U.S. patent application number 16/515537 was filed with the patent office on 2020-01-23 for shaped flexible shipping package and method of making.
The applicant listed for this patent is The Procter & Gamble Company. Invention is credited to James T. Boesken, Susana E. Borrero, Benjamin Jacob Clare, Jason M. Earl, Benjamin G. Hesford, Joseph Craig Lester, Kenneth Stephen McGuire, Jun You.
Application Number | 20200024056 16/515537 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 67513749 |
Filed Date | 2020-01-23 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200024056 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Borrero; Susana E. ; et
al. |
January 23, 2020 |
SHAPED FLEXIBLE SHIPPING PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING
Abstract
A shipping package having a flexible inner sheet having a first
surface and a second surface. The package has an article reservoir
for accepting an article to be shipped and one or more expansion
chambers. The expansion chambers can be inflated or otherwise
expanded to provide structure to the package and to protect the
article in the article reservoir.
Inventors: |
Borrero; Susana E.; (Mason,
OH) ; McGuire; Kenneth Stephen; (Montgomery, OH)
; Lester; Joseph Craig; (Liberty Township, OH) ;
Clare; Benjamin Jacob; (Cincinnati, OH) ; Boesken;
James T.; (Harrison, OH) ; Earl; Jason M.;
(Milford, OH) ; You; Jun; (West Chester, OH)
; Hesford; Benjamin G.; (Hamilton, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
The Procter & Gamble Company |
Cincinnati |
OH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
67513749 |
Appl. No.: |
16/515537 |
Filed: |
July 18, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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62783535 |
Dec 21, 2018 |
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62701273 |
Jul 20, 2018 |
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62810987 |
Feb 27, 2019 |
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62838955 |
Apr 26, 2019 |
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62851224 |
May 22, 2019 |
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62851230 |
May 22, 2019 |
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62864555 |
Jun 21, 2019 |
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62864549 |
Jun 21, 2019 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 31/04 20130101;
B65D 77/0406 20130101; B65D 81/022 20130101; B65D 81/03 20130101;
B65D 75/58 20130101; B65D 81/052 20130101; B65D 75/04 20130101;
B65D 75/56 20130101; B65B 5/02 20130101; B65B 43/08 20130101; B65B
55/20 20130101; B65D 2203/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/05 20060101
B65D081/05; B65D 75/58 20060101 B65D075/58 |
Claims
1. An expandable shipping package for shipping one or more
articles, the package having a top panel, a bottom panel opposed to
the top panel, a first end panel extending between the top panel
and the bottom panel, a second end panel opposed to the first end
panel and extending between the top panel and the bottom panel, a
first side panel extending between the top panel, the bottom panel,
the first end panel and the second end panel, a second side panel
opposed to the first side panel and extending between the top
panel, the bottom panel, the first end panel and the second end
panel, a central plane bisecting the first end panel, the second
end panel, the first side panel and the second side panel, the
package comprising: a. a flexible inner sheet having an inner sheet
first portion, an inner sheet second portion, an inner sheet first
surface, an inner sheet second surface; b. a flexible outer sheet
having an outer sheet first portion, an outer sheet second portion,
an inner surface and an outer surface, at least a portion of the
outer surface of the outer sheet first portion being joined to the
first surface of the inner sheet first portion to form one or more
first primary expansion chambers therebetween, and at least a part
of the inner surface of the outer sheet second portion being joined
to the first surface of the inner sheet second portion to form one
or more second primary expansion chambers therebetween, and at
least a part of the inner surface of the outer sheet second portion
being joined to the first surface of the inner sheet second portion
to form one or more second primary expansion chambers therebetween;
at least a portion of the second surface of the inner sheet first
portion disposed in face-to-face relationship with and joined to a
portion of the second surface of the second portion of the inner
sheet forming an article reservoir therebetween, the article
reservoir having a periphery where the inner sheet first portion
and the inner sheet second portion are joined together and a
central area within the periphery; c. a flexible secondary outer
sheet at least partially joined to the outer sheet outer surface to
form a plurality of secondary expansion chambers; d. an expansion
port in fluid connection with at least one of the first primary or
second primary expansion chambers through which the expansion
material can be introduced into the expansion chamber; and e. a
closeable opening into which the one or more articles may be
inserted, the opening extending from an exterior of the package to
the article reservoir; wherein the package when expanded has a
generally parallelepiped shape.
2. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein the bottom
panel includes one or more secondary expansion members disposed
adjacent the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end
panel and the second end panel to create a base at least partially
surrounding a bottom panel central region, wherein the base extends
from the central plane a maximum base distance and the bottom panel
central region has a maximum bottom panel central region distance
that is less than the maximum base distance.
3. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein the top panel
includes one or more secondary expansion members disposed adjacent
the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end panel
and the second end panel to create a top surface at least partially
surrounding a top panel central region, wherein the top surface
extends from the central plane a maximum stacking panel distance
and the top panel central region has a maximum top panel central
region distance that is less than the maximum top surface
distance.
4. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein a portion of
the inner sheet first surface is joined to the outer sheet in the
central area forming an expansion control tack that acts to control
the maximum bottom panel central distance and/or the maximum top
panel central region distance when the package is expanded for
use.
5. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein the article
reservoir has a periphery where the inner sheet first portion and
the inner sheet second portion are joined together and a central
area within the periphery, wherein at least a portion of the inner
sheet first surface within the central area is joined to the inner
surface of the outer sheet forming an expansion control tack that
acts to control the expansion of the one or more first primary
expansion chambers when an expansion fluid is introduced
therein.
6. The shipping package of claim 5 wherein the expansion control
tack also joins the outer sheet to the secondary outer sheet.
7. The expandable shipping package of claim 6 wherein the first
portion of the inner sheet and the second portion of the inner
sheet are separate pieces of material joined to each other or are
made from a single piece or material.
8. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein the one or
more primary expansion chambers are expanded to an internal
pressure that is less than at least one of the one or more
secondary expansion chambers.
9. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein one of the
one or more secondary expansion chambers is expanded to an internal
pressure that is less than the internal pressure of the one or more
primary expansion chambers.
10. The expandable shipping package of claim 9 wherein the one or
more secondary expansion chambers that is expanded to an internal
pressure that is less than the internal pressure of the one or more
primary expansion chambers is disposed adjacent the central area of
the product reservoir.
11. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein when the one
or more articles is disposed in the article reservoir and the one
or more first or second primary expansion chambers is expanded, the
one or more articles are at least partially immobilized in the
article reservoir by the inner sheet.
12. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein the shipping
package consists of or consists essentially of one or more flexible
materials.
13. The expandable shipping package of claim 1, wherein the package
has no structural support feature other than the primary and/or
secondary expansion chambers.
14. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 additionally
including a vent disposed in fluid communication with the article
reservoir.
15. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 further including an
article retrieval feature that allows a user to open the package
and retrieve the one or more articles from the article
reservoir.
16. The expandable shipping package of claim 15 wherein the article
retrieval feature, when activated, both opens the shipping package
and deflates one or more of the one or more primary expansion
chambers.
17. The expandable shipping package of claim 15 wherein the article
retrieval feature, when activated, both opens the shipping package
and deflates one or more of the one or more secondary expansion
chambers.
18. The expandable shipping package of claim 15 wherein the article
retrieval feature, when activated, opens the shipping package and
deflates the one or more primary expansion chambers and the one or
more secondary expansion chambers.
19. The expandable shipping package of claim 15 wherein the article
retrieval feature includes a tear strip.
20. The expandable shipping package of claim 15 claims wherein at
least one of the one or more primary expansion chambers is
permanently destroyed upon activation of the article retrieval
feature.
21. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein at least a
portion of the inner sheet, the outer sheet and/or the secondary
outer sheet is transparent, translucent or opaque.
22. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein the shipping
package has a deflated thickness that is less than 1/10 of the
expanded thickness.
23. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein at least a
portion of the inner sheet, the outer sheet and/or the secondary
outer sheet is printed.
24. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 including a gusset
in the second end panel between the top panel and the bottom
panel.
25. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 including a gusset
in the first end panel between the top panel and the bottom
panel.
26. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 including a
protruding expansion chamber in the top panel.
27. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 including a
depression in the bottom panel that is configured to at least
partially receive a protruding expansion chamber from a different
package or surface.
28. The expandable shipping package of claim 1 wherein the article
reservoir has an internal pressure that is less than the
surrounding environment.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates in general to shipping
packages, and, in particular to shipping packages made from one or
more flexible materials.
BACKGROUND
[0002] E-commerce, or the use of the internet to find and purchase
goods, is becoming a very popular way for consumers to shop. The
advantages of e-commerce are many including: time-savings;
competition; shopping at home, work or virtually anywhere; and
importantly, the purchaser not having to transport the purchased
articles from the location of purchase to the place of use. In the
e-commerce system, goods purchased by consumers are generally
transported to their homes or places of use by the seller or a
service used by the seller. Many e-commerce retailers rely on
shipping their goods through the mail, including government mail
services and other private and semi-private mail services, or
through other parcel or parcel-like delivery services. Such mail
and parcel services are typically quite convenient to both the
buyer and seller. However, transportation of fragile, heavy and/or
bulky goods can be quite expensive due to the cost of the manual
labor and materials needed to protect the goods during
shipment.
[0003] These aspects, and others, relating to the shipment of goods
through current mail and parcel delivery services create unique
issues that, if not addressed, can negatively affect the cost and
quality of the goods sold. For example, when shipping goods to
consumers, the goods generally need to be disposed in a package
that is strong, lightweight and convenient for the shipper and for
the customer. That is, it should be designed to be capable of
protecting the products being shipped from external conditions
throughout the shipping process, and preferably so as to minimize
material usage, weight and bulkiness. It should also be easy to
construct, pack, close, label, open, and discard. If the shipping
package does not meet any one or all of these characteristics, it
can lead to extra costs, inconvenience for the seller or buyer,
product damage, and/or consumer dissatisfaction.
[0004] Currently, most shipping packages are some form of flexible
pouch (e.g. envelope) made from paper or plastic, or a box, often
constructed from corrugated paperboard or cardboard. Although these
shipping packages can be used to ship many different types of goods
and are reasonably inexpensive, they generally are generic in the
sense that they do not provide a custom fit for the products being
shipped. This can lead to additional packaging being required to
prevent damage to the products being shipped, significant volume
being taken up in shipping trucks and warehouses due to the
ill-fitting packaging, and difficulty for the consumer to open
and/or discard of the shipping packaging. To address the
ill-fitting, generic packaging, sellers often stuff the outer
shipping packages with some type of material intended to fill the
open area not filled by the goods themselves. Alternatively,
sellers may employ additional processes to manipulate the products,
and/or add protective layers to the product or primary packaging to
ensure the product can be safe when placed into generic containers.
However, both of these scenarios add more steps to process, weight,
waste, and cost to the packaging and packing process, and often
makes the consumer's experience when opening the package less than
desirable (e.g. "packing peanuts" falling out of the package,
needing a tool to open the package, etc.). Further, many of the
current shipping packages are not weather or environment-resistant
and can be damaged by or allow damage to the products being shipped
by precipitation, wet surfaces and/or humidity. Accordingly, often
such packages are wrapped in additional materials or must be placed
in protected locations if they are to be left outside or unattended
for any period of time.
[0005] In addition, packages made of flexible materials such as
films and webs often cause problems during shipping and/or handling
because they are difficult to transport on conveyor equipment
and/or are difficult to stack. Such deficiencies can lead to
product and equipment breakage as well as increased costs and time
needed for shipping and handling. Further, such flexible packages
are typically not shaped in a way to advantageously protect the
products therein and/or to provide improved shipping and
handling.
[0006] Thus, it would be desirable to provide a shipping package
that is low cost, yet customizable in terms of fit to the products
being shipped. It also would be desirable to provide a shipping
package that requires no additional fill to protect the goods. It
also would be desirable to provide a shipping package that is easy
to pack. It also would be desirable to provide a shipping package
that is easy to open. It also would be desirable to provide a
shipping package that is lightweight yet provides protection to the
goods being shipped. It also would be desirable to provide a
shipping package that is easy to close. It also would be desirable
to provide a shipping package that is easy to discard. It also
would be desirable to provide a shipping package that takes up very
little volume before and after use and is efficient in terms of
volume when configured for shipping. It would also be desirable to
provide a flexible package that can be easily conveyed on conveyor
equipment. It would also be desirable to provide a flexible package
that can be easily stacked. It would also be desirable to provide a
package made of flexible materials such as films, webs, sheets and
the like that can be advantageously shaped to protect the contents
of the package, provide for easy handling and transportation,
provide for easy filling and/or to provide for stacking with
similar or different packages. It would also be desirable to
provide a shipping package made of flexible materials that is
shaped by expanding certain chambers therein. It would also be
desirable to provide a shipping package made from flexible
materials that is shaped by expansion of certain chambers therein
and includes gussets to help provide the desired shape and to help
enable products of different sizes to better fit within the package
while maintaining its desired shape. It would also be desirable to
provide a shipping package made from two or more layers of flexible
materials that is shaped by expansion of certain chambers therein
and includes one or more expansion control tacks between layers to
help provide the desired shape. It would also be desirable to
provide a shipping package that is made of flexible materials that
includes one or more expansion chambers that can be expanded to
shape the package in the shape of a parallelepiped. It would also
be desirable to provide a shaped shipping package made from
flexible materials that is configured to be stacked on other
similar packages.
SUMMARY
[0007] The present invention relates to a shipping package for
shipping one or more articles, including: an expandable shipping
package for shipping one or more articles, the package having a top
panel, a bottom panel opposed to the top panel, a first end panel
extending between the top panel and the bottom panel, a second end
panel opposed to the first end panel and extending between the top
panel and the bottom panel, a first side panel extending between
the top panel, the bottom panel, the first end panel and the second
end panel, a second side panel opposed to the first side panel and
extending between the top panel, the bottom panel, the first end
panel and the second end panel, a central plane bisecting the first
end panel, the second end panel, the first side panel and the
second side panel, the package comprising: a flexible inner sheet
having an inner sheet first portion, an inner sheet second portion,
an inner sheet first surface, an inner sheet second surface; a
flexible outer sheet having an outer sheet first portion, an outer
sheet second portion, an inner surface and an outer surface, at
least a portion of the outer surface of the outer sheet first
portion being joined to the first surface of the inner sheet first
portion to form one or more first primary expansion chambers
therebetween, and at least a part of the inner surface of the outer
sheet second portion being joined to the first surface of the inner
sheet second portion to form one or more second primary expansion
chambers therebetween, and at least a part of the inner surface of
the outer sheet second portion being joined to the first surface of
the inner sheet second portion to form one or more second primary
expansion chambers therebetween; at least a portion of the second
surface of the inner sheet first portion disposed in face-to-face
relationship with and joined to a portion of the second surface of
the second portion of the inner sheet forming an article reservoir
therebetween, the article reservoir having a periphery where the
inner sheet first portion and the inner sheet second portion are
joined together and a central area within the periphery; a flexible
secondary outer sheet at least partially joined to the outer sheet
outer surface to form a plurality of secondary expansion chambers;
an expansion port in fluid connection with at least one of the
first primary or second primary expansion chambers through which
the expansion material can be introduced into the expansion
chamber; and a closeable opening into which the one or more
articles may be inserted, the opening extending from an exterior of
the package to the article reservoir; wherein the package when
expanded has a generally parallelepiped shape.
[0008] Also disclosed is a method of making the package of the
present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Several figures are provided to help the reader understand
the invention. The figures are intended to be viewed in conjunction
with the specification and are not intended to be limiting beyond
that of the wording of the specification. Reference numbers are
used to identify different features of the figures. The same
reference numbers are used throughout the specification and
drawings to show the same features, regardless of the variation of
the invention that is depicted.
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a flexible shipping
package of the type disclosed herein in an unexpanded state.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 4 is cross-sectional view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 1, as seen through section 2-2, having an article
inside the article reservoir, wherein the package is in an expanded
state.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 1, as seen through section 2-2, in a deflated
state.
[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of a flexible shipping
package of the type disclosed herein in an expanded state.
[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 6.
[0017] FIG. 8 illustrates a bottom view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 6.
[0018] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the flexible shipping package shown
in an expanded configuration.
[0019] FIG. 10 is a side view of the flexible shipping package
shown in an expanded configuration.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the shipping package
having two articles inside the article reservoir.
[0021] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a flexible shipping package
of the present invention having a parallelepiped shape.
[0022] FIG. 13A is a plan view of the top of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 12.
[0023] FIG. 13B is a plan view of the bottom of the flexible
shipping package of FIG. 12.
[0024] FIG. 14 is a side view of the flexible shipping package of
FIG. 12.
[0025] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible package of
FIG. 13A taken through section line 15-15.
[0026] FIG. 16 is a plan view of a preform of a flexible shipping
package of the present invention before it is assembled into the
final package.
[0027] FIG. 17 an isometric view of a package in accordance with
the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of two stacked packages in
accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The present disclosure describes packages, such as primary
packages, secondary packages, shipping packages, display packages
and/or other packages made from one or more flexible materials.
Although the invention is described and illustrated herein as a
shipping package, the disclosure is not intended to limit the scope
of the invention to a particular use and the disclosure should be
considered applicable to all different types of packages having the
disclosed features. Because these packages are made from flexible
material(s), they can be less expensive to make, can use less
material, can provide better protection, and can be easier to
decorate, when compared with conventional rigid packages. These
packages can be less expensive to make because the conversion of
flexible materials (from sheet form to finished goods) generally
requires less energy and complexity than formation of rigid
materials (from bulk form to finished goods). They may use less
material, because they are configured with novel support structures
that do not require the use of the thick solid walls used in
conventional rigid packages. They also can be easier to decorate
because their flexible materials can be easily printed before or
after they are constructed into three-dimensional shipping
packages. Such flexible packages can be less prone to scuffing,
denting, and rupture, because flexible materials allow their outer
surfaces to deform when contacting surfaces and objects, and then
to return to their original shape. They can provide better
protection by making the packages out of weather and
environment-resistant materials and configuring the materials in
such a way (e.g. expansion of portions thereof) to provide
protection from dropping and other physical forces during shipping
and handling. Importantly, even though the shipping packages of the
present disclosure are made from flexible material(s), they can be
configured with sufficient structural integrity, such that they can
receive and contain one or more articles or products, as intended,
without failure. Also, these packages can be configured with
sufficient structural integrity, such that they can withstand
external forces and environmental conditions from shipping and
handling, without failure.
[0030] Yet another desirable feature of the packages of the present
invention is that they can be easily shaped and configured for
machine handling and use with autonomous vehicles and drones. The
packages provide protection from bumping and dropping and have
expandable chambers that can be used to provide grip regions for
humans and machines.
[0031] As used herein, the term "closed" refers to a state of a
package, wherein any products within the package are prevented from
escaping the package (e.g. by one or more materials that form a
barrier), but the package is not necessarily hermetically sealed.
For example, a closed package can include a vent, which allows a
head space in the package to be in fluid communication with air in
the environment outside of the package.
[0032] As used herein, when referring to a flexible package, the
terms "disposable" and "single use" refer to packages which, after
being used for its intended purpose (e.g. shipping a product to an
end user), are not configured to be reused for the same purpose,
but is configured to be disposed of (i.e. as waste, compost, and/or
recyclable material). Part, parts, or all of any of the flexible
packages, disclosed herein, can be configured to be disposable
and/or recyclable.
[0033] As used herein, when referring to a flexible package, the
term "durable" refers to a package that is intended to be used more
than one time. Part, parts, or all of any of the flexible packages,
disclosed herein, can be configured to be durable and/or
recyclable.
[0034] As used herein, when referring to a flexible package, the
term "expanded" or "inflated" refers to the state of one or more
flexible materials that are configured to change shape when an
expansion material is disposed therebetween. An expanded structure
has one or more dimensions (e.g. length, width, height, thickness)
that is significantly greater than the combined thickness of its
one or more flexible materials, before the structure has one or
more expansion materials disposed therein. Examples of expansion
materials include liquids (e.g. water), gases (e.g. compressed
air), fluent products, foams (that can expand after being added
into a structural support volume), co-reactive materials (that
produce gas or foam), or phase change materials (that can be added
in solid or liquid form, but which turn into a gas; for example,
liquid nitrogen or dry ice), or other suitable materials known in
the art, or combinations of any of these (e.g. fluent product and
liquid nitrogen). Expansion materials can be added at atmospheric
pressure, or added under pressure greater than atmospheric
pressure, or added to provide a material change that will increase
pressure to something above atmospheric pressure. For any of the
flexible packages disclosed herein, its one or more flexible
materials can be expanded at various points in time with respect to
its manufacture, sale, and use. For example, one or more portions
of the package may be expanded before or after the product to be
shipped in the package is inserted into the package, and/or before
or after the flexible package is purchased by an end user.
[0035] As used herein, the term "flexible shipping package" refers
to a flexible package configured to have an article reservoir for
containing one or more articles for shipment. Examples of flexible
packages are film, woven web, non-woven web, paper or foil-based
packages made from one or more flexible materials.
[0036] As used herein, when referring to a flexible package, the
term "flexible material" refers to a thin, easily deformable,
sheet-like material, having a flexibility factor within the range
of 1,000-2,500,000 N/m. Flexible materials can be configured to
have a flexibility factor of 1,000-2,500,000 N/m, or any integer
value for flexibility factor from 1,000-2,500,000 N/m, or within
any range formed by any of these values, such as 1,000-1,500,000
N/m, 1,500-1,000,000 N/m, 2,500-800,000 N/m, 5,000-700,000 N/m,
10,000-600,000 N/m, 15,000-500,000 N/m, 20,000-400,000 N/m,
25,000-300,000 N/m, 30,000-200,000 N/m, 35,000-100,000 N/m,
40,000-90,000 N/m, or 45,000-85,000 N/m, etc. Throughout the
present disclosure the terms "flexible material", "flexible sheet",
"sheet", and "sheet-like material" are used interchangeably and are
intended to have the same meaning. Examples of materials that can
be flexible materials include one or more of any of the following:
films (such as plastic films), elastomers, foamed sheets, foils,
fabrics (including wovens and nonwovens), biosourced materials, and
papers, in any configuration, as separate material(s), or as
layer(s) of a laminate, or as part(s) of a composite material, in a
microlayered or nanolayered structure, and in any combination, as
described herein or as known in the art. Part, parts, or all of a
flexible material can be coated or uncoated, treated or untreated,
processed or unprocessed, in any manner known in the art. Parts,
parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or
nearly all, or all of a flexible material can made of sustainable,
bio-sourced, recycled, recyclable, and/or biodegradable material.
Part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially
all, or nearly all, or all of any of the flexible materials
described herein can be partially or completely translucent,
partially or completely transparent, or partially or completely
opaque. The flexible materials used to make the packages disclosed
herein can be formed in any manner known in the art, and can be
joined together using any kind of joining or sealing method known
in the art, including, for example, heat sealing (e.g. conductive
sealing, impulse sealing, ultrasonic sealing, etc.), welding,
crimping, bonding, adhering, and the like, and combinations of any
of these.
[0037] As used herein, the term "joined" refers to a configuration
wherein elements are either directly connected or indirectly
connected.
[0038] As used herein, when referring to a sheet or sheets of
flexible material, the term "thickness" refers to a linear
dimension measured perpendicular to the outer major surfaces of the
sheet, when the sheet is lying flat. The thickness of a package is
measured perpendicular to a surface on which the package is placed
such that the sheet would be lying flat if the package were not in
an expanded state. To compare the thickness of a package in an
unexpanded state, an expanded state and a deflated state, the
thickness of each should be measured in the same orientation on the
same surface. For any of the configurations, the thickness is
considered to be the greatest thickness measurement made across the
surface or face of the article in that particular orientation.
[0039] As used herein, the term "article reservoir" refers to an
enclosable three-dimensional space that is configured to receive
and contain one or more articles or products. This
three-dimensional space may enclose a volume, the "article
reservoir volume". The articles or products may be directly
contained by the materials that form the article reservoir. By
directly containing the one or more products, the products come
into contact with the materials that form the enclosable
three-dimensional space, there is no need for an intermediate
material or package. Throughout the present disclosure the terms
"reservoir" and "article reservoir" are used interchangeably and
are intended to have the same meaning. The shipping packages
described herein can be configured to have any number of
reservoirs. Further, one or more of the reservoirs may be enclosed
within another reservoir. Any of the reservoirs disclosed herein
can have a reservoir volume of any size. The reservoir(s) can have
any shape in any orientation.
[0040] As used herein, when referring to a flexible package, the
term "expansion chamber" refers to a fillable space made from one
or more flexible materials, wherein the space is configured to be
at least partially filled with one or more expansion materials,
which create tension in the one or more flexible materials, and
form an expanded volume.
[0041] As used herein, when referring to a flexible package, the
term "unexpanded" refers to the state of an expansion chamber, when
the chamber does not include an expansion material.
[0042] Flexible shipping packages, as described herein, may be used
across a variety of industries for a variety of products. For
example, flexible packages, as described herein, may be used for
shipping across the consumer products industry, including but not
limited to the following products: cleaning products,
disinfectants, dishwashing compositions, laundry detergents, fabric
conditioners, fabric dyes, surface protectants, cosmetics, skin
care products, hair treatment products, soaps, body scrubs,
exfoliants, astringents, scrubbing lotions, depilatories,
antiperspirant compositions, deodorants, shaving products,
pre-shaving products, after shaving products, toothpaste,
mouthwash, personal care products, baby care products, feminine
care products, insect repellants, foods, beverages, electronics,
medical devices and goods, pharmaceuticals, supplements, toys,
office supplies, household goods, automotive goods, aviation goods,
farming goods, clothing, shoes, jewelry, industrial products, and
any other items that may be desirable to ship through the mail or
other parcel services, etc.
[0043] The flexible packages disclosed herein can be configured to
have an overall shape. In the unexpanded state, the overall shape
may correspond to any known two-dimensional shape including
polygons (shapes generally comprised of straight-portions connected
by angles), curved-shapes (including circles, ovals, and irregular
curved-shapes) and combinations thereof. In the expanded state, the
overall shape may correspond with any other known three-dimensional
shape, including any kind of polyhedron, any kind of prismatoid,
any kind of prism (including right prisms and uniform prisms), and
any kind of parallelepiped.
[0044] FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of the top panel 2 of a
flexible shipping package 10 of the type disclosed herein in an
unexpanded state. As used herein, the term "panel" refers to a
portion of the package 10 and may be a separate piece of material
joined to other materials to form the package 10 or may be a part
of one or more pieces of material that make up other parts of the
package 10. As shown, the package 10 includes an inner sheet 12 and
an outer sheet 14. The inner sheet 12 is at least partially joined
to the outer sheet 14 along primary expansion chamber seams 20. The
package 10, as shown, has a length L, a width W, sides 9 and 11 and
opposing ends 6 and 8.
[0045] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 1. As can be seen, the package 10 may be relatively
thin, flat and planar in its non-expanded state. That is, the
unexpanded thickness T1 of the package 10 is relatively small when
compared to the length L and width W of the package 10 in its
unexpanded state or configuration, as well as the thickness T2 of
the package 10 in an expanded configuration (e.g. FIG. 4). As shown
in FIG. 2, the package 10 of FIG. 1 may be constructed from two
separate, two-sheet pieces joined together to form a top panel 2
and a bottom panel 4 of the package 10. The top panel 2 is joined
to the bottom panel 4 along at least a portion of sides 9 and 11 of
the package 10 at one or more exterior seams 22. The terms "top"
and "bottom" are not intended to be limiting, but rather merely to
help more clearly distinguish parts of the package from each other.
As such, unless specifically set forth, the terms should not be
considered to limit the orientation of the package in any way. The
exterior seams 22 can take on any desired shape and size and can be
formed by any suitable method or material. For example, the
exterior seams 22 may be formed by glue, heat (e.g. ultrasound,
conductive sealing, impulse sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or
welding), mechanical crimping, sewing, or by any other known or
developed technology for joining sheets of material.
[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of the bottom panel 4 of the
shipping package 10 of FIG. 1. As shown, the bottom panel 4 has an
inner sheet 12 and an outer sheet 14. Similar to that shown in FIG.
1, the inner sheet 12 is at least partly connected to the outer
sheet 14 to form one or more primary expansion chambers 24
described in more detail, below. If more than one primary expansion
chamber 24 is provided, the primary expansion chambers 24 may be
independent from each other or in fluid communication with each
other, depending on the desired characteristics of the package.
When in fluid communication, the primary expansion chambers 24 can
be expanded (e.g. inflated) or deflated as a single unit, whereas
if they are independent from each other, they would typically be
expanded or deflated separately.
[0047] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible shipping
package 10 shown in FIG. 1 taken through section 1-1. The package
10 is shown in an expanded state and has article 100 therein. As
can be seen, the inner sheet 12 is joined to the outer sheet 14 in
at least the area of the exterior seam 22 to form a primary
expansion chamber 24. The primary expansion chamber 24 is in an
expanded configuration where an expansion material 25 has been
provided into the primary expansion chamber 24. The expansion
material 25 increases the spacing between the sheets forming the
volume of the primary expansion chamber(s) 24 such that the
expanded primary expansion chamber(s) 24 each have a volume that is
greater than the primary expansion chamber(s) 24 volume when not
filled with the expansion material 25. The primary expansion
chamber(s) 24 may provide structural rigidity, mechanical
protection and/or shape to the shipping package 10 when in an
expanded configuration. They may also help to restrain any articles
100 placed into the package 10.
[0048] The package 10 in its expanded configuration has an expanded
thickness T2. The expanded thickness T2 is significantly larger
than the unexpanded thickness T1. The ability for the package to
change size between its unexpanded state and expanded state is one
of the reasons why the package of the present invention is unique
and advantageous. The package 10 can be manufactured, shipped and
stored in an unexpanded state and then expanded only when needed.
This allows for significant efficiencies in terms of handling and
storing the packages 10 before use. The same is true of the package
10 at the end of the shipping lifecycle. Whether it is intended to
be reused or discarded, the package 10 can be deflated from its
expanded state to a deflated state. As used herein, the term
"deflated" means any pressure from a fluid that is causing an
expansion chamber to expand has been released. A "deflated state"
is when the package 10 has been expanded by introduction of an
expansion material into one or more expansion chambers, but then
the expansion chambers have been opened or otherwise made to be in
fluid communication with the surrounding atmosphere and the
expansion chambers are all in a state of equilibrium with respect
to pressure of the surrounding atmosphere. Any measurements made of
a package 10 in a deflated state should be made without any
articles 100 in the article reservoir 28 unless otherwise set forth
herein.
[0049] FIG. 5 shows the package of FIGS. 1-4 in its deflated state
after the article(s) 100 have been removed. The package 10 has a
deflated thickness T3 that can be significantly smaller than the
expanded thickness T2. As such, the volume of waste to dispose of
related to the package 10 is minimized and/or the package 10 can be
stored for later use or shipped to another location re-use or
refurbishment. Although the specific difference between the
thicknesses of the package 10 prior to use, during use, and after
use will vary depending on the particular package and materials
used, the package 10 of the present invention can provide an
unexpanded thickness T1 that is less than 1/15.sup.th of the
expanded thickness T2, less than 1/20.sup.th of the expanded
thickness T2, less than 1/25.sup.th of the expanded thickness T2,
less than 1/50.sup.th of the expanded thickness T2 or even less.
Similarly, the package 10 of the present invention can provide a
deflated thickness T3 that is less than 1/10.sup.th of the expanded
thickness T2, less than 1/15.sup.th of the expanded thickness T2,
less than 1/20.sup.th of the expanded thickness T2, less than
1/25.sup.th of the expanded thickness T2 or even less. Further, the
package 10 of the present invention can be configured such that the
unexpanded thickness T1 and the deflated thickness T3 are both less
than 1/15.sup.th of the expanded thickness T2, less than
1/20.sup.th of the expanded thickness T2, less than 1/25.sup.th of
the expanded thickness T2, or even less.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, an article 100 is located in the space
between inner sheets 12. The space between the inner sheets 12 is
referred to herein as the article reservoir 28. The article
reservoir 28 can be formed between two portions of a single inner
sheet 12 or can be formed between two or more different inner
sheets 12, depending on the particular configuration of the package
10. The article reservoir 28 is intended to surround at least a
portion of one or more articles 100 placed therein. Different
shaped packages 10 can be used for different shaped articles 100,
different sized articles 100, and/or different numbers of articles
100. However, one of the advantages of the package 10 of the
present invention is that a single size and shape of the package
can be designed and constructed to fit many different sized
articles 100. This is due do the flexible nature of the materials
making up the package 10 as well as the fact that portions of the
package 10 can be expanded or contracted to snugly fit, for
example, inner sheet 12, around the article(s) 100 and even provide
for partial or complete immobilization of the article(s) in the
package 100. Alternatively, or in addition, a vacuum or partial
vacuum can be applied to the article reservoir 28 such the internal
pressure in the article reservoir is less than the ambient pressure
of the surrounding atmosphere. The vacuum can help bring the inner
sheets 12 in contact with the articles 100 and to hold them snugly
in place. Removing some or all of the air in the article reservoir
28 can also help to shape the package 10. That is, a vacuum can be
used to pull one or more portions of the package 10, such as all or
predetermined portions of the ends 6 and 8, sides 9 and 11, top
panel 2, and/or bottom panel 4 toward the article reservoir 28.
This can be a non-permanent way of providing a predetermined shape
for the article without the need for actually joining or tacking
portions of the package 10 as set forth herein. Also, a vacuum can
be used in combination with tacks or other shaping features to
provide the desired shape of the package in its expanded form.
Further still, removing the air and/or filling the reservoir 28
with a fluid other than air, such as, for example, nitrogen, can
provide additional benefits depending on the particular articles
100 being shipped. For example, filling the reservoir 28 with
nitrogen can help reduce the negative effects that water vapor and
oxygen can have on some items. Of course, other fluids can also be
used depending on the items being shipped and the desires of the
shipper.
[0051] Although the package 10 shown and described with respect to
FIG. 1 has two sheets, inner sheet 12 and outer sheet 14, joined
together to form the top panel 2 of the package 10, any number of
sheets can be used depending on the desired end structure of the
package 10. Different numbers of sheets could be used to provide
additional strength, decoration, protection and/or other
characteristics.
[0052] FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of the top panel 2 of a
flexible shipping package 10 of the type disclosed herein in an
unexpanded state. As shown, the package 10 includes an inner sheet
12, an outer sheet 14 and a secondary outer sheet 16. The inner
sheet 12 is at least partly connected to the outer sheet 14 to form
a primary expansion chamber 24. The outer sheet 14 is also at least
partially joined to the secondary outer sheet 16 along secondary
expansion chamber seams 27 to form at least one secondary expansion
chamber 26. The package 10, as shown, has a length L, a width W,
sides 9 and 11 and opposing ends 6 and 8.
[0053] FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the flexible shipping
package of FIG. 5. As can be seen, the package 10 is relatively,
thin, flat and planar in its non-expanded state. That is, the
thickness T1 of the package 10 is relatively small when compared to
the length L and width W of the package 10 in its unexpanded state.
As shown in FIG. 7, the package 10 of FIG. 6 is constructed from a
single three-layer material that is folded upon itself to form the
top panel 2, a bottom panel 4, a first end portion 6 and a second
end portion 8. The top panel 2 is joined to the bottom panel 4
along at least a portion of sides 9 and 11 of the package. As with
the description of FIGS. 1-4 the terms "top" and "bottom" are not
intended to be limiting, but rather merely to help more clearly
distinguish parts of the package from each other. As such, unless
specifically set forth, the terms should not be considered to limit
the orientation of the package in any way. The top panel 2 may be
joined to the bottom panel 4 by one or more exterior seams 22. The
exterior seams 22 can take on any desired shape and size and can be
formed by any suitable method or material, as set forth above.
[0054] FIG. 8 illustrates a plan view of the bottom panel 4 of the
shipping package 10 of FIG. 6. As shown, the bottom panel 4 the
inner sheet 12, the outer sheet 14 and the secondary outer sheet
16. Similar to that shown in FIG. 6, the inner sheet 12 is at least
partly connected to the outer sheet 14 to form a primary expansion
chamber 24 shown in FIG. 7. The outer sheet 14 is also at least
partially joined to the secondary outer sheet 16 along secondary
expansion chamber seams 27 to form at least one secondary expansion
chamber 26.
[0055] FIG. 9 illustrates a plan view of a flexible shipping
package 10 of the type described herein and shown in FIGS. 5-7 in
an expanded configuration. The package 10 of FIG. 9 includes a
handle 5. The handle 5 can provide an additional convenience for
the user of the package 10. The handle 5 can act as part of the
package 10 for the user to hold, or can act as a hanger or other
handling feature to help the user pick up, carry, move, orient,
hang, position or otherwise handle the package 10. The package 10
can have any number of handles 5 and the one or more handles can be
integral with any one or more of the sheets forming the package 10.
Alternatively, or in addition, the handle 5 may include one or more
materials added to the package 10 and may be operatively associated
with one or more features of the package 10 such as the article
retrieval feature 55, the article reservoir 28, a deflation feature
or any other feature of the package 10.
[0056] FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of the flexible shipping
package 10 of FIG. 9. As shown, the package 10 includes exterior
seams 22 disposed adjacent the sides 9 and 11 of the package 10.
The package 10 shown in FIGS. 6-10 is designed and configured to
form a generally rectangular parallelepiped when in its expanded
state. However, any desired shape can be formed by changing the
shape, direction, width and other dimensions of the exterior seams
22, the shape of the sheets that form the package 10 and other
seams and structural features.
[0057] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a flexible
shipping package 10 in accordance with the type disclosed herein,
the package 10 being in an expanded state and having articles 100
therein. Article reservoir 28 is formed by the space between the
two facing inner sheets 12. The inner sheets 12 have a first
surface 13 and a second surface 15 opposed to the first surface. As
can be seen, the inner sheet 12 is joined to the outer sheet 14 in
at least the area of the exterior seam 22 to form the primary
expansion chamber 24. The expansion chamber 24 is in an expanded
configuration where an expansion material 25 has been provided into
the expansion chamber 24. The expansion material 25 increases the
spacing between the sheets forming the volume of the expansion
chamber(s) 24 such that the expanded expansion chamber(s) 24 each
have a volume that is greater than the expansion chamber(s) 24
volume when not filled with the expansion material 25. At least a
portion of the second surface 15 of the inner sheet may be in
contact with the article(s) 100 when the primary expansion chamber
24 is in an expanded state.
[0058] Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the secondary outer sheet 16
may be joined to the outer sheet 14 along at least the secondary
expansion chamber seams 27 to form secondary expansion chambers 26.
The secondary expansion chambers 26 may be expanded by providing a
secondary expansion material 29 into the secondary expansion
chamber 26. The secondary expansion material 29 may be the same or
a different material than the primary expansion material 25 used to
expand the expansion chamber(s) 24. The secondary outer sheet 16 is
also shown as being joined to the outer sheet 14 along the outer
seams 22.
[0059] Like the primary expansion chamber(s) 24, the secondary
expansion chamber(s) 26 may be used to provide structural rigidity,
mechanical protection and/or shape to the shipping package 10 when
in an expanded configuration. If more than one secondary expansion
chamber 26 is provided, the secondary expansion chambers 26 may be
independent from each other or in fluid communication with each
other. Also, the secondary expansion chamber(s) 26 may be in fluid
communication with the primary expansion chamber(s) 24 or they may
be separate from each other. They may be in fluid communication at
one point during the manufacture and filling of the package 10 and
then made separate or discontinuous from each other at some later
point in time. This could be done by sealing portions of the
chambers and/or by the use or one or more valves to control the
flow of fluid between the chambers.
[0060] For packages having a single primary expansion chamber 24
and a single secondary expansion chamber 26, it may be desirable
for the pressure in the chambers to be equal or different from each
other. Further, where the package 10 includes more than one primary
expansion chamber and/or more than one secondary expansion chamber
26, it may be desirable that some or all of the expansion chambers
have the same internal pressure or that any one of the one or more
primary expansion chambers 24 be expanded to a different pressure
than any one or more of the remaining primary expansion chambers
and/or one or more of the secondary expansion chambers 26.
Adjusting the pressure in different expansion chambers can provide
the benefit of strengthening portions of the package (e.g. the
expansion chambers that create a frame for the package), but allow
for more flexible expansion chambers to be disposed, for example,
in contact with the articles 100 in the article reservoir 28.
Examples include but are not limited to configurations where the
primary expansion chambers 24 have a higher internal pressure than
the secondary expansion chambers 26, or vice-versa. Some specific,
but non-limiting examples include where at least one of the primary
expansion chamber(s) 24 have an internal pressure of from about
ambient pressure to about 25 psig, from about 1 psig to about 20
psig, about 2 psig to about 15 psig, about 3 psig to about 8 psig,
or about 3 psig to about 5 psig., and at least one of the secondary
expansion chamber(s) 26 have an internal pressure of from about
ambient pressure to about 25 psig, from about 1 psig to about 20
psig, about 2 psig to about 15 psig, about 3 psig to about 10 psig,
about 4 psig to about 10 psig or about 5 psig to about 10 psig, or
about 7 psig to about 9 psig. In one example, one or more of the
primary expansion chamber(s) 24 have an internal pressure of
between about 2 psig to about 8 psig or about 3 psig to about 5
psig and one or more of the secondary expansion chamber(s) 26 have
an internal pressure of between about 5 psig and about 10 psig or
about 7 psig to about 9 psig.
[0061] The inner sheet 12, the outer sheet 14 and/or the secondary
outer sheet 16 can be joined to each other in any number of places
creating any number, shape and size of expansion chambers. The
primary and/or secondary expansion chamber seams 20 and 27 can be
of any length, width and shape. The primary and/or secondary
expansion chamber seams 20 and 27 can be formed by any suitable
method or material. For example, the seams 20, 27 may be formed by
glue, heat (e.g. ultrasound, conductive sealing, impulse sealing,
ultrasonic sealing, or welding), mechanical crimping, sewing, or by
any other known or developed technology for joining sheets of
material. The seams 20, 27 can be continuous or intermittent, can
be straight or curved, and can be permanent or temporary. The shape
of the seams 20, 27 can be used to form the shape of the expansion
chambers 24 or 26 alone or in addition to other structural
elements. For example, the secondary expansion chambers 26 can be
shaped by the secondary expansion chamber seams 27 in combination
with additional materials disposed within the secondary chambers 26
or joined thereto. Further, chambers 24, 26 can be shaped by the
use of chemical or mechanical modifications to the materials
forming the sheets. For example, a portion of the inner sheet 12,
outer sheet 14 and/or secondary outer sheet 16 may be heated,
ring-rolled, chemically treated or modified to make it more or less
flexible, extensible, non-extensible, stronger, weaker, shorter, or
longer than prior to treatment.
[0062] The expansion chamber(s) 24, 26 can have various shapes and
sizes. Part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or all of the expansion
chamber(s) 24, 26 can be straight, curved, angled, segmented, or
other shapes, or combinations of any of these shapes. Part, parts,
or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of an expansion chamber 24, 26 can have any suitable
cross-sectional shape, such as circular, oval, square, triangular,
star-shaped, or modified versions of these shapes, or other shapes,
or combinations of any of these shapes. An expansion chamber 24, 26
can have an overall shape that is tubular, or convex, or concave,
along part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or all of a length. An expansion
chamber 24, 26 can have any suitable cross-sectional area, any
suitable overall width, and any suitable overall length. An
expansion chamber 24, 26 can be substantially uniform along part,
parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or
nearly all, or all of its length, or can vary, in any way described
herein, along part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or all of its length. For
example, a cross-sectional area of an expansion chamber 24, 26 can
increase or decrease along part, parts, or all of its length.
[0063] The flexible package 10 may include one or more expansion
ports 50. An expansion port 50 may be provided to allow a user to
direct an expansion material into one or more of the expansion
chambers 24, 26. The expansion port 50 may be an opening between
layers of the materials forming the package 10 or may be opening in
any one or more layers that provides fluid communication to one or
more of the expansion chambers 24, 26. In one example, a portion of
the inner sheet 12 and the outer sheet 14 remain unjoined along a
portion of the primary expansion chamber seam 20 to allow the user
to introduce an expansion material into the expansion chamber 24.
Additionally, or alternatively, materials or structures can be
placed in desired locations between the sheets to provide the
expansion port 50. For example, a valve may be located between two
of the sheets before or after they are joined to provide the
expansion port 50 through which an expansion material may be
introduced into one or more of the expansion chambers 24, 26.
[0064] Any one or more expansion ports 50 may be in fluid
communication with any one or more expansion chamber 24, 26 and
multiple expansion ports 50 may be in fluid communication with any
one or more expansion chambers 24, 26. For example, it may be
desirable for a single expansion port 50 to allow for introduction
of an expansion material into all of the expansion chambers 24, 26
in the package 10. It may also be desirable for a single expansion
port 50 to allow for introduction of an expansion material into
only some of the expansion chambers 24, 26 in the package 10, such
as for example those on one side of the package 10 or those formed
between only the same sheets (e.g. inner sheet 12 and outer sheet
14). Further still, several expansion chambers 24, 26 may have
different expansion ports 50 to allow for individual expansion of
the chambers 24, 26. Individual expansion can be beneficial when
different expansion pressures are desired for different expansion
chambers 24, 26 and/or if the expansion chambers 24, 26 will be
expanded at different times or with different equipment.
[0065] Typically, after the user introduces the expansion material
through the expansion port 50, the expansion port is temporarily or
permanently closed to prevent the escape of the expansion
material(s) from the expanded chamber(s) 24, 26. A pressure source
may remain in fluid communication with the expanded chamber 24, 26
throughout an operation that closes the expansion port 50 to help
maintain the desired pressure in the expansion chamber 24, 26. Any
means can be used to close the expansion port, including those
described herein with respect to making chamber seams 20 and 27 as
well as any other method suitable for closing the particular
expansion port 50 that is used. The expansion port 50 may be
hermetically sealed closed or not, depending on the desired end use
of the package 10. Further, the expansion port 50 may include a
closure other than a seal, such as, for example, a valve, a cap, a
material to hold the expansion port 50 closed, such as an adhesive,
or any other closure or closure means. The closure may be single
use (e.g. once closed, can't be opened without damaging the package
10, expansion port 50 or closure, or may be reusable, such as a
threaded cap or friction-fit plug or other closure that can be
reused one or more times.
[0066] In any configuration, it may be desirable to include one or
more vents 21 (e.g. shown inn FIG. 8) in fluid communication with
the article reservoir 28 to allow the vacuum to be applied and/or
to allow fluid to escape the article reservoir 28 during or after
the expansion of the primary expansion chamber(s) 24. The vent 21
can be sealed after the package is fully constructed or it can
remain partially or fully open to allow for fluid flow into and/or
out of the article reservoir 28. The vent 21 can be configured to
be self-sealing or can be sealed by some separate step and/or tool.
The vent 21 can, for example, include a valve and can be one-way or
two-way. That is, it can allow fluid to flow in both directions (in
and out) or just one direction. One or more vents 21 can also be
provided to allow fluid flow to or from other portions of the
package 21, as desired.
[0067] The package 10 of the present invention includes one or more
closeable openings 30 through which one or more articles 100 may be
placed into the article reservoir 28. The closeable opening 30 is
preferably an unjoined portion of the sheets making up the article
reservoir 28. For example, the inner sheets 12 at one end 6, 8 of
the package 10 may be left unjoined across all or a portion of the
width W of the package 10 to form the closeable opening 30. The
closeable opening 30 may be located anywhere on the package 10 and
may be configured to best meet the needs of the user. For example,
if a larger opening is needed, the closeable opening 30 may be
disposed along a side edge 11. Also, the closeable opening 30 may
be provided through one or more of the sheets making up the package
10. Thus, for example, the inner sheet 12, the outer sheet 14,
and/or the secondary outer sheet 16 may include an opening
therethrough to form the closeable opening 30. At a minimum, the
closeable opening 30 should provide access to the article reservoir
28 prior to being closed. This allows the user to place the one or
more articles 100 in the article reservoir 28 before shipping. In
an alternative execution, the article(s) 100 may be placed in the
reservoir 28 prior to any of the sheets being joined together or
after some, but not all of the sheets are joined together.
[0068] The closeable opening 30 may be any size desired by the user
and can include any type of closure mechanism 31 or material, if a
closure mechanism/material is used. For example, the closeable
opening 30 may include an adhesive, mechanical closure, magnets,
clips, folding closure device or any other closure mechanism
desired by the user. As shown in FIG. 1, the closure mechanism 31
can be joined to package 10 at the closeable opening 30 or any
other part of the package 10 or may be separate therefrom. The
closure mechanism 31 may be a single-use mechanism or may be
reusable. Examples of closure mechanisms include, but are not
limited to hook and loop fasteners, zippers, buttons, tapes,
adhesives, magnetic strips, sewing, string, bands,
interference-type fasteners and any other types of closure
mechanisms suitable for the particular use of the shipping package
10.
[0069] Where a distinct closure mechanism 31 is not used, the
closeable opening 30 may be closed by sealing the materials located
in the region of the closeable opening 30. Such sealing can be done
using heat, chemicals, friction, static, sound, or other sources to
close the closeable opening 30. It is also possible to provide
additional materials in the location of the closeable opening 30 to
help provide the desire closure. For example, additional materials
with different melting temperatures or strength profiles may be
provided. Also, materials like particles, metals, magnets and
others may be provided in the area of the closeable opening to
allow for sealing of the materials with different equipment and
processes. Additionally, or alternatively, the closeable opening 30
may be closed by expanding one or more of the expansion chambers 25
or 26.
[0070] The closeable opening 30 may be configured to be reusable
(i.e. can be open and closed more than one time) or may be a
single-use-type opening. Other features may also be included to
help make the package more user-friendly. For example, the
closeable opening 30 may be a different color from the rest of the
package 10 or may include texture, indicia or other features to
make it more readily apparent to the user. Also, the closeable
opening 30 may have a sheet, coating or other material therein to
help the user open the closeable opening 30 when it is time to
insert the article(s) 100.
[0071] The closeable opening 30 may be configured such that it can
be closed at the same time and/or with the same equipment as one or
more of the expansion ports 50. For example, the package 10 can be
configured such that the closeable opening can be heat seal closed
at the same time one or more of the expansion ports 50 is heat seal
closed. Alternatively, the closeable opening 50 can be configured
to be closed at a different time than the expansion port(s) 50
and/or by different means. Thus, the article(s) 100 can be placed
in the package 100 and the closeable opening 30 be closed at a time
different than the expansion of the expansion chambers 24, 26. This
may allow for better overall results, for example, if the article
100 must be protected from dust, but the package 10 can't be
finally expanded for shipment until a time and/or location
different from when and where the article 100 is placed in the
package 10. In such situations, the closeable opening 30 can be
closed after the article 100 is placed in the article reservoir 28
and need not wait to be closed until the expansion chambers 24, 26
are expanded for shipment.
[0072] The package 10 may include one or more article retrieval
features 55, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. The article retrieval
feature 55 is used to open the package 10 so that the end user can
retrieve the article(s) 100 from the article reservoir 28. The
package 10 may include any desired number of article retrieval
members 55 and they can be located anywhere on the package 10.
Typically, only a single article retrieval feature 55 is necessary,
but there may be some situations where two or more are desired to
make the package 10 easier to use and/or to allow for retrieval of
articles 100 from different article reservoirs 28 or different
regions of the article reservoir 28. The article retrieval feature
55 may comprise any element, means, structure, or the like that can
be used to open the package and allow the user to gain access to
the article(s) 100 in the article reservoir 28. Examples of article
retrieval features 55 include, tear strips, zippers, lines of
weakness, perforations, sharp tools, and other devices that can be
used to open the package 10.
[0073] It may be desirable that the article retrieval feature 55
forms part of the package 10 so that no additional tools are needed
to access the article(s) in the article reservoir 28.
Alternatively, a tool that can be used to open the package 10 can
be attached to the package 10, disposed in the package 10, made
part of the package or otherwise provided for ease of opening such
packages 10. The tool, if used, can be reusable, disposable or
single-use.
[0074] It may also be desirable that the article retrieval feature
55 be operatively associated with one or more of the expansion
chambers 24, 26. That is, when the package 10 is opened using the
article retrieval feature, one or more of the expansion chambers
24, 26 are also opened, allowing the expansion material to escape.
This configuration may be preferred when the end user intends to
deflate or return the package 10 to its unexpanded state once the
article 10 is retrieved. The article retrieval feature 55 can be
operatively associated with one or more of the expansion chambers
24, 26 to provide for immediate or extended release of the
expansion material. Further, the article retrieval feature can be
configured to release the pressure or deflate one or more of the
expansion chambers 24, 26 at a different time than one or more of
the other expansion chambers 24, 26 and/or at any time during the
package opening or article retrieval process.
[0075] The article retrieval feature 55 may be configured to
permanently destroy the package 10 or any part thereof. For
example, the article retrieval feature may, when deployed, render
the package 10 unfit for re-use. This could be due to tearing of
some part of the package 10 or by otherwise rendering one or more
of the expansion chambers 24, 26 or the article reservoir 28
unusable. Alternatively, the article retrieval feature 55 can be
configured to be reusable and allow for the package to be reused as
a shipping package 10. For example, the article retrieval feature
55 may be configured such that it provides access to the article
reservoir 28 when deployed, but does not deflate or otherwise
interfere with any of the expansion chambers. In such
configurations, it is possible to open the package 10 to retrieve
any articles 100 therein, but to not otherwise deflate, damage or
destroy the package 10. Thus, it can allow for reuse of the package
10. This is especially beneficial for product returns and for
packages 10 that are intended to be used to display, store, or
provide some other functional property to the articles 100
therein.
[0076] The package may also include a chamber deflation feature
that is integral with or separate from the article retrieval
feature 55. As used herein, a "chamber deflation feature" is used
to describe any feature that is used to deflate an expansion
chamber, and can include a chamber deflation feature or a combined
article retrieval and chamber deflation feature. Examples of
chamber deflation features include, but are not limited to tear
strips; tools to puncture one or more layers of the package 10;
openable closures such as, for example, screw on caps, snap on
caps, adhesive closures, mechanical closures; and other closure
means and mechanisms. Another example includes providing a sticker
or other cover material over a hole in one or more of the expansion
chambers 24, 26 that can be removed to release the expansion
material 25.
[0077] The package 10 may include a dispenser which can be
configured to dispense one or more products from one or more of the
reservoir 28 disposed within the package 10. The dispenser may be
disposed anywhere on the package 10, as desired and can take on any
form such as an opening, a nozzle, a spout, a sprayer, a unit dose
dispenser, a trigger dispenser or any other desired dispenser.
[0078] As noted above, it may be desirable and/or advantageous for
the package 10 to take on a particular three-dimensional shape
and/or have one or more surfaces with certain geometric
characteristics when configured (e.g. expanded) for use, including
shipment. For example, it may be desirable for the overall shape of
the package 10 to be generally parallelepiped or at least two of
the outer surfaces be generally parallel with each other. For
example, it may be desirable for the package 10 to have six sides
with three pairs of sides being generally parallel to each other
and generally perpendicular to the two other pairs of sides. Other
shapes are also contemplated including packages with two sides,
three sides, four sides, five sides or any other desired number of
sides. Packages that are generally parallelepiped in shape tend to
be preferred for shipping and handling as they typically have at
least one outer surface that can act as a bottom or base on which
the package 10 can sit and at least one outer surface that can act
as a top or staking surface onto which other packages or articles
can be stacked. Although not required, each side preferably
includes a generally flat outer surface. As used herein, the terms
"flat" and "generally flat" are not intended to only describe
absolutely flat surfaces, but rather include surfaces and features
that are not entirely curved. That is, a surface or feature may be
flat or generally flat even if it has some cured or uneven regions
so long as it presents a surface topography that has three or more
points that when joined to form a plane will not cut through any
portion of the surface. This ensures that the feature presents a
stable surface for the package 10 regardless of any particular
surface topography that might be present. Providing one or more
generally flat surfaces on the package 10 can help ensure the
package can be handled by conventional conveying systems (e.g.
conveyor belts, rollers, chutes, etc.) and can provide for more
efficient packing in storage facilities and transportation
vehicles.
[0079] FIGS. 12-14 depict an example of a shipping package 10
according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is an isometric view of
the package 10, FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the package 10, FIG.
13B is a bottom plan view of package 10, and FIG. 14 is a side view
of the package 10. The package has a top panel 2, a bottom panel 4,
first side panel 9, second side panel 11 opposed to first side
panel 9, first end panel 6, and second end panel 8 opposed to first
end panel 6. The first end panel 6 and the second end panel 8 each
extend between the top panel 2 and the bottom panel 4 and the first
side panel 9 and the second side panel 11. The first side panel 9
and the second side panel 11 each extend between the top panel 2
and the bottom panel 4 and between the first end panel 6 and the
second end panel 8. Central plane CP bisects the first end panel 6,
the second end panel 8, the first side panel 9 and the second side
panel 11.
[0080] As shown in FIG. 15, which is a cross section of the
exemplary package 10 shown in FIGS. 12-15, the package 10 also
includes an inner sheet 12 having an inner sheet first surface 13,
an inner sheet second surface 15, and inner sheet first portion
123, and an inner sheet second portion 124. The package 10 also
includes an outer sheet 14 having an outer sheet inner surface 141,
an outer sheet outer surface 142, an outer sheet first portion 143,
and an outer sheet second portion 144. At least a portion of the
outer sheet inner surface 141 of the outer sheet first portion 143
is joined to the inner sheet first surface 13 of the inner sheet
first portion 123 to form one or more first primary expansion
chambers 241 therebetween. At least a part of the outer sheet inner
surface 141 of the outer sheet second portion 144 is joined to the
inner sheet first surface 13 of the inner sheet second portion 124
to form one or more second primary expansion chambers 242
therebetween. At least a portion of the inner sheet second surface
15 of the inner sheet first portion 123 is disposed in face-to-face
relationship with and joined to a portion of the inner sheet second
surface 15 of the inner sheet second portion 124 forming an article
reservoir 28 therebetween. The article reservoir 28 has a periphery
281 where the inner sheet first portion 123 and the inner sheet
second portion 124 are joined together and a central area 282
within the periphery 281. At least a portion of the inner sheet
first surface 13 within the central area 282 is joined to the outer
sheet inner surface 141 forming an expansion control tack 60.
[0081] The expansion control tack 60 can be formed from or may
include any joining means such as adhesive, heat joining,
ultrasound, sewing, stitching, melting the sheets together, or any
other means or combination thereof. The expansion control tack 60
can be used to help control the shape of the package 10. For
example, the expansion control tack 60 can control the size and/or
shape of one or more of the first primary expansion chambers 241
when an expansion material 25 is introduced therein. More
specifically, the expansion control tack 60 can hold all or a
portion of the outer sheet 14 closer to the inner sheet 12 than it
would otherwise be once any expansion chambers are expanded. The
tack 60 can be any shape, length, width or thickness and can be
continuous or intermittent. The tack 60 can be permanent such that
it is not able to be released or may be releasable. The tack 60 may
be formed before or after the package 10 is expanded and may be
disposed anywhere on the package 10 and between any two or more
sheets forming any part of the package 10. In the example shown,
the package 10 includes three expansion control tacks 60 disposed
in the top panel central region 82, three expansion control tacks
60 in the bottom panel central region 76 and one expansion control
tack 60 in each of the side panels 9 and 11 and the end panels 6
and 8.
[0082] As shown in FIGS. 12-15, a secondary outer sheet 16 may be
at least partially joined to the outer sheet outer surface 142 to
form a plurality of secondary expansion chambers 26. As noted
above, any number of secondary expansion chambers 26 is possible
and the location, shape and size of the secondary expansion
chambers 26 can be chosen based on the desired shape and other
characteristics of the package 10. At least one secondary expansion
chamber 26 may be disposed at least partially in the top panel 80
adjacent a first juncture 170 between the top panel 2 and the first
end panel 6, the second end panel 8, the first side panel 9 and the
second side panel 11. The at least one secondary expansion chamber
26 disposed adjacent the first juncture 170 may provide a top
surface 80 on which other packages or articles may be set or
stacked, or upon which the package 10 may be set or stacked. The
top surface 80 may surround all or a portion of the top panel
central region 82. Further, the article 10 may include at least one
secondary expansion chamber 26 disposed at least partially in the
bottom panel 4 and adjacent a second juncture 72 between the bottom
panel 4 and the first end panel 6, the second end panel 8, the
first side panel 9 and the second side panel 11. The at least one
secondary expansion chamber 26 disposed adjacent the second
juncture 72 may provide a base 78 on which the package 10 may be
set or stacked. The base 78 may surround all or a portion of the
bottom panel central region 76.
[0083] In embodiments including a secondary outer sheet 16, any
portion of the secondary outer sheet 16 may be joined to any other
sheet forming a part of the package 10. For example, the secondary
outer sheet 16 may be joined to the outer sheet 14 and/or the inner
sheet 12 along all or a portion of the exterior seams 22. Further,
the secondary outer sheet 16 may be joined to the outer sheet 14
with expansion control tacks 60. In such cases, if the package also
includes expansion control tacks 60 between the outer sheet 14 and
the inner sheet 12, the expansion control tacks 60 between the
secondary outer sheet 16 and the outer sheet 14 may be the same as,
form part of, be different from, and/or be located in the same or
different locations from the expansion control tack(s) 60 between
the inner sheet 12 and the outer sheet 14. In FIGS. 12-15, the
expansion control tack 60 joins the inner sheet 12 and the outer
sheet 14 as well as the outer sheet 14 and the secondary outer
sheet 16, however, as mentioned, this need not be the case.
Different tacks 60 can be used for some or all of the expansion
control tacks 60 between the different sheets.
[0084] Together, the expansion control tacks 60 can be used to help
control the shape of the package 10 such that it expands to and
maintains the desired shape, such as, for example, a generally
parallelepiped shape. As noted above, other means may also be used
to help provide the package 10 with the desired shape. For example,
air may be removed from the article reservoir 28 to create a full
or partial vacuum to help hold portions of the package 10 in the
desired configuration. Yet other means, including static, friction,
magnets, stitching, tape, glue, bonds as well as other known means
for holding materials in place may be used alone or in combination
with any other suitable tacking means. Of course, other shapes can
be obtained by changing the shapes and sizes of the sheets making
up the package, the location, size and number of expansion chambers
and the shape, size and number of expansion control tacks 60.
[0085] In addition, or alternatively, the shape of the package 10
may be influenced by the amount of expansion material 25 that is
placed in the expansion chambers. For example, one or more
expansion chambers may be expanded to an internal pressure that is
greater than or less than one or more other expansion chambers. In
one exemplary embodiment, one or more secondary expansion chamber
26 may be expanded such that it has an internal pressure that is
less than the internal pressure of one or more of primary expansion
chambers 24. For example, one or more secondary expansion chambers
26 disposed adjacent the central area of the reservoir 281 may be
expanded to an internal pressure that is less than the internal
pressure of the one or more primary expansion chambers 24. This can
help shape the package 10 such that one or more of the to, bottom,
side or end panels presents a generally flat surface rather than a
surface that is curved or bulging. Also, it is contemplated that
one or more of the expansion chambers may be unexpanded during use.
That is, one or more of the expansion chambers may not include an
expansion material 25 or the expansion material 25 may not be
caused to expand the expansion chamber during use. For example, one
or more secondary expansion chambers 26 disposed adjacent the
central area of the reservoir 282 may remain unexpanded. Again,
this can help shape the package 10, as desired. Other than not
providing an expansion material 25 in the one or more expansion
chambers that are to remain unexpanded, an activatable expansion
material 25 can be used that is not activated and/or holes may be
provided in the one or more expansion chambers such that an
expansion material 25 introduced merely escapes the expansion
chamber through the holes.
[0086] One feature that can help reduce the amount of material used
in the package 10 and help reduce the overall size of the package
10 is to separate the top panel 2 and the bottom panel 4 from each
other such that they are spaced apart when the package 10 is
expanded for use. As described above, one way to do that is to
provide sides 9 and 11 and ends 6 and 8 between the top panel 2 and
bottom panel 4. End panels 6 and 8 may be provided by folding the
sheets of material making up the package 10 in a configuration to
form gussets 75, such as those shown in FIG. 14. For example, the
material forming the ends 6 and 8 is folded inwardly and while
folded, joined by gusset seams 73 or otherwise held in place
relative to the side panel 9 or 11 that it touches. In the
embodiment shown, the ends 6 and 8 each have a gusset panel 77 that
is joined to the sides 9 and 11 along the gusset seams 73. This
creates the gusset 75 that separates the top panel 2 from the
bottom panel 4 and allows the package to have one or more ends 6
and/or 8 that are generally parallel to each other and generally
perpendicular to the top panel 2 and bottom panel 4. The sides 9
and 11 can be extensions of the top panel 2 and side panel 4 and
are held in a generally perpendicular orientation to the top panel
2 and bottom panel 4 by the gusset seams 73. Of course, this is
merely one exemplary embodiment used to explain how the package 10
may be configured to provide the desired shape. Other
configurations are also contemplated that include other types of
gussets 75, different folding patterns and/or different
orientations of the panels and sides of the package 10 with respect
to each other.
[0087] As noted above, one often desirable feature of a shipping
package is for it to have a stable base onto which it can be
placed. One way to ensure that a stable base 78 is provided, for
example on the bottom panel 4, is to ensure that the base 78 is
that part of the package 10 that extends a greater distance from
the central plane CP than any other portion of the bottom panel 4.
Specifically, as shown for example, in FIG. 18, it may be desirable
that the base 78 extends from the central plane CP a distance, base
distance BD, and preferably the maximum base distance BD, that is
greater than the distance, central region distance CRD, and
preferably the maximum central region distance RCRD, that the
bottom panel central region 76 extends from the central plane CP.
The same can be done with the top surface 80 or any other panel of
the package 10. For example, it may be desirable to ensure that the
top surface 80 extends a greater distance from the central plane CP
than any other portion of the top panel 2. Specifically, it may be
desirable that the top surface 80 extends from the central plane CP
a distance, top surface distance TSD, and preferably a maximum top
surface distance TSD that is greater than the distance, top panel
central region distance TCRD, and preferably the maximum top panel
central region distance TRCD that the top panel central region 82
extends from the central plane CP. Another feature that may be
desirable for certain packages is a structure that provides for
nesting of one or more surfaces of the package 10 with other
surfaces and/or other packages 10. For example, it may be desirable
the that top panel 2 of one package is configured to nest with the
bottom panel 4 of another package or packages. By nesting, it is
meant that a structural feature of one article (e.g. package 10) is
able to fit within or otherwise interact with a structural feature
of another article (e.g. another package 10 or a surface) in a
predetermined way so as to improve how the two articles fit
together or coexist in a particular space. Nesting can allow for
reduced space needed for shipping or storing multiple packages, can
help keep packages from shifting, moving or falling, and can help
ensure packages are oriented as desired with other packages or
surfaces, etc. Nesting can be realized by shaping one or more of
the surfaces or panels of the package 10 to deliberately interact
with another surface, article or package. For example, the top
panel 2 of the package 10 may be shaped to nest with the bottom
panel 4 of another package 10. Alternatively, or in addition, other
sides, ends or panels of the package may be configured for nesting.
One example of a package 10 configured for nesting is shown in
FIGS. 17 and 18. As shown, the top panel 2 includes a protruding
expansion chamber 90 that extends beyond the top surface 80 of the
top panel 2. In the embodiment shown, the protruding expansion
chamber 90 is generally in the shape of a rectangular
parallelepiped extending outwardly from the top surface 80 of the
package 10. The same package 10 has an inwardly extending
depression 92 disposed on the bottom panel 4 that is sized and
shaped such that the protruding expansion chamber 90 can fit at
least partially within the depression 92. Of course, any side, end
or panel can have one or more protrusions 90 or depressions and the
protrusions 90 and depressions can have any desired shape, height
or depth.
[0088] As noted above, at least one expansion port 50 is in fluid
connection with at least one of the first primary or second primary
expansion chambers 241, 242 through which an expansion material 25
can be introduced into the expansion chamber. In addition, the
package 10 includes at least one opening 30 into which the one or
more articles 100 may be inserted is provided. The opening 30
extends from an exterior of the package 10 to the article reservoir
28 and is preferably closeable. The opening 30 can be permanently
closeable or can be reopenable. The opening 30 can be closed for
example, with a fastener, closed as a result of expanding one or
more of the expansion chambers or closed by any other known
structure or means including adhesives, filaments, magnets, static,
friction, chemical or mechanical bonding, or any combination
thereof.
[0089] As noted above, the shipping package 10 may optionally
include one or more retrieval features 55 such as a tear strip or
any other feature that allows a user to access the article
reservoir 28 after it has been closed. The retrieval feature 55 may
be configured to allow access to the article reservoir 28 without
otherwise affecting the package 10 or may be configured to deflate
any one or more of the expansion chambers. The retrieval feature(s)
55 can be configured to provide access to the article reservoir 28
at least partially across one side, end or panel or may extend
fully across any one or more ends, sides or panels. For example,
the retrieval feature(s) 55 may allow access to the article
reservoir 28 on three sides, allowing the package 10 to be fully
opened like a clam shell, on all sides and edges to allow the top
panel 2 and bottom panel 4 to be completely separated from each
other, or on one or two sides or edges to allow access more like an
envelope or pouch.
[0090] The package 10 can be made from a variety of materials. Such
materials may include, for example and without limitation, films,
woven materials, non-woven materials, paper, foil, and/or any other
flexible materials. In fact, an advantage of the package 10 of the
present invention is that it can be made substantially, almost
entirely or entirely from flexible materials but still provide the
rigidity, strength and protection needed to successfully and
economically ship consumer products through established parcel and
mail delivery systems. For example, the package 10 may comprise or
be manufactured only of one or more film materials without the need
for additional rigid interior or exterior elements, such as wood,
metal, solid foam or rigid plastic or a paperboard box, to provide
shape and/or structure to the package 10. Stated differently, the
package 10 may consist of, or consist essentially of flexible
materials. This can be advantageous for both manufactures and
consumers as flexible materials such as sheets of film are often
easier to handle, ship and store than more bulky items like
paperboard boxes and other structural packaging members.
[0091] If films are used, the films may include, for example,
polyethylene, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon,
polyproplene, polyvinyl chloride, and the like. The sheets may
include and/or be coated with a dissimilar material. Examples of
such coatings include, without limitation, polymer coatings,
metalized coatings, ceramic coatings, and/or diamond coatings. The
sheets may be plastic film having a thickness such that the sheets
are compliant and readily deformable by an application of force by
a human. The thicknesses of the inner, outer and secondary outer
sheets 12, 14 and 16, respectively, may be approximately
equivalent. Alternatively, the thicknesses of the sheets may be
different.
[0092] The materials making up the sheets may be laminates that
include multiple laminated layers of different types of materials
to provide desired properties such as strength, flexibility, the
ability to be joined, and the ability to accept printing and/or
labeling. The materials, for example, may have a thickness that is
less than about 200 microns (0.0078 inches). One example of a film
laminate includes a tri-layer low-density polyethylene
(LDPE)/Nylon/LDPE with a total thickness of 0.003 inches.
[0093] Other types of laminate structures may be suitable for use
as well. For example, laminates created from co-extrusion, or coat
extrusion, of multiple layers or laminates produced from adhesive
lamination of different layers. Furthermore, coated paper film
materials may be used. Additionally, laminating nonwoven or woven
materials to film materials may be used. Other examples of
structures which may be used include, but are not limited to: 48 ga
polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/ink/adh/3.5 mil ethylene vinyl
alcohol (EVOH)-Nylon film; 48 ga PET/Ink/adh/48 ga MET PET/adh/3
mil PE; 48 ga PET/Ink/adh/0.00035 foil/adh/3 mil PE; 48 ga
PET/Ink/adh/48 ga SiOx PET/adh/3 mil PE; 3.5 mil EVOH/PE film; 48
ga PET/adh/3.5 mil EVOH film; and 48 ga MET PET/adh/3 mil PE.
[0094] The sheets may be made from sustainable, bio-sourced,
recycled, recyclable, and/or biodegradable materials. Nonlimiting
examples of renewable polymers include polymers directly produced
from organisms, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (e.g.,
poly(beta-hydroxyalkanoate),
poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate, NODAX.TM.), and
bacterial cellulose; polymers extracted from plants and biomass,
such as polysaccharides and derivatives thereof (e.g., gums,
cellulose, cellulose esters, chitin, chitosan, starch, chemically
modified starch), proteins (e.g., zein, whey, gluten, collagen),
lipids, lignins, and natural rubber; and current polymers derived
from naturally sourced monomers and derivatives, such as
bio-polyethylene, bio-polypropylene, polytrimethylene
terephthalate, polylactic acid, NYLON 11, alkyd resins, succinic
acid-based polyesters, and bio-polyethylene terephthalate.
[0095] The sheets making up the package 10 may be provided in a
variety of colors and designs, as to appeal to a consumer
interested in purchasing the product held in the package 10.
Additionally, materials forming the sheets may be pigmented,
colored, transparent, semitransparent, or opaque. Such optical
characteristics may be modified through the use of additives or
masterbatch during the film making process. Additionally, other
decoration techniques may be present on any surface of the sheets
such as lenses, holograms, security features, cold foils, hot
foils, embossing, metallic inks, transfer printing, varnishes,
coatings, and the like. Any one or all of the sheets may include
indicia such that a consumer can readily identify the nature of the
product, or any given property of the product, held in the article
reservoir 28 of the package 10, along with the brand name of the
producer of the product held in the package 10, the sender of the
package 10, or any third-party such as a sponsor of either the
producer of the product or the sender of the package 10. The
indicia may contain decorative elements. The indicia may also
provide comment or instruction on use of the product and/or package
100. In particular, the first surface 17 or the second surface 19
of the outer sheet 14 may be generally flat and free from
interruptions. Accordingly, a variety of branded indicia may be
applied to the first surface 17 or second surface 19 of the outer
sheet 14 of the package 10 for viewing by a shipper or
consumer.
[0096] Flexible film materials forming the sheets may be colored or
pigmented. Flexible film materials may also be pre-printed with
artwork, color, and or indicia before forming a package preform
using any printing methods (gravure, flexographic, screen, ink jet,
laser jet, and the like). Additionally, the assembled package 10
may be printed after forming using digital printing. Any and all
surfaces of the package 10 may be printed or left unprinted.
Additionally, certain laminates of a laminated film forming the
sheets may be surface printed or reverse printed. In addition,
functional inks may be printed on the sheets. Functional inks are
meant to include inks providing decoration benefits, texture
coatings, or other benefits including, for example and without
limitation, printed sensors, printed electronics, printed RFID, and
light-sensitive dies. Additionally, or in the alternative, labels,
for example and without limitation, flexible labeling, or heat
shrink sleeves may be applied to the sheets making up the shipping
packages 10 or the shipping packages 10 themselves before or after
expansion to provide the desired visual appearance of the packages
10. Because films can be printed flat and then formed into three
dimensional objects, artwork can be designed to conform precisely
to the package 10 itself or articles 100 therein. For example, some
or all of the printing may be distorted relative to its desired
finished appearance, so that the indicia acquire their desired
finished appearance upon being formed into three dimensional
objects. Such pre-distortion printing may be useful for functional
indicia such as logos, diagrams, bar-codes, and other images that
require precision in order to perform their intended function.
[0097] A variety of primary expansion materials 25 and/or secondary
expansion materials 29 may be provided into the primary expansion
chambers 24 and secondary expansion chambers 26, respectively. The
primary expansion material 25 and/or secondary expansion material
may be a gas, a liquid, a solid or a combination thereof. One
example of a solid expansion material is a solidifying foam. Such
materials can be introduced into the expansion chambers as a fluid
that changes to a solid or as a solid. If a foam is used, it may be
an expandable foam that increases in volume as the foam solidifies.
An example of such foams includes, without limitation, a two-part
liquid mixture of isocyanate and a polyol that, when combined under
appropriate conditions, solidify to form a solid foam. One
advantage of such an expansion material 25 is that it may be
possible to use it for the intended purpose without the need to
seal the expansion chamber(s), which can simplify the manufacturing
and/or expansion chamber filling process. The expansion material
may include a perfume, scent, color or have other consumer
noticeable attributes that can provide aesthetic and/or functional
benefits while enclosed within the expansion chambers or when
released therefrom. For example, a scent can be included in the
expansion material 25 such that when one or more of the expansion
chambers is deflated, the scent is released into the air. Further,
an expansion material can be used that provides UV protection,
insulation or another desirable function.
[0098] The expansion material 25 may be an "expand-on-demand"
material that can be expanded at any time by the user. For example,
expansion of the expansion chambers 24, 26 may be caused by a phase
change of a fluid introduced into the chambers. Examples of the
phase change may include injecting a quantity of cooled material,
for example and without limitation, liquid nitrogen or dry ice. By
sealing the chamber from the external environment and allowing the
expansion material to vaporize and/or sublimate when reaching an
ambient temperature, pressures between the sheets may cause the
expansion chambers to expand. Chemically reactive materials, for
example and without limitation, a weak acid, such as citric acid,
to a weak base, such as sodium bicarbonate, may be introduced into
the chambers and can be activated, as desired, by the user. In such
configurations, it may not be necessary to have an opening or port
into which the user can introduce the expansion materials.
[0099] If chemically reactive materials are used, they can be
separated from one another to allow the user to determine when to
expand the expansion chambers. For example, they can be separated
using a frangible seal, which may be broken to induce a reaction
that causes expansion of the expansion chambers. Also, chemically
reactive materials may be chosen that are non-reactive with one
another at certain environmental conditions, for example at certain
temperatures. When expansion of one or more of the expansion
chambers is desired, the package 10 may be exposed to the
environmental conditions, for example, by increasing the ambient
temperature, causing the chemically reactive materials to react
with one another to cause the expansion. The chemically reactive
materials may be non-reactive with one another unless subject to
electromagnetic energy including, for example and without
limitation UV light or microwave energy. In such cases, when
expansion of one or more of the expansion chambers is desired, the
package 10 may be exposed to the electromagnetic energy, causing
the chemically reactive materials to react with one another to
cause the expansion. Such expand-on-demand expansion materials 25
may be especially desirable for situations where it is useful for
the user to be able to expand the expansion chambers at any desired
time and/or at a location other than the manufacturing or
fulfillment location. For example, a user could purchase a package
10, take it home or to a shipping location, place article(s) 100 in
the reservoir 28 and expand the expansion chamber(s).
[0100] Although the expansion material may provide any amount of
expansion desired, the it has been found that a pressure from about
ambient pressure to about 25 psig, or from about 1 psig to about 20
psig is generally suitable for shipping packages 10 used to ship
typical consumer products. Higher or lower pressures may be desired
in one or all of the expansion chambers 24, 26 depending on the
article(s) 100 being shipped, the method of shipment, the expected
environmental conditions, such as the temperature and/or altitude
to which the shipping package 10 will be exposed.
[0101] The packages 10 of the present invention can be configured
to have any desired mechanical, chemical, environmental (e.g.
temperature, humidity, light, sound, dust, atmospheric pressure,
precipitation, etc.), and other performance characteristics
desired. For example, the packages 10 may include materials that
resist penetration of humidity, water, light, certain chemicals,
and/or gases. An advantage of the package 10 of the present
invention is that it can be configured to meet or exceed many of
the most common parcel shipping requirements, for example, as set
for in industry standards like ISTA performance tests, without the
need for multiple different packaging materials or difficult to
construct and/or store packages.
[0102] The package 10 may be configured to endure the rigors of
shipping through regions of changing ambient air pressure, such as
transportation over mountains or shipment via air-cargo. Changes in
ambient pressure may include increases in atmospheric pressure and
decreases in atmospheric as well as changes in ambient pressure,
such as in pressurized cargo holds. Transportation over high
altitudes and/or shipment via air-cargo typically include a
reduction in ambient air pressure. Such reductions in ambient
pressure can result in an expansion chamber 24, 26 that is expanded
to a pressure below its burst pressure at or near sea-level to
burst during shipment. The expansion chambers 24 and 26 may be
inflated sufficiently below their burst-pressure that they do not
burst during shipment at reduced ambient pressure and/or may
include vents or valves to allow some or all of the expansion
material to escape if the expansion chamber is nearing its burst
pressure.
[0103] In terms of mechanical protection, the packages 10 may be
designed and configured to have properties that help protect any
articles 100 shipped therein from damage due to mechanical forces,
such as dropping, stacking, puncture, squeezing, tearing, pinching,
etc. As with other attributes, the package 10 can be specifically
designed to meet the needs of the user in terms of mechanical
protection by choosing appropriate materials for different parts of
the package 10, appropriately designing the shape of the package
10, appropriately expanding the one or more expansion chambers 24,
26, among other things.
[0104] One of the most important mechanical damaging forces to
protect against during shipping is dropping. Often packages do not
provide adequate protection for dropping because they allow the
articles being shipped therein to "bottom out" when dropped.
Bottoming-out occurs when any protective material in the package
reaches its limit of protection and the article therein is
subjected to the full resistance force of the surface on which it
is dropped. The packages 10 of the present invention have been
found to be particularly good at resisting bottoming out of
articles shipped therein, and thus, can effectively prevent
breakage and other damage to the articles.
[0105] Further, the package 10 may include one or more thermally
insulating material. A thermally insulating material is one that
would result in an increase of the R-value as measured between the
reservoir 28 and the outside of the package. In one example, one or
more of the expansion chambers 24, 26 may include a thermally
insulating material. Non-limiting examples of thermally insulating
materials include foams and gasses with R-values greater than air,
such as, for example, noble gases such as argon.
[0106] The overall shape of the package 10 may include at least one
relatively flat portion or "face". This portion may be useful for
applying shipping labels or instructions. Although not required,
having a relatively flat portion may be useful in terms of handling
the package 10 through conventional shipping systems. For example,
when conveying packages at angles, rounded packages have a tendency
to tumble, while packages comprising relatively flat portions are
less likely to have that disadvantage. The overall shape of the
package 10 may be roughly polyhedral. The overall shape of the
package may be substantially a rectangular prism. Such shapes can
also provide for better stacking, fit into conventional shipping
equipment and handling.
[0107] Referring now to FIG. 12, a preform 110 of an example of the
flexible shipping package 10 of the present invention is depicted
before assembly where the inner sheet 12, the outer sheet 14 and
the secondary outer sheet 16 are disposed on top each other to form
a three-layer laminate 120. As used herein, the term "laminate" is
not intended to require any particular type of joining, but rather,
merely indicates individual sheets are disposed face-to-face, one
on top of the other. As shown, first sheet portion 140 and second
sheet portion 160 are not yet folded upon each other to form the
unexpanded package 10. During assembly, the preform 110 is folded
such that first sheet portion 140 and second sheet portion 160 are
disposed such that the inner sheet 12 of the first sheet portion is
facing and disposed adjacent to the inner sheet 12 of the second
sheet portion 160. After being folded, the first sheet portion 140
and the second sheet portion 160 are joined together at exterior
seams 22, as shown in FIG. 6. The exterior seam 22 joins the first
and second portions 140 and 160 to one another, thereby forming the
package 10 having article reservoir 28. The article reservoir 28 is
therefore enclosed by the exterior seam 22 between the inner sheet
12 of the first and second sheet portions 140 and 160.
[0108] Packages 10 according to the present disclosure may be
manufactured according to a variety of methods. For example, the
package 10 may be assembled according to the method described
below. A first film (the inner sheet 12) and a second film (the
outer sheet 14) are placed onto one another. A plurality of primary
expansion chamber seams 20 are formed by heat sealing. The primary
expansion chamber seams 20 formed by the heat sealing operation
define the expansion chamber(s) 24. To further define the expansion
chambers 24, the heat seal die may include features that form seals
about at any desired thickness, for example, about 0.325 inch
thick. Prior to heat sealing, a one-way film valve may be placed
between the inner sheet 12 and the outer sheet 14 the film valve
spans across a location where the sheets 12 and 14 will have a seam
20. One-way film valves are conventionally known and are described,
for example, at U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/0096068. The one-way film
valve may include an ink or polymer material on at least a part of
the film valve that enables the film valve to be sealed into the
seams created by the heat seal die, but without sealing the film
valve shut.
[0109] A heat seal die may be used to form the seam 20. If so, the
die is heated to the desired temperature and pressed against the
first and second films 12 and 14 to create the seams 20. The inner
and outer sheets 12 and 14 may be positioned relative to the heat
seal die a second time to create additional primary expansion
chambers 24. If the package 10 includes three or more sheets
creating any portion thereof, a heated die can be used to form
secondary expansion chambers 26.
[0110] After the expansion chamber(s) 24 are formed, the ends
and/or sides of the sheets may be joined to form the article
reservoir 28 and the general shape of the package 10. Air, or
another expansion material, may be introduced through the one-way
film valve(s) to expand the expansion chamber(s) 24. Air may be
introduced at any suitable pressure. For example, air may be
introduced at a pressure from about 1 psig to about 20 psig to
expand the chamber(s) 24 without risk of rupture of the first and
second films by overpressure. Further, as noted, other expansion
material may be used and the primary expansion chambers 24 and
secondary expansion chambers 26, if any, may be expanded to
different pressures.
[0111] A plurality of packages 10 may be formed from larger
continuous sheets of material. The packages 10 may be formed
simultaneously or in series. The packages 10 can use any and all
materials, structures, and/or features for the packages 10, as well
as any and all methods of making and/or using such packages 10,
disclosed in the following US patents and applications: (1) U.S.
Pat. No. 9,815,258 filed May 7, 2012, entitled "Film Based
Packages"; (2) U.S Publication No. 2013/0292395 A1 filed May 7,
2012, entitled "Film Based Packages"; (3) U.S Publication No.
2013/0292287 A1 filed Jul. 26, 2012, entitled "Film Based Package
Having a Decoration Panel"; (4) U.S. Patent application 61/727961
filed Nov. 19, 2012, entitled "Packages Made from Flexible
Material"; (5) U.S. Pat. No. 10,040,581 filed Aug. 6, 2012,
entitled "Methods of Making Film Based Packages"; (6) U.S
Publication No. 2013/0292413 A1 filed Mar. 13, 2013, entitled
"Flexible Packages with Multiple Product Volumes"; and (7) U.S.
Pat. No. 9,469,088 filed Mar. 15, 2013, entitled "Flexible
Materials for Flexible Containers" 61/789135; each of which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
[0112] The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be
understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values
recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension
is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally
equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension
disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm".
[0113] Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced
or related patent or patent publication, is hereby incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or
otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission
that it is prior art with respect to any document disclosed or
claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any
other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any
such embodiment. Further, to the extent that any meaning or
definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or
definition of the same term in a document incorporated by
reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this
document shall govern.
[0114] While certain embodiments, variations and features have been
illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that
various other changes and modifications may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter.
Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter
have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in
combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims
cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope
of the claimed subject matter.
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