Packaging material and method and device for producing the same

Abstract

A packaging material for cushioning an object packed in a container is disclosed herein. The packaging elements making up the packaging material may be made from sheets of paper, and be cup-shaped with a floor and thickened walls having irregular folds created by crushing the walls. Also disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing the packaging material that includes the steps of unrolling a paper roll, cutting the paper into paper sheets, pressing the cut paper sheets to form a cup, and crushing the walls of the cup towards the floor of the cup. A machine for implementing this method is also disclosed, and includes a mandrel for pressing the cut paper sheets, a sleeve for crushing the walls of the cup, and a stop block for holding the paper sheets.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A packaging element formed from a paper and substantially cup-shaped, the packaging element comprising: 
 a floor; and    an encircling lateral wall forming a central cavity with said floor, wherein said wall is non-uniform and made from folded portions of the paper.    
     
     
         2 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the paper comprises Kraft paper.  
     
     
         3 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said wall has an average thickness greater than ten times the thickness of the paper.  
     
     
         4 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said floor is substantially flat and the majority of the folded portions of the paper making up said wall overlap each other, or form angles or intersections with each other.  
     
     
         5 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said wall comprises more than ten folded portions of the paper.  
     
     
         6 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said wall comprises more than twenty-five folded portions of the paper.  
     
     
         7 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the volume of the packaging element to the surface area of the paper used to make the packaging element is in the range of 0.01 to five cm 3 /cm 2 .  
     
     
         8 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the volume of the packaging element to the surface area of the paper used to make the packaging element is in the range of 0.05 to one cm 3 /cm 2 .  
     
     
         9 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the volume of the packaging element to the surface area of the paper used to make the packaging element is in the range of 0.1 to one cm 3 /cm 2 .  
     
     
         10 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the volume of the packaging element to the volume of the paper used to make the packaging element is in the range of ten to three-hundred.  
     
     
         11 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the volume of the packaging element to the volume of the paper used to make the packaging element is in the range of forty to two-hundred.  
     
     
         12 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the volume of the packaging element to the volume of the paper used to make the packaging element is in the range of fifty to one-hundred.  
     
     
         13 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average exterior diameter of the packaging element cylinder to the height of the packaging element is between 0.2 and eight.  
     
     
         14 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average exterior diameter of the packaging element cylinder to the height of the packaging element is between 0.9 and six.  
     
     
         15 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average exterior diameter of the packaging element cylinder to the height of the packaging element is between 0.9 and three.  
     
     
         16 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the exterior diameter of the packaging element to the average thickness of said wall is between 2.1 and eight.  
     
     
         17 . A packaging element as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the exterior diameter of the packaging element to the average thickness of said wall is between 2.2 and six.  
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a packaging element, comprising: 
 pressing a sheet of paper through an aperture of a template to form a tubular paper cup; and    crushing the walls of the tubular paper cup in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tube of the tubular paper cup to form the packaging element.    
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a packaging element as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the sheet of paper is cut from an unrolled roll of paper.  
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a packaging element as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the pressing and crushing steps are executed successively, repetitively and continuously.  
     
     
         21 . A machine for manufacturing a packaging element, comprising: 
 a mold having a hollow channel provided therein;    a pressing mechanism for pressing a paper sheet into the hollow channel of said mold to form a preliminary cup;    a crushing mechanism for crushing of the lateral walls of the preliminary cup; and    a stop block retaining the paper sheet so that the paper sheet is between said stop block and said crushing mechanism.    
     
     
         22 . A machine for manufacturing a packaging element as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said pressing mechanism comprises a mandrel in the shape of a cylinder with a polygonal, circular, or curvilinear base; said crushing mechanism comprises a sleeve that is capable of sliding on the mandrel; and the mandrel and sleeve act successively to initially form the preliminary cup and then subsequently crush the walls of the cup to create thick, non-uniform walls of the packaging element.  
     
     
         23 . A machine for manufacturing a packaging element as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said stop block is moveable to allow the packaging element to exit from the hollow channel.  
     
     
         24 . A machine for manufacturing a packaging element as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the mandrel and sleeve further include mating beads, grooves, or serrations running parallel to their axes to prevent the paper sheet from jamming between the mandrel and the sleeve.  
     
     
         25 . A machine for manufacturing a packaging element as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the sleeve and hollow channel further include mating beads, grooves, or serrations running parallel to their axes to prevent the paper sheet from jamming between the sleeve and the hollow channel.  
     
     
         26 . A machine for manufacturing a packaging element as recited in  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 a mechanism for unrolling a continuous paper roll to create a large sheet; and    a mechanism for cutting the continuous paper roll into paper sheets.    
     
     
         27 . A packaging material comprising a plurality of packaging elements, each packaging element being formed from a paper, being substantially cup-shaped, and comprising: 
 a floor; and    an encircling lateral wall forming a central cavity with said floor, wherein said wall is non-uniform and made from folded portions of the paper.    
     
     
         28 . A system for protecting an object, comprising: 
 a container for housing the object; and    a packaging material comprising a plurality of packaging elements provided in said container and around the object to protect the object, wherein each packaging element is formed from a paper, is substantially cup-shaped, and comprises a floor, and an encircling lateral wall forming a central cavity with the floor, the wall being non-uniform and made from folded portions of the paper.    
     
     
         29 . A container padded with a packaging material comprising a plurality of packaging elements, each packaging element being formed from a paper, being substantially cup-shaped, and comprising a floor, and an encircling lateral wall forming a central cavity with the floor, the wall being non-uniform and made from folded portions of the paper.