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US 7,731,033 B2Granted
Six-sided corrugated rollover cushion
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsChristopher J. Sattora, Eric Allen Stegner, Robert William Stegner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for using a rollover shipping cushion is presented. The cushion is formed by folding, in a specific manner, a single sheet of die-cut corrugated fiberboard to create the cushion. When properly folded, the cushion includes a central shipping cavity that is surrounded by shock-absorbing tubes on all six sides of the central shipping cavity. An item is then placed within the central shipping cavity for shipment.
Claims9
A rollover shipping cushion comprising:
- a single piece of foldable corrugated plastic composed of:
- a central sheet;
- a first end assembly and a second end assembly attached to the central sheet, wherein each end assembly includes:
- a top tube sheet composed of:
- a first tab and a second side extending away from a first side and a second side of the top tube sheet, and
- an end tab extending away from an end of the top tube sheet;
- and
- a top lid sheet;
- a first side assembly and a second side assembly attached to the central sheet, wherein each side assembly includes:
- a bottom tube sheet having a bottom tube locking tab, wherein the bottom tube sheet has a width that is narrow enough to slide through a bottom tube slot in the central sheet, and
- a side tube sheet having a first support tab and a second support tab;
- wherein, when folded, the single piece of foldable corrugated plastic forms a rollover shipping cushion that includes:
- a first top tube and a second top tube formed from top tube sheets of the first and second end assemblies,
- a first bottom tube and a second bottom tube formed from bottom tube sheets of the first and second side assemblies,
- a first side tube and a second side tube formed from side tube sheets of the first side assembly and the second side assembly,
- a first end cushion and a second end cushion formed by top lid sheets of the first end assembly and the second end assembly folding around ends of the first and second side tubes, and
- a central shipping cavity formed by:
- the central sheet,
- the first and second side tubes, and
- the top lid sheets wrapping across ends of the first and second side tubes.
17 more elements
A method for packing an item, the method comprising:
- folding a single piece of foldable material composed of:
- a central sheet;
- a first end assembly and a second end assembly attached to the central sheet, wherein each end assembly includes:
- a top tube sheet composed of:
- a first tab and a second side extending away from a first side and a second side of the top tube sheet, and
- an end tab extending away from an end of the top tube sheet;
- and
- a top lid sheet;
- a first side assembly and a second side assembly attached to the central sheet, wherein each side assembly includes:
- a bottom tube sheet having a bottom tube locking tab, wherein the bottom tube sheet has a width that is narrow enough to slide through a bottom tube slot in the central sheet, and
- a side tube sheet having a first support tab and a second support tab;
- wherein, when folded, the single piece of foldable material forms a rollover shipping cushion that includes:
- a first top tube and a second top tube formed from top tube sheets of the first and second end assemblies,
- a first bottom tube and a second bottom tube formed from bottom tube sheets of the first and second side assemblies,
- a first side tube and a second side tube formed from side tube sheets of the first side assembly and the second side assembly,
- a first end cushion and a second end cushion formed by top lid sheets of the first end assembly and the second end assembly folding around ends of the first and second side tubes, and
- a central shipping cavity formed by:
- the central sheet,
- the first and second side tubes, and
- the top lid sheets wrapping across ends of
- the first and second side tubes;
- and
- inserting the item into the central shipping cavity.
20 more elements
A method for shipping an item, the method comprising:
- folding a single piece of foldable material composed of:
- a central sheet;
- a first end assembly and a second end assembly attached to the central sheet, wherein each end assembly includes:
- a top tube sheet composed of:
- a first tab and a second side extending away from a first side and a second side of the top tube sheet, and
- an end tab extending away from an end of the top tube sheet;
- and
- a top lid sheet;
- a first side assembly and a second side assembly attached to the central sheet, wherein each side assembly includes:
- a bottom tube sheet having a bottom tube locking tab, wherein the bottom tube sheet has a width that is narrow enough to slide through a bottom tube slot in the central sheet, and
- a side tube sheet having a first support tab and a second support tab;
- wherein, when folded, the single piece of foldable material forms a rollover shipping cushion that includes:
- a first top tube and a second top tube formed from top tube sheets of the first and second end assemblies,
- a first bottom tube and a second bottom tube formed from bottom tube sheets of the first and second side assemblies,
- a first side tube and a second side tube formed from side tube sheets of the first side assembly and the second side assembly,
- a first end cushion and a second end cushion formed by top lid sheets of the first end assembly and the second end assembly folding around ends of the first and second side tubes, and
- a central shipping cavity formed by:
- the central sheet,
- the first and second side tubes, and
- the top lid sheets wrapping across ends of the first and second side tubes;
- inserting the item into the central shipping cavity;
- and
- shipping the item in the rollover shipping cushion.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.