Return shipping system
OwnerJohn McDonald, Myles Comerford +1inventors
InventorsJohn McDonald, Myles Comerford, Frank Comerford
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A return shipping system can include an outer container and a collapsible shock absorbing frame which can include a resilient sheet attached thereto for providing retention or suspension packaging of an article to be shipped within the outer container. The outer container can have a collapsed state suitable for shipping with the collapsible shock absorbing frame nested therein, the collapsible shock absorbing frame also in a collapsed state. The outer container can have an erect or expanded state suitable for shipping with the collapsible shock absorbing frame nested therein, the collapsible shock absorbing frame being in a locked or deployed state and configured to retain an article for shipping within the outer container.
Claims26
A return-shipping container system for shipment to a customer in an empty state and for return shipment of an item with shock-protection during transport, comprising:
- a collapsible shock absorbing assembly including a central panel having a central aperture, a peripheral wall extending along a periphery of the central panel, the peripheral wall comprising first, second, third, and fourth wall panels pivotably attached to the central panel, the first and third wall panels disposed at opposite ends of the central panel and the second and fourth wall panels disposed at opposite sides of the central panel;
- the peripheral wall being foldable between a deployed position and a collapsed position, wherein in the deployed position the first, second, third, and fourth wall panels extend generally perpendicular to the central panel defining a deployed height of the collapsible shock absorbing assembly, and wherein in the collapsed position the peripheral wall is folded against the central panel and defines a collapsed height that is smaller than the deployed height;
- wherein the second and fourth wall panels each comprise first and second diagonal fold creases, respectively, the second and fourth wall panels being configured to fold along the first and second diagonal fold creases from the deployed to the collapsed positions, forming first and second triangular overlapping portions on each of the second and fourth wall panels;
- a resilient sheet having first, second, third, and fourth edge portions, the first and third edges of the resilient sheet being connected to the first and third wall panels and the second and fourth edges of the resilient sheet lying adjacent to the second and fourth wall portions;
- a contractible outer container, foldable between contracted and expanded configurations, wherein in the expanded configuration, the contractible outer container defines an expanded interior cavity sufficiently large to receive the entire collapsible shock absorbing assembly in the deployed position and an additional article of commerce, and wherein when the contractible outer container is in the contracted configuration, the contractible outer container defines a contracted interior cavity that is too small to receive the entire collapsible shock absorbing assembly in the deployed configuration but is sufficiently large to receive and enclose for shipping the entire collapsible shock absorber absorbing assembly in the collapsed position.
A shipping container for containing and protecting an article during transport, comprising:
- a collapsible shock absorbing frame comprising a central panel and a plurality of side panels, each side panel of the plurality of side panels connected with the central panel along corresponding bottom fold lines, the collapsible shock absorbing frame having a collapsed configuration, wherein the plurality of side panels are folded towards the central panel, and a deployed configuration, wherein the plurality of side panels are upright with respect to the central panel;
- an outer container comprising a bottom panel and a plurality of side walls, the side walls of the outer container being foldable between at least first and second states, the collapsible shock absorbing frame being nestable within the outer container when in either of the first and second states, the first state of the outer container enclosing a first volume of space sufficient to encompass the collapsible shock absorbing frame in the collapsed configuration and insufficient to encompass the collapsible shock absorbing frame in the deployed configuration, the second state of the outer container enclosing a second volume of space sufficient to encompass the collapsible shock absorbing frame when in either of the deployed and the collapsed configurations.
A collapsible shock absorbing frame comprising:
- a bottom panel;
- a first end panel and a second end panel, the first and second end panels coupled with the bottom panel at first and second bottom fold lines, respectively;
- a first side panel and a second side panel, the first and second side panels coupled with the bottom panel at third and fourth bottom fold lines, respectively;
- the first side panel comprising a central panel and first and second triangular portions defined by respective diagonal fold lines;
- a resilient sheet having first and second ends attached to the first and second side panels, respectively;
- the collapsible shock absorbing frame having a collapsed configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein in the collapsed configuration, the central panel of the first side panel is folded towards the bottom panel along the third bottom fold line and the first and second triangular portions are folded outwards along the diagonal fold lines and overlapping a portion of the central panel;
- the collapsible shock absorbing frame having a deployed configuration wherein first side panel is upright with respect to the bottom panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.