US20240002126A1 - Reconfigurable inner support structure - Google Patents
Reconfigurable inner support structure Download PDFInfo
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- US20240002126A1 US20240002126A1 US18/330,843 US202318330843A US2024002126A1 US 20240002126 A1 US20240002126 A1 US 20240002126A1 US 202318330843 A US202318330843 A US 202318330843A US 2024002126 A1 US2024002126 A1 US 2024002126A1
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- support structure
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- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 71
- 230000009466 transformation Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 33
- 229920001131 Pulp (paper) Polymers 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000000088 plastic resin Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 235000017166 Bambusa arundinacea Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 235000017491 Bambusa tulda Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 235000015334 Phyllostachys viridis Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 240000000111 Saccharum officinarum Species 0.000 claims description 3
- 235000007201 Saccharum officinarum Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011425 bamboo Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000007652 sheet-forming process Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 244000082204 Phyllostachys viridis Species 0.000 claims 1
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 54
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 description 29
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 15
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 9
- 239000000123 paper Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 3
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 241001330002 Bambuseae Species 0.000 description 2
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 2
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- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
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- 230000004308 accommodation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007796 conventional method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002537 cosmetic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007723 die pressing method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 1
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Images
Classifications
-
- 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
- B65D73/00—Packages comprising articles attached to cards, sheets or webs
- B65D73/0035—Packages comprising articles attached to cards, sheets or webs the articles being retained within a recess or a series of recesses provided in a single card
-
- 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
- B65D81/025—Containers made of sheet-like material and having a shape 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
- B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
- B65D75/04—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in single sheets or wrapper blanks
- B65D75/20—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in single sheets or wrapper blanks in sheets or blanks doubled around contents and having their opposed free margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding
- B65D75/22—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in single sheets or wrapper blanks in sheets or blanks doubled around contents and having their opposed free margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding the sheet or blank being recessed to accommodate contents
- B65D75/225—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in single sheets or wrapper blanks in sheets or blanks doubled around contents and having their opposed free margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding the sheet or blank being recessed to accommodate contents the sheet or blank comprising more than one fold line
-
- 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
- B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
- B65D77/04—Articles or materials enclosed in two or more containers disposed one within another
- B65D77/0446—Articles or materials enclosed in two or more containers disposed one within another the inner and outer containers being rigid or semi-rigid and the outer container being of polygonal cross-section not formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks
- B65D77/0453—Articles or materials enclosed in two or more containers disposed one within another the inner and outer containers being rigid or semi-rigid and the outer container being of polygonal cross-section not formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks the inner container having a polygonal cross-section
- B65D77/046—Articles or materials enclosed in two or more containers disposed one within another the inner and outer containers being rigid or semi-rigid and the outer container being of polygonal cross-section not formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks the inner container having a polygonal cross-section and being a tray or like shallow container
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to the field of packaging of articles for shipping and display, and more particularly to an inner support structure for holding and displaying an article, and capable of producing an undercut structure by means of reconfiguration of the inner support structure.
- a pulp molded inner support for accommodating an article is well known in the art.
- the inner support structure has a cavity for receiving an article.
- the article may include any consumer product such as a portable product, an item of daily use, etc.
- appropriate frictional resistance between the product and an inner support is usually provided by selecting appropriate surface roughness in combination with size control so as to secure the product.
- the product is usually not secured in a vertical axis direction of a tray, and may move freely in a vertical direction of the tray in the presence of vibration and be therefore removed from the tray, resulting in movement in other directions. This may damage the packaged product.
- Some compensation methods such as using a tray cover or a cable tie or adding a material or an additional part in an opposite direction of an inner liner, are used to secure the packaged product so as to prevent the same from moving.
- this may result in an increase in the number of packaging materials for manufacturing packaging and therefore increase costs.
- CN utility model publication No. CN 208278654 U discloses a paper-plastic inner liner structure, and this structure is designed to serve as a bumper against mechanical shock.
- protrusions are provided around an accommodation cavity of this structure to locate and hold a packaged article.
- this structure holds the packaged article merely by means of friction between the protruding portions and the packaged article, when impact force on packaging is greater than friction force between the protruding portions and the held article of manufacture, this structure cannot prevent the packaged article from moving so as to protect the packaged article from being damaged.
- a method for solving this problem is to add an undercut structure to the inner liner structure so as to hold the product and prevent product movement by means of a “fastener.”
- an undercut is useful in securing an article in an inner liner
- manufacturing the undercut is a relatively difficult process, especially for inelastic materials such as a paper-plastic product. This results in that a more expensive mold having a slider structure needs to be used, and results in an increase in manufacturing costs. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a packaging structure capable of being demolded easily, adapted to an existing paper-plastic mold machining and production process without adding additional packaging components, and capable of securely holding a product in an inner support of packaging.
- the present invention relates to a reconfigurable inner support structure for holding an article and capable of displaying the article, wherein the inner support structure comprises at least two parts having positions or angles changeable relative to each other, wherein a reconfiguration of the inner support structure is being formed by a change in the relative position or angle between the parts of the inner support structure, and the reconfiguration being a transformation between a manufacturing configuration and a use configuration, wherein the manufacturing configuration of the inner support structure is free of an undercut structure, wherein the use configuration of the inner support structure comprises an undercut structure for securing an article and preventing the article from being removed from the inner support structure.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an undercut structure
- FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a manufacturing configuration according to the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a use configuration according to the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a manufacturing configuration according to the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a use configuration according to the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a use configuration, having an article according to the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a manufacturing configuration comprising two or more parts according to the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the inner support structure of FIG. 7 in a use configuration including parts having an unchanged relative position/angle according to the present invention
- FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the inner support structure of FIG. 7 in a use configuration including an article according to the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of a product package according to the present invention, having an inner support structure in a use configuration and containing an article;
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an assembled product package of FIG. 10 , having the inner support structure nested with a outer packaging.
- Undercuts have been used in product packaging, mainly for forming a lock and a latch so as to secure an article in product packaging.
- One of the challenges of having an undercut structure to the molded inner support packaging is that a positive draft angle is absent in a production process.
- the positive draft angle refers to the value of a forward slope of an article of manufacture in a mold releasing direction. A region on the article of manufacture without a positive draft angle interferes with a mold during a mold releasing process, and therefore it is difficult to smoothly remove the article from the mold.
- a protruding portion of the undercut (generating a negative draft angle) has a very limited and generally small height so as to use elastic deformation during a process in which the inner support is removed from the mold to avoid damage caused thereto by interference with the mold.
- the mold may need to be divided into two or more portions that can move relative to each other, so that when the article of manufacture is separated from the mold, a portion preventing the undercut structure from being released from the mold is removed so as to allow the article of manufacture to be demolded smoothly. This necessarily increases the number of mold parts required, and therefore increases manufacturing costs.
- the present invention provides an inner support structure capable of producing an undercut structure merely by means of simple reconfiguration so as to support and secure an article in an outer packaging, thereby protecting the article against damage caused by movement or collision.
- the reconfigurable packaging structure according to the present invention is applicable to existing manufacturing processes including but not limited to a die pressing process and a molding process, and an undercut structure can be introduced without increasing the complexity of a mold for manufacturing an article of manufacture.
- Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, a paper material, a pulp mold material, a fiber mold material, and a plastic resin mold material.
- the inner support structure includes two or more parts having positions or angles changeable relative to each other. Transformation between a manufacturing configuration and a use configuration of the inner support structure is formed by transformation of the relative position or angle between the parts.
- the inner support structure When the inner support structure is in the manufacturing configuration during manufacturing, the inner support structure includes only a positive draft angle in a product removing direction and does not include an undercut structure, and therefore demolding can be performed smoothly.
- the inner support structure is transformed from the manufacturing configuration during manufacturing to the use configuration during use.
- the inner support structure forms a negative draft angle in the product removing direction, and therefore a portion including the negative draft angle forms an undercut structure for securing the product and preventing the product from being removed freely from the inner support structure.
- the term “inner support structure” refers to an inner structure in outer packaging and configured to receive an article or hold an article in position. If the article is a consumer product, then the inner support structure can form a portion of product packaging for displaying the consumer product, and can be placed in a box or a container as a portion of final product packaging of the product packaging. If it is expected to remove the box from the product packaging, then this inner support structure can also be designed to serve as product packaging alone.
- undercut structure refers to a transverse protrusion (y) of a mold or an article in a direction in which the mold or the article is removed from other parts (see FIG. 1 ).
- the undercut structure can be configured and arranged so as to be used in the inner support structure to securely hold the article in the entire packaging structure and prevent the article from being released freely in an article removing direction (Y).
- a technique for forming the undercut structure is a conventional technique used by those skilled in the art, and therefore does not need to be described.
- the term “manufacturing configuration” refers to a shape of the inner support structure when the inner support structure is being manufactured (see FIG. 2 ).
- use configuration refers to a form of the inner support structure when the inner support structure is used as a functional part (see FIG. 3 ).
- the term “negative/positive draft angle” refers to an included angle between a direction in which the mold leaves the article of manufacture and a surface of the article of manufacture during separation of the mold from the article of manufacture after a product is shaped by means of mold-assisted forming.
- the draft angle is positive in this case.
- the draft angle is zero in this case.
- the draft angle is negative in this case.
- transformation into a use configuration is performed by means of reconfiguration.
- the inner support structure produces, in an article removing direction, an undercut structure having a negative draft angle and for securing an article.
- a technical effect is that the article can be secured in the inner support structure by means of the undercut, and in addition, the number of additional materials (such as a cable tie for securing the product and an air cushion/bag inserted to fill a space in a box so as to prevent the product from moving vertically during shipment) is minimized.
- the pulp tray inner support structure according to the present invention can be manufactured by using a conventional manufacturing process, namely pulp molding, so as to reduce the complexity of a manufacturing device and process and overcome aforementioned manufacturing restrictions on addition of an undercut structure to a packaging structure.
- the inner support structure described is a packaging structure for holding a consumer product (such as a grooming product (a razor, a shaver, an epilator, and the like).
- the consumer product may generally include, but is not limited to, a grooming product, a cosmetic product, a hair care product, or a fragile product.
- the inner support structure may be configured to be used in various applications to securely hold the consumer product and avoid damage during shipment and to provide a good presentation to a consumer when the consumer views the product.
- FIG. 2 shows a reconfigurable inner support structure 10 for holding an article, wherein the inner support structure ( 10 ) is configured to fit or be nested with an outer packaging.
- the inner support structure 10 includes at least two parts, specifically a first part 12 and a second part 14 .
- the first part 12 and the second part 14 have positions or angles transformable relative to each other.
- the inner support structure 10 can be reconfigured to be in a use configuration 3 B from the manufacturing configuration 3 A (see FIG. 3 ).
- the inner support structure is reconfigurable between the manufacturing configuration 3 A and the use configuration 3 B of the inner support structure 10 by transformation of the relative position or angle between the first part 12 and the second part 14 included in the inner support structure.
- the inner support structure is free of an undercut structure, and is therefore free of a negative draft angle.
- the inner support structure includes an undercut structure for securing an article and preventing the held article from being removed freely from the inner support structure.
- the inner support structure 10 is in a manufacturing configuration 3 A for use in manufacturing.
- the inner support structure 10 may comprise a processing plane 100 surrounding the first and second parts 12 , 14 and has not been separated from a periphery 11 by means of die cutting.
- the inner support structure 10 may also not include the processing plane 100 in the manufacturing configuration 3 A.
- a straight pressure marking line (not shown) is provided between the first and second parts 12 , 14 of the inner support structure 10 in the manufacturing configuration 3 A.
- the pressure marking line serves as an axis L for reconfiguration of the inner support structure 10 in a next step to transform from the manufacturing configuration 3 A to a use configuration 3 B as described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 3 .
- the inner support structure 10 is free of the processing plane 100 as the processing plane 100 is separated from a periphery of the inner support structure 10 by means of die cutting.
- the inner support structure 10 may be folded inwards along the axis L for reconfiguration of the inner support structure 10 .
- the inner support structure 10 may be transformed from the manufacturing configuration to the use configuration 3 B for holding an articleio.
- the inner support structure 10 comprises one or more protrusions configured to, upon rotation and folding, define a protruding undercut structure y capable of preventing the product from being removed freely from the inner support structure in the use configuration 3 B, and also forms a negative draft angle feature in the manufacturing configuration 3 A.
- the first and second parts 12 , 14 are adjacent to each other to define a new presentation plane 200 on an upper surface of the inner support structure 10 .
- FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an inner support structure 40 according to the present invention in a manufacturing configuration 3 A in which the inner support structure 40 is free of an undercut (free of a negative draft angle).
- the inner support structure 40 comprises a first part 42 and a second part 44 defining at least two parts 42 , 44 , and an axis L extending between the at least two parts 42 , 44 .
- the inner support structure 40 in the manufacturing configuration 3 A is free of an undercut structure for preventing the product from being removed freely in an article removing direction Y which extends from the axis L to a top end P of each of the at least two parts 42 , 44 .
- FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the inner support structure 40 of FIG. 4 in a use configuration 3 B.
- the first part 42 and the second part 44 are folded inwards and rotated about the axis L so as to be adjacent and in contact at the base of each of the first and second parts 42 , 44 other along the axis L.
- the inner support structure 40 is reconfigured to comprise an inner support structure wall defining a cavity for receiving an article.
- Recessed undercuts 46 , 48 are formed on the inner support structure wall so as to prevent the article when placed in the cavity from being removed freely in the article removing direction Y in the use configuration 3 B.
- FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the inner support structure 40 of FIG. 5 with an article 60 .
- the recessed undercuts 46 , 48 are engageable with at least a portion of the article 60 to prevent the article 60 from being removed freely from the inner support structure 40 .
- FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a cross-sectional front view of an inner support structure 70 comprising two or more parts according to the present invention in a manufacturing configuration 3 A.
- the inner support structure 70 is substantially similar to the inner support structure 40 of FIG. 4 and differs in that the inner support structure 70 comprises a first part 72 , a second part 74 and a third part 16 .
- the third part 16 may be stationary and have a fixed position and/or angle relative to the first part 72 and the second part 74 in a manufacturing configuration 3 A and a use configuration 3 B.
- the inner support structure 70 includes two folding axes L so that the first part 72 and the second part 74 can be folded inwards towards the third part 16 .
- the inner support structure 70 of FIG. 7 comprises an article removing direction Y and is free of an under cut.
- FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the inner support structure 70 in a use configuration 3 B.
- the first part 72 and the second part 44 are folded inwards and rotated about the axis L so as to be adjacent and in contact with the third part 16 along the respective axis L.
- the inner support structure 70 is reconfigured to comprise an inner support structure wall defining a cavity for receiving an article.
- Recessed undercuts 76 , 78 are formed on the inner support structure wall so as to prevent the article upon being received in the cavity from being removed freely in the article removing direction Y in the use configuration 3 B.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the inner support structure 70 of FIG. 8 with an article 90 .
- the recessed undercuts 76 , 78 are engageable with at least a portion of the article 90 to prevent the article 90 from being removed freely from the inner support structure 70 .
- FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of a product package 1 according to the present invention.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the assembled product package 1 of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 10 show components of the product package 1 comprising the inner support structure of FIG. 3 and a product 2 disposed in the inner support structure 10 .
- the inner support structure is transformed, by means of reconfiguration, to be in the use configuration 3 B of FIG. 3 from the manufacturing configuration 3 A of FIG. 2 .
- the inner support structure 10 comprises a presentation plane 200 , and the product package 1 may be displayed independently on shelf.
- a technical effect is that the product package 1 has a single piece of packaging and this enables less use of packaging material.
- the product package 1 may also be further assembled to an outer packaging box 13 so as to conceal a bottom structure 17 of the inner support together with the packaging box, thereby providing an aesthetic presentation of the product 2 to consumers and/or users.
- the product 2 may comprise an elongate shape, and may be for example consumer products such as skin care products including but not limited to irregular shaped bottle packaging design, personal care products including but not limited to razors, shavers, hair trimmers, epilators, or the like.
- the inner support structure uses a pulp mold material and a production process.
- these parts may be made of any material, and this depends on a manufacturing technique and a product to be accommodated in the packaging structure.
- the inner support structure may be produced by means of a sheet forming process, and a finished inner support structure may be a sheet-based hollow housing structure.
- the inner support structure may be made of a material selected from the following materials: a paper material, a pulp mold material, a fiber mold material, a plastic resin mold material, and mixtures thereof.
- the pulp mold material may consist of the following materials: sugarcane pulp, bamboo pulp, wood pulp, and mixtures thereof.
- the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an inner support structure for a molded pulp package.
- the method may be determined based on a material suitable for manufacturing an inner support structure for a package.
- the inner support structure may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of: a paper material, a pulp mold material, a fiber mold material, a plastic resin mold material, and mixtures thereof.
- the pulp mold material may be selected from the group consisting of: sugarcane pulp, bamboo pulp, wood pulp, and mixtures thereof.
- the inner support structure may be produced by using a method for manufacturing a pulp paper molded packaging structure.
- the method may include the following steps:
- packaging structure may also be made of plastic by using a conventional plastic molding process.
- the inner support structure may also be manufactured by a sheet forming process.
- the inner support structure may be a sheet-based hollow housing structure.
- the dimensions and values disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. In contrast, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to indicate the value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding this value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to indicate “about 40 mm.”
Abstract
A reconfigurable inner support structure for holding and displaying an article. The inner support structure includes at least two parts having positions or angles changeable relative to each other. Reconfiguration of the inner support structure refers to a transformation between a manufacturing configuration and a use configuration, and is formed by a change in the relative position or angle between the at least two parts of the inner support structure. In the manufacturing configuration, the inner support structure is free of an undercut structure. In the use configuration, the inner support structure includes an undercut structure for securing an article and preventing the article from being removed from the inner support structure.
Description
- The present invention relates generally to the field of packaging of articles for shipping and display, and more particularly to an inner support structure for holding and displaying an article, and capable of producing an undercut structure by means of reconfiguration of the inner support structure.
- A pulp molded inner support for accommodating an article is well known in the art. Generally, the inner support structure has a cavity for receiving an article. The article may include any consumer product such as a portable product, an item of daily use, etc. In order to cause a product to remain in position during transportation, appropriate frictional resistance between the product and an inner support is usually provided by selecting appropriate surface roughness in combination with size control so as to secure the product. However, the product is usually not secured in a vertical axis direction of a tray, and may move freely in a vertical direction of the tray in the presence of vibration and be therefore removed from the tray, resulting in movement in other directions. This may damage the packaged product. Some compensation methods, such as using a tray cover or a cable tie or adding a material or an additional part in an opposite direction of an inner liner, are used to secure the packaged product so as to prevent the same from moving. However, this may result in an increase in the number of packaging materials for manufacturing packaging and therefore increase costs.
- CN utility model publication No. CN 208278654 U discloses a paper-plastic inner liner structure, and this structure is designed to serve as a bumper against mechanical shock. In order to avoid wear or damage to a product due to vibration or shaking occurring during transportation, protrusions are provided around an accommodation cavity of this structure to locate and hold a packaged article. However, since this structure holds the packaged article merely by means of friction between the protruding portions and the packaged article, when impact force on packaging is greater than friction force between the protruding portions and the held article of manufacture, this structure cannot prevent the packaged article from moving so as to protect the packaged article from being damaged.
- A method for solving this problem is to add an undercut structure to the inner liner structure so as to hold the product and prevent product movement by means of a “fastener.” However, although an undercut is useful in securing an article in an inner liner, manufacturing the undercut is a relatively difficult process, especially for inelastic materials such as a paper-plastic product. This results in that a more expensive mold having a slider structure needs to be used, and results in an increase in manufacturing costs. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a packaging structure capable of being demolded easily, adapted to an existing paper-plastic mold machining and production process without adding additional packaging components, and capable of securely holding a product in an inner support of packaging.
- The present invention relates to a reconfigurable inner support structure for holding an article and capable of displaying the article, wherein the inner support structure comprises at least two parts having positions or angles changeable relative to each other, wherein a reconfiguration of the inner support structure is being formed by a change in the relative position or angle between the parts of the inner support structure, and the reconfiguration being a transformation between a manufacturing configuration and a use configuration, wherein the manufacturing configuration of the inner support structure is free of an undercut structure, wherein the use configuration of the inner support structure comprises an undercut structure for securing an article and preventing the article from being removed from the inner support structure.
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FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an undercut structure; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a manufacturing configuration according to the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a use configuration according to the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a manufacturing configuration according to the present invention; -
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a use configuration according to the present invention; -
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a use configuration, having an article according to the present invention; -
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an inner support structure in a manufacturing configuration comprising two or more parts according to the present invention; -
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the inner support structure ofFIG. 7 in a use configuration including parts having an unchanged relative position/angle according to the present invention; -
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the inner support structure ofFIG. 7 in a use configuration including an article according to the present invention; -
FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of a product package according to the present invention, having an inner support structure in a use configuration and containing an article; and -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an assembled product package ofFIG. 10 , having the inner support structure nested with a outer packaging. - Undercuts have been used in product packaging, mainly for forming a lock and a latch so as to secure an article in product packaging. One of the challenges of having an undercut structure to the molded inner support packaging is that a positive draft angle is absent in a production process. The positive draft angle refers to the value of a forward slope of an article of manufacture in a mold releasing direction. A region on the article of manufacture without a positive draft angle interferes with a mold during a mold releasing process, and therefore it is difficult to smoothly remove the article from the mold.
- For an inner support structure made of a material having certain elasticity, it is possible to introduce a certain undercut thereto. However, generally, a protruding portion of the undercut (generating a negative draft angle) has a very limited and generally small height so as to use elastic deformation during a process in which the inner support is removed from the mold to avoid damage caused thereto by interference with the mold. However, for an inner support made of an inelastic material, it is basically not feasible to introduce an undercut structure without a positive draft angle to the inner support structure. After molding, the mold opens and moves away from parts, and at this time the mold forming the undercut structure (interfering with the article of manufacture) damages a molded undercut portion. In order to manufacture a structure having a negative draft angle and including an undercut structure, the mold may need to be divided into two or more portions that can move relative to each other, so that when the article of manufacture is separated from the mold, a portion preventing the undercut structure from being released from the mold is removed so as to allow the article of manufacture to be demolded smoothly. This necessarily increases the number of mold parts required, and therefore increases manufacturing costs.
- The present invention provides an inner support structure capable of producing an undercut structure merely by means of simple reconfiguration so as to support and secure an article in an outer packaging, thereby protecting the article against damage caused by movement or collision. The reconfigurable packaging structure according to the present invention is applicable to existing manufacturing processes including but not limited to a die pressing process and a molding process, and an undercut structure can be introduced without increasing the complexity of a mold for manufacturing an article of manufacture.
- Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, a paper material, a pulp mold material, a fiber mold material, and a plastic resin mold material.
- The inner support structure includes two or more parts having positions or angles changeable relative to each other. Transformation between a manufacturing configuration and a use configuration of the inner support structure is formed by transformation of the relative position or angle between the parts. When the inner support structure is in the manufacturing configuration during manufacturing, the inner support structure includes only a positive draft angle in a product removing direction and does not include an undercut structure, and therefore demolding can be performed smoothly. By means of reconstruction performed by changing the relative position or angle between the parts, the inner support structure is transformed from the manufacturing configuration during manufacturing to the use configuration during use. In this case, because the relative position or angle between the parts is changed, the inner support structure forms a negative draft angle in the product removing direction, and therefore a portion including the negative draft angle forms an undercut structure for securing the product and preventing the product from being removed freely from the inner support structure.
- Before the present invention is described in detail, the following terms are defined for clarity. Undefined terms should have conventional meanings thereof as understood by those skilled in the art.
- As used herein, the term “inner support structure” refers to an inner structure in outer packaging and configured to receive an article or hold an article in position. If the article is a consumer product, then the inner support structure can form a portion of product packaging for displaying the consumer product, and can be placed in a box or a container as a portion of final product packaging of the product packaging. If it is expected to remove the box from the product packaging, then this inner support structure can also be designed to serve as product packaging alone.
- As used herein, the term “undercut structure” refers to a transverse protrusion (y) of a mold or an article in a direction in which the mold or the article is removed from other parts (see
FIG. 1 ). The undercut structure can be configured and arranged so as to be used in the inner support structure to securely hold the article in the entire packaging structure and prevent the article from being released freely in an article removing direction (Y). A technique for forming the undercut structure is a conventional technique used by those skilled in the art, and therefore does not need to be described. - As used herein, the term “manufacturing configuration” refers to a shape of the inner support structure when the inner support structure is being manufactured (see
FIG. 2 ). - As used herein, the term “use configuration” refers to a form of the inner support structure when the inner support structure is used as a functional part (see
FIG. 3 ). - As used herein, the term “negative/positive draft angle” refers to an included angle between a direction in which the mold leaves the article of manufacture and a surface of the article of manufacture during separation of the mold from the article of manufacture after a product is shaped by means of mold-assisted forming. When the mold can leave the article of manufacture from a position above the surface of the article of manufacture, the draft angle is positive in this case. When the mold fits to the surface of the article of manufacture and transversely leaves the article of manufacture, the draft angle is zero in this case. When the mold needs to leave the article of manufacture across the surface of the article of manufacture, the draft angle is negative in this case.
- The present invention relates to an inner support structure, and the inner support structure is free of an undercut structure in a manufacturing configuration of a manufacturing process thereof, thereby facilitating lossless separation of the inner support structure from a mold.
- In a use scenario, transformation into a use configuration is performed by means of reconfiguration. In this configuration, the inner support structure produces, in an article removing direction, an undercut structure having a negative draft angle and for securing an article. A technical effect is that the article can be secured in the inner support structure by means of the undercut, and in addition, the number of additional materials (such as a cable tie for securing the product and an air cushion/bag inserted to fill a space in a box so as to prevent the product from moving vertically during shipment) is minimized. Since it is not necessary to design an undercut structure in the manufacturing process of the inner support, the pulp tray inner support structure according to the present invention can be manufactured by using a conventional manufacturing process, namely pulp molding, so as to reduce the complexity of a manufacturing device and process and overcome aforementioned manufacturing restrictions on addition of an undercut structure to a packaging structure.
- The following description provided with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to provide non-restrictive examples of the present invention. It should be understood that other embodiments are also contemplated, including embodiments having additional, fewer, or alternative features and different combinations of the features shown and/or described.
- In the following description, the inner support structure described is a packaging structure for holding a consumer product (such as a grooming product (a razor, a shaver, an epilator, and the like). The consumer product may generally include, but is not limited to, a grooming product, a cosmetic product, a hair care product, or a fragile product. However, it can be envisioned that the inner support structure may be configured to be used in various applications to securely hold the consumer product and avoid damage during shipment and to provide a good presentation to a consumer when the consumer views the product.
-
FIG. 2 shows a reconfigurableinner support structure 10 for holding an article, wherein the inner support structure (10) is configured to fit or be nested with an outer packaging. Theinner support structure 10 includes at least two parts, specifically afirst part 12 and asecond part 14. Thefirst part 12 and thesecond part 14 have positions or angles transformable relative to each other. Theinner support structure 10 can be reconfigured to be in ause configuration 3B from the manufacturing configuration 3A (seeFIG. 3 ). The inner support structure is reconfigurable between the manufacturing configuration 3A and theuse configuration 3B of theinner support structure 10 by transformation of the relative position or angle between thefirst part 12 and thesecond part 14 included in the inner support structure. In the manufacturing configuration 3A, the inner support structure is free of an undercut structure, and is therefore free of a negative draft angle. In theuse configuration 3B, the inner support structure includes an undercut structure for securing an article and preventing the held article from being removed freely from the inner support structure. As shown inFIG. 2 , theinner support structure 10 is in a manufacturing configuration 3A for use in manufacturing. In the manufacturing configuration 3A, theinner support structure 10 may comprise aprocessing plane 100 surrounding the first andsecond parts inner support structure 10 may also not include theprocessing plane 100 in the manufacturing configuration 3A. - A straight pressure marking line (not shown) is provided between the first and
second parts inner support structure 10 in the manufacturing configuration 3A. The pressure marking line serves as an axis L for reconfiguration of theinner support structure 10 in a next step to transform from the manufacturing configuration 3A to ause configuration 3B as described hereinafter with reference toFIG. 3 . - Referring to
FIG. 3 , in a use configuration, theinner support structure 10 is free of theprocessing plane 100 as theprocessing plane 100 is separated from a periphery of theinner support structure 10 by means of die cutting. Theinner support structure 10 may be folded inwards along the axis L for reconfiguration of theinner support structure 10. Specifically, theinner support structure 10 may be transformed from the manufacturing configuration to theuse configuration 3B for holding an articleio. Theinner support structure 10 comprises one or more protrusions configured to, upon rotation and folding, define a protruding undercut structure y capable of preventing the product from being removed freely from the inner support structure in theuse configuration 3B, and also forms a negative draft angle feature in the manufacturing configuration 3A. While theinner support structure 10 is in theuse configuration 3B, the first andsecond parts new presentation plane 200 on an upper surface of theinner support structure 10. -
FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of aninner support structure 40 according to the present invention in a manufacturing configuration 3A in which theinner support structure 40 is free of an undercut (free of a negative draft angle). Theinner support structure 40 comprises afirst part 42 and asecond part 44 defining at least twoparts parts inner support structure 40 in the manufacturing configuration 3A is free of an undercut structure for preventing the product from being removed freely in an article removing direction Y which extends from the axis L to a top end P of each of the at least twoparts -
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of theinner support structure 40 ofFIG. 4 in ause configuration 3B. Thefirst part 42 and thesecond part 44 are folded inwards and rotated about the axis L so as to be adjacent and in contact at the base of each of the first andsecond parts second parts inner support structure 40 is reconfigured to comprise an inner support structure wall defining a cavity for receiving an article. Recessed undercuts 46, 48 are formed on the inner support structure wall so as to prevent the article when placed in the cavity from being removed freely in the article removing direction Y in theuse configuration 3B. -
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of theinner support structure 40 ofFIG. 5 with anarticle 60. The recessed undercuts 46, 48 are engageable with at least a portion of thearticle 60 to prevent thearticle 60 from being removed freely from theinner support structure 40. -
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a cross-sectional front view of aninner support structure 70 comprising two or more parts according to the present invention in a manufacturing configuration 3A. Theinner support structure 70 is substantially similar to theinner support structure 40 ofFIG. 4 and differs in that theinner support structure 70 comprises afirst part 72, asecond part 74 and athird part 16. Thethird part 16 may be stationary and have a fixed position and/or angle relative to thefirst part 72 and thesecond part 74 in a manufacturing configuration 3A and ause configuration 3B. In addition, theinner support structure 70 includes two folding axes L so that thefirst part 72 and thesecond part 74 can be folded inwards towards thethird part 16. Similar toFIG. 4 , theinner support structure 70 ofFIG. 7 comprises an article removing direction Y and is free of an under cut. -
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of theinner support structure 70 in ause configuration 3B. Thefirst part 72 and thesecond part 44 are folded inwards and rotated about the axis L so as to be adjacent and in contact with thethird part 16 along the respective axis L. As a result, theinner support structure 70 is reconfigured to comprise an inner support structure wall defining a cavity for receiving an article. Recessed undercuts 76, 78 are formed on the inner support structure wall so as to prevent the article upon being received in the cavity from being removed freely in the article removing direction Y in theuse configuration 3B. -
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of theinner support structure 70 ofFIG. 8 with anarticle 90. The recessed undercuts 76, 78 are engageable with at least a portion of thearticle 90 to prevent thearticle 90 from being removed freely from theinner support structure 70. -
FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of aproduct package 1 according to the present invention.FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the assembledproduct package 1 ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 10 show components of theproduct package 1 comprising the inner support structure ofFIG. 3 and aproduct 2 disposed in theinner support structure 10. The inner support structure is transformed, by means of reconfiguration, to be in theuse configuration 3B ofFIG. 3 from the manufacturing configuration 3A ofFIG. 2 . Theinner support structure 10 comprises apresentation plane 200, and theproduct package 1 may be displayed independently on shelf. A technical effect is that theproduct package 1 has a single piece of packaging and this enables less use of packaging material. - However, the
product package 1 may also be further assembled to anouter packaging box 13 so as to conceal abottom structure 17 of the inner support together with the packaging box, thereby providing an aesthetic presentation of theproduct 2 to consumers and/or users. Theproduct 2 may comprise an elongate shape, and may be for example consumer products such as skin care products including but not limited to irregular shaped bottle packaging design, personal care products including but not limited to razors, shavers, hair trimmers, epilators, or the like. - In the above description, the inner support structure uses a pulp mold material and a production process. However, it can be envisioned that these parts may be made of any material, and this depends on a manufacturing technique and a product to be accommodated in the packaging structure.
- The inner support structure may be produced by means of a sheet forming process, and a finished inner support structure may be a sheet-based hollow housing structure. The inner support structure may be made of a material selected from the following materials: a paper material, a pulp mold material, a fiber mold material, a plastic resin mold material, and mixtures thereof. The pulp mold material may consist of the following materials: sugarcane pulp, bamboo pulp, wood pulp, and mixtures thereof.
- The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an inner support structure for a molded pulp package. The method may be determined based on a material suitable for manufacturing an inner support structure for a package. The inner support structure may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of: a paper material, a pulp mold material, a fiber mold material, a plastic resin mold material, and mixtures thereof. The pulp mold material may be selected from the group consisting of: sugarcane pulp, bamboo pulp, wood pulp, and mixtures thereof.
- In addition, the inner support structure may be produced by using a method for manufacturing a pulp paper molded packaging structure. The method may include the following steps:
-
- (i) fiberizing a starting material of a paper-plastic mold, and preparing pulp having a certain formulation proportion;
- (ii) immersing the paper-plastic mold into the pulp;
- (iii) absorbing water from the interior of the paper-plastic mold to remove water from the pulp, wherein a fiber portion in the pulp is left by the mold on a surface of the paper-plastic mold to form a paper pulp layer;
- (iv) transferring and assembling the paper pulp layer formed on the surface of the mold into a stock mold having a shape matching a contour of the paper-plastic mold; and
- (v) pressing the stock mold to shape the paper pulp layer so as to transfer the shape of the stock mold onto the paper pulp layer, and removing water of the paper pulp layer from the paper pulp layer by means of various drying processes.
- It should be understood that the packaging structure may also be made of plastic by using a conventional plastic molding process.
- The inner support structure may also be manufactured by a sheet forming process.
- The inner support structure may be a sheet-based hollow housing structure. The dimensions and values disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. In contrast, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to indicate the value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding this value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to indicate “about 40 mm.”
- Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or patent application and any patent application or patent to which the present application claims priority or beneficial effects thereof, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or an admission that it alone or in any combination with any other reference document or reference documents, provides, suggests, or discloses any such invention. In addition, when any meaning or definition of a term in the present invention conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to this term in the present invention shall govern.
- Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would have been obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the claims appended herein all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the present invention.
Claims (10)
1. A reconfigurable inner support structure for holding an article and capable of displaying the article, the inner support structure comprising at least two parts having positions or angles changeable relative to each other, wherein a reconfiguration of the inner support structure is being formed by a change in a relative position or angle between the at least two parts of the inner support structure, and the reconfiguration being a transformation between a manufacturing configuration and a use configuration, wherein the manufacturing configuration of the inner support structure is free of an undercut structure; wherein the use configuration of the inner support structure comprises an undercut structure for securing an article and preventing the article from being removed from the inner support structure.
2. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least two parts of the inner support structure are connected together to form an integral part in the manufacturing configuration.
3. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least two parts is foldable along an axis to change the relative position and the relative angle therebetween so as to transform between the manufacturing configuration and the use configuration.
4. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner support structure comprises a processing plane surrounding the at least at two parts, wherein the processing plane is for die cutting and substrate separation in the manufacturing configuration.
5. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner support structure comprises a display plane for displaying the article in the use configuration.
6. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner support structure comprises two or more parts.
7. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner support structure is manufactured by a sheet forming process.
8. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein inner support structure is a sheet-based hollow housing structure.
9. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner support structure is made of a material selected from a group consisting of: a paper material, a pulp mold material, a fiber mold material, a plastic resin mold material, and mixtures thereof.
10. The inner support structure of claim 1 , wherein the pulp mold material is selected from a group consisting of: sugarcane pulp, bamboo pulp, wood pulp, and mixtures thereof.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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WOPCT/CN2022/103206 | 2022-07-01 | ||
PCT/CN2022/103206 WO2024000552A1 (en) | 2022-07-01 | 2022-07-01 | Reconfigurable inner support structure |
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US20240002126A1 true US20240002126A1 (en) | 2024-01-04 |
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US18/330,843 Pending US20240002126A1 (en) | 2022-07-01 | 2023-06-07 | Reconfigurable inner support structure |
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Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US3357548A (en) * | 1965-10-22 | 1967-12-12 | Chicago Miniature Lamp Works | Article holder |
JPH11245931A (en) * | 1998-03-02 | 1999-09-14 | Unicom:Kk | Item packaging container for selling at store |
CN104270998A (en) * | 2012-05-08 | 2015-01-07 | 博朗有限公司 | Toothbrush package |
CN208278654U (en) | 2018-02-08 | 2018-12-25 | 深圳市裕同包装科技股份有限公司 | A kind of buffering paper liner |
EP3902753A4 (en) * | 2020-01-19 | 2022-09-07 | Logitech Europe S.A. | Eco-friendly hang tabs |
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