Cable Retainers for Packaging and Methods of Packaging a Cable

Abstract

Packaging and cable retainers for packaging wound cables are provided. The packaging may include a cavity configured to receive a wound cable held by a cable retainer. The cable retainer may be a single foldable piece of material. The cable retainer may include a plurality of fingers hingedly coupled to a panel and a plurality of flaps cut from the panel and hingedly coupled to the panel. The fingers may be attached to respective flaps to thereby define passageways through which a wound cable may extend. Methods of packaging wound cables are also discussed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Packaging comprising:
 a base comprising a cavity;   a cable retainer disposed within the cavity, the cable retainer comprising:
 a panel extending across the cavity, 
 a plurality of fingers, each finger hingedly coupled to the panel; 
 a plurality of flaps cut from the panel and hingedly coupled to the panel; 
   wherein each finger is attached to a flap to thereby together define a passageway.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein each finger is releasably attached to the flap via an attachment member. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging of  claim 2 , wherein the attachment members comprise an adhesive. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the passageways extend parallel to a lower surface of the cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging of  claim 4 , further comprising a wound cable extending through the passageways. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging of  claim 5 , wherein the wound cable loops through the passageways multiple times, and wherein each loop of the wound cable that extends through the passageways is disposed on the same plane parallel to the lower surface of the cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging of  claim 5 , wherein the cavity includes a corner, and wherein a plug of the cable is positioned adjacent to the corner outside of the loops of the wound cable, such that contact between the plug and walls of the corner inhibits rotation of the wound cable. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the panel, the fingers, and the flaps are a single integrally formed piece. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the panel is disposed on a lower surface of the cavity, and wherein the cable retainer has a maximum thickness of less than or equal to 7 millimeters measured perpendicularly from the lower surface of the cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a product surface for supporting a product, and wherein the cavity is formed in the product surface. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging of  claim 10 , wherein the cavity has a depth of less than or equal to 7 millimeters measured from the product surface to a lower surface of the cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer is completely disposed within the cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the hinged couplings between each finger and the panel are defined by grooves on the cable retainer. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the hinged couplings between each finger and the panel are defined by fold lines on the cable retainer. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein each finger is hingedly coupled to a segment that is hingedly coupled to the panel. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging of  claim 15 , wherein the panel, the segments, the fingers, and the flaps define the passageways. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein a free end of each finger attached to a flap points in a direction opposite the direction that a free end of the flap points. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer is composed of a paper-based product. 
     
     
         19 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer comprises the same number of fingers as flaps. 
     
     
         20 . The packaging of  claim 1 , further comprising a pull tab coupled to the panel. 
     
     
         21 . The packaging of  claim 1 , wherein the panel is releasably coupled to a lower surface of the cavity. 
     
     
         22 . A cable retainer for packaging a wound cable, the cable retainer comprising:
 a single foldable piece of material configured to fold from a flat configuration to a folded configuration, the single foldable piece of material comprising:
 a panel, a plurality of fingers, each finger hingedly coupled to the panel, and a plurality of flaps cut from the panel and hingedly coupled to the panel; 
   wherein, in the folded configuration, each finger is folded towards a geometric center of the panel and attached to a respective flap to define a plurality of passageways for receiving a wound cable.   
     
     
         23 . The cable retainer of  claim 22 , wherein the attachment between the fingers and respective flaps is a releasable attachment. 
     
     
         24 . The cable retainer of  claim 23 , wherein the releasable attachments comprise one or more of the following: an adhesive, a tab and slot coupling, a snap-fit coupling, and a hook and loop fastener. 
     
     
         25 . The cable retainer of  claim 22 , further comprising a pull tab hingedly coupled to the panel. 
     
     
         26 . The cable retainer of  claim 22 , wherein the single foldable piece of material is composed of a paper-based product. 
     
     
         27 . The cable retainer of  claim 22 , wherein the single foldable piece of material is a compostable material. 
     
     
         28 . The cable retainer of  claim 22 , wherein the single foldable piece of material is a recyclable material. 
     
     
         29 . A packaged cable comprising:
 the cable retainer of  claim 22  in the folded configuration, and   a wound cable extending through the passageways defined by the cable retainer.   
     
     
         30 . The packaged cable of  claim 29 , wherein the wound cable loops through the passageways defined by the cable retainer multiple times,
 wherein each loop of the wound cable that extends through the passageways is disposed on the same plane parallel to a top surface of the cable retainer panel, and   wherein no loop of the wound cable is disposed on top of another loop of the wound cable.   
     
     
         31 . Packaging comprising:
 a base comprising a cavity;   the cable retainer of  claim 22  in the folded configuration disposed in the cavity, and   a wound cable extending through the passageways defined by the cable retainer.   
     
     
         32 . A method of assembling a packaged cable, the method comprising:
 winding a cable to form a wound cable including a plurality of cable loops;   folding a cable retainer about the wound cable, wherein the folding comprises:
 folding flaps cut from a panel of the cable retainer, 
 folding fingers hingedly coupled to the panel of the cable retainer, and 
 attaching the fingers to respective flaps to thereby define a plurality of passageways through which the loops of the wound cable extend; and 
   positioning the cable retainer and the wound cable in a cavity formed in a packaging container.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein each loop of the wound cable is disposed on the same plane parallel to a top surface of the cable retainer panel. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the cable is wound such that each loop of the cable is in contact with immediately adjacent loops along a majority of each loop. 
     
     
         35 . A blank for forming a cable retainer, the blank comprising:
 a central panel connected to a plurality of fingers by a first set of upward fold lines; and   a plurality of flaps cut from the central panel and connected to the central panel by a second set of upward fold lines;   wherein each upward fold line in the first set of upward fold lines is oriented parallel to an upward fold line in the second set of upward fold lines.   
     
     
         36 . The blank of  claim 35 , further comprising a plurality of segments, each segment disposed between the central panel and a respective finger;
 wherein the segments are connected to the fingers by the first set of upward fold lines, and wherein the segments are connected to the central panel by a third set of upward fold lines.   
     
     
         37 . The blank of  claim 35 , further comprising a pull tab connected to the central panel by a fourth upward fold line.