Transport box with inflatable air cushion

Nowadays, cushioning and filling material consisting of plastic flakes and films, air cushioning, corrugated cardboard or wood wool is used for transport protection. A Recycling fillers is currently not very worthwhile from a purely economic point of view, This means that modern logistics does not utilise a considerable sustainability potential.

The same applies to outer packaging, as cardboard packaging, for example, is generally only used once. In the case of material recycling not only the considerable energy requirement, but also the transport routes for disposal and processing are taken into account are becoming increasingly important. In addition, there is a shortage of raw materials, which is currently affecting the transport industry in particular.

This is where a new type of fully recyclable reusable transport box, developed by Berges together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF (registered utility model DE202017106455), an alternative solution to single-use packaging and the ongoing consumption of resources. In the spirit of the circular plastics economy the transport box and an integrated functional film are made of the same class of plastic.

In addition to the aspects of carbon footprint and the need to save energy, this Reusable box special requirements for transport safety: The box contains a reversibly inflatable air cushion that wraps around the packaged goods when inflated and thus guarantees a high level of transport protection. The air cushion is made from the same material as the outer packaging, so that the entire system is made from a mono-material that is ideal for recycling.

In addition to pure transport protection, the air cushion can also be provided with a conductive finish for special requirements, for example. To greatly reduce transport and storage volume in the unfilled state, the transport system can be folded after the air has been released from the cushion. The transport box and the internal air cushion can either be firmly connected or designed to be replaceable. The transport box can also be stacked in a known manner.