Packaging structure and method for using same

Abstract

Provided is a packaging structure for buffering and protecting an article in a box. The packaging structure comprises: a plate, wherein the plate is provided with a confining region, and the confining region is configured so that when in use, the confining region is wrapped around at least part of an article on the basis of the contour of the article so as to confine the movement of the article in a box. The confining region comprises: a plurality of tearable portions which are formed in the plate and separated from each other; and a plurality of foldable portions which are formed in the plate and separated from each other, wherein the plurality of tearable portions and the plurality of foldable portions intersect each other to define an array of confining units. Further provided is a method for using the packaging structure.

Description

Packaging structure and method of using the same TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the technical field of packaging transportation, and more particularly, to a packaging structure for cushioning and / or protecting an article in a box and a method of using the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of e-commerce and offline retail business, both consumers and brand parties have put forward more requirements for the protection of packaging boxes during the transportation of articles. In general, the packaging requirements for articles need to provide good support and cushioning protection for the articles.

[0003] In the offline retail scene, single or multiple articles often need to be placed in a fixed position in a gift box; in the e-commerce packaging scene, when one or more articles need to be transported in a packaging box, in order to ensure that the articles are not damaged during transportation, it is desirable to avoid or reduce the movement of single or multiple articles in the box, and to avoid or reduce the mutual influence between the articles and the box or between different articles.

[0004] Considering the large demand of e-commerce and gift box business, it is also desirable to have a lower manufacturing cost of the packaging structure, more environmentally friendly materials, and a more flexible structure that can adapt to different article sizes.

[0005] Therefore, there is a continuous need for improvement in the packaging structure of the articles.

[0006] SUMMARY

[0007] The purpose of the present disclosure is to solve at least one aspect of the above-mentioned problems and defects in the prior art.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a packaging structure for cushioning and protecting an article in a box is provided. The packaging structure comprises: a board provided with:

[0009] a constraint region configured to, in use, wrap around at least a portion of the article based on a contour of the article to constrain movement of the article in the box, the constraint region comprising:

[0010] a plurality of tearable portions formed in the board and separated from each other; and

[0011] a plurality of foldable portions formed in the board and separated from each other;

[0012] wherein the plurality of tearable portions and the plurality of foldable portions intersect with each other to define an array of constraint units.

[0013] Further, the constraint region of the sheet is configured to constrain movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction in use, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

[0014] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, the constraint region of the sheet is configured such that at least one foldable portion in the constraint region, which is located in the vicinity of the article, can be folded to enable at least some of the constraint units located on one side and / or both sides of the folded foldable portion to abut against the article, thereby constraining movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction.

[0015] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, the constraint region of the sheet is configured such that at least one tearable portion in the constraint region, which is located in the vicinity of the article, can be torn to enable at least some of the constraint units located on one side and / or both sides of the torn tearable portion to abut against the article, thereby constraining movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction.

[0016] Preferably, the plurality of tearable portions and the plurality of foldable portions intersect with each other perpendicularly to define a regular array of constraint units.

[0017] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, a side length of the constraint units is set to be between 5mm and 400mm, preferably between 20mm and 200mm, more preferably between 30mm and 100mm.

[0018] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, an area of the constraint region occupies a range of 40% to 95% of a total area of the sheet, preferably a range of 50% to 85%, more preferably a range of 70% to 80%.

[0019] Preferably, each tearable portion is a cutting line, a tearing line, a linear hole column or a slit; and each foldable portion is an indentation line.

[0020] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, the sheet has a rectangular shape, the plurality of tearable portions extend parallel to long sides of the rectangular shape, and the plurality of foldable portions extend parallel to short sides of the rectangular shape.

[0021] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, the sheet further comprises an assembly region (120) configured to abut against an inner side wall of the box in use to assemble the sheet inside the box.

[0022] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, the assembly region is formed at at least one peripheral portion of the sheet.

[0023] Preferably, the assembly regions are respectively formed at opposite two end portions of the sheet, and the constraint region is formed between the two assembly regions.

[0024] According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, the sheet is a corrugated sheet or a plastic sheet.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of using the packaging structure according to any of the preceding embodiments, the method comprising:

[0026] inserting an assembly region of the sheet into the box and abutting the assembly region against an inner side wall of the box;

[0027] pressing a constraint region of the sheet into the box and causing the constraint region to abut against the article in at least one of the following manners to constrain movement of the article in the box:

[0028] 1) folding the sheet along at least one foldable portion of the constraint region that is located adjacent to the article, so that at least some constraint units located on both sides of the folded foldable portion are able to abut against the article, thereby constraining movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction; and

[0029] 2) tearing the sheet along at least one tearable portion of the constraint region that is located adjacent to the article, so that at least some constraint units located on both sides of the torn tearable portion are able to abut against the article, thereby constraining movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction.

[0030] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and help to understand the present disclosure from the following description of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031] The above and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic view showing a packaging structure according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state of the packaging structure before application;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the packaging structure according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure after being applied to a box containing an article;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an entire process in which a packaging structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a case body containing articles;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a case body to which a packaging structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, containing a small number of articles; and

[0036] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a case body to which a packaging structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is applied, containing a large number of articles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following description of various exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure and its application or uses. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments merely illustrate exemplary ways in which the present disclosure can be implemented, rather than exhaustively. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components, numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] In the specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the technical content of the present disclosure, and should not be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure. In addition, in the following detailed description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it is apparent that one or more embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are embodied in a diagrammatic manner to simplify the drawings.

[0039] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a packaging structure is provided, which can be applied to a case body containing articles, providing good support and cushioning protection for the articles in the case body, for example, effectively fixing the articles in the case body to prevent undesired movement of the articles in the case body. Herein, the term "articles" can refer to goods or gifts, and the term "case body" can refer to a specific container or packaging form designed according to the characteristics of the goods or gifts and the transportation requirements, and protecting the goods from damage, facilitating storage, handling and transportation in logistics transportation, for example, it can be a packaging box or a packaging case, or a gift box.

[0040] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic view showing a packaging structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, mainly showing a state (initial state) of the packaging structure before being used to cushion and protect an article in a box. As shown in Fig. 1, the packaging structure 100 is mainly composed of a sheet material. The sheet material is provided with at least a restraining region 110 configured to, when in use, wrap around at least a portion of an article based on the profile of the article to restrain movement of the article in the box. The restraining region 110 can include a plurality of tearable portions 111 and a plurality of foldable portions 112. Specifically, the plurality of tearable portions 111 are formed in the sheet material and separated from each other, and the plurality of foldable portions 112 are formed in the sheet material and separated from each other; wherein the plurality of tearable portions 111 and the plurality of foldable portions 112 intersect with each other to define an array of restraining units 110a. According to the present disclosure, the sheet material can be torn along one or more of the tearable portions 111, while being folded along one or more of the foldable portions 112.

[0041] According to the present disclosure, the sheet material is preferably of a one-piece construction, and can also be of a combined construction according to actual needs. The material for making the sheet material includes, but is not limited to, paperboard, plastic sheet, corrugated paperboard, kraft paper, etc., and is preferably corrugated paperboard.

[0042] Herein, the term "tearable portion" can mean a portion of the sheet material that has been weakened in strength (e.g. tensile strength or compressive strength) relative to the rest of the sheet material. When the sheet material is subjected to a tensile force or a compressive force, the tearable portion will first break or tear due to stress concentration at the tearable portion. According to the present disclosure, the tearable portion can be designed by removing a portion of the sheet material to weaken its strength, for example, by using a cutting line, a tear line, a linear array of holes, a slit, etc.

[0043] Herein, the term "foldable portion" can mean a portion of the sheet material that is more easily folded relative to the rest of the sheet material. It can be manifested as a shape or structure that guides the rest of the sheet material to fold along it. According to the present disclosure, the foldable portion can be manifested as a score or a notch, for example, a score line design formed in the sheet material by scoring or other processes.

[0044] Specifically, in the constraint region 110 of the sheet material, the plurality of tearable portions 111 and the plurality of foldable portions 112 intersect with each other to define an array of constraint units 110a. Preferably, in the exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, each tearable portion 111 adopts a linear tear line design, and each foldable portion 112 adopts a linear score line design. Preferably, the plurality of tearable portions (tear lines) 111 and the plurality of foldable portions (score lines) 112 can intersect with each other perpendicularly to define an array of regular constraint units 110a in the shape of a rectangle or a square, etc. Of course, in other embodiments not shown, the tearable portions 111 and / or the foldable portions 112 can adopt a non-linear design, for example, a circular arc line design or a wavy line design, and the constraint units 110a can also adopt other shapes of regular array design, or even an irregular array design, as long as the plurality of tearable portions and the plurality of foldable portions intersect with each other to define a plurality of constraint units.

[0045] According to the present disclosure, regardless of the shape of the design of the constraint units 110a, the (maximum) side length of the constraint units 110a can be set to be between 5 mm and 400 mm, preferably between 20 mm and 200 mm, and more preferably between 30 mm and 100 mm. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the constraint units 110a are in the shape of a square, and the side length of the constraint units 110a can be about 60 mm.

[0046] According to the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet of the packaging structure 100 can also be provided with assembly regions 120. The assembly regions 120 are configured to abut against the inner side walls of the box body when in use to assemble the sheet inside the box body. The assembly regions 120 are generally formed at at least one peripheral portion of the sheet. For example, in the exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet is in a substantially rectangular shape, specifically, the plurality of tearable portions 111 in the constraint region 110 extend parallel to the long sides of the rectangular shape, and the plurality of foldable portions 112 extend parallel to the short sides of the rectangular shape. In addition, each of the assembly regions 120 is in a substantially rectangular shape, and is respectively formed at opposite two end portions of the sheet. The constraint region 110 is in a substantially rectangular shape, and is formed between the two assembly regions 120. Of course, in other embodiments not shown, the sheet can also adopt any suitable shape according to actual needs, for example, can be in a substantially trapezoidal plate shape or a substantially wavy aesthetic modeling shape. According to the present disclosure, the area of the constraint region 110 occupies a range of 40%-95% of the total area of the sheet 100, preferably in a range of 50%-85%, more preferably in a range of 70%-80%. Generally, the constraint region 110 can occupy a majority or a substantial majority of the total area of the sheet. In addition, the constraint region 110 and / or the assembly region 120 can also adopt any suitable shape according to actual needs, and the positional relationship therebetween can also be designed according to actual needs, for example, the assembly regions 120 are designed around the four sides of the constraint region 110.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the packaging structure according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure after being applied into a box body B containing an article T. For the purpose of clarity, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the box body B is simplified into a packaging box in a substantially cuboid shape, and the article T is simplified into a shape in a substantially cube and / or cuboid, of course, in practice, the box body B and / or the article T can have a more complex structure and / or shape. At the same time, for the purpose of facilitating explanation and illustration, a coordinate axis composed of a first direction X, a second direction Y and a third direction Z is defined, wherein the first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y, and the third direction Z is perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0048] According to the present disclosure, the restraining region 110 of the packaging structure 100 is configured to restrain the movement of the article T in at least one of the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z in use. Specifically, the restraining region 110 of the packaging structure 100 panel is configured such that at least one or more foldable portions 112 in the restraining region 110 located adjacent to the article T can be folded to enable at least some restraining units 110a located on one side and / or both sides of the folded foldable portion 112 to contact and abut against the article T, thereby restraining the movement of the article T in at least one of the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z. Meanwhile, the restraining region 110 of the packaging structure 100 panel is also configured such that at least one or more tearable portions 111 in the restraining region 110 located adjacent to the article T can be torn to enable at least some restraining units 110a located on one side and / or both sides of the torn tearable portion 111 to abut against the article T, thereby restraining the movement of the article T in at least one of the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z.

[0049] In particular, (a) of FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the packaging structure 100 after being applied into the box B containing the article T according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in (a) of FIG. 2, based on the contour of the article T, one or more tearable portions in the constraint region of the packaging structure 100 located near the contour of the article T are torn open, and some constraint units located on one side of the torn open tearable portions are able to contact and abut against the contour of the article T; at the same time, the constraint region of the packaging structure 100 is folded along one or more foldable portions, so that at least some constraint units in the constraint region are able to contact and abut against the contour of the article T, thereby constraining the movement of the article T in the box B. (b) of FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the Y-Z direction in the figure after the packaging structure 100 is applied into the box B containing the article T, from which it can be known that, after the one or more tearable portions in the constraint region of the packaging structure 100 are torn open and the packaging structure 100 is folded along the one or more foldable portions, the contour of the article T is sufficiently wrapped by the packaging structure 100, and the constraint units of the packaging structure 100 contacting the contour of the article T contact and abut against the contour of the article T in the Y direction and the Z direction, thereby constraining the movement of the article T in the Y direction and the Z direction. In addition, some constraint units after folding spontaneously construct a substantially triangular or polygonal support structure near the contour of the article T, further constraining the movement of the article T in the Y direction and / or the Z direction. (c) of FIG. 2 shows a perspective view after the packaging structure 100 is applied into the box containing the article, in which not only is it shown that the packaging structure 100 is able to contact and abut against the contour of the article T in the Y direction and the Z direction, but also it is shown that the constraint units in the packaging structure 100 contact and abut against the contour of the article T in the X direction.

[0050] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of using the packaging structure of any one of the preceding aspects / embodiments is also provided. The method comprises: inserting the assembly region of the sheet of the packaging structure into a box and abutting the assembly region against the inner side wall of the box; pressing the constraint region of the sheet into the interior of the box and causing the constraint region to abut against the article in at least one of the following manners to constrain the movement of the article in the box: 1) folding the sheet along at least one foldable portion in the constraint region near the article, so that at least some constraint units located on both sides of the folded foldable portion are able to abut against the article, thereby constraining the movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction; and 2) tearing the sheet along at least one tearable portion in the constraint region near the article, so that at least some constraint units located on both sides of the torn tearable portion are able to abut against the article, thereby constraining the movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the entire process of applying the packaging structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure to the case B containing the articles T. The method of using the packaging structure will be described below in conjunction with FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, after the articles T are contained in the case B, the packaging structure 100 is assembled to the case B in such a manner that the assembly region thereof is inserted into the case B and abuts against the inner side wall of the case B, at this time, the restraint region of the packaging structure 100 is located above the case B and has not yet contacted the articles in the case B. Next, the restraint region of the packaging structure 100 is pressed to the articles in the case B until the packaging structure 100 is entirely pressed into the case B. Based on the profile of the articles T, at least one or more of the tearable portions in the restraint region is torn and a plurality of or all of the foldable portions are folded, thereby causing at least some of the restraint units close to the articles T to contact and abut against the profile of at least a portion of the articles T to restrain the movement of the articles T in the case B.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the packaging structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure being applied to the case containing a small amount of articles. Specifically, (a) in FIG. 4 shows that a small amount of articles T are contained in the case B, and there is a relatively large lower space in the case B that is not occupied by the articles T, at this time, the packaging structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has not yet been applied to the case B. (b) and (c) in FIG. 4 show the case after the packaging structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to the case B containing a small amount of articles T, the packaging structure 100, after the restraint region thereof is torn along the tearable portions and folded along the foldable portions, wraps and supports the articles T based on the profile of the articles T, while also filling the lower space and upper space in the case B that is not occupied by the articles T, thereby restraining the movement of the articles T in the case B and achieving the cushioning protection of the articles T.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the packaging structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure being applied to the case containing a large amount of articles. Specifically, (a) in FIG. 5 shows that a large amount of articles T are contained in the case B, and the lower space in the case B is substantially occupied by the articles T, at this time, the packaging structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has not yet been applied to the case B. (b) and (c) in FIG. 5 show the case after the packaging structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to the case B containing a large amount of articles T, the packaging structure 100, after the restraint region thereof is torn along the tearable portions and folded along the foldable portions, wraps and supports the articles T based on the profile of the articles T, while also filling the lower space and upper space in the case B that is not occupied by the articles T, thereby restraining the movement of the articles T in the case B and achieving the cushioning protection of the articles T.

[0054] According to the foregoing various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the packaging structure and the method of using the same are designed to be universally applicable to the effective fixation of single or multiple articles of different sizes and / or heights and / or shapes in the box body, providing flexibility of cushion packaging, easy to use, environmentally friendly material selection, and can be widely applied to the packaging protection and transportation of articles.

[0055] The dimensions and values described herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "10 mm" is intended to mean "about 10 mm."

[0056] While some embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate variations made to these embodiments that are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is not to be limited by the embodiments shown and described, but is to be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A packaging structure (100) for cushioning protection of an article (I) in a box (B), the packaging structure comprising: A sheet material provided with: a constraining zone (110) configured to, in use, wrap over at least a portion of the article based on a profile of the article to constrain movement of the article in the box, the constraining zone comprising: a plurality of tearable portions (111) formed in the sheet material and separated from each other; and a plurality of foldable portions (112) formed in the sheet material and separated from each other; wherein the plurality of tearable portions and the plurality of foldable portions intersect each other to define an array of constraining cells (110a).

2. The packaging structure according to claim 1, wherein the constraining zone of the sheet material is configured to, in use, constrain movement of the article in the box along at least one of a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

3. The packaging structure according to claim 2, wherein the constraining zone of the sheet material is configured to, in use, constrain movement of the article in the box along at least one of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction by enabling folding of at least one of the foldable portions in the constraining zone that is located in proximity to the article, such that at least some of the constraining cells located on one side and / or both sides of the folded foldable portion are able to abut against the article.

4. The packaging structure according to claim 2, wherein the constraining zone of the sheet material is configured to, in use, constrain movement of the article in the box along at least one of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction by enabling tearing of at least one of the tearable portions in the constraining zone that is located in proximity to the article, such that at least some of the constraining cells located on one side and / or both sides of the torn tearable portion are able to abut against the article.

5. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of tearable portions and the plurality of foldable portions intersect each other perpendicularly to define a regular array of constraining cells.

6. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a side length of the constraining cells is provided in a range of 5 mm - 400 mm, preferably in a range of 20 mm - 200 mm, more preferably in a range of 30 mm - 100 mm.

7. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an area of the constraining zone occupies a range of 40% - 95%, preferably a range of 50% - 85%, more preferably a range of 70% - 80% of a total area of the sheet material.

8. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each tearable portion is a cutting line, a tear line, a linear column of holes, or a slit; each foldable portion is a creasing line.

9. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sheet material is in a rectangular shape, the plurality of tearable portions extend parallel to a long side of the rectangular shape, and the plurality of foldable portions extend parallel to a short side of the rectangular shape. ​ 10. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, the sheet further is provided with an assembly region (120) configured to abut against an inner side wall of the box when in use to assemble the sheet inside the box.

11. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, the assembly region is formed at at least one peripheral portion of the sheet.

12. The packaging structure according to claim 11, wherein, the assembly region is formed at opposite two end portions of the sheet respectively, and the restraining region is formed between the two assembly regions.

13. The packaging structure according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, the sheet is a corrugated sheet or a plastic sheet.

14. A method of using the packaging structure according to any one of claims 10 to 13, the method comprising: inserting an assembly region of the sheet into the box and abutting the assembly region against an inner side wall of the box; pressing a restraining region of the sheet into the box and causing the restraining region to abut against the article in at least one of the following manners to restrain movement of the article in the box: 1) the sheet is folded along at least one foldable portion in the restraining region that is located in the vicinity of the article, to enable at least some restraining units located on both sides of the folded foldable portion to abut against the article, thereby restraining movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction; and 2) the sheet is torn along at least one tearable portion in the restraining region that is located in the vicinity of the article, to enable at least some restraining units located on both sides of the torn tearable portion to abut against the article, thereby restraining movement of the article in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction. ​

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