US 11,027,449 B2Granted

Methods and apparatus for cutting cushioned divider material for use in creating sub-compartments in a container

AssigneeTrekPak, LLC

InventorsGregory Schroll, Jared Brown

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Particular embodiments of the inventive technology relate to apparatus and methods for cutting multi-layered material to reconfigure it so it may be used to construct sub-compartments in a larger storage container. The inventive technology, in particular embodiments may feature one or more of the following: dual blades, “staggered” blades (where one blade is more forward than another), a blade(s) angled upwards and forwards, blades separated in a left-right direction, prong recesses to accept trailing tips of blades, a rearwardly angled handle and/or a removed material ejection ramp, in conjunction perhaps with other features such as, e.g., a guide prong. One or more of such features may appear in the various manifestations of a defluting cutter or through cutting apparatus, whether guided or unguided, and/or manual or powered.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A cutter apparatus usable to reconfigure multi-layer, foam fluted board so said multi-layer, foam fluted board, upon reconfiguration, is usable as divider material in a storage container, said multi-layer, foam fluted board having a corrugated core layer sandwiched by upper and foam layers, said cutter apparatus comprising:

a guide prong insertable into a flute of said corrugated core layer;
a central vertical plane that divides said cutter apparatus into a right cutter portion and a left cutter portion, said cutter apparatus having a front-most portion;
a first blade to a right of said central vertical plane;
and
a second blade to a left of said central vertical plane;
wherein said first and second blades each angle upwards and towards a front of said cutter apparatus, and wherein one of said first and second blades is closer to said front-most portion of said cutter apparatus than is the other of said first and second blades,
said cutter apparatus further comprising:
a cutter body to which said first and second blades are removably secured;
a handle established above said first and second blades, said handle having a handle longitudinal axis;
and
a removed material ejection ramp established through said cutter body and rearward of said first and second blades, and having a rearward half that is rearward of at least a portion of said handle longitudinal axis and that projects substantially above said foam fluted board at an angle behind a location at which said foam fluted board is cut that is configured to divert removed material upward above said foam fluted board behind the cutter.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/900,545Filed 20 Feb 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 14 Dec 2017
Published: US 2019/0184591 A120 Jun 2019
Granted: 8 Jun 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

B26D 3/006
Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor: specially adapted for cutting blocs of plastic material
B24B 19/02
Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group: for grinding grooves, e.g. on shafts,…
B24B 21/00
Machines or devices using grinding or polishing belts
B24B 21/006
Machines or devices using grinding or polishing belts ; Accessories therefor: for special purposes, e.g. for television tubes, car bumpers

Family

Application62/598,560Us provisional application · filed 14 Dec 2017
US 2019/0184591 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Jun 2019
US 11,027,449 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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