Shipping container, system and packing method, along with reusable packing accessory for use therewith

Abstract

A reusable shipping system comprises a closable shipping container and a packing ensemble disposed in the container's interior which includes an expandable cushioning assembly and at least one reusable packing accessory. The expandable cushioning assembly may be a layered arrangement having at least one foam layer and an inflatable bladder, while the packing accessory may be one or more cushioned bags or the like. Methods are also described for preparing a shipping container having a padded interior and a layered cushioning assembly. One or more items are inserted into the shipping container, and its cushioning assembly is thereafter expanded, for example by inflating a bladder, to compress the container's padded interior against the item(s).

1 . A reusable shipping system for shipping one or more items, comprising:
 a. A shipping container including:
 i. A shell including a base and a plurality of sidewalls surrounding said base; and 
 ii. A lid movably attached to said shell between open and closed positions; 
   b. A packing ensemble disposed in said shipping container, said packing ensemble including
 i. A layered cushioning assembly disposed above said base; and 
 ii. A least one reusable packing accessory for positioning on top of said one or more items when placed in said container, each reusable packing accessory comprising a sealed bag and a plurality of cushioning elements contained within said bag.