Process to form generally rigid cushion packages from loose fill dunnage

Claim 1

A process to form a generally rigid package from loose fill dunnage, the steps of the process comprising: (a) providing a first packaging enclosure capable of being sealed and withstanding a degree of internal pressure without substantial expansion; (b) providing a generally flexible, easily deformable second packaging enclosure having an internal volume greater than that of the first packaging enclosure, said second packaging enclosure being capable of being sealed and maintaining an internal vacuum for a length of time sufficient to complete the process steps, set forth below, requiring an internal vacuum in the second packaging enclosure; (c) placing the second packaging enclosure within the first packaging enclosure; (d) placing the article to be packaged within the second packaging enclosure; (e) filling the second packaging enclosure with an amount of resilient loose fill dunnage material, the amount of resilient loose fill dunnage material having an original volume greater than the internal volume of the first packaging enclosure; (f) sealing the second packaging enclosure; (g) creating an internal vacuum within the second packaging enclosure, said internal vacuum being sufficient to cause the original volume of the resilient loose fill dunnage material to decrease below the internal volume of the first packaging enclosure; (h) sealing the first packaging enclosure; and (i) releasing the vacuum within the second packaging enclosure thus allowing the resilient loose fill dunnage material to increase in volume until being substantially equal to the volume of the first packaging enclosure.