Abstract:
A mounting pad and method for mounting a plurality of light bulbs in a compact and shock resistant arrangement for storage in a box and for transport, the plurality of light bulbs being arranged in rows generally parallel to each other by mounting the terminal ends of a row of light bulbs in a mounting pad disposed at each terminal end of the bulbs and stacking successive rows of mounted bulbs one on top of each other.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to packing and more particularly to a tray or mounting pad having features that enable aligning and stacking of multiple bulbs within a confined space for transport. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Many factors are taken into consideration in the design of mounting pads, storage trays or receptacles that receive and mount fragile light bulbs for storage or transport. Where bulbs that are comprised of a breakable material such as glass formed into a cylindrical body shape are concerned, bulb protection, stackability, transportability, strength, weight, nestability/denestability, adaptability to accommodate bulbs of various cylindrical lengths and diameters, and consistent manufacturing are factors which may be considered to varying degrees in the design of a suitable tray or pad. 
         [0003]    Polystyrene trays or pads can be formed and trimmed from a single sheet of polystyrene foam material to integrally define a tray. The formed trays are stacked one on top of each other in a nested fashion for purposes of being efficiently packaged and transported to a distributor who uses the trays to package light bulbs. The distributor fills the trays with bulbs that are formed as elongated cylindrical glass bodies with ends capped by cylindrical mounts that are typically comprised of a shatter or shock resistant plastic material. The filled trays are then stacked one on top of each other as stable and compact arrangement as possible whereby the stacked trays filled with bulbs can be snugly inserted within an elongated enclosed box having an interior configuration adapted to snugly receive and hold such compactly stacked trays such that the stacked and filled trays when inserted within the interior storage space of the box or container will not allow the trays to move around within or to fall out of the receiving box or container. Further they must now withstand transport to retail or other distribution points for storage display and sale. During all of these events it is desired to minimize breakage or damage to the bulbs, and to minimize the costs of assembly, packaging and transport. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a mounting pad for elongated light bulbs that are fragile and a method for aligning and stacking the mounting pads filled with light bulbs, one pair of filled pads on top of another, for stable packaging and transport without requiring the use of additional packaging. 
         [0005]    The mounting pads may be made of a polymer foam, such as polystyrene foam, of dimensions and thickness that are selected to enable as compact a stacking of light bulbs as possible. The pads are typically molded or thermoformed and cut out of sheet of such polystyrene foam material. The thickness of the sheet foam material is typically less than about 1.5 mm and preferably less than about 1.3 millimeters. 
         [0006]    In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a mounting pad for receiving a plurality of light bulbs each having a preselected longitudinal bulb length, a longitudinal axis and a latitudinal bulb diameter, the mounting pad comprising:
       a tray comprised of plastic material,   the tray comprising a plurality of bulb mounting cells formed in an open top end of the tray, the cells having a longitude of selected cell length and a latitude of selected cell width, each cell adapted to receive a bulb with the bulb diameter extending across the selected width of a cell and with the longitudinal axis of the bulb aligned with the longitude of a cell;   the tray having a bottom end and a top to bottom axis generally normal to a bottom surface defined by a plurality of feet each having an undersurface extending downwardly to an axially bottom-most position lying in a generally common plane on the bottom end to define the bottom surface of the pad;   the bottom end having a generally flat lip disposed along a bottom latitudinal peripheral edge of the pad at about normal to the top to bottom axis, the flat lip projecting in a longitudinal direction away from the cells and having an undersurface disposed generally in the generally common plane; and   the bottom end of the tray having another generally flat lip disposed along a bottom longitudinal peripheral edge of the tray, extending in a latitudinal direction away from the cells and having an undersurface disposed in the generally common plane.       
 
         [0012]    The bottom end and the open top end of the pad typically have complementary male and female configurations respectively adapted to enable the bottom end of one tray to be stacked on top of, received and nested within the open top end of another tray. 
         [0013]    The bottom end of the tray is preferably formed into a plurality of bottom facing recesses aligned with the longitude and latitude of the cells formed in the open top end, the bottom facing recesses being adapted to be stacked on top of, receive and mate with a plurality of bulbs mounted within the cells formed in the open top end of another tray. 
         [0014]    The feet are typically formed by downwardly projecting ridges extending along lateral sides of the bottom facing recesses, the ridges having downwardly facing peak surfaces that lie generally within the generally common plane. 
         [0015]    The selected cell length is preferably less than half the bulb length. With two pads, one on each end of the bulbs, the two pads together typically extend about 8 to about 50%, and in select embodiments from about 15% to about 40% of the bulb length. If desired, an additional pad could be used between the two end pads, e.g., for larger bulbs of for example 8 feet in length. The central pad would be shaped to support the circumference of the bulb, not the ends. 
         [0016]    The tray typically comprises for example anywhere from 2 to 10 cells, typically 5 or 6 cells. 
         [0017]    The tray is typically formed by a thermoforming process from a unitary sheet of the polymer material, e.g., foamed polystyrene. 
         [0018]    The thickness of the formed tray is less than about 1.5 mm, typically less than about 1.3 mm. 
         [0019]    In another aspect of the invention there is provided a mounting pad for receiving a plurality of light bulbs each having a preselected longitudinal bulb length, a longitudinal axis and a latitudinal bulb diameter, the mounting pad comprising:
       a tray comprised of plastic material,   the tray comprising a plurality of bulb mounting cells formed in an open top end of the tray, the cells having a longitude of selected cell length and a latitude of selected cell width, each cell adapted to receive a bulb with the bulb diameter extending across the selected width of a cell and with the longitudinal axis of the bulb aligned with the longitude of a cell;   the tray having a bottom end and a top to bottom axis generally normal to a bottom surface defined by a plurality of feet each having an undersurface extending downwardly to an axially bottom-most position lying in a generally common plane on the bottom end to define the bottom surface of the pad;   the bottom end having a generally flat lip disposed along a bottom longitudinal peripheral edge of the pad, extending in a latitudinal direction away from the cells and having an undersurface disposed in the generally common plane.   disposed at about normal to the top to bottom axis projecting in a latitudinal direction away from the cells along a bottom longitudinal peripheral edge of the pad, the lip having an undersurface disposed generally in the common plane.       
 
         [0025]    In such an embodiment, the bottom end preferably has another generally flat lip disposed along a bottom latitudinal peripheral edge of the pad at about normal to the top to bottom axis and projecting in a longitudinal direction away from the cells and having an undersurface disposed generally in the generally common plane. 
         [0026]    In another aspect of the invention there is provided a plurality of stacked light bulbs mounted in a spaced arrangement snugly fit within an enclosable box having a selected height, the box containing a plurality of mounting pads as previously described having a plurality of the light bulbs mounted within the cells of the trays of the pads, the plurality of pads with bulbs mounted in the trays of the pads being stacked one on top of each other in a number sufficient to extend the selected height of the box, the box having a length complementary to the bulb length together with any longitudinal length added to the bulb lengths when the bulbs are mounted in the cells of the trays of the pads, the box having a width complementary to the latitudinal width of the mounting pads. 
         [0027]    In another aspect of the invention there is provided a plurality of stacked light bulbs mounted in a spaced arrangement snugly fit within an enclosable box having a selected height, the box containing a plurality of mounting pads as previously described having a plurality of the light bulbs mounted within the cells of the trays of the pads, the plurality of pads with bulbs mounted in the trays of the pads being stacked one on top of each other in a number sufficient to extend the selected height of the box, the box having a length complementary to the bulb length together with any longitudinal length added to the bulb lengths when the bulbs are mounted in the cells of the trays of the pads, the box having a width complementary to the latitudinal width of the mounting pads. 
         [0028]    In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of stacking light bulbs one on top of the other, each light bulb having a preselected longitudinal bulb length, a longitudinal axis and a latitudinal bulb diameter, the method comprising:
       providing a mounting pad as previously described,   inserting opposite longitudinal ends of a plurality of said light bulbs into the cells of the open top ends of the trays of corresponding pairs of said mounting pads,   stacking one pair of mounting pads having light bulbs inserted in the cells of the trays of the mounting pads on top of another pair of mounting pads having light bulbs inserted in the cells of the trays of the other pair of mounting pads;   wherein the light bulbs inserted in the cells of the other pair are aligned with and received within the bottom facing recesses of the one pair of mounting pads stacked on top of the other pair, and,   the longitudinal bulb lengths of the bulbs inserted within the one pair are aligned with the longitudinal bulb lengths of the other pair.       
 
         [0034]    Such a method can further comprise:
       providing a reversibly enclosable box having a selected height, a width complementary to the latitudinal width of the mounting pads and a length complementary to the longitudinal bulb length of the bulbs together with any longitudinal length added to the bulb lengths when the bulbs are mounted in the cells of the trays of the pads,   inserting opposite longitudinal ends of a plurality of said light bulbs into the cells of the open top ends of the trays of successive pairs of said mounting pads and,   stacking said successive pairs of mounting pads on top of each other to a height complementary to the selected height of the reversibly enclosable box, and, fully inserting the successively stacked mounting pads with bulbs inserted in the cell of the tray into the box such that the box fully encloses the inserted mounting pads and light bulbs.       
 
         [0038]    In another aspect of the invention there is provided a mounting pad for receiving a plurality of light bulbs each having a preselected longitudinal bulb length, a longitudinal axis and a latitudinal bulb diameter, the mounting pad comprising:
       a tray comprised of plastic material,   the tray comprising a plurality of bulb mounting cells formed in an open top end of the tray, the cells having a longitude of selected cell length and a latitude of selected cell width, each cell adapted to receive a bulb with the bulb diameter extending across the selected width of a cell and with the longitudinal axis of the bulb aligned with the longitude of a cell;   the tray having a bottom end and a top to bottom axis generally normal to a bottom surface defined by a plurality of feet each having an undersurface extending downwardly to an axially bottom-most position lying in a generally common plane on the bottom end to define the bottom surface of the tray;   the bottom end having a generally flat lip disposed along a bottom longitudinal peripheral edge of the pad, extending in a latitudinal direction away from the cells and having an undersurface disposed generally in the generally common plane,   wherein the tray includes walls extending from a top peripheral longitudinal edge to a bottom peripheral longitudinal edge of the tray at opposing latitudinal sides of the tray forming opposing latitudinal sidewalls of the tray, and,   wherein the tray includes a wall extending from a top latitudinal peripheral position to a bottom latitudinal peripheral edge forming a longitudinal front wall adjoined to the latitudinal sidewalls.       
 
         [0045]    Typically in such an embodiment the generally flat lip is disposed along the bottom peripheral longitudinal edge with a recess formed in said sidewalls above said generally flat lip. 
         [0046]    In such an embodiment, the bottom end typically has another generally flat lip disposed along a bottom latitudinal peripheral edge of the pad, projecting in a longitudinal direction away from the cells and having an undersurface disposed generally in the generally common plane. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0047]    The drawings depict various embodiments of the invention wherein: 
           [0048]      FIG. 1  is a top right perspective view of a 6 cell mounting pad according to one embodiment of the invention showing the longitudinal side of pad having a solid wall; 
           [0049]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the  FIG. 1  pad along lines  2 - 2 ; 
           [0050]      FIG. 3  is a right longitudinal side view of the  FIG. 1  pad; 
           [0051]      FIG. 4  is a top left side perspective view of another embodiment of mounting pad according to the invention showing the longitudinal sides of the device being open without side walls; 
           [0052]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the  FIG. 4  pad taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0053]      FIG. 6  is right longitudinal side view of the  FIG. 4  pad; 
           [0054]      FIG. 7  is an end view of a carton or box according to the invention filled with six rows of light bulbs, each row mounted in a pair of mounting pads and the rows stacked one on top of each other to provide a 6×6 bulb array within the interior of the carton or box in a manner and using mounting pads according to the invention; 
           [0055]      FIG. 8  is a top view of one terminal end of two light bulbs mounted in a mounting pad according to the invention; 
           [0056]      FIG. 9  is a combined end and side longitudinal view of a carton or box according to the invention filled with successively stacked pairs of mounting pads with inserted light bulbs according to the invention; 
           [0057]      FIG. 10  is a top view similar to  FIG. 8  showing both terminal ends of the light bulbs separately mounted in opposing separate mounting pads according to the invention; and, 
           [0058]      FIG. 11  is a side perspective view of an automated machine that separates and deposits mounting pads on a conveyor. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0059]      FIG. 1  shows in perspective view a mounting pad  10  according to one embodiment of the invention. The pads  10  are typically integrally molded from a sheet of polystyrene foam which is formed into an end product having the components and structure described herein via conventional molding processes, e.g., pressing a foam sheet between male and female dies to form a plurality of pads with shaped portions and then removing (trimming) any remaining portions of the sheet to form each integral pad structure  10 . 
         [0060]    The pad  10 ,  FIG. 1 , has a latitudinal width LATW extending between left and right side bottom longitudinal peripheral edges LONGE. The pad  10  has an open top end  12  through which a series of six successive open recesses or cells  14  can be readily accessed for insertion of a complementarily shaped end  16   e   1 ,  16   e   2  of a light bulb  16 ,  FIGS. 8 ,  10 . Each cell  14  comprises a recess that is formed into the body of a sheet of polystyrene material by the forming process such that the recess or cell  14  has walls  14   a  that are complementary in shape and contour to and can mate complementarily with the contour of the outside surface  16   s  of an end  16   e  of a light bulb  16  having a known or predetermined outside surface contour  16   s ,  FIGS. 7 ,  8 ,  10 . 
         [0061]    Thus an end  16   e  of a suitable light bulb  16  can be inserted and received within a cell  14  and engageably mated with a cell receiving surface  14   a  in a generally snug or geometrically matching fit manner such that the end  16   e  of the bulb  16  is cushion mounted on a polystyrene foam component  10  which itself provides a cushion resistance to shock that may be applied to the body of the mounting pad  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  7 ,  8 ,  10 , a light bulb  16  is mounted in a pair of pads  10  at opposing terminal ends  16   e   1 ,  16   e   2  of the bulb  16 . The bulbs  16  have a longitudinal axis BA,  FIGS. 8 ,  10  and the cells  14  have a complementary longitudinal cell axis CA,  FIGS. 1 ,  10  that the axes BA of the bulbs are aligned with when the bulbs  16  are inserted within the cells  14 . As shown in  FIG. 10  the cells  14  and/or the pads  10  have a longitudinal length LONGL that is less than half the overall longitudinal length BULBL of the bulbs that extends between the terminal ends  18   e   1  and  18   e   2  of an opposing pair of electrically conductive, typically metal, prongs  18  disposed on the opposing terminal ends  16   e   1 ,  16   e   2  of the bulbs  16   e . Thus a matching, typically mirror image pair of mounting pads  10   a ,  10   b  are mounted on the opposing ends  16   e   1 ,  16   e   2  of a bulb  16  leaving a certain intermediate length IL,  FIG. 10  of a bulb  16  that is not mounted or engaged within a cell  14  of a pad  10  because the longitudinal length BULBL of the bulb  16  is greater than the sum of the longitudinal lengths LONGL of the pair of mounting pads  10   a ,  10   b . Typically the longitudinal lengths LONGL of the pads  10  or their cells  14  are less than about 50% of the longitudinal length BULBL of the bulbs  16 . Two pads collectively may extend about 8% to about 50% of the bulb length, or collectively extend about 15% to about 40% of the bulb length. 
         [0062]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ,  5 - 6 , the pad  10  has downwardly projecting ridges DPR projecting downwardly toward its bottom end  30 , the ridges having bottomwardly facing undersurfaces US that generally lie within a common plane CP and collectively define a bottom end surface BS of the tray and the pad generally. The bottom surface BS and generally planar common plane CP are disposed generally normal N,  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , to the top to bottom axis A of the pad  10 . 
         [0063]    A typically flat flange or flange-like lip  22  extends in a longitudinal direction LONG away from the bottom peripheral lateral edge LATPE,  FIGS. 1 ,  4 . The lip  22  has a typically generally flat undersurface  22 US that lies generally within the generally common plane CP to further define the bottom surface BS. As shown, the lip  22  is disposed and extends along at least a portion of and typically the entire lateral width LATW of the bottom lateral peripheral edge of the pad  10  and its associated tray. The undersurface  22 US of the longitudinally extending lip  22  can be readily manually engaged to denest or separate pads  10  that are stacked on top of each other when filled with light bulbs or otherwise stacked and nested one on top of each other without bulbs. 
         [0064]    A front latitudinal wall  100  is formed and extends from a top longitudinal peripheral point  10   te  downwardly to the bottom lateral peripheral edge LATPE across the entire latitudinal width LATW of the tray. In the  FIGS. 1-3  embodiment, the front wall is adjoined at its opposing latitudinal edges  100   e  with sidewalls  20  forming a tray having three enclosed or walled sides  20 ,  100 . In the  FIGS. 4-6  embodiment, opposing sidewalls  20  do not exist, the front wall  100  being the only walled side of the tray  14 . 
         [0065]    Another flange or flange like lip or flat surface  25  having a generally flat undersurface  25 US is disposed and extends along at least a portion of the bottom longitudinal peripheral edge LONGE,  FIGS. 1 ,  4  of the pad  10 . As with the undersurface  22 US, the undersurface  25 US is disposed generally in the common plane CP to further define the bottom surface BS of the device  10 . As shown the lip  25  extends in a latitudinal direction LAT away from the cells toward and terminating at the bottom longitudinal edge LONGE forming a tab or projection or lip  25  that can be manually engaged on the undersurface  25 US to denest or separate pads  10  that are stacked on top of each other when filled with light bulbs or when otherwise nested one on top of and within each other without bulbs. 
         [0066]    In the  FIGS. 1-3  embodiment, the longitudinal sides  20  of the pads  10  have a sidewall  20   a  that extends from a top peripheral longitudinal edge  20   t  downwardly to a bottom peripheral longitudinal edge LONGE as well as in the longitudinal direction LONG except for a laterally or latitudinally extending LAT recess  25   r  at the bottom of which is disposed the lip or flat member  25 . The side wall portion  20   a  is disposed at a slight angle ANG other than 90 degrees relative to the common plane CP while a bottom-most edge surface  20   b  extends vertically upward from the common plane CP at generally 90 degrees by a distance that is about equal to the thickness of the plastic material. 
         [0067]    In the  FIGS. 4-6  embodiment the longitudinal sides  20  do not have a sidewall  20  as in the  FIGS. 1-3  embodiment. The  FIGS. 4-6  embodiment include the same laterally or latitudinally extending lip or flat member  25  having undersurface  25 US and recess  25   r  which is formed by opposing walls  25   w  that face each other in the longitudinal direction LONG and extend in the lateral direction LAT. 
         [0068]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  5 ,  7  the bottom end  30  of the pad  10  has downwardly facing recesses DFR formed on the bottom surfaces of the cells and are aligned with the longitudinal cell axes CA of the cells. The downwardly facing recesses are complementary in contour to the outer surfaces and arrangement of the bulbs  16   l  when inserted within a first pair  10   l  of pads such that when one pair of pads  10   u  is stacked on top of another pair of pads  10   l  that are filled with bulbs  16   l  the upper-side surfaces  16   s  of the bulbs  16   l  are received within the downwardly facing recesses DFR formed on the bottoms of the cells  14  of the pads. 
         [0069]    One longitudinal end of the cells  14  is typically provided with an upper terminal end recess  14   ur  having a wall surface  14   urs  that is formed and arranged for receiving and supporting the prongs  18  that typically project from the terminal ends of a bulb  16 . 
         [0070]    As shown in  FIGS. 7 ,  9 , when one pair of filled pads  10  is stacked on top of anther pair of filled pads, the stack can be inserted into a reversibly enclosable box  40  that generally has a length about equal to or slightly larger than the longitudinal length of the bulbs BULBL and a width about equal to or slightly larger than the latitudinal width LATW of the pads  10 . The box has a height H that is selected to snugly enclose a preselected number of rows  50  of bulbs  16  stacked one on top of each other as described above where the terminal ends  16   e  of the bulbs  16  are mounted within the cells  14 ,  14   ur  of a pair of pads  10  disposed at opposing ends  16   e   1 ,  16   e   2  of the bulbs. 
         [0071]      FIG. 11  illustrates an embodiment of an apparatus  70  for automated handling of the pads  10 . A metal picker finger  60  is shown being inserted between a pair of adjacent denesting flanges  25  on two adjacent pads in the stack of pads being held between the curved arms  62  of the apparatus  70 . Subsequent to their separation the end pad  10   q  is rotated 90 degrees along the curved pair of arms and deposited onto the moving conveyor belt  64 . The pads are moved along the conveyor to the next station where the bulbs  16  can be inserted into the cells  14  of a pair of pads  10 . 
         [0072]    The second embodiment of  FIGS. 4-6  is configured to hold six, 1 inch diameter, 48 inch long fluorescent light bulbs, one in each of the six cells. Each pad is about 4 inches in length (LONG direction), 6% inches in width (LAT direction), and about ⅜ inches in height (AA direction). Use of two such pads, one on each end of the bulbs, when stacked in a box as shown in  FIG. 9 , 6 bulbs across (LATW) and 6 bulbs high (H), provides an appropriate 70% weight reduction from a prior art pulp 5-pack tray pad and box, and an approximate 25-30% reduction in stack height. 
         [0073]    In one example, the sheet is made of a polystyrene material that is extruded as a continuous sheet, e.g., 24.5 inches wide. The sheet is then aged about three days before being run through a thermo forming oven tunnel, where it expands to double (180 to 200 percent) its extruded thickness. The sheet is then shaped (formed) between two mold halves, and sent to the next station where the pads are trimmed and pushed onto a table and then packaged or bundled. For example, a 24½ wide sheet may form 30 parts at a time, and then trim to five pads. For an extruded sheet thickness at 0.045 inch target, the sheet density is about 9.07 pounds per cubic foot. A suitable range may be 6 to 12 pounds per cubic foot. For a polystyrene foamed sheet weight of 34 pounds per 1000 square feet, or one square inch equals 0.010710 grams per square inch. 
         [0074]    It is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention.