Patent US4963229A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5151312A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5151312A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Hollow, non-nestable packing peanuts of recycled newspaper

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-10-18
•
Granted: 1992-09-29
•
Expires: 2010-10-18
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Lightweight, non-nestable packing peanuts formed of recycled newspaper of molded hollow thin wall shell form preferably of cup shaped configuration have flanges, apertures, and double wall dividers integrally molded therein. A radial flute over the vertical height of the exterior wall of the shell provides shape stability to a portion of the shell to resist physical crushing of the shell and facilitates the structural cushioning of packed fragile objects in cartons or the like for shipping purposes. The shell is rendered resilient over other portions for absorbing the energy resulting from impact forces transmitted through the fold filled towards a packed fragile object. A divider having spaced parallel walls may extend from an end of the shell at the base and include an integral transverse wall to separate the shell into two halves which may be flexed towards and away from each other, at the gap between the divider walls.

Inventors

  • 👤 John L. Boeri

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 04:57
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D81/00; B65D81/02; B65D81/05; B65D81/09; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S206/00; Y10S206/814; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24149; Y10T428/24273; Y10T428/24479; Y10T428/24521; Y10T428/24537; Y10T428/24562; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24661; Y10T428/24669; Y10T428/24686; Y10T428/24744; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31971; Y10T428/31993

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 96 words
A lightweight non-nestable packing peanut for use as a loose fill material in packing objects within sealed cartons, with the fill material under compression said packing peanut comprising: a cellulose fiber, biodegradable molded hollow, thin walled shell of recycled newspaper, said shell including means within a portion of said shell for providing shape stability thereto for resisting physical crushing of said shell thereby structurally cushioning said packed objects, and means for rendering said shell resilient over a portion thereof for absorbing the energy resulting from impact forces transmitted through said fill material towards said packaged objects.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 96 words
A lightweight non-nestable packing peanut for use as a loose fill material in packing objects within sealed cartons, with the fill material under compression said packing peanut comprising: a cellulose fiber, biodegradable molded hollow, thin walled shell of recycled newspaper, said shell including means within a portion of said shell for providing shape stability thereto for resisting physical crushing of said shell thereby structurally cushioning said packed objects, and means for rendering said shell resilient over a portion thereof for absorbing the energy resulting from impact forces transmitted through said fill material towards said packaged objects.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell is of dome shape, having an open end and said flanged base extends radially from said open end of said hollow thin wall shell.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 35 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 2, wherein said dome shaped shell comprises a cylindrical portion integral with said flanged base and said cylindrical portion terminates in a spherical portion remote from said base.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 34 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 2, wherein said shell includes an integral divider extending longitudinally generally from said open end to the end of said dome shaped shell remote from said base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 34 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 3, wherein said shell includes an integral divider extending longitudinally generally from said open end to the end of said dome shaped shell remote from said base.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 70 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 4, wherein said divider comprises spaced parallel walls extending from the end of said shell remote from said base towards said base integral with said shell and including an integral transverse wall joining the same and forming hinges therewith, whereby said shell is separated into two halves which may flex towards and away from each other at the gap between said divider walls.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 6, wherein said divider transverse wall is flush with said shell flanged base.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 6, wherein said divider transverse wall is offset axially from said flanged base.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 29 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 8, wherein said divider transverse wall is axially offset from said flanged base approximately one fourth the axial height of said shell.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 66 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell is of frustro-conical shape having an open end, wherein said integral radial flanged base is at said open end and having a conical side wall integral with said flanged base, tapering inwardly and terminating in an integral transverse top wall at an end remote from said base, closing off said hollow shell at that end.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 19 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 10, wherein said shell side wall is of oval transverse cross section.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 10, wherein said side wall includes a flute therein over the axial height of the shell and comprising said shape stability means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 33 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 10, wherein said conical shell side wall has a draft angle of from 5° to 15° and said flute has a draft angle of approximately 2°.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 34 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 10, wherein said shell includes an internal divider extending from said open end of said shell generally to the end of said shell remote from said base.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 20 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 14, wherein said divider extends axially over approximately three fourth of said shell.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 48 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 14, wherein said divider includes a pair of generally parallel laterally spaced walls forming a narrow gap therebetween and wherein said divider walls are joined by a transverse wall at ends remote from said shell top wall forming hinge connections therewith.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 28 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 16, wherein said pair of divider walls include openings therein facing each other to reduce the weight of the peanut shell.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 59 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell is of frustro-pyramidal shape having an integral, radially flanged axially open base and two pairs of opposite side walls integrally joined together along opposite edges and at said base and a top wall remote from said base and integral with said side walls and closing off the shell.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 34 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least one pair of said side walls have openings therein to reduce the weight of said shell and to partially form said resilient means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 17 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 19, wherein said top wall includes an axial opening therein.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 24 words
A packing peanut as claimed in claim 19, wherein said frustro-pyramidal shell includes diametrically opposed long side walls and diametrically opposed short side walls.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-09-29 1996-03-30 1996-09-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-09-29 2000-03-30 2000-09-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-09-29 2004-03-30 2004-09-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag