Flexible shipping package and method of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11352186-B2
Application number	US-201916515887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2018
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

A shipping package and method of making a shipping package having a flexible inner sheet having a first surface and a second surface. The method includes providing one or more sheets of flexible material, joining the sheet(s) to form an article reservoir for accepting an article to be shipped, one or more expansion chambers, and an article retrieval feature. 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, 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, wherein the first portion of the inner sheet and the second portion of the inner sheet are separate pieces of material joined to each other or are made from a single piece or material;
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 a 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 a first surface of the inner sheet second portion to form one or more second primary expansion chambers therebetween; at least a portion of a second surface of the inner sheet first portion disposed in face-to-face relationship with and joined to a portion of a second surface of the second portion of the inner sheet forming an article reservoir therebetween;
c. a secondary outer sheet joined to at least a portion of the outer sheet forming one or more secondary expansion chambers;
d. an expansion port in fluid connection with the one or more first primary expansion chambers and/or secondary expansion chambers through which an expansion material can be introduced into the one or more expansion chambers;
e. a closeable opening into which the one or more articles may be inserted; and
f. an article retrieval feature that is a mechanical closure, lid, or closure flap that allows a user to open the package and retrieve the one or more articles from the article reservoir;
wherein the expansion port or the closeable opening includes an extension of material that extends beyond the rest of the package.

2. The shipping package of claim 1 , wherein the extension includes a portion of the outer sheet.

3. The shipping package of claim 1 , wherein the extension includes an adhesive and/or a release layer.

4. The shipping package of claim 1 , wherein the extension provides a feature that can be used to close the closeable opening.

5. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein inner sheet and the outer sheet are joined adjacent the closeable opening.

6. The shipping package of claim 1 further including one or more one-way valves in the expansion port and/or expansion chambers.

7. The shipping package of claim 1 further including an expand-on-demand expansion material into one or more of the expansion chambers.

8. The shipping package of claim 1 further including expanding one or more of the expansion chambers.

9. The shipping package of claim 8 , wherein the one or more expansion chambers that is expanded is disposed adjacent the closeable opening.

10. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the closeable opening is located on a same side of the package as the expansion port.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble
• The Procter & Gamble Company Company

Inventors

• Lester Joseph Craig
• Hargett Mark Mason
• Borrero Susana E
• Boesken James T
• Hesford Benjamin G
• Mcguire Kenneth Stephen
• Clare Benjamin Jacob
• Sawin Philip Andrew

Classifications

• B65D77/0406

  Rigid containers in preformed flexible containers · CPC title

• B65B5/02

  Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles · CPC title

• B65B2009/047

  Rotary pocket formers · CPC title

• B65D81/03 Primary

  Wrappers or envelopes with shock-absorbing properties, e.g. bubble films {(for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3888)} · CPC title

• B65D75/58

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