Shipping and display package for electronic equipment

Abstract

A packaging assembly for articles of electronic equipment includes at least one cushion fabricated from a cushioning material. The at least one cushion is secured to the article of electronic equipment to be packaged. A transparent elastic cover layer substantially completely encloses the article and the at least one cushion. When the article is packaged in the transparent elastic cover layer with the cushion in place, the transparent elastic cover layer composes the outermost layer of packaging for the article, and a major portion of the article remains visible. In an embodiment, the at least one cushion is provided as four cushions fitted onto respective upper corners of the article to be packaged, and a bottom tray fitted onto a bottom surface of the article to be packaged. The cushions and the bottom tray can be fabricated from expanded polypropylene. The transparent elastic cover layer can be provided as a shrink-wrap material, such as PVC film. A method for packaging articles of electronic equipment is also described.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A packaging assembly for articles of electronic equipment comprising the following: 
 at least one cushion fabricated from a cushioning material and secured to the article of electronic equipment; and    a transparent elastic cover layer substantially completely enclosing the article and the at least one cushion, the transparent elastic cover layer forming the outermost layer of packaging for the article, with a major portion of the article remaining visible when the article is packaged in the transparent elastic cover layer with the cushion in place.    
     
     
         2 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cushion comprises at least two cushions fitted onto respective upper corners of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         3 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the at least one cushion further comprises a bottom tray fitted onto a bottom surface of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         4 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the cushions fitted onto respective upper corners of the article to be packaged and the bottom tray are fabricated from expanded polypropylene.  
     
     
         5 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the transparent elastic cover layer comprises a shrink-wrap material.  
     
     
         6 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the transparent elastic cover layer comprises a PVC film.  
     
     
         7 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cushion comprises at least two cushions fitted onto respective upper and lower surfaces of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         8 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the at least two cushions comprise a top tray fitted onto an upper surface of the article to be packaged, and a bottom tray fitted onto a lower surface of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         9 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cushion comprises an overwrap fitted over the outer surface of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         10 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the overwrap includes a plurality of windows providing visual access to the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         11 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the overwrap is fabricated from corrugated fiberboard.  
     
     
         12 . An article packaging assembly comprising the following: 
 at least one cushion fabricated from a cushioning material and secured to the article to be packaged; and    a transparent elastic cover layer substantially completely enclosing the article and the at least one cushion, the transparent elastic cover layer forming the outermost layer of packaging for the article.    
     
     
         13 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the at least one cushion further comprises a bottom tray fitted onto a bottom surface of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         14 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 13 , further comprising at least one cushion fitted onto a top surface of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         15 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the at least one cushion fitted onto a top surface of the article to be packaged comprises at least two corner cushions fitted onto respective upper corners of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         16 . A packaging assembly in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the at least one cushion further comprises a top tray fitted onto an upper surface of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         17 . A method for packaging articles of electronic equipment, the method comprising the following steps: 
 securing at least one cushion, fabricated from a cushioning material, to the article of electronic equipment; and    substantially completely enclosing the article and the at least one cushion with a transparent elastic cover layer such that the transparent elastic cover layer composes the outermost layer of packaging for the article, and a major portion of the article remains visible when the article is packaged in the transparent elastic cover layer with the cushion in place.    
     
     
         18 . A method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the step of securing at least one cushion comprises the following: 
 securing cushions onto respective upper corners of the article to be packaged; and    securing a bottom tray onto a bottom surface of the article to be packaged.    
     
     
         19 . A method in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the steps of securing cushion onto respective corners of the article to be packaged and securing a bottom tray onto a bottom surface of the article to be packaged comprise securing securing expanded polpropylene cushions onto respective upper corners of the article to be packaged and securing an expanded polypropylene bottom tray onto a bottom surface of the article to be packaged.  
     
     
         20 . A method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the step of substantially completely enclosing the article and the at least one cushion comprises substantially completely enclosing the article and the at least one cushion with a shrinkable PVC film.