The present invention relates to a cushioning material for packing and, more particularly, to a cushioning material for packing, which is used to prevent damage to an article in, e.g., transporting the article.
A conventional cushioning material for packing, which can be burned, uses a cushioning member manufactured by a pulp molding method or adhesion of paper. The cushioning member is obtained by the pulp molding method such that a pulp material is sprayed to a mold having a predetermined shape to form a surface member made of the pulp material.
Another example is disclosed as a cushioning material (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-230269) in which pulp beads containing a reclaimed pulp as the main raw material are filled in a frame and foamed to have a shape conforming to the shape of the frame.
The physical strength cannot be assured by only the cushioning member manufactured by the pulp molding method because the thickness of the cushioning material itself is small. Even if an implementation such as formation of ribs is provided, it is difficult to apply this cushioning material as a cushioning material for packing a heavy article. To obtain a predetermined strength, the molding shape must be complicated.
In the cushioning material in which the beads consisting of a pulp material are foamed, the process is complicated, and a decrease in manufacturing cost is difficult. In addition, a large amount of material is required to result in high material cost. A large amount of waste is produced in discarding the cushioning material.