Abstract:
A surface is presented that, when interposed with an identically configured surface, automatically aligns and positions the two surfaces together. The surface is comprised of a set of contoured waves arranged on and around intersecting axes and on and around the perimeter of a plain or surface in such a way that the high points or peaks in one surface are matched by low points or troughs at mirroring locations on the interposed surface. One application of an embodiment of the invention is the use of the surface on a hub for a packaging container.

Description:
PRIORITY STATEMENT UNDER 35 U.S.C. § 119 &amp; 37 C.F.R. § 1.78   
       [0001]    This non-provisional patent application claims priority based upon prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/019,921 filed Jul. 2, 2014 in the name of Darryl L. Kelinske, entitled “SELF-NESTING WAVY SURFACE,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In one embodiment, the surface of the present invention may be incorporated into container corner hubs or nodes that accept, align and hold in place lengths of paperboard structures that are commonly known in the packaging industry as “profiles” or “corner boards” as further described herein. Typically, containers utilized in the packaging industry are formed from sheets of corrugated paperboard that are cut and scored with a predetermined pattern that allows the paperboard to be formed into the desired shape. In some instances, however, a container can be formed by using horizontal and vertical support members such as corner boards that are joined by various means at their intersections at the corners of the container. In these instances, the support member usually has an “L” or tubular or other shape along two of its sides to add strength to its length beyond that of a flat piece or member. It is these shaped members that are sometimes referred to as corner boards or profiles. Strapping is often applied to confine the support members to the proper horizontal or vertical position. 
         [0003]    An example of a container constructed from corner board and joined at the container corners by a gusset using diagonal strapping is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,222. As can be seen in FIGS.  1  and  5 - 15  in U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,222, each of the horizontal and vertical support members or corner boards are joined together with gussets, or hubs as they are sometimes called, at each point of intersection. 
         [0004]    Another example of a hub that is known in the art is shown in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B  herein. Each hub  100  is configured to securely, but removably, attach to the three intersecting members that form the three dimensional corners of a container and to secure their positions relative to one another to maximize the load bearing capacity and compression strength of the container. In some instances, the corner hubs or the corner boards themselves can also include openings, indentations and tabs for the passage or affixing of various types and configurations of strapping to provide additional support. 
         [0005]    The hub presented in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  are bi-directional in that they can be used as either a top hub or a bottom hub. The horizontal surface  105  of each hub  100  is generally flat. This facilitates sliding the container along a floor surface. However, when one container is stacked on top of another container, the horizontal surface  105  of the top hub  100  of the lower container abuts the horizontal surface  105  of the bottom hub  100  of the upper container. Because horizontal surfaces of hubs known in the art are generally flat and smooth, when two containers with hubs are stacked, the upper container is disposed to slide off the lower container. The alignment of the two smooth horizontal faces can cause one hub to slide away from the other, which, in turn, can cause stacked containers to become misaligned, thereby resulting in damaged products, unsafe loads, and other significant shipping, warehousing and safety issues. 
         [0006]    It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is need of an improved hub for containers that easily self-centers and nests, that minimizes or eliminates slippage between stacked containers, that improves stacking capacity and stability, that improves container compression strength, that only calls for the stocking of a single, multidirectional part, that assembles with ease and eliminates required, but confusing orientations, and that promotes reusability all while improving cost-effectiveness and safety in the packaging, transport, warehousing and storage and display of goods and products. The present invention fulfills these needs and others. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present invention is directed to a surface that, when conjoined with an identically configured surface, automatically aligns and positions the two surfaces together. The surface is comprised of a set of contoured waves arranged on and around intersecting axes and on and around the perimeter of a plain or surface in such a way that the high points or peaks are matched by low points or troughs at mirroring locations so that, when two such identical surfaces are placed face to face, the peaks of one of the surfaces occur at the troughs of the other resulting in complete and uniform contact between the two surfaces. 
         [0008]    The self-centering, nesting functionality of the device is achieved by the arrangement of its peaks and troughs and the increased surface area and friction created thereby. Heretofore, such nesting has been typically achieved by utilization of two separate and opposing parts, which in common parlance are described as convex and concave or male and female parts. By way of differentiation, the subject invention contains both convex and concave configurations arranged on the surface of a single part in such a way as to provide such self-centering and aligning, mating and nesting functionality in a single part without the need of separate male and female parts. 
         [0009]    The surface of the present invention is designed and engineered in such a way as to allow its use as the top, bottom or sides of adjoining surfaces without the necessity of designating directional usage. For example, a surface having a nipple may nest with a surface having a dimple, but this requires in two separate parts, and, if the two surfaces are to be stacked on top of one another, one of the surfaces must be designated as the top and the other as the bottom. By contrast, the surface of the present invention is multidirectional in that applications or objects upon which it is utilized need not have any such top, bottom or side directional orientation in order to properly mate and nest. Thus, unlike other devises intended for similar purposes, the surface of the present invention does not require a specific stacking order. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the surfaces of the present invention is configured as part of an improved hub or corner support piece to be used with corner board in the packaging, transport, warehousing, storage and display of goods and products. This improved hub allows containers to be constructed, packed, transported, warehoused, and the goods and products contained therein to be stored and displayed, in single or stacked configurations utilizing a single multidirectional part on the corners of the container or display. 
         [0011]    The improved hub is easily attached to the vertical and horizontal corner board support members at each point of intersection at the corners of a container. The hub may have inner or interior portions that are configured with fingers or prongs which align with or penetrate through and hold the corner boards or support members in place in all three of the dimensions that form the corner of a container. 
         [0012]    The vertical portion of each hub is configured with raised and lowered portions that form mid-points in the approximate middle and along the perimeter of that surface. 
         [0013]    The outer portion of each hub is configured such that, when the surface of the present invention of one hub abuts the surface of the present invention of another hub, the two hubs interlock to an extent that interferes with the ability of the two hubs to slide across one another. In some instances it may be desirable to reduce the coefficient of friction further and, in those instances, the hub may include a rubberized or slip resistant surface coating or another non-slip coating may be applied over the surface to further prevent slippage between juxtaposed surfaces. 
         [0014]    In addition, if the horizontal surface of the present invention of one hub abuts the horizontal surface of the present invention of another hub at a location that is not in direct alignment, the curved and undulating features of the surface serve as guides such that the mid-point on one hub is naturally directed toward the mid-point on the other hub. This natural tendency of two interfacing hubs to align themselves gives containers enhanced stacking capacity and stability and provides substantive advantages over containers and hubs already known in the market. 
         [0015]    Many existing containers utilizing corner boards or corner hubs require strapping to hold either the corner boards or corner hubs or both in place and to keep the container sides squared and in proper vertical and horizontal alignment with one another. Unlike the use of strapping to ensure the hubs remain attached and to provide lateral stability for containers, various embodiments of the present invention utilize one or two screws, bolts, or other fasteners to ensure that the hubs remain affixed to the corner boards and to provide lateral stability. 
         [0016]    In some embodiments of the present invention, quickly removable pins or fasteners may used in place of screws or bolts to allow rapid removal of the lid of so equipped containers for easy inspection of the goods or products contained therein or for efficient reuse of the container without the need for complete disassembly or re-strapping before reutilization. In other embodiments, intentionally difficult to remove screws, bolts or pins or other types of fasteners may be used to provide security and to prevent easy access to the contained goods or products or to prevent disassembly, intentional or accidental, of the container or display. Either way, all six sides of a container are held firmly together with improved container rigidity, carrying capacity, and compression strength. 
         [0017]    The foregoing has outlined rather broadly certain aspects of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may better be understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures or processes for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1A  is an interior perspective of a hub known in the art; 
           [0020]      FIG. 1B  is an exterior perspective of a hub known in the art; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2A  is a plan view of the outer surface of an embodiment of the surface of the present invention that also shows the locations of two cross-section lines, A-A and B-B; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2B  is a cross sectional view along lines B-B of the hub of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2C  is a cross sectional view along lines A-A of the hub of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2D  is a perspective of an embodiment of the surface of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a perspective of the outer top (or bottom) and sides of an embodiment of the present invention incorporated into a hub; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4A  shows a plan view of the interior portion or underside of one embodiment of a hub and the cross-section A-A and B-B line locations previously shown in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4B  is a cross sectional view along lines A-A of the hub of  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 4C  is a cross sectional view along lines B-B of the hub of  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 5  is a perspective of the interior portion of the hub showing the pre-installation positioning of horizontal and vertical support members or corner boards; 
           [0030]      FIG. 6  is another perspective of the interior portion of the hub showing the installation of two notched container support members or corner boards being mounted upon the fingers or prongs of the interior portion of the hub; 
           [0031]      FIG. 7  is another perspective of the interior portion of the hub showing the installation of the three container support members or corner boards that comprise the three dimensions of a corner of a container; 
           [0032]      FIG. 8A  shows a plan view of the interior portion of a hub along with the locations of two cross-section lines, C-C and D-D; 
           [0033]      FIG. 8B  is a cross sectional view along lines C-C of the hub of  FIG. 8A ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 8C  is a cross sectional view along lines D-D of the hub of  FIG. 8A ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 9A  is a plan view of the hub shown in  FIG. 7  with cross-section lines E-E; and 
           [0036]      FIG. 9B  is an elevation drawn through cross-section E-E showing the penetration of a fastener through the outer side surface, then passing through the area of the interior corner boards, and finally through an interior prong or finger in a fully assembled configuration. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0037]    The present invention is directed to a self-nesting wavy surface. The configuration and use of the presently preferred embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of contexts other than corner hubs for stacking containers. Accordingly, the specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention. In addition, the following terms shall have the associated meaning when used herein: 
         [0038]    “container” means any container, package, box, cuboid, exoskeleton or other receptacle suitable for packing, transporting, warehousing, storing or displaying goods or products; 
         [0039]    “fastener” means any type of screw, bolt, pin or other device suitable for affixing or securing a hub or node to a container or any of its constituent parts including corner boards or other kinds of vertical or horizontal support or other pieces; and 
         [0040]    “nesting” means generally aligning along two axis and in contact or close proximity along the third axis; 
         [0041]    “node,” “hub” and “corner support piece” mean any device at a container corner, point, nucleus or confluence that is intended, at least in part, to facilitate the alignment and joining of vertical or horizontal support or other pieces, with or without the use of fasteners, used in the construction of a container or to facilitate the use of containers, individually or in proximity to one another; and 
         [0042]    “vertical and horizontal members” mean the vertical and horizontal members that are described herein and are also referred to as vertical and horizontal pieces, support pieces, corner boards, container frame elements, profiles and similar packaging and container elements and the use of such terms in relation to vertical or horizontal dimensions or directions is intended merely as relative spatial references for ease in understanding, but does not limit the use of the invention to any particular directional orientation. 
         [0043]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B,  2 C and  2 D which show one embodiment of the surface of the present invention, the surface being configured with certain troughs  202  and  205  along section line A-A. The surface is also configured with certain peaks  203  and  204  along section line B-B. When two identical surfaces are transposed to face one another, the peaks  203  and  204  naturally slide into and nest into the troughs  202  and  205 , respectively. 
         [0044]    In some embodiments, there is a point of common elevation at  201  that is midway between the elevations of the peaks and troughs at the approximate center of the surface and where an x axis and a y axis, shown here as cross-section lines A-A and B-B, intersect. When diagonals lines are drawn at 45-degree angles to cross-section lines A-A and B-B in  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B,  2 C and  2 D, all elevations along those diagonal lines can be similar to the elevation of point  201 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 3  shows how, in one embodiment of the present invention, the undulating horizontal surface of the present invention is integrated with and attached to the vertical, or “side,” surfaces of a corner support piece or node to result in the hub described above. In this embodiment, the so-called sides represent the two surfaces that are not configured with the surface of the present invention, but that are required to form the other two boundaries necessary for a node to accept and hold in position corner boards from all three dimensions. 
         [0046]    As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the side surfaces of the hub are configured with troughs that are intended as a countersink area to accept the various fastener head shapes and sizes so that they can be installed flush with the majority of the side surface. A hole in the countersink area may be provided at location  301  so that the fastener can easily and consistently be inserted through the hub, through the corner boards to be installed inside the hub, and finally to pass through the fingers or prongs therein so that a nut or similar device can be installed on the far, most interior side of the finger or prong, if so required. The path of a fastener  910  from its outer position at the outside of the hub to its inner position at the farthest side of the finger or prong inside the hub, and a wing nut  920  attached thereto, is shown in cross-section E-E shown in  FIG. 9A and 9B . For configurations in which two or more fasteners are used, a like hole or holes can be made in the countersink area or in the countersink area on the side adjacent to location  301  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0047]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C, showing the under and innermost side of the hub with the surface shown in  FIG. 2A , the fingers or prongs in the inner portions of a representative hub of the present invention, as further shown and described in  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 7 , are configured to retain and secure container frame elements or corner boards. The utilization of various patterns for the miter joint at the intersection of the horizontal corner board pieces inside a hub are configurations that are known in the art. However, the use of fasteners that penetrate a hub and secures all of the corner boards in place without the use of strapping as described herein is another novel aspect of the present invention. 
         [0048]    The surface of the corner support piece, or hub, that is generally co-planar with either the top or the bottom of a package when in use has a peak  203  and a trough  202  aligned along an x axis and a peak  204  and a trough  205  aligned along a y axis. The vertical or side surfaces  208  of the hub are located along the lower part of a z axis. The peaks  203  and  204  extend upward along the z axis and the troughs  202  and  205  extend downward along the z axis. When a similarly configured second hub is rotated 180 degrees along the z axis and juxtaposed over the top of the first hub, the peak  203  of the second hub is aligned with, and nests into, the trough  202  of the first hub and the peak  204  of the first hub is aligned with, and nests into, the trough  205  of the second hub. 
         [0049]    Now referring to  FIGS. 8A ,  8 B,  8 C which show cross-sections C-C and D-D of two hubs in a nested configuration, when a first hub  701  is positioned on top of a second hub  702 , the mid-point  201  of the first hub  701  aligns with the mid-point  201  of the second hub  702 . Furthermore, the highest point  203  of the first hub becomes aligned with the lowest point  205  of the second hub and the lowest point  202  of the first hub becomes aligned with the highest point  204  of the second hub. 
         [0050]    Whereas  FIG. 8B  shows the cross-section of C-C,  FIG. 8C  shows the part rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise and that when viewed along section D-D, the mid-points  201  of the two hubs align and the lowest points  202  and  205  of each hub becomes aligned with the highest points of each hub. As a result of the functionality of the surface of the present invention and its “nesting” the two hubs together in the manner described herein, the hubs become removably interconnected so that they can resist sliding across one another when lateral pressure is applied. 
         [0051]    The hubs can be used with packaging systems so that, for example, a first package can be configured with a top surface, a bottom surface and four side walls meeting in corners to form a rectangular structure and has a first hub is located at one or more corners configured to accept and secure the top surface and one or more side walls. The surface of the first hub that is co-planar with the top surface has a peak and a trough as described above. A second package is also configured with a top surface, a bottom surface and four side walls meeting in corners to form a rectangular structure and has a second hub having the same shape as the first hub located at one or more corners configured to accept and secure the bottom surface and one or more side walls. The surface of the second hub that is co-planar with the bottom surface having a peak and a trough as described above. When the second package is placed on top of the first package such that the sidewalls of the packages are in general alignment, the peak of the first hub aligns with the trough of the second hub and the peak of the second hub aligns with the trough of the first hub. 
         [0052]    Another novel aspect of the invention is that, when the first hub is located at each of the four corners of the top of the first package and the second hub is located at each of the four corners of the bottom of the second package, the second package may be rotated 90 degrees or 180 degrees from the first package and the peak of one of the first hubs will again align with the trough of one of the second hubs. 
         [0053]    It is this intricate arrangement of the peaks, troughs and mid-points combined with lines and areas of common elevation that causes the surface of the present invention to naturally and automatically align and nest completely and uniformly regardless of directional orientation. And, it is the complete and uniform nesting and increased surface area and contact inherent in this surface that cause the hubs to possess the friction and resultant holding power to resist sliding across each other to become misaligned, but also to automatically realign if moved or knocked off center. 
         [0054]    When a single embodiment is described herein, it will be readily apparent that more than one embodiment may be used in place of a single embodiment. Similarly, where more than one embodiment is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a single embodiment may be substituted for that one device. 
         [0055]    While the particular embodiments of the device described herein relates to its functionality as a hub or node that accepts, aligns and holds in place angular paperboard profiles for uses in the packaging, transportation, warehousing, storage and display of goods and products, the invention is intended for use in numerous other industries and applications. 
         [0056]    Moreover, while the particular embodiment of the invention described herein has a surface that appears elliptical in shape with two somewhat pointed ends, the invention can be applied to a variety of surface shapes and objects including but not limited to squares, rectangles, multisided surfaces, circles, ellipses and so on. 
         [0057]    In one such other embodiment, the surface of the present invention is configured with a mid-point in the approximate center of the surface with three rather than four sets of peaks and troughs arranged on axes set at 120 degrees rather than 90 degrees as shown in the present embodiment, which other configuration would be especially useful when applied to more circular objects. Other embodiments can contain more or less sets of peaks, troughs and mid-points. 
         [0058]    The embodiment of the present invention shown herein pertains to its use as a hub or node. A small sampling of other examples of its usefulness and embodiments include, but are not limited to, its application to nesting items as diverse as tableware and serveware, book and display cases, shelving, furniture, cabinetry, desk accessories, stackable trays and chairs, both attached and detachable tops and bottoms for containers such as cups, bottles, cans and other containers holding solid, liquid and gas contents, non-skid surfaces on both fixed and moving objects, toy blocks, and a variety of clutch facings for mechanical devices. Another novel use involves the application of the wavy surface to the underside of a cycling shoe and to the pedal of a bicycle so that the peaks, troughs and mid-points cause the surfaces to naturally and automatically align and nest completely and uniformly regardless of directional orientation, thereby increasing the contact surface area and causing the hubs to possess the friction and resultant holding power to resist sliding across each other to become misaligned. 
         [0059]    In all embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that by varying the depths of the troughs and heights of the peaks of the present invention, as well as the size and material of the surface area itself, more or less friction, as well as mechanical boundaries, can be established that will result in greater or lesser holding power, adding to the usefulness of the present invention beyond that of the present embodiment described herein. 
         [0060]    Likewise, while the particular embodiment of the invention described herein has been applied to a device that is commonly associated with vertical orientations and stacking, various embodiments of the surface of the present invention may also be utilized in other positions and applications to provide enhanced communicative properties between any two surfaces, whether by gravitational or mechanical force. 
         [0061]    In light of the wide variety of possible configurations available, the detailed embodiments are intended to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, what is claimed as the invention is all such modifications as may come within the spirit and scope of the claims and equivalents thereto. 
         [0062]    None of the description in this specification should be read as implying that any particular element, step or function is an essential element which must be included in the claim scope. The scope of the patented subject matter is defined only by the allowed claims and their equivalents. Unless explicitly recited, other aspects of the present invention as described in this specification do not limit the scope of the claims. 
         [0063]    While the present invention has been disclosed according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other embodiments have also been enabled. Even though the foregoing discussion has focused on particular embodiments, it is understood that other configurations are contemplated. In particular, even though the expressions “in one embodiment” or “in another embodiment” are used herein, these phrases are meant to generally reference embodiment possibilities and are not intended to limit the invention to those particular embodiment configurations. These terms may reference the same or different embodiments, and unless indicated otherwise, are combinable into aggregate embodiments. The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more” unless expressly specified otherwise. The term “connected” means “communicatively connected” unless otherwise defined.