US20230020334A1 - Shock absorber and packaging system - Google Patents
Shock absorber and packaging system Download PDFInfo
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- US20230020334A1 US20230020334A1 US17/847,318 US202217847318A US2023020334A1 US 20230020334 A1 US20230020334 A1 US 20230020334A1 US 202217847318 A US202217847318 A US 202217847318A US 2023020334 A1 US2023020334 A1 US 2023020334A1
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- base structure
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- shock
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- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 114
- 239000006096 absorbing agent Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 97
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 title claims description 7
- 239000000872 buffer Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 155
- 239000005022 packaging material Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 19
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 10
- 230000001133 acceleration Effects 0.000 description 8
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000012795 verification Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 2
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- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004308 accommodation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001746 injection moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
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- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012856 packing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
- B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
- B65D81/05—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
- B65D81/107—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using blocks of shock-absorbing material
- B65D81/113—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using blocks of shock-absorbing material of a shape specially adapted to accommodate contents
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
- B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
- B65D81/05—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
- B65D81/107—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using blocks of shock-absorbing material
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
- B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
- B65D81/05—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
- B65D81/127—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using rigid or semi-rigid sheets of shock-absorbing material
Definitions
- Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a shock absorber and a packaging system.
- a packaging material for a precision machine product is provided with a shock absorber having a shock absorbing function to prevent a fragile packaged object from being deformed or damaged by vibration or drop impact received under distribution.
- a shock absorber absorbs the shock of an impact on the packaged object, in other words, an acceleration caused by impact, by its own deformation and buckling action.
- some techniques have been proposed that reduce, with a shock absorber, an acceleration of up to several hundred G caused by impact on a packaged object to an acceleration of a hundred G or less.
- a shock absorber in the related art includes a shock-absorbing rib structure with a structural strength corresponding to the mass of an object to be packaged and an assumed drop height.
- Such a shock absorber exhibits a shock absorbing function by a compressive stress characteristic generated by compressive deformation of the shock-absorbing rib structure. It is already known that the maximum efficiency point of shock absorbing by the compressive stress characteristic is under a condition in which the compression strain is in a range of 0.5 to 0.65 and that the maximum efficiency point is a limit point of the shock absorbing function of the shock absorber having a configuration described above.
- a novel shock absorber includes a base structure and a shock-absorbing rib structure.
- the base structure has a space to accommodate an object to be packaged.
- the shock-absorbing rib structure is disposed on a face of the base structure.
- the shock-absorbing rib structure includes a main buffer and an auxiliary buffer.
- the main buffer is supported by the base structure and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape.
- the auxiliary buffer is supported by the base structure at opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer and apart from the base structure between the opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer.
- a novel shock absorber includes a planar base structure and a shock-absorbing rib structure disposed on a face of the base structure to be attached to an object to be packaged, in contact with the object to be packaged.
- the shock-absorbing rib structure includes a main buffer and an auxiliary buffer.
- the main buffer is supported by the base structure and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape.
- the auxiliary buffer is supported by the base structure at opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer and apart from the base structure between the opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer. Also described is a novel packaging system including an object to be packaged, the shock absorber, and a packaging material that packs the object with the shock absorber attached.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a comparative shock absorber
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shock absorber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shock absorber of FIG. 2 with the stress acting in the shock absorber;
- FIG. 4 A is a graph illustrating characteristics of buffers
- FIG. 4 B is a graph comparing the shock absorber of FIG. 2 with a comparative shock absorber as a comparative example for the characteristics;
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a plurality of shock-absorbing rib structures
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a shock absorber different from the shock absorber of FIG. 2 in the positions of the main buffer and the auxiliary buffer;
- FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a shock absorber including a stack of flat plates
- FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another shock absorber including a stack of flat plates
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having no space for accommodating an object to be packaged.
- FIG. 10 A is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a first variation in shape
- FIG. 10 B is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a second variation in shape
- FIG. 10 C is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a third variation in shape
- FIG. 10 D is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a fourth variation in shape
- FIG. 10 E is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a fifth variation in shape
- FIG. 10 F is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a sixth variation in shape
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a modified main buffer
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having an opening for accommodating a deformed portion of an auxiliary buffer
- FIG. 13 is a side view of the shock absorber illustrated in FIG. 12 ;
- FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a packaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shock absorber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- a shock absorber 1 includes a base structure 10 and a shock-absorbing rib structure 20 .
- the base structure 10 has an accommodation space 5 , which is a space to accommodate an object to be packaged (e.g., a copier).
- the shock-absorbing rib structure 20 is disposed on an upper face of the base structure 10 .
- the shock-absorbing rib structure 20 includes a main buffer 12 and auxiliary buffers 14 .
- the main buffer 12 is supported by the base structure 10 and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape.
- Each of the auxiliary buffers 14 is supported by the base structure 10 at opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer 14 and apart from the base structure 10 between the opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer 14 .
- the main buffer 12 is disposed alone at a central position on the upper face of the base structure 10 .
- the auxiliary buffers 14 are disposed in pair to sandwich the main buffer 12 .
- Each of the auxiliary buffers 14 has an inverted V-shape (or an arch shape) and is intended to be bent and deformed.
- the shock absorber 1 is attached to the object to be packaged such as a copier and packed in a packaging material.
- compression stress acts in the main buffer 12 in response to the compressive deformation of the main buffer 12 as illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- compressive and bending stresses act in the auxiliary buffers 14 in response to the bending deformation of the auxiliary buffer 14 as illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- a comparative shock absorber (see FIG. 1 ) lessens or absorbs the shock of an impact only by compressive deformation and compressive stress of a single shock-absorbing rib 3 0 structure.
- the shock absorber 1 of the present embodiment (see FIG. 2 ) generates a combined stress action with the main buffer 12 and the auxiliary buffers 14 that are not provided in the comparative shock absorber.
- the shock absorber 1 absorbs the shock of an impact more efficiently than the comparative shock absorber and lessens the shock. Accordingly, the shock absorber 1 reduces the maximum impact force applied to the packaged object as compared with the maximum impact force applied to the same packaged object to which the comparative shock absorber is attached.
- FIG. 4 A is a graph illustrating the characteristics of the main buffer and the auxiliary buffer.
- FIG. 4 B is a graph comparing the shock absorber 1 of the present embodiment with a comparative shock absorber as a comparative example for the characteristics.
- the horizontal axis represents an amount of deformation (mm); whereas the vertical axis represents the reaction force (N) that acts.
- the compressive stress mainly acts in the auxiliary buffer at first, and then the bending stress acts in the auxiliary buffer in response to the bending deformation of the auxiliary buffer.
- the reaction force largely decreases at the time when the auxiliary buffer starts bending deformation, and then gradually increases in FIG. 4 A .
- reaction force monotonously increases because the compressive stress acts in the main buffer.
- reaction force a composite force (reaction force) obtained by combining the forces of the main buffer and the auxiliary buffer rises faster and has a larger value than the force of the main buffer alone.
- the main buffer receives the shock of an impact in a reduced area and has a reduced volume to reduce the reaction force of the main buffer.
- the shock absorber 1 of the present embodiment raises the reaction force faster at an increased value of the reaction force at the time of starting the deformation as compared with the comparative shock absorber.
- the shock absorber 1 of the present embodiment reduces the reaction force acting on the packaged object after specific deformation as compared with the comparative shock absorber.
- the shock absorber 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes the single main buffer 12 and the two auxiliary buffers 14 on one face of the base structure 10
- the configuration of the shock absorber 1 is not limited to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2 .
- at least one main buffer 12 and at least one auxiliary buffer 14 may be disposed on at least one face of the base structure 10 .
- An appropriate shock-absorbing rib structure is selected for the shock of an impact assumed from the mass of the object to be packaged and an assumed drop height.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a plurality of shock-absorbing rib structures.
- the main buffer 12 and the auxiliary buffers 14 are disposed on a plurality of faces of the base structure 10 .
- the main buffer 12 and the auxiliary buffers 14 are disposed on a maximum of five faces of the base structure 10 , including the back face of the base structure 10 hidden in FIG. 5 . Since a shock absorber 1 a includes the shock-absorbing rib structures 20 in various directions, the shock absorber 1 a exhibits the shock absorbing function in various directions.
- the shock absorber 1 a is not limited to a hexahedron such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube.
- the shock absorber 1 a may have a three dimensional shape with more faces each being provided with the shock-absorbing rib structure 20 .
- the main buffer 12 is suitably interposed between the two auxiliary buffers 14 on a common face of the base structure 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2 .
- the auxiliary buffer 14 is suitably interposed between the two main buffers 12 on a common face of the base structure 10 as illustrated in FIG. 6 .
- a shock absorber 1 b reduces inclination at the time of shock absorbing.
- FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views of shock absorbers each including a stack of flat plates.
- a shock absorber 1 c may include a stack of plates 30 a , 30 b , and 30 c as plate-shaped members.
- a shock absorber 1 d may include a stack of plates 30 d , 30 e , and 30 f as plate-shaped members. Since each of the plates 30 a to 30 f is easily manufactured without using an advanced molding technique such as injection molding, the shock absorbers 1 c and 1 d are efficiently and inexpensively manufactured.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having no space for accommodating an object to be packaged.
- a shock absorber 1 e includes a planar base structure 10 e and a shock-absorbing rib structure 20 e on a face of the base structure 10 e.
- the shock-absorbing rib structure 20 e includes the main buffer 12 and auxiliary buffers 14 e .
- the main buffer 12 is supported by the base structure 10 e and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape.
- Each of the auxiliary buffers 14 e is supported by the base structure 10 e at opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer 14 e and apart from the base structure 10 e between the opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer 14 e.
- the shock absorber 1 e differs from the shock absorber 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 in that the base structure 10 e has no space for accommodating an object to be packaged.
- the shock absorber 1 e absorbs the shock of an impact on a packaged object with the planar shock-absorbing rib structure 20 e in contact with and attached to the packaged object.
- the auxiliary buffers 14 e and the main buffer 12 of the shock absorber 1 e exert a combined stress action to absorb the shock of an impact more efficiently than the comparative shock absorber (see FIG. 1 ) and lessen the shock. Accordingly, the shock absorber 1 e reduces the maximum impact force applied to the packaged object.
- FIGS. 10 A to 10 F are perspective views of auxiliary buffers according to some variations in shape.
- the auxiliary buffer 14 may take various shapes according to at least one of the object to be packed to which the auxiliary buffer 14 is attached and an assumed shock of impact.
- the auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated in FIG. 10 A includes two supports 16 and a beam 18 .
- the two supports 16 are disposed vertically, perpendicular to a face of the base structure 10 .
- the beam 18 is supported by the supports 16 and disposed horizontally, parallel to and apart from the face of the base structure 10 .
- the auxiliary buffer 14 is a structure in which the beam 18 disposed horizontally receives an evenly distributed load. Accordingly, the auxiliary buffers 14 attains an effect that bending stress largely acts when receiving a local load.
- the auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated in FIG. 10 A is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively large mass.
- the auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated in FIG. 10 B includes the two intersecting supports 16 inclined with respect to a face of the base structure 10 .
- the auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated in FIG. 10 B is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively small mass.
- the auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated in FIG. 10 C includes the two supports 16 inclined with respect to a face of the base structure 10 and the beam 18 supported by the two supports 16 and disposed horizontally, parallel to the face of the base structure 10 .
- the auxiliary buffer 14 is a structure in which the beam 18 disposed horizontally receives an equally distributed load while the two supports 16 at a relatively long distance from each other are easily bent, thus exerting a small bending stress.
- the auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated in FIG. 10 C is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively small mass.
- the two or more auxiliary buffers 14 are disposed continuously in a longitudinal direction of the auxiliary buffers 14 .
- the auxiliary buffers 14 illustrated in FIGS. 10 D to 10 F easily attain the effect that the bending stress largely acts because the distance between the supports 16 is relatively short.
- the auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated in FIG. 10 A is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively large mass.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a modified main buffer.
- a main buffer 12 f includes gradient side faces at opposed longitudinal ends of the main buffer 12 f .
- the main buffer 12 f includes a bottom face supported by the base structure 10 and having a greater area than an area of an upper face of the main buffer 12 f
- the main buffer 12 f is a tapered structure.
- the main buffer 12 f Since the compressed area of the main buffer 12 f increases as the compressive deformation of the main buffer 12 f progresses, the main buffer 12 f absorbs increased impact energy.
- the main buffer 12 f may include at least one pair of opposed side faces with a gradient.
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having an opening for accommodating a deformed portion of an auxiliary buffer.
- a base structure 10 g has an opening 8 directly below the auxiliary buffer 14 in the vertical direction.
- the deformed portion of the auxiliary buffer 14 is accommodated in the opening 8 (see FIG. 13 ).
- the auxiliary buffer 14 is bent and deformed as aimed, without falling into a state of only compressive deformation. Accordingly, the auxiliary buffer 14 generates a composite stress together with the main buffer 12 .
- the shock absorbers 1 and 1 a to 1 g are preferably made of foamed resin.
- the material of the shock absorbers 1 and 1 a to 1 g is not limited to the foamed resin.
- the shock absorber 1 of the present embodiment is attached to an image forming apparatus 50 (e.g., a copier or a printer) as an object to be packaged and is packed in a packaging material 60 (e.g., a cardboard box).
- the packaging material 60 is used in a packaging system 100 including, e.g., packing machinery equipment.
- the packaging system 100 includes the image forming apparatus 50 as an object to be packaged, the shock absorber 1 , and the packaging material 60 that packs the image forming apparatus 50 with the shock absorber 1 attached.
- a comparative verification test of the acceleration caused by impact was performed to compare the shock absorber of the present embodiment with a comparative shock absorber.
- the shock absorber of the present embodiment ( FIG. 2 ) was compared with the comparative shock absorber ( FIG. 1 ) for the acceleration caused by impact at the same buffer distance.
- the shock absorber of the present embodiment and the comparative shock absorber were made of foamed polyethylene (expanded polyethylene (EPE) having an apparent density of 22.5 kg/m 3 ).
- EPE expanded polyethylene
- an average acceleration caused by impact on the shock absorber of the present embodiment was about 20% lower than an average acceleration caused by impact on the comparative shock absorber.
- the shock absorber includes a shock-absorbing rib structure including a main buffer that is compressed and deformed and an auxiliary buffer that is compressed and bent, thus being deformed.
- the main buffer exerts compressive stress; whereas the auxiliary buffer exerts compressive and bending stresses.
- the shock-absorbing rib structure exerts a combined stress action and enhances the shock absorbing properties as compared with a shock-absorbing rib structure in the related art.
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Abstract
Description
- This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-113477, filed on Jul. 8, 2021, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a shock absorber and a packaging system.
- A packaging material for a precision machine product is provided with a shock absorber having a shock absorbing function to prevent a fragile packaged object from being deformed or damaged by vibration or drop impact received under distribution. Such a shock absorber absorbs the shock of an impact on the packaged object, in other words, an acceleration caused by impact, by its own deformation and buckling action. For example, some techniques have been proposed that reduce, with a shock absorber, an acceleration of up to several hundred G caused by impact on a packaged object to an acceleration of a hundred G or less.
- As illustrated in
FIG. 1 , a shock absorber in the related art includes a shock-absorbing rib structure with a structural strength corresponding to the mass of an object to be packaged and an assumed drop height. Such a shock absorber exhibits a shock absorbing function by a compressive stress characteristic generated by compressive deformation of the shock-absorbing rib structure. It is already known that the maximum efficiency point of shock absorbing by the compressive stress characteristic is under a condition in which the compression strain is in a range of 0.5 to 0.65 and that the maximum efficiency point is a limit point of the shock absorbing function of the shock absorber having a configuration described above. - According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a novel shock absorber includes a base structure and a shock-absorbing rib structure. The base structure has a space to accommodate an object to be packaged. The shock-absorbing rib structure is disposed on a face of the base structure. The shock-absorbing rib structure includes a main buffer and an auxiliary buffer. The main buffer is supported by the base structure and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape. The auxiliary buffer is supported by the base structure at opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer and apart from the base structure between the opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer.
- According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a novel shock absorber includes a planar base structure and a shock-absorbing rib structure disposed on a face of the base structure to be attached to an object to be packaged, in contact with the object to be packaged. The shock-absorbing rib structure includes a main buffer and an auxiliary buffer.
- The main buffer is supported by the base structure and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape. The auxiliary buffer is supported by the base structure at opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer and apart from the base structure between the opposed ends of the auxiliary buffer. Also described is a novel packaging system including an object to be packaged, the shock absorber, and a packaging material that packs the object with the shock absorber attached.
- A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages and features thereof can be readily obtained and understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a comparative shock absorber; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shock absorber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shock absorber ofFIG. 2 with the stress acting in the shock absorber; -
FIG. 4A is a graph illustrating characteristics of buffers; -
FIG. 4B is a graph comparing the shock absorber ofFIG. 2 with a comparative shock absorber as a comparative example for the characteristics; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a plurality of shock-absorbing rib structures; -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a shock absorber different from the shock absorber ofFIG. 2 in the positions of the main buffer and the auxiliary buffer; -
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a shock absorber including a stack of flat plates; -
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another shock absorber including a stack of flat plates; -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having no space for accommodating an object to be packaged; -
FIG. 10A is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a first variation in shape; -
FIG. 10B is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a second variation in shape; -
FIG. 10C is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a third variation in shape; -
FIG. 10D is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a fourth variation in shape; -
FIG. 10E is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a fifth variation in shape; -
FIG. 10F is a perspective view of an auxiliary buffer according to a sixth variation in shape; -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a modified main buffer; -
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having an opening for accommodating a deformed portion of an auxiliary buffer; -
FIG. 13 is a side view of the shock absorber illustrated inFIG. 12 ; and -
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a packaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. - The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of the present invention and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. Also, identical or similar reference numerals designate identical or similar components throughout the several views.
- In describing embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that have a similar function, operate in a similar manner, and achieve a similar result.
- Referring now to the drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
- For the sake of simplicity, like reference numerals are given to identical or corresponding constituent elements such as parts and materials having the same functions, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted unless otherwise required.
-
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shock absorber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. - A
shock absorber 1 includes abase structure 10 and a shock-absorbingrib structure 20. Thebase structure 10 has anaccommodation space 5, which is a space to accommodate an object to be packaged (e.g., a copier). The shock-absorbingrib structure 20 is disposed on an upper face of thebase structure 10. - The shock-absorbing
rib structure 20 includes amain buffer 12 andauxiliary buffers 14. Themain buffer 12 is supported by thebase structure 10 and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape. Each of theauxiliary buffers 14 is supported by thebase structure 10 at opposed ends of theauxiliary buffer 14 and apart from thebase structure 10 between the opposed ends of theauxiliary buffer 14. - Specifically, the
main buffer 12 is disposed alone at a central position on the upper face of thebase structure 10. The auxiliary buffers 14 are disposed in pair to sandwich themain buffer 12. Each of theauxiliary buffers 14 has an inverted V-shape (or an arch shape) and is intended to be bent and deformed. - The
shock absorber 1 is attached to the object to be packaged such as a copier and packed in a packaging material. When the packaging material is subjected to at least one of vibration and drop impact, compression stress acts in themain buffer 12 in response to the compressive deformation of themain buffer 12 as illustrated inFIG. 3 . At the same time, compressive and bending stresses act in theauxiliary buffers 14 in response to the bending deformation of theauxiliary buffer 14 as illustrated inFIG. 3 . - A comparative shock absorber (see
FIG. 1 ) lessens or absorbs the shock of an impact only by compressive deformation and compressive stress of a single shock-absorbing rib 3 0 structure. By contrast, theshock absorber 1 of the present embodiment (seeFIG. 2 ) generates a combined stress action with themain buffer 12 and theauxiliary buffers 14 that are not provided in the comparative shock absorber. With such a configuration, theshock absorber 1 absorbs the shock of an impact more efficiently than the comparative shock absorber and lessens the shock. Accordingly, theshock absorber 1 reduces the maximum impact force applied to the packaged object as compared with the maximum impact force applied to the same packaged object to which the comparative shock absorber is attached. -
FIG. 4A is a graph illustrating the characteristics of the main buffer and the auxiliary buffer.FIG. 4B is a graph comparing theshock absorber 1 of the present embodiment with a comparative shock absorber as a comparative example for the characteristics. InFIGS. 4A and 4B , the horizontal axis represents an amount of deformation (mm); whereas the vertical axis represents the reaction force (N) that acts. - As indicated by the lowermost line in
FIG. 4A , the compressive stress mainly acts in the auxiliary buffer at first, and then the bending stress acts in the auxiliary buffer in response to the bending deformation of the auxiliary buffer. The reaction force largely decreases at the time when the auxiliary buffer starts bending deformation, and then gradually increases inFIG. 4A . - On the other hand, as indicated by the middle line in
FIG. 4A , the reaction force monotonously increases because the compressive stress acts in the main buffer. As indicated by the uppermost line inFIG. 4A , a composite force (reaction force) obtained by combining the forces of the main buffer and the auxiliary buffer rises faster and has a larger value than the force of the main buffer alone. - In addition to the above, in the present embodiment, the main buffer receives the shock of an impact in a reduced area and has a reduced volume to reduce the reaction force of the main buffer. In other words, as illustrated in
FIG. 4B , theshock absorber 1 of the present embodiment raises the reaction force faster at an increased value of the reaction force at the time of starting the deformation as compared with the comparative shock absorber. In addition, theshock absorber 1 of the present embodiment reduces the reaction force acting on the packaged object after specific deformation as compared with the comparative shock absorber. - Although the
shock absorber 1 illustrated inFIG. 2 includes the singlemain buffer 12 and the twoauxiliary buffers 14 on one face of thebase structure 10, the configuration of theshock absorber 1 is not limited to the configuration illustrated inFIG. 2 . Alternatively, for example, at least onemain buffer 12 and at least oneauxiliary buffer 14 may be disposed on at least one face of thebase structure 10. An appropriate shock-absorbing rib structure is selected for the shock of an impact assumed from the mass of the object to be packaged and an assumed drop height. - Now, a description is given of some advantageous configurations of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
-
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a plurality of shock-absorbing rib structures. - The
main buffer 12 and theauxiliary buffers 14 are disposed on a plurality of faces of thebase structure 10. In the example illustrated inFIG. 5 , themain buffer 12 and theauxiliary buffers 14 are disposed on a maximum of five faces of thebase structure 10, including the back face of thebase structure 10 hidden inFIG. 5 . Since ashock absorber 1 a includes the shock-absorbingrib structures 20 in various directions, theshock absorber 1 a exhibits the shock absorbing function in various directions. - Note that the
shock absorber 1 a is not limited to a hexahedron such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube. Alternatively, theshock absorber 1 a may have a three dimensional shape with more faces each being provided with the shock-absorbingrib structure 20. - Now, a description is given of an arrangement (positions) of the
main buffer 12 and theauxiliary buffers 14. In a case where the center of gravity of the object to be packaged is close to the center, themain buffer 12 is suitably interposed between the twoauxiliary buffers 14 on a common face of thebase structure 10 as illustrated inFIG. 2 . - By contrast, in a case where the center of gravity of the object to be packaged is on one side (i.e., eccentric center of gravity), the
auxiliary buffer 14 is suitably interposed between the twomain buffers 12 on a common face of thebase structure 10 as illustrated inFIG. 6 . Ashock absorber 1 b reduces inclination at the time of shock absorbing. -
FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views of shock absorbers each including a stack of flat plates. - As illustrated in
FIG. 7 , ashock absorber 1 c may include a stack ofplates FIG. 8 , ashock absorber 1 d may include a stack ofplates plates 30 a to 30 f is easily manufactured without using an advanced molding technique such as injection molding, theshock absorbers -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having no space for accommodating an object to be packaged. - A
shock absorber 1 e includes aplanar base structure 10 e and a shock-absorbingrib structure 20 e on a face of thebase structure 10 e. - The shock-absorbing
rib structure 20 e includes themain buffer 12 andauxiliary buffers 14 e. Themain buffer 12 is supported by thebase structure 10 e and has a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape. Each of theauxiliary buffers 14 e is supported by thebase structure 10 e at opposed ends of theauxiliary buffer 14 e and apart from thebase structure 10 e between the opposed ends of theauxiliary buffer 14 e. - The
shock absorber 1 e differs from theshock absorber 1 illustrated inFIG. 2 in that thebase structure 10 e has no space for accommodating an object to be packaged. Theshock absorber 1 e absorbs the shock of an impact on a packaged object with the planar shock-absorbingrib structure 20 e in contact with and attached to the packaged object. In this configuration, similar to the configuration illustrated inFIG. 2 , theauxiliary buffers 14 e and themain buffer 12 of theshock absorber 1 e exert a combined stress action to absorb the shock of an impact more efficiently than the comparative shock absorber (seeFIG. 1 ) and lessen the shock. Accordingly, theshock absorber 1 e reduces the maximum impact force applied to the packaged object. -
FIGS. 10A to 10F are perspective views of auxiliary buffers according to some variations in shape. - The
auxiliary buffer 14 may take various shapes according to at least one of the object to be packed to which theauxiliary buffer 14 is attached and an assumed shock of impact. - The
auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10A includes twosupports 16 and abeam 18. The twosupports 16 are disposed vertically, perpendicular to a face of thebase structure 10. Thebeam 18 is supported by thesupports 16 and disposed horizontally, parallel to and apart from the face of thebase structure 10. Theauxiliary buffer 14 is a structure in which thebeam 18 disposed horizontally receives an evenly distributed load. Accordingly, theauxiliary buffers 14 attains an effect that bending stress largely acts when receiving a local load. Theauxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10A is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively large mass. - The
auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10B includes the two intersecting supports 16 inclined with respect to a face of thebase structure 10. When receiving a local load, the 2 5auxiliary buffer 14 is easily bent, thus exerting a small bending stress. Theauxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10B is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively small mass. - The
auxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10C includes the twosupports 16 inclined with respect to a face of thebase structure 10 and thebeam 18 supported by the twosupports 16 and disposed horizontally, parallel to the face of thebase structure 10. Theauxiliary buffer 14 is a structure in which thebeam 18 disposed horizontally receives an equally distributed load while the twosupports 16 at a relatively long distance from each other are easily bent, thus exerting a small bending stress. Like theauxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10B , theauxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10C is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively small mass. - In
FIGS. 10D to 10F , the two or moreauxiliary buffers 14 are disposed continuously in a longitudinal direction of theauxiliary buffers 14. The auxiliary buffers 14 illustrated inFIGS. 10D to 10F easily attain the effect that the bending stress largely acts because the distance between thesupports 16 is relatively short. Theauxiliary buffer 14 illustrated inFIG. 10A is suitable for an object to be packaged having a relatively large mass. -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shock absorber including a modified main buffer. Amain buffer 12 f includes gradient side faces at opposed longitudinal ends of themain buffer 12 f. Themain buffer 12 f includes a bottom face supported by thebase structure 10 and having a greater area than an area of an upper face of themain buffer 12 f In short, themain buffer 12 f is a tapered structure. - Since the compressed area of the
main buffer 12 f increases as the compressive deformation of themain buffer 12 f progresses, themain buffer 12 f absorbs increased impact energy. Note that themain buffer 12 f may include at least one pair of opposed side faces with a gradient. -
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a shock absorber having an opening for accommodating a deformed portion of an auxiliary buffer. - As illustrated in
FIG. 12 , abase structure 10 g has anopening 8 directly below theauxiliary buffer 14 in the vertical direction. When theauxiliary buffer 14 is bent and deformed, the deformed portion of theauxiliary buffer 14 is accommodated in the opening 8 (seeFIG. 13 ). Even when theauxiliary buffer 14 is remarkably deformed, theauxiliary buffer 14 is bent and deformed as aimed, without falling into a state of only compressive deformation. Accordingly, theauxiliary buffer 14 generates a composite stress together with themain buffer 12. - The
shock absorbers - However, the material of the
shock absorbers - As illustrated in
FIG. 14 , theshock absorber 1 of the present embodiment is attached to an image forming apparatus 50 (e.g., a copier or a printer) as an object to be packaged and is packed in a packaging material 60 (e.g., a cardboard box). Thepackaging material 60 is used in apackaging system 100 including, e.g., packing machinery equipment. In other words, thepackaging system 100 includes theimage forming apparatus 50 as an object to be packaged, theshock absorber 1, and thepackaging material 60 that packs theimage forming apparatus 50 with theshock absorber 1 attached. - Now, a description is given of a comparative verification test.
- A comparative verification test of the acceleration caused by impact was performed to compare the shock absorber of the present embodiment with a comparative shock absorber.
- For verification, the shock absorber of the present embodiment (
FIG. 2 ) was compared with the comparative shock absorber (FIG. 1 ) for the acceleration caused by impact at the same buffer distance. - As a condition, the shock absorber of the present embodiment and the comparative shock absorber were made of foamed polyethylene (expanded polyethylene (EPE) having an apparent density of 22.5 kg/m3).
- As a result, as presented in Table 1, an average acceleration caused by impact on the shock absorber of the present embodiment was about 20% lower than an average acceleration caused by impact on the comparative shock absorber.
-
TABLE 1 AVERAGE ACCELER- ACCELER- ATION ATION CAUSED BY CAUSED BY STANDARD IMPACT IMPACT DEVIATION SPECIFICATION (G’s) (G’s) (1 σ) COMPARATIVE N1 38.23 42.15 2.95 EXAMPLE N2 42.69 N3 40.22 N4 45.62 N5 43.99 PRESENT N1 33.14 34.40 2.29 EMBODIMENT N2 35.63 N3 31.02 N4 36.65 N5 35.55 - According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the shock absorber includes a shock-absorbing rib structure including a main buffer that is compressed and deformed and an auxiliary buffer that is compressed and bent, thus being deformed. The main buffer exerts compressive stress; whereas the auxiliary buffer exerts compressive and bending stresses. Accordingly, the shock-absorbing rib structure exerts a combined stress action and enhances the shock absorbing properties as compared with a shock-absorbing rib structure in the related art.
- The above-described embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the present invention. Thus, numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of the present invention.
Claims (16)
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JP2021-113477 | 2021-07-08 | ||
JP2021113477A JP2023009855A (en) | 2021-07-08 | 2021-07-08 | Shock cushioning material, packaging material, and packaging system |
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US20230020334A1 true US20230020334A1 (en) | 2023-01-19 |
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US17/847,318 Pending US20230020334A1 (en) | 2021-07-08 | 2022-06-23 | Shock absorber and packaging system |
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US (1) | US20230020334A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP4116221B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2023009855A (en) |
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US20130220866A1 (en) * | 2012-02-28 | 2013-08-29 | Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. | Cushioning material |
US8800765B2 (en) * | 2012-08-27 | 2014-08-12 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. | Packaging assembly |
US10597216B2 (en) * | 2017-11-15 | 2020-03-24 | Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. | Packing member |
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US5058745A (en) * | 1990-05-01 | 1991-10-22 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Product adaptable, process compatible, ergonomic means and method for safe handling, transporting and unpacking of articles of manufacture |
JPH09328172A (en) | 1996-06-10 | 1997-12-22 | Toshiba Video Prod Japan Kk | Packaging case and assembling method thereof |
US6938773B1 (en) * | 2004-02-13 | 2005-09-06 | Sony Corporation | Universal computer packaging cushion |
WO2011071172A1 (en) * | 2009-12-09 | 2011-06-16 | 日本電気株式会社 | Cushioning member and packaging device |
JP6076230B2 (en) * | 2013-10-21 | 2017-02-08 | 京セラドキュメントソリューションズ株式会社 | Packaging cushioning member and packaging material provided therewith |
-
2021
- 2021-07-08 JP JP2021113477A patent/JP2023009855A/en active Pending
-
2022
- 2022-06-23 US US17/847,318 patent/US20230020334A1/en active Pending
- 2022-07-04 EP EP22182785.0A patent/EP4116221B1/en active Active
Patent Citations (10)
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US2050909A (en) * | 1934-10-23 | 1936-08-11 | Woodall Ray | Device for secure ice cream containers in shells |
US3095970A (en) * | 1957-01-04 | 1963-07-02 | Vanant Company Inc | Packaging strip having outwardly projecting cushioning peaks |
US20050115860A1 (en) * | 2003-10-10 | 2005-06-02 | Mertz William J.Ii | Package for shipping and storage of panel products |
US20050155890A1 (en) * | 2004-01-16 | 2005-07-21 | Dell Products L.P. | Breakaway foam packing |
US8196747B2 (en) * | 2005-12-06 | 2012-06-12 | International Business Machines Corporation | End cap packaging material, packaging and method for protecting products against damage |
US7648750B2 (en) * | 2005-12-07 | 2010-01-19 | International Business Machines Corporation | Flexible molded end cap cushion |
US20110308979A1 (en) * | 2009-04-07 | 2011-12-22 | Renichi Mitsuhashi | Structure and method for packing display device |
US20130220866A1 (en) * | 2012-02-28 | 2013-08-29 | Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. | Cushioning material |
US8800765B2 (en) * | 2012-08-27 | 2014-08-12 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. | Packaging assembly |
US10597216B2 (en) * | 2017-11-15 | 2020-03-24 | Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. | Packing member |
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EP4116221B1 (en) | 2024-02-21 |
EP4116221A1 (en) | 2023-01-11 |
JP2023009855A (en) | 2023-01-20 |
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