Patent Document

Cross-Reference to Related Applications  
       [0001]    This application claims priority from provisional application number 60/217,764 filed Jul. 12, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to a protective wrap packing material, and more particularly, to a laminated protective wrap having a hard outer layer with a shock absorbing inner layer adhered thereto.  
           [0004]    2. Related Art  
           [0005]    Modern continuous manufacturing techniques often produce products that are sold in lengths of hundreds if not thousands of feet. These products are often coiled or spooled then shipped great distances and frequently are exported to customers overseas. Upon arrival, the end user will uncoil or unwind the product from the spoil and process it for their particular application. Two major types of products shipped in this manner are sheet metal coils and fiber optic communication cables.  
           [0006]    In the sheet metal industry, metal coils are transported by truck, by rail, or even by ship and are often handled many times during their transport. During handling, the heavy coils are generally loaded and unloaded using a crane or fork-lift truck and frequently collide with or brush against other coils or other objects. As a result, many coils are often dented, damaging the outer layers of the coil. Before processing, customers are forced to remove the damaged portion of the coil and discard it as scrap.  
           [0007]    In the telecommunications industry, fiber optic cable is spooled in continuous lengths thousands of feet in length for use in extensive networks that span great distances. These spools are of considerable weight and difficult to handle without colliding with other spools or other objects and damaging the cable. If damaged during shipment, that portion of the cable is removed by the customer and is generally unusable due to the costly expense of splicing fiber optic cable.  
           [0008]    In the past, corrugated plastic sheets have been used to wrap both metal coils and fiber optic cable during shipments. Corrugated plastic sheets are durable, versatile and superior to traditional materials, such as cardboard, in many ways. However, corrugated plastic sheets have only hard surfaces, and therefore lack the necessary cushioning or energy absorbing ability required to adequately protect products during extended shipments. Typically, corrugated plastic sheets are supplemented by a foam or cloth liner to provide additional protection in traditional packaging systems. However, using multiple separate layers of material is difficult, costly, and time consuming. Therefore, what the art needs is a protective wrap that combines the hardness of corrugated plastic with the shock absorption of foam or cloth liners into a single sheet that can easily by adapted for use in wrapping around spoils.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    This invention solves the problems encountered with conventional wrapping methods by providing a laminated protective wrap that combines a hard outer layer and a shock absorbing inner layer into a single sheet.  
           [0010]    An aspect of the invention is a laminated protective wrap, including a hard outer layer having a top surface, a bottom surface, a length, and a width; and a shock absorbing inner layer adhered to the bottom surface of the hard outer layer.  
           [0011]    Another aspect of the invention is a method for packaging a coil having an outer surface, a first end, and a second end, including the steps of: (1) wrapping a laminated protective wrap comprising a hard outer layer having a top surface, a bottom surface, a length, and a width, and a shock absorbing inner layer adhered to the bottom surface of the hard outer layer, around the outer surface of the coil such that the shock absorbing inner layer is in physical contact with the outer surface of the coil, and (2) securing the first and second ends of the laminated protective wrap.  
           [0012]    Another aspect of the invention is a method for manufacturing a laminated protective wrap comprising a hard outer layer having a top surface, a bottom surface, a length, and a width; and a shock absorbing inner layer adhered to the bottom surface of the hard outer layer, including the steps of: (1) applying an adhesive to the bottom surface of the hard outer layer, and (2) affixing the shock absorbing inner layer to the bottom surface of the impact resistant layer.  
           [0013]    A feature of the invention is a laminated protective wrap produced in a single sheet that has the strength and durability of corrugated plastic combined with the shock absorption of foam.  
           [0014]    Another feature of the invention is that both single-faced and double-faced corrugated sheets can be used thereby allowing for a wide variety of strength characteristics.  
           [0015]    Another feature of the invention is that the degree of shock absorption can be easily adjusted by varying the thickness and/or material of the shock absorbing inner layer.  
           [0016]    An advantage of the invention is that it provides a protective wrap with greater impact resistance and shock absorption thereby preventing damage to goods during extended shipments and rough handling resulting in less waste.  
           [0017]    Another advantage of the invention is that it provides increased ultraviolet protection.  
           [0018]    Another advantage of the invention is that it makes wrapping a large object, such as a metal coil, easier and less time consuming. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1A is a planar cross-sectional view of a single-faced laminated protective wrap.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the single-faced laminated protective wrap.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 is a planar cross-sectional view of a double-faced laminated protective wrap having a fluted middle surface.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a planar cross-sectional view of a double-faced laminated protective wrap having a middle surface with vertical ribs running the length of the hard outer layer.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plurality of transverse cuts through a double-faced laminated protective wrap.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 is a planar top view of a plurality of transverse cuts through the hard outer layer of a double-faced laminated protective wrap.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6 is a planar side view of a double-faced laminated protective wrap being wrapped around a product with a curved surface.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 7 is a planar side view of a metal coil packaged with laminated protective wrap.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a metal coil wrapped with laminated protective wrap.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 9 is a front view of a metal coil with caps made of laminated protective wrap over the ends of the metal coil. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]    An embodiment of the laminated protective wrap  100  of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The laminated protective wrap  100  is a rectangular sheet having a length  110  and a width  108  and includes a hard outer layer  101  with a shock absorbing inner layer  102  adhered thereto. The laminated protective wrap  100  includes a means for adhering  103  the shock absorbing layer  102  to the hard outer layer  101 .  
         [0031]    The hard outer layer  101  has a top surface  104  and a bottom surface  105 . The shock absorbing inner layer  102  is preferably adhered to the bottom surface  105  of the hard outer layer  101 , such that upon wrapping an object with the laminated protective wrap  100 , the shock absorbing inner layer  102  is in physical contact with the object and the top surface  104  of the hard outer layer  101  is exposed to the environment.  
         [0032]    The hard outer layer  101  is preferably a corrugated sheet of plastic, but can alternatively be made of other materials such as metal, wood, cardboard, or a composite material. Non-limiting examples of plastic that can be used for the hard outer layer  101  include: polyethylene (high-density and low-density), polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide, polyurethane, phenolics, melamine-formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde, unsaturated polyesters, epoxy, and reinforced plastics.  
         [0033]    The hard outer layer  101  depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B is single-faced, meaning that it has a flat top surface  104  and a fluted bottom surface  105 . The fluted bottom surface  105  includes one or more elongated tubes  106  adjacently joined and extending the width  108  of the hard outer layer  101 .  
         [0034]    Attached to the bottom surface  105  of the hard outer layer  101 , is the shock absorbing inner layer  102 . The shock absorbing inner layer  102  is the innermost layer of the laminated protective wrap  100 . The shock absorbing inner layer  102  acts as a cushion between the object to be protected and the hard outer layer  101 . The shock absorbing layer  100  is preferably made of a commercially available polyethylene foam, but can alternatively be made of other cushioning substances or material such as, but not limited to: natural rubber, synthetic rubber, various cloth or fibrous materials, or any composite material that is capable of cushioning.  
         [0035]    The laminated protective wrap  100  includes a means for adhering  103  the shock absorbing inner layer  102  to the hard outer layer  101 . In the preferred embodiment, the preferred means for adhering  103  is an adhesive, specifically a hot melt rubber based glue commercially available from National Starch &amp; Chemicals, Adhesive number 34-2899. Alternatively, the shock absorbing inner layer  102  can be detachably affixed to the hard outer layer  101 , for example by velcro, snaps, clips, or other mechanical fasteners, such that different shock absorbing inner layers  102  can be combined with various hard outer layers  101  depending on the desired qualities of the protective wrap needed. For example, if the laminated protective wrap  100  had to withstand great stresses, a thick hard outer layer  101  may be combined with a thick shock absorbing inner layer  102 . It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to use velcro, snaps, clips, or other mechanical fasteners to removably attach the shock absorbing inner layer  102  to the hard outer layer  101 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a laminated protective wrap  200  in which the hard outer layer  201  is double-faced, meaning that it has a flat top surface  202 , a flat bottom surface  204 , and a fluted middle surface  203 . The fluted middle surface  203  includes one or more elongated tubes  206  adjacently joined and extending the width  108  of the hard outer layer  201 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 3 shows another alternative embodiment of a laminated protective wrap  300  comprising a double-faced hard outer layer  301  having a flat top surface  302 , a flat bottom surface  304 , and a middle surface  303  having a plurality of I-beams or vertical ribs  306  running the width  108  of the hard outer layer  301 . The angle, position and spacing of the vertical ribs  306  are shown in a uniform vertical arrangement for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to use a hard outer layer  101  having vertical ribs  306  in a different arrangement employing a variety of angles, positions, and spaces between two adjacent vertical ribs.  
         [0038]    In general, double-faced laminated protective wraps  200 ,  300  are stronger and more rigid than single-faced laminated protective wraps  100 . Therefore, it is often desirable to include a means for bending in a double-faced laminated protective wrap  200 ,  300  to facilitate wrapping large objects. A single-faced hard outer layer  102  does not require an additional means for bending because of the inherent bending qualities in such a hard outer layer  102 , that does not have a middle surface  203  or a flat bottom surface  204 , when the bending radius is curved toward the bottom surface  105 .  
         [0039]    An embodiment of the means for bending is depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 in relation to laminated protective wrap  300 . The preferred means for bending is one or more transverse cuts  401  in the top surface  302  of the hard outer layer  301  extending along the width  402  of the laminated protective wrap  300 , such that the transverse cuts  401  are perpendicular to the vertical ribs  306 . The transverse cuts  401  are made using a conventional darting process known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Preferably, the transverse cuts  401  are uniformly spaced along the width  402  of the laminated protective wrap  300  and are about 4 inches apart. The transverse cuts  401  extend the entire length  404  of the laminated protective wrap  300 . Alternatively, one or more transverse cuts  401  can be positioned at various distances or spaces along the width  402  as long as the desired effect of facilitating the bending of the laminated protective wrap  300  is retained.  
         [0040]    The use of transverse cuts  401  is for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to employ a different means for bending in a double-faced laminated protective wrap  300 . For example, alternative means for bending include, but are not limited to, each traverse cut  401  may be a single cut through the hard outer layer  301  or may comprise a plurality of cuts along the same line through the hard outer layer  301 , or each traverse cut  401  may extend through the hard outer layer  301  or may be a crease in the hard outer layer  301  such that each transverse cut  401  only extends through the flat top surface  302  or the flat top surface  302  and middle surface  303  of the hard outer layer  301 .  
         [0041]    FIGS.  6 - 8  show the laminated protective wrap  300  in use. The use of the present invention is described in terms of laminated protective wrap  300  for convenience purpose only. The disclosure is equally applicable to the alternative embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the laminated protective wrap  300  wrapped around a curved surface  601 , such as a large coil or spool. The laminated protective wrap  300  is wrapped around the curved surface  601  such that the vertical ribs  306  are aligned with the perimeter, and circumference, of the curved surface  601 , resulting in the transverse cuts  401  being perpendicular to the perimeter of the curved surface  601  to facilitate the bending of the laminated protective wrap  300 . The laminated protective wrap  300  bends at the transverse cuts  401  when wrapped around the perimeter of the curved surface  601 , thereby creating a plurality of flat surfaces  602  that approximate the curved surface  601  and allowing the shock absorbing inner layer  102  of the laminated protective wrap  300  to be in nearly continuous contact with the curved surface  601 .  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 7 shows a metal coil  701  packaged with a laminated protective wrap  300 . The metal coil  701  is packaged by wrapping the laminated protective wrap  300  around the outer surface of the coil  701  such that the shock absorbing inner layer  102  is in contact with the metal coil  701  and the hard outer layer  301  is exposed to the environment. The laminated protective wrap  300  also has a first end  406  and a second end  408  such that when the laminated protected wrap  300  is wrapped around the outer surface of the coil  701 , the first end  406  and the second end  408  are in close proximity to each other. In one embodiment, the first end  406  and the second end  408  are in contact with each other without overlapping, whereas in an alternative embodiment, the first end  406  and the second end  408  overlap to provide additional protection to the coil  701 . The first end  406  and the second end  408  of the laminated protective wrap  300  are then secured using adhesive tape or other means known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, e.g., one or more straps, clips, or other mechanical fasteners.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 8 shows a laminated protective wrap  300  that has been secured after wrapping a metal coil  701 . The first end  406  and second end  408  of the laminated protective wrap  300  are secured in place with adhesive tape  808  or other means known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. The packaging is then completed by binding the laminated protective wrap  300  in place with one or more strapping bands  802 ,  804  that run around the ends of the metal coil  701 . The use of adhesive tape  808  and strapping bands  802 ,  804  is well known in the relevant arts.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 9 shows a metal coil  701  wrapped with a laminated protective wrap  300 , wherein the ends of the coil  701  are covered with caps  808 ,  810  also made of laminated protective wrap  300 . The caps  902 ,  904  are held in place by one or more strapping bands  802 ,  804 .  
       CONCLUSION  
       [0045]    While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by the way of example only, and not limitation. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Technology Category: 7