Packaging material, packaged electronic component, and packaging method

Abstract

A support part (20) includes an upper surface part (22), a lower surface part (26), and an intermediate part (24). The upper surface part (22) is a flat plate part extending in the horizontal direction. In addition, a load of a second packaging material (1x) is applied to the upper surface part (22). The lower surface part (26) is disposed below the upper surface part (22). In addition, the lower surface part (26) is a flat plate part extending in the horizontal direction. The intermediate part (24) is a portion sandwiched between an end section of the upper surface part (22) and an end section of the lower surface part (26). The upper surface part (22), the lower surface part (26), and the intermediate part (24) are integrally formed of a member having a predetermined thickness. The upper surface part (22) and the lower surface part (26) face each other in the loading direction and overlap each other.

Description

Packaging materials, packaged electronic components and packaging methods

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging material, a packaged electronic component, and a packaging method.

[0002] In order to transport a plurality of products, the products may be packed in packaging materials. Specifically, one or more products may be contained in each of a plurality of packaging materials, and the plurality of packaging materials may be stacked in a stacking direction. Regarding this type of technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a transport box for containing transported items. As shown in Figures 1 to 3 of Patent Document 1, products (transported items (2)) are contained in a pad body (1) which is a packaging material. The lower surface of one pad body (1) is placed on the upper surface of the outer end of another pad body (1). The packaging device according to Patent Document 2 will be described later.

[0003] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 53-22784 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-121594

[0004] The packaging material in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of the amount of material required for manufacturing. Specifically, in order to stably place the upper pad (1) on the lower pad (1), the area of ​​the upper surface of the outer end of the lower pad (1) must be greater than a predetermined size. As a result, the side walls of the frame of the pad (1) must be thick. This requires a large amount of material to manufacture the pad (1). If the amount of material used is large, inconveniences may arise, such as higher costs or increased transportation burden due to increased mass.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a packaging material that can be manufactured using a smaller amount of material.

[0006] The packaging material of the present invention is a packaging material that holds a packaging object and is loaded in a loading direction, and has a holding portion that holds the packaging object, and a support portion that is placed above the packaging material and supports a second packaging material that has the same shape as the packaging material, and the support portion includes an upper surface portion that is a flat plate portion extending horizontally and to which the load of the second packaging material is applied, a lower surface portion that is a flat plate portion positioned below the upper surface portion and extending horizontally, and an intermediate portion sandwiched between the end of the upper surface portion and the end of the lower surface portion, and the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion and the intermediate portion are formed integrally from a member having a predetermined thickness, and the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the loading direction.

[0007] The packaged electronic component of the present invention includes an electronic component and two or more packaging materials that have the same shape and are stacked in a stacking direction to pack the electronic component, and a first packaging material has a holding portion that holds the electronic component and a support portion that is placed above the first packaging material and supports a second packaging material, and the support portion has an upper surface that is a flat plate portion extending horizontally and to which the load of the second packaging material is applied, a lower surface that is a flat plate portion extending horizontally and located below the upper surface, and a connecting portion between an end of the upper surface and the lower surface. and an intermediate portion sandwiched between the ends of the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion, wherein the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion are integrally formed from a member having a predetermined thickness, the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the loading direction, the upper end of the electronic component held by the holding portion in the first packaging material is spaced apart from the second packaging material, and the distance between the upper end of the electronic component and the second packaging material is smaller than the thickness of a part of the second packaging material that is closest to the upper end.

[0008] The packing method of the present invention is a packing method for packing a packaging object with a plurality of packaging materials that are stacked in a loading direction and have the same shape, wherein a first packaging material has a holding portion that holds the packaging object and a support portion that supports a second packaging material placed above the first packaging material, and the support portion includes an upper surface portion that is a flat plate extending horizontally and to which the load of the second packaging material is applied, a lower surface portion that is a flat plate extending horizontally and positioned below the upper surface portion, and an intermediate portion that is sandwiched between an end portion of the upper surface portion and an end portion of the lower surface portion, and the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion are integrally formed from a member having a predetermined thickness, and the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the loading direction, and the packing method includes the steps of: holding the packaging object with the holding portion of the first packaging material; and loading the second packaging material on the first packaging material so that the lower surface portion of the second packaging material contacts the upper surface portion of the first packaging material.

[0009] According to the packaging material of the present invention, even in a packaging material in which the support portion of the packaging material is integrally formed with a member having a small thickness, the flat portion is formed three-dimensionally so that the upper surface and the lower surface overlap, thereby ensuring an area of ​​the portion of the lower packaging material (the upper surface of the lower packaging material) on which the upper packaging material is placed. This allows the packaging material to be manufactured using less material than when the support portion is formed with a thick side wall portion.

[0010] The above-mentioned objects, as well as other objects, features and advantages, will become more apparent from the preferred embodiments described below and the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a packaging material according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3( a) is a top view of the packaging material according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3( a) is a side view of the packaging material according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3( b) is an enlarged view of a support portion and its vicinity in the side view of the packaging material according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3( b) is a perspective view of a support portion and its vicinity in the packaging material according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the packaging material according to the first embodiment taken along the dashed dotted line shown in FIG. 2, as viewed in the direction of arrow A; FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a support portion and its vicinity in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a packaged electronic component according to the first embodiment.

[0012] The various components of the packaging material of the present invention do not need to be independent entities, and it is acceptable for multiple components to be formed as a single member, for one component to be formed from multiple members, for one component to be part of another component, or for part of one component to overlap with part of another component. Furthermore, although the packaging method of the present invention may be described using multiple steps listed in order, the order of the steps does not limit the order or timing of performing the multiple steps. Therefore, when implementing the packaging method of the present invention, the order of the multiple steps can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of the content, and the timing of performing the multiple steps may overlap in part or in whole.

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted where appropriate. In this embodiment, the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions will be defined as shown in the drawings. However, these definitions are provided for the sake of convenience in order to easily explain the relative relationships between the components, and do not limit the directions during manufacture or use of a product embodying the present invention. The front-rear and left-right directions may also be referred to as lateral directions. The top-bottom direction is generally the vertical direction, and the lateral direction is generally the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the term "plane" as used in this invention refers to a shape that is physically formed with a flat surface as the target, and naturally does not need to be a perfect geometric plane.

[0014] First Embodiment (Packaging Material) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a first packaging material 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] First, an overview of the packaging material of this embodiment will be described. The packaging material (first packaging material 1) holds the packaging target (electronic components 200 in this embodiment). The first packaging material 1 is loaded in a loading direction. The first packaging material 1 has a holding portion 10 and a support portion 20. The holding portion 10 holds the electronic components 200. The support portion 20 supports the second packaging material 1x. The second packaging material 1x is placed above the first packaging material 1. The second packaging material 1x has the same shape as the first packaging material 1. The support portion 20 includes an upper surface portion 22, a lower surface portion 26, and an intermediate portion 24. The upper surface portion 22 is a flat plate portion extending horizontally. The load of the second packaging material 1x is applied to the upper surface portion 22. The lower surface portion 26 is positioned below the upper surface portion 22. The lower surface portion 26 is a flat plate portion extending horizontally. The intermediate portion 24 is a region sandwiched between an end of the upper surface portion 22 (in this embodiment, the outer end 22a of the upper surface portion) and an end of the lower surface portion 26 (in this embodiment, the inner end 26b of the lower surface portion). The upper surface portion 22, the lower surface portion 26, and the intermediate portion 24 are integrally formed from a member having a predetermined thickness. The upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 face each other and overlap in the stacking direction. According to the first packaging material 1 of the present invention, even in a first packaging material 1 in which the support portion 20 of the first packaging material 1 is integrally formed from a member with a small thickness, the flat portion is formed three-dimensionally so that the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 overlap, thereby ensuring an area of ​​the portion of the first packaging material 1 (the upper surface portion 22) on which the upper packaging material (the second packaging material 1x) is placed. This allows the first packaging material 1 to be manufactured using a smaller amount of material than when the support portion is formed from a thick side wall portion.

[0016] Next, the first packaging material 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail. The packaging material (first packaging material 1 or second packaging material 1x) refers to a material that covers at least a portion of the periphery of the packaging object for transporting, storing, or the like. The packaging material may cover either the bottom, sides, or top of the packaging object, and a portion of the packaging object may be exposed from the packaging material. Alternatively, the packaging material may cover the entire packaging object. In this embodiment, the bottom and sides of the electronic component (described below) that is the packaging object are covered by a single packaging material (first packaging material 1). However, the packaging object may also be covered by multiple separate packaging material pieces. The packaging object housed in the packaging material of this embodiment is the electronic component 200, but the packaging object of the packaging material may also be a product other than the electronic component 200. Here, the electronic component 200 is a component that can constitute a part of an electronic circuit. Examples of the electronic component 200 include components having a coil (such as a transformer, antenna, or inductor).

[0017] As described above, the first packaging material 1 can be loaded in the loading direction. Specifically, the first packaging material 1 can be loaded on top of other packaging materials in the loading direction. The first packaging material 1 may also be placed directly on a predetermined surface (such as the ground or a platform) without being loaded on top of other packaging materials. The loading direction is a direction having a vertical component. More specifically, the loading direction is a direction having a vertical component greater than a horizontal component. That is, the loading direction may be vertical or oblique to the vertical. For example, when loading packaging materials on a horizontal surface, the loading direction is a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane (vertical). When loading packaging materials on an inclined surface, the loading direction is a direction oblique to the vertical. In this embodiment, the first packaging material 1 has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape that is thin in the loading direction. That is, the height dimension of the first packaging material 1 is sufficiently small compared to the lateral dimension (left-right or front-back dimension) of the first packaging material 1.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 7 , a second packaging material 1x is placed on the first packaging material 1. In this embodiment, the second packaging material 1x is placed on the first packaging material 1 in the same orientation as the first packaging material 1 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions (front-to-back directions on the paper surface in FIG. 7 ). Alternatively, the second packaging material 1x may be placed on the first packaging material 1 in an orientation rotated by a predetermined angle (e.g., 90, 180, or 270 degrees) relative to the first packaging material 1 when viewed from the top-to-bottom direction. In the packaging device of Patent Document 2, multiple trays of the same shape are stacked vertically. The trays are integrally formed from synthetic resin of a predetermined thickness. Each tray has a cylindrical foot (9) that opens upward. When two trays are stacked vertically in the same orientation, the product storage section (6) and foot (9) of the upper tray fit into the product storage section (6) and foot (9) of the lower tray. The product storage sections (6) and feet (9) of the upper and lower trays are both recessed or protruded in the vertical direction, allowing the concave and convex portions to fit together. This allows multiple trays to be stored and transported with a small overall volume. On the other hand, when it is necessary to use the lower tray to support the weight of the upper tray for product packaging, the two trays are stacked vertically while rotated 180 degrees relative to each other, so that the feet (9) of the upper tray abut against the flat wall (7) of the lower tray. This allows the two trays to be stacked with a vertical separation, allowing products to be stored in the trays. In the packaging device of Patent Document 2, when stacking trays for product packaging, it is necessary to ensure that the lower tray and the upper tray are facing in the rotated direction relative to each other. The packaging material of the present invention is integrally formed from a material (such as resin) of a predetermined thickness, but because the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 face each other in the vertical direction, even when two packaging materials (a first packaging material 1 and a second packaging material 1x) are stacked in the same direction in the loading direction, the lower surface portion 26x of the upper packaging material (the second packaging material 1x) abuts against the upper surface portion 22 of the lower packaging material (the first packaging material 1). As a result, the first packaging material 1 supports the load of the second packaging material 1x, separating the holding portion 10 of the first packaging material 1 from the second packaging material 1x, allowing a product to be stored in the holding portion 10.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , the holding unit 10 is a portion having a structure for holding one or more electronic components 200 (see FIG. 7 ). In this embodiment, the holding unit 10 holds multiple electronic components 200. Holding the electronic components 200 does not necessarily mean that the electronic components 200 are completely fixed to the holding unit 10. For example, when an external force is applied to the packaging material, the location of the electronic components 200 in the holding unit 10 may shift slightly laterally or vertically. Specifically, the holding unit 10 in this embodiment has a holding surface 12 extending substantially horizontally. A downwardly recessed accommodating recess 14 is formed in the holding surface 12. As shown in FIG. 7 , the lower part of the electronic component 200 is disposed within the accommodating recess 14. The upper part of the electronic component 200 is exposed from the accommodating recess 14. Alternatively, the entire electronic component 200 may be disposed within the accommodating recess 14. In this embodiment, the holding unit 10 is formed of a member having a concave-convex structure (folded portion) and a predetermined thickness. Alternatively, the holding portion 10 may be formed by hollowing out a portion of a member that is sufficiently thick in the vertical direction. In other words, a recess having a depth smaller than the thickness of the member forming the holding portion 10 may be formed in the member, and the recess may be the holding portion 10. The manner in which the holding portion 10 holds the electronic component 200 is not limited to the above. For example, the holding surface 12 may not have an accommodating recess 14, and the electronic component 200 may be fixed to the holding surface 12 with another member (adhesive, tape, or a fastener such as a belt or lid). The holding surface 12 may also be formed of a flexible material, allowing the electronic component 200 to be embedded in the holding surface 12. Alternatively, the electronic component 200 may simply be placed on the holding surface 12. More preferably, the electronic component 200 may be placed on a holding surface 12 that has a relatively high coefficient of friction, such as a rough surface, or an adhesive surface. In this embodiment, the holding portion 10 is integrally formed from the same material as the support portion 20, which will be described later. The holding part 10 may be a separate member from the support part 20, or the holding part 10 may be connected to the support part 20 by fitting or bonding, etc. Examples of materials for forming the holding part 10 and the support part 20 described below include resins such as polystyrene.The resin preferably has impact resistance. Although the holding portion 10 of this embodiment holds a plurality of electronic components 200, the holding portion 10 may hold only one electronic component 200. In other words, the holding portion 10 may have one or more accommodating recesses 14.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4 , the support portion 20 is a portion of the first packaging material 1 that supports a packaging material (second packaging material 1x (see FIG. 7 )) placed above the first packaging material 1. Specifically, the support portion 20 is a portion of the first packaging material 1 that is in contact with a packaging material (second packaging material 1x) placed on the first packaging material 1 and that is subjected to a load resulting from the weight of the second packaging material 1x (including the weight of other packaging materials placed further above the second packaging material 1x and the weight of objects to be packaged held by these packaging materials), and the vicinity of the portion of the first packaging material 1. More specifically, the support portion 20 includes not only the upper surface portion 22 on which the second packaging material 1x is placed, but also portions of the first packaging material 1 below the upper surface portion 22 (such as the intermediate portion 24, lower surface portion 26, and hanging portion 29, which will be described later). In other words, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first packaging material 1 in this embodiment has a frame portion 30. The frame portion 30 is a frame portion that entirely surrounds the holding portion 10 in the first packaging material 1. The support portion 20 is a part of the frame portion 30. More specifically, the frame portion 30 has a predetermined length around the periphery of the holding portion 10, and the support portion 20 is a partial length region of the frame portion 30. As shown in FIG. 1 , the first packaging material 1 has one or more support portions 20. It is preferable that at least one support portion 20 is provided at each of opposing positions on the frame portion 30 (e.g., opposing positions at an angle of 120 to 180 degrees). In this embodiment, multiple (three) support portions 20 are provided on each side of the frame portion 30.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4 and described above, the support portion 20 has an upper surface portion 22, an intermediate portion 24, and a lower surface portion 26. The upper surface portion 22, the intermediate portion 24, and the lower surface portion 26 are integrally formed from a single member. "Integratedly formed" here means that there are no seams between the upper surface portion 22, the intermediate portion 24, and the lower surface portion 26. The upper surface portion 22, the intermediate portion 24, and the lower surface portion 26 are flat plate portions whose thickness dimensions are sufficiently smaller than the dimensions in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. In other words, the support portion 20 is formed by three flat plate portions, the upper surface portion 22, the intermediate portion 24, and the lower surface portion 26, arranged so that their imaginary edge edges are close to each other and intersect with each other. Here, the flat plate portions do not need to be completely flat, as long as they have a shape that can be generally called a flat plate overall. The flat plate portions may be slightly curved or may have localized irregularities. The support portion 20 may be formed by injection molding, pressure forming, or vacuum forming. Alternatively, the support portion 20 may be formed by applying and curing resin to a mold or the like, or by press-molding a flat resin plate using a slide mold. The upper surface portion 22 is the portion of the support portion 20 on which the second packaging material 1x (particularly its lower surface portion 26x (see FIG. 7 )) is placed. In this embodiment, the upper surface portion 22 is also the uppermost portion of the support portion 20. The lower surface portion 26 is the portion of the first packaging material 1 that is placed on the other packaging material (particularly its upper surface portion) when the first packaging material 1 is placed on the other packaging material. The upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 are flat plate portions having main surfaces facing in the vertical direction. As described above, the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 extend horizontally, but the direction in which the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 extend is approximately horizontal, including the horizontal direction. The upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 may extend at a slight inclination relative to the horizontal direction. The intermediate portion 24 is a flat portion disposed between an end edge of the upper surface portion 22 (in this embodiment, the outer end 22a of the upper surface portion) and an end edge of the lower surface portion 26 (in this embodiment, the inner end 26b of the lower surface portion). The intermediate portion 24 is a flat portion having a main surface facing substantially horizontally. In this embodiment, the intermediate portion 24 is disposed obliquely relative to the vertical direction, but it may also extend in the vertical direction.

[0022] 5, the support portion 20 further includes a first bent portion 23 and a second bent portion 25. The first bent portion 23 is located between the upper surface portion 22 and the middle portion 24. The second bent portion 25 is located between the lower surface portion 26 and the middle portion 24. In other words, the member forming the support portion 20 is bent between the upper surface portion 22 and the middle portion 24, and between the middle portion 24 and the lower surface portion 26. The bent portions (including the first bent portion 23 and the second bent portion 25) are portions that are curved more than the flat portion.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5 , the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 face each other in the stacking direction. In other words, the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 extend parallel to each other, and at least a portion of the main surface of the upper surface portion 22 and at least a portion of the main surface of the lower surface portion 26 overlap in the stacking direction. The upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 do not need to extend completely parallel to each other; one may be disposed obliquely relative to the extension direction of the other. In this embodiment, the upper surface portion 22 is disposed on the inner side of the first packaging material 1 than the lower surface portion 26. That is, the upper surface portion outer end portion 22a is disposed on the inner side of the lower surface portion 26a (the lower surface portion outer end portion 26a is disposed on the outer side of the upper surface portion 22a). Here, the inner side refers to the side closer to the center of the first packaging material 1 (which is also the center of the first packaging material 1 when viewed from the up-down direction) in the lateral direction (front-to-back or left-to-right direction). The outer side refers to the side closer to the periphery of the first packaging material 1 in the horizontal direction (which is also the periphery of the first packaging material 1 when viewed from the top-bottom direction). In this embodiment, the upper surface portion inner end 22b is further disposed inward of the lower surface portion inner end 26b (the lower surface portion inner end 26b is disposed outward of the upper surface portion inner end 22b). Alternatively, the upper surface portion inner end 22b may be disposed outward of the lower surface portion inner end 26b (the lower surface portion inner end 26b may be disposed inward of the upper surface portion inner end 22b). In other words, when viewed from the loading direction, the entire upper surface portion 22 may overlap the lower surface portion 26, or only a portion of the outer side of the upper surface portion 22 and only a portion of the inner side of the lower surface portion 26 may overlap.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the support portion 20 has a Z-shape in a longitudinal cross section from the upper surface portion 22 to the intermediate portion 24 and the lower surface portion 26. More specifically, in this embodiment, the upper end of the intermediate portion 24 is adjacent to the outer end of the packaging material at the upper surface portion 22 (the outer end 22a of the upper surface portion). The lower end of the intermediate portion 24 is adjacent to the inner end of the first packaging material 1 at the lower surface portion 26 (the inner end 26b of the lower surface portion). Here, "a flat plate portion being adjacent to another flat plate portion" also includes being adjacent to another flat plate portion across a folded portion. At least a portion of the intermediate portion 24 is inclined from top to bottom in the loading direction toward the inside of the first packaging material 1. In this embodiment, substantially the entire intermediate portion 24 is inclined. As described below, a portion of the intermediate portion 24 near the upper end extends in the loading direction and is barely inclined. Alternatively, at least a portion of the middle portion 24 of the support portion 20 may be inclined downward in the stacking direction toward the outside of the first packaging material 1. That is, the support portion 20 may have an inverted Z-shape in vertical cross section, which is symmetrical to that of the present embodiment. Specifically, the upper end of the middle portion 24 may be adjacent to the upper surface portion inner end 22b, and the lower end of the middle portion 24 may be adjacent to the lower surface portion outer end 26a. As described above, the Z-shape of the support portion 20 makes it easier to maintain the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26 parallel even when the load of the upper packaging material (second packaging material 1x) is applied to the upper surface portion 22, allowing the second packaging material 1x to be stably placed on the first packaging material 1. As described above, as shown in FIG. 6 , a portion of the middle portion 24 near the upper end that connects to the first folded portion 23 is not inclined at all and extends in the stacking direction (downward in this embodiment). That is, the upper surface portion 22 and the portion near the upper end are approximately perpendicular to each other. In this way, by not bending the first bent portion 23 at an acute angle and having the upper end of the intermediate portion 24 extend downward from the first bent portion 23, the strength of the first bent portion 23 is maintained and the support portion 20 is less likely to collapse even if a large vertical load is applied to the upper surface portion 22.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, the lower surface portion 26 is disposed outward of the first packaging material 1 relative to the upper surface portion 22. More specifically, when the first packaging material 1 is viewed in a plan view (up and down), the inner edge of the lower surface portion 26 (the edge at the lower surface portion inner end 26b) is disposed at the same position as the center of the width of the upper surface portion 22 or further outward of the first packaging material 1. As a result, the extension direction of the middle portion 24 has a larger vertical component and is disposed upright relative to the horizontal direction. This prevents the support portion 20 (particularly the upper surface portion 22, the middle portion 24, and the lower surface portion 26) from being crushed when another packaging material (the second packaging material 1x) is placed on the support portion 20 (upper surface portion 22). Furthermore, because the middle portion 24 is disposed upright relative to the horizontal direction, the lower end of the middle portion 24 is further separated from the lower end of the inner wall portion 28 (described later). This configuration also prevents the support portion 20 from being crushed.

[0026] Alternatively, the support portion 20 may have a horizontal U-shape in a longitudinal cross section extending from the upper surface portion 22 to the intermediate portion 24 and the lower surface portion 26. Specifically, the support portion 20 may have a horizontal U-shape that protrudes outward from the first packaging material 1. That is, the outer edge of the upper surface portion 22 (the upper surface outer end 22 a) and the outer edge of the lower surface portion 26 (the lower surface outer end 26 a) may be connected by the intermediate portion 24 that stands upright in the loading direction. More specifically, the intermediate portion 24 may extend in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the upper end of the intermediate portion 24 may be adjacent to the upper surface outer end 22 a, and the lower end of the intermediate portion 24 may be adjacent to the lower surface outer end 26 a, so that the support portion 20 has a horizontal U-shape that protrudes outward from the first packaging material 1. Alternatively, the inner end edge of the upper surface portion 22 (upper surface portion inner end 22b) and the inner end edge of the lower surface portion 26 (lower surface portion inner end 26b) may be connected by an intermediate portion 24 that stands up in the loading direction. More specifically, the support portion 20 may have a horizontal U-shape that protrudes toward the inside of the first packaging material 1.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the support portion 20 has an inner wall portion 28. In this embodiment, the inner wall portion 28 is a flat plate portion. The inner wall portion 28 hangs down from an inner end portion (upper surface portion inner end portion 22b) of the upper surface portion 22. The inner wall portion 28 is also a flat plate portion. As shown in FIG. 6 , the distance between the inner wall portion 28 and the middle portion 24 of the upper surface portion 22 (upper surface portion width dimension L1) is smaller than the dimension of the middle portion 24 in the stacking direction (middle portion height dimension H1). The upper surface portion width dimension L1 is also smaller than the dimension of the inner wall portion 28 in the stacking direction (inner wall portion height dimension H2). The inner wall 28 and the upper surface 22 supported by the inner wall 28 prevent significant deformation of the support portion 20 (particularly the portion extending from the upper surface 22 to the middle portion 24 and the lower surface 26) even when the load of the second packaging material 1x is applied to the upper surface 22. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the holding surface 12 is positioned lower than the upper surface 22 in the stacking direction. In other words, the upper surface of the first packaging material 1 is recessed downward in the stacking direction to form the holding portion 10, and the bottom surface of the recess formed in the upper surface of the first packaging material 1 is the holding surface 12. The inner wall 28 also serves as a wall defining the recess. A third bent portion 27, which is a bent portion, is located between the inner wall 28 and the upper surface 22. The upper surface width dimension L1 is the width dimension of the flat portion excluding the bent portions (the first bent portion 23 and the third bent portion 27). The height dimension H1 of the middle portion is the dimension of the flat portion in the loading direction, excluding the bent portions (first bent portion 23 and second bent portion 25).

[0028] In this embodiment, the inner wall portion 28 is aligned more in the loading direction than the intermediate portion 24. In other words, in the longitudinal cross section of the first packaging material 1, the extension direction of the inner wall portion 28 has a larger loading direction component than the extension direction of the intermediate portion 24. This allows the inner wall portion 28 to support the support portion 20 (particularly the upper surface portion 22) even if the intermediate portion 24 is tilted due to the load of the second packaging material 1x. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner wall portion 28 is tilted with respect to the loading direction (vertical direction). Specifically, the intermediate portion 24 is also tilted with respect to the loading direction (vertical direction), and the inner wall portion 28 is tilted in the same direction as the tilt of the intermediate portion 24. For example, in this embodiment, the intermediate portion 24 is tilted from above to below in the loading direction, toward the interior of the first packaging material 1. Similarly, the inner wall portion 28 is tilted from above to below in the loading direction, toward the interior of the first packaging material 1. Alternatively, in the case where the intermediate portion 24 is inclined from above to below in the stacking direction toward the outside of the first packaging material 1, the inner wall portion 28 may be inclined from above to below in the stacking direction toward the outside of the first packaging material 1. Alternatively, the support portion 20 may not have the inner wall portion 28. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the wall portion of the first packaging material 1 is formed of two layers by two flat plate portions, the intermediate portion 24 and the inner wall portion 28, but the wall portion of the first packaging material 1 may be formed of a single layer by only the intermediate portion 24. In this case, the lower end of the intermediate portion 24 may be continuous with the holding surface 12 directly or via the lower surface portion 26.

[0029] In this embodiment, the support portion 20 has a hanging portion 29 extending downward in the stacking direction from the outer end (outer end 26a) of the lower surface portion 26 of the first packaging material 1. The dimension of the middle portion in the stacking direction (height dimension H1 of the middle portion) is greater than the dimension of the hanging portion in the stacking direction (height dimension H3 of the hanging portion). As shown in FIG. 7 , when a second packaging material 1x is placed on the first packaging material 1, the upper end (upper surface portion 22, etc.) of the support portion 20 of the first packaging material 1 is positioned inside the hanging portion 29x of the second packaging material 1x. In this way, the upper packaging material fits into the lower packaging material, preventing the upper packaging material from shifting laterally relative to the lower packaging material. Furthermore, with the above-described configuration, in this embodiment, the lower surface portion 26 is positioned midway in the height direction of the first packaging material 1. This allows the overall bulk to be reduced when multiple packaging materials are stacked in the stacking direction. This is because the additional height dimension when one packaging material is placed on top of another packaging material is the intermediate portion height dimension H1 (see FIG. 6 ), which is smaller than the height dimension of the packaging material. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the intermediate portion height dimension H1 is larger than the hanging portion height dimension H3, so that the intermediate portion height dimension H1 is sufficiently large. In other words, the inclination angle of the intermediate portion 24 relative to the horizontal direction is sufficiently large. Specifically, the inclination angle is 45 degrees or more, preferably 60 degrees or more, and more preferably 75 degrees or more. This ensures that the first packaging material 1 can be easily removed from a mold when forming it by injection molding, pressure molding, vacuum molding, or the like, while also ensuring sufficient width for the upper surface portion 22 and the lower surface portion 26. In addition, because the height dimension H1 of the intermediate portion (see FIG. 6) is greater than the height dimension H3 of the hanging portion (see FIG. 6), the intermediate recess 24c, which is a recess defined between the intermediate portion 24 and the bottom surface portion 26, is exposed from the second packaging material 1x (particularly the hanging portion 29x) when the second packaging material 1x is placed on the first packaging material 1. This makes it possible to easily remove the second packaging material 1x from the first packaging material 1 by inserting a hand or a tool into the intermediate recess 24c.

[0030] At least a portion (particularly the lower end) of hanging portion 29 is preferably positioned outside first packaging material 1 in the width direction of support portion 20 relative to upper surface outer end 22a. As a result, when second packaging material 1x is placed on top of first packaging material 1, the support portion (such as upper surface 22) of first packaging material 1 is positioned inside hanging portion 29x of second packaging material 1x. The width direction of support portion 20 is the direction having one end on the outer side and one end on the inner side of first packaging material 1. In FIG. 5 , the width direction of support portion 20 is the front-to-rear direction. Hanging portion 29 in this embodiment extends at an angle with respect to the loading direction (vertical direction). More specifically, hanging portion 29 is inclined toward the outside of first packaging material 1 from top to bottom in the loading direction. First packaging material 1 has an opening defined by the lower end of hanging portion 29 and facing downward. Hanging portion 29 extending at an angle with respect to the vertical direction enlarges the opening, making it easier to place another packaging material on top of one packaging material.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the holding surface 12 is disposed above the lower surface portion 26 in the stacking direction. Alternatively, the holding surface 12 and the lower surface portion 26 may be disposed at the same height in the stacking direction. Specifically, the upper surface or the lower surface of the holding surface 12 may be disposed at the same height as the upper surface or the lower surface of the lower surface portion 26. Alternatively, the holding surface 12 may be disposed below the lower surface portion 26 in the stacking direction.

[0032] In this embodiment, the radius of curvature of the second bent portion 25 is larger than the radius of curvature of the first bent portion 23. The radius of curvature of the bent portion particularly refers to the radius of curvature of the surface (inner surface) of the bent portion facing the bending center. Furthermore, if the radius of curvature of the bent portion is not uniform, the radius of curvature of the most bent portion of the bent portion may be defined as the "radius of curvature of the bent portion." In other words, the smallest radius of curvature of the bent portion may be defined as the "radius of curvature of the bent portion." Because the radius of curvature of the first bent portion 23 is small, the upper surface portion 22 and the middle portion 24 act as leaf springs with high spring properties around the first bent portion 23. In other words, the support portion 20 is easily bent at the first bent portion 23. On the other hand, because the radius of curvature of the second bent portion 25 is large, the middle portion 24 and the lower surface portion 26 are easily maintained in an open state at the second bent portion 25. This is because, although the middle portion 24 and the bottom surface portion 26 are formed as leaf springs centered around the second bent portion 25, the spring properties are small. This prevents the support portion 20 from breaking when the electronic component 200 is accommodated in the holding portion 10. Specifically, when the electronic component 200 is placed in the holding portion 10, the holding portion 10 sinks downward due to the weight of the electronic component 200. When the holding portion 10 sinks, the top surface portion 22 (particularly the top surface portion inner end portion 22b) is pulled downward via the inner wall portion 28. Because the support portion 20 (top surface portion 22 and middle portion 24) is a flexible leaf spring centered around the first bent portion 23, the support portion 20 is less likely to break even if the holding portion 10 is displaced by the weight of the electronic component 200. Furthermore, since the middle portion 24 and the lower surface portion 26 can be easily maintained in an open state around the second bent portion 25, and can be opened further, the load on the second bent portion 25 is reduced even when the middle portion 24 is displaced to stand up as the upper surface portion 22 is pulled downward. This also prevents damage to the support portion 20 near the second bent portion 25.

[0033] Alternatively, the radius of curvature of the first bent portion 23 may be larger than the radius of curvature of the second bent portion 25. The larger radius of curvature of the first bent portion 23 suppresses deformation of the support portion 20 (particularly a portion from the upper surface portion 22 to the middle portion 24) near the first bent portion 23. This suppresses damage to the support portion 20 (particularly a portion from the upper surface portion 22 to the middle portion 24) due to external force. For example, even when the upper surface portion inner end portion 22b is pulled downward as described above, the vicinity of the first bent portion 23 is less likely to deform, making it difficult for the shape of the entire support portion 20 to change, and suppressing damage or deformation of the support portion 20. Furthermore, even when a second packaging material 1x is placed on the first packaging material 1, the support portion 20 is less likely to deform. Alternatively, the radius of curvature of the first bent portion 23 and the radius of curvature of the second bent portion 25 may be approximately the same.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 6 , in the bent portions (particularly the first bent portion 23 and the second bent portion 25) of this embodiment, the radius of curvature of the outer surfaces 23a, 25a of the bent portions is larger than the radius of curvature of the inner surfaces 23b, 25b of the bent portions. The inner surfaces 23b, 25b of the bent portions refer to the main surfaces facing the center of the bent portions. The outer surfaces 23a, 25a of the bent portions refer to the main surfaces facing the inner surfaces 23b, 25b of the bent portions. In other words, the thickness of the central portion of the bent portion (the center between the flat plate portions and its vicinity) is smaller than the thickness of the end portion of the bent portion (a portion closer to the edge of the flat plate portion than the central portion). The smaller radius of curvature of the inner surface 23b of the bent portion and the smaller thickness of the central portion of the bent portion contribute to the improved springiness of the bent portion.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the thickness of the upper surface portion 22 is greater than the thickness of the middle portion 24 (particularly, the upper middle-upper portion 24a). This allows the upper surface portion 22 to adequately support the second packaging material 1x. Furthermore, because the middle portion 24 flexibly deforms, the support portion 20 can adequately support the second packaging material 1x. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the lower surface portion 26 is smaller than the thickness of the middle portion (particularly, the lower middle-lower portion 24b). Because the lower surface portion 26 is thin, when the load of the second packaging material 1x is applied to the support portion 20, the lower surface portion 26 flexibly deforms, allowing the support portion 20 to adequately support the second packaging material 1x. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the inner wall portion 28 is greater than the thickness of the middle portion 24 or the thickness of the lower surface portion 26. Furthermore, the thickness of the upper surface portion 22 is greater than the thickness of the middle portion 24 or the thickness of the lower surface portion 26. In this way, by forming inner wall portion 28 or upper surface portion 22 of support portion 20, preferably both, to be thick, large deformation of support portion 20 is suppressed even when an external force is applied to support portion 20 due to the weight of electronic component 200 when electronic component 200 is accommodated in holding portion 10. Furthermore, by forming intermediate portion 24 and lower surface portion 26 to be thin, even when an external force is applied to support portion 20 (particularly upper surface portion 22 and inner wall portion 28) due to the weight of electronic component 200, intermediate portion 24 and lower surface portion 26 deform favorably, suppressing damage to support portion 20.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the thickness (thickness dimension T1) of the first bent portion 23 is greater than the thickness (thickness dimension T2) of the second bent portion 25. Here, the thickness of the bent portion refers to the distance between the outer surface and the inner surface of the bent portion. When the thickness of the bent portion is not uniform, it is particularly preferable that the thickness (minimum thickness) of the first bent portion 23 at the center be greater than the thickness (minimum thickness) of the second bent portion 25 at the center. Because the first bent portion 23 is thick and less likely to deform, the extension direction of the upper surface portion 22 is easily maintained horizontally, and therefore the lower surface portion 26x of the second packaging material 1x is easily placed on the upper surface portion 22. Meanwhile, when the load of the second packaging material 1x is applied to the support portion 20, the middle portion 24 presses the lower surface portion inner end portion 26b downward, causing the lower surface portion 26 to tilt so that the lower surface portion inner end portion 26b is downward. In this case, because the second bent portion 25 is thin, the second bent portion 25 can deform in response to the inclination of the lower surface portion 26, thereby preventing damage to the support portion 20 near the second bent portion 25. Furthermore, as described above, the second bent portion 25 flexibly deforms and the lower surface portion 26 has a slope with the lower surface portion inner end portion 26b pointing downward, so that the lower surface portion 26 abuts against the upper surface portion of another packaging material (third packaging material) placed below the first packaging material 1 in a manner that presses the second bent portion 25. This manner of abutment prevents misalignment between the lower surface portion 26 of the first packaging material 1 and the upper surface portion of the third packaging material.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the thickness of a bent portion (particularly, the first bent portion 23 or the second bent portion 25) is smaller than the thickness of the flat portion sandwiching the bent portion. Specifically, the thickness of the first bent portion 23 is smaller than the thickness of the upper surface portion 22. The thickness of the first bent portion 23 is also smaller than the thickness of the middle portion 24 (particularly, the middle-upper portion 24a). Similarly, the thickness of the second bent portion 25 is smaller than the thickness of the lower surface portion 26. The thickness of the second bent portion 25 is also smaller than the thickness of the middle portion (particularly, the middle-lower portion 24b). Because the thickness of the bent portion is smaller than the thickness of the adjacent flat portion, the bent portion can flexibly bend or open, improving the springiness of the support portion 20.

[0038] In this embodiment, the thickness of the upper portion (middle-upper portion 24a) of the intermediate portion 24 is greater than the thickness of the lower portion (middle-lower portion 24b) of the intermediate portion. More specifically, in this embodiment, the thickness of the intermediate portion 24 gradually decreases from top to bottom. Alternatively, the thickness of the intermediate portion 24 may decrease in stages (step-like) from top to bottom. In this manner, the thickness of the intermediate portion 24 decreases toward the bottom, making the intermediate portion 24 more flexible toward the bottom. As a result, the intermediate portion 24 can flexibly deform starting from the first bent portion 23. This allows the intermediate portion 24 to deform, preventing damage to the support portion 20, even when an external force is applied to a portion of the support portion 20 (particularly the upper surface portion 22 or the inner wall portion 28) by being biased or pulled.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the upper surface outer end 22a protrudes upward relative to other parts of the upper surface 22 (parts on the inner side of the upper surface outer end 22a, such as the upper surface inner end 22b or the center of the upper surface 22). Specifically, the upper surface outer end 22a forms a locally curved surface portion that bulges upward in the stacking direction. The bulge of this curved surface portion continues to the first bent portion 23. The radius of curvature of this curved surface portion is greater than the radius of curvature of the first bent portion 23. When the upper surface portion outer end 22a bulges upward, stress is prevented from concentrating near the center of the first bent portion 23, even if the upper surface portion inner end 22b is pulled downward by the weight of the electronic component 200, causing the upper surface portion 22 to become inclined. This prevents damage to the support portion 20 near the first bent portion 23. Furthermore, the upward bulging of the upper surface portion outer end 22a allows the second packaging material 1x to abut favorably against the first packaging material 1. Specifically, the weight of the electronic component 200 housed in the holding portion of the second packaging material 1x may cause the lower surface portion 26x of the second packaging material 1x to be inclined with its inner end point downward and its outer end point upward. In this case, the bulging of the upper surface portion outer end 22a of the first packaging material 1 can abut against the outer end of the inclined lower surface portion 26x.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the first packaging material 1 has a frame portion 31. The frame portion 31 is a flat plate portion including the surface (top surface) facing upward in the frame body portion 30. The frame portion 31 includes an upper surface portion 22. The frame portion 31 surrounds the periphery of the holding portion 10. The upper surface portion outer end portion 22a is located inward of the remaining portion (outermost frame portion 31a) of the outer periphery of the frame portion 31 excluding the upper surface portion outer end portion 22a. In other words, the outer periphery of the frame portion 31 includes the upper surface portion outer end portion 22a and the outermost frame portion 31a. The outer periphery of the frame portion 31 is recessed toward the inside of the first packaging material 1 at the upper surface portion outer end portion 22a. 7, when the second packaging material 1x is placed on the first packaging material 1, the upper surface outer edge 22a and the hanging portion 29x of the second packaging material 1x are separated in the horizontal direction, creating a gap between the upper surface outer edge 22a and the hanging portion 29x. This gap prevents the space between the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x from being sealed. This allows the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x to be easily removed.

[0041] (Packing Method) Hereinafter, a method for packaging electronic components according to this embodiment (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the present method or the packaging method) will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, for convenience, the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x are illustrated as having uniform thickness dimensions of the components constituting the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x. Also, in Fig. 7, for convenience, the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x are illustrated as having the same radius of curvature of all the bent portions.

[0042] First, an overview of this method will be described. This method is a packaging method for packaging a packaging target (electronic components 200 in this embodiment) using multiple packaging materials (first packaging material 1, second packaging material 1x, etc.). The multiple packaging materials are stacked in a stacking direction and have the same shape. This method includes a holding step and a loading step. In the holding step, the electronic components 200 are held in the holding portion 10 of the first packaging material 1. In the loading step, the second packaging material 1x is loaded on the first packaging material 1 so that the lower surface 26 of the second packaging material 1x contacts the upper surface 22 of the first packaging material 1.

[0043] Next, this method will be described in detail. First, a holding step is performed. Specifically, the electronic component 200 is placed in the holding portion 10 of the first packaging material 1. In this embodiment, a surface mounter (not shown) suctions the top surface (suction surface) of the electronic component 200 to transfer the electronic component 200 to the accommodating recess 14, and the electronic component 200 is placed in the accommodating recess 14 in the holding portion 10. The accommodating recess 14 is preferably formed to match the shape and dimensions of the electronic component 200. Alternatively, the electronic component 200 may be held in the holding portion 10 by manual labor or by using another jig. Alternatively, the electronic component 200 may simply be placed on the flat holding surface 12. After the electronic component 200 is placed, the electronic component 200 may be fixed or secured to the holding surface 12 with an adhesive or other member. Alternatively, the electronic component 200 may be embedded in the flexible holding surface 12.

[0044] Next, a loading process is performed. In the loading process, the second packaging material 1x is placed above the first packaging material 1 in the loading direction. The second packaging material 1x is loaded on the first packaging material 1 so that the second packaging material 1x is substantially entirely overlapped when viewed from the loading direction. In this embodiment, the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x are placed in the same orientation when viewed from the loading direction. Alternatively, the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x may be placed in a rotated orientation relative to each other (for example, the second packaging material 1x is rotated 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees relative to the first packaging material 1 when viewed from the loading direction). Furthermore, the second packaging material 1x is loaded on the first packaging material 1 so that the lower surface 26x of the second packaging material 1x abuts against the upper surface 22 of the first packaging material 1. When the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x are provided with multiple support portions 20 as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the second packaging material 1x be placed on the first packaging material 1 so that the lower surface portions 26 of the second packaging material 1x abut against the upper surface portions 22 of the first packaging material 1. In this embodiment, when the second packaging material 1x is stacked on the first packaging material 1, the lower surface portions 26x of the second packaging material 1x contact only a portion of the outer side of the upper surface portion 22 of the first packaging material 1 and are not in contact (are separated from) a portion of the inner side of the upper surface portion 22 of the first packaging material 1. More specifically, only a portion of the upper surface portion 22 of the first packaging material 1 that is outward from the center in the width direction of the upper surface portion 22 contacts the lower surface portion 26x of the second packaging material 1x. In this way, the load of the second packaging material 1x is applied to a portion of the outer side of the upper surface portion 22 of the first packaging material 1, allowing the first packaging material 1 to support the second packaging material 1x by fully utilizing the springiness of the Z-shaped support portions 20.

[0045] After the second packaging material 1x is placed on the first packaging material 1, other electronic components may be placed in the holding portions 10x (accommodation recesses 14x) of the second packaging material 1x. The second packaging material 1x may be placed on the first packaging material 1 with electronic components already placed in the holding portions 10x of the second packaging material 1x. Furthermore, other packaging materials having the same shape as the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x may be further placed on the second packaging material 1x.

[0046] (Packaged Electronic Component) Using FIG. 7 , an electronic component 200 (packaged electronic component 100) packaged in a first packaging material 1 will be described. The packaged electronic component 100 refers to the electronic component 200 packaged in a packaging material. The packaged electronic component 100 includes the electronic component 200 and two or more packaging materials (such as the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x). The two or more packaging materials package the electronic component 200. As described above, the two or more packaging materials are stacked in the stacking direction. Furthermore, the two or more packaging materials have the same shape. The upper end (component upper end 210) of the electronic component 200 held by the holding portion 10 of the first packaging material 1 is separated from the second packaging material 1x. The separation distance (separation distance D1) between the component upper end 210 and the second packaging material 1x is smaller than the thickness (thickness dimension T3) of the portion of the second packaging material 1x (proximal portion 40x) closest to the component upper end 210. By separating the electronic component 200 accommodated in the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x in this manner, the electronic component 200 is prevented from colliding unnecessarily with the second packaging material 1x (particularly the proximal portion 40x) during transport of the packaged electronic component 100. Furthermore, by making the separation distance D1 between the electronic component 200 accommodated in the first packaging material 1 and the second packaging material 1x less than the thickness dimension T3 of the proximal portion 40x, the proximal portion 40x can hold the electronic component 200 when the electronic component 200 is released upward from the storage recess 14 during transport of the packaged electronic component 100. Furthermore, because D1 is small, the external force that the electronic component 200 receives from a collision with the proximal portion 40x is small. This prevents damage to the electronic component 200 .

[0047] The component upper end 210 refers to the top of the electronic component 200. In this embodiment, the electronic component 200 has a main surface (top surface) facing upward. In this embodiment, the component upper end 210 is this top surface. In this embodiment, the proximal portion 40x refers to the holding portion 10 of the second packaging material 1x (particularly the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 14x). If the second packaging material 1x has another portion (lowermost portion) that extends downward below the accommodating recess 14x, this lowermost portion may be the proximal portion 40x. Another electronic component may be accommodated in the accommodating recess 14x, or the accommodating recess 14x may not have another electronic component accommodated therein and the accommodating recess 14x may be hollow.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications and improvements as long as the object of the present invention is achieved. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0049] Alternatively to this embodiment, the holding surface 12, the bottom surface and wall portions forming the storage recess 14, the inner wall portion 28, the upper surface portion 22, the middle portion 24, the lower surface portion 26, the hanging portion 29 and the folded portion may be formed with a uniform thickness.

[0050] The above embodiments include the following technical ideas: (1) A packaging material that holds an object to be packaged and is loaded in a loading direction, the packaging material having: a holding portion that holds the object to be packaged; and a support portion that is placed above the packaging material and supports a second packaging material having the same shape as the packaging material, the support portion including: an upper surface portion that is a flat plate extending in the horizontal direction and to which the load of the second packaging material is applied; a lower surface portion that is a flat plate extending in the horizontal direction and located below the upper surface portion; and an intermediate portion that is sandwiched between an end of the upper surface portion and an end of the lower surface portion, the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion being integrally formed from a member having a predetermined thickness, and the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion facing and overlapping in the loading direction. (2) The packaging material according to (1), wherein the intermediate portion is inclined from top to bottom in the loading direction toward the inside of the packaging material, the upper end of the intermediate portion is adjacent to the outer end of the packaging material at the top surface portion, and the lower end of the intermediate portion is adjacent to the inner end of the packaging material at the bottom surface portion. (2-1) The packaging material, wherein, when the first packaging material is viewed from above, the inner end edge of the first packaging material at the bottom surface portion is located at the same position as the center of the width direction of the top surface portion or further outward of the first packaging material. (3) The packaging material according to (2), wherein the support portion has an inner wall portion that is a flat portion hanging down from the inner end of the top surface portion, and the distance between the inner wall portion and the intermediate portion at the top surface portion is smaller than the dimension of the intermediate portion in the loading direction and is smaller than the dimension of the inner wall portion in the loading direction. (3-1) A packaging material in which, in a vertical cross section of the first packaging material, the extension direction of the inner wall portion has a larger loading direction component than the extension direction of the middle portion. (3-2) A packaging material in which the middle portion is inclined with respect to the loading direction, and the inner wall portion is inclined in the same direction as the inclination of the middle portion. (4) The packaging material according to (2) or (3), in which the support portion has a hanging portion extending downward in the loading direction from the outer end of the packaging material at the lower surface portion, and the dimension of the middle portion in the loading direction is larger than the dimension of the hanging portion in the loading direction. (4-1) A packaging material in which the hanging portion is inclined from top to bottom in the loading direction toward the outside of the first packaging material.(5) The packaging material according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the support portion further includes a first bent portion between the upper surface portion and the intermediate portion and a second bent portion between the lower surface portion and the intermediate portion, and wherein the radius of curvature at the second bent portion is larger than the radius of curvature at the first bent portion. (6) The packaging material according to any one of (2) to (5), wherein the support portion further includes a first bent portion between the upper surface portion and the intermediate portion and a second bent portion between the lower surface portion and the intermediate portion, and wherein the thickness of the first bent portion is larger than the thickness of the second bent portion. (7) The packaging material according to any one of (2) to (6), wherein the thickness of an upper portion of the intermediate portion is larger than the thickness of a lower portion of the intermediate portion. (8) The packaging material according to any one of (2) to (7), wherein the outer end portion of the upper surface portion protrudes upward relative to other parts of the upper surface portion. (9) The packaging material described in any one of (2) to (8) has a frame portion which is a flat plate portion that surrounds the holding portion including the upper surface portion, and the outer end portion of the upper surface portion is located more inward than other parts of the outer periphery of the frame portion excluding the outer end portion of the upper surface portion. (10) A packaging device comprising: an electronic component; and two or more packaging materials having the same shape as each other, stacked in a loading direction to pack the electronic component; wherein a first packaging material has a holding portion that holds the electronic component; and a support portion that is placed above the first packaging material and supports a second packaging material; wherein the support portion includes: an upper surface portion that is a flat plate extending horizontally and to which the load of the second packaging material is applied; a lower surface portion that is a flat plate extending horizontally and disposed below the upper surface portion; and an intermediate portion sandwiched between an end portion of the upper surface portion and an end portion of the lower surface portion; wherein the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion are integrally formed from a member having a predetermined thickness; the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the loading direction; and the upper end portion of the electronic component held by the holding portion of the first packaging material is separated from the second packaging material; A packaged electronic component, wherein the distance between the upper end of the electronic component and the second packaging material is smaller than the thickness of a portion of the second packaging material that is closest to the upper end.(11) A packing method for packing an object to be packed with a plurality of packing materials that are stacked in a loading direction and have the same shape, wherein a first packing material has a holding portion that holds the object to be packed and a support portion that supports a second packing material that is placed above the first packing material, and the support portion includes an upper surface portion that is a flat plate extending horizontally and to which the load of the second packing material is applied, a lower surface portion that is a flat plate extending horizontally and disposed below the upper surface portion, and an intermediate portion that is sandwiched between an end of the upper surface portion and an end of the lower surface portion, and the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion are integrally formed from a member having a predetermined thickness, and the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the loading direction, and the method includes a step of holding the object to be packed with the holding portion of the first packing material; a step of stacking the second packaging material on the first packaging material so that the lower surface of the second packaging material contacts the upper surface of the first packaging material. (11-1) A packaging method in which, when the second packaging material is stacked on the first packaging material, the lower surface of the second packaging material contacts only a portion of the outer side of the upper surface of the first packaging material and does not contact a portion of the inner side of the upper surface of the first packaging material. (12) A packaging material in which the radius of curvature of the outer surface of the folded portion is greater than the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the folded portion. (13) A packaging material in which the thickness of the upper surface portion is greater than the thickness of the middle portion. (14) A packaging material in which the thickness of the lower surface portion is less than the thickness of the middle portion. (15) A packaging material in which the thickness of the inner wall portion is greater than the thickness of the middle portion or the thickness of the lower surface. (16) A packaging material in which the thickness of the upper surface portion is greater than the thickness of the middle portion or the thickness of the lower surface. (17) A packaging material in which the thickness of the folded portion is smaller than the thickness of the flat portion that sandwiches the folded portion.

[0051] 1 First packaging material 1x Second packaging material 10 Holding portion 10x Holding portion 12 Holding surface 14 Accommodating recess 14x Accommodating recess 20 Support portion 22 Upper surface portion 22a Upper surface outer end portion 22b Upper surface inner end portion 23 First folded portion 23a Outer surface 23b Inner surface 24 Middle portion 24a Middle upper portion 24b Middle lower portion 24c Middle recess portion 25 Second folded portion 25a Outer surface 25b Inner surface 26 Lower surface portion 26a Lower surface outer end portion 26b Lower surface inner end portion 26x Lower surface portion 27 Third folded portion 28 Inner wall portion 29 Hanging portion 30 Frame body portion 31 Frame portion 31a Frame outermost periphery 40x Proximal portion 100 Packaged electronic component 200 Electronic component 210 Upper end of component

Claims

1. A packaging material that holds an object to be packaged and is stacked in the stacking direction, comprising: a holding portion that holds the object to be packaged; and a support portion that is placed above the packaging material and supports a second packaging material having the same shape as the packaging material. The support portion includes: a flat plate portion extending in the horizontal direction, which is an upper surface portion to which the load of the second packaging material is applied; a lower surface portion that is disposed below the upper surface portion and is a flat plate portion extending in the horizontal direction; and an intermediate portion sandwiched between an end portion of the upper surface portion and an end portion of the lower surface portion. The upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion are integrally formed of a member having a predetermined thickness, and the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the stacking direction.

2. The intermediate portion is inclined toward the inside of the packaging material from above to below in the stacking direction. The upper end of the intermediate portion is adjacent to the outer-side end portion of the packaging material on the upper surface portion, and the lower end of the intermediate portion is adjacent to the inner-side end portion of the packaging material on the lower surface portion. The packaging material according to claim 1.

3. The support portion has an inner wall portion that is a flat plate portion hanging down from the inner-side end portion of the upper surface portion. The distance sandwiched between the inner wall portion and the intermediate portion on the upper surface portion is smaller than the dimension of the intermediate portion in the stacking direction and smaller than the dimension of the inner wall portion in the stacking direction. The packaging material according to claim 2.

4. The support portion has a hanging portion that extends downward in the stacking direction from the outer-side end portion of the packaging material on the lower surface portion. The dimension of the intermediate portion in the stacking direction is larger than the dimension of the hanging portion in the stacking direction. The packaging material according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The support portion further includes a first bending portion between the upper surface portion and the intermediate portion and a second bending portion between the lower surface portion and the intermediate portion. The radius of curvature of the second bending portion is larger than the radius of curvature of the first bending portion. The packaging material according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The support portion further includes a first bending portion between the upper surface portion and the intermediate portion and a second bending portion between the lower surface portion and the intermediate portion. The thickness of the first bending portion is larger than the thickness of the second bending portion. The packaging material according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The packaging material according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the thickness of the upper portion in the intermediate portion is greater than the thickness of the lower portion in the intermediate portion.

8. The packaging material according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the end portion on the outer side in the upper surface portion protrudes upward from another part in the upper surface portion.

9. The packaging material has a frame portion that is a flat plate portion surrounding the periphery of the holding portion including the upper surface portion, and the end portion on the outer side in the upper surface portion is located closer to the inner side than other portions excluding the end portion on the outer side in the upper surface portion on the outer periphery of the frame portion. The packaging material according to any one of claims 2 to 8.

10. An electronic component, and two or more packaging materials that package the electronic component and are stacked in a stacking direction and have the same shape as each other. The first packaging material has a holding portion that holds the electronic component, and a supporting portion that is placed above the first packaging material and supports the second packaging material. The supporting portion includes a flat plate portion extending in the horizontal direction, which is an upper surface portion to which the load of the second packaging material is applied, a lower surface portion that is disposed below the upper surface portion and is a flat plate portion extending in the horizontal direction, and an intermediate portion sandwiched between the end portion of the upper surface portion and the end portion of the lower surface portion. The upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion are integrally formed of a member having a predetermined thickness. The upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the stacking direction. The upper end portion of the electronic component held in the holding portion in the first packaging material is separated from the second packaging material, and the separation distance between the upper end portion of the electronic component and the second packaging material is smaller than the thickness of a part of the second packaging material that is closest to the upper end portion. Packaged electronic components.

11. A packing method for packing an object to be packed with a plurality of packing materials stacked in the loading direction and having the same shape as each other, wherein the first packing material has a holding portion for holding the object to be packed and a supporting portion for supporting the second packing material placed above the packing material, the supporting portion includes a flat plate portion extending in the horizontal direction and serving as an upper surface portion to which the load of the second packing material is applied, a lower surface portion which is a flat plate portion extending in the horizontal direction and is disposed below the upper surface portion, and an intermediate portion sandwiched between an end portion of the upper surface portion and an end portion of the lower surface portion, the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, and the intermediate portion are integrally formed of a member having a predetermined thickness, the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion face each other and overlap in the loading direction, and the packing method includes a step of holding the object to be packed in the holding portion of the first packing material and a step of loading the second packing material on the first packing material such that the lower surface portion of the second packing material contacts the upper surface portion of the first packing material.

Images