U.S. patent application number 11/445588 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-04 for cushion material for packaging product therein and suspension air-packing method using same.
Invention is credited to Taeko Yoshida.
Application Number | 20070003170 11/445588 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37556308 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070003170 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yoshida; Taeko |
January 4, 2007 |
Cushion material for packaging product therein and suspension
air-packing method using same
Abstract
A cushion material for packaging a product is capable of
absorbing shocks and impacts and being used for various types of
product in a multipurpose manner. A large volume of the cushion
materials can be produced through an automatic production process
at a low cost. A suspension air-packing method using the cushion
material packs the product in a mid-hanging manner. The cushion
material includes at least two flexible films facing one another
and the edges of the two films are heat-sealed, a bag portion for
holding the product therein, and a cushion portion established on
the outer periphery of the bag portion which will be inflated by
the air when the compressed air.
Inventors: |
Yoshida; Taeko; (Ayase-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MURAMATSU & ASSOCIATES
Suite 310
114 Pacifica
Irvine
CA
92618
US
|
Family ID: |
37556308 |
Appl. No.: |
11/445588 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/052 20130101;
B65D 81/075 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/003 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/00 20060101
B65D030/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 2, 2005 |
JP |
2005-162472 |
Claims
1. A cushion material for holding an object to be packaged in a
mid-air suspension manner, comprising: two thermoplastic films
overlapped with one another where edges thereof are heat-sealed; a
bag portion formed at an inner area of said two thermoplastic films
for holding the object to be packaged therein; a cushion portion
that is established around said bag portion at an outer area of the
two thermoplastic films, said cushion portion will be filled with
compressed air; and a sealed portion established at a boundary area
between the bag portion and the cushion portion where a slit is
formed the sealed portion to increase flexibility of the bag
portion.
2. A cushion material as defined in claim 1, further comprising an
opening for inserting the object to be packed there through at
least one side of said bag portion.
3. A cushion material as defined in claim 2, wherein said bag
portion is provided with a cut off on one of the thermoplastic
films near the opening for inserting the object to be packaged.
4. A cushion material as defined in claim 1, further comprising an
air opening for injecting the air therethrough.
5. A cushion material as defined in claim 4, wherein said air
opening for injecting the air therethrough prevents the injected
air from reverse flowing by a labyrinth construction or a narrow
pathway.
6. A cushion material as defined in claim 4, wherein said air
opening for injecting the air therethrough prevents the injected
air from reverse flowing by having a check valve.
7. A cushion material as defined in claim 4, wherein said air
opening for injecting the air therethrough extends through a main
body of the cushion material.
8. A cushion material as defined in claim 1, wherein a sealing
portion is formed on each corner of the cushion portion through a
heat-sealing treatment.
9. A suspension air-packing method for holding an object to be
packaged in a mid-air suspension manner, comprising the steps of:
providing a cushion material formed of two thermoplastic films
overlapped with one another where the cushion material includes a
bag portion formed at an inner area of the two thermoplastic films,
a cushion portion formed at an outer area of the two thermoplastic
films, and a sealed portion established at a boundary area between
the bag portion and the cushion portion; inserting an object to be
packed through an opening of the bag portion; inflating the cushion
portion by supplying compressed air; and installing the cushion
material having the object therein in a container box.
10. A suspension air-packing method as defined in claim 9, said
step of installing the cushion material includes a step of fitting
the cushion portion with a space created by support members within
the container box.
11. A suspension air-packing method as defined in claim 9, said
step of installing the cushion material includes a step of
installing two or more cushion materials each packing an object in
the bag portion in an overlapping manner in the container box.
12. A suspension air-packing method as defined in claim 9, said
step of installing the cushion material includes a step of
installing two or more cushion materials where an object to be
packed is inserted between two adjacent cushion materials in the
container box.
13. A suspension air-packing method as defined in claim 9, wherein
said cushion material includes a sealed portion established at a
boundary area between the bag portion and the cushion portion where
a slit is formed the sealed portion to increase flexibility of the
bag portions.
14. A suspension air-packing method as defined in claim 9, wherein
said cushion material includes an air opening for injecting the air
therethrough, wherein the opening prevents the injected air from
reverse flowing by having a labyrinth construction or a narrow
pathway.
15. A suspension air-packing method as defined in claim 9, wherein
said cushion material includes an air opening for injecting the air
therethrough, wherein the opening prevents the injected air from
reverse flowing by having a check valve made of thermoplastic
film.
16. A suspension air-packing method as defined in claim 10, wherein
said support members contact inner walls of the container box where
the cushion portion of the cushion material is inserted in the
space of each support member.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a cushion material for
packing a product by using air as a buffer against shocks or other
impacts and a suspension air-packing method that uses the cushion
material for the product to be protected.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Traditionally, cushion materials based on form plastic such
as foaming polystyrene have been used as a shock absorber during
the physical distribution of consumer products such as electronic
devices, personal computers, precision instruments, ceramic ware
and the like. Recently, however, there has been an increase in the
usage of paper-based cushion material since the foam plastic
increases the environmental load.
[0003] For example, Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 7-315366
discloses such a paper-based cushion material. In this patent
publication, a main body of the cushion material and a reinforced
wall that will be established therein are formed in a developed
shape (flat plate manner) from one piece of corrugated board. The
main body of the cushion material is to create a base structure
shaped like a rectangular case, and a part for fitting the product
therein is formed by reverse folding a front wall and a top wall of
the base structure.
[0004] Further, in order to strengthen the base structure, support
members that are split into two and pushed up in a rhombus cone
shape in the direction of the part for fitting the product therein
are established by reverse folding against a folded angle between
the bottom wall and the back wall. A V-shaped apex formed by
another inverse folding at the top end of the two support members
is formed, and the reinforced wall is established with an L-shaped
folded column held between the column of the part for fitting the
product therein and the V-shaped apex.
[0005] In other words, in the invention disclosed by this patent
publication, the packing structure can be assembled from one
developed shape of the cushion material, thus, the cushion
materials can be piled on one another in the developed state for
shipping. Further, different materials are not required during the
assembly process since the cushion material can be assembled from
one piece of corrugated board.
[0006] However, in the cushion material disclosed by the patent
publication, since the holders and the support members are
respectively formed by one piece of the corrugated board, the
durability of the protruding piece for supporting the product to be
packaged and the durability of the two sides of the holders for
supporting the support members are low. Thus, once these portions
are suffered from an impact, deformation or damage will occur on
the cushion material, which significantly lowers the resistance to
another impact. Further, there is another problem where other
products cannot be accommodated since there is a limit to the size
and shape of the product that can be packaged.
[0007] Another example is disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open
Publication No. 2002-087472. In this patent publication, the
cushion material is established with a holder formed to contact the
periphery of the product to be protected and a support member
joined to the holder in a cross-like manner and formed to hold the
product to be packaged. Further, a reinforcing means for resisting
any external forces is established at least in one of the holder or
the support member.
[0008] Because of this structure having the reinforcing means, the
durability of the cushion material is increased, thus even if there
are repeated impacts, deformation and damage to the cushion
material will be prevented and thus, the resistance to impacts is
improved.
[0009] In the invention disclosed by the above noted patent
publications, the cushion material is made of paper, hence there is
an advantage of easily being burned or scrapped. However, there are
disadvantages in that the manufacturing process is complicated, a
relatively large space is required for storing the cushion
materials, and disposal of the cushion material is not easy.
[0010] Therefore, there is a need of a new cushion material and
method for packing a product by taking the above problems involved
in the conventional technology into consideration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide a cushion material for packing a product therein which is
capable of being used repeatedly while absorbing large shocks and
impacts.
[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
cushion material for packing various products of different shapes
and sizes where the cushion material is easy to manufacture and
use.
[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
suspension air-packing method in which a product to be protected is
packed by the cushion material in a mid-hanging manner.
[0014] To achieve the above objectives, the cushion material of the
present invention has features as follows:
[0015] The cushion material of the present invention holds the
object to be packaged in the mid-air by at least two flexible films
that face one another, where the flexible films overlap with one
another and the edges are heat-sealed to create a bag portion for
holding the object to be packaged as well as a cushion portion
which will be filled with compressed air that is established around
the edges of the bag portion, where a slit is formed on a sealed
portion between the bag portion and the cushion portion.
[0016] Further, the above noted cushion material of the present
invention is comprised of an opening for inserting the object to be
packed therethrough at least one side of the bag portion. Further,
in the above noted cushion material of the present invention, the
bag portion is provided with a notch on one of the films near the
opening for inserting the object to be packaged. Further, the above
noted cushion material of the present invention further includes at
least one air opening for injecting the air therethrough.
[0017] Further, in the above noted cushion material of the present
invention, the opening for injecting the air therethrough prevents
the injected air from reverse flowing by having a check valve
comprising a labyrinth construction or a narrow pathway. Further,
in the above noted cushion material of the present invention, the
opening for injecting the air therethrough prevents the injected
air from reverse flowing by having a check valve.
[0018] Further, in the above noted cushion material of the present
invention, the opening for injecting the air therethrough passes
through a main body of the cushion material. Further, in the above
noted cushion material of the present invention, a sealing portion
is formed on each of the corners of the cushion portion through a
heat-sealing treatment.
[0019] The suspension air-packing method of the present invention
for the object to be protected holds the object in the mid-air by
using the cushion material formed of at least two flexible films
facing one another, where the flexible films overlap with one
another and the edges are heat-sealed to create a bag portion for
holding the object to be packaged as well as a cushion portion
which will be filled with compressed air that is established around
the edges of the bag portion, where a slit is formed on a sealed
portion between the bag portion and the cushion portion.
[0020] Further, the suspension air-packing method for holding the
object in the mid-air uses the cushion material having the features
defined in the foregoing. Further, in the suspension air-packing
method for holding the object in the mid-air, the cushion material
is installed in a container box. Further, in the suspension
air-packing method for holding the object in the mid-air, the inner
walls of the container box is provided with one or more support
members, where the cushion portion of the cushion material is
inserted therethrough.
[0021] According to the cushion material and the suspension air
packing method using the cushion material of the present invention,
the product to be protected such as a precision instrument, a
recording medium, a laptop compute, etc. is packed in the mid-air
in a stable manner. The cushion material and suspension air packing
method of the present invention can effectively absorb the shocks
and vibrations applied to the product during the product
distribution process by flexibly hanging the bag portion in the
mid-air and inflating the cushion material by the compressed air. A
large number of the cushion materials of the present invention can
be piled on one another without being inflated by the air and
easily stored in a relatively small storage space and easily
transported at low cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a structure of a base of the
cushion material related to the embodiment of the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the
structure of the cushion material in the area of the sheet material
X in accordance with the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional perspective view showing the
condition after the air has been injected into the cushion material
of the present invention where the product is packed in the bag
portion.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the condition after the
air has been injected into the cushion material of the present
invention where the product is packed in the bag portion.
[0026] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the basic structure
of the cushion material of the present invention when packing the
product where the cushion material is fitted between support
members.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the overall structure
of the cushion material of the present invention when packing the
product where the cushion material is fitted between the support
members and installed in a container box.
[0028] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of
basic structure of the two cushion materials of the present
invention when packing the product between the two cushion
materials where the cushion materials are fitted between the
support members.
[0029] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a further example
of basic structure of the two cushion materials of the present
invention each packing a product in the bag portion thereof where
the cushion materials are fitted between support members.
[0030] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of
structure of the check valve and the air flows therein in another
embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of
structure of the check valve in a further embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The embodiments of the cushion material related to the
present invention will be explained below with reference to the
accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a structure of
the cushion material 10 of the present invention.
[0033] The cushion material 10 is comprised of a cushion material
main body 11 which is formed with two flexible thermoplastic films
(sheets) of the same shape and size that overlap with one another
where the required parts are heat-sealed, and a sheet material X
which is provided between the two thermoplastic films of the
cushion material main body 11 to function as a check valve. The
sheet material X also functions as an opening for injecting the
air.
[0034] The cushion material main body 11 of the present embodiment
is configured by a bag portion 12 for holding an object to be
packaged therein, and a cushion portion 13 that will be inflated
when it is injected with compressed air and established around the
edges of the bag portion 12 (also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). The bag
portion is formed at an inner area of the two thermoplastic films
for holding the object to be packaged therein, and the cushion
portion is established around the bag portion at an outer area of
the two thermoplastic films. The two thermoplastic films of the
cushion material main body 11 are heat-sealed at the border area
between the bag portion 12 and the cushion portion 13 as indicated
by hatches in FIG. 4.
[0035] Further, slits s1-s4 are established between the bag portion
12 and the cushion portion 13 on the border areas where the two
thermoplastic films are heat-sealed. The slits s1-s4 are provided
for achieving increased flexibility when hanging the bag portion 12
having a product therein in the mid-air when the air is injected
inside to inflate the cushion portion 13.
[0036] The sheet material X achieves the effect of a check valve,
and is structured by overlapping two thermoplastic films that are
thin and flexible and made of, for example, polyethylene. Although
two thermoplastic films are typically used, it is also possible to
use a single sheet of sheet material X as a check valve.
[0037] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the structure of the
cushion material in the area around the sheet material X, where the
sheet material X is attached to the two thermoplastic films of the
cushion material main body 11 at the heat-sealed portions 1x and
2x. FIG. 2 also shows partitions 4x for forming air paths q for
allowing the air to flow therethrough. Further, on an air supply
path J shown with hatch lines in FIG. 2, a separation process (ex.
using high resistant paint) is applied on the entire inner surfaces
of the sheet material X so that the thermoplastic films will not be
heat-sealed, thereby creating an air passage. The partitions 4x
form the air flow paths q in the sheet material X as noted above so
that the sheet material X can function as a check valve.
[0038] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cushion material main
body 11 of the present embodiment is formed by heat-sealing the
edges 1a-4a and sealing portions 1b-4b and 1c-4c provided on either
sides of the slits s1-s4 of the two thermoplastic films of the same
size and shape overlapped with one another.
[0039] In the present embodiment, the sealing portions 1x-3x and
the partitions 4x of the sheet material X are bonded to one of the
thermoplastic films of the cushion material main body 11 in
advance, then the above mentioned edges 1a-4a and the sealing
portions 1b-4b and 1c-4c are heat-sealed to form the cushion
material main body 11. Further, the sealing portion 3x is
heat-sealed only at an area shown by a label t1 in FIG. 1 which
crosses the bag portion 12.
[0040] As explained above, by establishing the sheet material X on
one of the thermoplastic films in advance and then overlapping and
heat-sealing the two thermoplastic films together, the sealing
process can be done easily, thereby forming the cushion material
main body 11 easily and efficiently.
[0041] In the example of FIG. 1, the sheet material X is
established by extending through the cushion portion 13 and the bag
portion 12, however, the cushion material of the present invention
is not limited to this structure. For example, the sheet material X
can be provided only on the cushion portion 13. Further, for
example, the sheet material X can be provided so that it extends to
the cushion portion 13, the bag portion 12, and the slit s3.
[0042] On the cushion material 10 of the present invention, corner
sealing portions 1d-4d can be preferably formed on the respective
corners of the cushion portion 13. The corner sealing portions
1d-4d, as shown in FIG. 1, can be created at locations determined
by extending the line of either the sealing portions 1b-4b and
crossing the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction
of the cushion portion 13, or locations determined by each line
that connects the apices of cushion portion 13 and the apices of
the cushion material main body 11.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the two thermoplastic films at the
corner sealing portions 1d-4d are heat-sealed so that a partially
sealed part and a partially unsealed part p are alternately
established thereon, allowing the air to flow therethrough.
Similarly, the sealing portions 2x of the sheet material X are also
established with appropriate partially unsealed parts p on the
cushion portion 13 of the cushion material main body 11 so that the
air can flow therethrough.
[0044] In this embodiment, each of the flexible films constructing
the cushion material 10 is formed by laminating two thermoplastic
films made of, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene with a
reinforcing film which is made of, for example, nylon, fluorocarbon
resin or silicon between the two thermoplastic films. By doing so,
both outer surfaces of the base of the cushion material 10 can be
sealed by heat, allowing the cushion material main body 11 to
become more easily a three-dimensional shape. It is also possible
to configure each of the thermoplastic films of the cushion
material 10 by laminating a single thermoplastic film with a
reinforcing film such as a one made of nylon. Further, the
reinforcing film can be a metallic film such as a one made of
aluminum.
[0045] In the manufacturing process of the cushion material 10 of
the present invention, the sheet material X is inserted between the
two thermoplastic films constituting the cushion material main body
11, where a heat-seal inhibitor such as heat resistant ink or
peeling agent is either painted or printed in advance on inner
surfaces of the thermoplastic films so as not to be heat-sealed.
After applying the heat-seal process, since the cushion material
main body 11 having partially unsealed portions p can be formed
easily while the edge portions 1a-4a, the sealing portions 1b-4b
and 1c-4c, the corner sealing portions 1d-4d, the sealing portions
1x-2x, and partitions 4x are created at the same time.
[0046] The cushion material in the present invention is provided
with an opening R for an object (product) to be inserted
therethrough by cutting one end of the bag portion 12 of the
cushion material main body 11 as shown in FIG. 1 (cutting portion r
shown in FIG. 1), and also formed with the slits s1-s4 by cutting
the heat-sealed thermoplastic films at the locations represented by
labels s1-s4 in FIG. 1, to achieve a structure shown in FIG. 3.
[0047] As a result, the cushion material of the present invention
can be manufactured by only cutting and heat-sealing the
predetermined locations of the thermoplastic films, thereby
allowing an automatic production of a large volume of cushion
materials. Thus, the cushioning materials for holding products such
as DVDs, computers, precision instruments, recording mediums, etc.,
in a stable manner can be provided at extremely low cost.
[0048] In the cushion material 10 shown in FIG. 1, each of the
slits s1-s4 is constituted by a single continuous cut, however, the
slits are not limited to this structure, and can be a plurality of
shorter slits.
[0049] Further, the cutting portion r for forming the opening R of
the bag portion 12 for the object to be inserted therethrough is
preferably established without extending to the sealing portions 2c
and 4c. Further, on the opening R of the bag portion 12, an end of
one of the thermoplastic films at the opening R is further cut off
as shown by a label r'' in FIG. 1 so that there is a difference in
position between the two ends of the top and bottom thermoplastic
films, thereby allowing easy insertion of the product A (FIGS. 2
and 3) to be packaged.
[0050] Next, the way of using the cushion material and the effects
thereof will be explained. The check valve configured by the sheet
material X functions as an air opening for injecting the compressed
air. An air injecting tube (ex. connected to an air compressor) is
inserted into the air injecting point 14 or 15 on the air supply
path J in the direction shown as J' in FIG. 2. As noted above, the
air supply path J is created by applying a heat resistant paint or
other peeling agent on the entire opening area of the sheet martial
X so that the thermoplastic films are not heat-sealed at the
opening area. When the compressed air is injected from the
injecting tube, the air passes from the air supply path J through
the partially unsealed portions p as well as the flow paths q, and
lastly passes through the cushion portion 13 of the cushion
material main body 11 from the end 3x of the sheet material X which
crosses the cushion portion 13.
[0051] In other words, in FIG. 1, the compressed air supplied from
the air injecting point 14 flows into the cushion portion 13 from
the location represented by a label t2 of the end 3x of the sheet
material X. The air further passes through each unsealed portion of
the corner sealing portions 1d, 4d, 3d, and 2d to inflate the
entire cushion portion 13. After sufficiently inflating the cushion
portion 13, the air flow paths in the sheet material X will be
closed due to the internal pressure produced by the compressed air,
hence preventing the reverse flow of the air.
[0052] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional perspective view showing the
condition after the compressed air has been injected into the
cushion material of the present invention where the product A is
packed in the bag portion 12. In the sheet material X, the end 3x
(sealing portion) that crosses the bag portion 12 (represented by
label t1 in FIG. 1) is heat-sealed, thus the air passing through
the air supply path J will not flow therethrough, and will only
flow into the portions that cross the cushion portion 13, thereby
inflating the cushion portion 13.
[0053] When injecting the compressed air into the cushion portion
13, the air can be injected through both the air injecting points
14 and 15, where the air will flow from the end 3x of the sheet
material X into the cushion portion 13 in the areas represented by
a label t3 in FIG. 1 and a label t2 in FIG. 2.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 3, when the air is supplied into the
cushion material main body 11 of the present invention, the cushion
portion 13 will inflate and at the same time, the slits s1-s4 will
be expanded because of the cuts provided in the heat-sealed
portions g (FIG. 1) between the bag portion 12 and the cushion
portion 13. Therefore, the bag portion 12 will be pulled towards
the cushion portion 13 through the heat-sealed portions g so that
the bag portion 12 will be suspended in the air with high
flexibility.
[0055] The product A is inserted through the opening R formed by
cutting the one end of the bag portion 12, and held therein between
the two thermoplastic films. As noted above, by supplying the air
to the cushion portion 13, the bag portion 12 will be pulled
towards the cushion portion 13, thereby closing the bag portion 12
as well as the opening R thereof to prevent the product A in the
bag portion 12 from falling out. Further, since the bag portion 12
is partially separated from the cushion portion 13 due to the slits
s1-s4, any shocks or impacts that come from the outside will be
absorbed or dumped down before reaching the bag portion 12 and the
product A.
[0056] As explained above, by forming the difference in the length
between the ends r and r' of the opening R where one end of the
thermoplastic film at the opening R is further cut so that it is
uneven with the other end, the thermoplastic films will not stick
to one another, which enabling to easily insert the product A in
the bag portion 12 through the opening R.
[0057] In FIG. 2, the partitions 4x are established at small
intervals over the entire air supply path J which is the path where
the air initially flows through and prevents the air from flowing
in the reverse direction. However, the structure for the prevention
of the reverse flow of the air is not limited to this particular
structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a labyrinth (air flow
maze) structure forming the small air flow paths q and r formed by
partially heat-sealed portions 5x and 6x established in a direction
parallel with the air flow direction J' can also prevent the air
from the reverse flow.
[0058] Further, a check valve Y functioning as an opening for
injecting the air can be established instead of the sheet material
X as a means to prevent the injected air from reverse flowing. FIG.
10 is a schematic diagram of the check valve Y in another
embodiment. The check valve Y is composed of two rectangular
thermoplastic films such as polyethylene films that overlap with
one another where a seal inhibiting layer is formed therebetween.
The air flows in the K' direction of the cushion material main body
11 from the opening and into the cushion material main body 11. The
check valve Y has a structure for preventing the air from flowing
in the reverse direction. This type of thermoplastic film check
valve is publicly known and is disclosed, for example, by Japanese
patent laid-open publication No. 07-10159, thus the explanation of
which is omitted.
[0059] Even in the case where the sealing portions are formed
across the corners of the cushion portion 13, since the partially
sealed portions and the partially unsealed portions p are
alternately established on the corner sealing portions 1d-4d, the
air supplied to the inside of the cushion material main body 11
through the partially unsealed portions of the corner sealing
portions 1d-4d securely inflates the entire cushion portion 13.
[0060] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the condition where the
air is supplied to the inside of the cushion portion 13 of the
cushion material main body 11 in the present invention. In this
condition, as shown in FIG. 1, by forming the corner sealing
portions 1d-4d on the cushion portion 13, the corners of the
cushion portion 13 can be prevented from rising higher than the
sides thereof when the cushion portion 13 is inflated by the air
supplied from the air injecting point 14 or 15. As a consequence,
the bottom surface of the cushion portion 13 will contact with a
flat surface of the support member with a relatively large contact
area, thereby allowing the product A to be packaged is set within
the bag portion 12 in a stable manner.
[0061] In the case where the corner sealing portions 1d-4d are
established at locations on the transversal direction of the
cushion portion 13 which is the same direction of the sealing
portions 1b-4b, the cushion portion 13 can be bent along the
sealing portions 1b-4b, thereby achieving a high degree of freedom
on the cushion portion 13, which makes the use of the cushion
material 10 much easier.
[0062] The cushion material main body 11 shown in FIG. 4 includes
the check valve Y illustrated in FIG. 10 functioning as an opening.
However, the check valve that can be used in the cushion material
main body 11 is not limited to this structure, and for example, the
sheet material X shown in FIG. 1 can be used instead. Further, in
the cushion material main body 11 shown in FIG. 4, the separate
slits are provided between the bag portion 12 and cushion portion
13. However, each of the slits can be formed by a single cut at
each boundary between the bag portion 12 and cushion portion 13 as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0063] Further, on the cushion material 10 shown in FIG. 1, the
corners of the thermoplastic films are rounded, however, as shown
FIG. 4, the rectangular thermoplastic films (sheets) with sharp
corners can be used as well.
[0064] In the actual use, as shown in FIG. 6, the cushion material
main body 11 of the present invention is installed in a container
box B while holding the object A to be packaged inside the bag
portion 12. In this situation, a pair of two support members E and
F shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are provided in the container box B. Each
pair of support members E and F contact with an inner side surface
of the container box B, and the cushion portion 13 of the cushion
material is fitted in the space between the support members E and
F.
[0065] These support members, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, can be
provided as two separate pair of the support members, or as one
integral support member connected at the bottom of the container
box B.
[0066] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional perspective view showing how the
cushion material of the present invention is fitted between the
support members E and F within the container box B. When the
cushion portion 13 is fitted between the support members E and F,
the bag portion 12 is suspended in the mid-air, thereby enabling to
absorb the shocks or impacts when the cushion material main body 11
inside the container box B receives any impacts.
[0067] For this reason, the suspension air-packing method using the
cushion material main body 11 of the present invention can securely
protect the product such as precision instruments, computers,
recording mediums, etc., packed inside the container box B from
damages caused by shocks and impacts, and thus can be safely
transferred and stored during the production distribution
process.
[0068] By establishing the corner sealing portions 1d-4d on the
corners of the cushion portion 13 and preventing the corners from
rising too high when the air is injected, the cushion portion 13
can be securely mounted between the support members E and F,
thereby maintaining a stable packaging condition inside the
container box B.
[0069] Further, as another embodiment for using the cushion
material of the present invention, two or more cushioning material
main bodies 11 can be used in a container box in combination with
the support member E and F. The product A can be inserted and
stored between the cushion material main bodies 11 as shown in FIG.
7. Namely, FIG. 7 is a schematic cross sectional view showing an
example of way for using the two cushion material main bodies 11 in
an overlapping manner which are fitted between the support members
E and F within the container box. The product A is supported
between the two bag portions of the cushion material main bodies
11.
[0070] In this case, the two cushion material bodies 11 may
preferably be bonded together by heat-sealing the respective
sealing portions 1a-4a, 1b-4b, and 1c-4c when overlapped with one
another. Then, each cushion portion 13 is injected with the
compressed air and fitted between corresponding spaces of the
support members E and F. In this example, the product A to be
packaged is not inserted in the bag portion 12, and instead, it is
inserted through the space C created between the two cushion
material main bodies 11 and 11'. Therefore, by holding the product
A between the two cushion material main bodies 11 rather than
holding the product in the bag portion 12, a relatively heavy
object can be held in a stable manner and transferred.
[0071] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross sectional view showing a further
example of using a plurality of the support members E and F and a
plurality of cushion material main bodies 11 within the container
box B. Each cushion material main body 11 is fitted in the
corresponding support members E and F. Therefore, two or more
products A can be packaged in one container box B where each
product A is inserted in the bag portion 12 of the cushion material
main body 11.
[0072] Further, in the case where the product A is light in weight,
multiple cushion material bodies 11 stacked one another can be used
in the container box B without using the support members where each
product A is packed in the bag portion 12 of the cushion material
main body 11.
[0073] Further, the cushion material 10 of the present invention
can be used by itself as a final form. In other words, the cushion
material 10 can be transferred and stored in the condition where
the object A is held inside the bag portion 12, without storing the
cushion material main body 11 in the container box B.
[0074] As has been described above, according to the cushion
material and the suspension air packing method using the cushion
material of the present invention, the product to be protected such
as a precision instrument, a recording medium, a laptop compute,
etc. is packed in the mid-air in a stable manner. The cushion
material and suspension air packing method of the present invention
can effectively absorb the shocks and vibrations applied to the
product during the product distribution process by flexibly hanging
the bag portion in the mid-air and inflating the cushion material
by the compressed air. A large number of the cushion materials of
the present invention can be piled on one another without being
inflated by the air and easily stored in a relatively small storage
space and easily transported at low cost.
[0075] Although the invention is described herein with reference to
the preferred embodiment, one skilled in the art will readily
appreciate that various modifications and variations may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention. Such modifications and variations are considered to be
within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their
equivalents.
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