PACKING MEMBER AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR FORMING SAME

Abstract

A packing member includes two pairs of boxes arranged at the two opposite sides of a product respectively. Each pair of boxes cooperatively sandwiches the product therebetween at a corresponding side of the product. Each of the boxes includes a first sidewall, at least a middle sidewall, and a last sidewall being sequentially connected together. The first sidewall connects with the last sidewall to thereby form a through hole enclosed by said sidewalls except two ends of the box. A receiving hole is defined in said sidewalls and communicates with the through hole. The receiving holes of each pair of boxes face toward each other and hold opposite ends of the corresponding side of the product therein.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to packing members and manufacturing methods for forming same, and particularly to a hollow inner packing member and a manufacturing method for forming same.

2. Description of Related Art

In order to avoid being damaged during transit, a product should be packed. Generally, a packing member includes an outer packing member, and an inner packing member. The outer packing member is usually ornamental, and the inner packing member acts as a cushioning body, which protects the product.

At present, inner packing members are usually solid. However, the use of solid packing members requires too much material.

What is desired, therefore, is a hollow inner packing member which not only protects the product but is economical as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An exemplary packing member includes a box, which is formed by at least three sidewalls being sequentially connected together with a through hole enclosed by the sidewalls. A receiving hole is defined in at least one of the at least three sides for receiving an end or corner portion of a product.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a packing member in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the packing member of FIG. 1 prior to its being folded for use;

FIGS. 3A to 3E show a process of folding the packing member of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A to 4E are respective side elevational views of FIGS. 3A to 3E;

FIG. 4 is an exploded, isometric view of a pair of packing members of FIG. 1, together with a product;

FIG. 5 is an assembled view of FIG. 4, together with an outer packing member; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded, isometric view of four packing members in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with a product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a packing member 1 in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention has a symmetrical shape. The packing member 1 includes two boxes 14 formed from ends of a connecting section 12. The connecting section 12 enhances a shock absorbing quality of the present invention and prevents shifting of the boxes 14 when the packing member 1 is received in a shipping container together with a product. Each box 14 includes a first sidewall 151, which is perpendicularly connected along one edge to a corresponding edge of a second sidewall 152, which is perpendicularly connected along an opposite edge to a corresponding edge of a third sidewall 153, which is perpendicularly connected along an opposite edge to a corresponding edge of a fourth sidewall 154 forming a box open at two opposite ends. Each box 14 has a through hole 16 cooperatively defined by the second sidewall 152 and the third sidewall 153. The through hole 16 is for receiving a corner or end portion of a product.

Referring to FIG. 2, a rectangular blank 10 made of corrugated paperboard or the like, for manufacturing the packing member 1 is shown. The blank 10 is divided into nine portions delineated by creases defined therein. The connecting section 12 forms a middle portion of the blank 10. Both sides of the connecting section 12 extend four sidewalls. The four sidewalls include the first sidewall 151, the second sidewall 152, the third sidewall 153, and the fourth sidewall 154 from a free side to an inner side of the blank 10. The fourth sidewall 154 is extended from a corresponding edge of the connecting section 12. The third sidewall 153 is extended from an edge of the fourth sidewall 154. The second sidewall 152 is extended from an edge of the third sidewall 153. The first sidewall 151 is extended from an edge of the second sidewall 152. A first crease 141 is defined between the first sidewall 151 and the second sidewall 152. A second crease 142 is defined between the second sidewall 152 and the third sidewall 153. A third crease 143 is defined between the third sidewall 153 and the fourth sidewall 154. A fourth crease 144 is defined between the fourth sidewall 154 and the connecting section 12. An edge 140 of the first sidewall 151, the first crease 141, the second crease 142, the third crease 143, and the fourth crease 144 are parallel to one another. Widths of the first sidewall 151, the second sidewall 152, and the third sidewall 153 are equal to one another. The fourth sidewall 154 is greater in width than the sidewalls 151, 152, 153 by an amount equal to a thickness of the blank 10. The rectangular through hole 16 is defined in each said four sidewalls across the second crease 142 between the first crease 141 and second crease 143.

A left half of FIG. 3 shows front elevational views of the blank 10 at different stages of folding in forming the packing member 1, and a right half shows bottom plan views of the left half. As FIG. 3 indicates, the first sidewall 151 of each said four sidewalls is folded along the first crease 141 and perpendicular to the second sidewall 152. The second sidewall 152 of each said four sidewalls is folded along the second crease 142 and perpendicular to the third sidewall 153. The third sidewall 153 of each of the four sidewalls is folded along the third crease 143 and perpendicular to the fourth sidewall 154. The fourth sidewall 154 of each said four sidewalls is folded along the fourth crease 144 and perpendicular to the connecting section 12. The first sidewall 151 of each of the four sidewalls is bonded to a corresponding side of the connecting section 12.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in packing a product 2, two packing members 1 are symmetrically placed at opposites sides of the product 2 with the boxes 14 facing each other. The receiving holes 16 of the packing members 1 cooperate to form a receiving space for receiving corresponding corners or ends of the product 2. The combined assembly of the two packing members 1 and the product 2 is put into an outer packing member 3.

Referring to FIG. 6, a packing member 5 in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first sidewall 51, a second sidewall 52, a third sidewall 53, a fourth sidewall 54, and a fifth sidewall 55. The first sidewall 51 is perpendicular to the second sidewall 52 and bonded to the fifth sidewall 55. The second sidewall 52 is perpendicular to the third sidewall 53. The third sidewall 53 of is perpendicular to the fourth sidewall 54. The fourth sidewall 54 is perpendicular to the first sidewall 51. The second sidewall 52 and the fourth sidewall 54 are located between the first sidewall 51 and the third sidewall 53. The first sidewall 51, the second sidewall 52, the third sidewall 53 and the fourth sidewall 54 enclose a through hole 50. A receiving hole 58 is defined in the second sidewall 52 and the third sidewall 53. The receiving hole 58 communicates with the through hole 50. The first sidewall 51, the second sidewall 52, the third sidewall 53, the fourth sidewall 54, and the through hole 50 make up of a hollow box of rectangular parallelepiped. The product 2 is packed with four packing members 5.

In other preferred embodiments, the box can be triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or the like.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A packing member, comprising:

a hollow box which is formed by at least three sidewalls, the hollow box defining a through hole which is enclosed by said at least three sidewalls, a receiving hole being defined in at least one of said at least three sidewalls for receiving an end of a product.

2. The packing member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the box comprise four sidewalls which forms a box of rectangular parallelepiped with two opposite open ends communicating with the through hole, said box orderly comprises a first sidewall being perpendicular to a second sidewall, the second sidewall being perpendicular to a third sidewall, the third sidewall being perpendicular to a fourth sidewall, the fourth sidewall being perpendicular to the first sidewall.

3. The packing member as claimed in claim 2, wherein the box further comprise a fifth sidewall, the first sidewall and the fifth sidewall being bonded together.

4. The packing member as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receiving hole is defined in a joint between the second sidewall and the third sidewall.

5. The packing member as claimed in claim 1, further comprising another box, and a connecting section connected between the two boxes, the connecting section and the two boxes being integrally folded from a blank.

6. The packing member as claimed in claim 5, wherein the packing member has a symmetrical shape, and each of the boxes orderly comprises a first sidewall being perpendicular to a second sidewall, the second sidewall of each box being perpendicular to a third sidewall, the third sidewall of each box being perpendicular to a fourth sidewall, the fourth sidewall of each box being perpendicular to the first sidewall and bent from the connecting section.

7. The packing member as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first sidewall of each box is bonded to a corresponding side of the connecting section.

8. The packing member as claimed in claim 7, wherein the receiving hole of each box is defined in a joint between the second sidewall and the third sidewall, and the receiving holes of the two boxes face toward each other.

9. A method for manufacturing the packing member set forth in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

preparing a flat blank;

defining the at least three sidewalls one by one in the blank from a first side to a second side opposite to the first side of the blank by at least two spaced creases parallel to the first side of the blank, said at least three sidewalls being separated by said creases;

defining a through hole in at least one sidewall of said at least three sidewalls; and

folding each sidewall of said at least three sidewalls along a corresponding crease sequentially to make the at least three sidewalls form the box.

10. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 9, wherein said at least three sidewalls orderly from the first side to the second side of the blank comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a forth sidewall, and alternately defines a first crease, a second crease, and a third crease, the first sidewall being folded along the first crease and perpendicular to the second sidewall, the second sidewall being folded along the second crease and perpendicular to the third sidewall, the third sidewall being folded along the third crease and perpendicular to the fourth sidewall, the fourth sidewall being perpendicular to the first sidewall.

11. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 10, wherein the blank further orderly comprises a fifth sidewall, and a fourth crease, the fifth sidewall and the fourth sidewall being separated by the fourth crease, the fifth sidewall being folded along the fourth crease and perpendicular to the fourth sidewall, the fifth sidewall and the first sidewall being bonded together.

12. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 11, wherein the through hole is defined in a joint between the second sidewall and the third sidewall.

13. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 9, further comprising steps of:

defining another at least three sidewalls one by one from the second side to the first side of the blank by another at least two spaced creases that are parallel to the second side of the blank, said another at least three sidewalls being separated by said another at least two said creases, a connecting section being connected between the two at least three sidewalls;

defining a through hole in said another at least three sidewalls; and

folding each sidewall of said another at least three sidewalls along a corresponding crease to make said another at least three sidewalls form another box connected with said box by the connecting section.

14. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blank has a symmetrical shape, each of said at least three sidewalls and said another at least three sidewalls from a corresponding free side to an inner side of the blank comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a forth sidewall, and alternately defines a first crease, a second crease, and a third crease, each of the second sidewalls being folded along the corresponding first crease and perpendicular to the corresponding first sidewall, each of the third sidewalls being folded along the corresponding second crease and perpendicular to the corresponding second sidewall, each of the fourth sidewalls being folded along the corresponding third crease and perpendicular to the corresponding third sidewall, each of the fourth sidewalls being perpendicular to the corresponding first sidewall.

15. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said at least three sidewalls and said another at least three sidewalls further comprises a fourth crease, the connecting section and each of the fourth sidewalls being separated by the corresponding fourth crease, each of the fourth sidewalls being folded along the corresponding fourth crease and perpendicular to the connecting section, each of the first sidewalls being bonded to a corresponding side of the connecting section.

16. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 15, wherein the through hole of each of said at least three sidewalls and said another at least three sidewalls is defined in the corresponding second sidewall and the corresponding third sidewall.

17. A packing member assembly comprising:

a product having two opposite sides;

two pairs of boxes arranged at the two opposite sides of the product respectively, each pair of boxes cooperatively sandwiching the product therebetween at a corresponding side of the product, each of the boxes comprising a first sidewall, at least a middle sidewall, and a last sidewall being sequentially connected together, the first sidewall connecting with the last sidewall to thereby form a through hole enclosed by said sidewalls except two ends of the box, a receiving hole being defined in said sidewalls and communicating with the through hole, the receiving holes of each pair of boxes facing toward each other and holding opposite ends of the corresponding side of the product therein.

18. The packing member assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the product has a cuboid shape with four ridges parallel to the sidewalls, and each of the boxes comprises two middle sidewalls connected between the first and last sidewalls, any two neighboring sidewalls being perpendicularly connected, the first sidewall perpendicularly connected with the last sidewall, the receiving hole of each box being defined in a joint between the middle sidewalls and receiving a corresponding ridge of the product.

19. The packing member assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein each pair of boxes are connected together by a connecting wall connecting with the last sidewalls thereof, the first sidewalls of each pair of boxes overlapped portions of the connecting wall and bonding to said portions respectively.

20. The packing member assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein each pair of boxes are separated from each other and each of the boxes further comprises a connecting wall extending from the last sidewall and being overlapped and bonded to the first sidewall.