Protective package for heavy objects

A package for storing and shipping a heavy object, such as a compressor for an air-conditioning system, includes a base formed from a rigid material and having recesses which receive feet at the bottom of the object and flaps which fold over the recesses and capture the feet in them, thus securing the object to the base. The package also includes a box having side walls and top and bottom walls. The base, with the object secured to it, fits into the box with the base against the bottom wall of the box and the object surrounded by the side walls of the box. A sleeve fits into the box between the base and the top wall and holds the base against the bottom wall. A tray fits within the sleeve above the object where it rigidifies the sleeve, enabling the sleeve to maintain its cross-sectional configuration, and further serves as a receptacle for accessory items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to packaging and more particularly to a 
protective package for heavy objects. 
Some manufactured products, which function as components of other 
manufactured products occupy relatively little space, yet are quite heavy. 
When sold to manufacturers of original equipment, these component products 
are traditionally shipped in bulk containers designed to accommodate them. 
But a significant aftermarket exists for these component products as well, 
and when sold in the aftermarket, these component products require 
individual packaging. Compressors for residential and light commercial 
air-conditioning systems represent a typical component product. They are 
manufactured separately from the condenser units in which they are 
ultimately installed and indeed represent one of three major components in 
such units, the others being the condenser coil and the fan which draws 
air across the coil. And while the compressor occupies relatively little 
space, it is quite heavy, generally weighing from 50 to 100 pounds. 
The typical compressor has a hermetically sealed shell which contains the 
actual compressor mechanism and an electric motor for driving it. The 
shell is attached to a stamped metal base having laterally directed feet. 
When sold for the aftermarket the compressor is often furnished in a 
corrugated paperboard box. However, corrugated paperboard will not support 
a heavy compressor without considerable reinforcement. In traditional 
packaging, that reinforcement resides primarily in a base on which the 
compressor rests. Typically, the base is formed from plastic or plywood or 
oriented strand board (OSB). 
Packaging for a compressor must pass rigorous tests before compressor 
manufacturers will accept it. One of the tests involves dropping the 
package with the heavy compressor in it from a height of one foot ten 
times such that the package lands on a different corner and exterior panel 
on each drop, all without inflicting damage on the compressor. Packages 
containing plastic bases have not fared well in these tests. Plywood and 
oriented strand board bases, on the other hand, are expensive and time 
consuming to assemble (e.g., nuts, bolts and washers for fasteners). 
Other packaging contains large quantities of cushioning formed from 
expanded plastic (plastic foam). This material contains chemicals which 
the State of California had found to cause cancer, birth defects or other 
reproductive harm and does not degrade in land fills, as does the 
corrugated paperboard, and is not desirable from that standpoint. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention resides in a package including a box, a rigid base on 
which a packaged object rests within the box, and a spacer which extends 
from the base to the top of the box to hold the base against the bottom of 
the box. The package base has a depression in which lateral extensions on 
the packaged object fit and also retaining members which lie over the 
extensions on the object to secure the object to the base. Being formed 
from paper, the package readily degrades in land fills, but it may be 
recycled. The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements 
and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Corresponding reference numerals will be used throughout the several 
figures of the drawings. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of 
example and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable 
one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes 
several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the 
invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of 
carrying out the invention. 
Referring now to the drawings, a package A (FIGS. 1-3) contains a heavy, 
yet compact object, which here takes the form of a compressor B for a 
condenser unit suited for use in residential or light commercial 
air-conditioning systems. The compressor B includes a steel shell 2 formed 
from parts which are joined together to encase all of the working 
components of the compressor B, thus forming a hermetically sealed unit. 
The shell 2 is attached to a base 4 having lateral extensions in the form 
of feet 6 which project beyond the shell 2. In the typical condenser unit 
the feet 6 of the base 4 rest on springs or rubber grommets that in turn 
rest on housing for the unit where they are held in place with bolts, all 
enabling the compressor B to operate without imparting excessive 
vibrations to the housing. The compressor B also has electrical components 
mounted on its shell 2, and wires which pass through the shell 2. It also 
has copper tubes that emerge from its shell 2 for receiving and 
discharging a refrigerant. 
The package A totally encloses the compressor B. It includes (FIG. 3) a box 
12 of the typical six-sided configuration, a generally rigid base 14 which 
fits into the box 12 and actually supports the compressor B, a sleeve 16 
which fits around the compressor B and extends from the base 14 to the top 
of the box 12, and a tray 18 which fits into the sleeve 16 and generally 
against the top of the compressor B. The package A confines the compressor 
B both vertically and laterally such that the shell 2 of the compressor B 
is spaced from the sides of the box 12. Moreover, it will accommodate 
compressors B of different heights. 
The box 12 derives from a blank cut from double wall corrugated paperboard 
which consists of three essentially flat sheets and two corrugated sheets 
interposed between the flat sheets. Actually, the blank is folded into a 
tubular configuration, in which it is retained by a manufacturer's joint 
22. When the box 12 is so folded, it may reside in a knocked-down 
configuration, but is easily erected from that configuration, that is 
converted into a configuration suitable for receiving the base 14, the 
sleeve 16 and the tray 18 and of course the compressor B. When erected, 
the box 12 has (FIGS. 1-3) four side walls 24 of equal width which are 
joined together at right angle corners 26. The manufacturer's joint 22 
exists along one of the corners 26 between two of the side walls 24. Along 
their bottom margins, the four side walls 24 are connected to flaps 28 
which are folded inwardly and over each other and then stapled together to 
form a bottom wall 30. Each of the side walls 24 along its top margin has 
another flap 32 attached to it, but the flaps 32 are initially detached 
from each other to provide access to the interior of the box 12. Once the 
box 12 is loaded with the base 14, to which the compressor B attached, and 
with the sleeve 16 and the tray 18, the flaps 32 are folded over onto each 
other and stapled together to form a top wall 34 at the other end of the 
box 12. 
The base 14 is quite rigid, with its dimensions being such that it fits 
into the interior of the box 12 with essentially no lateral free motion. 
In essence, its side edges are as long as the side walls 24 of the box 12 
are wide. Preferably, the base 14 is formed of corrugated paperboard which 
is layered, cut into panels of the desired thickness, with the 
corrugations extending between its major surface areas, and then provided 
with facer sheets over those major surfaces. This produces a rigid slab 
like material, yet one that is light in weight. The slab material will 
readily degrade in landfills and thus is disposable without harm to the 
environment or it may be recycled. More specifically, the rigid material 
of the base 14 includes (FIGS. 6-8) alternating layers 36 of flat paper 
and layers 38 of corrugated paper. The corrugated layers 38 lie between 
the flat layers 36 and are joined to the flat layers 36 along the ridges 
of the corrugations. The structure so formed possesses considerable 
compressive strength in the direction of its corrugations, that is to say, 
parallel to the ridges and valleys of the corrugated layers 38. The 
slab-like material also has facer sheets 40 extended over the end edges of 
the alternating flat and corrugated layers 36 and 38, and indeed the facer 
sheets 40 are attached to the layers 36 and 38 with glue. The thickness of 
the facer sheets 40 exceeds the thickness of the paper in the flat and 
corrugated layers 36 and 38. The slab-like material for the base 14 is 
available from North American Container Corporation of Smyrna, Ga., which 
sells it under the trademark FIBRE/CORE. 
Actually, the slab of rigid material from which the package base 14 is 
formed is initially longer than the space between opposite side walls 24 
in the box 12 (FIG. 5), but the slab is cut through its bottom facer 
sheets 40 and overlying corrugations, although not the upper facer-sheets 
40, to provide two slits 42, the spacing between which corresponds to the 
spacing between opposite side walls 24 in the box 12 (FIGS. 4 & 7). The 
slits 42 divide the base 14 into a main panel 44 and two flaps 46 which 
fold at the slits 42 and lie over the main panel 44. Indeed, the upper 
facer sheet 40, which remains intact across the slits 42, serves as a 
hinge for connecting the flaps 46 to the main panel 44. One of the flaps 
46 contains a notch 48 which opens out of that margin that lies parallel 
to the slit 42 that separates the flap 46 from the main panel 44. 
The main panel 44 contains (FIGS. 4 & 5) two lateral depressions 50 and an 
intermediate depression 54 located between the lateral depressions 50. 
Between the intermediate depression 54 and each of the lateral depressions 
50 extends a rib 56 which lies slightly below those regions of the upper 
facer sheet 40 that are beyond the depressions 50 and 54. The lateral 
depressions 50 are configured to receive the base 4 of the compressor B 
with the feet 6 on the base 4 extended to the ends of the depressions 50. 
The intermediate depression 54, on the other hand, is configured to 
receive the underside of the shell 2 between the two sections of the base 
4 and also an electrical component that lies near the bottom of the shell 
2. 
Each of the lateral depressions 50 is completely surrounded by a cut 58 in 
the upper facer sheet 40 of base 14 (FIGS. 4 & 5). The intermediate 
depression 54, on the other hand, has cuts 58 only along its margins that 
extend generally between the lateral depressions 50, that is between the 
ends of the ribs 56. Along the ribs 56 the intermediate depression 54 is 
bordered by scores 59. Once the cuts 58 are formed in the upper facer 
sheet 40, the regions delineated by the cuts 58 are depressed to depth 
between 5/16 and 7/16 inches before rebound. This crushes the flat and 
corrugated layers 36 and 38 underlying the regions delineated by the cuts 
58 and creates the depressions 50 and 54 and also the scores 59 along the 
ribs 56. Here the compression is such that the upper facer sheet 40 
possesses a slight bevel where it undergoes a change in elevation between 
the bottom of the depression 54 and the tops of the ribs 56 (FIG. 6). 
Thus, the sides of the intermediate depression 54 are beveled, and this 
imparts strength to the ribs 56 in the lateral direction. 
The flaps 46, when folded over onto the main panel 44, overlie the ends of 
the two lateral depressions 50. But before the flaps 46 are folded, the 
compressor B is placed on the base 14 with its base 4 in the lateral 
depressions 50--indeed, with its feet 6 extended outwardly to the ends of 
the depressions 50. The underside of the shell 2, on the other hand, lies 
within the intermediate depression 54. Once the compressor B is placed on 
the base 14, the flaps 46 are folded over onto the main panel 44 of the 
base 14 (FIGS. 2 & 3) and indeed are secured to the main panel 44 with 
staples. The staples pass all the way through the flaps 46 and the main 
panel 44 and are cinched beneath the main panel 44. In the alternative, a 
hot melt adhesive may be used to secure the overlapping flaps 46 to each 
other. With the flaps 46 so folded and secured, their extended free edges 
lie along the sides of the shell 2. The flaps 46 themselves lie over the 
feet 6 on the base 4 of the compressor B, and thus capture the base 4 of 
the compressor B in the base 14 of the package A. The notch 48 in the one 
flap 46 accommodates copper tubes that emerge from the shell 2 of the 
compressor B. 
The compressor B and base 14 are then lowered as a unit into the box 12 
until the base 14 comes to rest on the bottom wall 30 of the box 14. The 
shell 2 of the compressor B extends upwardly through the interior of the 
box 12 with ample space between it and the side walls 24 of the box 12. 
The base 14 of the package A, by reason of its capture of the base 4 of 
the compressor B, prevents the compressor B from shifting laterally in the 
box 12. 
Like the box 12, the sleeve 16 is formed from double wall corrugated 
paperboard. Initially, it exists as a blank, but it is folded into a 
tubular configuration and maintained in that configuration by a 
manufacturer's joint 60. The sleeve 16 contains (FIG. 3) four side walls 
62 which are joined together at right angle corners 64, one of which 
exists along the manufacturer's joint 60. Each side wall 62 is wider than 
the shell 2 and opposite side walls 62 are equal in width so that the 
sleeve 16, when its corners 64 are at right angles, possesses a 
rectangular configuration. The walls 62 are just wide enough to enable the 
sleeve 16 to pass easily over the shell 2 and any components that may 
project laterally from the shell 2, with little space between the sleeve 
16, on one hand, and the shell 2, on the other hand. The sleeve 16, of 
course, fits within the box 12 where it surrounds the shell 2 of the 
compressor B, with its side walls 62 lying parallel to, yet spaced 
inwardly from, the side walls 24 of the box 12. Two of the side walls 62 
on the sleeve 16 along their lower margins have tabs 66 which project 
downwardly a distance no greater than the thickness of the flaps 46 on the 
package base 14. The width of each tab 66 is about equal to the spacing 
between the folded over flaps 46 on the package base 14. Indeed, when the 
sleeve 16 is fitted over shell 2 of the compressor B, the tabs 66 align 
with and fit into the space between the folded over flaps 46. This 
stabilizes the lower end of the sleeve 16 in the sense that it prevents 
the sleeve 16 from shifting laterally over the flaps 46, and further 
prevents the sleeve 16 from rotating around the compressor shell 2. 
The flaps 32 at the upper end of the box 12 ultimately fold over onto the 
upper margins of the side walls 62 for the sleeve 16 and from the top wall 
34 of the box 12 (FIG. 2). The sleeve 16 thus lies captured between the 
package base 14 and the top wall 34 of the box 12, and as such prevents 
the package base 14 from moving away from the bottom wall 30 of the 
package 12. 
However, before the upper flaps 32 are folded over to form the top wall 34 
of the box 12, the tray 18 is inserted into the upper end of the sleeve 
16--indeed to the extent that it lies immediately over the top of the 
shell 2 of the compressor B (FIG. 2). The tray 18 consists of (FIG. 3) a 
rectangular bottom panel 70 and four side panels 72 which are connected to 
the bottom panel 70 along the four margins that border that panel. The 
bottom panel 70 corresponds in size and configuration to the space 
enclosed by the sleeve 16, so when the tray 18 is inserted into the sleeve 
16, the bottom panel 70 extends across the full interior of the sleeve 16. 
The side panels 72 of the tray 18, on the other hand, lie along the inside 
faces of the side walls 62 of the sleeve 16. The tray 18 is lowered 
through the sleeve 16 until its bottom panel 70 lies immediately above the 
upper surface of the shell 2 on the compressor B (FIG. 2). When the tray 
18 is so positioned, staples are driven through the side panels 72 of the 
tray 18 and the side walls 62 of the sleeve 16, thus securing the tray 18 
firmly in position within the sleeve 16. 
The tray 18 serves to rigidify the sleeve 16 and maintain it in a tubular 
configuration with its corners 64 at 90.degree.. The tray 18 also serves 
as a receptacle for accessories and instructional material that are 
shipped with the compressor B. The tray 18 can assume a multitude of 
positions within the sleeve 16 and as a consequence the package A can 
accommodate compressors B having shells 2 of varying heights. 
Once the tray 18 is stapled to the sleeve 16 and loaded with instructional 
materials and accessories, the top flaps 32 at the upper ends of the side 
walls 24 for the box 12 are folded over onto the upper margins of the 
sleeve 16, with the flaps 32 from two of the side walls 24 overlying the 
flaps from the other two side walls 24 (FIG. 2). The overlying flaps 32 
are then stapled together to form and secure the top wall 34 of the box 
12. 
The sleeve 16 lies captured between the top wall 34 and the package base 14 
which is against the bottom wall 30, and hence neither the sleeve 16 nor 
the package base 14 can shift vertically in the box 12. The base 4 of the 
compressor B lies captured between the main panel 44 and flaps 46 of the 
package base 14, while the bottom panel 70 of the tray 18 lies directly 
over the upper end of the shell 2 for the compressor B. This prevents the 
compressor B from shifting vertically in the box 12. Apart from that, the 
sleeve 16 imparts greater column strength to the package A so that 
multiple packages A may be stacked, one upon the other. 
Since the feet 6 on the base 4 of the compressor B fit into the lateral 
depressions 50 of the package base 14 and cannot rise out of those 
depressions 50, the compressor B is also confined laterally within the 
package A. In this regard, the package base 14, being formed from densely 
packed flat layers 36 and corrugated layers 38, possesses considerable 
strength, both vertically and laterally, and does not yield along the 
margins of the depressions 50, notwithstanding the considerable weight of 
the compressor B. 
The package A protects the compressor B and further enables multiple 
compressors B to be stored, one over the other and side-by-side, in an 
orderly manner. Moreover, the box 12 is easily handled and moved about. 
Thus, the package A facilitates handling, storage and transport of the 
compressors B. 
To facilitate handling of the package A, it may be provided with hand 
grips. To this end two of the side walls 24 on opposite sides of the box 
12 are provided with elongated cutouts 76 (FIG. 1), the major axes of 
which extend horizontally parallel to the bottom and top walls 30, 34. 
Moreover, the height of each cutout 76 is slightly greater than the 
spacing between the side wall 24 in which the cutout 76 exists and that 
side wall 62 of the sleeve 16 which lies immediately inwardly from it. The 
cutout 76 is not a continuous cut, but instead along its upper margin is 
defined by a score 78. Here a flap 80 (FIG. 9) in the shape of the cutout 
76 is attached to the side wall 24, and it folds inwardly into the box 12. 
Indeed, the flap 80 extends all the way to the facing side wall 62 of the 
sleeve 16 which has an aperture 82 to receive it. The upper margin of the 
aperture 82 in the sleeve 16 extends horizontally and lies at the same 
elevation in the box 12 as the score 78 along which the flap 80 is 
attached to the side wall 24 of the box 12. Thus, the flap 80, when 
deflected fully into the interior of the box 12, will assume a horizontal 
orientation against the upper edge of the aperture 82 in the sleeve 16. 
This provides a comfortable surface against which one can lift the package 
A which is of considerable weight owing to the presence of the compressor 
B in it. 
The package A will, of course, accommodate other heavy objects having bases 
that fit depressions in the package base. 
As various changes could be made in the above constructions without 
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter 
contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings 
shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.