Devices and methods for packing

A device for packing an object, comprising:

• a main section having an opening side, a body side and multiple peripheral sides, an object cavity being defined in the main section between the peripheral sides that is continuous with the opening side of the main section, the object cavity being configured to receive a portion of the object for packing;
• a hinge feature defining a hinge line on one of the peripheral sides of the main section;
• and
• a buffer section coupled to the peripheral side of the main section by the hinge feature, the buffer section being configured to fold about the hinge line from an extended position to a folded packing position relative to the main section;
• where the main section has at least two spaced main section extension members that extend between the opening side and the body side to define a buffer retention cavity between the main section extension members, the buffer retention cavity being defined in at least one of the peripheral sides of the main section;
• where the buffer section has opposing first and second sides with at least one buffer extension member defined on the second one of the opposing sides;
• where the buffer section has opposing first and second sides, where the hinge feature is disposed adjacent and contiguous with the planar opening side of the main section and hingeably couples the buffer section to the main section such that the first side of the buffer section faces the same direction as the opening side of the main section when the buffer section is disposed in its extended position, and such that the second side of the buffer section is disposed in face-to-face relationship with an exterior surface of a peripheral side of the main section when the buffer section is positioned in its folded packing position;
• and
• where the buffer retention cavity is dimensioned and configured to receive the at least one buffer extension member in a mated position between the at least two spaced main section extension members;
• and where the hinge feature hingeably couples the buffer section to the main section such that the buffer extension member of the second side of the buffer section is received within the buffer retention cavity of the main section when the buffer section is positioned in its folded packing position, and such that the buffer extension member of the second side of the buffer section is not received within the buffer retention cavity of the main section when the buffer section is positioned in its extended position.

A packing device system, comprising:

• at least two packing devices, each of the two packing devices comprising:
• a planar opening side with an opening defined therein, a body side disposed opposite from the opening side, and multiple peripheral sides extending between the opening side and the body side, an object cavity being defined in the main section between the peripheral sides that is continuous with the opening defined in the planar opening side of the main section, the object cavity being configured to receive a portion of the object through the opening for packing,
• a hinge feature defining a hinge line at an intersection of one of the peripheral sides of the main section with the planar opening side such that the hinge line is co-planar with the planar opening side, and
• a buffer section coupled to the peripheral side of the main section by the hinge feature, the buffer section being configured to fold about the hinge line from an extended position to a folded packing position relative to the main section,
• where the buffer section has opposing first and second sides, where the hinge feature is disposed adjacent and contiguous with the planar opening side of the main section and hingeably couples the buffer section to the main section such that the first side of the buffer section faces the same direction as the opening side of the main section when the buffer section is disposed in its extended position, and such that the second side of the buffer section is disposed in face-to-face relationship with an exterior surface of a peripheral side of the main section when the buffer section is positioned in its folded packing position;
• and
• where the object cavity of a first one of the two packing devices is configured to receive a first end of the object for packing, and where the object cavity of a second one of the two packing devices is configured to receive a second end of the object for packing, the first and second ends of the object being opposing ends of the object for packing.

A method for packing an object, comprising:

• providing at least one packing device, comprising:
• a main section having a planar opening side with an opening defined therein, a body side disposed opposite from the opening side, and multiple peripheral sides extending between the opening side and the body side, an object cavity being defined in the main section between the peripheral sides that is continuous with the opening defined in the planar opening side of the main section, the object cavity being configured to receive a portion of the object through the opening for packing,
• a hinge feature defining a hinge line at an intersection of one of the peripheral sides of the main section with the planar opening side such that the hinge line is co-planar with the planar opening side, and
• a buffer section coupled to the peripheral side of the main section by the hinge feature, the buffer section being configured to fold about the hinge line from an extended position to a folded packing position relative to the main section,
• where the buffer section has opposing first and second sides;
• where the hinge feature is disposed adjacent and contiguous with the planar opening side of the main section and hingeably couples the buffer section to the main section such that the first side of the buffer section faces the same direction as the opening side of the main section when the buffer section is disposed in its extended position, and such that the second side of the buffer section is disposed in face-to-face relationship with an exterior surface of a peripheral side of the main section when the buffer section is positioned in its folded packing position, or
• where the buffer section is configured to fold about the hinge line from the extended position through the opening defined in the planar opening side of the main section to a folded packing position with the buffer section received inside the main section such that the first side of the buffer section faces the same direction as the opening side of the main section when the buffer section is disposed in its extended position, and such that the first side of the buffer section is disposed in face-to-face relationship with an interior surface of a peripheral side of the main section when the buffer section is positioned in its folded packing position;
• providing an object for packing;
• positioning at least a portion of the object for packing within the object cavity of the packing device to form an assembly of the packing device with the object;
• providing a shipping container having an interior configured to receive the assembly of the object and the packing device;
• folding the buffer section about the hinge line from the extended position to the folded packing position relative to the main section;
• and
• then positioning the assembly of the object and the packing device within the interior of the shipping container.

A device for packing an object, comprising:

• a main section having a planar opening side with an opening defined therein, a body side disposed opposite from the opening side, and multiple peripheral sides extending between the opening side and the body side, an object cavity being defined in the main section between the peripheral sides that is continuous with the opening defined in the planar opening side of the main section, the object cavity being configured to receive a portion of the object through the opening for packing;
• a hinge feature defining a hinge line at an intersection of one of the peripheral sides of the main section with the planar opening side such that the hinge line is co-planar with the planar opening side;
• and
• a buffer section coupled to the peripheral side of the main section by the hinge feature, the buffer section being configured to fold about the hinge line from an extended position to a folded packing position relative to the main section;
• where the buffer section has opposing first and second sides, where the buffer section is configured to fold about the hinge line from the extended position through the opening defined in the planar opening side of the main section to a folded packing position with the buffer section received inside the main section such that the first side of the buffer section faces the same direction as the opening side of the main section when the buffer section is disposed in its extended position, and such that the first side of the buffer section is disposed in face-to-face relationship with an interior surface of a peripheral side of the main section when the buffer section is positioned in its folded packing position.