U.S. patent application number 09/873073 was filed with the patent office on 2002-12-05 for shipping and display package for electronic equipment.
Invention is credited to Hoffnung, Amanda, Tornga, Steven C..
Application Number | 20020179469 09/873073 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25360929 |
Filed Date | 2002-12-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020179469 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tornga, Steven C. ; et
al. |
December 5, 2002 |
Shipping and display package for electronic equipment
Abstract
A packaging assembly for articles of electronic equipment
includes at least one cushion fabricated from a cushioning
material. The at least one cushion is secured to the article of
electronic equipment to be packaged. A transparent elastic cover
layer substantially completely encloses the article and the at
least one cushion. When the article is packaged in the transparent
elastic cover layer with the cushion in place, the transparent
elastic cover layer composes the outermost layer of packaging for
the article, and a major portion of the article remains visible. In
an embodiment, the at least one cushion is provided as four
cushions fitted onto respective upper corners of the article to be
packaged, and a bottom tray fitted onto a bottom surface of the
article to be packaged. The cushions and the bottom tray can be
fabricated from expanded polypropylene. The transparent elastic
cover layer can be provided as a shrink-wrap material, such as PVC
film. A method for packaging articles of electronic equipment is
also described.
Inventors: |
Tornga, Steven C.; (Boise,
ID) ; Hoffnung, Amanda; (Boise, ID) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
Intellectual Property Administration
P.O. Box 272400
Fort Collins
CO
80527-2400
US
|
Family ID: |
25360929 |
Appl. No.: |
09/873073 |
Filed: |
June 1, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/320 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/058 20130101;
B65D 5/4204 20130101; B65D 77/003 20130101; B65D 2585/6835
20130101; B65D 81/056 20130101; B65D 81/054 20130101; B65D
2571/00018 20130101; B65D 2585/689 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/320 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A packaging assembly for articles of electronic equipment
comprising the following: at least one cushion fabricated from a
cushioning material and secured to the article of electronic
equipment; and a transparent elastic cover layer substantially
completely enclosing the article and the at least one cushion, the
transparent elastic cover layer forming the outermost layer of
packaging for the article, with a major portion of the article
remaining visible when the article is packaged in the transparent
elastic cover layer with the cushion in place.
2. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at
least one cushion comprises at least two cushions fitted onto
respective upper corners of the article to be packaged.
3. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein the at
least one cushion further comprises a bottom tray fitted onto a
bottom surface of the article to be packaged.
4. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the
cushions fitted onto respective upper corners of the article to be
packaged and the bottom tray are fabricated from expanded
polypropylene.
5. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
transparent elastic cover layer comprises a shrink-wrap
material.
6. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the
transparent elastic cover layer comprises a PVC film.
7. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at
least one cushion comprises at least two cushions fitted onto
respective upper and lower surfaces of the article to be
packaged.
8. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 7, wherein the at
least two cushions comprise a top tray fitted onto an upper surface
of the article to be packaged, and a bottom tray fitted onto a
lower surface of the article to be packaged.
9. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at
least one cushion comprises an overwrap fitted over the outer
surface of the article to be packaged.
10. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein the
overwrap includes a plurality of windows providing visual access to
the article to be packaged.
11. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein the
overwrap is fabricated from corrugated fiberboard.
12. An article packaging assembly comprising the following: at
least one cushion fabricated from a cushioning material and secured
to the article to be packaged; and a transparent elastic cover
layer substantially completely enclosing the article and the at
least one cushion, the transparent elastic cover layer forming the
outermost layer of packaging for the article.
13. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 12, wherein the
at least one cushion further comprises a bottom tray fitted onto a
bottom surface of the article to be packaged.
14. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 13, further
comprising at least one cushion fitted onto a top surface of the
article to be packaged.
15. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein the
at least one cushion fitted onto a top surface of the article to be
packaged comprises at least two corner cushions fitted onto
respective upper corners of the article to be packaged.
16. A packaging assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein the
at least one cushion further comprises a top tray fitted onto an
upper surface of the article to be packaged.
17. A method for packaging articles of electronic equipment, the
method comprising the following steps: securing at least one
cushion, fabricated from a cushioning material, to the article of
electronic equipment; and substantially completely enclosing the
article and the at least one cushion with a transparent elastic
cover layer such that the transparent elastic cover layer composes
the outermost layer of packaging for the article, and a major
portion of the article remains visible when the article is packaged
in the transparent elastic cover layer with the cushion in
place.
18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the step of
securing at least one cushion comprises the following: securing
cushions onto respective upper corners of the article to be
packaged; and securing a bottom tray onto a bottom surface of the
article to be packaged.
19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the steps of
securing cushion onto respective corners of the article to be
packaged and securing a bottom tray onto a bottom surface of the
article to be packaged comprise securing securing expanded
polpropylene cushions onto respective upper corners of the article
to be packaged and securing an expanded polypropylene bottom tray
onto a bottom surface of the article to be packaged.
20. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the step of
substantially completely enclosing the article and the at least one
cushion comprises substantially completely enclosing the article
and the at least one cushion with a shrinkable PVC film.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates generally to electronic equipment
packaging. Specifically, the invention relates to packaging systems
for electronic equipment that provide adequate protection and
point-of-sale visibility.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Imaging systems such a sprinters, fax machines, and copiers
are virtually omnipresent, and can be found in homes and offices
worldwide. The development of such systems has facilitated
improvements in communications that have in turn fostered a sea
change in the ways that people live and work. Telecommuting,
"virtual" offices, and intra-office networks represent but a few
examples of the advancements that have been made possible by modern
imaging systems.
[0003] The wide distribution of relatively sensitive electronic
components has spawned the development of packaging adequate to
protect the systems during transportation and storage. It is known,
for example, to provide packaging including plastic foam cushions
surrounding portions of the component, surrounded by a rigid
container such as a corrugated fiberboard box. The foam cushions
are typically located at known potential stress points, such as the
corners of the device.
[0004] These arrangements present several disadvantages. For
example, known packaging, largely due to the fiberboard outer
shell, is relatively bulky, unattractive, and expensive. Further,
since the outer packaging is opaque, consumers, transporters, and
stock handlers must rely upon labeling to identify the contents of
the package. This means that product intended for distribution over
a wide geographical area must often be labeled in several
languages. Finally, paperboard packaging is vulnerable to damage
from exposure to moisture that, although it may not affect the
packaged article, renders the item unsalable due to the appearance
of the package exterior.
[0005] The use of shrink-wrap plastics is known per se in the
packaging arts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,473 to Belshe' is
directed to a method for packaging an article and the packaging
assembly produced by the method. The packaging assembly uses
wrapping films such as stretch wrap film to secure an article onto
a cradle or carton insert contained within a shipping container. By
binding the article to the insert in this manner, the article is
protected from damage during shipping and the insert facilitates
removal of the article from the shipping container. In accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention, a method for
packaging an article comprises: providing a cradle having a floor
panel and a first pair of parallel opposed side panels extending
from the floor panel, the floor panel including an interior surface
and an exterior surface; placing an article on the interior surface
of the floor panel between the first opposed side panels; binding
the article to the cradle by wrapping a film material about the
article and the cradle so as to bind the article to the cradle; and
inserting the cradle into a container.
[0006] Although the Belshe' arrangement offers some advantages over
standard packaging, it still fails to address problems such as
visual access to the packaged product. It can be seen from the
foregoing that the need exists for a simple, inexpensive packaging
system for electronic equipment that provides adequate protection
and product visibility while overcoming the deficiencies of known
arrangements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A packaging assembly for articles of electronic equipment
includes at least one cushion fabricated from a cushioning
material. The at least one cushion is secured to the article of
electronic equipment to be packaged. A transparent elastic cover
layer substantially completely encloses the article and the at
least one cushion. When the article is packaged in the transparent
elastic cover layer with the cushion in place, the transparent
elastic cover layer composes the outermost layer of packaging for
the article, and a major portion of the article remains
visible.
[0008] In an embodiment, the at least one cushion is provided as
four cushions fitted onto respective upper corners of the article
to be packaged, and a bottom tray fitted onto a bottom surface of
the article to be packaged. The cushions and the bottom tray can be
fabricated from expanded polypropylene. The transparent elastic
cover layer can be provided as a shrink-wrap material, such as PVC
film. A method for packaging articles of electronic equipment is
also described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an imaging
system.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the FIG. 1 imaging
system, packaged in a packaging assembly incorporating the
principles of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the FIG. 1 imaging
system, packaged in another embodiment of a packaging assembly
incorporating the principles of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the FIG. 1 imaging
system, packaged in yet another embodiment of a packaging assembly
incorporating the principles of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an imaging system 10 in suitable for
packaging with a packaging assembly in accordance with the
principles of the present invention. The imaging system 10 is
herein illustrated as a printer 12 including an output tray 14, an
imaging media input section 16, and an access door 18. While
devices such as the printer 12 are more than adequately durable
when deployed in their intended use environments, they are not
designed to withstand the dangers inherent during shipping or
movement in warehouses or stockrooms. Consequently, some form of
packaging must be provided to afford protection in these
situations.
[0014] A packaging assembly 20 in accordance with the principles of
the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2. The packaging
assembly 20 includes at least one cushion, here shown as a
plurality of corner cushions 22, 24, 26, and 28 fitted onto
respective upper corners of the printer 12. The cushions can also
include a bottom tray 30 secured to a bottom surface of the printer
12. The cushions can be fabricated from a suitable shock-absorbing,
shape-retaining material. Examples of suitable materials include,
but are not limited to, thermoplastics materials, particularly
expanded thermoplastic materials such as expanded polypropylene.
Such materials are inexpensive, lightweight, readily available, and
easily recyclable. As is known to those of skill in the art, the
corner cushions 22-28 and the bottom tray 30 are provided with
contoured surfaces in order to fit securely onto the printer 12
without the use of adhesives.
[0015] A transparent elastic cover layer 32 substantially
completely encloses the printer 12, the corner cushions 22-28, and
the bottom tray 30. The transparent elastic cover layer 32 can be
provided as a suitable adhering, durable, moisture-resistant
material. It has been found that "shrink-wrap" material, such as
PVC film, is particularly advantageous. One example of such a film
is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,663 to Yoshiga et al., the
specification and claims of which are incorporated by reference
herein.
[0016] An alternative embodiment of a packaging assembly 34 in
accordance with the principles of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 3. The packaging assembly 34 includes at least
one cushion, here shown as atop tray 36 fitted over the upper
surface of the printer 12. The cushions can also include a bottom
tray 38 secured to a bottom surface of the printer 12. The cushions
can be fabricated from a suitable shock-absorbing, shape-retaining
material, as described earlier. As is known to those of skill in
the art, the top tray 36 and the bottom tray 38 are provided with
contoured surfaces in order to fit securely onto the printer 12
without the use of adhesives.
[0017] A transparent elastic cover layer 40 substantially
completely encloses the printer 12, the top tray 36, and the bottom
tray 38. The transparent elastic cover layer 40 can be provided as
a suitable adhering, durable, moisture-resistant material, as
described with reference to the FIG. 2 embodiment.
[0018] Another alternative embodiment of a packaging assembly 42 in
accordance with the principles of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 4. The packaging assembly 42 includes at least
one cushion, here shown as a corrugated fiberboard overwrap 44
fitted over the outer surface of the printer 12. The overwrap 44 is
provided with a plurality of windows 46, which provide visual
access to the printer 12. As is known to those of skill in the art,
the overwrap 44 is provided with contoured inner surfaces in order
to fit securely onto the printer 12 without the use of
adhesives.
[0019] A transparent elastic cover layer 48 substantially
completely encloses the printer 12 and the overwrap 44. The
transparent elastic cover layer 40 can be provided as a suitable
adhering, durable, moisture-resistant material, as described with
reference to the FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 embodiments.
[0020] In operation, the printer 12 is first placed in the
cushioning structure, for example, in accordance with the
embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-4. With the cushion structure in place
on the printer 12, transparent elastic material is then wrapped to
substantially completely enclosing the entire assembly, forming the
transparent elastic cover layer. The transparent elastic cover
layer composes the outermost layer of packaging for the printer 12,
and a major portion of the printer 12 remains visible. This
eliminates the need for an outer enclosure such as a box while
retaining adequate protection for the printer 12, and allows
consumers and other observers to visually identify the packaged
product without relying on labeling or graphics.
[0021] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to specific embodiments, those of skill in the art will
recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from
the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
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