APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CUSHIONING AN OBJECT

An apparatus, system and method to protect an object with a sleeve has a seam extending along the sleeve wherein the sleeve folds to attach along the seam. The sleeve is inserted on an object, such as a food container or a beverage container, to surround the container. A lattice is formed by expansion of slits extending along the sleeve inserted on the container. The depth of the lattice cushions the container from breakage. A bottom extends from the sleeve to surround the container. The sleeve may be placed in a partitioned section of a crate or box and/or may be incorporated in a bag to receive and/or protect the object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for cushioning an object, such as a bottle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flexible sleeve made from a material, such as paper of a specified basis weight, that may mold to conform to the profile of the bottle as the sleeve slides onto the bottle. The paper sleeve may have slits that expand upon insertion of the paper sleeve into and/or around the bottle to define a honeycomb-shaped lattice with a depth that, for example, provides protective cushioning for the bottle against abrasive impact with another rigid object.

Bottles, such as wine, sparkling wine, carbonated juice and/or champagne bottles, as well as other types and/or forms of specialty alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic drinks may be bottled in glass bottles. Such glass bottles are often rigid and contain liquid. The bottles, however, may be susceptible to breakage. Often two bottles contact each other inside a bag holding the glass bottles. Such a situation is undesirable and presents a safety hazard, if broken glass is produced from the breakage of the glass bottles.

A variety of products and/or solutions exist to address the above-described problem, namely the breakage of bottles upon transport. For instance, grocery store employees may insert each glass bottle into a paper-bag like sleeve and/or place the bottles adjacent to each other, to minimize movement of the bottle that may contribute to the breakage of the bottles. However, such sleeves do not provide protective cushioning to each of the glass bottles. Breakage due to blunt force impact and/or dropping of the bottle still occurs using known sleeves.

Accordingly, other protective products, such as packaging crates, are known to assist in the transport of glass bottles. The crates may have several defined compartments where each compartment is dimensioned to receive a single bottle, for example, a wine bottle. However, the crates are typically used for transporting multiple bottles simultaneously, and are not well-suited for the purchase of only one or two wine bottles. In addition, substantial space is necessary to store packaging crates for customer use.

As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,871 to Goodrich et al. discloses an expandable material to fill hollow spaces in packaging boxes and/or or the like. Specifically, the material may be made from paper with slits which expand to form an array of openings. Each opening is hexagonal in shape and the same size. Other devices for cushioning objects and/or providing for protective cushioning are disclosed in European Patent No. 2858918A1 to Page et al. and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0067938 to Goodrich.

Known methods, apparatuses or systems for cushioning an object may use various materials that expand to provide cushioning to protect the object from breakage. However, a need exists for a device, such as a paper sleeve, that may expand to surround and/or protect a bottle from breakage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for cushioning an object, such as a bottle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cushioning sleeve made from a material, such as paper of a specified basis weight, that may conform to the bottle as the sleeve slides onto or surrounds the bottle.

The invention provides an apparatus having a sleeve that may be defined by a height and a diameter. A seam may extend along the height of the sleeve. The sleeve may fold to attach to itself along the seam. A slit may extend along the height of the sleeve wherein the sleeve. The sleeve may be inserted onto a container to expand along the slit to surround the container.

Additionally, the invention provides a system having a sleeve that may be inserted around a bottle. The sleeve may slide toward a bottom of the bottle. A slit may be formed in the sleeve that expands on the bottle to fit the sleeve around the bottle. A lattice may be formed on the sleeve by the expansion of the slit around the bottle. The lattice may surround the bottle to protect the bottle from breakage.

Further, the invention provides a method for aligning a sleeve with a container. The sleeve may be inserted onto the container and may expand upon insertion onto the container. Accordingly, the container may be cushioned by the sleeve.

Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide an apparatus, a system and a method for cushioning an object.

Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a sleeve that may fold along a seam on the sleeve.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a sleeve made from paper with a basis weight in the range of thirty pounds to ninety pounds.

Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide a sleeve made from paper selected based on characteristics of a container.

A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a sleeve that expands to form substantially a cylinder to accommodate a container.

A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a sleeve with slits that expand upon insertion of the sleeve onto a bottle to form a lattice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. Further, numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.

Referring toFIG. 1, a front view of a sleeve10is shown. The sleeve10may cushion an object, such as a food or beverage container, food or beverage bottle and/or the like from impact and/or abrasion during shipment. In an embodiment, the sleeve10may be defined by a height20and a diameter18. Further, the sleeve10, as shown inFIG. 1, may be produced by rolling and/or folding the sleeve10substantially in half along a seam22, as shown inFIG. 2, along the height20of the sleeve10. The height20and/or the diameter18of the sleeve10may be sized appropriately to correspond to various shapes, sizes and/or orientations of various types of spirit, juice and/or other liquid containers. For example, to accommodate the approximate dimensions of a traditionally-sized wine bottle, the sleeve10may be sized with the height20at approximately six inches and the diameter18of approximately three-and-a-half inches. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other dimensions, shapes and/or sizes of liquid containers such as wine bottles may be protected by producing the sleeve10with corresponding dimensions. Namely, the height20and the diameter18may correspond with the physical dimensions of the container desired to be protected.

The sleeve10may be formed from a pliable material, such as paper and/or cardstock, and may be cut to size in a commercial paper-cutting machine, for example. Specifically, in an embodiment, the sleeve10may be made from paper with a basis weight ranging from thirty pounds to ninety pounds, with a preferred basis weight of fifty pounds. The basis weight may be defined as the total weight, in pounds, of three-thousand square feet of paper sheets wherein each sheet sheet has dimensions of twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches.

The paper selected to form the sleeve10may depend on the characteristics of the container to cushion. For example, bottles made from a relatively brittle material, such as glass, may use a higher and/or heavier basis weight paper and/or card stock. Similarly, a durable container not as susceptible to breakage may only require a lighter basis weight paper.

The sleeve10may have a sequence of slits12extending longitudinally along the height20. The slits12may be cut in the sleeve10by a paper-cutting machine. The sleeve10may open along the diameter18and may be placed onto and/or around a section28, as shown inFIG. 4, of a container44, such as a wine bottle or a water bottle, to expand along the slits12to substantially surround the container44. The sleeve10is preferably flat when made and/or stored. In use, the sleeve10may expand volumetrically to a shape that may be substantially cylindrical to accommodate the shape of the bottle. A sequence of partial slits16may be formed across the width18of the sleeve10to assist with fitting the sleeve10over an object, such as the container44.

Referring toFIG. 2, the sleeve10is shown having the seam22that may extend lengthwise across the sleeve10. End sections14, as shown inFIG. 1, of the sleeve10may be folded in the width-wise direction toward the center of the sleeve10. The end sections14may be taped and/or otherwise adhered with an adhesive to form the sleeve10with the diameter18. The sleeve10may be stored flat until expanded over and/or around a container.

Referring toFIG. 3, a stack24of the sleeves10is shown. The sleeve10may be stacked and/or placed on top of another sleeve10to form the stack24of the sleeves10. The stack24may store several sleeves10in a relatively small space. In an embodiment, a single sleeve10made from paper with a basis weight of fifty pounds may have a thickness and/or depth of approximately 0.013 inches. Therefore, hundreds or thousands of the sleeves10may form a compact stack24of the sleeves10. For example, a stack of one-thousand sleeves10may have a height of 13 inches.

Referring toFIG. 4A, the sleeve10may be inserted on and/or around the section28of the container44. The container44may accommodate the circumference38of the sleeve10. Accordingly, the sleeve10may fit on and/or wrap around the container44. In an embodiment, the sleeve may slip onto a cap34and slide generally in a direction A across a dome32and toward a bottom36of the container44. Thus, the slits12of the sleeve10may expand at the section28shown on the container44to fit the sleeve10around the container44.

As shown inFIGS. 4B and 4C, the container44may be slid into and/or insert into a sock-type sleeve64in the direction A. The sock-type sleeve64may generally resemble a cylinder closed at one end and/or a sock where the container may insert into the sock-type sleeve64generally in the direction A as shown inFIG. 4B. Specifically, the sock-type sleeve64may be configured to substantially surround the container44similar to, for example, the sleeve10expanded around the container44as shown inFIG. 4A. The slits12on the sock-type sleeve64may expand to define the lattice26with a a honeycomb-shaped and/or a hexagonal shaped pattern of cells30. Further, the sock-type sleeve64may have an undersection78as shown inFIG. 4C, for example, that receives the bottom36of the container44. Specifically, in an embodiment, the bottom36of the container44may compress against the undersection78to unfold the undersection78beneath the bottom36such that the undersection78may substantially enclose the bottom36. Accordingly, the unfolded undersection78of the the sock-type sleeve64may substantially surround and protect the bottom36of the container44.

Further, in an embodiment, the sock-type sleeve64may surround primarily the bottom36of the container44and otherwise have a limited height in the direction A toward the cap34. Such a configuration may be suitable for short bottles, such as baby bottles and/or food jars, for example, which may be relatively short.

Accordingly, the sock-type sleeve64may substantially enclose the container44as well as the bottom36of the container44to cushion and/or protect the bottom36from impact with a surface. The sock-type sleeve64may be formed in a substantially similar process to the sleeve10with the slits12extending longitudinally across the sock-type sleeve64. Similar to the sleeve10, the sock-type sleeve64may be formed and/or cut to size in a paper-cutting machine from a paper with a specified basis weight.

After expanding the sleeve10on the container44, the sleeve10may be visually defined by individual cells30across a lattice26formed by the expansion of the slits12in the sleeve10. The pattern formed by the expanded and/or deformed slits12around a circumference38of the container44may generally resemble a hexagonal pattern and/or a honeycomb-shaped pattern. The sleeve10may surround the profile and/or curvature of the container44to protect the container44from breakage. Each of the cells30may have a depth and/or thickness to absorb energy related to impact of the container44with the sleeve10against an object, such as another container44. Thus, the sleeve10may absorb and/or retain the energy produced upon collision of the container44with another object. The container44is thereby protected against unwanted abrasion and/or breakage.

Referring toFIG. 5, the section28of the container44is shown. The lattice26may generally define the edges of the cells30. In an embodiment, the cells30may be generally hexagonal. The lattice26is formed by expansion form the slits12to form the cells30which may accordingly resemble a honeycomb-shape upon expansion of the slits12of the sleeve10to surround the container44. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other shapes, sizes, configurations and/or orientations of the slits12may exist. For example, the slits12may expand to form the lattice26with substantially square, circular or triangular cells30. Further, the slits12may expand to define irregularly-shaped and/or non-uniform cells in the lattice.

Referring toFIG. 6, the section28of the sleeve10that may be wrapped around the container28is shown. The cells30may be formed in the lattice26with a depth that may correspond generally to the basis weight and/or type of paper selected to make the sleeve10. For example, wine bottles and/or other glass bottles made from relatively thin and/or brittle glass may require protection from sleeves made from a thicker paper and/or cardstock to more effectively cushion against impact of the bottle. In contrast, sturdy bottles made from more durable materials, such as plastic for example, may only require a sleeve made from paper with a lighter basis weight. In an embodiment, the depth of the lattice26may be set by cutting the slits in the sleeve10by, for example, a paper-cutting machine.

Referring toFIG. 7, a neck40leading to an intermediate transition section42of the container44is shown. The sleeve10may be slid in the direction A as shown inFIGS. 4A-4Ctoward the bottom36of the container44from the cap34to sequentially expand at the intermediate transition section42to accommodate the general curvature and/or shape of the container44at the neck40. The cells30of the lattice26formed from the slits12on the sleeve10may expand to form the lattice26in a generally hexagonal and/or honeycomb-shaped pattern. The expanded lattice26around the section28may protect the container44. Specifically, the lattice26of the sleeve10may protect the container44from abrasion and/or breakage by absorbing and/or dissipating energy associated with impact of the container44, for example, with another object.

In an embodiment, a method for using the sleeve10may involve aligning the sleeve10with the container44. The sleeve10may be slid onto the cap34of the container and expanded upon further sliding onto the container44. The sleeve10may cushion the container44.

Further, the slits12may be defined on the sleeve10to expand upon insertion of the sleeve10onto the container44. The sleeve10may be directed toward the bottom36of the container44to protect the container44from breakage. The sleeve10may absorb energy from an impact of the container44.

Referring toFIGS. 8-10, a perspective view of a bag54provided with the sleeve10that may be attached to an interior side of the bag80is shown. The bag54may be generally defined with a height50and a width48. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the height50and/or the width48may be sized appropriately to correspond to various shapes, sizes and/or orientations of containers44, such as, for example, wine bottles. In an embodiment, the container44may be slid into the bag54for transport. As shown inFIG. 9, the bag54is shown having a bottom52that may receive the container44and support the container44during, for example, transport. As shown inFIG. 10, the container44may be inserted into the bag54in a direction A toward the bottom52of the bag54.

Referring toFIGS. 9 and 10, the bag54with the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64attached to and/or otherwise adhered by an adhesive to the interior side80of the bag54is shown. The container44may be slid into the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64in the direction A toward the bottom52of the bag54. Accordingly, the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64may expand volumetrically in a direction B to substantially fill the bag54during insertion of the container44into the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64, respectively. In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 10, the expanded sleeve10may generally resemble the expanded lattice26with the cells30as shown in, for example,FIGS. 4A-4CandFIGS. 5-7. Alternatively, in an embodiment, the sock-type sleeve64as shown inFIGS. 4B and 4Cmay be attached to the interior side80of the bag54. Insertion of the container44into the sock-type sleeve64may expand the sock-type sleeve64volumetrically in the direction B to substantially to occupy the bag54.

The lattice26of the expanded sleeve10may contact and/or otherwise compress against the interior side80of the bag54such that the container44may fit into the bag during, for example, transport. The lattice26may provide cushioning and/or otherwise protect the container44enclosed by the bag54from damage and/or breakage due to impact of the bag54with, for example, another object. Further, as shown inFIG. 4C, the bag54may have a fold-able underside60that may accommodate placement of the bag54holding the container44onto a flat surface, such as a table top and/or a counter.

In an embodiment, the bottom36of the container44may be inserted in the direction A as shown inFIGS. 4A-4Cinto either the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64that may be attached to and/or otherwise adhered by an adhesive to the interior side80of the bag54as shown inFIGS. 8-10. Specifically, as shown inFIGS. 4B and 4Cand inFIG. 10, the bottom36may allow the container44to sit on a flat surface and/or be inserted into the bag54that may incorporate the sleeve10. The container44may be inserted into the sock-type sleeve64in the direction A as shown inFIGS. 4A-4C, such that the sock-type sleeve64may surround, cushion and/or protect the bottom36of the container44within, for example, the bag54. Further, in an embodiment, multiple containers44may be inserted into sock-type sleeves64, to protect the bottom36of the containers44.

Referring toFIG. 11, a box68is shown that is defined by multiple partitioned sections76. The sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64may be adapted and/or configured to attach to and/or otherwise adhere by an adhesive to one or more or all of the partitioned sections76in the box68. Accordingly, the container44, which may be, for example, a wine bottle, may be inserted into the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64attached to the partitioned section76of the box68to be cushioned and/or protected from breakage due to inadvertent contact with other wine bottles. Further, the containers44surrounded by the sleeves10or the sock-type sleeve64may be separated from other items that may be placed in the bag that may contribute to the abrasion and/or breakage of the containers44. In an embodiment, the box68may be referred to as a crate, carton and/or a case. The box68may have dimensions of a height74and a width72. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the the dimensions of the height74and/or the width72of the box68may be adjusted as needed to accommodate containers of various shapes, sizes and/or orientations.

Further, the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64may be attached to and/or otherwise adhered by an adhesive from a top section66to a bottom section70to the box68within one or more or all of the partitioned sections76of the box68. Thus, as shown inFIG. 11, the container44may be slid in a direction A toward the box68into the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64within one or more or all of the partitioned section76. Upon insertion of the container into the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64, the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64may expand volumetrically in a direction B to occupy, for example, the bulk of the space of the remaining partitioned section76. In an embodiment, the sock-type sleeve64may be attached to the box68substantially as described for the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64to receive the container44. Specifically, either the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64may be attached to and/or adhered by an adhesive to the box68from the top section66to the bottom section70to expand volumetrically to occupy space within the partitioned section76.

Further, in an embodiment, the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64may be attached to and/or otherwise adhered by an adhesive from the top section66to the bottom section70to the box68within one or more of the partitioned sections76of the box68. Accordingly, either the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64may protect and/or cushion the container44held within the sleeve10or the sock-type sleeve64from impact with and/or impact within the box68and/or within one or more or all of the partitioned sections76within the box68.

Although the preceding description has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials, and embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, it extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods, and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.