Abstract
A pulp-molded packaging article is introduced herein, which comprises a bottom wall, and a standing lateral wall having a bulge region and a groove region. A transversely cross-sectional thickness located at the bulge region is larger than a transversely cross-sectional thickness located at the groove region. While a to-be-packaged object enters inside the article to oppress the bulge region, the bulge region is therefore actuated in elastic deformation to reach an outwardly deflected position. And then, after the to-be-packaged object continues to reach the groove region, the bulge region is rebounded therefore to exert reverse elastic forces on the to-be-packaged object, resulting in a snap-in retention onto the to-be-packaged object, which makes the snap-in convex surface stopping the to-be-packaged object from moving toward a top opening of the article.
Claims
1. A pulp-molded packaging article, integrally formed by a wet fiber pulp-molding process, for carrying a to-be-packaged object thereon, comprising: a horizontal bottom wall; and a standing lateral wall, integrally and upwardly extended from and around an outermost periphery of the horizontal bottom wall, wherein the standing lateral wall is formed with an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall located opposite to the inner sidewall, the standing lateral wall is formed with transversely cross-sectional thicknesses between the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall, an accommodation space is defined commonly by between the horizontal bottom wall and the standing lateral wall, for accommodating the to-be-packaged object therein, and a top opening communicated with the accommodation space is formed adjacent to a top of the standing lateral wall, for providing entry or exit of the to-be-packaged object; wherein the standing lateral wall comprises a bulge region located beneath the top opening, and a groove region located beneath the bulge region, both the bulge region and the groove region are integrally formed side-by-side along a direction in which the standing lateral wall is upwardly extended, the bulge region is formed with a snap-in convex surface which is protruded from the inner sidewall toward the accommodation space, and the groove region is formed with a concave surface which is concaved from the inner sidewall toward the outer sidewall, wherein the transversely cross-sectional thickness located at the bulge region is larger than the transversely cross-sectional thickness located at the groove region, and while the to-be-packaged object enters into the accommodation space to oppress the snap-in convex surface, the bulge region is therefore actuated in elastic deformation to reach an outwardly deflected position, and after the to-be-packaged object continues to pass through beside the snap-in convex surface to reach the concave surface of the groove region, the bulge region is rebounded therefore to exert reverse elastic forces on the to-be-packaged object, resulting in a snap-in retention onto the to-be-packaged object, which makes the snap-in convex surface stopping the to-be-packaged object from moving toward the top opening.
2. The pulp-molded packaging article according to claim 1, wherein the bulge region and the groove region both located on the outer sidewall are revealed in a successively-flat curve surface formed along the upwardly-extended direction.
3. The pulp-molded packaging article according to claim 1, wherein an inner contour of the inner sidewall conforms with an outer contour of the to-be-packaged object.
4. The pulp-molded packaging article according to claim 1, wherein an upper of the bulge region has a guiding inclined curved plane formed on the inner sidewall, which is used to direct the to-be-packaged object into the accommodation space by an inclined plane principle.
5. The pulp-molded packaging article according to claim 1, wherein the snap-in convex surface of the bulge region is formed in a shape of a snap-in annular bar along an inner circumferential direction of the inner sidewall, and the concave surface of the groove region is formed in a shape of a snap-in annular recess along the inner circumferential direction of the inner sidewall.
6. The pulp-molded packaging article according to claim 1, wherein the transversely cross-sectional thickness located at the bulge region is larger than the transversely cross-sectional thickness of the other portions of the standing lateral wall.
7. The pulp-molded packaging article according to claim 1, wherein a draft direction of the bulge region has a negative draft angle relative to a longitudinal draft direction of the inner sidewall of the standing lateral wall.
8. The pulp-molded packaging article according to claim 1, wherein the concave surface is integrally connected side-by-side with the snap-in convex surface along the upwardly-extended direction of the standing lateral wall.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMS
[0019] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a pulp-molded packaging article according to the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2A depicts a lateral side view of the pulp-molded packaging article shown in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of the pulp-molded packaging article according to a sectioning line A-A shown in FIG. 2A;
[0022] FIG. 3A depicts a partially enlarged view of a circled region Cl drawn in the pulp-molded packaging article shown in FIG. 2B;
[0023] FIG. 3B depicts a partially enlarged view where the pulp-molded packaging article shown in FIG. 3A, where the pulp-molded packaging article is being ready to accommodate a to-be-packaged object;
[0024] FIG. 3C depicts a partially enlarged view where the pulp-molded packaging article shown in FIG. 3B, where the pulp-molded packaging article starts accommodating the to-be-packaged object;
[0025] FIG. 3D depicts a partially enlarged view where the pulp-molded packaging article shown in FIG. 3C, where the pulp-molded packaging article has accommodated the to-be-packaged object therein; and
[0026] FIG. 4 depicts a laterally cross-sectional view of the pulp-molded packaging article shown in FIG. 3D, where the pulp-molded packaging article has accommodated the to-be-packaged object therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The technical proposals in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. The directional terms mentioned in the present invention, such as “upper”, “lower”, “before”, “after”, “left”, “right”, “inside”, “outside”, “side”, etc., are merely illustrative the direction of the drawing. Therefore, the directional terminology used is for the purpose of illustration and understanding of the invention, which is not intended to limit the invention.
[0028] First of all, please refer to the illustrations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, wherein FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2A depicts a lateral side view of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 shown in FIG. 1. The pulp-molded packaging article 1 where a whole structure thereof is integrally formed entirely by a wet fiber pulp-molding process is used to carry a to-be-packaged object 50 thereon (See FIG. 3B). In details, the pulp-molded packaging article 1 is primary structured with a horizontal bottom wall 10, a standing lateral wall 20 and a connecting plate 40. In this preferred embodiment, the pulp-molded packaging article 1 is realized as a paper-made tray but is not therefore limited thereto. The pulp-molded packaging article 1 according to the present invention may be manufactured into a variety of geometric shapes; and in particular, a geometric shape which is commonly constituted by the horizontal bottom wall 10 and the standing lateral wall 20, may include, for example, one of cylinder, rectangular body, cube, pyramid, cone, curved body, gengon and so forth, but is not therefore limited thereto. The to-be-packaged object 50 (See FIG. 3B) is realized as a solid structure, which may include, for example, one of cosmetic, a variety of ornaments, a variety of 3C electronic products and so forth, but is not therefore limited thereto.
[0029] In this embodiment, the wet fiber pulp-molding process used to manufacture the pulp-molded packaging article 1 according to the present invention is a conventional manufacturing technology; nonetheless, in order to be conveniently realized, a number of essential steps implemented in the wet fiber pulp-molding process are introduced as follows in simplicity, which comprise: (1) by a set of male and female mold assembly (not shown) for sucking pulps made up of plant fibers and then applying initial compressions on the sucked pulps, achieving a wet rough body made of the plant fibers; then, (2) the male and female mold assembly further applying compressive forces in an upward-and-downward matching manner for the wet rough body, thereby shaping a semi-finished article from the wet rough body; then, (3) by at least one set of thermo-compression forming male and female mold assembly (not shown) acting on an upward-and-downward matching manner for the semi-finished article, thereby integrally thermo-compressively forming the whole structure of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 which comprises the horizontal bottom wall 10, the standing lateral wall 20 and the connecting plate 40; and then (4) removing excessive leftover bits located around a periphery of the pulp-molded packaging article 1. Alternatively, it can not be limited to the afore-mentioned introduction. Any other pulp-molding process that is capable of being adopted to manufacture the pulp-molded packaging article 1 of the present invention belongs to the wet fiber pulp-molding process designated in the present invention.
[0030] Further referring to the illustrations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2B, FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of the pulp-molded packaging article along a sectioning line A-A shown in FIG. 2A. The horizontal bottom wall 10 has a longitudinal center line X which vertically passes through the horizontal bottom wall 10. The standing lateral wall 20 is upwardly extended integrally from and around an outermost periphery of the horizontal bottom wall 10. In a preferred embodiment, the standing lateral wall 20 is rendered as an annular structure surrounding the horizontal bottom wall 10. An accommodation space 30 is commonly defined by between the horizontal bottom wall 10 and the standing lateral wall 20, for accommodating the to-be-packaged object 50 (as referring to the illustrations shown in FIG. 3B) therein. The standing lateral wall 20 is further formed with an inner sidewall 201 facing the accommodation space 30, and an outer sidewall 203 located opposite to the inner sidewall 201. On a top of the standing lateral wall 20, where is adjacent to the connecting plate 4, a top opening 26 is formed in communicating with the accommodation space 30. The top opening 26 is used to provide entry or exit of the to-be-packaged object 50 (See FIG. 3B) for the accommodation space 30. In another preferred embodiment, within the top opening 26 defined by the top of the standing lateral wall 20, an inner contour of the inner sidewall 201 conforms with an outer contour of an outer circumferential curve surface of the to-be-packaged object 50 (See FIG. 3B) or a size proportion of the outer contour, but is not therefore limited thereto.
[0031] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2B, the connecting plate 40 is integrally formed with and around an outermost circumference of the top of the standing lateral wall 20, and is outwardly and horizontally extended in radial directions from the outermost circumference of the top of the standing lateral wall 20; nevertheless, in other embodiment, both of a distance and a planar shape where the connecting plate 40 of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 is horizontally extended are not limited since such a connecting plate 40 can also be permitted, which is just able to strengthen both the structural strength and the elastic force of the standing lateral wall 20, thereby preventing the standing lateral wall 20 from having a permanent deformation while the to-be-packaged object 50 (See FIG. 3B) is accommodated within the article 1. In another embodiment, the connecting plate 40 of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 may be omitted in a case of disuse.
[0032] Referring to the illustrations shown in FIGS. 1, 2B and 3A, FIG. 3A depicts a partially enlarged view according to a circled region Cl drawn in the pulp-molded packaging article shown in FIG. 2B. The standing lateral wall 20 further has a bulge region 22 located beneath the top opening 26, and a groove region 24 located beneath the bulge region 22. The groove region 24 and the bulge region 22 both are integrally formed side-by-side along a direction S where the standing lateral wall 20 is upwardly extended. The upwardly-extended direction S is the same as a longitudinal draft direction S of the inner sidewall 201 of the standing lateral wall 20 upon molding. The bulge region 22 has a snap-in convex surface 222 (as defined with a longest inward-protruded length) which is protruded from the inner sidewall 201 toward the accommodation space 30). And, the groove region 24 has a concave surface 246 which is concaved successively from the inner sidewall 201 toward the outer sidewall 203. The concave surface 246 is integrally connected with beneath the snap-in convex surface 222. In this embodiment, both the concave surface 246 and the snap-in convex surface 222 of the inner sidewall 201 are integrally formed, such as two side-by-side connected peak and trough structures, in a down-to-up sequential arrangement along the upwardly-extended direction S. In this preferred embodiment, on an upper of the bulge region 22 (as a position upwardly corresponding to the top opening 26), the bulge region 22 further has a guiding inclined curved plane 224 formed on the inner sidewall 201. The guiding inclined curved plane 224 is integrally connected with and located above the snap-in convex surface 222.
[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the snap-in convex surface 222 of the bulge region 22 is formed in a shape of a snap-in annular bar arranged in a successive arrangement (See FIG. 1), or a plurality of snap-in annular bars arranged in a spaced arrangement, along an inner circumferential direction of the inner sidewall 201. And similarly, the concave surface 246 is formed in a shape of a snap-in annular recess arranged in a successive arrangement, or a plurality of snap-in annular recesses arranged in a spaced arrangement, along the inner circumferential direction of the inner sidewall 201.
[0034] As illustrated in FIGS. 2B and 3A, regions between both the inner sidewall 201 and the outer sidewall 203 of the standing lateral wall 20 are formed with different transversely cross-sectional thicknesses (e.g. W1, W2) whereas most of the regions between both the inner sidewall 201 and the outer sidewall 203 are formed with the transversely cross-sectional thickness W2, and the transversely cross-sectional thickness W1 located at the snap-in convex surface 222 of the bulge region 22 is larger than the transversely cross-sectional thickness W2 of the other most regions of the standing lateral wall 20; and in particular, the transversely cross-sectional thickness W1 located at the bulge region 22 is larger than the transversely cross-sectional thickness W2 (i.e. W1>W2) located at the groove region 24, namely a thickness difference (i.e. W1-W2) occurring between the different transversely cross-sectional thicknesses W1, W2, which is inwardly protruded from the inner sidewall 201. It should be noted that, since the concave surface 246 is located beneath the snap-in convex surface 222, the concave surface 246 has a transversely cross-sectional thickness that is successively narrowed, downwardly; conversely, since the guiding inclined curved plane 224 is located on an upper of the snap-in convex surface 222, the guiding inclined curved plane 224 has a transversely cross-sectional thickness that is successively widened, downwardly. In the present invention, using the wet fiber pulp-molding process to integrally form the bulge region 22 with the transversely cross-sectional thickness W1 which is more thickened than the thicknesses of other regions, thereby providing the to-be-packaged object 50 (See FIG. 3B) with several functions of cushioning protection and rapid orientation while raising both a structural strength and an elastic force for the to-be-packaged object 50 (See FIG. 3B), rather than using the conventional process of folding the cardboard to form. Accordingly, the outer sidewall 203 located at both the groove region 24 and the bulge region 22 is kept revealed in a successively-flat curve surface formed along the upwardly-extended direction S; nonetheless, the groove region 24 and the bulge region 22 both located at the inner sidewall 201 are revealed as a successively-formed structures with a set of peak and trough, both of which are side-by-side connected with each other along the upwardly-extended direction S.
[0035] Besides, in this preferred embodiment as depicted in FIGS. 2B and 3A, while the whole structure of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 is integrally formed by the respective sets of male and female mold assemblies (not shown) used in the wet fiber pulp-molding process, a draft direction K1 of the bulge region 22 has a negative draft angle α relative to the longitudinal draft direction S of the inner sidewall 201 of the standing lateral wall 20.
[0036] Further referring to the illustrations shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, FIG. 3B depicts a partially enlarged view of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 shown in FIG. 3A, where the pulp-molded packaging article 1 is being ready to accommodate the to-be-packaged object 50. While the to-be-packaged object 50 suffers an external compressive force P1 to downwardly pass through the top opening 26 in a way of being ready to enter into the accommodation space 30, the to-be-packaged object 50 would precedently engage with the guiding inclined curved plane 224 of the bulge region 2. Next, the guiding inclined curved plane 224 directs the to-be-packaged object 50 to downwardly slide toward the accommodation space 30, by a way of an inclined plane principle, along an outer surface formed on the guiding inclined curved plane 224, until the to-be-packaged object 50 starts entering into the accommodation space 30.
[0037] Further referring to the illustrations shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, FIG. 3C depicts a partially enlarged view of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 shown in FIG. 3B, where the pulp-molded packaging article 1 starts accommodating the to-be-packaged object therein. While the to-be-packaged object 50 continuously suffers the external compressive force P1 to slide on the guiding inclined curved plane 224 until the to-be-packaged object 50 oppresses the snap-in convex surface 222, the bulge region 22 or the standing lateral wall 20 is therefore actuated so as to generate an outward elastic deformation T1 with an outward displacement d1 to reach an outward deflection position. In the start time, only few of portions of the to-be-packaged object 50 has entered into the accommodation space 30. As long as the to-be-packaged object 50 oppresses the snap-in convex surface 222 to facilitate either the bulge region 22 or the standing lateral wall 20 generating the outward elastic deformation T1 with the outward displacement d1 to reach the outward deflection position, the connecting plate 40 located around the outermost circumferential direction of the top of the standing lateral wall 20 can strengthen the standing lateral wall 20 to essentially have a sufficient structural strength, and a sufficient elastic force that can prevent the elastic deformation T1 of either the bulge region 22 or the standing lateral wall 20 from transiting into a permanent deformation.
[0038] Further referring to the illustrations shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, FIG. 3D depicts a partially enlarged view of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 shown in FIG. 3C, where the pulp-molded packaging article 1 has completely accommodated the to-be-packaged object 50 therein. While an outer side edge of the to-be-packaged object 50 has passed through beside the snap-in convex surface 222 to continuously downwardly reach the concave surface 246 of the groove region 24, the snap-in convex surface 222 of the bulge region 22 is rebounded therefore to exert reverse elastic forces T2 on the outer side edge of the to-be-packaged object 50 so as to snap-in retention onto the outer side edge of the to-be-packaged object 50, which makes the snap-in convex surface 222 generating a snap-in retentive effect of stopping the to-be-packaged object 50 from an outward movement toward the top opening 26. In a case, most of the structure of the to-be-packaged object 50 can be effectively fixed within the accommodation space 30 (as referring to FIG. 4), rather than being readily moved outside or even departed from the article 1.
[0039] In conclusion, since the whole structure of the pulp-molded packaging article 1 according to the present invention is integrally formed by the wet fiber pulp-molding process, it is capable of avoiding the damage to the ecological environment, strengthening both the elastic force and the structural strength of the pulp-molded packaging article 1, and avoiding the technical issues resulted from the above-mentioned conventional paper-made boxes, such as laboriousness and a large of time consumption in their fabrications. Besides, by the wet fiber pulp-molding process to integrally form the whole structure without the need of extra increasing a formed-by-folding lined structure, the pulp-molded packaging article 1 according to the present invention can provide several functions of effective cushioning protection, rapid orientation and effective snap-in retention, for the to-be-packaged object 50 which is packaged in the article 1.
[0040] As described above, although the present invention has been described with the preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined only by reference to the claims.
