Packaging assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9868577-B2
Application number	US-201515510001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A frame ( 14 ) is useful in a packaging assembly including a box. The frame includes a panel ( 16 ) and a sheet ( 40 ). The panel has a panel length (L 1 ) that is greater than the box length. The panel has a panel width (W 1 ) that is greater than the box width. The panel defines a left slot ( 26 ) configured to receive the left closure flap of the box and a right slot ( 28 ) configured to receive the right closure flap of the box. The panel includes a left panel flap ( 30 ) extending from the left slot to the left edge ( 18 ) of the panel, a right panel flap ( 32 ) extending from the right slot to the right edge ( 20 ) of the panel, a front panel flap ( 34 ) extending from the left panel flap to the right panel flap; and a rear panel flap ( 36 ) extending from the left panel flap to the right panel flap. The left panel flap is foldably connected to the front panel flap and to the rear panel flap. The right panel flap is foldably connected to the front panel flap and the rear panel flap. The panel defines a panel opening ( 38 ) circumscribed by the left, right, front, and rear panel flaps. The sheet ( 40 ) is attached to the front panel flap and the rear panel flap and extends over the panel opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A frame useful in a packaging assembly for retaining a product within a box, the box having a left wall, a left closure flap foldably connected to the top of the left wall, a right wall opposing the left wall, a right closure flap foldably connected to the top of the right wall, a front wall extending from the left wall to the right wall, a rear wall opposing the front wall and extending from the left wall to the right wall, a box length from the left wall to the right wall, and a box width from the front wall to the rear wall, the frame comprising:
(i) a panel having:
a panel length from the left edge to the right edge of the panel, the panel length being greater than the box length; and
a panel width from the front edge to the rear edge of the panel, the panel width being greater than the box width;
wherein the panel defines:
a left slot configured to receive the left closure flap of the box; and
a right slot configured to receive the right closure flap of the box;
wherein the panel comprises:
a left panel flap extending from the left slot to the left edge of the panel;
a right panel flap extending from the right slot to the right edge of the panel;
a front panel flap extending from the left panel flap to the right panel flap; and
a rear panel flap extending from the left panel flap to the right panel flap;
wherein:
the left panel flap is foldably connected to the front panel flap and to the rear panel flap;
the right panel flap is foldably connected to the front panel flap and the rear panel flap; and
the panel defines a panel opening circumscribed by the left, right, front, and rear panel flaps; and

(ii) a sheet attached to the front panel flap and the rear panel flap and extending over the panel opening.

2. The frame of claim 1 wherein:
the left panel flap is delineated from the front panel flap by a first fold line aligned with the left slot;
the left panel flap is delineated from the rear panel flap by a second fold line aligned with left slot;
the right panel flap is delineated from the front panel flap by a third fold line aligned with the right slot; and
the right panel flap is delineated from the rear panel flap by a fourth fold line aligned with the right slot.

3. The frame of claim 2 wherein:
a fifth fold line and a sixth fold line extend generally perpendicularly from the left slot to delineate the left panel flap into (i) a left flap intermediate portion between the fifth and sixth fold lines and (ii) a left front corner piece and a left rear corner piece on opposing ends of the left flap intermediate portion; and
a seventh fold line and an eighth fold line extend generally perpendicularly from the right slot to delineate the right panel flap into (iii) a right flap intermediate portion between the seventh fold line and the eighth fold line and (iv) a right front corner piece and a right rear corner piece on opposing ends of the right flap intermediate portion.

4. The frame of claim 3 wherein the panel further comprises:
a front door foldably connected to the front panel flap and extending into the panel opening; and
a rear door foldably connected to the rear panel flap and extending into the panel opening.

5. The frame of claim 4 wherein:
(a) the front door is foldably connected to the front panel flap along a front door fold line along a front panel flap edge adjacent the panel opening, wherein:
the left panel flap has a left panel flap length taken from the left slot to the left edge of the panel;
the right panel flap has a right panel flap length taken from the right slot to the right edge of the panel;
the front panel flap has a front panel flap length taken from the first fold line to the third fold line;
the front door has a front door length taken along the front door fold line from the left edge of the front door to the right edge of the front door; and
the front door length is less than the front panel flap length minus the sum of the left panel flap length and the right panel flap length; and

(b) the rear door foldably connected to the rear panel flap along a rear door fold line along a rear panel flap edge adjacent the panel opening, wherein:
the rear panel flap has a rear panel flap length taken from the second fold line to the fourth fold line;
the rear door has a rear door length taken along the rear door fold line from the left edge of the rear door to the right edge of the rear door; and
the rear door length is less than the rear panel flap length minus the sum of the left panel flap length and the right panel flap length.

6. The frame of claim 5 wherein:
the front door comprises:
a left door-tab portion at the left edge of the front door distal to the front door fold line;
a right door-tab portion at the right edge of the front door distal to the front door fold line;
a left door-tab portion at the left edge of the rear door distal to the rear door fold line;
a right door-tab portion at the right edge of the rear door distal to the rear door fold line;
wherein:
a front tab spacing length from the left edge of the left door-tab portion of the front door to the right edge of the right door-tab portion of the front door is greater than the front door length; and
a rear tab spacing length from the left edge of the left door-tab portion of the rear door to the right edge of the right door-tab portion of the rear door is greater than the rear door length.

7. The frame of claim 6 wherein:
a front left panel tab is foldably connected to the front panel flap between the left panel flap and the front door and extends from the front panel flap into the panel opening; and
a front right panel tab is foldably connected to the front panel flap between the right panel flap and the front door and extends from the front panel flap into the panel opening.

8. The frame of claim 7 wherein:
a rear left panel tab is foldably connected to the rear panel flap between the left panel flap and the rear door and extends from the rear panel flap into the panel opening; and
a rear right panel tab is foldably connected to the rear panel flap between the right panel flap and the rear door and extends from the rear panel flap into the panel opening.

9. The frame of claim 4 wherein:
the front door defines a left front cutaway opening at the left extent of the front door;
the left front cutaway opening has an area at least as large as the area of the left front corner piece;
the front door defines a right front cutaway opening at the right extent of the front door; and
the right front cutaway opening has an area at least as large as the area of the right front corner piece.

10. The frame of claim 4 wherein the front and rear doors are of unequal size.

11. The frame of claim 1 wherein the sheet does not cover the left and right slots.

12. A packaging assembly for retaining a product, the packaging assembly comprising:
(i) the frame of claim 1 ; and
(ii) a box comprising:
a left wall;
a left closure flap foldably connected to the top of the left wall;
a right wall opposing the left wall;
a right closure flap foldably connected to the top of the right wall,
a front wall extending from the left wall to the right wall;
a front closure flap foldably connected to the top of the front wall;
a rear wall opposing the front wall and extending from the left wall to the right wall; and
optionally a rear closure flap foldably connected to the top of the rear wall, wherein the box has a given box length from the left wall to the right wall, and a given box width from the front wall to the rear wall;

(iii) wherein:
the frame is positionable in an installed pos

Assignees

• Sealed Air Corp (Us)
• Sealed Air Corp

Inventors

• Ridgeway Devin

Classifications

• B65B7/20

  by folding-down preformed flaps · CPC title

• B65B5/04

  Packaging single articles · 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

• B65D81/07 Primary

  using resilient suspension means {(B65D81/051 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D5/5028

  Elements formed separately from the container body · CPC title