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US 11,377,296 B2Granted
Packaging brace for a washing machine appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsStephen Michael Bischoff, Austin Colby Specter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming a packaging brace for a washing machine appliance includes providing a flat blank. The method also includes folding a left side panel and a right side panel of the flat blank inwards towards each other. The method further includes positioning a bottom panel of the blank above an opening in a cabinet of the washing machine and inserting the bottom panel into a basket of the washing machine through the opening whereby a contoured profile of the opening urges the blank to fold and form a packaging brace for the washing machine appliance.
Claims19
A flat blank for forming a packaging brace for a washing machine appliance, the flat blank comprising:
- a bottom panel;
- a left side panel directly joined to a left side of the bottom panel at a first seam;
- a back panel directly joined to a back side of the bottom panel at a second seam;
- a right side panel positioned opposite the left side panel, the right side panel directly joined to a right side of the bottom panel at a third seam;
- a front panel positioned opposite the back panel, the front panel directly joined to a front side of the bottom panel at a fourth seam;
- a first corner segment directly joined to the left side panel at a fifth seam and directly joined to the back panel at a sixth seam, the first corner segment configured to define a first corner of the packaging brace when the flat blank is folded such that the fifth seam and the sixth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other;
- a second corner segment directly joined to the back side panel at a seventh seam and directly joined to the right side panel at an eighth seam, the second corner segment configured to define a second corner of the packaging brace when the flat blank is folded such that the seventh seam and the eighth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other;
- a third corner segment directly joined to the right side panel at a ninth seam and directly joined to the front panel at a tenth seam, the third corner segment configured to define a third corner of the packaging brace when the flat blank is folded such that the ninth seam and the tenth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other;
- and
- a fourth corner segment directly joined to the front panel at an eleventh seam and directly joined to the left side panel at a twelfth seam, the fourth corner segment configured to define a fourth corner of the packaging brace when the flat blank is folded such that the eleventh seam and the twelfth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other;
- wherein the first corner, the second corner, the third corner, and the fourth corner of the packaging brace are configured to contact an opening in a cabinet of the washing machine appliance at a first set of four contact points and to contact a basket of the washing machine appliance at a second set of four contact points.
8 more elements
A method of forming a packaging brace for a washing machine appliance, comprising:
- providing a flat blank, the flat blank comprising:
- a bottom panel;
- a left side panel directly joined to a left side of the bottom panel at a first seam;
- a back panel directly joined to a back side of the bottom panel at a second seam;
- a right side panel positioned opposite the left side panel, the right side panel directly joined to a right side of the bottom panel at a third seam;
- a front panel positioned opposite the back panel, the front panel directly joined to a front side of the bottom panel at a fourth seam;
- a first corner segment directly joined to the left side panel at a fifth seam and directly joined to the back panel at a sixth seam;
- a second corner segment directly joined to the back side panel at a seventh seam and directly joined to the right side panel at an eighth seam;
- a third corner segment directly joined to the right side panel at a ninth seam and directly joined to the front panel at a tenth seam;
- and
- a fourth corner segment directly joined to the front panel at an eleventh seam and directly joined to the left side panel at a twelfth seam;
- folding the left side panel and the right side panel of the flat blank inwards towards each other;
- positioning the bottom panel above an opening in a cabinet of the washing machine;
- and
- inserting the bottom panel into a basket of the washing machine through the opening, whereby a contoured profile of the opening urges the blank to fold, whereby the fifth seam and the sixth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other to define a first corner of the packaging brace, the seventh seam and the eighth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other to define a second corner of the packaging brace, the ninth seam and the tenth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other to define a third corner of the packaging brace, and the eleventh seam and the twelfth seam are generally aligned with each other and in contact with each other to define a fourth corner of the packaging brace;
- whereby the first corner, the second corner, the third corner, and the fourth corner of the packaging brace are in contact with the opening in the cabinet of the washing machine appliance at a first set of four contact points and in contact with the basket of the washing machine appliance at a second set of four contact points.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.