Packaging assembly comprising an interior bond

Abstract

A packaging assembly including a flexible outer shell layer and a flexible inner cushioning layer in overlapping relation with each other and comprising at least one interior bond that bonds an interior area of the outer shell layer to an interior area of the inner cushioning layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging assembly comprising a flexible outer shell layer and a flexible inner cushioning layer in overlapping relation with each other and comprising at least one interior bond that bonds an interior area of the outer shell layer to an interior area of the inner cushioning layer. 
     
     
         2 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner cushioning layer comprises bubble wrap that includes a film portion and a bubble portion that includes air or gas-filled bubbles, wherein the film portion of the bubble wrap is adjacent to the outer shell layer, and wherein the interior bond bonds a discrete area of the film portion of the bubble warp to the discrete portion of the outer shell layer. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one interior bond occupies less than 20% of the total area of the outer shell layer and less than 20% of the total area of the inner cushioning layer. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the inner cushioning layer has a thickness of between about 1/32 inch and about 1 inch. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer shell layer is a multilayer structure. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer shell layer comprises at least one of paper, plastic, a nonwoven, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer shell layer comprises at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyester, and/or a copolymer of any of these. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer shell layer comprises an oriented or biaxially oriented organic polymeric material. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer shell layer comprises an outward major surface that is a writable surface. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one interior bond between the outer shell layer and the inner cushioning layer is a melt bond. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one interior bond between the outer shell layer and the inner cushioning layer is provided by at least one piece of double-faced pressure-sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one interior bond between the outer shell layer and the inner cushioning layer is a single interior bond that overlaps with a geometric center of the outer shell layer and a geometric center of the inner cushioning layer. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one interior bond between the outer shell layer and the inner cushioning layer occupies less than 10% of the total area of the outer shell layer and less than 10% of the total area of the inner cushioning layer. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer shell layer and the inner cushioning layer are at least substantially co-extensive. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  further comprising at least one area of pressure-sensitive adhesive that is provided on a major surface of the inner cushioning layer that faces away from the outer shell layer, and wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises a major adhesive surface that faces away from the outer shell layer. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging assembly of  claim 15  wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises a release liner that is releasably disposed on the entirety of the major adhesive surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging assembly of  claim 1  wherein the packaging assembly is provided as a roll good comprising the outer shell layer and the inner cushioning layer, co-rolled with each other. 
     
     
         18 . A method of packaging an item using a packaging assembly comprising a flexible outer shell layer and a flexible inner cushioning layer in overlapping relation with each other and comprising at least one interior bond therebetween, the method comprising:
 positioning the packaging assembly with the inner cushioning layer facing upward;   placing the item to be packaged on the inner cushioning layer so that the item overlaps a geometric center of the of the outer shell layer and the inner cushioning layer;   wrapping the inner cushioning layer around the item into a protective configuration while the outer shell layer remains unmoving;   optionally securing the inner cushioning layer in the protective configuration;   wrapping the outer shell layer around the inner cushioning layer that is in the protective configuration so that the outer shell layer is in an encapsulating configuration in which the outer shell layer completely envelopes the inner cushioning layer and in which the inner cushioning layer is retained in the protective configuration;   and,   securing the outer shell layer in the encapsulating configuration.