Uniform Interlocking foam packing material/building material apparatus and method

Abstract

A foam structure for protecting a product in a package can interlock with another foam structure, concrete or wood to form a structural unit of building material. The foam structure can be made of two nested parts, which can be made of differing materials. A structural unit that can be used as building material can be made from packing material. A foam structure that can be used to pack a product in a package is interlocked with another foam structure, wood or concrete to form the unit of building material. The structural units can be used in construction products or in flotation products. The structural units can be used as part of a wall form and can be attached to the wall or to the other side of the wall form with connectors. The structural units can have conduits. The conduits can pass electrical conductors, air, fluids, ducts or pipes.

1 - 46 . (canceled)  
   
   
       47 . A method for forming an interlocking structure from components of a packaging system, the method comprising: 
 receiving a packaging system that includes a packaging unit that resides within a shipping container, the packaging unit having a plurality of three-dimensional elements that are removably mated to respective portions of a product that also resides within the shipping container, each of the three-dimensional elements having a cavity that is removably mated with a respective portion of the product so that that plurality of three-dimensional objects reside in a first configuration;    removing the packaging unit from the shipping container;    removing the plurality of three-dimensional elements from their respective portions of the product; and    interlocking the plurality of three-dimensional elements using interlocking structure formed on the plurality of three-dimensional elements to form the structural unit with the plurality of three-dimensional objects residing in a second configuration that differs from the first configuration.    
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein: 
 the plurality of three-dimensional elements comprise eight three-dimensional elements;    the packaging unit includes eight corners; and    forming the packaging unit includes removably mating each of the eight three-dimensional elements with eight corresponding corners of the product.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein: 
 the plurality of three-dimensional elements comprise two three-dimensional elements; and    each of the two three-dimensional elements corresponds to a respective half of the packaging unit.    
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein each of the two three-dimensional elements of the packaging unit removably mates with respective sides of the product.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 47:   wherein the interlocking structure comprises a tongue and groove structure formed in surfaces of the three-dimensional element; and    wherein the interlocking structure of one three-dimensional element exactly meeting the interlocking structure of another of the three-dimensional elements.    
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the plurality of three-dimensional elements are foam structures.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising using the structural unit in the construction of a building.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising using the structural unit as a flotation product.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising using the structural unit to create a portion of a wall form for pourable building material.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising coupling together the plurality of three-dimensional elements using a connector that fits through a connector opening formed in the plurality of three-dimensional elements.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising using the structural unit for insulation.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising using the structural unit for insulation between rafters.