Granted Patent B2

US 12,630,345 · App. 18/412,157 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Yongquan Zhou (Oakland, TN); Jiada Mo (Memphis, TN); Scott Ritchie (Piperton, TN)

Assignee: Federal Express Corporation

B65D65/38B65D77/24B65D2203/06B65D2565/385

Abstract

Claims (59)

1 . A reusable recyclable packing pouch comprising:

a plastic container comprising:

first portion with a shaped region, and

a second portion coupled to the first portion by a hinge, the second portion sized to mate with the first portion such as to define a space between facing surfaces of the second portion and the shaped region of the first portion, wherein, when the first portion and the second portion are coupled, the plastic container comprises a flange extending annularly around the shaped region; and

a paperboard jacket comprising:

an aperture defined therethrough, wherein the aperture is sized to permit the shaped region of the plastic container to pass through while the flange extends past edges of aperture and overlaps with a region of the paperboard jacket at a periphery of the aperture;

a pull tab formed between a first set of perforations and a second set of perforations;

a rigid backing applied to the pull tab, and wherein:

the first set of perforations extends across the paperboard jacket from one outer edge to another outer edge; and

the second set of perforations is offset from the first set of perforations, and the second set of perforations is interrupted by the aperture.

2 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 , wherein the rigid backing comprises plastic.

3 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 , wherein an edge of the rigid backing aligns with at least one of the first set of perforations or the second set of perforations.

4 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 , wherein the rigid backing extends across the paperboard jacket from the one outer edge to the another outer edge.

5 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 , wherein the paperboard jacket comprises a first paperboard layer and a second paperboard layer, and wherein a portion of the rigid backing is sandwiched between the first paperboard layer and the second paperboard layer.

6 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 , wherein the paperboard jacket comprises a first paperboard layer overlaying a second paperboard layer,

wherein the first paperboard layer defines the aperture,

wherein the second paperboard layer defines a second aperture that is larger than the aperture, and

wherein outer edges of the first paperboard layer are aligned with outer edges of the second paperboard layer.

7 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 6 , wherein the second paperboard layer has a thickness approximately equal to a thickness of the flange.

8 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 7 , wherein the flange of the plastic container comprises, with the first portion and the second portion coupled, a first flange overlaying a second flange, the first flange extending around a perimeter the shaped region of the first portion of the plastic container and the second flange extending around a perimeter of the shaped region of the second portion of the plastic container, and

wherein the thickness of the second paperboard layer is approximately equal to a combined thickness of the first flange overlayed on the second flange.

9 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 , wherein the plastic container comprises a plurality of projections extending outward from a sidewall and over the flange.

10 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 9 , wherein a distance between each projection and the flange is approximately equal to a thickness of the paperboard jacket.

11 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 ,

wherein the rigid backing applied to the pull tab is plastic and extends across the paperboard jacket from the one outer edge to the other outer edge,

wherein an edge of the rigid backing aligns with at least one of the first set of perforations or the second set of perforations, and

wherein the paperboard jacket comprises a first paperboard layer and a second paperboard layer, and wherein a portion of the rigid backing is sandwiched between the first paperboard layer and the second paperboard layer.

12 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 11 , wherein the first paperboard layer defines the aperture,

wherein the second paperboard layer defines a second aperture that is larger than the aperture, and

wherein outer edges of the first paperboard layer are aligned with outer edges of the second paperboard layer, and

wherein the second paperboard layer has a thickness approximately equal to a thickness of the flange.

13 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 12 , wherein the flange of the plastic container comprises, with the first portion and the second portion coupled, a first flange overlaying a second flange, the first flange extending around a perimeter the shaped region of the first portion of the plastic container and the second flange extending around a perimeter of the shaped region of the second portion of the plastic container,

wherein the thickness of the second paperboard layer is approximately equal to a combined thickness of the first flange overlayed on the second flange,

wherein the plastic container comprises a plurality of projections extending outward from a sidewall and over the flange, and

wherein a distance between each projection and the flange is approximately equal to a thickness of the paperboard jacket.

14 . A shipping container with a reusable recyclable packing pouch, the shipping container comprising:

a plastic container positioned on a surface of the shipping container, the plastic container comprising:

first portion with a shaped region, and

a second portion coupled to the first portion by a hinge, the second portion sized to mate with the first portion such as to define a space between facing surfaces of the second portion and the shaped region of the first portion, wherein, when the first portion and the second portion are coupled, the plastic container comprises a flange extending annularly around the shaped region; and

a paperboard jacket comprising:

an aperture defined therethrough, wherein the aperture is sized to permit the shaped region of the plastic container to pass through while the flange extends past edges of aperture and overlaps with a region of paperboard jacket at a periphery of the aperture;

a first set of perforations extending across the paperboard jacket from one outer edge to another outer edge; and

a second set of perforations offset from the first set of perforations and parallel with at least a portion of the first set of perforations, wherein the second set of perforations is interrupted by the aperture.

15 . The shipping container of claim 14 , wherein a region between the first set of perforations and the second set of perforations forms a pull tab,

wherein the paperboard jacket comprises a rigid plastic backing applied to the pull tab and extending across the paperboard jacket from the one outer edge to the other outer edge,

wherein an edge of the rigid plastic backing aligns with at least one of the first set of perforations or the second set of perforations, and

wherein the paperboard jacket comprises a first paperboard layer and a second paperboard layer, and wherein a portion of the rigid plastic backing is sandwiched between the first paperboard layer and the second paperboard layer.

16 . The shipping container of claim 15 , wherein the first paperboard layer defines the aperture,

wherein the second paperboard layer defines a second aperture that is larger than the aperture, and

wherein outer edges of the first paperboard layer are aligned with outer edges of the second paperboard layer, and

wherein the second paperboard layer has a thickness approximately equal to a thickness of the flange.

17 . The shipping container of claim 16 , wherein the flange of the plastic container comprises, with the first portion and the second portion coupled, a first flange overlaying a second flange, the first flange extending around a perimeter the shaped region of the first portion of the plastic container and the second flange extending around a perimeter of the shaped region of the second portion of the plastic container,

wherein the thickness of the second paperboard layer is approximately equal to a combined thickness of the first flange overlayed on the second flange,

wherein the plastic container comprises a plurality of projections extending outward from a sidewall and over the flange, and

wherein a distance between each projection and the flange is approximately equal to a thickness of the paperboard jacket.

18 . The shipping container of claim 14 , wherein the paperboard jacket comprises a pull tab formed between the first set of perforation and the second set of perforations, the pull tab comprising a plastic backing.

19 . The shipping container of claim 14 , wherein the plastic container comprises one or more projections extending from a sidewall and configured to retain at least one layer of the paperboard jacket captured between respective bottom surfaces of the one or more projections and the flange.

20 . The shipping container of claim 18 , wherein the plastic container comprises one or more projections extending from a sidewall and configured to retain at least one layer of the paperboard jacket captured between respective bottom surfaces of the one or more projections and the flange, and wherein at least one of the one or more projections overlaps the pull tab.

21 . The reusable recyclable packing pouch of claim 1 , wherein the plastic container comprises one or more projections extending from a sidewall and configured to retain at least one layer of the paperboard jacket captured between respective bottom surfaces of the one or more projections and the flange, and wherein at least one of the one or more projections overlaps the pull tab.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (21)