Floating corner for insertion into a packing container

Claim 1

A floating corner which when assembled is for insertion into an outer packing container to protect an object in an inner container, and when disassembled may be stored and shipped compactly, comprising: a sheet of generally rigid first material having first, second and third intersecting fold lines and a slot substantially linearly aligned with said second fold line, said fold lines and said slot dividing said sheet into first, second, third and fourth portions, each having an opening provided therein, the openings in said first and fourth portions being identical in configuration and positioned so as to be aligned with each other when said sheet is folded along said second fold line, the sheet being adapted to fold so that said third portion may be oriented normal to said second portion and said first and fourth portions may be rotated about said first and third fold lines respectively, into substantially coplanar positions; and first, second and third blocks of firm, spongy, resilient second material, each having opposed first and second surfaces and a sidewall between said first and second surfaces having a perimeter slightly larger than said openings, each said block being adapted for compressive disposition within one of said openings with said first surface spaced from one surface of said sheet and adapted to contact a wall of an outer container and said second surface spaced from the opposite surface of said sheet and adapted to contact a surface of an inner container, whereby when the corner is assembled by folding said sheet and disposing said blocks through said openings and then is appropriately positioned between an inner container and an outer container, said blocks serve to absorb energy transmitted through the outer container to protect an object carried in the inner container, and when said corner is disassembled for shipment or storage the blocks are separated from the sheet and the sheet is unfolded so that it can be laid flat.