Abstract:
In specific embodiments, an energy dissipation structure for supporting an article comprises a cavity adapted to receive at least a portion of the article. The cavity is bounded by a plurality of sidewall structures, each of the sidewall structures having a length and including an inner wall, an outer wall, and an arcuate structure connecting the inner wall with the outer wall. Each of the sidewall structures is connected with another of the sidewall structures by a groove extending along at least a portion of the inner walls, the outer walls, and the arcuate structures of the connected sidewall structures.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to structures used for shipping articles, and more particularly structures for supporting and protecting a shock and/or vibration sensitive article inside a shipping carton. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Shock and/or vibration sensitive articles (i.e., “fragile articles”), such as hard disk drives and other electronic equipment, require special packaging when shipped inside shipping cartons. Conventional packaging includes paper, preformed polystyrene foam or beads, etc. Ideally, the packaging absorbs and dissipates shocks and/or vibrations impinging the shipping carton to minimize the shocks and/or vibrations experienced by the fragile article. 
     Conventional carton packaging materials are inadequate to meet the current, stringent requirements for shock and/or vibration absorption. In order to satisfy such requirements, voluminous carton packaging materials are required to cushion fragile articles. Voluminous packaging materials are expensive and take up excessive space before and after use. Further, voluminous carton packaging materials necessitate larger shipping cartons, which are more expensive to purchase and ship. The shock and/or vibration dissipation performance of current packaging materials can depend in large part on how the user packages the fragile article. If a particular conventional carton packaging is deemed to provide inadequate protection, the remedy is to add additional packaging material, thereby increasing the shipping carton size. 
     Unitary packaging structures have been developed that are made of flexible polymeric materials to allow shocks and vibrations to dissipate through flexing of the structure walls. Many unitary packaging structures are designed to dissipate shocks and vibrations primarily in only one direction or fail to provide adequate protection under the stringent performance specifications from fragile article manufacturers. Such unitary packaging structure designs are not easily adapted to predictably change dissipation performance to meet changing specifications. Solutions have been proposed with varying degrees of success. There continues to be a need for improved solutions for packaging fragile articles. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present invention are related to energy dissipation structures for supporting fragile articles. In accordance with an embodiment, an energy dissipation structure for supporting an article comprises a cavity adapted to receive at least a portion of the article, wherein the cavity is bounded by a plurality of sidewall structures, each of the sidewall structures having a length and including an inner wall, an outer wall, and an arcuate structure connecting the inner wall with the outer wall. Each of the sidewall structures is connected with another of the sidewall structures by a groove extending along at least a portion of the inner walls, the outer walls, and the arcuate structures of the connected sidewall structures. 
     In an embodiment, the groove connecting the sidewall structures has an arcuate shape. In an embodiment, the groove connecting the sidewall structures has a compound shape having one or more arcuate shapes. 
     In an embodiment, the energy dissipation structure comprises four sidewall structures so that the structure has an approximately rectangular footprint. In an embodiment, the outer walls of the sidewall structures extend from a base to the arcuate structure. The cavity is adapted to receive the article such that the article is suspended above the base. 
     In an embodiment, the outer walls extend at an acute angle relative to the respective inner walls from the base to the arcuate structure. In embodiment, a rib extends from each of the outer walls, wherein the at least one rib includes a face that is substantially parallel to the respective inner walls. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Further details of embodiments of the present invention are explained with the help of the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an energy dissipation structure in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an energy dissipation structure in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an energy dissipation structure in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an energy dissipation structure in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an energy dissipation structure in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is of the best modes presently contemplated for practicing various embodiments of the present invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be ascertained with reference to the claims. In the description of the invention that follows, like numerals or reference designators will be used to refer to like parts or elements throughout. In addition, the first digit of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears. 
     The present invention comprises an energy dissipation structure for supporting and protecting a shock and/or vibration sensitive article inside a shipping carton by dissipating shocks and vibrations experienced by the carton. The energy dissipation structures are nestable for space efficient storage before and after use, utilize minimal carton space to dissipate such shocks and vibrations, are lightweight, can be made with polymers or natural fibers, and have a structural design that can be easily modified to predictably meet a wide range of energy dissipation requirements. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of an energy dissipation structure  100  for supporting an article in accordance with the present invention comprising a sidewall  102  having a plurality of faces (also referred to herein as sidewall structures) connected at corners by grooves  110  that segregate the bearing surfaces of the sidewall  102  from each other. The sidewall  102  defines a cavity  112  for receiving at least a portion of the article. In preferred embodiments, the energy dissipation structure  100  can receive an end of the article and can be used in combination with an additional energy dissipation structure receiving an opposite end of the article. In addition, the energy dissipation structure  100  can be used in combination with additional structures receiving and supporting other portions of the article, such as structures arranged along and receiving the sides of the article. 
     As shown, the energy dissipation structure  100  includes a sidewall  102  having four faces and has an approximately rectangular footprint relative to a plane defined by a base  103  of the sidewall  102 . Each of the faces of the sidewall  102  includes an outer wall  104  that acts as the bearing surface when impact occurs on the outside of the energy dissipation structure  100 , and an inner wall  106  that acts as the bearing surface when impacted by the supported article (not shown) from inside the cavity  112 . The inner wall  106  is connected with a platform (not visible) that extends between the faces of the inner wall  106  to support an article above a plane defined by the base  103 . The outer wall  104  and inner wall  106  are connected by an arcuate structure  108 . The grooves  110  extend along at least a portion of the outer wall  104 , along the arcuate structure  108 , and along at least a portion of the inner wall  106 , and have a shape designed to distribute energy along its surface. As shown, the grooves  110  have an arcuate shape that forms a rounded indentation in the surface between the faces of the sidewall  102 . In other embodiments, the grooves  110  can have some other shape, such as a compound shape. Hinge points at which the sidewall  102  flexes in the z-axis (where the plane defined by the base  103  represents the x- and y-axes) can be defined by modifying the depth and width of the grooves  110 , and the portions of the outer wall  104  and inner wall  106  that the grooves  110  extend through. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the grooves  110  extend from over the entire inner wall  106  to just above a flange at the base  103 . 
     The faces of the sidewall  102  can include one or more structures to stiffen the sidewall. Because the faces of the sidewall  102  are segregated by the grooves  110  such that the bearing surfaces are substantially isolated from an impact below a designed-for magnitude in designed-for directions, the one or more structures need only be designed to account for the stiffness of the individual face of the sidewall in which it is formed. As shown, the energy dissipation structure  100  of  FIG. 1  includes a column  114  formed in each of the four faces of the sidewall  102 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an alternative embodiment of an energy dissipation structure  200  for supporting an article in accordance with the present invention comprising a sidewall  202  having a plurality of faces connected at corners by grooves  210  that segregate the bearing surfaces of the sidewall  202  from each other. As above, the sidewall  202  defines a cavity  212  for receiving at least a portion of the article. The energy dissipation structure  200  can receive an end of the article and can be used in combination with an additional energy dissipation structure receiving an opposite end of the article. In addition, the energy dissipation structure  200  can be used in combination with additional structures receiving and supporting other portions of the article, such as structures arranged along and receiving the sides of the article. 
     The energy dissipation structure  200  includes a sidewall  202  having four faces and has an approximately rectangular footprint relative to a plane defined by a base  203  of the sidewall  202 . Each of the faces of the sidewall  202  includes an outer wall  204  that acts as the bearing surface when impact occurs on the outside of the energy dissipation structure  200 , and an inner wall  206  that acts as the bearing surface when impacted by the supported article (not shown) from inside the cavity  212 . The inner wall  206  is connected with a platform (not visible) that extends between the faces of the inner wall  206  to support an article above a plane defined by the base  203 . The inner wall  206  of the sidewall  202  includes two pairs of slots  216 ,  218  with each pair formed in opposite faces of the sidewall  202 . The pairs of slots  216 ,  218  receive differently sized articles. As shown, a narrow pair of slots  218  is formed in faces separated by a larger distance than the wide pair of slots  216 . Thus for example, the narrow slots  218  can accommodate a thinner and wider (or longer) article, while the wide slots  216  can accommodate a thicker and narrower (or shorter) article. The outer wall  204  and inner wall  206  are connected by an arcuate structure  208 . The grooves  210  extend along at least a portion of the outer wall  204 , along the arcuate structure  208 , and along at least a portion of the inner wall  206 , and have a shape designed to distribute energy along its surface. As shown, the grooves  210  have an arcuate shape that forms a rounded indentation in the surface between the faces of the sidewall  202 . In other embodiments, the grooves  210  can have some other shape, such as a compound shape. Hinge points at which the sidewall  202  flexes in the z-axis (where the plane defined by the base  203  represents the x- and y-axes) can be defined by modifying the depth and width of the grooves  210 , and the portions of the outer wall  204  and inner wall  206  that the grooves  210  extend through. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the grooves  210  extend from over the entire inner wall  206  to slightly higher above the base  203  when compared with the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the outer wall  204  of the sidewall  202  extends upward from the base  203  at an acute angle relative to a plane perpendicular to the plane defined by the base  203 . The acute angle of the outer wall  204  (i.e., the taper of the outer wall) may result from a draft of a mold used to form the energy dissipation structure. The energy dissipation structure can be manufactured by molding (for example, by injection molding, or thin-walled molding) or by an alternative process such as extrusion. In molding, an energy dissipation structure is formed in a mold and once formed, must be ejected or otherwise removed from the mold. Some manufacturers utilize a thin-walled molding process wherein injection is accelerated with nitrogen, reducing manufacturing time. To improve removal of an energy dissipation structure, the mold can be designed such that the mold includes a draft. A draft is a slight taper given to a mold or die to facilitate the removal of a casting. The size of the draft can vary according to the composition of the resin injected into the mold, the depth of the mold relative to the width of the mold, the desired ease of removal of the energy dissipation structure from the mold and other manufacturing considerations. When placed in a shipping carton, the sidewall may or may not respond to impact to the shipping carton in a predictable fashion due to the taper of the outer wall resulting from the draft. To enhance the predictability of response of the energy dissipation structure  200 , the faces of the sidewall includes at least one rib  220  formed on the outer wall  204 . The at least one rib has a face that is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the base  203  and parallel to a plane formed by a shipping carton so that the sidewall structure  202  is engaged when the shipping carton is impacted, thereby impacting the face of the at least one rib  220 . 
     In some embodiments, the at least one rib  220  can have an overall trapezoidal shape such that the width of the rib  220  at the lower edge is wider than the width of the rib  220  at the peak of the arcuate shape. The divergence angle formed between two non-parallel sides of the trapezoid shaped rib  220  can be defined by the requirements of the manufacturing process. The shape of the at least one rib  220  is limited by the manufacturing process and can be driven by a number of variables. A draft can be included to improve manufacturing by easing the ejection or removal of the energy dissipation structure from the mold. Ease of removal of the energy dissipation structure from the mold can be minimized by including ribs that require only a fraction of the surface area of the mold to have only a slight draft, or no draft. The ease of ejection or removal of the energy dissipation structure can be balanced against the advantages of the size and shape of the rib until a desired result is produced. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an alternative embodiment of an energy dissipation structure  300  for supporting an article in accordance with the present invention comprising a sidewall  302  having a plurality of faces connected at corners by grooves  310  that segregate the bearing surfaces of the sidewall  302  from each other. As with the previous embodiments, the sidewall  302  defines a cavity  312  for receiving at least a portion of the article. The energy dissipation structure  300  can receive an end of the article and can be used in combination with an additional energy dissipation structure receiving an opposite end of the article. In addition, the energy dissipation structure  300  can be used in combination with additional structures receiving and supporting other portions of the article, such as structures arranged along and receiving the sides of the article. 
     The energy dissipation structure  300  includes a sidewall  302  having four faces and has an approximately rectangular footprint relative to a plane defined by a base  303  of the sidewall  302 . Each of the faces of the sidewall  302  includes an outer wall  304  that acts as the bearing surface when impact occurs on the outside of the energy dissipation structure  300 , and an inner wall  306  that acts as the bearing surface when impacted by the supported article (not shown) from inside the cavity  312 . The inner wall  306  is connected with a platform  326  that extends between the faces of the inner wall  306  to support an article above a plane defined by the base  303 . The outer wall  304  and inner wall  306  are connected by an arcuate structure  308 . The grooves  310  extend along at least a portion of the outer wall  304 , along the arcuate structure  308 , and along at least a portion of the inner wall  306 , and have a shape designed to distribute energy along its surface. As shown, the grooves  310  have a compound structure with a broad, arcuate portion and a deeper, narrower portion that extends a portion of the broad, arcuate portion, the compound structure forming an indentation in the surface between the faces of the sidewall  302 . The energy dissipation structure  300  of  FIG. 3  includes a narrow width and a substantially longer length. The faces of the sidewall  302  extending along the length include a downward curving feature  314  having an arcuate shape that extends into the sidewall  302  from the arcuate structure  308  toward the base  303 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a further embodiment of an energy dissipation structure  400  for supporting an article in accordance with the present invention comprising a sidewall  402  having a plurality of faces connected at corners by grooves  410  that segregate the bearing surfaces of the sidewall  402  from each other. As above, the sidewall  402  defines a cavity  412  for receiving at least a portion of the article. The energy dissipation structure  400  can receive an end of the article and can be used in combination with an additional energy dissipation structure receiving an opposite end of the article. In addition, the energy dissipation structure  400  can be used in combination with additional structures receiving and supporting other portions of the article, such as structures arranged along and receiving the sides of the article. 
     The energy dissipation structure  400  includes a sidewall  402  having four faces and has an approximately square footprint relative to a plane defined by a base  403  of the sidewall  402 . Each of the faces of the sidewall  402  includes an outer wall  404  that acts as the bearing surface when impact occurs on the outside of the energy dissipation structure  400 , and an inner wall  406  that acts as the bearing surface when impacted by the supported article (not shown) from inside the cavity  412 . The inner wall  406  is connected with a platform  426  that extends between the faces of the inner wall  406  to support an article above a plane defined by the base  403 . The outer wall  404  and inner wall  406  are connected by an arcuate structure  408 . The grooves  410  extend along at least a portion of the outer wall  404 , along the arcuate structure  408 , and along at least a portion of the inner wall  406 , and have a shape designed to distribute energy along its surface. As shown, the grooves  410  have an arcuate shape that forms a rounded indentation in the surface between the faces of the sidewall  402 . In other embodiments, the grooves  410  can have some other shape, such as a compound shape. Hinge points at which the sidewall  402  flexes in the z-axis (where the plane defined by the base  403  represents the x- and y-axes) can be defined by modifying the depth and width of the grooves  410 , and the portions of the outer wall  404  and inner wall  406  that the grooves  410  extend through. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the grooves  410  extend from over the entire inner wall  406  to slightly higher above the base  403 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the outer wall  404  of the sidewall  402  extends upward from the base  403  with a slight taper defined by a draft of a mold, similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . To enhance the predictability of response of the energy dissipation structure  400 , the faces of the sidewall  402  each include a pair of ribs  420  formed on the outer wall  404 . The rib  420  have faces that are substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the base  403  and parallel to a plane formed by a shipping carton when placed in the shipping carton so that the sidewall structure  402  is engaged when the shipping carton is impacted, thereby impacting the face of the ribs  420 . Each of the faces of the sidewall  402  further include downward curving features  414  having an arcuate shape that extends into the sidewall  402  from the arcuate structure  408  toward the base  403 . The curving features  414  are formed between ribs  420  and between the ribs  420  and the grooves  410 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a further embodiment of an energy dissipation structure  500  for supporting an article in accordance with the present invention comprising a sidewall  502  having a plurality of faces connected at corners by grooves  510  that segregate the bearing surfaces of the sidewall  502  from each other. As with the previous embodiments, the sidewall  502  defines a cavity  512  for receiving at least a portion of the article. The energy dissipation structure  500  can receive an end of the article and can be used in combination with an additional energy dissipation structure receiving an opposite end of the article. In addition, the energy dissipation structure  500  can be used in combination with additional structures receiving and supporting other portions of the article, such as structures arranged along and receiving the sides of the article. 
     The energy dissipation structure  500  includes a sidewall  502  having four faces and has an approximately rectangular footprint relative to a plane defined by a base  503  of the sidewall  502 . Each of the faces of the sidewall  502  includes an outer wall  504  that acts as the bearing surface when impact occurs on the outside of the energy dissipation structure  500 , and an inner wall  506  that acts as the bearing surface when impacted by the supported article (not shown) from inside the cavity  512 . The inner wall  506  is connected with a platform  526  that extends between the faces of the inner wall  506  to support an article above a plane defined by the base  503 . The platform  526  has a bulbous feature  528  that extends toward the base  503  to help support the article. The outer wall  504  and inner wall  506  are connected by an arcuate structure  508 . The grooves  510  extend along at least a portion of the outer wall  504 , along the arcuate structure  508 , and along at least a portion of the inner wall  506 , and have a shape designed to distribute energy along its surface. As shown, the grooves  510  have a compound structure with a broad, arcuate portion and a deeper, narrower portion that extends a portion of the broad, arcuate portion, the compound structure forming an indentation in the surface between the faces of the sidewall  502 . The energy dissipation structure  500  of  FIG. 3  includes a narrow width and a substantially longer length. The faces of the sidewall  502  extending along the length include a downward curving feature  514  having an arcuate shape that extends into the sidewall  502  from the arcuate structure  508  toward the base  503 . 
     Embodiments of the energy dissipation structure in accordance with the present invention can be made from high density polyethylene, a recyclable material having good tensile and tear properties at low temperatures, providing resiliency for shock and vibration absorption. Other materials that can be used to make the energy dissipation structure include: polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, low density polyethylene, PETG, PET, styrene, and many other polymeric materials. In other embodiments, the energy dissipation structure can be made from molded fiber and other composites, for example a composite having both fiber and polymeric materials. In embodiments, the energy dissipation structure can be made from natural fibers, such as bamboo, palm, hemp, and other virgin fibers. The advantage of using virgin fibers is that such fibers are biodegradable and renewable. In general, the longer the natural fibers, the better the spring reacts and the more flexible the design that is permitted. In still other embodiments, the energy dissipation structure can be made from a foamed material having reduced density. The compound and/or composite material can further comprise non-polymeric materials such as glass, for providing stiffness as desired. One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate the different materials from which the energy dissipation structures can be shaped and formed. 
     The spring system energy dissipation structures are fully nestable for efficient stackability to minimize storage space before and after use. Further, because of the resiliency of the energy dissipation structure material and spring system design, these energy dissipation structures can be re-used repeatedly. Energy dissipation structures are also lightweight to minimize shipment costs both of the energy dissipation structures before use, as well as during shipment of the articles utilizing the energy dissipation structures. 
     The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts. For example, the energy dissipation structures described herein can be used to ship any kind of article, whether it is fragile or not. Further, the name “energy dissipation structure” does not necessarily mean the energy dissipation structures of the present invention hold the “ends” of the article. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims and their equivalence.