Special receptacle or package – Combined or convertible – Packaged assemblage or kit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-26
2001-10-30
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Combined or convertible
Packaged assemblage or kit
C206S485000, C206S583000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308828
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Package kits and systems are employed to package articles, particularly, odd-shaped or fragile articles within a container.
One package kit and system, known as a TURTLE PAK® kit (a registered trademark of Emerging Technologies Trust of Osterville, Mass.), employs a stiff sheet material having a base portion to hold the article, at least one longitudinal fold line, and a pair of opposite, foldable end panels, and employs a polymeric film tube. The film tube extends about or over the base portion and is moved on movement of the end panels between a loose article insertion position and a huggable article-immobilizing position (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,896, issued Jun. 28, 1994, and its Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 36,412, issued Nov. 30, 1999, hereby incorporated by reference). Other package kits which employ a film tube which is formed by adhesively securing a portion of a polymeric film over the base portion are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,695, issued Oct. 21, 1997, which is also hereby incorporated by reference.
It is desirable to provide a new and improved package kit and method which employs a film tube together with a foldable base sheet to retain and package articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a package kit, system and method to retain an article for packaging on a base portion of a foldable sheet material.
The invention comprises a single sheet of stiff material, typically rectangular, having a one end and an other opposing end, opposing sides, and a back and front surface, the sheet material having a generally central base portion to receive and package an article. The sheet material is characterized by a plurality of three or more parallel, spaced-apart fold lines at each end to form a plurality of foldable end flaps, the last end flap folded over and adhesively or otherwise secured to the back surface of the sheet material. The end flaps are arranged and constructed to move between a flat, generally planar, nonuse position and an upright, generally perpendicular, use position, to form a raised box section at each end, and optionally, with an interior face opening, typically, a rectangular opening extending generally the length and height of the box section. In one embodiment, the opening is selected, arranged, and constructed to retain the opposing ends of an article to be packaged therein. The interior face opening may vary in shape or dimensions, as desired, e.g., rectangular, square, oval, etc. and may mimic the ends of the article. Where a rectangular article, like a book or book-like shaped object is to be packaged, the opening may mimic the end shape of the article, to receive slightly the ends of the article in the openings. The top or other section of the box section may have one or more openings or tabs to aid a user in lifting the box section to the use position.
The kit may include a film tube as a separate preformed and surrounding film tube fitting loosely about the front and back surface of the base portion and extending at least the length of the base portion, and typically, slightly greater. The film tube is preferred, since the film tube formed tube and sheet material may be easily separated for recycling or reuse. The film tube may also be formed by securing a film material over only the front surface of the base portion and then adhesively, or otherwise, securing the side edges of the film material to the opposing side, front surface edges of the base portion, or extending the film material and adhesively, or otherwise, securing the folded-over side edges to the back surface of the base portion to form an in situ film tube. When the box sections are raised to a use position, the opposing ends of the film tube are raised and stretched by the box sections and aid in holding the article in position.
The film material comprises one or more overlapping layers of a thin polymeric film material, which is stretchable when the box sections are in a use position. The film material is usually a transparent film material of 0.5 to 5 mils in thickness, but may also be a bubble wrap-type film material, i.e., a film material with a plurality of small, raised, uniform, bubbles formed of the film material. The film material may, for example, comprise an olefinic, urethane, or vinyl film material, like a polyethylene film material or a film material known as a metallocene film material, i.e., a polymer prepared by the use of a metallocene catalyst. In use, the film material is under stress and tented at each corner.
The film material, in sheet or film tube form, when employed on the top surface of the sheet material, may be preformed, for example, heat-formed or otherwise molded to mimic or be shaped in the general shape of the article to be packaged, to aid in retaining the article.
The article to be immobilized may vary in shape, weight, size, and form, and after packaging or immobilization on the base portion, may be inserted in an outer container with or without additional packaging material for transportation.
The package kit of the invention is simple, inexpensive, easily shipped and manufactured, and easily moved between a nonuse and a use position by a user. The sheet material may be prepared by die cutting and forming perforated or other transverse fold lines and an adhesive operation, while the film tube is easily prepared by heat-sealing the edges of two film materials of the same or different materials, or heat-sealing a film material to the base portion, generally where the base portion is pretreated or coated to permit heat or adhesive sealing of the film material.
The kit and method will be described for the purpose of illustration only in connection with certain embodiments; however, it is recognized that various changes, modifications, additions and improvements to the illustrated kit and method may be made by those persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 36412 (1999-11-01), Jones
patent: 5323896 (1994-06-01), Jones
patent: 5341931 (1994-08-01), Prochaska et al.
patent: 5678695 (1997-10-01), Ridgeway et al.
patent: 5765693 (1998-06-01), Gnadt et al.
patent: 5975294 (1999-11-01), his-Chang
patent: 5975307 (1999-11-01), Harding et al.
Bui Luan K.
Emerging Technologies Trust
IP Legal Strategies Group P.C.
Leslie Meyer-Leon, Esq.
LandOfFree
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