Abstract:
Packaging materials are disclosed which are reconfigurable into two different shipping configurations: one for bulk shipment of electronic products, and one for individual shipment of the same electronic products.

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to packaging materials, and more particularly to a body of energy absorbing foam material which can be configured for two distinct uses. In accordance with this invention, the body of material is used in two distinct steps of shipping electronic products, thereby saving in cost of packaging materials and waste of such materials which would otherwise be used once and discarded. 
         [0002]    It is conventional practice to use packaging materials, sometimes also called dunnage, to cushion electronic products being shipped against shock imposed on the packaged products. Most consumers are familiar with the molded soft plastic inserts configured to engage consumer electronic products and provide a layer of protection between the product and the carton in which the product is packaged for shipment. In this usage, the packaging materials are single use, and are conventionally discarded by the end user who unpacks the product. 
         [0003]    On a different level of commerce, certain types of electronic products, of which server blades are one, are conventionally manufactured in one location, packaged in bulk for shipment to a break bulk point remote from the manufacturing facility, and repackaged for shipment as individual single units. Heretofore, such packaging has involved the use of one form of packaging material or dunnage as the products are packaged for bulk shipment and another form as the product is are repackaged for single unit shipment. This causes additional effort at both the manufacturing site and the break bulk site. Manufacture of dunnage is duplicated, and the bulk packaging materials must be discarded and disposed of at the break bulk point. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    With the foregoing in mind, it is a purpose of this invention to reduce the effort and expense involved in moving electronic products from a bulk shipment environment to a single unit shipment environment. In pursuing this purpose, packaging materials have been developed which are reconfigurable into two different shipping configurations: one for bulk shipment of electronic products, and one for individual shipment of the same electronic products. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Some of the purposes of the invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first application of this invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged scale rendering of a portion of the elements illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is further enlarged scale view of an important element of this invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , inverted and with the element reconfigured for an alternative use; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a section view taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  showing the use of the element of  FIGS. 3 through 5  in a reconfigured form for a second application of this invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0012]    While the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, it is to be understood at the outset of the description which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts may modify the invention here described while still achieving the favorable results of the invention. Accordingly, the description which follows is to be understood as being a broad, teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts, and not as limiting upon the present invention. 
         [0013]    Referring to the accompanying drawings, two forms of packaging for electronic products are there shown (in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , respectively), along with the packaging material of the present invention in both of its configurations. As here illustrated and described, the packaging material of this invention is particularly adapted to server blades. For a greater understanding of this product, the interested reader is referred to prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,567 issued 16 Nov. 2004 to Baker et al and assigned to common ownership with this invention. To any extent necessary to an understanding of this invention, this prior patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this description as fully as if set forth here at length. A server blade is an electronic product which has a rectilinear configuration in elevation and plan and has a width dimension which is a fraction of the height and length dimensions thereof. 
         [0014]    It is contemplated here that a server blade or similar product will be manufactured at one location and shipped in a bulk package ( FIG. 1 ) from the manufacturing location to a break bulk location, at which individual blades may be configured for specific customers. Once so configured, the individual blades will be repackaged ( FIG. 6 ) for single unit shipment to an end user or the technical support for such an end user. Often the manufacturing and break bulk locations are in different countries. Heretofore, as described above, packaging for the bulk shipment would be prepared in the manufacturing location and then discarded after arrival of a bulk package at the break bulk location. Then, separate packaging materials would be made at the break bulk location and blades repackaged for single unit shipment. This invention obviates this wasteful practice. 
         [0015]    In manufacture of electronic products of the types with which this invention is concerned, “high touch” manufacturing is typically done in a country where direct labor costs may be relatively low. “Low touch” final steps in manufacturing are typically done in other countries where technical skills—and labor costs—may be higher. While server blades are here given as an illustrative example, as initial assembly is a “high touch” endeavor while final configuration is a “low touch” endeavor, the same characteristics of manufacture are found in innumerable other products. It is to be understood that the concepts of the present invention will find use in such processes independently of the specific type of product being manufactured in multiple steps completed in differing locations. 
         [0016]    In accordance with this invention, packaging methods include receiving a plurality of electronic products packaged for bulk shipment in which a plurality of configurable bodies of energy absorbing foam material are disposed as top and bottom or end caps in pairs, each engaging a corresponding one electronic product, with the pairs of bodies and corresponding electronic products being interleaved with others of like electronic products; unpacking the electronic products; and then reconfiguring a single pair of the configurable bodies to engage a single one of the electronic products as a pair of top and bottom, end or side caps and to provide three dimensional projecting portions which cushion the engaged electronic product against shock loads. The engaged single electronic product and reconfigured bodies are then packaged for shipment to an end user. These steps will become more clear in connection with consideration of the accompanying drawings. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a bulk shipment packaging, in which an electronic product  10 —a server blade—is disposed between a pair of bodies  11 , 12  of energy absorbing foam material.  FIG. 2  is an enlarged scale portion of  FIG. 1 , showing in greater detail the manner of fitting together the bodies  11 , 12  and the product  10 . The two bodies are identical. Each of the bodies  11 , 12  is preferably assembled as a plurality of layers of energy absorbing foam material. Referring now to  FIGS. 3 through 5 , wherein one body  11  is shown in greater detail, a central layer  14  having smaller dimensions than outer layers  15   a ,  15   b  forms with the outer layers a pocket for receiving an engaged electronic product (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and further wherein the outer layers  15   a ,  15   b  of the body  11  have fold lines  16   a ,  16   b  ( FIGS. 2 through 5 ) formed therein to enable reconfiguration of the body  11  from bulk packaging configuration ( FIG. 1 ) to single unit packaging configuration ( FIG. 6 ). 
         [0018]    It is to be understood that, while  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the bodies  11 , 12  in a position which can be described as top and bottom caps, such naming is a simple result of orientation. What may be described as a top cap in one orientation will, in a different orientation, become an end or side cap. Thus terminology used to refer to particular orientations is to be understood as simply an aid to understanding of a particular illustration and is not, by any means, a limitation on the orientation of elements in actual use. Top, bottom, end and side caps may, in other orientations, become know by other designations including corner caps or pads. The orientations shown and described here are illustrations of one implementation of the invention and are not limiting on the use of this invention in other orientations. 
         [0019]    In the preferred embodiment, the reconfiguring of each body involves folding the body about the fold lines  16   a ,  16   b  formed therein (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). In particular, as the outer layers  15   a ,  15   b  are so folded, the assembled layers of the body  11  provide three dimensional projecting portions which cushion the engaged server blade against shock loads when in the single unit configuration. By three dimensional projecting portions, what is meant is that the projecting portions extend beyond the product being protected. This is illustrated by comparing  FIG. 3  with  FIG. 6 . The outer layers are configured with a plurality of reliefs regulating the energy absorption ability of the body and the shock cushioning effectiveness thereof. It is contemplated that an alternative, provided that the energy absorbing characteristics of the packaging material are correctly chosen, may be the simple removal of portions of the body. That is, what are here shown and described as fold lines may become tear lines instead. 
         [0020]    When in the bulk packaging configuration, the body  11  serves with a like companion body as one of a pair of top and bottom, end, side or corner caps engaging an electronic product which is then interleaved among a plurality of similarly capped electronic products packaged for bulk shipment. The plurality of products are enclosed within a suitable carton  18  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0021]    When in the single unit shipment configuration, the body  11  serves with a like companion body as one of a pair of top d bottom, end, side or corner caps engaging an electronic product and providing three dimensional projecting portions which cushion against shock loads when the engaged electronic product and the reconfigured body are packaged as a single unit for shipment to an end user. The individual product is enclosed within a suitable carton  19  ( FIG. 6 ). 
         [0022]    In the drawings and specifications there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are used, the description thus given uses terminology in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.