Cushioned shipping folder

Claim 1

A cushioned shipping folder formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard or the like, comprising: a. opposed pairs of major and minor parallel walls foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure; b. an outer closure flap foldably connected to one of said parallel walls and secured to an adjacent parallel wall of said tubular structure; c. a closure and protecting structure for each end of said tubular structure, said struture comprising: i. a pair of first and second inner flaps foldably connected to each other with the first one of said flaps being foldably connected to one of said major parallel walls adjacent to the end thereof; A. said first inner flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said one major parallel wall; i. said first inner flap having a length less than the width of said one major parallel wall; B. said second inner flap of said pair of inner flaps being folded angularly with respect to said first inner flap and angularly with respect to said one major parallel Wall to provide an end cell of triangular cross section; C. an elongated notch at each end of said second inner flap; D. Said elongated notches fitting against those portions of said major parallel wall at the ends of said first inner flap to provide exposed cut surfaces extending along a generally common line upon folding of said first and second inner flaps; ii. a pair of first and second outer flaps foldably connected to each other with one of said outer flaps being foldably connected to one end of the other of said major parallel walls; A. said first outer flap being folded to a position generally perpendicular to said other major parallel wall; B. said second outer flap being folded and secured to the first one of said major parallel walls; iii. said inner and outer pairs of flaps defining a deformation resistant cell of generally rectangular cross section with said second inner flap extending angularly therein to brace said cell; iv. said inner flap and the end of said first major parallel wall at the exposed cut surfaces thereof being engageable with a a line of fold of said outer pairs of flaps to provide a snug bearing at said fold line between said outer pairs of flaps and providing a generally rectangular cross section cell having said inner flap extending diagonally therein to brace said rectangular cross section cell.