuse of the container 10 without leaving a sticky residue or torn labels from previous deliveries. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the release material formed by Teflon coating 78 is selected to interact with adhesive material 64 along with the composition of strip 62 such that label 26 is firmly yet releasably secured to container 10. This allows label 26 to remain on container 10 throughout shipment yet permits it to be removed from label panel 24 so that the container 10 may be reused numerable times.
As also described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 09/956,478 address label 26 can include appropriate areas for receipt of information corresponding to the sender and the intended recipient. In addition, areas can be appropriately provided for bar code information to provide identifiers for the particular package, as well as codes for the sender and recipient, including the recipient's address. As discussed below, however, it is not necessary to provide this information in either handwritten format or bar coded format since the container of the present invention preferably incorporates an imbedded RF signal transmitter, although such information can be provided as a back-up in the event the RF signal transmitter becomes inoperable or otherwise becomes damaged during use.
Accordingly, the present invention has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though, that the present invention is defined by the following claims construed in light of the prior art so that modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10170013 | Jun 2002 | US |
| Child | 11520424 | Sep 2006 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09956478 | Sep 2001 | US |
| Child | 10170013 | Jun 2002 | US |
