An insert made of corrugated paper is easily assembled, uses no glue, allows shipping of glass, such as stemware, in any orientation, reduces packing material and reduces shipping costs. In addition, customers receiving the glass can easily unpack the glass and reuse the insert for storing the glass, as the insert can be opened and closed without ripping. The insert has multiple cutouts matching a profile of a bowl of the glass. U-shaped channels are formed by folding the insert along scored lines. The U-shaped channels maintain the glass away from a side of a box in which the insert is placed. The edges of the corrugated paper along the multiple cutouts envelope the bowl of the glass and remove weight and any potential shock that can be transmitted to the glass.

A bottle packaging assembly includes a bottle packaging comprising a sidewall enclosure, the sidewall enclosure defining an interior cavity and comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall; a plurality of bottle insert assemblies arranged laterally side-by-side within the interior cavity, wherein each of the bottle insert assemblies comprises: a first bottle insert arranged proximate to the first sidewall and defining a first bottle opening configured to receive a first portion of a bottle; and a second bottle insert arranged proximate to the second sidewall and longitudinally aligned with the first bottle insert, the second bottle insert defining a second bottle opening configured to receive a second portion of the bottle.

A washing machine tub lock device is provided that prevents the wash tub from impacting the washing machine cabinet during shipping and handling. The tub lock device is formed by cutting and folding a corrugated blank into an inverted truncated rectangular cone that can be wedged inside the top portion of the washing machine tub. The tub lock device includes hanging tabs which prevent the tub lock device from falling into the wash tub during shipping and handling. The tub lock device also includes elliptical tabs which bend or deform into elliptical cutouts such that the edges of the elliptical cutouts are covered, thus preventing the elliptical cutouts from damaging the washing machine during shipping and handling.

A shipping system for shipping planar substrates includes a plurality of planar substrates stacked to form a pack and a plurality of interleaving material including substantially spherical beads positioned between the substrates of the pack and configured to carry a load. Substantially all of the beads have a diameter within 25% of D.sub.max, where D.sub.max is a diameter corresponding to a size of an opening of an upper limit sieve used in the shipping system. Also disclosed are a spacer for use in a shipping system for shipping planar substrates, a wrapped system for shipping planar substrates, a method of wrapping a system for shipping planar substrates, and a powder applicator.

A packaging apparatus includes: an inner box of which upper side is open and capable of storing a first object; an outer box capable of storing a second object and the inner box disposed on the second object, and having a pair of inner flaps and a pair of outer flaps; a protective portion formed in the inner box to protect the first object, the protective portion being disposed between the first object and a portion that is included in a facing portion of the pair of outer flaps and that does not overlap with the pair of inner flaps in a state where the pair of inner flaps and the pair of outer flaps are closed; and a pressing portion formed in at least any one of the inner box and the outer box to press the first object toward a bottom surface of the inner box.

A padded mailer includes a pouch formed by front and rear sheets, each including a bottom edge, a top edge, and opposing side edges. The sheets are connected along their bottom edges and each of their side edges to define an interior space. The top edges of the sheets are unconnected to form an opening into the interior space. The padded mailer also includes a liner disposed in the interior space, including an expandable sheet having a bottom edge, a top edge, and opposing side edges. The bottom edge of the expandable sheet is secured adjacent the bottom edges of the front and rear sheets, and the top edge and the side edges of the expandable sheet are unsecured to the front and rear sheets. Pulling the top edge of the expandable sheet relative to the pouch causes the expandable sheet to expand and increase the thickness of the liner.

In the preferred embodiments, the present invention provides substantially improved slit sheet cushioning products by advantageously combining novel paper properties with novel slit patterns for improved features and characteristics. In some illustrative and non-limiting example embodiments, cushioning products of the present invention can include, e.g., a novel slit sheet material in combination with extensible paper employed as, e.g., a cushioning pad or as cushioning within an envelope product, wherein the cushioning product can be substantially more resilient, but, yet, e.g., thinner for better utilization of space.

A packing system for safely packing fragile household item for moving or storage. The packing system provides a number of packing devices which include a pair of ends bridged by a central portion, and a pair of elastic skirts along the central portion, all of which form a cup-like shape for receiving the fragile household item. A variety of sizes of the packing devices could be combined within a single kit. They could be color coded. An embodiment of the invention employs unused diapers as the packing devices. These could be donated or otherwise procured.

An integrally formed trilobular packaging element, including at least some of an integrally formed sheet having one or more alternating ridges and grooves, formed along a continuous outer wall of the sheet; a first extension portion defined along a portion of the sheet; a central portion defined along a portion of the sheet, extending from the first extension portion; a second extension portion, defined along a portion of the sheet, extending from the central portion to the first extension portion, wherein a vertex of a first lobe is defined between the first extension portion and the central portion, wherein a vertex of a second lobe is defined between the central portion and the second extension portion, and wherein a vertex of a third lobe is defined between the second extension portion and the first extension portion; and a deformable hollow defined within at least a portion of the sheet.

A cushioned mailer includes a paper outer layer; a paper inner layer defining an inner cavity of the cushioned mailer, the inner cavity configured to receive contents therein, the inner cavity defining an opening at a top end of the cushioned mailer, the opening allowing access to the inner cavity; and an intermediate cushioning layer disposed between the paper outer layer and the paper inner layer, the intermediate cushioning layer comprising a plurality of cushioning inserts, each of the plurality of cushioning inserts being substantially uniform in size and shape.