Corner sleeve cushioning device with rear-end reinforced structure

A corner sleeve cushioning device with a rear-end reinforced structure includes first air and second air column surfaces, and a bottom air column surface connected between bottom portions of the first and second air column surfaces. The first, second, and bottom air column surfaces each have a plurality of air columns, and a receiving space is formed therebetween. An inner fixed portion and a rear-end fixed portion respectively bind an inner surface of an outer end of the first air column surface and an inner surface of an outer end of the second air column surface with each other. The rear-end fixed portion is opposite to the receiving space and located at an outer side of the inner fixed portion, so that the corner sleeve cushioning device has a rear-end reinforced structure with a double layer protection formed at an outer side of the receiving space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 108136739, filed on Oct. 9, 2019. The entire content of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a corner sleeve cushioning device with a rear-end reinforced structure, and more particularly to a corner sleeve cushioning device for protecting corners of an article, so as to prevent damages caused by impact.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

During a back-end process for delivering goods, to ensure that articles within a package are not damaged due to packing or transportation, bubble wrap or Styrofoam® is currently most commonly used in packaging to completely cover an article. However, there are still issues in regards to poor cushioning effect, environmental pollution, etc. In order to solve the issues associated with the bubble wrap and the Styrofoam®, an air packaging bag has been developed, which is heat sealed airtight to form an air column, and has an inflation opening for inflation. After air is inflated into the air column through the inflation opening, the air packaging bag can be used as a cushioning material for an inner packaging.

The air packaging bags with cushioning air columns are currently used for packaging liquid-crystal-display (LCD) TVs, and the air columns provide a cushioning effect to prevent the LCD TVs from being damaged. However, the LCD TVs are becoming larger in size, which causes inconvenience for handling and installation. Therefore, during a transportation process of the LCD TVs, it is easy for four peripheral corners of the LCD TVs to undergo collision due to frequent movement, and be subjected to damage or wear and tear.

When a bottom of the air packaging bag hits a ground, due to a bottom portion of the packaged article and an inner wall of the bottom portion of the air packaging bag having not enough cushioning space, an impact force from the bottom portion of the air packaging bag hitting the ground is easily transferred directly to the bottom portion of the packaged article, such that the packaged article is damaged. In particular, as the LCD TVs are getting thinner, when corners of the LCD TVs are subjected to collision during the transportation process, the aforementioned cushioning device is not capable of cushioning an impact force of a thin-plate structure. Therefore, a conventional corner sleeve cushioning device still has room for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacies, the present disclosure provides a corner sleeve cushioning device with a rear-end reinforced structure, which reinforces a protective structure of a rear-end of the corner sleeve cushioning device so as to be more adapted to an impact force of a thin-plate structure.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a corner sleeve cushioning device with a rear-end reinforced structure, which includes a first air column surface, a second air column surface, and a bottom air column surface connected between a bottom portion of the first air column surface and a bottom portion of the second air column surface. The first air column surface, the second air column surface, and the bottom air column surface each have a plurality of air columns, and a receiving space is formed between the first air column surface, the second air column surface, and the bottom air column surface. The first and second air column surfaces further include an inner fixed portion binding an inner surface of an outer end of the first air column surface and an inner surface of an outer end of the second air column surface with each other. A rear-end fixed portion binds the inner surface of the outer end of the first air column surface and the inner surface of the outer end of the second air column surface with each other. The rear-end fixed portion is opposite to the receiving space and is located at an outer side of the inner fixed portion, so that the corner sleeve cushioning device has a rear-end reinforced structure with a double layer of protection formed at an outer side of the receiving space.

Therefore, in the corner sleeve cushioning device of the present disclosure, one of the beneficial effects is that a cushioning resistance is increased through the inner fixed portion and the rear-end fixed portion. In the present disclosure, a rear-end of the corner sleeve cushioning device is reinforced along the receiving space that is elongated in shape and perpendicular to a direction of air columns, and this part of the rear-end reinforced structure is capable of enhancing resistance to impact forces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

First Embodiment

Referring toFIG. 1toFIG. 3, a perspective view of a corner sleeve cushioning device of the present disclosure before being inflated is provided inFIG. 1, a perspective view of the corner sleeve cushioning device of the present disclosure after being inflated is provided inFIG. 2, and a cross-sectional view of the corner sleeve cushioning device of the present disclosure is provided inFIG. 3. A first embodiment of the present disclosure provides a corner sleeve cushioning device with a rear-end reinforced structure1a, or simply referred to as a corner sleeve cushioning device, which includes a first air column surface11, a second air column surface21, and a bottom air column surface31connected between a bottom portion of the first air column surface11and a bottom portion of the second air column surface21. Each of the first air column surfaces11, each of the second air column surfaces21, and each of the bottom air column surfaces31has a plurality of air columns P, and a receiving space S is formed between the first air column surface11, the second air column surface21, and the bottom air column surface31. The corner sleeve cushioning device1acan be applied to protect flat-shaped articles, such as TVs, computer monitors, or glass.

The corner sleeve cushioning device further includes an air intake channel AL. Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 4, the air intake channel AL in the present embodiment is located at an edge of the second air column surface21. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the air intake channel can also be located at an edge of the first air column surface11.

In the present embodiment, a first outer air column surface12is formed at an outer side of the first air column surface11so as to form a dual-layer air column surface. A second outer air column surface22is formed at an outer side of the second air column surface21so as to form a dual-layer air column surface, and an outer bottom air column surface32is formed at a bottom side of the bottom air column surface31so as to form a dual-layer air column surface. The outer bottom air column surface32is connected to the first outer air column surface12and the second outer air column surface22. A top portion of the first air column surface11is in fluid communication with a top portion of the first outer air column surface12, and a top portion of the second air column surface21is in fluid communication with a top portion of the second outer air column surface22. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this dual-layer air column surface structure. An inner layer can be an uninflated structure which will be illustrated in the following example.

An inner fixed portion L1binds an inner surface of an outer end of the first air column surface11and an inner surface of an outer end of the second air column surface21with each other, and a rear-end fixed portion L2binds the inner surface of the outer end of the first air column surface11and the inner surface of the outer end of the second air column surface21with each other. The bottom air column surface31is perpendicular to the inner fixed portion L1and the rear-end fixed portion L2, and the inner fixed portion L1and the rear-end fixed portion L2are substantially parallel to each other. Referring toFIG. 3, the rear-end fixed portion L2is opposite to the receiving space S and is located at an outer side of the inner fixed portion L1, so that the corner sleeve cushioning device1ahas the rear-end reinforced structure with a double layer of protection formed at an outer side of the receiving space S. One characteristic of the corner sleeve cushioning device1aof the present embodiment is that a rear-end of the corner sleeve cushioning device1ais reinforced, especially along a lower side of the receiving space S that is elongated in shape as shown inFIG. 3, and perpendicular to a direction of an air column P (as in a Y-axis direction). This part of the rear-end reinforced structure is capable of enhancing resistance to impact forces.

Referring toFIG. 2, the inner surface of the outer end of the first air column surface11and the inner surface of the outer end of the second air column surface21are not bonded with each other at a position that is under the inner fixed portion L1and that is adjacent to the bottom air column surface31. Non-bonded regions of a plurality of lateral end air columns of the first air column surfaces11, a plurality of lateral end air columns of the second air column surfaces21, and a plurality of lateral end air columns of the bottom air column surfaces31form an inner opening O1therebetween. An inner cushion surface at a corner position is formed by the plurality of lateral end air columns of the first air column surfaces11, the plurality of lateral end air columns of the second air column surfaces21, and the plurality of lateral end air columns of the bottom air column surfaces31surrounding the inner opening O1.

Referring toFIG. 2, the inner surface of the outer end of the first air column surface11and the inner surface of the outer end of the second air column surface21are not bonded with each other at a position that is under the rear-end fixed portion L2and that is adjacent to the bottom air column surface31. Non-bonded regions of the first air column surface11, the second air column surface21, and the bottom air column surface31form an outer opening O2therebetween. An outer cushion surface at a corner position is formed by one of the plurality of lateral end air columns of the first air column surfaces11, one of the plurality of lateral end air columns of the second air column surfaces21, and one of the plurality of lateral end air columns of the bottom air column surfaces31surrounding the outer opening O2. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, an inner cushioning surface and an outer cushioning surface that are slightly in a triangular shape are formed on the rear-end of the corner sleeve cushioning device1athat is near a bottom portion of the bottom air column surface31, such that the cushioning resistance along an X-axis direction as shown inFIG. 3is further increased.

The inner fixed portion L1of the present embodiment is a heat sealing point or a heat sealing seam and is connected to all layers of the first air column surface11, the first outer air column surface12, the second air column surface21, and the second outer air column surface22. However, the present disclosure is not limited herein. For example, the inner fixed portion L1can be molded on the air column P of the first air column surface11and the air column P of the second air column surface21by a heat sealing method.

Referring toFIG. 3for supplementary explanation, a rear-end of the first outer air column surface12and a rear-end of the second outer air column surface22of the present embodiment are not connected to each other, so as to extend outward to an outer side of the rear-end fixed portion L2. When the corner sleeve cushioning device1aof the present disclosure is placed in a cardboard box9, the first outer air column surface12and the second outer air column surface22extend toward both sides along the X-axis direction, and can fill up to corners of the cardboard box9. Accordingly, the cushioning resistance is further increased.

Referring toFIG. 2in the present embodiment, the top portion of the first air column surface11is in fluid communication with the top portion of the first outer air column surface12, and a horizontal air column surface t1is connected therebetween. The top portion of the second air column surface21is in fluid communication with the top portion of the second outer air column surface22, and another horizontal air column surface t2is connected therebetween. This type of structure is beneficial to the inflation process, in which air is allowed to flow through and inflate all the air columns that are in fluid communication with each other.

Referring toFIG. 3in the present embodiment, the surrounding of the inner fixed portion L1can be bent more smoothly, and a diameter of the air columns at both sides of the inner fixed portion L1is smaller than those of other air columns of the first air column surface11or other air columns of the second air column surface21.

Second Embodiment

Referring toFIG. 5, an air intake channel AL of a corner sleeve cushioning device1bis located at a lower edge of the second air column surface21according to the present embodiment.

Third Embodiment

Referring toFIG. 6andFIG. 7, a corner sleeve cushioning device1cof the present embodiment illustrates how the present disclosure can be adapted for a structure of non-dual-layer air column surface and have only a single layer air column surface. The inner layer is the uninflated structure, and a hammock-like layer B is connected to the top portion of the first air column surface11and the top portion of the second air column surface21.

Referring toFIG. 6, the corner sleeve cushioning device1cof the present embodiment further includes the inner fixed portion L1and the rear-end fixed portion L2, so that the cushioning resistance is also enhanced in a longitudinal direction.

In conclusion, in the corner sleeve cushioning device of the present disclosure, one of the beneficial effects is that a cushioning resistance is increased through the inner fixed portion and the rear-end fixed portion. In the present disclosure, a rear-end of the corner sleeve cushioning device is reinforced along the receiving space that is elongated in shape and perpendicular to a direction of air columns, and this part of the rear-end reinforced structure is capable of enhancing resistance to impact forces. The first outer air column surface and the second outer air column surface extend toward both sides along the X-axis direction, and can fill up to the corners of the cardboard box.