Cushioning divider

Claim 2

A divider blank including an elongated generally rectangular strip of material having a series of four parallel fold lines extending longitudinally thereof, dividing the strip into five areas, inwardly extending aligned slots extending into said strip at right angles to said fold lines and terminating at the inner two of said fold lines, and connected by aligned fold lines, and alternate slots extending across the two inner parallel fold lines and terminating at the outermost of said parallel fold lines, and fold lines aligned with said alternate slots and extending to the longitudinal edges of said strip.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 and in which the outermost of said four parallel fold lines terminate at the outermost pair of inwardly extending aligned slots.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 1 and in which the distance between each pair of inwardly extending slots and adjoining alternate slots is substantially equal.

Claim 5

A cushioning divider adapted for use in combination with a rectangular container including rectangularly arranged side and end walls, and a bottom closure connected thereto, the divider including: a series of spaced central dividErs each comprising a pair of contiguous central divider panels hingedly connected along their upper edges, an intermediate divider panel hingedly connected to each of the side edges of each of said central divider panels and extending diagonally relative thereto, an outer divider panel hingedly connected to the outer edge of each of said intermediate divider panels, said outer divider panels connected to adjoining converging intermediate divider panels being substantially in face contact and hingedly connected along their lower edges, whereby, one central divider panel and the intermediate divider panels hingedly connected thereto of one central divider combine with a central divider panel and the intermediate divider panels hingedly connected thereto of an adjoining central divider define a substantially hexagonal cell therebetween.

Claim 6

A cushioning divider adapted for use in combination with a rectangular container including rectangularly arranged side and end walls, and a bottom closure connected thereto, the divider including: a series of spaced central dividErs each comprising a pair of contiguous central divider panels hingedly connected along their upper edges, an intermediate divider panel hingedly connected to each of the side edges of each of said central divider panels and extending diagonally relative thereto, an outer divider panel hingedly connected to the outer edge of each of said intermediate divider panels, said outer divider panels connected to adjoining converging intermediate divider panels being substantially in face contact and hingedly connected along their lower edges, whereby, one central divider panel and the intermediate divider panels hingedly connected thereto of one central divider combine with a central divider panel and the intermediate divider panels hingedly connected thereto of an adjoining central divider define a substantially hexagonal cell therebetween.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 4 and in which said hingedly connected outer divider panels which are in face contact extend generally parallel to said central divider panels to form cells defined by said spaced outwardly extending outer divider panels and a pair of diagonally extending intermediate divider panels.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 4 and in which the intermediate divider panels of the outermost central divider panels of the series of central dividers, and the outer divider panels connected thereto comprise unitary panels in a common plane.

Claim 9

A cushioning divider in combination with a rectangular container including rectangularly arranged side and end walls, and a bottom closure connected thereto, the divider including: a series of spaced central dividers each including a pair of contiguous central divider panels hingedly connected along their upper edges, an intermediate divider panel hingedly connected to each of the side edges of each of said central divider panels with the exception of the outermost central divider panels of the series, the intermediate divider panels of adjoining spaced central dividers converging together to form, with the central divider panels to which they are connected, substantially hexagonal cells, an outer divider panel hingedly connected to each of said intermediate divider panels and extending outwardly from the area of convergence of said intermediate divider panels, the adjoining outer divider panels being substantially in face contact and hingedly connected together along their lower edges, said outer divider panels extending into contact with the side walls of said container, and diagonally extending panels hingedly connected to the edges of the outermost central divider panels of said series and extending diagonally into engagement with said end walls of said container.

Claim 10

A cushioning divider in combination with a rectangular container including rectangularly arranged side and end walls, and a bottom closure connected thereto, the divider including: a series of spaced central dividers each including a pair of contiguous central divider panels hingedly connected along their upper edges, an intermediate divider panel hingedly connected to each of the side edges of each of said central divider panels with the exception of the outermost central divider panels of the series, the intermediate divider panels of adjoining spaced central dividers converging together to form, with the central divider panels to which they are connected, substantially hexagonal cells, an outer divider panel hingedly connected to each of said intermediate divider panels and extending outwardly from the area of convergence of said intermediate divider panels, the adjoining outer divider panels being substantially in face contact and hingedly connected together along their lower edges, said outer divider panels extending into contact with the side walls of said container, and diagonally extending panels hingedly connected to the edges of the outermost central divider panels of said series and extending diagonally into engagement with said end walls of said container.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 7 and in which the diagonally extending panels are equal in length to the combined widths of an intermediate divider panel and an outer divider panel.