Flexible cellulosic fiber-based honeycomb material

1. A flexible cellulosic fiber-based material comprising:

a core portion having a geometrically patterned structure defining open-ended honeycomb core cells and two spaced-apart substantially planar faces and providing air space therebetween, the core portion including a stack of cellulosic fiber-based sheets having a core grammage, the sheets being bonded together at spaced-apart intervals in a staggered configuration; and

at least one cellulosic fiber-based liner bonded to a respective one of the planar faces of the core portion and having a liner grammage lower than the core grammage, the material being flexible along a plane defined by the at least one liner and rollable onto itself.

2. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the geometrically patterned structure comprises a plurality of cells having a diameter and a height, and the ratio of the cell height and the cell diameter is below 1.1.

3. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the core grammage ranges between 60 and 200 grams per square meter.

4. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liner grammage is below 100 grams per square meter.

5. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , having an overall thickness ranging between 0.6 and 2.5 cm.

6. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the geometrically patterned structure comprises a honeycomb material with a grid of hexagonal cells having a diameter ranging between 0.6 cm and 3.8 cm.

7. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sheets of the core portion and the at least one liner comprise wood fiber based materials.

8. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , comprising two liners, each one of the liners being bonded to a respective one of the planar faces of the core portion and being spaced-apart from each other.

9. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one liner is substantially free of continuous discontinuities.

10. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible cellulosic fiber-based material is rolled onto itself into a spiral shape.

11. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the cell height and the cell diameter is below or substantially equal to 1.

12. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liner has a cellulosic fiber grammage below 60 grams per square meter.

13. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the geometrically patterned structure comprises cells having a diameter ranging between 0.6 cm and 3.8 cm.

14. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based material is foldable along several non-parallel axes.

15. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based material is reshapable following folding.

16. The cellulosic fiber-based material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber-based material is foldable simultaneously along at least two non-parallel axes.

17. A method for packing an article comprising:

applying the flexible cellulosic fiber-based material of claim 1 over the article to at least partially cover the article; and

folding the flexible cellulosic fiber-based material over at least one non-planar element of the article.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , comprising directly superposing one of the at least one liners to the article being packed.

19. An article at least partially protected by the flexible cellulosic fiber-based material of claim 1 .

20. The article as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the material is folded over at least one non-planar element.