Protective Corner Pad

Abstract

A protective corner pad includes a sheet of corrugated paperboard or the like in which two peripheral wall panels are foldably connected to fold into right angular relation, and are hingedly connected to face panels which may fold into coplanar relation and which are provided with mitered edges which may abut. A locking tongue and notch hold the mitered edges abutting. Reinforcing panels are usually hinged to the edges of said wall panels and folded inwardly into face contact with the wall panels to which they are hinged. Cushioning panels generally coextensive with said face panels are hinged to said face panels to lie in face contact therewith.

Description

This invention relates to an improvement in protective corner pads and deals particularly with a pad made of corrugated paperboard or similar material designed to protect the corners of objects being packaged in containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Articles packed in corrugated containers often require interior packing within the container to prevent injury to the contents. For example, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and the like often include elongated corner posts formed of several thicknesses of corrugated board arranged in right angular relation and inserted between the corners of the packaged article and the corner edges of the container to protect the articles from damage. Other articles, such as doors, window frames and the like are often protected by angular corner pads which fit over portions of the three adjoining surfaces at the corners of the object to protect these areas from injury during shipment and handling, the corners of such objects being the areas normally most susceptible to injury.

One of the problems involved in the use of corner pads lies in the fact that if they are preformed of two or more thicknesses of corrugated paper-board, they are extremely bulky unless they can be supplied in flat form. When such flat corner pads are folded and inserted into the container between the article contained and the walls of the container, difficulty is often experienced in holding the corner pads in place until the container is closed. It is often necessary to insert the corner pads in place and then immediately fold the container closure flaps over the pads so that the pads will not tend to unfold or become misplaced before the container is closed, thus complicating any automatic closing operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a corner pad of the type designed to overlie areas of the three surfaces meeting at the corner and which will retain its assembled form to greatly facilitate the insertion of the corner pads, and to facilitate the use of automatic equipment to close the containers after the corner pads have been inserted.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a corner pad which is formed of a rectangular sheet of corrugated paperboard and which, if desired, may be folded into proper form for insertion into the container in advance of the time the corner pads are used. The blanks forming the corner pad may be easily folded to provide double thickness peripheral walls, and double thickness face panels, and the panels may be readily interlocked into completed form to be stored in reasonable volume until used. Thus, the necessary number of corner pads need not be formed simultaneously as the articles are packed, saving considerable time in the packaging operation.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a corner pad having a pair of hingedly connected peripheral wall panels, and a pair of generally trapezoidal face panels hingedly connected to an edge thereof. The face panels are formed to provide a mitered corner when the wall panels are folded into right angular relation. A locking tongue projects from one mitered edge and engages in a notch in the other mitered edge in such a manner that the locking tongue remains coplanar with the face panels. The locking tongue thus holds the panels in proper relation prior to use.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a corner pad of the type described which includes cushioning panels hinged to the face panels and folded into face contact therewith to form a double thickness construction. The peripheral wall panels are also provided with hingedly connected reinforcing panels which fold into face contact with the inner surfaces of the peripheral panels. The cushioning panels are held in place by the edges of the reinforcing panels. Interlocking means are provided on the wall panels and reinforcing panels to effectively hold the entire unit assembled and in readiness for use.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my protective corner pad in assembled condition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outer surface of the assembled corner pad.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the corner pad in partially assembled condition.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the corner pad is formed.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a portion on a modified form of blank.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the corner pad formed from the blank shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The protective corner pad A is made from the blank illustrated in FIG. 4. As indicated, the pad includes peripheral wall panels 10 and 11 which are connected along a central fold line 12. Face panels 13 and 14 are hingedly connected to an edge of the wall panels 10 and 11 along a fold line 15. The face panels 13 and 14 are generally trapezoidal in outline, and are connected along the longer parallel edge at the fold line 15. The adjoining end edges of the face panels 13 and 14 are angularly related to form mitered edges 16 and 17 respectively. These mitered edges 16 and 17 are designed to fold into edge abutting relation when the peripheral wall panels 10 and 11 are folded into right angles along the center fold line 12.

A locking tongue 19 projects from one of the mitered edges, such as the edge 16, and the other mitered edge 17 is provided with a similarly shaped notch 20 to accommodate the tongue 19. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the locking tongue 19 is of trapezoidal shape with the longer edge of the trapezoid at the free end of the tongue. The notch 20 is correspondingly shaped so that the tongue 19 may be inserted into the notch 20 and be coplanar with the face panels.

Trapezoidal cushioning panels 21 and 22 are hingedly connected to the face panels 13 and 14 to fold into face contact therewith. The panels 21 and 13 are substantially equal size and shape and are substantially coextensive. The panels 14 and 22 are also substantially coextensive in shape or size. In order to facilitate the folding of the cushioning panels, the panels 13 and 21 are connected by two short connecting straps 23 at opposite ends of the shorter parallel sides of the trapezoidal panels. These straps are defined by a pair of spaced fold lines 24. A cut line 25 extends between the straps 23 so that the panels are partially disconnected. The straps 23 are long enough to permit the panels 13 and 21 to fold into face contact. Similar spaced connecting straps 26 defined by parallel fold lines 27 are separated by an intermediate cut line 29. Thus folding arrangement merely simplifies the folding operation and permits the cushioning panels to rest flatly upon the face panels 13 and 14. In view of the fact that the intermediate portions of the panels on opposite sides of the cut lines 25 and 29 project beyond the fold lines 24 and 27, the connected panels tend to remain in face contact.

Generally rectangular reinforcing panels 31 and 32 are hingedly connected to the peripheral wall panels 10 and 11 respectively. In order to simplify the folding, the panel 31 is hingedly connected to the panel 10 by spaced connecting straps 33 hingedly connected to the panels 10 and 31 along spaced parallel fold lines 34. The reinforcing panel 32 is similarly connected to the wall panel 11 by connecting straps 35 hingedly connected to the panels 11 and 32 by parallel spaced fold lines 36. Cut lines 37 and 39 extend between the straps 33 and the straps 35 respectively.

The edges of the wall panels 10 and 11 which are most remote from the fold line 12 are provided with generally trapezoidal notches 40. The corresponding end edges of the reinforcing panels 31 and 32 are provided with generally trapezoidal locking tongues 41 defined by inwardly converging cut lines 42. The locking tongues 41 are positioned to register with the notches 40 in the completed form of the corner pad.

The corner pad is assembled by folding the face panels 13 and 14 into right angular relation to the peripheral wall panels 10 and 11 as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, and folding the cushioning panel 21 to rest upon the face panel 13. The structure is then folded along the center fold line 12 until the mitered edges 16 and 17 of the panels 13 and 14 are in edge abutting relation, and the locking tongue 19 is pressed into the notch 20 so as to lie in the same plane as the panels 13 and 14. The cushioning panel 22 is folded upon the face panel 14, the edges of the cushioning panels 21 and 22 resting against the inner surfaces of the wall panels 10 and 11. The reinforcing panels 31 and 32 are then folded down into face contact with the wall panels 10 and 11, the edges of these reinforcing panels overlying the edges of the cushioning panels 21 and 22 to hold these cushioning panels in face contact with the face panels 13 and 14. The locking tongues 41 are then flexed through the notches 40 to prevent the return folding of the reinforcing panels, and to hold them in spaced contact with the surfaces of the wall panels 10 and 11.

While the locking tongues 41 extend slightly beyond the peripheral walls 10 and 11, these tongues have a tendency to flatten out when the corner pad is inserted between an article being packaged and the walls of the container. The disengagement of the locking tongues 41 from the notches 40 at this point is unimportant, in view of the fact that the peripheral walls and the reinforcing walls are held together by engagement between the article packed and the container.

FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings show a slightly modified form of corner pad construction. The entire blank is identical to that shown in the FIG. 4 with the exception of the cushioning panels, these modified cushioning panels being identified as 21a and 22a, the remaining panels having similar identifying numbers to that of the previously described pad. The mitered edges 42a and 43a, which correspond to the mitered edges 42 and 43 of the pad A, also include interlocking means. A locking tongue 44 projects from the mitered edge 43a and is designed to lock into a similarly shaped notch 45 in the mitered edge 42a of the panel 21a. Thus, the cushioning panels as well as the face panels are interlocked as an additional precaution against unfolding.

As will be obvious from the foregoing description, the corner pads may be quickly set up and locked and will remain in condition for use up until the time the pads are used. Accordingly, it is not necessary to assemble the pads simultaneously as the article is packed, and it is only necessary to insert the assembled pads in position to protect the article packaged, the corner pads being held in proper angular relation by the locking tongues described.

Claims

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my protective corner pad, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1. A corner pad including:

a generally rectangular sheet of paperboard cut and creased to provide a pair of peripheral wall panels foldably connected together to fold into generally right angular relationship, and a pair of face panels hingedly connected to said peripheral wall panels along a substantially common line of fold, and foldable into a common plane,

the adjoining ends of said face panels being cut along right angularly related mitered edges to fit into edge abutting relation and form a mitered corner when said wall panels are folded into right angular relation,

a locking tongue projecting from one of said mitered edges of one of said face panels, and a tongue receiving notch in the other of said mitered edges of said other said face panel,

said locking tongue being in coplanar relation to said face panels when engaged in said notch.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said locking tongue is of generally trapezoidal outline and connected to said one adjoining end of said one face panel along its shorter parallel edge.

3. The structure of claim 1 and including reinforcing panels foldably connected to said peripheral wall panels along the edges thereof which are parallel to the edges thereof connected to said face panels, said reinforcing panels being folded into face contact with the wall panels to which they are foldably connected.

4. The structure of claim 3 and in which said reinforcing panels are in face contact to the surface of said wall panels which is the inner surface when said wall panels are folded into right angular relation.

5. The structure of claim 3 and in which said reinforcing panels are each connected to said wall panels by spaced connecting straps on opposite sides of an intermediate cut line.

6. The structure of claim 3 and in which the ends of said wall panels opposite the hingedly connected ends are connected to the corresponding ends of said reinforcing panels by interlocking tongue and groove means.

7. The structure of claim 1 and including cushioning panels hingedly connected to the edges of said face panels opposite the edges hingedly connected to said wall panels, said cushioning panels being substantially coextensive with said face panels when folded into face contact therewith.

8. The structure of claim 7 and including a locking tongue projecting from the edge of one of said cushioning panels corresponding to said mitered edges of said face panels, and the other of said cushioning panels includes a notch into which said last named locking tongue is engageable.

9. The structure of claim 7 and in which said cushioning panels are connected to said face panels along spaced connecting straps on opposite sides of a cut line.

10. A corner pad including:

a generally rectangular sheet of corrugated paperboard cut and creased to provide, in series, a pair of reinforcing panels, a pair of peripheral wall panels, a pair of face panels, and a pair of cushioning panels foldably connected along parallel fold lines,

said peripheral wall panels being foldably connected together to fold into right angular relationship,

said reinforcing panels being independently foldable relative to, and substantially coextensive with, the wall panels to which they are hinged,

said face panels having their inner ends cut along right angularly arranged mitered edges to provide a mitered corner when said wall panels are folded into right angular relationship,

a locking tongue projecting from one of said mitered edges,

a locking tongue receiving notch in the other of said mitered edges to receive said locking tongue,

said locking tongue being substantially coplanar to said face panels when engaged in said notch,

said cushioning panels being foldable into face contact with the face panels to which they are hinged and being substantially coextensive therewith, said cushioning panels meeting along mitered edges which coincide with the mitered edges of said face panels.

11. The structure of claim 10 and including a locking tongue projecting from one mitered edge of one cushioning panel, and said other cushioning panel includes a notch into which said last named locking tongue is engageable.