Pad for cushion packing fragile artilces

Claim 1

A pad of soft, resiliently compressible material for use in cushion packing fragile articles disposed within a container wherein the articles form a top layer within the container and are arranged in laterally spaced relation; said pad being positionable within the container and interposed the top layer of articles and a closure for the container, the peripheral shape of said pad approximating the area delimited by the container side walls, said pad comprising a plurality of laterally spaced, hollow projections depending a like amount from a predetermined plane of the pad and resiliently engaging each of the articles forming the top layer, each projection including a base portion having the undersurface thereof adapted to engage an article disposed therebeneath and forming the top layer, and an inwardly tapered wall interconnecting the periphery of the base portion with the predetermined plane of the pad, said wall having an exterior surface provided with a first line of flexure arranged in substantially encompassing relation with respect to said base portion and spaced therefrom, and an interior surface provided with a second line of flexure arranged in substantially encompassing relation with respect to said base portion and spaced a different amount therefrom than said first line of flexure whereby controlled flexure of said wall occurs about said lines of flexure upon said base portion being distorted by an article engaging said base portion; the portions of said projection wall ajacent said lines of flexure being resiliently compressed when controlled flexure of the projection wall occurs.