Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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EXTRA STRENGTH U-BOARD
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to an extra strength packaging
container. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a packaging
container
formed from a rigid U-shaped material having a reinforced base and corners to
withstand stresses associated with lifting, dropping, or general handling of
packaging
containers.
[00021 U-shaped packaging containers, or U-board, are known
packaging material for many objects. The board is formed from a layered, or
laminated, construction of paper and/or paper board that is subsequently
formed into a
U-shape (U-shaped cross-section). The board generally is rigid; that is, the
walls are
rigidly formed into the U-shape (transverse relative to the base) and are
rigid
longitudinally along the length of the channel. The walls do not fold down
onto the
base, nor can the board, without more, be folded length-wise onto itself.
[00031 U-board is used for a wide variety of commonly packaged
items. U-board can be used to package long, fragile items to prevent creasing
or other
damage that may be caused by dropping, bumping or general handling of the
package.
To prevent such damage requires that the corner strength of the packaging
container
be durable and of good integrity. In a common use, U-board is used for
packaging
doors and windows to protect the edges and corners of these items from damage
due
to bumping, dropping or general handling. The sides of the U-board that extend
beyond the corners may be used for advertising.
[0004] While U-board has been used with a great deal of success for
packaging such items, it would be desirable to further strengthen U-boards,
particularly with regard to the base and the corners, which are subject to the
greatest
stresses during handling.
[00051 Accordingly, there is a need for extra strength, reinforced U-
board. Desirably, such reinforcement minimizes the amount of additional
materials
and cost needed to reinforce the unit. More desirably, reinforcement of the U-
board is
readily made and usable, and has a high degree of integrity.
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BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A U-board packaging container having a reinforced base and corners is
fashioned from alternating layers of paper and/or paper board material of
varying widths or strips,
and laminating the strips into a board. Narrow strips of material are disposed
between wider strips
of material such that the narrow strips of material serve as a reinforcing
material. The narrow strips
of reinforcing material may or may not be the same material as the wider
strips of material.
[0007] The laminated board is shaped into a rigid unit of generally U-shaped
cross-
section, creating an extra-strength U-board, having a main body portion with a
generally flat bottom
wall and upstanding, opposing side walls.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing material layer extends
across the
bottom wall and at least partially up the side walls of the U-board to cover
fully the bottom wall of
the internal channel as well as the radius of curvature of the corners of the
internal channel.
[0009] The U-board may be foldable to form an internal base channel and
opposing
internal side channels to create a protective package for an associated item,
such as a window or a
door.
[0009A] In a broad aspect, the invention pertains to an extra strength U-board
comprising a plurality of first strips each having a first width and formed
from a paper or paperboard
material, and a plurality of second strips each having a second width and
formed from a paper or
paperboard material. Each of the second strips is disposed in an alternating
manner between the first
strips, and the first width of the first strips is different than the second
width of the second strips, the
second width of the second strips being less than the first width of the first
strips. The first and
second strips are laminated together in the alternating manner and the
plurality of first strips and the
plurality of second strips are molded into a rigid U-shaped channel having a
first side wall and a
second side wall and a bottom wall. A first corner between the first side wall
and bottom wall, and
a second corner between the second side wall and the bottom wall, are rounded,
and the first side wall
and the second side wall are not foldable onto the bottom wall. The plurality
of second strips covers
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uninterruptingly a total width and a total length of the bottom wall of the
channel and the first corner
and the second corner, and a portion of each of the first and second side
walls that is contiguous with
the first and second corners respectively.
[0009B In a further aspect, the invention provides a method for forming an
extra
strength U-board, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of first
strips each having a first width,
providing a plurality of second strips each having a second width, layering
the second strips between
the first strips in an alternating manner, substantially centering the second
strips within the first width
of the first strips, and laminating the first strips and the second strips to
form a board. The second
width of the second strips is different from the first width of the first
strips. The board is folded to
form a unit with a rigid, generally U-shaped cross-section having a bottom
wall, a first side wall, and
a second side wall, and a first corner between the first side wall and the
bottom wall and a second
corner between the second side wall and the bottom wall. The bottom wall is
disposed between the
first side wall and the second sidewall, and the first side wall and the
second side wall extend
upwardly therefrom and are not foldable onto the bottom wall. The plurality of
second strips covers
an entire width of the bottom wall, the first corner, the second corner, and a
portion of each of the
first and second side walls.
[0010] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will
be
apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The benefits and advantages of the present invention will become more
readily
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the
following detailed description
and accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the extra-strength U-board embodying
the
principles of the present invention, the U-board shown mounted to a door;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the extra-strength U-board;
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WO 2009/029354 PCT/US2008/070412
[0014] FIG. 3 is a top view of a flattened extra-strength U-board;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the extra-strength U-board;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the extra-strength U-board in a
flat state, prior to folding.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in
various forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will hereinafter be
described, a
presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present
disclosure is
to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to
limit the
invention to the specific embodiment illustrated.
[0018] It should be further understood that the title of this section of
this specification, namely, "Detailed Description Of The Invention", relates
to a
requirement of the United States Patent Office, and does not imply, nor should
be
inferred to limit the subject matter disclosed herein.
[0019] Referring now to the figures and in particular to FIG. 1, there is
shown an extra-strength U-board packaging container 10. The extra-strength U-
board
is configured to support and protect an object, such as door D. This is one
typical
use for U-board packing container 10.
[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the U-board 10, although defined as having
a generally U-shaped cross-section, is formed from a material having a channel-
like or
squared U-shape, with a flat or near-flat (e.g., planar) bottom wall 16 and
straight
(e.g., generally planar) upstanding side walls 18. The corners 20 are
typically formed
having a radius of curvature (i.e., rounded), however, the corners may be
formed
having relatively sharp angles. Nevertheless, for purposes of the present
disclosure,
the extra-strength U-board 10 is referred to as "U-shaped".
[0021] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the U-board 10 is formed in a
layered construction (e.g., a lamination) of strips of material: reinforcing
material 12
and container material 14. The materials 12 and 14 are preferably paper and/or
paper
board, but it is anticipated that other non-paper type material may be used.
The
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laminations 12 and 14, are formed by using means known to those skilled in the
art,
and preferably by adhering layers together with an adhesive; however,
alternative
means to adhere the materials 12, 14 into a board 10 may be used. In a
commonly
used method, the laminations and adhesive are made in a wet environment (a wet
adhesive), the walls 18 are then folded up from the base 16 and allowed to
dry. The
result is the rigid U-shape illustrated.
[0022] In manufacturing of an extra-strength U-board 10, one or more
narrow strips of reinforcing material 12, is centered on the top of one or
more strips of
wider container material 14, of differing or of the same width, with an
adhesive means
placed between the two layers 12, 14. A strip or strips of container material
14 is
centered on top of the previously laid narrower reinforcing strips 12. This
alternating
layered sequence is repeated until a sufficiently rigid board 10 is fashioned.
Specifically, build-up of reinforcing material 12 in the center of the
flattened board
strengthens the bottom 16, bottom corners 20, and bottom edges 21 of the
folded
board 10. Reinforcing only the bottom wall 16 and the bottom corners 20
provides
reinforcement only in the areas of the U-board likely to endure the greatest
stresses in
addition to reducing costs.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a top view of an embodiment of the flattened, pre-
folded extra-strength U-board, wherein the reinforcing material 12 extends
along 114
and entirely across the width W14 of the bottom wall 16 and partially up the
sidewalls
18 to enable reinforcement of the base 16 and corners 20 of the extra-strength
U-board
10. In an alternate embodiment, while the length 114 remains the same for the
container material 14, the width of the container material 14 layers may
differ.
[0024] Fold lines F illustrate where the flattened extra-strength U-
board can be folded to produce the U-shaped channel 22. Prior to the adhesive
of the
board 10 setting, the board 10 is bent or folded along fold lines F as shown
in FIG. 3,
such that the board 10 is molded into a channel 22 in the shape of a "U," with
a base
16, sidewalls 18, and edges 21 as shown in FIG. 2. The molded board 10 dries
to
form a rigid, extra-strength U-board 10. A perspective view of FIG. 5 of the U-
board
prior to folding is shown, illustrating plies of container material 14
alternating with
plies of reinforcing material 12. It is understood that the layers of material
12, 14 can
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be sequenced in various ways, but that a preferred method sequences the
materials 12,
14 such that the container material 14 forms the bottom and top layer of the
flattened
board 10. Fold lines F illustrate where the extra-strength U-board can be
folded to
produce the reinforced U-shape.
[0025] The extra-strength U-board 10 is rigid, and accordingly, the
walls 16, 18 are rigidly formed into the U-shape (transverse relative to the
bottom wall
16) and are rigid longitudinally along the length 114 of the reinforced
channel 22. In
other words, the walls 18 do not fold down onto the bottom 16, nor can the
reinforced
channel 22 be readily folded, length-wise onto itself.
[0026] The extra-strength U-board 10 can be folded and positioned
around the particular item D (as seen in FIG. 1) using mitered or straight
cuts in the U-
board or by other methods known in the art and the U-board 10 can be wrapped
or
strapped (as needed) to protect the item D, the item D sitting in the base
channel 32,
with its sides S protected by side channels 34.
[0027] It will be appreciated that while the board container material 14
is typically a paper or paperboard-based material, the reinforcing material 12
can be a
paper or paperboard-based material, a polymeric material (such as high-density
polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE) or the like), or any
other
suitable material that can be inserted between the container material 14
layers in the
desired formation (e.g., wet adhesive) process to provide the enhanced
strength. It
will also be appreciated that the reinforcing material layers 12 can be formed
from
whole or non-perforated material, perforated material, mesh-like material and
the like,
the later two having open areas. The mesh-like material, having open areas,
can
facilitate bonding by allowing communication of adhesive between layers of
material
12, 14 and around the reinforcing material layers 12.
[0028] In the present disclosure, the words "a" or "an" are to be taken
to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to
plural items
shall, where appropriate, include the singular.
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10029] From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous
modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the
true spirit
and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is to be
understood that no
limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or
should be
inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such
modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
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