Shipping container and system along with shipping method employing the same

• US 20030052032A1
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EGGS Overnight, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kent H. Dickinson
• Inventors: Dickinson, Kent H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,737,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/459.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/06 Arrangements on packages concerning bar-codes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00037 Bundles surrounded by carton blanks
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00043 Intermediate plates or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00055 Clapping elements, also placed on the side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00111 Arrangements of flexible binders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/004 Information or decoration elements, e.g. level indicators, detachable tabs or coupons
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/25 Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/34 with special means for indicating unauthorised opening B65D33/2516, B65D33/2585 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/0096 the dimensions of the supports corresponding to the periphery of the load, e.g. pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/03 Wrappers or envelopes with shock-absorbing properties, e.g. bubble films for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3888
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/00 Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes on or in vehicles G09F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A reusable container and method for a shipping system includes a container body, a closure, a removable label and a label panel. The label has an area to receive shipping information and a layer of an adhesive material. The label panel has an exposed surface to which the adhesive adheres but from which the label may be removed without tearing. A locking structure may be provided. A locking member can engage the locking structure to secure contents during shipment. The container may be a flexible pouch that may include an inner cushioning layer and an outer fabric layer. The pouch may be formed of two panels that have a zippered mouth and a grommet allows a cable tie to lockably secure the zipper in a closed position. A signal transmitter can be included with the container. The system includes special cartons and pallets for a plurality of containers.

Claims

1. A container adapted to receive a parcel for shipment to an intended recipient, comprising:

(A) a container body having an interior and a mouth communicating with the interior;

(B) a closure movable between

(1) an open position such that a parcel may be inserted into and removed from the interior and

(2) a closed position to retain the parcel in the interior as a received parcel;

(C) a removable label including

(1) a strip constructed of a selected strip material and having an area adapted to receive information corresponding to an address of an intended recipient of the received parcel and

(2) a layer of a selected adhesive; and

(D) a label panel secured to said container body, said label panel including an exposed surface portion formed of a material

(1) to which the selected adhesive will adhere sufficiently to retain the label on the container body during shipment yet

(2) from which the label may be forcefully removed without tearing said strip material.

2. A container according to claim 1 including

(A) a locking structure and

(B) a locking member operative to engage said locking structure and movable into a locked state thereby to secure the closure in the closed position.

3. A container according to claim 1 wherein said container body is formed as a flexible pouch having a perimeter.

4. A container according to claim 3 wherein said pouch includes first and second body panels joined about a majority of the perimeter thereof to define a sealed edge with an unjoined portion defining the mouth.

5. A container according to claim 4 wherein said closure is a zipper having a pull tab.

6. A container according to claim 5 including

(A) a first grommet disposed on said first body panel and

(B) a second grommet disposed on said second body panel, each of said first and second grommets located proximately to said pull tab when said zipper is closed thereby to define a locking structure and including a locking member operative to engage said first and second grommets and said pull tab thereby to secure the zipper in the closed position.

7. A container according to claim 6 wherein said locking member includes a cable tie.

8. A container according to claim 4 wherein each of said first and second body panels is formed with a multi-layered construction including a cushioning layer interposed between first and second fabric layers.

9. A container according to claim 4 wherein said label panel is formed by a layer of plastic material coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, said layer being affixed to one of said first and second body panels.

10. A container according to claim 1 wherein said material on the exposed surface area is polytetrafluoroethylene.

11. A container according to claim 1 including a signal transmitter secured to said container body.

12. A container adapted to receive a parcel for shipment to an intended recipient, comprising:

(A) a flexible container body having an interior and including

(1) first and second flexible body panels joined about a majority of the perimeter thereof to define a sealed edge with an unjoined portion defining a mouth communicating with the interior;

(B) a zipper associated with the mouth and including a pull tab, said zipper movable between an open position such that a parcel may be inserted into the interior as a received parcel and removed from the interior and a closed position to retain the received parcel in the interior;

(C) a first grommet disposed on said first body panel at a location proximate to said zipper slide when said zipper is in the closed position;

(D) a second grommet disposed on said second body panel at a location proximate to said pull tab when said zipper is in the closed position;

(E) a locking member operative to engage said first and second grommets and said pull tab when said zipper is in the closed position thereby to secure the zipper in the closed position;

(F) a removable label including

(1) area adapted to receive information corresponding to an address of an intended recipient of the received parcel and

(2) a strip constructed of a selected strip material and having a layer of a selected adhesive; and

(G) a label panel secured to said container body, said label panel including an exposed surface portion formed of a material to which the selected adhesive will adhere sufficiently to retain the label on the container body during shipment yet from which the label may be forcefully removed without tearing said strip material.

13. A container according to claim 12 wherein said locking member is a cable tie.

14. A container according to claim 12 wherein each of said first and second body panels is formed with a multi-layered construction including a cushioning layer interposed between first and second fabric layers.

15. A container according to claim 12 including a signal transmitter secured to said container body and disposed between the first and second fabric layers of one of said first and second body panels.

16. A container according to claim 12 wherein said label panel is formed by a layer of plastic material coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, said layer being affixed to one of said first and second body panels.

17. A container adapted to receive a parcel for shipment to an intended recipient, comprising:

(A) a flexible pouch having an interior and a mouth communicating with the interior;

(B) a closure movable between

(1) an open position such that a parcel may be inserted into and removed from the interior and

(2) a closed position to retain the parcel in the interior as a received parcel; and

(C) a signal transmitter secured to said pouch.

18. A container according to claim 17 including a label panel secured to said container body, said label panel including an exposed surface portion formed of a release material, said label panel adapted to adhere sufficiently to an adhesive label to retain the label thereon container body during shipment yet from which the label may be forcefully removed without tearing.

19. A container according to claim 17 wherein said pouch is formed by first and second flexible body panels joined about a majority of the perimeter thereof to define a sealed edge with an unjoined portion defining the mouth.

20. A container according to claim 19 wherein each of said first and second body panels is formed with a multi-layered construction including a cushioning layer interposed between first and second fabric layers.

21. A container according to claim 20 wherein said signal transmitter is disposed between the first and second fabric layers of one of said first and second body panels.

22. A shipping system adapted to be used to transport parcels between a sender location and a recipient location, comprising:

(A) a plurality of flexible containers each having an interior adapted to receive a parcel for shipment to an intended recipient, each said container including;

(1) first and second flexible body panels joined about a majority of the perimeter thereof to define a sealed edge with an unjoined portion defining a mouth communicating with the interior;

(2) a closure movable between

(a) an open position such that a parcel may be inserted into the interior and removed from the interior and

(b) a closed position to retain the received parcel in the interior as a received parcel;

(B) a plurality of cartons each having a bottom and a surrounding side wall forming a carton interior,

(1) each said carton adapted to receive a plurality of said flexible containers with received parcels in the carton interior thereof as a filled carton;

(2) a plurality of said filled cartons being stackable one on top of another as a stacked ensemble;

(C) a plurality of support pallets, each said support pallet adapted to support at least one stacked ensemble of filled cartons placed thereon as a supported ensemble;

(D) a plurality of cover pallets, each said cover pallet adapted to be placed over at least one supported ensemble; and

(E) connector assemblies adapted to fasten a respective said support pallet to a respective said cover pallet that is positioned over the supported ensemble as a pallet pair thereby to secure said pallet pair together to define a palletized load.

23. A shipping system according to claim 22 including a plurality of labels, each label including

(A) a strip constructed of a selected strip material and having an area adapted to receive information corresponding to an address of an intended location and

(B) a layer of a selected adhesive;

a label panel secured to said container body, said label panel including an exposed surface portion formed of a material

(1) to which the selected adhesive will adhere sufficiently to retain a respective said label on the container body during shipment yet

(2) from which the label may be forcefully removed without tearing said strip material;

24. A shipping system according to claim 22 wherein said support pallets and said cover pallets have a common construction.

25. A shipping system according to claim 24 wherein said support pallets and said cover pallets are constructed such that two palletized loads may be stacked one on top of another with adjacent ones of said support pallets and cover pallets interlocking with one another.

26. A shipping system according to claim 25 wherein each of said support pallets and said cover pallets has rails defining interlocking structures therefor.

27. A shipping system according to claim 22 wherein each said support pallet is sized and adapted to support a plurality of stacked ensembles of cartons organized as columns thereon.

28. A shipping system according to claim 22 wherein at least some of said flexible containers have RF transmitters secured thereto, each said RF transmitter operative to transmit a unique identifier signal.

29. A method of shipping parcels from shippers each located at a respective origin location to intended recipients each located at a respective destination location, comprising:

(A) at a respective origin location for a respective shipper and in any order,

(1) packing each of the parcels to be shipped by the respective shipper in an individual reusable container;

(2) labeling each of the containers to be shipped by the respective shipper with information corresponding to an address of a respective intended recipient; and

(3) closing each container with the respective parcel therein to define a shipping package;

(B) repeating steps (A)(1) through (A)(3) at each respective shipper;

(C) placing each of said shipping packages in a carton tote having a bottom and a surrounding side wall forming an interior, said carton tote upon being filled with shipping packages defining a filled carton tote, said step being accomplished at either the respective origin locations or at a regional collection center;

(C) conveying said filled carton totes to a centralized distribution center;

(D) at the centralized distribution center,

(1) removing the shipping packages from said carton totes;

(2) sorting the shipping packages by geographic region corresponding to the destination addresses thereof to define regionalized shipping packages; and

(3) replacing the regionalized shipping packages in carton totes to define regionalized filled carton totes;

(E) conveying the regionalized filled carton totes to respective regional distribution centers;

(F) at each region distribution center,

(1) removing the shipping packages from said regionalized filled carton totes;

(2) sorting the shipping packages by the destination addresses thereof; and

(G) delivering the shipping packages to the destination addresses thereof.

30. A method of shipping parcels according to claim 29 wherein each said container is provided with a label panel secured thereto, said label panel including an exposed surface portion formed of a release material, said step of labeling being accomplished by placing information corresponding to the address of the respective recipient on a removable strip constructed of a selected strip material and having a layer of a selected adhesive selected to adhere sufficiently to the release material to retain the label on the container body during shipment yet to be able to selectively release from the release material without tearing said strip material to define a labeled package.

31. A method of shipping parcels according to claim 30 including removing the removable strip from at least some of said labeled packages at a respective destination location to define recycled containers and reusing at least some of said recycled containers for subsequent packaging and shipment of parcels.

32. A method of shipping parcels according to claim 29 wherein the step of packing each of the parcels is accomplished by placing it in flexible pouch that defines the reusable container therefor.

33. A method of shipping parcels according to claim 29 wherein each said container is provided with a signal transmitter secured thereto, each said signal transmitter operative to transmit a unique identifier signal, the step of labeling each container being accomplished by correlating the respective unique identifier signal with the respective information corresponding to the address of the respective intended recipient.