JP7487497B2 - Cushioning material - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cushioning material that is placed inside a packaging box that contains an item to be packaged.

A packaging box that contains a packaged item may have cushioning material placed inside to protect the packaged item from shocks during transportation, etc. The cushioning material is placed between the inner surface of the packaging box and the packaged item, and provides a shock-absorbing effect. One type of cushioning material is formed by folding a sheet material (blank) made of, for example, cardboard into a predetermined three-dimensional shape. An example of a cushioning material is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

The conventional cushioning material disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed from a single blank made of cardboard, and has a central connecting wall portion and a cylindrical cushioning portion with a square cross section that is provided on both sides of the connecting wall portion and surrounded by first to fourth wall portions. The cushioning portion has a reinforcing plate portion extending along a pair of diagonals of the square cross section. One edge of the reinforcing plate portion is positioned at a fold line (ridge portion) between the wall portions within the cushioning portion. This means that when assembling the cylindrical cushioning portion with a square cross section, the worker does not need to hold any part, making assembly work easier. Furthermore, the cushioning portion can be provided with high cushioning function.

JP 2005-329956 A

However, in the above-mentioned conventional cushioning material, when multiple cushioning sections with different heights from the connecting wall section are formed in the same direction relative to the connecting wall section, if one edge of each of the reinforcing plate sections provided individually for the multiple cushioning sections is positioned at the fold line (ridge section) between the walls within the cushioning section, the lateral length from the connecting wall section will be different. This causes a step in the outer shape of a single blank at the location of one edge of each reinforcing plate section. Therefore, when cutting a blank from the original roll, it is necessary to cut it to match the cushioning section with the highest height from the connecting wall section, which poses the problem of high costs.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a cushioning material that is formed by folding a single sheet material and has multiple rectangular cylindrical cushioning sections, which can reduce costs and improve assembly workability.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cushioning material formed by folding a sheet material and having multiple rectangular cylindrical cushioning sections, the cushioning material comprising a base section, multiple folding pieces, and a positioning section. The base section has a first fold line extending parallel to one side of the outer edge of the sheet material. The multiple folding pieces are arranged in parallel along the extension direction of the first fold line, have the same length from the first fold line to their tip in a direction perpendicular to the first fold line, and are folded in the same direction at the first fold line and multiple second fold lines parallel to the first fold line to form multiple cushioning sections with different heights from the base section. The positioning section is provided on at least one of the base section and the folding piece, and positions the folding piece in a folded state. The positioning section is provided on either the base section or the folding piece, and has a protruding section that protrudes toward the other and is hooked. The sheet material has a rectangular outer shape in a flat state before the folding piece is folded.

According to the configuration of the present invention, when forming multiple rectangular cylindrical buffer sections with different heights from the base section, the cushioning material can be positioned in a folded state by the protruding section. The protruding section can be used to easily form the buffer sections, and the extension length of the folded section can be set as desired. The single sheet material forming the cushioning material has a rectangular outer shape in a flat state. Therefore, the positions of the tips of the multiple folded pieces forming the multiple buffer sections can be aligned with each other, for example, to match the buffer section with the lowest height from the base section. This makes it possible to reduce costs and improve assembly workability in a cushioning material formed by folding a single sheet material and having multiple rectangular cylindrical buffer sections.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a development view of the cushioning material of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a first buffer portion of the buffer material of FIG. 1 . 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a first buffer portion of the buffer material of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a second buffer portion of the buffer material of FIG. 1 . 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a second buffer portion of the buffer material of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a third buffer portion of the buffer material of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a third buffer portion of the buffer material of FIG. 1 .

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following contents.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cushioning material 1 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the cushioning material 1 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the cushioning material 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and is provided, for example, inside a packaging box (not shown), and is disposed between the inner surface of the packaging box and an object (not shown) contained inside the packaging box.

The cushioning material 1 comprises a first cushioning section 2, a second cushioning section 3, a third cushioning section 4, and a fourth cushioning section 5. These four cushioning sections are formed in a rectangular tubular shape with a square cross section that extends in the longitudinal direction of the cushioning material 1. The cushioning material 1 utilizes the cushioning space of the four rectangular tubular cushioning sections to cushion the impact on the packaged item and prevent damage to the packaged item.

When the cushioning material 1 is unfolded, it becomes the unfolded view shown in Figure 2. The cushioning material 1 is a single sheet material that has a rectangular outer shape when unfolded flat, and is made of, for example, cardboard. In other words, the cushioning material 1 is formed by folding a single sheet material, and has four rectangular cylindrical cushioning sections.

The cushioning material 1 includes a base portion 10. The base portion 10 is disposed at approximately the center of the long side direction Dx of the cushioning material 1 in a flat state. The base portion 10 is rectangular and extends long in a short side direction Dy perpendicular to the long side direction Dx. The longitudinal direction of the cushioning material 1 in the assembled state shown in FIG. 1 coincides with the short side direction Dy of the cushioning material 1 in a flat state shown in FIG. 2. The first cushioning portion 2, second cushioning portion 3, and third cushioning portion 4 shown in FIG. 1 are formed on one side of the long side direction Dx of the cushioning material 1 relative to the base portion 10, and the fourth cushioning portion 5 is formed on the other side.

Note that, in this description, the cushioning material 1 is configured with a first cushioning section 2, a second cushioning section 3, a third cushioning section 4, and a fourth cushioning section 5 formed above the base section 10, but the orientation of the cushioning material 1 during use is not limited to this.

The fourth buffer section 5 includes an outer wall section 51, an upper wall section 52, an inner wall section 53, and a lower wall section 54. The outer wall section 51, the upper wall section 52, the inner wall section 53, and the lower wall section 54 extend continuously to the base section 10 via fold lines L51, L52, L53, and L54. The fold lines L51, L52, L53, and L54 are parallel to the short side direction Dy. The outer wall section 51, the upper wall section 52, the inner wall section 53, the lower wall section 54, and the fold lines L51, L52, and L54 are the same length as the base section 10 in the short side direction Dy. In other words, the fourth buffer section 5 is the same length as the base section 10 in the short side direction Dy.

The fourth buffer section 5 is formed by folding the outer portion of the base section 10 approximately vertically upward at fold line L51, then approximately horizontally toward the inside (toward the base section 10) at fold line L52, approximately vertically downward at fold line L53, and approximately horizontally toward the outside at fold line L54. The lower wall section 54 is overlapped on the upper surface side of the base section 10. This forms the fourth buffer section 5 in the shape of a rectangular tube with a square cross section.

On one side of the base portion 10 in the long side direction Dx of the cushioning material 1, an outer wall portion 11, a first folded piece 20, a second folded piece 30, and a third folded piece 40 are provided.

The outer wall portion 11 extends continuously to the base portion 10 via a first fold line L11. The base portion 10 has a first fold line L11. The first fold line L11 extends parallel to one side of the outer edge of the sheet material and is parallel to the short side direction Dy. The outer wall portion 11 and the first fold line L11 have the same length as the base portion 10 in the short side direction Dy. The outer wall portion 11 is formed by folding the base portion 10 approximately vertically upward at the first fold line L11.

The first folding piece 20, the second folding piece 30, and the third folding piece 40 are separated from the base portion 10 by the outer wall portion 11 and extend in the same direction via the second folding lines L22, L32, and L42. The second folding lines L22, L32, and L42 are parallel to the first folding line L11. The first folding piece 20, the second folding piece 30, and the third folding piece 40 are arranged side by side along the extension direction of the first folding line L11, i.e., the short side direction Dy. In other words, the first folding piece 20, the second folding piece 30, the third folding piece 40, and the second folding lines L22, L32, and L42 are each shorter than the base portion 10 in the short side direction Dy. The first folded piece 20, the second folded piece 30, and the third folded piece 40 have the same length from the first fold line L11 to the tip portions 241, 341, and 441 in the direction perpendicular to the first fold line L11 (long side direction Dx).

The first buffer section 2, the second buffer section 3, and the third buffer section 4 are formed by folding the first folded piece 20, the second folded piece 30, and the third folded piece 40 in the same direction at a plurality of second fold lines, including the first fold line L11 and the second fold lines L22, L32, and L42, which will be described later. The distance H2 from the first fold line L11 to the second fold line L22, the distance H3 to the second fold line L32, and the distance H4 to the second fold line L42 are longer in the order of distance H2, H3, and H4. That is, the first buffer section 2, the second buffer section 3, and the third buffer section 4 have different heights from the base section 10, and the height from the base section 10 is higher in the order of the first buffer section 2, the second buffer section 3, and the third buffer section 4.

Figure 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the first buffer section 2 of the buffer material 1 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a partially vertical cross-sectional view showing the first buffer section 2 of the buffer material 1 of Figure 1. Note that in the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 4, for ease of explanation, detailed structure other than characteristic parts is omitted. The same applies to Figures 5 and 7 described below.

The first folded piece 20 forming the first buffer section 2 includes an upper wall section 22, an inner wall section 23, and a lower wall section 24. The upper wall section 22, the inner wall section 23, and the lower wall section 24 extend continuously through the second fold lines L22, L23, and L24, separating the outer wall section 11 from the base section 10.

The first folded piece 20 is folded at the second fold line L22 so that its outer portion is folded inward (toward the base portion 10) approximately horizontally with respect to the outer wall portion 11, then folded approximately vertically downward at the second fold line L23, and then folded approximately horizontally outward at the second fold line L24. The inner wall portion 23 faces the inner wall portion 53 of the fourth buffer portion 5 in the long side direction Dx. The lower wall portion 24 is overlapped on the upper surface side of the base portion 10. This forms the first buffer portion 2 in the shape of a rectangular tube with a square cross section.

The cushioning material 1 has a connecting portion 62 and a positioning portion 72 for the first cushioning portion 2.

The connecting portion 62 is provided at a position where the second fold line L24 of the first folded piece 20 forming the first buffer section 2 and the base section 10 overlap in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 62 has a connecting piece 621 and a connecting hole 622. The connecting piece 621 is provided on the base section 10, protrudes toward the inner wall section 23 of the first buffer section 2, and extends along the short side direction Dy. The connecting piece 621 is a cut-and-raised piece formed into a trapezoidal outer shape. The connecting hole 622 opens into the inner wall section 23 of the first buffer section 2, and is formed into a rectangular outer shape.

The connecting piece 621 and the connecting hole 622 are arranged at positions where they overlap in the short side direction Dy. The length of the tip of the connecting piece 621 in the short side direction Dy is longer than the length of the connecting hole 622 in the short side direction Dy. As a result, by pushing the connecting piece 621 into the connecting hole 622 in the connecting portion 62, the first buffer section 2 is connected to the upper surface side of the base section 10.

The positioning portion 72 is provided on the lower wall portion 24 of the first folded piece 20 that forms the first buffer portion 2. The positioning portion 72 is configured by making the length D24 of the lower wall portion 24 in the long side direction Dx approximately equal to the length D22 of the upper wall portion 22 in the long side direction Dx. As a result, when the first folded piece 20 is in a folded state, the tip portion 241 of the lower wall portion 24 in the long side direction Dx abuts against the inner surface of the outer wall portion 11, and the inner wall portion 23 extends approximately perpendicular to the base portion 10. In this way, the positioning portion 72 is provided on the first folded piece 20 and positions the first folded piece 20 in a folded state.

Figure 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the second buffer section 3 of the buffer material 1 of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a partially vertical cross-sectional view showing the second buffer section 3 of the buffer material 1 of Figure 1. The second folded piece 30 forming the second buffer section 3 includes an upper wall section 32, an inner wall section 33, and a lower wall section 34. The upper wall section 32, the inner wall section 33, and the lower wall section 34 extend continuously through the second fold lines L32, L33, and L34 to the base section 10, separating them from the outer wall section 11.

The second folded piece 30 is folded at the second fold line L32 so that its outer portion is folded inward (toward the base portion 10) approximately horizontally with respect to the outer wall portion 11, then folded approximately vertically downward at the second fold line L33, and then folded approximately horizontally outward at the second fold line L34. The inner wall portion 33 faces the inner wall portion 53 of the fourth buffer portion 5 in the long side direction Dx. The lower wall portion 34 is overlapped on the upper surface side of the base portion 10. This forms the second buffer portion 3 in the shape of a rectangular tube with a square cross section.

The cushioning material 1 has a connecting portion 63 and a positioning portion 73 for the second cushioning portion 3.

The connecting portion 63 is provided at a position where the second fold line L34 of the second folded piece 30 forming the second buffer section 3 and the base section 10 overlap in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 63 has a connecting piece 631 and a connecting hole 632. The connecting piece 631 is provided on the base section 10, protrudes toward the inner wall section 33 of the second buffer section 3, and extends along the short side direction Dy. The connecting piece 631 is a cut-and-raised piece formed into a trapezoidal outer shape. The connecting hole 632 opens into the inner wall section 33 of the second buffer section 3, and is formed into a rectangular outer shape.

The connecting piece 631 and the connecting hole 632 are arranged at positions where they overlap in the short side direction Dy. The length of the tip of the connecting piece 631 in the short side direction Dy is longer than the length of the connecting hole 632 in the short side direction Dy. As a result, by pushing the connecting piece 631 into the connecting hole 632 in the connecting portion 63, the second buffer section 3 is connected to the upper surface side of the base section 10.

The positioning portion 73 is provided at a position where the second fold line L33 of the second folded piece 30 forming the second buffer portion 3 and the base portion 10 overlap in the vertical direction. The positioning portion 73 is disposed at a position shifted in the short side direction Dy with respect to the joining portion 63. The positioning portion 73 has an insertion piece 731 and a slit 732. The insertion piece 731 is provided at the second fold line L33 of the second folded piece 30. The insertion piece 731 is a protrusion that protrudes toward and hooks onto the base portion 10, and extends along the short side direction Dy. The slit 732 opens to the base portion 10 and is formed into a rectangular shape whose outer shape extends along the short side direction Dy.

The insertion piece 731 and the slit 732 are arranged at a position where they overlap in the short side direction Dy. As a result, when the second bent piece 30 is folded, the insertion piece 731 of the second bent piece 30 is inserted into the slit 732 of the base part 10. Furthermore, the positioning part 73 is configured at a position where the inner wall part 33 extends approximately perpendicular to the base part 10 when the insertion piece 731 is inserted into the slit 732. As a result, when the second bent piece 30 is folded, the insertion piece 731 is inserted into the slit 732 and the inner wall part 33 extends approximately perpendicular to the base part 10. In this way, the positioning part 73 is provided on the base part 10 and the second bent piece 30, and positions the second bent piece 30 in the folded state.

The configuration of the positioning portion 73 makes it easy to align the length from the base portion 10 to the tip portion 341 of the bottom wall portion 34 of the second folded piece 30 in the long side direction Dx of the cushioning material 1 (see FIG. 2) in a flat state with the length from the base portion 10 to the tip portion 241 of the bottom wall portion 24 of the first folded piece 20 constituting the first cushioning section 2 that has the lowest height from the base portion 10. In addition, the insertion piece 731 and the slit 732 can be provided in the area where the second folded piece 30 and the base portion 10 overlap in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to position the second folded piece 30 in a folded state, regardless of the length of the bottom wall portion 34 of the second folded piece 30 in the long side direction Dx.

Figure 7 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the third buffer section 4 of the buffer material 1 of Figure 1. Figure 8 is a partially vertical cross-sectional view showing the third buffer section 4 of the buffer material 1 of Figure 1. The third folded piece 40 forming the third buffer section 4 includes an upper wall section 42, an inner wall section 43, and a lower wall section 44. The upper wall section 42, the inner wall section 43, and the lower wall section 44 extend continuously through the second fold lines L42, L43, and L44 to the base section 10, separating them from the outer wall section 11.

The third folded piece 40 is folded at the second fold line L42 so that its outer portion is folded inward (toward the base portion 10) approximately horizontally with respect to the outer wall portion 11, then folded approximately vertically downward at the second fold line L43, and then folded approximately horizontally outward at the second fold line L44. The inner wall portion 43 faces the inner wall portion 53 of the fourth buffer portion 5 in the long side direction Dx. The lower wall portion 44 is overlapped on the upper surface side of the base portion 10. This forms the third buffer portion 4 in the shape of a rectangular tube with a square cross section.

The cushioning material 1 has a connecting portion 64 and a positioning portion 74 for the third cushioning portion 4.

The connecting portion 64 is provided at a position where the second fold line L44 of the third folded piece 40 forming the third buffer section 4 and the base section 10 overlap in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 64 has a connecting piece 641 and a connecting hole 642. The connecting piece 641 is provided on the base section 10, protrudes toward the inner wall section 43 of the third buffer section 4, and extends along the short side direction Dy. The connecting piece 641 is a cut-and-raised piece formed into a trapezoidal outer shape. The connecting hole 642 opens into the inner wall section 43 of the third buffer section 4, and is formed into a rectangular outer shape.

The connecting piece 641 and the connecting hole 642 are arranged at a position where they overlap in the short side direction Dy. The length of the tip of the connecting piece 641 in the short side direction Dy is longer than the length of the connecting hole 642 in the short side direction Dy. As a result, by pushing the connecting piece 641 into the connecting hole 642 in the connecting portion 64, the third buffer section 4 is connected to the upper surface side of the base section 10.

The positioning portion 74 is provided at a position where the tip 441 in the long side direction Dx of the bottom wall portion 44 of the third bent piece 40 forming the third buffer portion 4 overlaps with the base portion 10 in the up-down direction. The positioning portion 74 has a cut-and-raised piece 741. The cut-and-raised piece 741 is cut and raised from the base portion 10, protrudes upward toward the bottom wall portion 44 of the third bent piece 40, and is a protrusion that hooks onto the bottom wall portion 44. The cut-and-raised piece 741 is positioned to abut against the tip 441 of the bottom wall portion 44 of the third bent piece 40 when the third bent piece 40 is folded.

The positioning portion 74 is configured such that the length D44 of the lower wall portion 44 in the long side direction Dx is such that when the third folded piece 40 is folded and the tip portion 441 of the lower wall portion 44 abuts against the cut-and-raised piece 741, the inner wall portion 43 extends substantially perpendicular to the base portion 10. As a result, when the third folded piece 40 is folded, the tip portion 441 of the lower wall portion 44 abuts against the cut-and-raised piece 741 and the inner wall portion 43 extends substantially perpendicular to the base portion 10. In this way, the positioning portion 74 is provided on the base portion 10 and the third folded piece 40, and positions the third folded piece 40 in the folded state.

The configuration of the positioning portion 74 makes it easy to align the length from the base portion 10 to the tip 441 of the bottom wall portion 44 of the third folded piece 40 in the long side direction Dx of the cushioning material 1 in a flat state (see FIG. 2) with the length from the base portion 10 to the tip 241 of the bottom wall portion 24 of the first folded piece 20 constituting the first cushioning section 2 that has the lowest height from the base portion 10. In addition, the cut-and-raised piece 741 can be formed to protrude at any height within the third cushioning section 4. This makes it easier for the cut-and-raised piece 741 to come into contact with the tip 441 of the bottom wall portion 44. This makes it possible to improve the ease of assembly work related to the third cushioning section 4.

The sheet material forming the cushioning material 1 of the above configuration has a rectangular outer shape in a flat state before folding the first folded piece 20, the second folded piece 30, and the third folded piece 40, as shown in FIG. 2. With this configuration, when forming the first folded piece 2, the second folded piece 3, and the third folded piece 4, which are rectangular tube-shaped and have different heights from the base part 10, the cushioning material 1 can position the second folded piece 30 and the third folded piece 40 in a folded state by the insert piece 731 and the cut-and-raised piece 741, which are protruding parts. This makes it possible to easily form the second folded piece 3 and the third folded piece 4 using the insert piece 731 and the cut-and-raised piece 741, which are protruding parts, and further allows the extension length of the first folded piece 20, the second folded piece 30, and the third folded piece 40 in the long side direction Dx to be set as desired.

The single sheet material forming the cushioning material 1 has a rectangular outer shape in a flat state. Therefore, the positions of the tip ends 241, 341, 441 of the first folded piece 20, the second folded piece 30, and the third folded piece 40 forming the first buffer section 2, the second buffer section 3, and the third buffer section 4, respectively, can be aligned with each other to match the first buffer section 2, which has the lowest height from the base section 10. This makes it possible to reduce costs and improve assembly workability in the cushioning material 1, which is formed by folding a single sheet material and has the square cylindrical first buffer section 2, second buffer section 3, and third buffer section 4.

As shown in Figures 2, 7 and 8, the cut-and-raised piece 741 of the positioning portion 74 is cut and raised in a direction (short side direction Dy) perpendicular to the bending direction (long side direction Dx) of the third bent piece 40. When the third bent piece 40 is bent, the tip 441 of the lower wall portion 44 of the third bent piece 40 abuts against the side edge of the cut-and-raised piece 741.

This configuration increases the strength of the cut-and-raised piece 741 when the tip 441 of the lower wall 44 abuts against the cut-and-raised piece 741. This improves the positioning accuracy of the third bent piece 40 when it is bent. Therefore, the third buffer section 4 has a stable shape and is able to provide a high buffering effect against impacts.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The present invention can be used in cushioning material placed inside a packaging box that contains the packaged item.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Cushioning material 2 First cushioning section 3 Second cushioning section 4 Third cushioning section 10 Base section 20, 30, 40 Bending pieces 72, 73, 74 Positioning section 241, 341, 441 Tip section 731 Insertion piece (protruding section)
732 Slit 741 Cut-out piece (protruding part)
L11: First fold line L22, L23, L24: Second fold line L32, L33, L34: Second fold line L42, L43, L44: Second fold line

Claims (3)

A cushioning material formed by folding a single sheet material and having a plurality of rectangular cylindrical cushioning sections,
a base portion having a first fold line extending parallel to one side of the outer edge of the sheet material;
A plurality of folded pieces are arranged in parallel along the extension direction of the first fold line, have the same length from the first fold line to a tip end in a direction perpendicular to the first fold line, and are folded in the same direction at the first fold line and a plurality of second fold lines parallel to the first fold line to form a plurality of the buffer portions having different heights from the base portion;
a positioning portion provided on at least one of the base portion and the bending piece for positioning the bending piece in a folded state;
Equipped with
the positioning portion is provided on one of the base portion and the bent piece and has a protruding portion that protrudes toward the other and is hooked thereon;
the protruding portion includes a cut-and-raised piece that is cut and raised from the base portion to a position that abuts against the tip end of the bent piece when the bent piece is bent,
The cushioning material is characterized in that the sheet material has a rectangular outer shape in a flat state before the folding pieces are folded. The cut-and-raised piece is cut and raised in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction of the bent piece,
2. The cushioning material according to claim 1 , wherein the tip of the bent piece abuts against a side edge of the cut-and-raised piece . The positioning portion is
An insertion piece that is the protruding portion protruding from the second fold line portion of the folding piece;
a slit that opens in the base portion and into which the insertion piece is inserted;
The cushioning material according to claim 1 , characterized in that it has

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