Shipping container systems

Abstract

There is disclosed a packaging system including an outer container having a bottom and four upstanding sidewalls defining an outer container volume, the outer container further comprising an outer container top, and an inner compartment having an inner compartment bottom, four upstanding sidewalls including an inner compartment front, an inner compartment back, and two opposing inner compartment ends, the four upstanding walls bounding a perimeter of the inner compartment bottom, and an inner compartment top, wherein the inner compartment is formed by an inner compartment panel folded to form the inner compartment bottom, the four upstanding inner compartment sidewalls and the inner compartment top, wherein the packaging system includes a plurality of suspension elements maintaining an air gap between the outer container and the inner compartment, and wherein the outer container and the inner compartment are formed from a packaging system material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging system including:
 an outer container having an outer container bottom, four upstanding sidewalls defining an outer container volume, the four upstanding walls including an outer container front, an outer container back, and two opposing outer container ends, the four upstanding walls bounding a perimeter of the outer container bottom, the outer container further comprising an outer container top, wherein the outer container top overlays an aperture formed by the upper sides of each of the four upstanding walls opposite the outer container bottom when the outer container is in a closed configuration, wherein the two opposing outer container ends are formed by end wall panels extending from the outer container bottom panel, the end wall panels are folded upwards from the outer container bottom panel towards the top end of the upstanding walls of the outer container, folded over a corresponding pair of end wall tabs, folded downward towards the bottom of the outer container, an end wall panel securing tab extending from a terminal end of the end wall tab, the end wall panel securing tabs being secured in place by an end wall panel securing slot in the outer container bottom; and   an inner compartment having an inner compartment bottom, four upstanding inner compartment sidewalls including an inner compartment front, an inner compartment back, and two opposing inner compartment ends, the four upstanding inner compartment sidewalls bounding a perimeter of the inner compartment bottom, and an inner compartment top, wherein the inner compartment is formed by an inner compartment panel folded to form the inner compartment bottom, the four upstanding inner compartment sidewalls and the inner compartment top;   wherein the packaging system includes a plurality of suspension elements maintaining an air gap between the outer container and the inner compartment, and wherein the outer container and the inner compartment are formed from a packaging system material.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer container and the inner compartment are formed from a single panel of the packaging system material. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the panel forming the inner compartment is an extension of one of the outer container walls, the panel forming the inner compartment extending into the outer container volume to form the inner compartment bottom, and wherein the panel forming the inner compartment bottom is further folded to form the inner compartment back, the inner compartment top, the inner compartment front, and the two opposing inner compartment ends. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging system of  claim 3 , and wherein the panel forming the inner compartment is further configured to form the plurality of suspension elements configured to maintain an air gap between the inner compartment and the outer container. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging system of  claim 4 , wherein the portion of the packaging system material forming the inner compartment bottom extends outwardly beyond the two opposing inner compartment ends forming a pair of folded suspension elements extending from the inner compartment ends to an inner side of the outer container end walls. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer container top includes a top portion, a front flap, and a pair of closure tabs, wherein the outer container end walls include a pair of closure flap retention slots disposed on a front end of each opposing outer container end, wherein the closure flap retention slots retain the closure tabs securing the outer container top when the outer container is in a closed configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging system material is one of corrugated board, paper board, flexible plastics, foamed plastics, rigid plastics, corrugated plastics. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer container is selectively closeable. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging system of  claim 8 , wherein the inner compartment is selectively closeable while the outer container is in an open configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the packaging system material forming the inner compartment bottom extends beyond each of the opposing inner compartment ends forming a pair of folding suspension elements extending from each end of the inner compartment, and wherein each of the folding suspension elements folds such that the portion of the folding suspension element proximate to the inner compartment extends upwards above the inner compartment top to an accordion fold further extending the terminal portion of the folding suspension element downwards past the inner compartment bottom, creating an upper and lower suspension element maintaining an upper air gap above the inner compartment and a lower air gap below the inner compartment when the inner compartment is installed in the outer container. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging system of  10 , wherein each of the folding suspension elements extending from the ends of the inner compartment are wider than a width of the inner compartment such that a width of the folding suspension elements maintains a front air gap between the inner compartment front and the outer container, and a rear air gap between the inner compartment back and the outer container when the inner compartment is installed in the outer container.