U.S. patent application number 14/821361 was filed with the patent office on 2016-11-10 for packaging assembly for packaging an electric product and buffer structure thereof.
The applicant listed for this patent is YFY JUPITER LIMITED. Invention is credited to Cheng Hao HSU.
Application Number | 20160325908 14/821361 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54151952 |
Filed Date | 2016-11-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160325908 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HSU; Cheng Hao |
November 10, 2016 |
PACKAGING ASSEMBLY FOR PACKAGING AN ELECTRIC PRODUCT AND BUFFER
STRUCTURE THEREOF
Abstract
A packaging assembly for packaging an electric product is
provided. The packaging assembly has a case body and a buffer
structure. The buffer structure has two buffer elements. Each of
the buffer elements has a body portion and two bent portions. When
the body portion receives a first side of the electric product, the
bent portions are bended to receive a second side of the electric
product, and thus the body portion and the bent portions cover four
corners of the electric product.
Inventors: |
HSU; Cheng Hao; (Taipei
City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
YFY JUPITER LIMITED |
Taipei City |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
54151952 |
Appl. No.: |
14/821361 |
Filed: |
August 7, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/058 20130101;
B65D 2585/6837 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/05 20060101
B65D081/05 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 7, 2015 |
TW |
104207005 |
Claims
1. A buffer structure for packaging an electric product,
comprising: two buffer elements, each of which has a body portion
and two bent portions extending outwards from two first ends of the
body portion respectively; wherein when two opposite first sides of
the electric product are received by the body portions of the
buffer elements respectively, the two bent portions of each of the
buffer elements are bended to receive two opposite second sides of
the electric product so that the body portions and the bent
portions cooperate to cover corners of the electric product.
2. The buffer structure of claim 1, wherein the body portion
comprises two clamping ends and a receiving region disposed between
the two clamping ends, each of the clamping ends has a side surface
substantially in the form of a trapezoid that is narrow at the top
and wide at the bottom, and at least one protrusion is disposed at
a bottom portion of the receiving region.
3. The buffer structure of claim 2, wherein each of the bent
portions comprises two catching ends and a covering region disposed
between the two catching ends, each of the catching ends has a side
surface substantially in the form of a triangle that is narrow at
the top and wide at the bottom, and at least one protrusion is
disposed at a bottom portion of the covering region.
4. The buffer structure of claim 1, wherein the body portion of
each of the buffer elements has two position-limiting regions
disposed at the two first ends respectively, and the two bent
portions of each of the buffer elements each have a snap-fit
portion respectively so that when the two bent portions are bended
towards the body portion, the snap-fit portions of the bent
portions are snap-fitted into the position-limiting regions of the
body portion.
5. The buffer structure of claim 4, wherein each of the snap-fit
portions is a multilayered sheet structure.
6. The buffer structure of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the
buffer elements has two snap-fit portions disposed at the two first
ends respectively, and the two bent portions of each of the buffer
elements each have a position-limiting region so that when the two
bent portions are bended towards the body portion, the snap-fit
portions of the body portion are snap-fitted into the
position-limiting regions of the bent portions.
7. The buffer structure of claim 6, wherein each of the snap-fit
portions is a multilayered sheet structure.
8. The buffer structure of claim 1, wherein the body portion and
the two bent portions of each of the buffer elements are formed
integrally.
9. The buffer structure of claim 1, wherein one of the two buffer
elements further has two bent pieces extending from two second ends
of the body portions respectively, and the two bent pieces are
adapted to be bended in a direction away from the body portion.
10. The buffer structure of claim 9, wherein in the buffer element
that has the two bent pieces, the body portion, the two bent
portions and the two bent pieces thereof are formed integrally.
11. The buffer structure of claim 1, wherein each of the buffer
elements is a molded thin buffer material.
12. A packaging assembly for packaging an electric product,
comprising: a case body; and a buffer structure of claim 1, being
adapted to cover two first sides, two second sides and four corners
of the electric product and then placed into the case body; wherein
after the buffer structure and the electric product are placed into
the case body, a side space is defined to store an accessory kit of
the electric product.
13. The packaging assembly of claim 12, wherein one of the two
buffer elements of the buffer structure has two bent pieces
extending from two second ends of the body portion respectively,
and the two bent pieces are adapted to be bended in a direction
away from the body portion so that, when the buffer structure is
received in the case body, the side space is defined by the two
bent pieces.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent
Application No. 104207005 filed on May 7, 2015, which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a packaging assembly and a
buffer structure thereof and more particularly, the present
invention relates to a packaging assembly for packaging an
electronic product and a buffer structure thereof.
[0004] 2. Descriptions of the Related Art
[0005] In the prior art, when electronic products such as mobile
phones, digital cameras, tablet computers, notebook computers, flat
panel displays, flat panel TVs or set top boxes are to be packaged
to avoid damage to the body thereof through an effective protection
mechanism during the transport process, usually buffer articles are
provided inside the packaging boxes and between the bodies of the
electronic products so as to absorb the potential accidental impact
to the packaging boxes from the external environment.
[0006] As people's environmental protection awareness improves, the
aforesaid buffer articles have gradually transition from bubble
bags, air bags, foams, or styrofoams in the early days to buffer
articles made of paper that are capable of being recycled.
[0007] However, most of the buffer articles made of paper have the
disadvantage of occupying a large space or incapable of being made
lightweight or the like due to the inherent physical properties of
their materials.
[0008] On the other hand, conventional packaging materials such as
packaging boxes, accessory boxes and buffer articles are delivered
to clients all in the form of individual packages, and then the
clients place the accessory boxes and the buffer articles into the
packaging boxes on their own and package the electronic products on
a production line. Thus, before the packaging of the electronic
products, these individually packaged packaging boxes, accessory
boxes and buffer articles will also occupy a considerable storage
space.
[0009] Accordingly, an urgent need exists in the art to provide a
packaging assembly and a buffer structure thereof which can save
the space necessary for packaging, be made lightweight, and
meanwhile save the storage space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] An objective of the present invention is to provide a
packaging assembly and a buffer structure thereof, which can be
used to cover electronic products such as mobile phones, digital
cameras, tablet computers, notebook computers, flat panel displays,
flat panel TVs or set top boxes, maximize the protection/buffering
effect, and meanwhile save the space necessary for packaging and be
made lightweight.
[0011] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
packaging assembly, of which the buffer structure may be placed
into a case body in advance before being delivered to the client so
as to save the storage space for storing the packaging assembly and
the buffer structure before the packaging.
[0012] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, a buffer structure of
the present invention comprises: two buffer elements, each of which
has a body portion and two bent portions extending outwards from
two first ends of the body portion respectively; wherein when two
opposite first sides of an electric product are received by the
body portions of the buffer elements respectively, the two bent
portions of each of the buffer elements are bended to receive two
opposite second sides of the electric product so that the body
portions and the bent portions cooperate to cover corners of the
electric product.
[0013] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, the body portion
comprised in the buffer structure of the present invention
comprises two clamping ends and a receiving region disposed between
the two clamping ends, each of the clamping ends has a side surface
substantially in the form of a trapezoid that is narrow at the top
and wide at the bottom, and at least one protrusion is disposed at
a bottom portion of the receiving region.
[0014] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, each of the bent
portions comprised in the buffer structure of the present invention
comprises two catching ends and a covering region disposed between
the two catching ends, each of the catching ends has a side surface
substantially in the form of a triangle that is narrow at the top
and wide at the bottom, and at least one protrusion is disposed at
a bottom portion of the covering region.
[0015] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, the body portion of
each of the buffer elements comprised in the buffer structure of
the present invention has two position-limiting regions disposed at
the two first ends respectively, and the two bent portions of each
of the buffer elements each have a snap-fit portion respectively so
that when the two bent portions are bended towards the body
portion, the snap-fit portions of the bent portions are snap-fitted
into the position-limiting regions of the body portion.
[0016] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, the body portion of the
buffer elements comprised in the buffer structure of the present
invention has two snap-fit portions disposed at the two first ends
respectively, and the two bent portions of each of the buffer
elements each have a position-limiting region so that when the two
bent portions are bended towards the body portion, the snap-fit
portions of the body portion are snap-fitted into the
position-limiting regions of the bent portions.
[0017] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, each of the snap-fit
portions of the buffer elements comprised in the buffer structure
of the present invention is a multilayered sheet structure.
[0018] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, the body portion and
the two bent portions of each of the buffer elements comprised in
the buffer structure of the present invention are formed
integrally.
[0019] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, one of the two buffer
elements comprised in the buffer structure of the present invention
further has two bent pieces extending from two second ends of the
body portions respectively, and the two bent pieces are adapted to
be bended in a direction away from the body portion.
[0020] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, in the buffer element
having the two bent pieces that is comprised in the buffer
structure of the present invention, the body portion, the two bent
portions and the two bent pieces thereof are formed integrally.
[0021] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, each of the buffer
elements comprised in the buffer structure of the present invention
is a molded thin buffer material.
[0022] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, a packaging assembly of
the present invention comprises a case body and a buffer structure.
The buffer structure is adapted to cover two first sides, two
second sides and four corners of an electric product and then
placed into the case body.
[0023] After the buffer structure and the electric product are
placed into the case body, a side space is defined to store an
accessory kit of the electric product.
[0024] To achieve the aforesaid objectives, one of the two buffer
elements of the buffer structure comprised in the packaging
assembly of the present invention has two bent pieces extending
from two second ends of the body portion of the buffer element
respectively, and the two bent pieces are adapted to be bended in a
direction away from the body portion so that, when the buffer
structure is received in the case body, the side space is defined
by the two bent pieces.
[0025] The detailed technology and preferred embodiments
implemented for the subject invention are described in the
following paragraphs accompanying the appended drawings for people
skilled in this field to well appreciate the features of the
claimed invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a packaging assembly
of the present invention that packages an electronic product (a
notebook computer);
[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of a buffer structure of
the present invention that is assembled with the electronic product
(the notebook computer);
[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of FIG. 1 with a case body and
the electronic product (the notebook computer) being omitted;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a buffer
element comprised in the buffer structure of the present
invention;
[0030] FIG. 5 is a front view of the first embodiment of the buffer
element of FIG. 4;
[0031] FIG. 6 is a top view of the first embodiment of the buffer
element of FIG. 4;
[0032] FIG. 7 is a side view of the first embodiment of the buffer
element of FIG. 4;
[0033] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the
buffer element comprised in the buffer structure of the present
invention;
[0034] FIG. 9 is a front view of the second embodiment of the
buffer element of FIG. 8;
[0035] FIG. 10 is a top view of the second embodiment of the buffer
element of FIG. 8; and
[0036] FIG. 11 is a side view of the second embodiment of the
buffer element of FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0037] A packaging assembly and a buffer structure thereof of the
present invention are used to cover electronic products such as
mobile phones, digital cameras, tablet computers, notebook
computers, panel displays, panel TVs or set top boxes for purpose
of protecting the electronic products and providing an effective
buffer effect against potential damage to the electronic products
due to the impact from the external environment during the
transport process.
[0038] In the following descriptions, the technical features of the
packaging assembly and the buffer structure thereof of the present
invention will be described by taking a notebook computer as an
example of the electronic product; however, the present invention
is not limited thereto.
[0039] That is, the size or the relative scale of the packaging
assembly and the buffer structure thereof of the present invention
can be varied depending on the volume of different electronic
products to keep the effect of completely covering the electronic
product and providing effective buffering.
[0040] First referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 together, a
packaging assembly 100 of the present invention comprises a case
body 200 and a buffer structure 300. Therefore, when the electronic
product is a notebook computer 400, the buffer structure 300 is
adapted to cover two first sides 410, two second sides 420 and four
corners 430 of the notebook computer 400 and then placed into the
case body 200. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, after the
buffer structure 300 and the notebook computer 400 are placed into
the case body 200, a side space 210 is defined to store an
accessory kit 500 of the notebook computer.
[0041] Hereinafter, the contents of the buffer structure 300 of the
present invention will first be described.
[0042] Please refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 together. As shown
in the figures, the buffer structure 300 of the present invention
comprises two buffer elements 310, and as shown in FIG. 6, each of
the buffer elements 310 has a body portion 320 and two bent
portions 330 extending outwards from two first ends 320a of the
body portion 320 respectively.
[0043] Thus, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, when two opposite first
sides 410 of the notebook computer 400 are received by the body
portions 320 of the buffer elements 310 respectively, the two bent
portions 330 of each of the buffer elements 310 are bended to
receive two opposite second sides 420 of the notebook computer 400
so that the body portions 320 and the bent portions 330 cooperate
to cover the four corners 430 of the notebook computer.
[0044] In detail, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the body portion
320 of the buffer element 310 comprises two clamping ends 321 and a
receiving region 323 disposed between the two clamping ends 321.
Thus, covering the first sides 410 of the notebook computer 400 by
the body portion 320 is achieved actually in the following way: the
upper side and the lower side of the first sides 410 of the
notebook computer 400 are clamped by the two clamping ends 321 of
the body portion 320 respectively and then the end portions of the
first sides 410 of the notebook computer 400 are accommodated
within the receiving region 323 to fully protect the first sides
410 of the notebook computer 400.
[0045] Still referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, at least one
protrusion 325 may be further disposed at a bottom portion of the
receiving region 323 to enhance the shock-absorption capacity of
the body portion 320 and improve the effect of buffering.
[0046] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, each of the bent
portions 330 comprised in the buffer elements 310 of the present
invention comprises two catching ends 331 and a covering region 333
disposed between the two catching ends 331. Thus, covering the
second sides 420 of the notebook computer 400 by the bent portion
330 is achieved actually in the following way: the upper side and
the lower side of the second sides 420 of the notebook computer 400
are clamped by the two catching ends 331 of the bent portion 330
respectively and then the end portions of the second sides 420 of
the notebook computer 400 are accommodated within the covering
region 333 to fully protect the second sides 420 of the notebook
computer 400.
[0047] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, at least one
protrusion 335 may be further disposed at a bottom portion of the
covering region 333 to enhance the shock-absorption capacity of the
bent portion 330 and improve the effect of buffering.
[0048] Additionally, in order to enhance the protection for the
four corners 430 of the notebook computer 400, each of the clamping
ends 321 of the body portion 320 is formed to have a side surface
substantially in the form of a trapezoid that is narrow at the top
and wide at the bottom and each of the catching ends 331 of the
bent portion 330 is formed to have a side surface substantially in
the form of a triangle that is narrow at the top and wide at the
bottom in a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown
in FIG. 5.
[0049] In this way, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, when the bent
portions 330 at the two sides of the buffer element 310 bend
towards the body portion 320 located at the center of the buffer
element 310, the trapezoid side surface of each of the clamping
ends 321 of the body portion 320 can cooperate with the triangular
side surface of each of the catching ends 331 of the bent portion
330 to form a U-shaped structure that opens to the right or to the
left so as to completely correspond to the four corners 430 of the
notebook computer 400 and enhance the protection for the four
corners 430 of the notebook computer 400.
[0050] On the other hand, referring back to FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG.
6, in order to allow an operator to cover the notebook computer 400
with the buffer structure 300 more rapidly, the body portion 320 of
each of the buffer elements 310 may further have two
position-limiting regions 327 disposed at the two first ends 320a
of the body portion 320 respectively, and the two bent portions 330
of each of the buffer elements 310 also each have a snap-fit
portion 337 correspondingly.
[0051] Therefore, when the operator covers the notebook computer
400 with the buffer structure 300 and bends the two bent portions
330 towards the body portion 320, the snap-fit portions 337 of the
bent portions 330 can be guided by and snap-fitted into the
position-limiting regions 327 of the body portion 320, thereby
allowing the operator to assemble the buffer structure 300 and
cover the notebook computer 400 with the buffer structure 300 more
rapidly. Moreover, when the snap-fit portions 337 of the bent
portions 330 are snap-fitted into the position-limiting regions 327
of the body portion 320, the structural strength after the body
portion 320 and the two bent portions 330 are bonded together may
also be enhanced.
[0052] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8,
each of the aforesaid snap-fit portions 337 is a multilayered sheet
structure. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, when the snap-fit portions 337
of the bent portions 330 are bent and snap-fitted into the
position-limiting regions 327 of the body portion 320, the
multilayered sheet structure will also be able to protect the four
corners 430 of the notebook computer 400.
[0053] As can be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in
the art, the aforesaid effects of accelerating the assembling speed
and enhancing the structural strength may also be achieved even if
the positions of the position-limiting region and the snap-fit
portion are swapped. That is, swapping the positions of the
position-limiting region and the snap-fit portion so that the two
snap-fit portions are respectively disposed at the two first ends
320a of the body portion 320 of each of the buffer elements 310 and
the two position-limiting regions are respectively disposed on the
two bent portions 330 of each of the buffer elements 310 also falls
within the scope claimed in the present invention.
[0054] One of the two buffer elements 310 comprised in the
aforesaid buffer structure 300 may further have two bent pieces
340, as shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Then when the
buffer structure 300 is placed into the case body 200, a side space
210 may be defined to store an accessory kit 500 of the notebook
computer.
[0055] In detail, as shown in FIG. 10, the two bent pieces 340
extend from two second ends 320b of the body portion 320 of the
buffer element 310 respectively, and as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3,
the two bent pieces 340 are adapted to be bended in a direction
away from the body portion 330. In this way, when the buffer
element 310 having the two bent pieces 340 is placed into the case
body 200, a side space 210 will be defined by the two bent pieces
340 and the inner portions of the case body 200 to store the
accessory kit 500 of the notebook computer.
[0056] Because the size of the side space 210 is defined
corresponding to the volume and the shape of the bent pieces 340,
the bent pieces 340 may also have other shapes (such as a U shape)
in addition to the rectangular shape shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG.
10 and FIG. 11, and no limitation is made thereto.
[0057] Except for the aforesaid two additionally provided bent
pieces 340, the contents of the body portion 320 and the two bent
portions 330 of the buffer element 310 in a second embodiment shown
in FIG. 8 to FIG. 11 are all similar to those of the first
embodiment shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, and thus will not be further
described herein.
[0058] No matter whether each of the buffer elements 310 comprised
in the buffer structure 300 of the present invention is provided
with the two bent pieces 340 or not, each of the buffer elements
310 is a molded thin buffer material that is formed integrally. In
other words, if the buffer element 310 only comprises the body
portion 320 and the two bent portions 330, then only the body
portion 320 and the two bent portions 330 are formed integrally;
and if the buffer element 310 comprises the body portion 320, the
two bent portions 330 and the two bent pieces 340, then the body
portion 320, the two bent portions 330 and the two bent pieces 340
are formed integrally.
[0059] Further, if the two buffer elements 310 are placed into the
case body 200 in advance before being delivered to the client, then
the storage space required before the assembling of the operator
can be saved; and moreover, after the operator places the notebook
computer 400 into a protecting bag (generally a thin plastic bag)
in the process of packaging the notebook computer 400, the operator
can place the notebook computer 400 already packaged in the
protecting bag into the buffer structure 300 simply by opening the
case body 200 and turning outward the bent portions 330 located at
the upper ends of the buffer elements 310. Then, the packaging is
finished and the case body can be sealed after the operator simply
places the accessory kit 500 into the side space 210, thereby
simplifying the assembling process.
[0060] According to the above descriptions, because the buffer
structure 300 of the packaging assembly 100 of the present
invention can completely cover and protect the electronic product
(e.g., the aforesaid notebook computer 400) simply by using two
buffer elements 310, it helps to reduce the required materials and
parts, simplify the assembling process and reduce the packaging
cost. Moreover, the particular relationships between the body
portion 320 and the two bent portions 330 of the buffer element 310
(e.g., between the shapes or components such as the trapezoid side
surface, the triangular side surface, the at least one protrusion
325, the at least one protrusion 335, the position-limiting region
327 and the snap-fit portion 337) also allow the operator to more
efficiently assemble the buffer structure 300 of the present
invention and cover the notebook computer 400 with the buffer
structure 300 of the present invention, and meanwhile, enhance the
structural strength after the body portion 320 and the two bent
portions 330 are bonded together to provide excellent protection
for the two first sides 410, the two second sides 420 and the four
corners 430 of the notebook computer 400.
[0061] On the other hand, with the arrangement of the two bent
pieces 340, a side space 210 is defined by the two bent pieces 340
and the inner portions of the case body 200 to store the accessory
kit 500 of the notebook computer after the buffer element 310 is
assembled into the case body 200, and this allows for more
efficient distribution of the space inside the case body 200. Thus,
the packaging assembly and the buffer structure thereof of the
present invention can maximize the protection/buffering effect,
save the space necessary for packaging the electronic product
(e.g., the notebook computer, etc.) and thereby be made
lightweight.
[0062] The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical
contents and inventive features thereof. People skilled in this
field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements
based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as
described without departing from the characteristics thereof.
Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not
fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially
been covered in the following claims as appended.
* * * * *