Systems and Methods Related to Customizable Dunnage

It has long been known in the world of cargo transportation that one cannot simply pack a box with loose articles and call it a day. For some more robust cargo, this strategy may be sufficient, although some cargo may damage others in transportation. Yet, for fragile cargo especially, goods cannot be left without some sort of protection from jostling, friction, and blunt damage from hitting the box, the wall, itself, or other cargo. After all, no transporter would make any money if everything they shipped was broken or damaged on arrival. For these reasons, various forms of dunnage have been invented.

Dunnage is a produced or waste byproduct material that is used to load and secure cargo during transportation. Essentially, dunnage is a buffer to fill space in a shipping container (e.g., a box) between cargo items and/or between one or more cargo items and the container, which is meant to absorb shock and movement to prevent any damage to the actual cargo being shipped. Dunnage became essential as during the industrial revolution, as mass cargo shipments by ship, and later by rail and air, became standard. When goods were jostled by the movement of the ship, or train or plane, dunnage was paramount in protecting the goods for damage and being able to sell them at full value at the destination.

Historically, waste products such as scrap wood or old linen or leather would be used as dunnage, stuck in between cargo loads in ship hulls or train cars. In more modern times, and for more fragile cargo, other forms of dunnage with better shock absorption properties have been invented. For example, modern dunnage may include bubble wrap, wadded or crumpled paper, Styrofoam “peanuts,” or inflated air packs.

Not all forms of dunnage are adequate for different sizes of cargo disposed in different sizes of shipping containers. That is, prior sheet dunnage was provided in particular sizes for use in particular containers. Thus, packers/shippers may have (and be required to stock and store) several standard forms of dunnage to be used with specific cargo, due to characteristics of the cargo and/or dunnage, size or shape requirements, or a host of other factors. These problems can be exceedingly costly and/or time consuming for shipping companies. Therefore, more efficient systems and methods for customizable dunnage are sought in the art.

Embodiments of systems and methods according to the present invention relate generally to methods and devices for customizable dunnage. In particular, a system for customizable dunnage generally including a sheet divided into tabs by stress risers. Each tab further comprises domes, which act as first or primary crumple zones to absorb impact, the domes being preferably spanned by a bridge structure, which may serve as a secondary crumple zone. The stress risers allow the sheet to be bent and/or preferably manually torn in various sizes and configurations as needed, making the system customizable to a particular container size and/or void-filling need of the user.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention, a sheet (a preferably unitary sheet) comprises a plurality of tabs, each tab being defined by at least one, but preferably a plurality of stress riser(s) (e.g., grooves, crimps, perforations, notches, etc.). Each tab preferably includes at least one dome (preferably extending about an axis disposed generally perpendicular to the sheet) extending from a first surface of the tab. The sheet has a first substantially uniform thickness defined by the stress risers and a second substantially uniform thickness of the tabs (and preferably the domes).

According to another aspect of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention, the sheet further comprises a first side and a second side and wherein the plurality of stress risers comprise a first set and a second set of stress risers formed, cast, or pressed into the first side of the sheet. A set of stress risers may include the same general cross-section, such as a V-shaped cross-section or a U-shaped cross-section. Other stress risers may be formed, cast, or pressed into the second side of the sheet, and may be aligned with the stress risers formed on the first side.

According to still another aspect of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention, each tab preferably includes a plurality of domes and wherein two of the domes are connected by a bridge (or rib) portion formed integrally with the tab. The domes and/or bridges may be generally formed in the nature of a shell, having a substantially hollow concave surface, or the domes and/or bridges may have a substantially solid cross-section. Where the domes include a hollow concave surface, the system may include a plurality of sheets arranged in a stack, wherein each dome from a first sheet in the plurality of sheets extends towards and is received against or extends into the hollow concave surface of a respective dome on a second sheet in the plurality of sheets.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention, the method includes providing a first unitary sheet including at least one dome. An item or thing is placed into a container (e.g., shipping box or other container) and the sheet is inserted between the item and a first inner wall of the container. The container is closed, thereby enclosing the item and the sheet.

According to another aspect of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention, the method includes the step of altering the sheet, such as by bending, folding, ripping, tearing or cutting the sheet, which may include a plurality of domes disposed on opposite sides of a stress riser, which stress riser may serve as a folding or separation guide.

According to still another aspect of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention, the method further includes the steps of providing a second sheet substantially identical to the first sheet and positioning the second sheet in the container between the item and a second inner wall of the container.

According to still another aspect of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention, the method further includes the steps of providing a second sheet substantially identical to the first sheet and positioning the second sheet in the container between the item and the first inner wall of the container.

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention.

Turning now to the Figures, embodiments of systems and methods related to customizable dunnage may be seen. Specifically, as seen in, a systemfor customizable dunnage generally comprises a sheet(preferably a unitary sheet) formed into tabswhich may be defined by stress risers (bend or break lines). Each tabfurther comprises one or more domesstamped (or pressed or molded) into the tab. Even more preferably, each tabspecifically comprises two domesand may further include a bridge, which may span a space between the domesand be integrally formed therewith.

The sheet, and thus the whole system, is preferably made from mixing cellulosic pulp (virgin or preferably recycled, such as recycled paper pulp) that is mixed with an effective amount of water into a pulp slurry. The slurry is provided to a vacuum mold, provided in a respective shape, that draws or forms the slurry against the mold, forming the stress risers, the domesand bridgeand allowing a discharge of excess slurry and extracting a majority of the water from the slurry. A wet pulp product is ejected from the mold and onto a conveyor to be dried, preferably through a thermal drying process. After drying, the sheetis dry to the human touch and is ready to be stacked with other sheets.

Each sheetpreferably comprises a thicknessextending between a first sideand a second side. As seen most clearly in, the thicknessis preferably substantially uniform throughout the sheet, even along domesand bridges, with the exception of the stress risers. It should also be understood that, while the presentfeature a sheetcomprising 16 tabsin a 2×8 pattern, the systemmay be provided in different patterns, resulting in a different number of tabsin a sheet. For example, a sheetmay be comprised of a 4×8 pattern having 32 tabs, a 6×10 pattern having 60 tabs, or even an 8×16 pattern having 128 tabs. Further, after production, the systemis highly customizable and may be formed to any pattern that is needed by a user at a given time, as explained further below.

Stress risersare preferably grooves formed in the sheet, which allow the systemto be customized according to the user's needs. For example, the stress risersallow a user to bend the sheetalong a riser. Additionally or alternatively, the risersprovide a convenient place to cut or tear (e.g., manually) the sheetwithout damaging the domesor bridge. To make cutting and/or tearing even easier, stress risersmay optionally be perforated, which would allow a user to easily cut and/or tear along the risersto form their desired shape from the sheet. In the embodiment shown in, the stress risersare preferably formed in the first sideof the sheet. However, other embodiments may feature stress risersformed in the second sideof the sheetin addition to (and preferably aligned with) or alternatively to the first side.

The systempreferably comprises two forms of stress risers, each designed for a different flexing function. V-risers, as seen in, allow the sheetto be bent outward (i.e. the second sideof one tabis rotated about the V-risertowards the second sideof another tab). Conversely, U-risers, as seen in, allow the sheetto bend inward (i.e. the first sideof one tabis rotated about the U-risertowards the first sideof another tab). Further, as mentioned above, both V-risersand U-risersmay act as break or cut guides for the user to further customize the sheetto their particular needs, although the sheetmay be broken (i.e. ripped) or cut along any portion thereof (i.e. not along stress risers) according to the user's particular needs.

Each tabpreferably comprises at least one domeformed in a molding process and most preferably comprises a plurality of (e.g., two domes). The dome(s)preferably define a primary crumple zone, where deformation of the dome(s)may occur by a first force component directed at least partially perpendicular to and towards the first side. A secondary crumple zone may be defined by additional structure, preferably extending from the same side,of the sheet, such as a bridge. The domespreferably extend from the first sideof the sheetto a primary dome radiusthat is preferably substantially the same for every primary domeon the sheet, regardless of the size of the sheet. Secondary domes may be provided, extending preferably from the same side of the sheet as the primary dome(s)to a secondary (or even tertiary) dome radius that is less than the primary dome radius

Similar to the domes, the bridgepreferably extends from the first sideof the sheetto a bridge heightthat is preferably substantially the same for every bridgeon the sheet, but is preferably less than the dome radius. Thus, there is preferably a height differencebetween the dome radiusand the bridge height. Each bridgepreferably further comprises a bridge lengththat may vary depending on the size of the sheetproduced. For example, a sheethaving longer tabs, may have a greater bridge lengthbetween domesthan one with shorter tabs. Each bridgefurther preferably comprises a top surfacethat runs substantially parallel to the sheet, such that the bridge heightis at least substantially constant along the bridge length

All domeson a sheetare preferably formed to extend from the same side,of the sheet. The domesare substantially hollow, including a first cavityaccessible on the other side,of the sheet. Similarly, the bridgepreferably extends from the same side,as the dome(s), extending therebetween, and is preferably formed to be substantially hollow in the molding process, leaving behind a second cavityaccessible on the other side,of the sheet. Alternatively, however, some embodiments of the systemmay comprise domesand/or bridgesthat are substantially not hollow. For instance, in the manufacturing process, the first and/or second negative spaces,may instead be substantially solid, filled with pulp of the same material used to manufacture the system.

The function of the domesand bridgeremain the same, whether they are substantially hollow or not. In use, the sheetmay be customizable by folding, breaking, and/or cutting along stress risersto fit between goods in transportation, or between goods and a container. As transportation is occurring, the domesact as crumple zones, which absorb impact energy and dissipate it, cushioning the goods. Further, when an impact is significant and causes the domesto crumple down to the top surfaceof the bridge, the bridgepreferably acts as a secondary crumple zone to further absorb impact energy and dissipate it. Further, the bridgeis relatively rigid as compared to the domes, thereby providing greater force resistance before crumpling than the domes. In this way, each sheetmay provide a multi-stage energy dissipation systemthat acts to prevent goods from being damaged.

Storage and combinatory use are also enhanced by the instant invention. That is, stacking and sheet registration (alignment) are enhanced when one sheetis stacked on top of another (e.g., by introducing the first sideof one sheetto the second sideof another), which is advantageous for storage and packaging of multiple sheetsfor shipment (e.g. on a pallet). Further, a first sheet(or one or more tabsthereof) may be stacked on another by introducing the first sideof one sheetto the second sideof another. Two or more sheetsin a stack may offer potentially greater protection for goods, as more sheetlayers provide more resistance and occupy greater void space in a shipping container. Alternatively, sheetsmay be stacked and/or configured in other ways, such as with the first sidesof two sheetsfacing each other or with the second sidesof two sheetsfacing each other.

Accordingly, to use customizable dunnage according to the present invention, a shipping container (e.g., box) may be identified, and a size differential between an internal cavity of the shipping container and a first thing or item (product, good, cargo, etc.) to be inserted into the container may be measured or estimated. A first sheetincluding one or more tabsis provided or selected. If the first sheetis larger in any dimension than a side of the container to be interfaced, the first sheetmay be bent, cut or trimmed (e.g., along stress risers, or otherwise). The thing and first sheetare inserted into the container, one after the other, or substantially simultaneously, such that the first sheetrests at least partially between the thing and a first inner wall of the shipping container. One or more additional sheets(selectively trimmed or sized, if desired) including one or more tabsmay be placed between the thing and other inner wall(s) of the shipping container, or between the first sheetand the first inner wall, or between the first thing and a second thing. Where a first sheetand a second sheetare combined between the first thing and the first inner wall (or are otherwise combined in a preferably substantially aligned or registered arrangement), the first surfaceof the first sheetmay be placed in contact with the second surfaceof the second sheet. Alternatively, where a first sheetand a second sheetare combined between the first thing and the first inner wall (or are otherwise combined in a preferably substantially aligned or registered arrangement), the first surfaceof the first sheetmay be placed in contact with the first surfaceof the second sheet. Alternatively, where a first sheetand a second sheetare combined between the first thing and the first inner wall, the second surfaceof the first sheetmay be placed in contact with the second surfaceof the second sheet(or a single sheetmay be folded, such as along a stress riser, to dispose a second surfaceof a first tabagainst a second surfaceof a second tabof the same sheet). Additionally or alternatively, a first sheetmay be randomly situated with one or more additional tabs, such as by individual tabsbeing selected or divided from a sheet, then randomly placed in the shipping container in locations between the first thing and the first inner wall, between the first thing and at least one other inner wall, and/or between the first thing and a second thing.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, because numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention. For instance, a preferred thicknessis about 0.2 inches to about 0.35 inches, with about 0.25 to about 0.31 inches preferred, but other thicknesses are contemplated. Also, for example, a preferred dome radiusis approximately one inch to approximately 1.5 inches, with about 1.2 inches to about 1.3 inches preferred, though other radii are contemplated. Preferred tabshave a length preferably extending parallel to the direction of the bridge, the length being about 5 inches to about 6 inches, with about 5.25 inches to about 5.75 inches being preferred, though other lengths are contemplated between an outer edge and a stress riser, or between stress risers. Preferred tabshave a width preferably extending perpendicular to the direction of the bridgeand parallel to its top surface, the width being about 3 inches to about 4 inches, with about 3.25 inches being preferred, though other widths are contemplated between an outer edge and a stress riser, or between stress risers. Further, though shown as including two tabsalong a tab length direction between an outer edge and a stress riserand eight tabsalong a tab width direction between an outer edge and a stress riser, it is to be understood that sheets having substantially rectangular outer edge may be formed with different numbers of tabs(at least one, but more preferably at least two) along the tab length direction and (at least one, but more preferably at least two) along the tab width direction. Other regular and irregular outer edge shape configurations are contemplated.