U.S. patent number RE37,253 [Application Number 09/076,688] was granted by the patent office on 2001-07-03 for packaging for fragile articles within container.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Plastofilm Industries, Inc., Roberts, Stevens, Van Amburg, Packaging, Inc.. Invention is credited to Randall K. Loga, Michael S. Moren, Fred Schindler.
United States Patent |
RE37,253 |
Moren , et al. |
July 3, 2001 |
Packaging for fragile articles within container
Abstract
A unitary structure for packaging a shock sensitive article
within a container is provided. The structure has a side flange
adapted to contact a side end portion of the article and a number
of sidewall structures disposed about the periphery of the flange
which extend over the side end portion of the article to
contactingly support the article. Each of the sidewalls cushions
the article against shocks by having an outboard wall which
operably and supportingly contacts the container and a bridge
section integral with the inboard wall and the outboard wall to
cushioningly space the outboard wall from the inboard wall. The
structure also includes a crush depression integral to the flange,
inward of the sidewall and generally extending away from the
article to supportingly contact a lateral sidewall of the container
thereby forming a cushion distance. The crush button is configured
to absorb shock loading of the article directed generally toward
the sidewall.
Inventors: |
Moren; Michael S. (Wheaton,
IL), Schindler; Fred (Santa Cruz, CA), Loga; Randall
K. (Hanover Park, IL) |
Assignee: |
Plastofilm Industries, Inc.
(Wheaton, IL)
Roberts, Stevens, Van Amburg, Packaging, Inc. (Soquel,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
24056984 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/076,688 |
Filed: |
May 12, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
516761 |
Aug 18, 1995 |
05515976 |
May 14, 1996 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/586;
206/592 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
5/5088 (20130101); B65D 81/133 (20130101); B65D
2585/6837 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
81/05 (20060101); B65D 5/50 (20060101); B65D
81/133 (20060101); B65D 85/68 (20060101); B65D
081/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/453,522,591,592,594,586 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Ackun; Jacob K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Greer, Burns & Crain, Ltd.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A unitary structure for packaging a shock sensitive article
within a container comprising:
a side flange having a peripheral portion;
a first peripheral sidewall structure of flexible material,
said sidewall structure including an inboard wall integral with
said peripheral portion and extending over .[.an end.]. .Iadd.a
.Iaddend.portion of the article, an outboard wall having a distal
end and a proximate end, and a bridge section integral with said
inboard wall and said proximate end of said outboard wall and
spacing said outboard wall from said inboard wall to form a cushion
space, said bridge section forming biasing means to resiliently
restrict the movement of said inboard wall toward said outboard
wall upon the shock loading of said article; and
means for absorbing shock loading of the article generally in a
first direction away from the article.Iadd., .Iaddend.said shock
.Iadd.absorbing .Iaddend.means including .[.a.]. .Iadd.at least one
.Iaddend.crush depression integral with said flange, and generally
extending from said flange in the first direction to supportingly
contact a .[.side.]. wall of the container and form a cushion
distance.
2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said depression extends in the
first direction relative to said flange for a greater distance than
said distal end of said outward wall.
3. The structure of claim 1 further including a second peripheral
sidewall structure extending over the end portion of the article,
integral with said peripheral portion and separated from said first
wall structure along said peripheral edge portion of said
flange.
4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said structure includes lands
integral with said peripheral portion, said lands generally aligned
with and extending outward from said flange to separate said first
peripheral wall from said second peripheral wall.
5. The structure of claim 3 wherein said second sidewall structure
is integral with said edge portion on an opposite side of said
flange from said first sidewall structure.
6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said .Iadd.at least one
.Iaddend.depression is formed between said first sidewall and said
second sidewall.
7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said first peripheral wall
includes lateral end faces integral with said inboard wall, said
outboard wall and said bridge section.
8. The structure of claim 1 wherein the cushion space is
hollow.
9. The structure of claim 1 wherein said first sidewall forms a
notch along the length of said sidewall.
10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said notch is formed midway
between end faces of said sidewall.
11. The structure of claim 1 wherein said first sidewall forms an
elevated shoulder along the length of said peripheral wall.
12. The structure of claim 1 including at least one flap including
a second crush depression, said flap being integrally attached to a
distal end portion of said sidewall structure.
13. A unitary structure for packaging a shock sensitive article
within a container comprising:
a side flange having a peripheral portion;
a plurality of peripheral sidewall structure of flexible material,
said sidewall structures including an inboard wall integral with
said peripheral portion with said sidewall structures arranged
about the peripheral portion to form an enclosure about an end
portion of the article, said sidewall structures including an
outboard wall having a distal end and a proximate end, and a bridge
section integral with said inboard wall and said proximate end of
said outboard wall and spacing said outboard wall from said inboard
wall to form a hollow cushion space, said bridge section forming
biasing means to resiliently restrict the movement of said inboard
wall toward said outboard wall upon the shock loading of said
article;
lands extending outward from said flange to separate said sidewall
structures .[.form.]. .Iadd.from .Iaddend.each other; and
a crush depression integral with said flange, inward of said first
wall and generally extending in a first direction from said flange
away from the article to supportingly contact a sidewall of the
container and form a cushion distance, said .[.button.].
.Iadd.crush depression .Iaddend.including means for absorbing shock
loading of the article generally in the first direction. .Iadd.
14. A packaging structure for packaging an article within a
container comprising:
a flange for receiving a portion of the article, said flange
defining a flange plane extending along the length thereof;
an outer flange for positioning said packaging structure within the
container, wherein said outer flange is substantially coplanar with
said flange plane and extends along an outer periphery of said
packaging structure;
at least one sidewall portion attached to said flange and
positioned between said flange and said outer flange, said at least
one sidewall portion being configured and arranged to provide shock
protection to at least a portion of the article when the article is
positioned on a first side of said flange plane; and
at least one hollow crush button for providing shock protection to
at least a portion of the article, said at least one crush button
extending at least partially from a second side of said flange
plane, wherein said second side is opposite to said first side;
said at least one sidewall portion forming an enclosure, with said
flange and said crush button being positioned within said enclosure
and said outer flange being positioned outside of said
enclosure..Iaddend..Iadd.
15. The packaging structure of claim 14 wherein said at least one
crush button includes an end face, wherein when said packaging
structure is secured by lateral sidewalls of the container, said
end face is positioned closer to an endwall of the container than
other portions of said packaging structure..Iaddend..Iadd.
16. The packaging structure of claim 14 further including a
plurality of crush buttons, with at least one channel extending
between two of said crush buttons..Iaddend..Iadd.
17. The packaging structure of claim 14 wherein said at least one
crush button is of a generally polygonal shaped cross-section, and
includes strength pillars formed at each corner
thereof..Iaddend..Iadd.
18. The packaging structure of claim 14 wherein said flange, said
at least one sidewall portion and said at least one crush button
are integrally formed from a single layer of
material..Iaddend..Iadd.
19. The packaging structure of claim 14 wherein said at least one
sidewall portion has a particular resiliency, and said at least one
sidewall portion also includes a notch formed therein for adjusting
said particular resiliency of said at least one sidewall
portion..Iaddend..Iadd.
20. A packaging structure for packaging an article within a
container comprising:
a flange for receiving a portion of the article, said flange
defining a flange plane extending along the length thereof;
at least one sidewall portion attached to said flange, said at
least one sidewall portion being configured and arranged to extend
in a first direction along a side of the article and to provide
shock protection to at least a portion of the article when the
article is positioned on a first side of said flange plane; and
wherein said at least one sidewall portion includes a middle
portion extending in said first direction between two shoulder
portions, said middle portion being bounded in said first direction
by two faces extending generally transverse to said first direction
such that said middle portion has a height with respect to said
flange plane that is greater than said two shoulder portions and
said middle portion has a different resiliency than said two
shoulder portions, wherein said different resiliency of said middle
portion is created because said middle portion has a wall thickness
that is different from a wall thickness of said shoulder
portions..Iaddend.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to packaging for fragile structures
such as printed circuit boards, disk drives or the like. More
particularly, the invention relates to a flexible, thermally formed
type of plastic packaging, of unitary construction, which is
adapted to hold such fragile articles and to dissipate forces
exerted upon shipping cartons containing such articles in such a
manner that the articles are not damaged if the carton is dropped
or mishandled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Currently, the shipment of fragile articles, regardless of size and
weight, requires special packaging to avoid damage to the articles.
For this purpose, materials such as crumpled paper, nuggets of
expanded foam, and/or preformed expanded polystyrene foam is used
to package fragile articles, including but not limited to
electronic articles such as computer CPUs, computer disk drives,
VCR's and the like. The preformed polystyrene foam material is
often provided in the form of "corners" or other support pieces
which envelope at least portions of the packaged fragile
article.
Aside from being bulky, upon an initial impact, the polystyrene
foam loses virtually all of its shock absorbing qualities. Thus,
fragile articles packaged with rigid pieces of expanded polystyrene
foam as the protective media are susceptible to damage from
repeated shocks to the box or container. A related disadvantage of
such foam packaging is that a relatively thick piece of foam must
be employed to protect a packaged article from impact, even though
only a portion of the foam will be compressed upon impact. Also,
shippers are required to select shipping containers, such as
corrugated boxes, which are substantially larger than the article
being packaged, merely to accommodate sufficient thicknesses of
polystyrene foam which can absorb only one impact.
Another disadvantage of conventional polystyrene foam is that its
bulkiness requires packagers to allot significant warehouse storage
space to the foam packaging elements prior to use. Larger
containers require additional warehouse space, both before and
after assembly, and also take up more space per article shipped in
rail cars or trailers.
Yet another disadvantage of conventional packaging for fragile
articles is that because of its bulkiness, it is not generally
economically feasible to ship the expanded polystyrene foam to a
recycling location. Furthermore, even when the expanded polystyrene
foam is recycled into product, the cost of recycling is relatively
large and, generally, no more than about 25 percent recycled
content can be utilized, with the remainder being virgin material.
Indeed, considering the great quantity of expanded polystyrene foam
which is currently in use to provide fragility packaging and the
general lack of adequate recycling of this material, the adverse
environmental impact is of staggering proportions. The present
invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the
above-identified problems.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,543 discloses a package for
fragile articles which addresses the above-listed problems, and
provides a solution in the form of a unitary package having a
platform portion held a specified distance above the substrate by a
peripheral wall formation which also borders the platform portion.
Shock limiting formations are formed in the sidewall structure for
restricting the movement of the platform portion toward the lower
edge of the peripheral wall upon shock loading of the platform.
It has been found that for some applications, the amount of
thermoformable material required for manufacturing the package is
excessive, and results in an uneconomical solution to the
above-identified packaging problem.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved unitary shock-resistant package for fragile articles which
deforms to absorb shock loading. A related object is to provide
such a package which recovers from such deformation after each
shock loading to absorb additional shock loadings.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an
improved shock resistant package which reduces the space required
for storing large numbers of these packages prior to their use.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved package which employs recyclable material while achieving
the above-listed objects.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
unitary shock-resistant package which economically employs
thermoformable material while achieving the above-listed
objects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, unitary structure for packaging a shock sensitive
article within a container is provided. The structure has a side
flange adapted to contact a side end portion of the article.
Integrally connected to a peripheral portion of the flange is a
peripheral sidewall structure with the sidewall structure having an
inboard wall extending over the side end portion of the article to
contactingly support the article. The sidewall cushions the article
against shocks by having an outboard wall which operably and
supportingly contacts the container and a bridge section integral
with the inboard wall and the outboard wall to cushioningly space
the outboard wall from the inboard wall. The bridge section
resiliently restricts the movement of the inboard wall toward the
outboard wall to dissipate the shock loading. The structure also
includes at least one crush depression integral to the flange and
generally extending away from the article to supportingly contact a
sidewall of the container thereby forming a cushion distance. The
crush depression is configured to absorb shock loading of the
article toward the sidewall of the container.
Preferably, two of the structures are disposed within the container
to contactingly support opposite side portions of the article and
suspend the article from the longitudinal sidewalls of the
container. Also each of the structures has a plurality of sidewall
structures integrally connected to the peripheral edges of the
flange and spaced from each other so that each of the sidewalls may
independently absorb shock loading of the article. The number and
arrangement of the sidewalls is typically predicated by the
configuration of the article. Each of the sidewalls may be uniquely
configured to adjust the resiliency of the sidewall to improve the
shock loading characteristics of the sidewall.
An alternate embodiment of an unitary structure for packaging shock
sensitive article is also provided. In the alternate embodiment, at
least one foldable flap is attached to a distal end portion of one
of the peripheral sidewall structures. The flap includes a planar
portion and a shock absorbing protrusion extending outward from the
planar portion. When the flap is placed in the folded position, the
flap extends along the underside of the sidewall structure with the
shock absorbing protrusion and the crush depressions contactingly
engaging the sidewall of the structure to facilitate the shock
cushioning characteristics of the structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates, in a top perspective view, an article located
in an enclosure in a form of packaging constructed in accordance
with the embodiment of the invention, and also having a package of
the invention positioned along an opposite side of the article;
FIG. 2 illustrates, in a perspective view of the present packaging
structure taken similar to the view of FIG. 1 with a portion shown
cut away;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3--3 of
FIG. 2 and in the direction indicated generally; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to the view of FIG. 1, of an
alternate embodiment of a form of packaging constructed in
accordance with the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides .[.an.].
.Iadd.a .Iaddend.unitary packing structure 10 .[.is.]. .Iadd.as
.Iaddend.shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, the unitary packing
structure 10 is adapted to support and hold a lateral end portion
12a of a shock sensitive article 12 such as a laptop computer or
the like. The packaging structure 10 and a second packaging
structure 14 for holding an opposite lateral end portion of 12b the
article 12, will normally be positioned within a container 16 such
as a box or corrugated carton. The container 16 is formed with
lateral sidewalls 18 and 20. Extending between the sidewalls 18 and
20 are a top wall 22, bottom wall 24 and longitudinal sidewalls 26
and 28. The packaging structures 10, 14 are preferably positioned
to contact the lateral sidewalls 18, 20, and the walls 18-28 are
shown in a relatively tight fitting arrangement about the packaging
structures 10, 14 and article 12. Furthermore, it is contemplated
that with articles 12 having end portions 12a, 12b of similar
configuration and dimensions, the packaging structure 14 will be
similarly constructed to packaging structure 10 but oriented in the
opposite direction, as shown in FIG. 1.
The structure 10 is in the general form of a vertically oriented
tray having a vertically extending central flange 30 which is
adapted to contact and support the article 12 against lateral
movement. The flange 30 has a peripheral edge portion 34 which is
attached to at least one sidewall structure 36 forming part of the
packing structure 10. The sidewall structure 36 forms at least a
portion of an enclosure 35 which, when viewed from the direction in
which the article 16 extends, is generally configured in the shape
of the end portion 12a of the article. Such shapes may take the
form of a polygon or of .[.a.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.arcuate structure
such as a circle or ellipse.
When the end portion 12a of the article 12 is a rectangular
configuration, an upper sidewall 40 may be formed similar to a
lower sidewall 38 but in a reverse orientation to the lower
sidewall and integral with the peripheral edge 34 at the other side
of the flange 30 from the lower sidewall. Also forming portions of
the enclosure 35 is a forward sidewall 44 along and integral with
the forward side of the peripheral edge 34 of the flange 30 and a
rear sidewall 46 positioned on the other side of the flange from
the forward sidewall. The enclosure 35 formed by the sidewalls
extends about the end portion 12a of the article 12 to hold the
article in a suspended relationship relative to the container
.[.12.]. .Iadd.16.Iaddend..
The forward and rearward sidewalls 44, 46 are configured
differently from the lower and upper sidewalls .[.36.].
.Iadd.38.Iaddend., 40. As is described below, the difference in
configuration is important in the dissipation of the shocks applied
to the package. Also the packaging structure conforms to the shape
of the end portion 12a of the article 12 to reduce the size of the
packaging structure. However, components and features which are
shared by the sidewalls 38, 40, 44, 46 have been designated with
identical .[.references.]. .Iadd.reference .Iaddend.numerals.
Referring also to FIG. 2, the sidewall structures 38-46 have an
inner wall 48 with a distal end portion 50 which is integral with
the peripheral edge portion 34 of the flange 30. The inner wall 48
extends .[.inward.]. .Iadd.inwardly .Iaddend.from the flange 30 and
about the end portion 12a of the article 12. The sidewall
structures 38-46, have outer walls 54 which are spaced from the
inner walls 48 to form a hollow cushion spacing 55. A proximal end
56 of the outer wall 54 is joined to a proximal end 58 of the inner
wall 48 by a transverse bridge section 60. Referring back to FIG.
1, a distal end portion 61 of the outer wall 54 supportingly
contacts the top wall 22, bottom wall 24 and front and back
sidewalls 26, 28 of the container 12. As best shown in FIG. 3,
preferably the distal end portion 61 is vertically aligned with the
flange 30. The inner wall 48 and outer wall 54 are formed with a
slight draft as the walls extend inward, so that a number of
packaging structures 10 may be nestingly stacked during
storage.
To allow shocks to be dissipated through the structure 10, the
structure is formed of a flexible, resilient, preferably polymeric
material. The shocks are primarily dissipated by the flexibility
and resiliency of the bridge section 60 which forms a biasing and
dampening arrangement 62 to maintain the cushion separation of the
outer wall 54 from the inner wall 48 during shock loading. Should
shock loading of the article 12 cause a force to be applied by the
article on the inner wall 48 thereby deforming the inner wall and
moving the inner wall toward the outer wall 54, the flexing and
resiliency of the bridge section 60 causes the bridge section to
apply an opposing biasing force on the inner wall to dissipate the
shock loading force.
In addition, after flexing, the resiliency of the material causes
the inner wall 48 and outer wall 54 to return or recover to their
original shape and position. An advantage of this flexibility and
resiliency is that the present packaging structure 10 may absorb
repeated shock impacts without deteriorating. Preferably the bridge
section 60 is formed with an arcuate, generally semicircular
.[.cross sectional.]. .Iadd.cross-sectional .Iaddend.configuration
so that the flexing of the bridge is spread over the length of the
bridge. The bridge section 60 may also be formed with planar
portions.
Any of a number of polymeric materials can be utilized to form the
unitary packing structure 10. Generally such materials will
.Iadd.be .Iaddend.characterized by the physical properties of
durability, elasticity, or "memory", high and low stability, and
thermoformability. Particularly useful for forming the unitary
packing structure 10 is high density polyethylene (HDPE), although
other polymeric materials may be equally suitable, depending upon
the application. High density polyethylene generally has a
stiffness of about 150,000 PSI. This provides sufficient
flexibility for the purposes of the present invention and
sufficient resiliency so that the packaging structure 10 returns or
recovers to its original loaded or less stress state following
absorption of a shock. If desired, the HDPE used in making the
packaging structure 10 may be recycled, post-consumer material.
It will be noted that the end portion 12a of the shock sensitive
article 12 is in a relatively tight fit against the inner walls 48
of the lower sidewall 38, upper sidewall 40, forward sidewall 44
and rearward sidewall 46. Indeed, for better shock protection, it
is preferred that the inner walls 48 be adapted and integral with
the peripheral edge portion 34 of the flange 30 to pressingly
engage and hold the article 12 when the article is positioned
within the sidewalls.
It will also be noted that with the lower sidewall 38, upper
sidewall 40, forward sidewall 44 and rearward sidewall 46 forming
the enclosure 35 which surrounds the end portion 12a, shocks which
are applied to the article 12 in a direction generally parallel to
the flange 30, such as by dropping the container 16, will be
primarily absorbed and dissipated by the flexure and resiliency of
the bridge section 60 and inner and outer walls 48, 54 of one or
more of the sidewalls.
Referring to FIG. 2, the lateral edge 64 of the inner wall 48,
lateral edge 66 of the bridge section 60 and lateral edge 68 of the
outer wall 54 are integral with and connected to end faces 70.
Referring back to FIG. 2, it has also been found that the greater
the longitudinal length of a wall such as the outer wall 54 or
inner wall 48, the greater the flexibility and less resiliency of a
portion of the wall the farther that portion is away from the
lateral edges 64, 68 of the wall. For example, the midpoint of the
inner wall 48 or outer wall 54 between the lateral edges 66, 68
typically is the most flexible and has the least resiliency. In
certain instances the portion may have too much flexibility to
absorb shocks. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, intermediate
resilient strength corners 80 are formed in the lower sidewall and
upper sidewall 40 by forming a notch 82 in a middle portion 84 of
the sidewalls. The strength corners 80 are defined by the
connection between intermediate faces 86, which are integrally
connected to and extend between the inner wall 48, outer wall 54
and bridge section 60, and the bridge section 60 of the notch
82.
The packaging structure 10 is .[.preferable.]. .Iadd.preferably
.Iaddend.thermoformed from a sheet of polymeric material which is
transformed into the packing structure. The sheet would generally
.Iadd.be .Iaddend.from 10 to about 90 gauge (MILS) in thickness. In
addition to thermoforming, it is contemplating that the packaging
structure 10 may also be produced by injection molding. Regardless
of the method of manufacturing, the particular thickness of the
polymeric material making up the sidewalls 38, 40, 44, and 46 is a
function of the specific properties of the polymeric material
itself and the weight and shape of the shock sensitive article.
As is well known, in the typical thermoforming process the
thickness of the various components of the article is dependent on
the initial thickness of the sheet of polymeric material and also
the surface area of the component which is formed from that sheet.
For example, in the packaging structure 10, the farther inward a
sidewall, such as the upper sidewall 40, extends from the flange 30
the more surface area of the sidewall. The more surface area, the
thinner the sidewall becomes. As the walls become thinner, the
flexibility increases and the resiliency tends to decrease.
Therefore, in the preferred embodiment, the lower sidewall 38,
upper sidewall 40, forward sidewall 44 and rearward sidewall 46 are
uniquely configured to vary the thickness of the material along the
length of the sidewall thereby enhancing the shock absorbing
characteristics of the packaging structure 10. For example, as
noted above, a middle portion 84 of the upper and lower sidewalls
38, 40 tends to have greater flexibility and less resiliency than
end portions 88 of those sidewalls. By forming the notch 82, the
middle portion 84 extends inward from the flange 30 for less
distance than the end portions 88. Thus, the inner wall 48 and
outer wall 54 of the middle portion 84 is typically thicker than
the inner wall 48 and outer wall 54 of the outer portions 88 which
decreases the elasticity and increases the resiliency and shock
absorbing characteristics of the middle portion 84.
When packaging a shock sensitive article 12 having a plank like
rectangular configuration, the forward sidewall 44 and rear
sidewall 46 have a much shorter longitudinal length than the upper
sidewall 40 and lower sidewall .[.36.]. .Iadd.38.Iaddend.. The
short longitudinal length places the two end faces in close
proximity to each other potentially causing the inner wall 48 to be
too rigid thereby lessening the shock absorbing characteristics of
those sidewalls. To increase the flexibility of the inner wall 48,
a middle portion 94 of the forward and rear sidewalls 44, 46 is
extended inward a greater distance than the outer portions 96 and
forms a middle shoulder 98. The increase in height of the middle
portion 94 decreases the wall thickness of the middle portion
thereby decreasing the resiliency and increasing the flexibility of
the inner wall 48, outer wall 54 and bridge section 60 to enhance
the shock absorbing characteristics.
The sides of the shoulder 98 are formed by intermediate faces 100
which are integrally connected to and extend between the inner wall
48, outer wall 54 and bridge section 60. Corners 101 are formed at
the connection of the faces 100 and bridge section 60 of the
sidewalls 44, 46. The corners 101 strengthens the forward and rear
sidewalls 44, 46.
Referring to FIG. 2, the packaging structure 10 can be formed so
that the lower sidewall .[.36.]. .Iadd.38.Iaddend., upper sidewall
40, forward sidewall 44 and rearward sidewall 46 may independently
absorb shocks applied to the shock sensitive article 12 by being
separated from each other by lands 102. The intersection of the
lands 102 and end faces 70 also form resilient strength corners 103
to resiliently maintain the separation of the inner wall 48 from
the outer wall 54 during shock loading of the article.
The lands may be aligned with the flange 30 preferably by being
co-planar with the flange. It is also contemplated that the
sidewalls, for example the lower sidewall .[.36.].
.Iadd.38.Iaddend., may be composed of one or more segments of
sidewalls, separated by lands 102.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the packaging structure 10 is also
formed with at least one crush depression or crush button 110 for
absorbing shocks which are applied to the article 12 in a direction
generally normal to the plane of the flange 30 or along the
longitudinal length of the article 12. The crush button 110 is
formed with lower end face 112 which is configured to contactingly
engage the left lateral sidewall 18 (FIG. 1) and right lateral
sidewall 20. The distance between the flange 30 and the sidewall 18
established by the button 110 defines a cushion distance "d".
The end face 112 is integrally connected to the flange 30 by a
sidewall 114. For stability, the crush button 110 is located within
the sidewalls .[.36.]. .Iadd.38.Iaddend., 40, 44, 46. The crush
button 110 primarily dissipates shocks applied to the shock
absorbing article 12 by flexing and deformation of the sidewall
114. The elasticity of the material forming the sidewall 114 allows
the packaging structure 10 to accommodate repeated shocks.
The packaging structure 10 is preferably formed with three crush
.[.button.]. .Iadd.buttons .Iaddend.110, .Iadd.each .Iaddend.having
a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration such that
four rounded corners 120 extend from the flange 30 to the end face
112 for each button. The corners 120 form strength pillars 121 for
increases strength. In addition, channels 122 may extend between
adjacent buttons 110. At the juncture 124 of the channels 122 and
crush buttons, additional strength corners 126 are formed to
increase the strength of the buttons 110.
Referring now to FIG. 1, if an end portion 12a of an article is
positioned within a unitary packing structure 10, and the opposing
end portion 12b is placed within another such structure 14, and the
combination of the packaging structure and shock sensitive article
is placed in the container .[.14.]. .Iadd.16.Iaddend., a typical
shipping arrangement will result. To facilitate the insertion of
the packaging structure into the container .[.14.].
.Iadd.16.Iaddend., corner notches or radii 128 may be formed on all
four corners.
If this arrangement is shocked, as by dropping it, there will be a
resulting force downwardly upon the lower sidewall .[.36.].
.Iadd.38.Iaddend.. In response to the force, the inner wall 48 will
be forcefully flexed and forced toward the outer wall 54, which
contacts one of the longitudinal walls 22-28, causing a flexing of
the bridge portion 60. The force applied to the sidewall .[.36.].
.Iadd.38 .Iaddend.is then dampened and dissipated through the
flexure and resiliency or the inner wall 48 and the exertion of the
opposing force applied by the bridge section 60. After the force
has been dissipated, the elasticity of the sidewall .[.36.].
.Iadd.38 .Iaddend.and resiliency of the bridge section 60 causes
the sidewall to return to its original configuration.
Should the shock loading force by applied generally toward a
lateral sidewall 18, 20, for example by dropping the container on
an end, the sidewalls 114 of the crush buttons 110 may bow to
absorb and dissipate the shock. After the shock has been dissipated
the sidewalls 114 recover due to the resiliency.
Referring to FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the unitary packing
structure is generally indicated at 200. The packing structure 200
is similar to the packing structure 10 (FIG. 1), but also includes
at least one and preferably a plurality of foldable, shock
absorbing flaps 202. The flap includes a planar leaf 204 integrally
attached to at least one shock absorbing protrusion 205 such as
crush button 206.
The flap 202 is preferably integrally and hingably attached to the
distal end portion 61 so that it may fold from a first or
straightened position, wherein the leaf 204 is generally co-planar
with the flange 30, to a second or folded position 202a. In the
folded position 202a, the leaf extends below .Iadd.the flange 30
.Iaddend.and the crush buttons 206 are positioned below one of the
sidewall structures 36. Also, in the folded position 202a, crush
buttons 206 and the crush buttons 110 contactingly engage the
lateral sidewall 20 of the container 16 to establish the cushion
distance d between the flange 30 and sidewall 20.
The crush buttons 206 may be similarly configured to the crush
buttons 110 and include an end face 208 and sidewalls 210. For
stability, the flap 202 is preferably formed with a plurality of
crush buttons 206 which are eveningly distributed along the surface
of the leaf 204. In addition, the leaf 204 is dimensioned and the
crush buttons 206 are positioned so that when the flap 202 is
folded, the crush buttons 206 are disposed between the crush
buttons 110 and distal end 61.
Referring also to FIG. 2, the flap 202 may be attached to the
distal end portion 61 adjacent any of the sidewalls 36, 40, 44, 46.
Also, the packing structure 200 may be formed with one flap 202 or
a plurality of flaps depending on desired shock absorbing
characteristics. For example, the packaging structure 200 may
include two flaps attached to distal portion 61 of opposite
sidewalls 36. The flaps 202 provide additional cushioning against
shock loading forces which are applied to container 16 at a
location in close proximity to an edge 214 between two sidewalls
such as sidewall 20 and longitudinal sidewall 28. The shock
absorbing protrusion 205 may also be formed in other configurations
such as a shape which mimics the configuration of the sidewall
structures 36.
A specific embodiment of the novel packaging for fragile articles
within a container according to the present invention has been
described for the purposes of illustrating the manner in which the
invention may be made and used. It should be understood that
implementation of other variations, and modifications of the
invention in its various aspects will be apparent to those skilled
the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific
embodiment described. It is therefore contemplated to cover by the
present invention any and all modifications, variations, or
equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic
underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.
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