Patent Description:
As economy develops rapidly and people's income increases, household electrical appliances such as refrigerators have already become indispensable home appliances. In the current industry chain of refrigerators, refrigerator packaging is an indispensable section for sales, transportation and storage.

At present, refrigerators in the prior art all employ a paper packaging box. The packaging box comprises a base, an upper cover, protective corrugated paper or foam on sides. The paper packaging box is large-sized, costly and not environment-friendly, as well as prone to damp, mold and fall-apart problems due to the influence of the environment.

Therefore, in view of technical problems existing in the paper packaging boxes in the prior art, it is urgently desirable to provide a packaging structure for refrigerators, which is low-cost, small-sized, environment friendly and not prone to the influence from the environment, and a packaging method for refrigerators.

<CIT> discloses a packaging structure, a shrink film wraps on top cover, corner supports and bottom pads.

<CIT> discloses a package. The package comprises a base on which the appliance is apt to be placed, and four angular members covering the four lateral corners of the casing of the appliance. The angular members are held in position against the corners of the appliance by wrapping the package in a plastic film that surrounds the whole household appliance.

<CIT> discloses a package. The package includes a base shaped for having a home appliance either installed thereon after assembly or for a home appliance to be assembled directly on the base as part of the manufacturing process. The base includes an upper surface for supporting the home appliance and edge sections surrounding the home appliance. Four vertically extending posts are installed at the corners of the edge sections.

<CIT> discloses a device for handling household appliances. The device has at least one flexible band with a handle at each end for gripping a machine that has been placed on the band or bands with the hands.

In view of technical problems that paper packaging boxes in the prior art are large-sized, costly and not environment-friendly as well as prone to damp, mold and fall-apart problems due to the influence of the environment, embodiments of the present invention a packaging structure for a refrigerator, which is small-sized, low-cost, and less environment-affected, and a packaging method. The packaging structure for a refrigerator employs a film which is heated to shrink to form a layer of outer film without employing the packaging manner of using paper to covering the whole refrigerator, thereby saving the cost, reducing the size and avoiding the influence from environmental factors.

As can be seen from the above technical solutions, embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:.

The packaging structure for a refrigerator proposed by embodiments of the present invention comprises the top seat, the bottom seat and the four vertical side edges, and employs the film which is heated to shrink to form a layer of outer film, the outer film tightly wraps the top seat, the bottom seat and the four vertical side edges due to shrinking upon heating, into a whole which is not apt to fall apart, so that the packaging manner of covering the whole refrigerator with paper needn't be employed, the cost can be saved and the size can be reduced. Furthermore, the film layer in the packaging structure for the refrigerator proposed by the embodiments of the present invention is made of a transparent material so that the user can view the status of the product of the refrigerator without opening the packaging box. Furthermore, the film layer of the packaging structure for the refrigerator proposed by the embodiments of the present invention has good chemical stability and water resistance, thereby effectively avoiding problems such as damp, mold and fall-apart problems of the packaging structure due to environmental factors.

Technical solutions in embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely hereunder with reference to figures in the embodiments of the present invention to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only partial embodiments of the present invention other than all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those having ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present invention without making any inventive efforts should all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Terms such as "first", "second", "third" and "fourth" (if any) in the description, claims and the above figures of the present invention are used to distinguish similar objects and not necessarily used to describe a specific order or a sequential order. It should be appreciated that the thus-used data may be interchangeable in proper cases so that the embodiments described here can be implemented in an order other than the content shown or depicted here. In addition, terms "comprise" and "have" and their variants are intended to cover inclusion in a non-exclusive way, for example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus including a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to clearly listing which steps or units, and instead, may comprise other steps or units which are not clearly listed out or are intrinsic for the process, method, system, product or apparatus.

<FIG> show perspective views of a packaging structure for a refrigerator according to embodiments of the present invention. As shown in <FIG>, since a film layer is transparent in the embodiment, the film layer is separately shown in parallel as a structural form in a final state. In the embodiment, an upstanding direction of the refrigerator when the refrigerator is located in a packaging structure <NUM> is taken as a vertical direction, a surface in a direction close to the refrigerator is taken an inner surface, and a surface in a direction away from the refrigerator is taken as an outer surface.

In one embodiment, a packaging structure <NUM> for a refrigerator comprises a bottom seat <NUM> supported on the bottom of the refrigerator, a top seat <NUM> covering the top of the refrigerator, four vertical side edges and a film layer <NUM>. Both ends of each vertical side edge are respectively connected with the bottom seat <NUM> and the top seat <NUM>, and the four vertical side edges are respectively disposed at four corners of the bottom seat <NUM> and the top seat <NUM>. The top seat <NUM>, the bottom seat <NUM> and the four vertical side edges form an accommodation space for accommodating the refrigerator. In this embodiment, the film layer <NUM> wraps an outer surface of an outline main body formed by the bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM> and the four vertical side edges by means of film shrinking upon heating. The bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM>, the four vertical side edges and the film layer <NUM> form a complete packaging structure <NUM>.

A shape of the top seat <NUM> is substantially the same as the shape of the top of the refrigerator; a shape of the bottom seat <NUM> is substantially the same as the shape of the bottom of the refrigerator. Preferably, the top seat <NUM> and the bottom seat <NUM> have the same shape and size. In the present embodiment, the shapes of the top seat <NUM> and the bottom seat <NUM> are both a regular quadrilateral such as a square or a rectangle. The top seat <NUM> and the bottom seat <NUM> respectively have four corners.

A structural configuration of the bottom seat <NUM> matches the structural configuration of the bottom of the refrigerator, to enhance the fixing effect of the refrigerator. Specifically, if the structural configuration of the bottom of the refrigerator is a structural configuration with four rollers protruding from a plane, the structural configuration of the bottom seat <NUM> is a structural configuration with four roller cavities recessed into a plane. The four roller cavities are adapted to the rollers in size and position. Certainly, there are various structural configurations of the bottom of the refrigerator, and correspondingly, the structural configuration of the bottom seat <NUM> varies accordingly. With the structural configuration matching the structural configuration of the bottom seat of the refrigerator, the bottom seat <NUM> enhances the effect of the packaging structure <NUM> in fixing the refrigerator. Further referring to <FIG>, in the present embodiment, a hollow <NUM> is provided in the middle of the bottom seat <NUM>. The area of the hollow <NUM> is between one third and two thirds of the area of the bottom seat <NUM>. The hollow structure of the bottom seat <NUM> can further reduce the cost of the material without affecting the stability of the bottom seat <NUM>.

A plurality of through holes <NUM> are disposed at predetermined positions of the top seat <NUM>, and the plurality of through holes <NUM> are evenly arranged. For the sake of clarity and conciseness of the figures, only through holes <NUM> are exemplarily marked in <FIG>, and not all the through holes <NUM> are marked.

In the present embodiment, the bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM>, and the four vertical side edges are all made of a shock-absorbing material such as a polyethylene foam (EPE), a foamed polypropylene (EPP), a rubber material, fleece paper etc. By employing the shock-absorbing material, the shock-resistant capability of the packaging structure <NUM> is effectively improved, thereby avoiding damage to the refrigerator due to shock during transportation.

The film layer <NUM> wraps the outside of the bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM> and the four vertical side edges by means of film shrinking upon heating. After the refrigerator is accommodated in the accommodating space and the bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM> and the four vertical side edges are assembled together, a worker or an industrial robot covers, in the vertical direction, the outer surface of the outline main body constituted by the bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM> and the four vertical side edges, the film is made shrink upon heating, so that a transparent film layer <NUM> is formed on the surface of the outer contour formed by the bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM> and the four vertical side edges. The film layer <NUM> surrounds and fixes the bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM>, the four vertical side edges and the refrigerator as a whole.

The material of the film layer <NUM> has colorless, odorless, non-toxic, transparent and easily heat-shrinkable properties. In the present embodiment, the material specifically selected for the film layer <NUM> comprises polyethylene (PE film) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC film). A manner of heating the film may employ heating with a heat gun or systematic heating with a heating device. Heating with the heat gun is generally suitable for small-scale production, and heating with the heating device is generally suitable for mass production. The film layer <NUM> has transparent properties, and the user can see the status of a refrigerator product without opening the package. Furthermore, the film layer <NUM> has characteristics such as low cost, small size and compactness, which effectively reduces the cost during production and transportation. Furthermore, the film layer <NUM> has characteristics such as stable chemical properties and water resistance, thereby effectively avoiding damp, mold and falling-apart problems of the packaging structure due to environmental factors.

In a preferred embodiment, the packaging structure <NUM> further comprises an upper cover plate <NUM>. The upper cover plate <NUM> covers the outside of the top seat <NUM>. The upper cover plate <NUM> may be in a shape of a semi-open box, the top seat <NUM> may be received and mounted in an inner cavity of the box, and a height of the box is equal to or slightly larger than the height of the top seat <NUM>. The film layer <NUM> wraps an outer surface of an outline main body formed by the bottom seat <NUM>, the upper cover plate <NUM> and the four vertical side edges by means of film shrinking upon heating. The bottom seat <NUM>, the upper cover plate <NUM>, the top seat <NUM>, the four vertical side edges and the film layer <NUM> form a complete packaging structure <NUM>. Preferably, the packaging structure <NUM> further comprises a lower cover plate <NUM>. The lower cover <NUM> covers the outside of the bottom seat <NUM>. The lower cover plate <NUM> may be in a shape of a semi-open box, the bottom seat <NUM> may be received and mounted in an inner cavity of the box, and a height of the box is equal to or slightly larger than the height of the bottom seat <NUM>. The film layer <NUM> wraps an outer surface of an outline main body formed by the lower cover plate <NUM>, the upper cover plate <NUM> and the four vertical side edges by means of film shrinking upon heating. The lower cover plate <NUM>, the bottom seat <NUM>, the upper cover plate <NUM>, the top seat <NUM>, the four vertical side edges and the film layer <NUM> form a complete packaging structure <NUM>.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the packaging structure <NUM> comprises the upper cover plate <NUM>, a top seat <NUM>, four vertical side edges, the bottom seat <NUM>, the lower cover plate <NUM> and the film layer <NUM>. As stated above, the upper cover plate <NUM> and the lower cover plate <NUM> in the packaging structure <NUM> may not be provided, or only one or both of the upper cover plate <NUM> and the lower cover plate <NUM> may be provided.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the four vertical side edges are respectively a first vertical side edge <NUM>, a second vertical side edge <NUM>, a third vertical side edge <NUM> and a fourth vertical side edge <NUM>, and both ends of each of the vertical side edge are respectively connected with the bottom seat <NUM> and the top seat <NUM>. The first vertical side edge <NUM>, the second vertical side edge <NUM>, the third vertical side edge <NUM> and the fourth vertical side edge <NUM> are respectively disposed at four corners of the bottom seat <NUM> and the top seat <NUM>. The bottom seat <NUM>, the top seat <NUM> and the four vertical side edges form an accommodation space for accommodating the refrigerator.

Further referring to <FIG>, in the present embodiment, a specific structure of a vertical side edge is illustrated by taking the third vertical side edge <NUM> as an example. The third vertical side edge <NUM> comprises two sides, which are a first side <NUM> and a second side <NUM> respectively. The first side <NUM> and the second side <NUM> are respectively perpendicular to a vertical direction, and have a predetermined extension length (i.e., a transverse width) along the corners of the top seat <NUM> and the bottom seat <NUM>. Preferably, a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions <NUM> are disposed on an inner surface of the third vertical side edge <NUM> facing towards the refrigerator, i.e., a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions <NUM> are disposed on inner surfaces of the first side <NUM> and the second side <NUM> and configured to abut against the outer surface of the refrigerator. For the sake of clarity and conciseness of the figure, only two protrusions <NUM> are exemplarily marked in <FIG>, and not all protrusions <NUM> are marked. In the present embodiment, the protrusions <NUM> are transversely elongated protrusions. In other embodiments, the protrusions <NUM> may also be in other shapes, for example, annular protrusions with a preset radius, or point-shaped spherical protrusions. The protrusions <NUM> further improve the shock-absorbing performance of the packaging structure <NUM>.

Preferably, the shapes of the four vertical side edges may vary. As shown in <FIG>, in the present embodiment, the first vertical side edge <NUM> and the fourth vertical side edge <NUM> have the same shape and each include a long side and a short side, i.e., the two sides have different lengths in the vertical direction; the second vertical side edges <NUM> and the third vertical side edges <NUM> have the same shape and each include two sides with the same length in the vertical direction.

In a preferred embodiment, the packaging structure <NUM> further comprises a strapping band (not shown). The strapping band is wound around the outside of the film layer. Specifically, the strapping band may be wound once around the outside of the outline main body of the packaging structure <NUM> in a vertical direction. The packaging structure <NUM> may comprise a plurality of spaced-apart strapping bands. The strapping bands can not only further strengthen the stability of the whole packaging structure, but also serve as gripping places for workers upon transportation, thereby facilitating the workers to transport the refrigerator.

As shown in <FIG>, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a packaging method for packaging a refrigerator. In this embodiment, the packaging method comprises four steps, and the specific content of each step is presented as follows.

Step S1: placing the refrigerator on the bottom seat. As stated above, when the packaging structure further comprises a lower cover plate, the bottom seat may be placed in the lower cover plate first, and then the refrigerator be placed on the bottom seat.

Step S2: fixing the four vertical side edges at the four corners of the bottom seat respectively.

Step S3: placing the top seat on the top of the refrigerator and fixing the top seat with the four vertical side edges. As stated above, when the packaging structure further comprises an upper cover plate, after the top seat is placed on the top of the refrigerator and fixed with the four vertical side edges, the upper cover plate is disposed on the top seat. Alternatively, the top seat and the upper cover plate are firstly fixed into one piece, and then the one-piece structure is placed on the top of the refrigerator and fixed with the four vertical side edges.

Step S4: covering the outer surface of the outline main body formed by the bottom seat, the top seat and the four vertical side edges with a film, and heating the film so that the film shrinks to form a film layer. The film layer surrounds and fixes the bottom seat, the top seat, the four vertical side edges and the refrigerator as a whole. A manner of heating the film may employ heating with a heat gun or systematic heating with a heating device. Heating with the heat gun is generally suitable for small-scale production, and heating with the heating device is generally suitable for mass production.

In a preferred embodiment, the packaging method further comprises step S5: winding the strapping band around the outside of the film layer. Specifically, the strapping band may be wound once around the outside of the outline main body of the packaging structure <NUM> in the vertical direction. In step S5, a plurality of spaced-apart strapping bands may be wound around the outside of the film layer. The strapping bands can not only further strengthen the stability of the whole packaging structure <NUM>, but also serve as gripping places for workers upon transportation, thereby facilitating the workers to transport the refrigerator.

The packaging structure for a refrigerator proposed by embodiments of the present invention comprises the top seat, the bottom seat and four vertical side edges and employs the film which is heated to shrink to form a layer of outer film, the outer film tightly wraps the top seat, the bottom seat and the four vertical side edges due to shrinking upon heating, into a whole which is not apt to fall apart, so that the packaging manner of covering the whole refrigerator with paper needn't be employed, the cost can be saved and the size can be reduced.

The film layer in the packaging structure for the refrigerator proposed by the embodiment of the present invention is made of a transparent material so that the user can view the status of the product of the refrigerator without opening the packaging box.

The film layer of the packaging structure for a refrigerator proposed by the embodiment of the present invention has good chemical stability and water resistance, thereby effectively avoiding problems such as damp, mold and falling-apart problems of the packaging structure due to environmental factors.

Claim 1:
An assembly comprising:
- a refrigerator; and
- a packaging structure (<NUM>) for a refrigerator, comprising:
a bottom seat (<NUM>) supported on a bottom of the refrigerator;
a top seat (<NUM>) covering a top of the refrigerator;
four vertical side edges, both ends of each vertical side edge being respectively connected with the bottom seat (<NUM>) and the top seat (<NUM>), and the four vertical side edges being respectively disposed at four corners of the bottom seat (<NUM>) and the top seat (<NUM>); the bottom seat (<NUM>), the top seat (<NUM>) and the four vertical side edges forming an accommodation space for accommodating the refrigerator;
the packaging structure further comprising a film layer (<NUM>) which wraps an outer surface of an outline main body formed by the bottom seat (<NUM>), the top seat (<NUM>) and the four vertical side edges by means of film shrinking upon heating;
wherein the film layer (<NUM>) surrounds and fixes the bottom seat (<NUM>), the top seat (<NUM>), the four vertical side edges and the refrigerator as a whole;
characterised in that
the four vertical side edges comprise a first vertical side edge (<NUM>), a second vertical side edge (<NUM>), a third vertical side edge (<NUM>) and a fourth vertical side edge (<NUM>), the first vertical side edge (<NUM>) and the fourth vertical side edge (<NUM>) have the same shape and each include two sides with different lengths in the vertical direction, the second vertical side edge (<NUM>) and the third vertical side edge (<NUM>) have the same shape and each include two sides with the same length in the vertical direction.