Vertical shipment dunnage

Abstract

The invention described herein generally pertains to dunnage apparatus for securing an object in a vertical orientation for shipment. The apparatus includes a carton having a cutout portion adapted to at least partially receive an object to be supported. The apparatus secures the object during a stretch wrap process which joins the apparatus and the object together as a unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dunnage apparatus, comprising:
 a carton having a top panel, a bottom panel, and a plurality of sidewalls extending therebetween;   an opening formed in the carton having a top edge formed in the top panel, a bottom edge formed in the bottom panel, and respective side edge formed in at least two sidewalls,   wherein, when deployed to secure an object vertically oriented for shipment, the top edge is configured to engage along at least a portion of a perimeter of the object, the side edges respectively engage vertical surfaces of the object, and the bottom edge forms a bottom support panel on which the object rests.   
     
     
         2 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the dunnage apparatus is deployed with a second dunnage apparatus to secure the object. 
     
     
         3 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top edge of the opening has a shape corresponding to a shape of the portion of the perimeter of the object. 
     
     
         4 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carton is foldable, from a collapsed initial state, into a final state for deployment. 
     
     
         5 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carton is a rectangular prism and the opening is formed at a vertical edge of the prism between a pair of sidewalls. 
     
     
         6 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top edge includes a first segment and a second segment arranged perpendicularly to one another. 
     
     
         7 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first segment has a greater length than the second segment. 
     
     
         8 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein, when deployed, the first segment engages surfaces of two or more objects. 
     
     
         9 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carton is a corrugated material and a direction of the corrugates are perpendicular to surfaces of the object at points of engagement. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a box having an interior volume defined by an upper surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the upper surface and the bottom surface; and   an opening to expose the interior volume of the box for partially receiving an object therein, the opening is delineated by a first contour in the upper surface, a second contour in the bottom surface, a third contour in a first side surface, and a fourth contour in a second side surface,   wherein, when deployed to secure the object in a vertical orientation for shipment, the object engages one of more delineations of the opening formed in the surfaces of the box.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first contour is configured to engage around at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the object. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first contour corresponds to at least a portion of a cross-sectional shape of the object. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the second contour forms a support panel on which the object rests when partially received within the interior volume of the box. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the third contour and the fourth contour provide respective edges in the first and second side surfaces that respectively engage at least one surface of the object. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the opening defines a negative volume in the box that matches at least a portion of a shape of the object. 
     
     
         16 . A dunnage apparatus, comprising: a foldable carton of corrugated material that, when folded, includes a top panel, a bottom panel, a plurality of sidewalls extending therebetween, and an opening that exposes an interior volume of the carton,
 wherein the opening is delineated by a top edge formed in the top panel of the carton, a bottom edge formed in the bottom panel of the carton, and a pair of side edges formed in respective sidewalls of the carton, and   wherein, to secure an object in a vertical orientation, the top and sides edges of the opening are configured to engage respective surfaces of the object and the bottom edge forms a surface configured to support a bottom of the object, thereby partially receiving the object into the interior volume of the carton.   
     
     
         17 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein a flute direction along the top edge and the side edges of the opening are perpendicular to respective surfaces of the object. 
     
     
         18 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the top edge has a contour that corresponds to at least a portion of a cross-section shape of the object to enable the carton to partially wrap around the object when deployed. 
     
     
         19 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein, when deployed, the dunnage apparatus secures with the object as unit for stretch wrapping. 
     
     
         20 . The dunnage apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein a height of the carton is at least one half a height of the object.