Structural foam for packaging

Abstract

A packaging material is provided which is comprised of a plank of structural foam and a plurality of vertical interior voids defined in the plank. The ratio of the height of each interior void is between about 60% and about 65% of the height of the plank, and the diameter of each interior void is between about 55% and about 65% of the height of the void. Each interior void has a bottom portion defining a conical dome shape. The dome-shaped interior voids advantageously allow for the use of lower cost lower, lower density material to be used to archive the same performance as higher density, or higher cost materials. When the structural foam has a material density of 1.2# it exhibits properties of structural foam having a material density of 2.2#, and when the structural foam has a material density of 2.2# it exhibits properties of structural foam having a material density of 4.0#.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging material comprising:
 a plank of structural foam, the plank having a height;   a plurality of vertical interior voids defined in the plank, each interior void having a height and a diameter;   wherein the height of each interior void is between about 60% and about 65% of the height of the plank; and   wherein the diameter of each interior void is between about 55% and about 65% of the height of the void.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging material of  claim 1  wherein each interior void has a bottom portion defining a conical dome shape. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging material of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of vertical interior voids is arranged in a pre-determined pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging material of  claim 1  wherein the interior voids are molded to have a skinned surface. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging material of  claim 1  wherein the material density of the structural foam is between about 1.3 pounds per cubic foot and about 2.8 pounds per cubic foot. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging material of  claim 5  wherein:
 when the structural foam has a material density of 1.2# it exhibits properties of structural foam having a material density of 2.2#; and 
 when the structural foam has a material density of 2.2# it exhibits properties of structural foam having a material density of 4.0#. 
 
     
     
         7 . The packaging material of  claim 1  wherein the height of each interior void is about 62.5% of the height of the plank. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging material of  claim 1  wherein the diameter of each interior void is about 60% of the height of the void. 
     
     
         9 . A packaging material comprising:
 a plank of structural foam, the plank having a height;   a plurality of vertical interior voids defined in the plank, each interior void having a height, a diameter, and a bottom portion defining a conical dome shape;   wherein the height of each interior void is between about 60% and about 65% of the height of the plank;   wherein when the structural foam has a material density of 1.2# it exhibits properties of structural foam having a material density of 2.2#; and   wherein when the structural foam has a material density of 2.2# it exhibits properties of structural foam having a material density of 4.0#.   
     
     
         10 . The packaging material of  claim 9  wherein the diameter of each interior void is between about 55% and about 65% of the height of the void. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging material of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of vertical interior voids is arranged in a pre-determined pattern. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging material of  claim 9  wherein the interior voids are molded to have a skinned surface. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging material of  claim 9  wherein the ratio of the height of each interior void is about 62.5% of the height of the plank. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging material of  claim 10  wherein the diameter of each interior void is about 60% of the height of the void. 
     
     
         15 . A packaging material comprising:
 a plank of structural foam, the plank having a height;   a plurality of vertical interior voids defined in the plank, each interior void having a height, a diameter, and has a bottom portion defining a conical dome shape;   wherein the diameter of each interior void is about 60% of the height of the void;   wherein when the structural foam has a material density of 1.2# it exhibits cushioning properties of structural foam having a material density of 2.2#; and   wherein when the structural foam has a material density of 2.2# it exhibits cushioning properties of structural foam having a material density of 4.0#.   
     
     
         16 . The packaging material of  claim 15  wherein the height of each interior void is about 62.5% of the height of the plank. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging material of  claim 14  wherein the plurality of vertical interior voids is arranged in a pre-determined pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging material of  claim 14  wherein the interior voids are molded to have a skinned surface.