Flexible cellulosic fiber-based honeycomb material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649823-B2
Application number	US-201213664964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2012
Priority date	Dec 22, 2009
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A flexible packaging material including: a core portion having a geometrically patterned structure defining two spaced-apart substantially planar faces and providing air space therebetween, the core portion including cellulosic fiber-based walls having a core grammage; and at least one cellulosic fiber-based liner bonded to a respective one of the planar faces of the core portion and having a liner grammage lower than the core grammage, the material being flexible along a plane defined by the at least one liner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flexible packaging material comprising:
a core cellulosic fiber-based portion having a honeycomb structure, the core cellulosic fiber-based portion defining two spaced-apart substantially planar faces and providing air space therebetween, the core cellulosic fiber-based portion including a stack of cellulosic fiber-based sheets bonded together at spaced-apart intervals in a staggered configuration; and
at least a first cellulosic fiber-based liner and a second cellulosic fiber-based liner, the first liner and the second liner being bonded to a respective one of the planar faces of the core portion, the first liner having a first liner grammage and the second liner having a second liner grammage different than the first liner grammage, the material being bendable.

2. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first liner grammage is lower than the second liner grammage.

3. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the honeycomb structure comprises a plurality of cells having a cell diameter and a cell height, and a ratio of the cell height and the cell diameter is below 1.1.

4. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based sheets have a core grammage ranging between 60 and 200 grams per square meter.

5. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based sheets have a core grammage, at least one of the first liner grammage and the second liner grammage being lower than the core grammage.

6. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first liner grammage and the second liner grammage are lower than the core grammage.

7. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first liner grammage and the second liner grammage is below 100 grams per square meter.

8. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material is flexible along a plane defined by at least one of the first liner and the second liner.

9. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first liner and the second liner comprises an air-laid paper.

10. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the other one of the first liner and the second liner comprises a kraft paper.

11. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the kraft paper comprises extendable kraft paper.

12. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , having an overall thickness ranging between 0.6 and 2.5 cm.

13. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the honeycomb structure defines a grid of hexagonal cells.

14. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the honeycomb structure comprises cells having a diameter ranging between 0.6 cm and 3.8 cm.

15. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based sheets of the core portion at least one of the first liner and the second liner comprise wood fiber based materials.

16. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material is bendable around a corner area of an object.

17. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material has a material grammage below about 500 grams per square meter.

18. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible packaging material is foldable along several non-parallel axes.

19. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible packaging material is reshapable following folding.

20. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible packaging material is foldable simultaneously along at least two non-parallel axes.

21. A method for packing an article comprising:
applying the flexible packaging material of claim 1 over the article to at least partially cover the article; and
bending the flexible packaging material over at least one non-planar element of the article.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 , comprising directly superposing one of the first liner and the second liner to the article being packed.

23. An article at least partially protected by the flexible packaging material of claim 1 .

24. The article as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the material is bended over at least one non-planar element.

25. The article as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the non-planar element comprises a corner.

26. A flexible packaging material comprising:
a core portion having a honeycomb structure and including a stack of cellulosic fiber-based sheets bonded together at spaced-apart intervals in a staggered configuration, the core portion defining two spaced-apart substantially planar faces and providing air space therebetween;
a first liner bonded to a first one of the planar faces of the core portion and comprising an air-laid fiber material having a first liner grammage; and
a second liner bonded to a second one of the planar faces of the core portion and comprising a kraft paper having a second liner grammage different than the first liner grammage; the flexible packaging material being bendable.

27. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the kraft paper comprises extendable kraft paper.

28. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the air-laid fiber material comprises air-laid paper.

29. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the honeycomb structure comprises a plurality of cells having a cell diameter and a cell height, and a ratio of the cell height and the cell diameter is below 1.1.

30. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based sheets have a core grammage between 60 and 200 grams per square meter.

31. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based sheets have a core grammage and the first liner grammage and the second liner grammage are lower than the core grammage.

32. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , having an overall thickness ranging between 0.6 and 2.5 cm.

33. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the honeycomb structure defines a grid of hexagonal cells.

34. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the honeycomb structure comprises cells having a diameter ranging between 0.6 cm and 3.8 cm.

35. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the sheets of the core portion and the first liner and the second liner comprise wood fiber based materials.

36. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the material is flexible along a plane defined by at least one of the first liner and the second liner.

37. The flexible packaging material as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the material is bendable around a corner area of an object.

Assignees

• Cascades Canada Ulc

Inventors

• Prud'Homme Hugues
• De Paoli Diego
• Kumar Michael
• Brassard Marc
• James David

Classifications

• Y10T428/1303

  Paper containing [e.g., paperboard, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.] · CPC title

• B32B2307/21

  Anti-static · CPC title

• B32B2307/546

  Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness · CPC title

• B32B2553/00

  Packaging equipment or accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B32B21/02

  the layer being formed} of fibres, chips, or particles {, e.g. MDF, HDF, OSB, chipboard, particle board, hardboard · CPC title