Gas-containing product supporting structure and package

A supporting structure for positioning a product within an outer packing container;

• wherein the product to be supported has predetermined external dimensions, and wherein said supporting structure may be fitted in an outer packing container;
• wherein said supporting structure comprises:
• a sealed semi-rigid and self-supporting polymer resin gas-containing bladder having a preformed external product receiving cavity at one side thereof, said external cavity having a predetermined shape and predetermined dimensions so as to fit a predetermined external dimension of the product to be supported;
• wherein the exterior of said gas-containing bladder at the other side thereof remote from said external cavity has a predetermined shape and predetermined dimensions so as to fit predetermined internal dimensions of a packing container;
• wherein said product receiving portion of said gas-containing bladder is molded into a plurality of discrete chambers, each of said chambers being elastically deformable from its original configuration and dimensions;
• and
• wherein said self-supporting polymer resin gas-containing bladder supports static and dynamic product loads imposed thereon by a product when said gas-containing bladder is in static and dynamic load supporting conditions thereof, and substantially retains its configuration.

A supporting structure for positioning and supporting a product during storage and shipping, wherein the product to be supported has predetermined external dimensions;

• and wherein said supporting structure comprises:
• a sealed semi-rigid and self-supporting polymer resin gas-containing bladder incorporating a plurality of discrete inflatable chambers and at least one means for fluid communication between each of said chambers, said bladder having a preformed product receiving cavity with a predetermined configuration which is independent of pressure within said bladder, and where said predetermined configuration is such as to fit at least a portion of said predetermined external dimensions of the product to be supported;
• wherein said gas-containing bladder is deformable and substantially retains its preformed configuration under static load-bearing conditions imposed thereon by a product;
• and
• wherein said gas-containing bladder is deformable and sufficiently resilient, so as to substantially retain its preformed configuration under dynamic load-bearing conditions imposed thereon by a product, so as to minimize accelerative or decelerative forces from forces applied to said gas-containing bladder and thereby so as to minimize transmission of kinetic energy to said product while under dynamic load-bearing conditions.

Protective product packaging, comprising:

• a semi-rigid, self-supporting monolith including a plurality of discrete chambers, each chamber being in fluid communication with at least one other chamber through a passage formed between said chambers,
• said chambers being semi-rigid, self-supporting, and defined by walls, each of said chambers being partially collapsible, sealable from the ambient surroundings, and being filled with a gas,
• said monolith having a preformed product receiving cavity having a predetermined configuration and dimensions so as to be co-operative with a predetermined portion of a product and so as to receive said predetermined configuration of said predetermined portion of said product;
• said walls being formed of a plastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and co-polymers thereof, vinyl, polyvinylchloride and nylon, said walls being resiliently and elastically deformable under dynamic loading conditions while being strong enough to support a static load imposed thereon from a product.

Protective product packaging, comprising:

• a semi-rigid, self-supporting monolith including a plurality of discrete chambers, a plurality of said chambers being in fluid communication with at least one other chamber through a passage formed between said chambers,
• said chambers being semi-rigid, self-supporting, and defined by walls, each of said chambers being partially collapsible, sealed from the ambient surroundings, and containing a gas,
• said monolith having a preformed product receiving portion having a predetermined configuration and dimensions so as to be co-operative with a predetermined portion of a product and so as to receive said predetermined configuration of said predetermined portion of said product;
• said walls being formed of a plastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and co-polymers thereof, vinyl, polyvinylchloride and nylon, said walls being resiliently and elastically deformable under dynamic loading conditions while being strong enough to support a static load imposed thereon from a product.