Piston box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11130621-B2
Application number	US-201916559436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

A shock-absorbing package includes a box and a base. The box is configurable to enclose an item and has a box bottom panel. The base has a base bottom panel and defines a recess sized to accommodate a portion of the box including the box bottom panel. The base interfaces with the box in a transport configuration so that the box bottom panel is held separated from the base bottom panel and a volume of air is disposed between the base bottom panel and the box bottom panel. An impact force applied to the base bottom panel generated by dropping the shock-absorbing package onto a surface induces relative movement between the box and the base that expels air from the volume air and decelerates the box at a rate less than a desired maximum deceleration rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method delivering an item, the method comprising:
receiving a shock-absorbing package comprising a box and a base, wherein the box comprises a box bottom panel, wherein the base comprises a base bottom panel and one or more base sidewalls extending transverse to the base bottom panel, wherein the base bottom panel and the one or more base sidewalls define a recess sized to accommodate a portion of the box including the box bottom panel, wherein the shock-absorbing package is configurable in a transport configuration in which the portion of the box is accommodated in the recess and the box and the base are interfaced so that the box bottom panel is held separated from the base bottom panel by at least 1.0 inch via detent features that secure a position of the box relative to the base, and a volume of air is disposed between the base bottom panel and the box bottom panel, wherein the detent features comprise:
frangible tabs that break to accommodate relative movement between the box and the base, or
a tab and a slot shaped to accommodate the tab to secure the position of the box relative to the base in the transport configuration and accommodate movement of the tab relative to the slot during the relative movement between the box and the base;

placing the item into the box;
suspending the shock-absorbing package in the transport configuration from an unmanned aerial vehicle;
transporting the shock-absorbing package suspended in the transport configuration from the unmanned aerial vehicle to above a delivery location surface; and
releasing the shock-absorbing package from the unmanned aerial vehicle so that:
the shock-absorbing package falls from above the delivery location surface and impacts the delivery location surface in the transport configuration; and
the impact of the shock-absorbing package with the delivery location surface induces relative movement between the box and the base that expels air from the volume air and decelerates the box.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the box bottom panel is separated from the base bottom panel by at least two inches in the transport configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relative movement between the box and the base generates a transient increase in a pressure of the volume of air of at least 1.0 psi.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detent features comprise the frangible tabs.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shock-absorbing package is released from the unmanned aerial vehicle at least 10.0 feet above the delivery location surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reconfiguring the shock-absorbing package to change a resistance to expulsion of air from the volume of air.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the shock-absorbing package comprises an air vent that is adjusted to change the resistance to expulsion of air from the volume of air.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detent features comprise the tab and the slot.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more base sidewalls comprise a sidewall having a cylindrical shape.

10. A method delivering an item, the method comprising:
placing the item into a box of a shock-absorbing package comprising the box and a base, wherein the box comprises a box bottom panel, wherein the base comprises a base bottom panel and one or more base sidewalls extending transverse to the base bottom panel, wherein the base bottom panel and the one or more base sidewalls define a recess sized to accommodate a portion of the box including the box bottom panel, wherein the shock-absorbing package is configurable in a transport configuration in which the portion of the box is accommodated in the recess and the box and the base are interfaced so that the box bottom panel is held separated from the base bottom panel by at least 1.0 inch, and a volume of air is disposed between the base bottom panel and the box bottom panel, wherein the shock-absorbing package comprises detent features that secure a position of the box relative to the base in the transport configuration, and wherein the detent features comprise:
frangible tabs that break to accommodate relative movement between the box and the base, or
a tab and a slot shaped to accommodate the tab to secure the position of the box relative to the base in the transport configuration and accommodate movement of the tab relative to the slot during the relative movement between the box and the base;

adjusting an air vent of the shock-absorbing package to adjust a resistance to expulsion of air from the volume of air disposed between the base bottom panel and the box bottom panel;
suspending the shock-absorbing package in the transport configuration from an unmanned aerial vehicle;
transporting the shock-absorbing package suspended in the transport configuration from the unmanned aerial vehicle to above a delivery location surface; and
releasing the shock-absorbing package from the unmanned aerial vehicle so that:
the shock-absorbing package impacts the delivery location surface in the transport configuration; and
the impact of the shock-absorbing package with the delivery location surface induces relative movement between the box and the base that expels air from the volume air and decelerates the box.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the box bottom panel is separated from the base bottom panel by at least 2.0 inches in the transport configuration.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the relative movement between the box and the base generates a transient increase in a pressure of the volume of air of at least 1.0 psi.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detent features comprise the frangible tabs.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detent features comprise the tab and the slot.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the shock-absorbing package is released from the unmanned aerial vehicle at least 10.0 feet above the delivery location surface.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more base sidewalls comprise a sidewall having a cylindrical shape.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Goudarzian Kaveh
• Hockin Chad
• Lin Michael
• Wang Daniel
• Marceau Frank Michael

Classifications

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• B65D81/05 Primary

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

• B64D1/14

  Absorbing landing shocks · CPC title

• G06Q50/28

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title