Inflatable protective lining sysem for containers

• US 5,769,232 A
• Filed: 08/16/1996
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronnie L. Cash, William Scott Sanders
• Original Assignee: Ronnie L. Cash, William Scott Sanders
• Inventors: Cash, Ronnie L., Sanders, William Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US08/699,097
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 206/522, 206/521, 206/594, 206/593, 206/709, 383/3
• US Class Current: 206/522
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/052 filled with fluid, e.g. inflatable elements

Abstract

An inflatable protective lining system for shipping containers includes a plurality of double wall inflatable chambers which are interconnected at their edges such that they can be folded to form an enclosure. An article to be protected is placed in the enclosure and the lining system is inserted into a shipping container. The chambers are then inflated via one or more elongate tubes to surround, cushion and protect the enclosed article within the container.

Claims

1. An inflatable protective lining system for at least partially enclosing and protecting at least one article, said system comprising:

a. a double wall base chamber with a plurality of perimeter edges;

b. a plurality of double wall side chambers, each of which has one perimeter edge attached to a respective one of said base chamber edges, said side chambers being foldable at their attached edges with respect to said base chamber to form an enclosure for said at least one article;

c. a double wall top chamber with one edge attached to a corresponding edge of one of said side chambers, said top chamber being foldable with respect to said one side chamber to form a top of said enclosure;

d. a valve extending through a wall of one of said base or side chambers to allow interconnected ones of the base, top and side chambers to be inflated; and

e. said side chambers and said top chamber each include portions of an interlocking system such that said side chambers and said top chamber can be interlocked to form said enclosure, said interlocking system comprising a tongue and groove system in which elongate tongues are formed along certain unattached edges of said side and top chambers and mating grooves are formed along other, unattached, overlapping edges of said side and top chambers such that said side and top chambers can be interlocked to form a closed container.

2. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 1, wherein said base chamber and all of said side chambers are interconnected via respective air passages such that said base and said side chambers can be simultaneously inflated from said valve.

3. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 1, wherein said base chamber, said side chambers and said top chamber are interconnected via respective air passages such that said base, side and top chambers can be simultaneously inflated from said valve.

4. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 1, and further comprising:

a. a double wall separation chamber with one edge attached to said base chamber such that said separation chamber extends vertically to separate said enclosure into two separate sections.

5. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 4, wherein said base chamber and said separation chambers are interconnected via a respective air passage such that said base and separation chambers can be simultaneously inflated from said valve.

6. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 1, wherein said chambers comprise an electro-static shielding material such that said enclosure is a charge dissipating environment.

7. An inflatable protective lining system for at least partially enclosing and protecting at least one article, said system comprising:

a. a double wall base chamber with a plurality of perimeter edges;

b. a plurality of double wall side chambers, each of which has one perimeter edge attached to a respective one of said base chamber edges, said side chambers being foldable at their attached edges with respect to said base chamber to form an enclosure for said at least one article;

c. a double wall top chamber with one edge attached to one of said side chambers, said top chamber being foldable with respect to said one side chamber to form a top of said enclosure;

d. a double wall separation chamber with one edge attached to said base chamber such that said separation chamber extends vertically to separate said enclosure into two separate sections; and

e. a valve extending through a wall of at least one of said base, top, separation or side chambers to allow interconnected ones of the base, top, separation and side chambers to be inflated.

8. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 7, wherein said valve includes an elongate tube which allows the respective chamber or chambers to be filled remotely.

9. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 7 wherein said side chambers and said top chamber each include portions of an interlocking system such that said side chambers and said top chamber can be interlocked to form said enclosure.

10. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 9 wherein said interlocking system is a tongue and groove system in which elongate tongues are formed along certain edges of said side and top chambers and mating grooves are formed along other, overlapping edges of said side and top chambers.

11. An inflatable protective lining system as in claim 7, wherein said base, top and side chambers comprise an electro-static shielding material such that said enclosure is a charge dissipating environment.