Void filler with multiple intersecting cells

A void filler for filling a void between at least two items to be shipped, or between one such item and a wall of a shipping container, so as to provide resistance against lateral movement, comprising:

• an outer housing having opposed, substantially vertical sides disposed substantially in parallel to each other, said sides being spaced from each other by a width;
• a first reinforcing member disposed between said vertical sides, said first reinforcing member having a plurality of panels joined together, adjacent ones of said panels disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said vertical sides;
• and
• a second reinforcing member disposed between said vertical sides, said second reinforcing member having a plurality of panels joined together, adjacent ones of said panels of said second reinforcing member disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said vertical sides, a first plurality of said panels of said first member having a width taken in a direction perpendicular to said substantially vertical sides which is a first fraction of the width between said vertical sides, a second plurality of said panels of said second member having a width taken in a direction perpendicular to said substantially vertical sides which is a second fraction of the width of said vertical sides, the sum of said first and second fractions being less than or equal to said width between said vertical sides, said first and second reinforcing members plurality of panels, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to said vertical sides, being superimposed on each other and coacting to provide resistance to compressive force acting from a direction perpendicular to said vertical sides.

A void filler for filling a void between at least two items to be shipped, or between one item and the wall of a shipping container, so as to provide resistance against lateral movement, said void filler unfoldable from a collapsed condition to an unfolded condition and comprising:

• an outer housing having opposed sides disposed to be substantially vertical and parallel to each other when said void filler is in the unfolded condition, at least one substantially flat transverse member connecting said sides of said housing together;
• a first hexagonal reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a first plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said first plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first of said first plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a first location;
• a second hexagonal reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a second plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said second plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first of said second plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a second location different from said first location;
• and
• at least a second panel of said first plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a third location different from said first and second locations when said void filler is in said collapsed condition, at least a second panel of said second plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a fourth location different from said first, second and third locations, such that said first and second panels of said first hexagonal reinforcing member and said first and second panels of said second hexagonal reinforcing member are substantially coplanar when said void filler is in said collapsed condition.

A void filler for filling a void between at least two items to be shipped, or between one item and the wall of a shipping container, so as to provide resistance against lateral movement, said void filler unfoldable from a collapsed condition to an unfolded condition and comprising:

• an outer housing having opposed sides disposed to be substantially vertical and parallel to each other when said void filler is in the unfolded condition, at least one substantially flat transverse member connecting said sides of said housing together;
• a first reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a first plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said first plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first panel of said first plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a first location;
• a second reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a second plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said second plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first panel of said second plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a second location different from said first location;
• and
• at least a second panel of said first plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a third location different from said first and second locations when said void filler is in said collapsed condition, at least a second panel of said second plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a fourth location different from said first, second and third locations, such that said first and second panels of said first reinforcing member and said first and second panels of said second reinforcing member are substantially coplanar when said void filler is in said collapsed condition, wherein said first and second reinforcing members each further include a third panel, said third panels lying against said transverse member in fifth and sixth locations, respectively, when said void filler is in the collapsed condition, said fifth and sixth locations being different from each other and from said first, second, third and fourth locations.

A void filler for filling a void between at least two items to be shipped, or between one item and the wall of a shipping container, so as to provide resistance against lateral movement, said void filler unfoldable from a collapsed condition to an unfolded condition and comprising:

• an outer housing having opposed sides disposed to be substantially vertical and parallel to each other when said void filler is in the unfolded condition, at least one substantially flat transverse member connecting said sides of said housing together;
• a first reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a first plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said first plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first panel of said first plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a first location;
• a second reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a second plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said second plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first panel of said second plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a second location different from said first location;
• and
• at least a second panel of said first plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a third location different from said first and second locations when said void filler is in said collapsed condition, at least a second panel of said second plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a fourth location different from said first, second and third locations, such that said first and second panels of said first reinforcing member and said first and second panels of said second reinforcing member are substantially coplanar when said void filler is in said collapsed condition
• said transverse member having a top, a bottom spaced from said top connecting said sides of said housing together;
• a third panel of said first reinforcing member joined to said bottom at a first bottom location, a fourth panel of said first reinforcing member lying against said bottom at a second bottom location different from said first bottom location when said void filler is in the collapsed condition;
• and
• a third panel of said second reinforcing member joined to said bottom at a third bottom location different from said first and second bottom locations, a fourth panel of said second reinforcing member lying against said bottom at a fourth bottom location different from said first, second and third bottom locations when said void filler is in the collapsed condition, such that said third and fourth panels of said first and second reinforcing members are substantially coplanar when said void filler is in the collapsed condition.

A void filler for filling a void between at least two items to be shipped, or between one item and the wall of a shipping container, so as to provide resistance against lateral movement, said void filler unfoldable from a collapsed condition to an unfolded condition and comprising:

• an outer housing having opposed sides disposed to be substantially vertical and parallel to each other when said void filler is in the unfolded condition, at least one substantially flat transverse member connecting said sides of said housing together;
• a first reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a first plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said first plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first panel of said first plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a first location;
• a second reinforcing member disposed between said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition and including a second plurality of panels which are joined together, ones of said second plurality of panels being disposed at angles to each other and substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in said unfolded condition, at least a first panel of said second plurality of panels being joined to said transverse member at a second location different from said first location;
• and
• at least a second panel of said first plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a third location different from said first and second locations when said void filler is in said collapsed condition, at least a second panel of said second plurality of panels lying against said transverse member at a fourth location different from said first, second and third locations, such that said first and second panels of said first reinforcing member and said first and second panels of said second reinforcing member are substantially coplanar when said void filler is in said collapsed condition, wherein said reinforcing members each form prisms when said void filler is in the unfolded condition.

A void filler for filling a void between at least two items to be shipped, or between one such item and a wall of a shipping container, so as to provide resistance against lateral movement, said void filler unfoldable from a collapsed condition to an unfolded condition and comprising:

• and outer housing having opposed sides disposed to be substantially vertical and parallel to each other when said void filler is in the unfolded condition, a substantially flat top transverse member, a substantially flat second transverse member and a substantially flat third transverse member each connecting said sides of said housing together and being spaced from each other, said transverse members being substantially parallel to each other;
• each of said sides being a folding sidewall having first, second, third and fourth side panels which are substantially coplanar when said void filler is in the unfolded condition, said first side panel folding on said second side panel and said third side panel folding on said fourth side panel when said void filler is in the collapsed condition, said first and second side panels disposed between said top and said second transverse members, said third and fourth side panels disposed between said second and third transverse members;
• and
• at least a first prism-creating member joined between said top transverse member and said second transverse member, at least a second prism-creating member joined between said second transverse member and said third transverse member, said prism-creating members having axes substantially perpendicular to said sides when said void filler is in the unfolded condition, portions of said prism-creating members extending completely between said sides when said void filler is in the unfolded condition.