초록 ▼

New molded pulp and molded fiber structures provide interior package cushioning to protect products shipped in a package. The molded pulp fiber interior package cushioning (IPC) structure defines a cavity for receiving and holding a product to be shipped. The IPC structure incorporates a plurality o

New molded pulp and molded fiber structures provide interior package cushioning to protect products shipped in a package. The molded pulp fiber interior package cushioning (IPC) structure defines a cavity for receiving and holding a product to be shipped. The IPC structure incorporates a plurality of structural ribs in the form of elongate hollow ridges molded in the IPC structure and extending between different locations for reinforcing the IPC structure between the locations. The IPC structure comprises intersecting ribs extending in at least two orthogonal directions or axes. The ribs are crushable structures positioned and distributed around the cavity for protecting a product in the cavity by crushing and absorbing energy in response to mechanical shock acceleration caused by impacts and vibration accelerations imparted by transport modes, for accelerations approaching a design limit or threshold acceleration at which damage or breakage may occur to a sensitive element of the product shipped in the package. The IPC structure also incorporates a plurality of structural pods in the form of hollow recesses or wells substantially symmetrical in cross section and molded with selected depths in the IPC structure at different locations. The pods are also crushable structures positioned and distributed around the cavity to provide additional protection for a product.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A new method of interior package cushioning for protecting products shipped in a package comprising:forming at least one molded pulp fiber interior package cushioning (IPC) structure defining a cavity for receiving and holding a product to be shipped;forming a plurality of structur

[ We claim:] [1.] A new method of interior package cushioning for protecting products shipped in a package comprising:forming at least one molded pulp fiber interior package cushioning (IPC) structure defining a cavity for receiving and holding a product to be shipped;forming a plurality of structural ribs in the form of elongate hollow ridges molded in the IPC structure and extending between different locations on the IPC structure for reinforcing the IPC structure between the locations, said IPC structure comprising intersecting ribs extending in at least two orthogonal directions or axes relative to each other;forming said ribs to function as crushable structures positioned and distributed around the cavity of the IPC structure for crushing and absorbing energy in response to accelerations approaching a design limit or threshold acceleration;loading a product in the cavity and packing the IPC structure in a package for shipping;protecting a product in the cavity of the IPC structure shipped in the package by crushing and absorbing energy at said rib crushable structures in response to mechanical shock acceleration caused by corner drops, edge drops, face drops, and horizontal impacts of the package, and in response to vibration acceleration imparted to the package by transport modes, for accelerations approaching a design limit or threshold acceleration at which damage or breakage may occur to a sensitive element of the product shipped in the package;and forming a friction fit cavity with crush ribs protruding into the cavity, said crush ribs defining at least one cavity width dimension less than a corresponding width dimension of a product to be contained in the cavity, and partially crushing fibers of the crush ribs upon forcing a product into the friction fit cavity, to provide an inelastic vibration damping friction fit cavity and crush rib combination structure. [4.] A new structure for interior package cushioning to protect products shipped in a package comprising:at least one molded pulp fiber interior package cushioning (IPC) structure formed with at least one cavity defining a cavity surface for receiving and holding a product to be shipped;said IPC structure comprising a plurality of structural ribs in the form of elongate hollow ridges molded in the IPC structure and extending between different locations on the IPC structure for reinforcing the IPC structure between the locations, said structural ribs of the IPC structure comprising intersecting ribs extending in two orthogonal elongate directions relative to each other;a product having a breakable element held in said cavity contacting the cavity surface, said breakable element being subject to breakage at a threshold acceleration;said structural ribs comprising crushable structures positioned and distributed around the cavity of the IPC structure with the bottoms of the structural ribs being spaced from the cavity surface and being constructed for protecting a product held in the cavity by crushing and absorbing energy in response to any mechanical shock and vibration accelerations imparted to the package exceeding said threshold acceleration and by limiting accelerations transmitted to the product to accelerations up to said threshold acceleration;a friction fit cavity formed with crush ribs protruding into the cavity, said crush ribs defining at least one cavity width dimension less than a corresponding width dimension of a product to be contained in the cavity, said friction fit cavity and crush ribs being constructed to cause partial crushing of fibers of the crush ribs upon forcing a product into the friction fit cavity, to provide an inelastic vibration damping friction fit cavity ad crush rib combination structure. [8.] A new structure for interior package cushioning to protect one or more products shipped in a package comprising:a tray of molded pulp fiber having one or more cavities each for receiving and holding a product;one or more products held in said one or more cavities, each product having a breakable element subject to breakage at a threshold acceleration;one or more structural ribs each in the form of an elongate hollow ridge in the tray for reinforcing the tray; andat least one structural rib comprising a podded rib formed with at least three pods in the form of hollow recesses substantially symmetrical in cross section around a central axis and closely spaced adjacent to each other, the podded rib being positioned on the tray to crush and absorb energy transmitted to the package when the package is subjected to acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold acceleration, thereby reducing the amount of force transmitted to the products due to acceleration to less than the force generated by the threshold acceleration. [13.] A new structure for interior package cushioning to protect one or more products shipped in a package, comprising:a tray of molded pulp fiber having one or more cavities each for receiving and holding a product;one or more products held in said one or more cavities, each product having a breakable element subject to breakage at a threshold acceleration;one or more structural ribs each in the form of an elongate hollow ridge in the tray for reinforcing the tray; andat least one structural rib comprises a podded rib formed with a row of at least three pods in the form of hollow recesses substantially symmetrical in cross section around a central axis and closely spaced adjacent to each other in a linear sequence, the podded rib being positioned on the tray to crush and absorb energy transmitted to the package when the package is subjected to acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold acceleration, thereby reducing the amount of force transmitted to the products due to acceleration to less than the force generated by the threshold acceleration. The structure according to claim 13, wherein the pods have a depth greater than the depth of the cavities. The structure according to claim 13, further comprising a package for holding one or more of the structures holding the products being shipped. The structure according to claim 15, wherein when the package is subjected to force, the structure transfers the force to a relatively strong part of a product being shipped. [17.] A new structure for interior package cushioning to protect one or more products shipped in a package, comprising:a tray of molded pulp fiber having one or more cavities each for receiving and holding a product;one or more products held in said one or more cavities, each product having a breakable element subject to breakage at a threshold acceleration; anda plurality of structural pods in the tray comprising at least three pods closely spaced adjacent to each other and positioned on the tray to crush and absorb energy transmitted to the package when the package is subjected to acceleration equal to or greater than the threshold acceleration, thereby reducing the amount of force transmitted to the products due to acceleration to less than the force generated by the threshold acceleration. The structure according to claim 17, wherein the pods have a depth greater than the depth of the cavities. The structure according to claim 17, wherein the pods are arranged in a linear sequence.