초록 ▼

A dunnage-free product-shipping assembly comprising a support member securable to the product in a substantially fixed position. A shipping container has an interior area sized to removably contain the support member. The shipping container has a base and sidewalls projecting from the base. The si

A dunnage-free product-shipping assembly comprising a support member securable to the product in a substantially fixed position. A shipping container has an interior area sized to removably contain the support member. The shipping container has a base and sidewalls projecting from the base. The sidewalls restrict lateral movement of the support member relative to the base. A closure member is movable between an open position and a closed position. The closure member is out of engagement with the support member and the product when in the closed position. A retention flap is connected to one of the sidewalls and is movable between engaged and released positions. The retention flap, when in the engaged position, restricts movement of the support member and the product in a direction normal to the base. When the retention flap is in the released position, the support member and product can be moved normally relative to the base for removal from the shipping container.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A product-shipping assembly usable to ship at least one product without dunnage, comprising: a support member secured to the product, the product being in a substantially fixed position relative to the support member, the support member having an edge portion; and a shipping container

We claim: 1. A product-shipping assembly usable to ship at least one product without dunnage, comprising: a support member secured to the product, the product being in a substantially fixed position relative to the support member, the support member having an edge portion; and a shipping container having an interior area sized to removably contain the support member when the product is secured to the support member, the shipping container comprising: a base; sidewalls projecting from the base, the sidewalls being adjacent to the edge portion of the support member and restricting lateral movement of the support member relative to the base when the support member is in the interior area; a closure member movable relative to the sidewalls between an open position and a closed position, the closure member being out of engagement with the support member and the product; and a retention flap connected to a particular sidewall of the sidewalls, the retention flap configured to be positioned in an engaged position and a released position, the retention flap being movable relative to the particular sidewall between the engaged position and the released position, wherein the retention flap has a free edge; wherein the retention flap is configured to be positioned inward into the interior area prior to and during insertion of the support member secured to the product into the shipping container, wherein the retention flap is configured to be positioned in the engaged position subsequent to said insertion of the support member secured to the product into the shipping container; wherein when the retention flap is in the engaged position, the free edge is spaced apart from the particular sidewall and apart from the base and positioned over the support member proximate to the edge portion of the support member such that the free edge restricts movement of the support member in a direction normal to the base; and wherein when the retention flap is in the released position the free edge of the retention flap is spaced apart from the edge portion and allows movement of the support member in a direction normal to the base allowing removal of the support member from the interior area. 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retention flap is pivotally connected to the one of the sidewalls and has a first height, the closure member is pivotally connected to a second one of the sidewalls and has a second height greater than the first height. 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the closure flap is a major flap and the retention flap is a minor flap. 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retention flap is integrally connected to the one of the sidewalls and has a first height, the sidewall has a second height greater than the first height. 5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retention flap is biased toward the engaged position. 6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the shipping container is a cardboard box. 7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the support member is flush against the base. 8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the support member is a substantially rigid, planar member positionable in direct engagement with the base. 9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the support member is rigid cardboard. 10. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a securing member connectable to the support member and configured to restrict motion of the product relative to the support member. 11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retention flap has at least one of beveled, rounded, and nonperpendicular corner areas. 12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the shipping container has a tab portion positionable to support the closure member when the closure member is in the closed position. 13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a portion of the retention flap forms a closure tab connected to the one of the sidewalls, the closure tab being immediately adjacent to the closure member when the closure tab is in the closed position. 14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retention flap automatically moves to the engaged position after the support member is positioned in the interior area in a packed position. 15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retention flap in the released position is immediately adjacent to the one of the sidewalls with the free edge spaced laterally away from the edge portion of the support member. 16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retention flap is a first retention flap and the one of the sidewalls is a first sidewall, the shipping container having a second retention flap connected to a second one of the sidewalls opposite the first sidewall. 17. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the base, the sidewalls, the closure member, and the retention flap are integrally connected together and formed from a single sheet of material. 18. A product-shipping assembly, comprising: a product-support structure having edge portions and a central support portion; a product coupled to the central support portion; a securing member releasably fixing the product to the product-support structure to form a shippable unit, the securing member substantially restricting movement of the product relative to the product-support structure; and a container with an interior area sized to removably contain the shippable unit in a packed position, the container comprising: a base configured to support the shippable unit in the interior area; side panels connected to the base, and end panels connected to the base and extending between the side panels, the side panels and end panels being adjacent to the shippable unit and restricting lateral movement of the shippable unit relative to the base, the side panels and end panels having a first height; major flaps pivotally connected to the side panels and movable between an open position to provide access to the interior area and a closed position to removably cover the interior area, the major flaps being out of engagement with the product-support structure and the product; and minor flaps pivotally connected to respective ones of the end panels, the minor flaps having a second height less than the first height, wherein each of the minor flaps is configured to be positioned in a released position and an engaged position and being moveable therebetween, wherein each minor flap includes a respective free edge; wherein the minor flaps are configured to be positioned inward into the interior area prior to and during insertion of the shippable unit into the shipping container, wherein the minor flaps are configured to be positioned in the engaged position subsequent to said insertion of the shippable unit into the shipping container; wherein when the minor flaps are in the engaged position, the free edge of each minor flap is positioned apart from the respective end panel and positioned over the product-support structure proximate to the edge portions of the product-support structure such that the free edges restrict movement of the shippable unit normal to the base; and wherein when the minor flaps are in the released position, the free edges of the minor flaps are positioned such that the shippable unit is removable from the interior area. 19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the product-support structure is a substantially rigid, planar member. 20. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the product-support structure is positionable flush against the base. 21. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the securing member is heat-shrink wrapping film. 22. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the minor flaps have at least one of beveled, rounded, and nonperpendicular corner areas. 23. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the container has tab portions adjacent to the minor flaps and positionable to support the major flaps when the major flaps are in the closed position. 24. The assembly of claim 18, further comprising closure tabs connected to the end panels adjacent to the minor flaps, the closure tabs engaging the major flaps when in the closed position. 25. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the minor flaps automatically move to the engaged position after the product-support structure is positioned in the interior area in a packed position. 26. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the minor flaps in the released position are immediately adjacent to the end panels with free edges of the minor flaps spaced laterally apart from one of the edge portions of the product-support structure. 27. A shipping assembly usable to ship at least one product without dunnage, comprising: a support member secured to the product to hold the product in a substantially fixed position relative to the support member, the support member having an edge portion; and a shipping box having a base, sidewalls connected to the base to define an interior area, and a flap connected to a particular sidewall of the sidewalls, the sidewalls positioned such that when the support member is removably positioned in the interior area with the edge portion substantially adjacent to the sidewalls, and the support member is restricted from lateral movement relative to the base, the flap having first and second positions and being movable relative to the particular sidewall therebetween, the flap having a free end, wherein the flap is configured to be positioned inward into the interior area prior to and during insertion of the support member secured to the product into the shipping container, wherein the retention flap is configured to be positioned in the first position subsequent to said insertion of the support member secured to the product into the shipping container; wherein when the flap is in the first position, the free end is positioned apart from the particular sidewall and positioned over the support member adjacent to the edge portion of the support member such that the free end restricts movement of the support member in a direction normal to the base; and wherein when the flap is in the second position, the free end is positioned such that removal of the support member from the interior area in a direction at least partially normal to the base is not restricted. 28. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the shipping box has a closure member connected to another one of the sidewalls and movable between open and closed positions. 29. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the flap is a minor flap having a first height, and the shipping box has a major flap connected to another one of the sidewalls, the major flap having a second height greater than the first height. 30. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the flap is biased toward the first position. 31. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the support member is a substantially rigid, planar member. 32. The shipping assembly of claim 27, further comprising a securing member connectable to the support member and the product to restrict motion of the product relative to the support member. 33. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the support member has at least one shaped corner portion spaced apart from the sidewalls and sized to allow engagement of the support member for removal from the interior area when the flap is in the second position. 34. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the support member is flush against the base. 35. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the flap in the second position is immediately adjacent to the one of the sidewalls with a free edge of the flap spaced laterally away from the edge portion of the support member. 36. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the flap is a first retention flap and the one of the sidewalls is a first sidewall, and the shipping box has a second retention flap connected to a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall. 37. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the base, the sidewalls, and the flap are integrally connected together and formed from a single sheet of material. 38. The shipping assembly of claim 27 wherein the flap automatically moves to the first position after the support member is positioned in the interior area in a packed position.