Patent ID: 7654390

Claim:
An assembly for packaging an article, the assembly comprising: a shipping pallet having a load bearing surface supported by parallel, spaced apart, side runners; a substantially rectangular transport base resting on the shipping pallet load bearing surface and comprising a bottom panel having four corners and a perimeter partly defined by first opposing fold lines, and side panels hingedly attached to the bottom panel along the first opposing fold lines; and a carton surrounding the transport base and comprising four side walls having bottom edges and four bottom flaps foldably attached to the carton side wall bottom edges, the bottom flaps comprising front and rear flaps and two side flaps, the front and rear flaps being folded under the transport base and interposed between the transport base and the shipping pallet, the side flaps extending downward; wherein the transport base side panels extend downward and are interposed between the pallet side runners and the carton side flaps, and wherein the carton side flaps and transport base side panels are secured to the pallet side runners; wherein the transport base bottom panel perimeter is further defined by second opposing fold lines, and wherein the transport base further comprises front and rear panels hingedly attached to the bottom panel along the second opposing fold lines; wherein the transport base further comprises a plurality of load bearing cushioning elements arranged in spaced relation on the bottom panel near its perimeter; and wherein the front and rear panels at least partially encapsulate the cushioning elements.