Method for forming a shipping support for a washing machine appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876244-B2
Application number	US-201816037262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Jul 17, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A method for forming a shipping support for a washing machine appliance includes attaching an elongated post to a corrugated sheet. The elongated post is oriented perpendicular to flutes of the corrugated sheet when the elongated post is attached to the corrugated sheet. The method also includes attaching the corrugated sheet to a frame. The frame has a truncated pyramid base at a center of the frame. The truncated pyramid base is formed with a plurality of supports attached to a plurality of flaps of the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a shipping support for a washing machine appliance, comprising:
attaching an elongated post to a corrugated sheet; and
attaching the corrugated sheet to a frame, the frame having a truncated pyramid base at a center of the frame, the truncated pyramid base formed with a plurality of supports attached to a plurality of flaps of the frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corrugated sheet has a width along a lateral direction, the elongated post has a length along a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the lateral direction, and the width of the corrugated sheet is about equal to the length of the elongated post.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated post is oriented perpendicular to flutes of the corrugated sheet when the elongated post is attached to the corrugated sheet.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the flutes of the corrugated sheet extend longitudinally along a lateral direction when the elongated post is attached to the corrugated sheet, and the elongated post extends longitudinally along a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the lateral direction when the elongated post is attached to the corrugated sheet.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising attaching an additional corrugated sheet to the elongated post, the elongated post positioned between the corrugated sheet and the additional corrugated sheet when the elongated post is attached to the corrugated sheet and the additional corrugated sheet.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated post is a plurality of elongated posts, each of the plurality of elongated posts attached to the corrugated sheet.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the corrugated sheet is positioned between the frame and the plurality of elongated posts when the corrugated sheet is attached to the frame.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of elongated posts defines a pair of notches, and each of the pair of notches is sized and positioned for receiving a respective leveling leg of the washing machine appliance.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising attaching an additional corrugated sheet to the plurality of elongated posts, the plurality of elongated posts positioned between the corrugated sheet and the additional corrugated sheet when the plurality of elongated posts is attached to the corrugated sheet and the additional corrugated sheet.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated post is a wood elongated post.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the elongated post to the corrugated sheet further comprises attaching a plurality of spacer blocks to the corrugated sheet or the frame.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein attaching the elongated post and the plurality of spacer blocks to the corrugated sheet or the frame comprises stapling, adhering or both stapling and adhering the elongated post and the plurality of spacer blocks to the corrugated sheet or the frame.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of spacer blocks are foam spacer blocks.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the elongated post to the corrugated sheet comprises stapling, adhering or both stapling and adhering the elongated post to the corrugated sheet.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the corrugated sheet to the frame comprises stapling, adhering or both stapling and adhering the corrugated sheet or the elongated post to the frame.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame is a corrugated fiberboard frame, and the corrugated sheet is a corrugated fiberboard sheet.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the truncated pyramid base is hollow.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corrugated sheet has a plurality of notches, each notch of the plurality of notches is positioned at a respective corner of the corrugated sheet, and each of the plurality of notches is sized and positioned for receiving a respective leveling leg of the washing machine appliance.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame has a plurality of notches, each notch of the plurality of notches is positioned at a respective corner of the frame, and each of the plurality of notches is sized and positioned for receiving a respective leveling leg of the washing machine appliance.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated post is positioned between the corrugated sheet and the frame when the corrugated sheet is attached to the frame.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated post is attached to a center the corrugated sheet.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Tobbe Joseph Duane
• Kocian Scott Jeffrey
• Thomas Richard Michael

Classifications

• D06F39/001 Primary

  Arrangements for transporting, moving, or setting washing machines; Protective arrangements for use during transport (transport in general B65) · CPC title

• B65D2519/00815

  on the pallet · CPC title

• B65D81/05

  maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents ({B65D81/022, B65D81/025, } B65D81/03 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D19/44

  Elements or devices for locating articles on platforms · CPC title

• B65D2581/02

  specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage · CPC title