Flexible shipping package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11124346-B2
Application number	US-201916516173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2018
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A shipping package having a flexible inner sheet having a first surface and a second surface. The package has an article reservoir for accepting an article to be shipped and one or more expansion chambers. The expansion chambers can be inflated or otherwise expanded to provide structure to the package and to protect the article in the article reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shipping package for shipping one or more articles contained within the shipping package, the shipping package comprising:
a. a flexible inner sheet having a first surface and a second surface, an inner sheet first portion and an inner sheet second portion;
b. a flexible outer sheet having an outer sheet first portion and an outer sheet second portion, at least a part of the outer sheet first portion being connected to the first surface of the inner sheet to form one or more primary expansion chambers therebetween, the inner sheet second portion extending from the inner sheet first portion and being folded back onto the second surface of the inner sheet first portion to form an article reservoir between the inner sheet second portion and the inner sheet first portion, the article reservoir being adapted to contain the one or more articles;
c. an expansion port in fluid connection with the one or more primary expansion chambers through which an expansion material can be introduced into the one or more expansion chambers;
d. a closeable opening into which the one or more articles may be inserted; and
e. an article retrieval feature that allows a user to open the package and retrieve the one or more articles from the article reservoir,
wherein the outer sheet has an inner surface facing the inner sheet and an outer surface opposite of the inner surface and wherein the shipping package further includes a secondary outer sheet disposed adjacent the outer surface of the outer sheet and is at least partially joined thereto, the secondary outer sheet and the outer sheet forming one or more secondary expansion chambers and the one or more secondary expansion chambers provides structural rigidity and/or shape to the shipping package when in an expanded configuration, where at least one of the primary expansion chambers is in fluid communication with at least one of the one or more secondary expansion chambers, the one or more primary expansion chambers and the one or more secondary expansion chambers positioned to provide at least one relatively flat portion on an outer surface of the package.

2. The shipping package of claim 1 further including a vent disposed in fluid communication with the article reservoir.

3. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the inner sheet, the outer sheet and/or the secondary outer sheet is resistant to water.

4. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the one or more secondary expansion chambers provide protection to the one or more articles disposed within the package from physical forces when the one or more secondary expansion chambers are in the expanded configuration.

5. The shipping package of claim 1 having two or more secondary expansion chambers, wherein at least some of the secondary expansion chambers are independent from each other.

6. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the inner sheet, the outer sheet and/or the secondary outer sheet is printed.

7. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein at least one of the inner sheet, the outer and/or the secondary outer sheet is made of a material different than at least one other of the inside sheet, the outer and/or the secondary outer sheet.

8. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the article retrieval feature, when activated, both opens the shipping package and deflates one or more of the one or more secondary expansion chambers.

9. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the article retrieval feature, when activated, opens the shipping package and deflates one or more of the primary expansion chambers.

10. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the inner sheet, the outer sheet and/or the secondary outer sheet is translucent or opaque.

11. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more primary expansion chambers is permanently destroyed upon activation of the article retrieval feature.

12. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the article retrieval feature includes a tear strip.

13. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the shipping package has an unexpanded thickness and an expanded thickness, and wherein the unexpanded thickness is less than 1/50 of the expanded thickness.

14. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the shipping package has a deflated thickness that is less than 1/10 of the expanded thickness.

15. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the second surface of the inner sheet is in contact with the one or more articles when the one or more articles are disposed in the article reservoir.

16. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the second surface of the inner sheet at least partially immobilizes the one or more articles within the article reservoir when the one or more primary expansion chambers are in an expanded configuration.

17. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the shipping package consists of or consists essentially of a flexible material.

18. The shipping package of claim 1 having no structural support feature other than the primary and/or secondary expansion chambers.

19. The shipping package of claim 1 having two or more primary expansion chambers, wherein at least some of the two or more primary expansion chambers are independent from each other or are in fluid communication with each other.

20. The disposable expandable shipping package of claim 1 , wherein the article retrieval feature provides access to the article reservoir when deployed, but does not deflate or otherwise interfere with any of the expansion chambers.

21. The disposable expandable shipping package of claim 20 , wherein the article retrieval feature is disposed over the article reservoir.

22. A disposable expandable shipping package for shipping one or more articles contained within the shipping package, the shipping package comprising:
a. a flexible inner sheet having an inner sheet first portion, an inner sheet second portion, an inner sheet first surface, an inner sheet second surface;
b. a flexible outer sheet having an outer sheet first portion, and an outer sheet second portion, at least a portion of the outer sheet first portion being joined to the first surface of the inner sheet first portion to form one or more first primary expansion chambers therebetween, and at least a part of the outer sheet second portion being joined to the first surface of the inner sheet second portion to form one or more second primary expansion chambers therebetween; at least a portion of the second surface of the inner sheet first portion disposed in face-to-face relationship with and joined to a portion of the second surface of the second portion of the inner sheet forming an article reservoir therebetween;
c. an expansion port in fluid connection with at least one of the first primary or second primary expansion chambers through which an expansion material can be introduced into the expansion chamber;
d. a closeable opening into which the one or more articles may be inserted, the opening extending from an exterior of the package to the article reservoir; and
e. an article retrieval feature that allows a user to open the package and retrieve the one or more articles from the article reservoir,
wherein the outer sheet has an inner surface and outer surface, the inner surface facing the inner sheet, and wherein a secondary outer sheet material disposed adjacent the outer surface of at least a portion of the outer sheet and is joined thereto to fo

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Borrero Susana E
• Mcguire Kenneth Stephen
• Arent Lee Mathew

Classifications

• B65D75/58

  Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture {(B65D75/36, B65D85/1027 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D75/04

  Articles or materials wholly enclosed in single sheets or wrapper blanks · CPC title

• B65B55/20

  Embedding contents in shock-absorbing media, e.g. plastic foam, granular material · CPC title

• B65B43/08

  Forming three-dimensional [3D] containers from sheet material · CPC title

• B65B31/04

  Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied · CPC title