Thermoform cushions using a series of complex shapes

Abstract

A product cushioning device for protecting a shock sensitive product, said product cushioning device comprising wall structure that defines a product receiving area, the product receiving area extending from a product receiving area opening to a product receiving area base, the wall structure comprising a plurality of product contact portions. The product cushioning device includes a tapered cushion disposed about a portion of the product receiving area to absorb impact in tri-axial vector directions. The tapered cushion comprises a tapered inner wall, a cushion outer wall that is curved and tapered and a compressible channel structure connecting between the tapered inner wall and the cushion outer wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A product cushioning device for protecting a shock sensitive product, said product cushioning device comprising:
 a wall structure that defines a product receiving area, the product receiving area extending from a product receiving area opening to a product receiving area base, the wall structure comprising a plurality of product contact portions;   a tapered cushion disposed about a portion of the product receiving area to absorb impact in tri-axial vector directions, the tapered cushion having a plurality of shock value zones and comprising:
 a tapered inner wall that is proximate to the product receiving area and extending from a first inner wall end proximate to the product receiving area base to a second inner wall end distal from the product receiving area base; 
 a cushion outer wall that is curved and tapered; and 
 a compressible channel structure connecting between the tapered inner wall and the cushion outer wall. 
   
     
     
         2 . The product cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the product cushioning device is formed of a single sheet of thermoform material. 
     
     
         3 . The product cushioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the compressible channel structure has a recurve shape. 
     
     
         4 . The product cushioning device of  claim 3 , wherein the compressible channel structure comprises a channel inner wall connected to the second inner wall end by a first curved ridge, a curved channel base, a second curved ridge connecting the curved channel base to the cushion outer wall. 
     
     
         5 . The product cushioning device of  claim 3 , wherein the wall structure comprises a curved portion that spans between adjacent product contact portions from the plurality of product contact portions, wherein the tapered inner wall of the tapered cushion comprises the curved portion. 
     
     
         6 . The product cushioning device of  claim 5 , wherein the cushion outer wall spans between the adjacent product contact portions. 
     
     
         7 . The product cushioning device of  claim 5 , wherein the tapered inner wall is defined by a first cone and the cushion outer wall is defined by a second cone. 
     
     
         8 . The product cushioning device of  claim 7 , wherein the first cone and the second cone have apexes on a common axis and wherein the first cone and the second cone taper in opposite directions relative to the common axis. 
     
     
         9 . A product cushioning device for protecting a shock sensitive product, comprising:
 a wall structure that defines a product receiving area that extends from a product receiving area opening to a product receiving area base, the wall structure comprising a plurality of product contact portions; and   
       a series of inverted tapered cushions that are adjacent to the product receiving area to absorb impact in tri-axial vector directions, wherein each inverted tapered cushion in the series of inverted tapered cushions has a plurality of shock value zones and comprises:
 a tapered inner wall that is proximate to the product receiving area and extending from a first inner wall end proximate to the product receiving area base to a second inner wall end distal from the product receiving area base; 
 a cushion outer wall that is curved and tapered; and 
 a compressible channel structure connecting between the tapered inner wall and the cushion outer wall. 
 
     
     
         10 . The product cushioning device of  claim 9 , wherein the compressible channel structure of each inverted tapered cushion in the series of inverted tapered cushions has a recurve shape. 
     
     
         11 . The product cushioning device of  claim 10 , wherein the series of inverted tapered cushions comprises:
 an end tapered cushion; and   an intermediate tapered cushion.   
     
     
         12 . The product cushioning device of  claim 11 , wherein the wall structure defines a stress concentrator between the end tapered cushion and the intermediate tapered cushion. 
     
     
         13 . The product cushioning device of  claim 12 , wherein the wall structure comprises a curved portion that spans between adjacent product contact portions from the plurality of product contact portions, wherein the tapered inner wall of the intermediate tapered cushion comprises the curved portion. 
     
     
         14 . The product cushioning device of  claim 13 , wherein the cushion outer wall of the intermediate tapered cushion spans between the adjacent product contact portions. 
     
     
         15 . The product cushioning device of  claim 14 , wherein the curved portion is defined by a first cone and the cushion outer wall of the intermediate tapered cushion is defined by a second cone. 
     
     
         16 . The product cushioning device of  claim 15 , wherein the first cone and the second cone have apexes on a common axis and wherein the first cone and the second cone taper in opposite directions relative to the common axis. 
     
     
         17 . The product cushioning device of  claim 16 , wherein the tapered inner wall of the end tapered cushion comprises a straight wall section. 
     
     
         18 . The product cushioning device of  claim 9 , wherein the product cushioning device is formed of a single sheet of thermoform material. 
     
     
         19 . The product cushioning device of  claim 9 , wherein the product cushioning device is formed as an end cap. 
     
     
         20 . A method for shock protection;
 providing a plurality of product cushioning devices, each product cushioning device comprising:
 a wall structure that defines a product receiving area, the product receiving area extending from a product receiving area opening to a product receiving area base, the wall structure comprising a plurality of product contact sections; 
 a tapered cushion disposed about a portion of the product receiving area to absorb impact in tri-axial vector directions, the tapered cushion having a plurality of shock value zones and comprising:
 a tapered inner wall that is proximate to the product receiving area and extending from a first inner wall end proximate to the product receiving area base to a second inner wall end distal from the product receiving area base; 
 a cushion outer wall that is curved and tapered; and 
 a compressible channel structure connecting between the tapered inner wall and the cushion outer wall; 
 
   inserting a first end of a shock sensitive product into the product receiving area of a first product cushioning device from the plurality of product cushioning devices;   inserting a second end of the shock sensitive product into the product receiving area of a second product cushioning device from the plurality of product cushioning devices; and   placing the shock sensitive product, the first product cushioning device, and the second product cushioning device in a shipping container with the first product cushioning device and the second product cushioning device abutting an inner surface of the shipping container and supporting the shock sensitive product away from the inner surface of the shipping container.