Package having a suspension platform for an article, packaging kit having a suspension platform, and method of packaging an article

Abstract

An article suspension package for receiving an article is provided and this article receiving package can be provided as a standalone component on which an article is displayed, stowed, or carried, as a component for use in conjunction with other components such as, for example, a storage box or a shipping box in which the article suspension package and the article are disposed, and as an integral component with a packaging kit that is configured such that a platform tier of the article suspension package and the other components of the package kit can be wholly or substantially formed from the same sheet material such as, for example, a cardboard sheet material.

1 . A package for retaining an article, the package comprising:
 a sheet material, the sheet material having a lower panel, an upper panel, and a platform panel, the sheet material being disposable between a retaining configuration in which the platform panel is intermediate the lower panel and the upper panel as viewed relative to an elevation axis and a non-use configuration, the lower panel and the upper panel delimiting, in the retaining configuration, a receipt volume having pair of lateral sides spaced apart from one another as viewed relative to a lateral axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and a pair of ends spaced apart from one another as viewed relative to a depth axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and the lateral axis, the platform panel being foldable about the lateral axis to dispose the platform panel within a respective area that will ultimately be delimited as the receipt volume once the sheet material is disposed in its retaining configuration; and   an overlay, the overlay having a lateral extent across at least a portion of the platform panel and having an opening edge, the overlay being arranged relative to the platform panel in a manner wherein the opening edge of the overlay and a counter facing portion of the platform panel together delimit an opening through which an article can be inserted for positioning of the article in a stowage position with the overlay extending along one side of the article and the platform panel extending along an opposite side of the article, the overlay opening edge being on one respective side of an opening border and the counter facing portion of the platform panel being on the other respective side of the opening border, the platform panel having a stage open path and at least a portion of the stage open path delimits a line that is not parallel to the lateral axis, the platform panel and the overlay opening edge being disposable from an opening reducing position into an opening enlarging position and one given portion of the platform panel on one side of the stage open path moving relative to another given portion of the platform panel on an opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position.   
     
     
         2 . A package for retaining an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the platform panel in the opening enlarging position has a gap location and the overlay opening edge has a corresponding gap location with the respective gap locations defining a transverse line passing through the gap locations, the gap location of the platform panel and the corresponding gap location on the overlay opening edge being spaced further from one another relative to the transverse line when the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are in the opening enlarging position than when the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are in the opening reducing position, and, as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position, the one given portion of the platform panel on the one side of the stage open path moves about the elevation axis relative to the other given portion of the platform panel on the opposite side of the stage open path. 
     
     
         3 . A package for retaining an article according to  claim 1 , wherein, as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position, the one given portion of the platform panel on the one side of the stage open path moves about the depth axis relative to the other given portion of the platform panel on the opposite side of the stage open path. 
     
     
         4 . A package for retaining an article, the package comprising:
 a sheet material, the sheet material having an anchor panel and a platform panel, the sheet material being disposable between a retaining configuration in which a portion of the platform panel is spaced from the anchor panel as viewed relative to an elevation axis and a non-use configuration, the anchor panel and the platform panel each having a fulcrum edge portion and the fulcrum edge portions of the anchor panel and the platform panel being connected to one another at a fulcrum location, the anchor panel and the platform panel being foldable relative to one another at the fulcrum location about a lateral axis perpendicular to the elevation axis; and   an overlay, the overlay having a lateral extent along at least a portion of the platform panel and having a depth extent as viewed relative to a depth axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and the lateral axis and the overlay having an opening edge, the overlay being arranged relative to the platform panel in a manner wherein the opening edge of the overlay and a counter facing portion of the platform panel together delimit an opening through which an article can be inserted for positioning of the article in a stowage position with the overlay extending along one side of the article and the platform panel extending along an opposite side of the article, the overlay opening edge being on one respective side of an opening border and the counter facing portion of the platform panel being on the other respective side of the opening border, the platform panel having a stage open path and at least a portion of the stage open path delimits a line that is not parallel to the lateral axis, the platform panel and the overlay opening edge being disposable from an opening reducing position into an opening enlarging position and one given portion of the platform panel on one side of the stage open path moving relative to another given portion of the platform panel on an opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position, the anchor panel and the platform panel, in the retaining configuration, being folded relative to one another at the fulcrum location about the lateral axis to form a retention included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel and the platform panel and the anchor panel, in the non-use configuration, together delimiting a sheet blank in which the included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel, as measured in the same direction as the retention included angle between the fulcrum edge portions of the platform panel and the anchor panel in the retaining configuration, is greater than the retention included angle, and the platform panel and the anchor panel are cooperatively configured such that a movement of the one given portion of the platform panel on one side of the stage open path relative to the other given portion of the platform panel on the opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position does not substantially generate a movement of the anchor panel about the depth axis.   
     
     
         5 . A package kit comprising:
 an exterior container; and   an interior container, the interior container being disposable in the exterior container and having a sheet material and an overlay, the sheet material having a lower panel, an upper panel, and a platform panel, the sheet material being disposable between a retaining configuration in which the platform panel is intermediate the lower panel and the upper panel as viewed relative to an elevation axis and a non-use configuration, the lower panel and the upper panel delimiting, in the retaining configuration, a receipt volume having pair of lateral sides spaced apart from one another as viewed relative to a lateral axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and a pair of ends spaced apart from one another as viewed relative to a depth axis perpendicular to the elevation axis and the lateral axis, the platform panel being foldable about the lateral axis to dispose the platform panel within a respective area that will ultimately be delimited as the receipt volume once the sheet material is disposed in its retaining configuration, and the overlay having a lateral extent across at least a portion of the platform panel and having an opening edge, the overlay being arranged relative to the platform panel in a manner wherein the opening edge of the overlay and a counter facing portion of the platform panel together delimit an opening through which an article can be inserted for positioning of the article in a stowage position with the overlay extending along one side of the article and the platform panel extending along an opposite side of the article, the overlay opening edge being on one respective side of an opening border and the counter facing portion of the platform panel being on the other respective side of the opening border, the platform panel having a stage open path and at least a portion of the stage open path delimits a line that is not parallel to the lateral axis, the platform panel and the overlay opening edge being disposable from an opening reducing position into an opening enlarging position and one given portion of the platform panel on one side of the stage open path moving relative to another given portion of the platform panel on an opposite side of the stage open path as the platform panel and the overlay opening edge are disposed from the opening reducing position into the opening enlarging position.