Returnable packaging system

Claim 1

A packaging system for shipping a plurality of motor parts comprising: a pallet portion; a bottom container mounted to said pallet portion, said bottom container being constructed from moisture impervious material, said bottom container including a bottom wall, a first pair of oppositely opposed side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, and a second pair of oppositely opposed side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall; a cover part of moisture impervious material interconnectable with said bottom container so as to define a chamber, said chamber having a size variable between at least a first size corresponding to a fully loaded condition of said packaging system and a second size corresponding to an unloaded condition of said packaging system, said second size being substantially smaller than said first size, said cover part including a top wall, a first pair of oppositely opposed downwardly extending walls integrally formed with said top wall, a second pair of oppositely opposed downwardly extending walls integrally formed with said top wall, said first and said second pairs of downwardly extending walls being joined to one another and to said top wall at a first end of adjacent ones of said pairs, said first and said second pairs of downwardly extending walls having relief formed in them at a second end of adjacent ones of said pairs; a plurality of layers of motor parts, the height of said layers being greater than the height of said bottom container in said first size of said chamber, each of said layers comprising a first tray having a plurality of receptacles formed in it for supportingly receiving a first end of respective ones of said motor parts, a plurality of motor parts carried along said receptacles, and a second tray having a plurality of receptacles in it for receiving a second end of respective ones of said motor parts, the edges of trays of the said layers within said bottom container abutting at least a portion of said first and said second pairs of oppostely opposed side walls of said bottom container, thereby restricting horizontal movement of said layers within said bottom container, the uppermost tray of said layer plurality in said first size of said chamber abutting said cover part, thereby restricting vertical movement of said trays; moisture impervious sealing means between said cover part and said bottom container, said sealing means being releasably inflatable between at least a first position and a second position; and means for drawing the oppositely opposed walls of said cover part against said sealing means, said relief means permitting the oppositely opposed walls of said cover part to be drawn against said sealing means while the top wall remains in abuttment with the uppermost tray of said layer plurality in the first size of said chamber.