In accordance with a broad embodiment of the invention, a novel paper product is comprised of two or more slit sheet packing material layers, each layer having its own slit pattern design to create interlocking layers of expansion sheet packaging materials. Each layer expands to create a three dimensional open netting of cells of hexagons, and the like, and is designed to have limited nesting with its opposing layer, thereby maximizing the thickness of the combined layers as compared to nested layers. Adjacent layers have differing slit patterns and can be expanded through expander type machinery such that the expansion rates of the differing slit pattern layers can be varied to deliver the same width of exiting expanded material from each layer. Preferably the differing slit pattern produce when expanded, inclined land areas that have the same number of rows per inch, but different angles of inclination of the land areas, such that adjacent layers can interlock, that is, have a restricted amount of nesting.

An accommodating body includes: a first accommodating body that has a first bottom portion; and a first buffering material that has a first pressure receiving surface coming into contact with an accommodated article accommodated in the first accommodating body and that has at least one first sheet-shaped web that contains fibers and a bonding material that bonds the fibers, and in which in the first sheet-shaped web, the fibers are oriented in a plane direction of the first sheet-shaped web, and the first buffering material is used in an orientation with which an end surface of the first sheet-shaped web serves as the first pressure receiving surface.

A packaging system for a hot water heater includes an outer box, a top insert, an offset filler, a base insert, and one or more side panels. The top insert contacts a top surface of the hot water heater and a top inside surface of outer box. The offset filler is coupled to the top insert and is sandwiched between the hot water heater and the outer box. The base insert contacts the bottom surface of the hot water heater and a bottom inside surface of the outer box. The base insert includes raised perimeter structures that form a shape that matches a shape of the bottom surface of the hot water heater. The raised perimeter structures and the offset filler position the hot water heater off-center with respect to a center axis of the outer box. Each side panel includes a raised pattern.

A protective product, such as, e.g., an envelope or pouch, is provided that includes at least one expanded slit paper sheet in an expanded state, and an embossed paper sheet facing the expanded slit paper sheet and fixed to the expanded slit paper sheet along at least a portion of a length in an expansion direction of the expanded slit sheet paper. In the preferred embodiments, the embossed paper sheet has a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of the embossed paper sheet, thereby inhibiting deformation of the embossed paper sheet that is fixed to the expanded slit sheet paper.

According to some illustrative embodiments, a protective product is provided that includes: at least one expandable slit paper sheet, said at least on expandable slit paper being expanded between opposing ends of said slit paper; a first embossed paper sheet facing said expanded slit paper sheet and a second paper sheet facing an opposite side of said at least one expanded slit paper sheet, at least one of said first embossed paper sheet and said second paper sheet being fixed to said expanded slit paper sheet at the opposing ends of said expanded slit paper sheet and thereby maintaining said expanded paper in its expanded state, said first embossed paper sheet having a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of said embossed paper sheet, whereby inhibiting deformation of said embossed paper sheet that is fixed to said expanded slit sheet paper.

A buffer material is a material including a buffer sheet that contains cellulose fibers and a binding material binding the cellulose fibers and has a sheet shape, and a nonwoven fabric sheet that is provided on at least one surface side of the buffer sheet and is formed of nonwoven fabric, in which the cellulose fibers are aligned in a direction intersecting a thickness direction of the buffer sheet, and the alignment direction of the cellulose fibers is along a direction in which an external force is received.

A method of delivering chilled goods in a bag (20) for transporting goods in an air environment having an air humidity; the bag having a collapsed state (20A) for enabling transportation of the bag in a substantially flat state, and an expanded state (20B) such that the collapsible bag (20), in its expanded state, provides an interior storage space for transporting goods, the collapsible bag comprising: at least one wall panel; the wall panel comprising an outer material layer; and an inner material layer; and a thermally insulating intermediate space between the outer material layer and the inner material layer; and a bag opening; wherein the bag has an open expanded state (20C) for loading and/or unloading said goods via the bag opening, and a closed expanded state (20D) such that the collapsible bag (20), in its closed expanded state (20D), provides a closed interior storage space for transporting goods; wherein the bag opening is a closable opening which, in the closed expanded state (20D) of the collapsible bag cooperates with said at least one wall panel so as to minimize or prevent exchange of air between the environment and the interior storage space.

An extensible slit sheet paper product is produced having an expandable slit pattern that forms open cells upon expansion of the paper product. The paper product is an extensible paper having an extensibility in the range from 1-9% in the machine direction and 1-5% in the cross direction. The expansion produces an array of hexagonal cells. The expanded extensible paper can be used to wrap an object for shipping by wrapping and cushioning the object in the expanded slit sheet material. The extensible, expandable slit sheet paper can be wrapped around itself to produce a void fill product.

A protective product, such as, e.g., an envelope or pouch, is provided that includes at least one expanded slit paper sheet in an expanded state, and an embossed paper sheet facing the expanded slit paper sheet and fixed to the expanded slit paper sheet along at least a portion of a length in an expansion direction of the expanded slit sheet paper. In the preferred embodiments, the embossed paper sheet has a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of the embossed paper sheet, thereby inhibiting deformation of the embossed paper sheet that is fixed to the expanded slit sheet paper.

A cushioning material and a method to make the same is disclosed. The cushioning material includes: a cellulose base sheet; a co-layer binder disposed on the cellulose base sheet; and a plurality of discrete cuts disposed in the cellulose base sheet, wherein the cellulose base sheet is configured to be expanded and locked using heat activation and a solvent.