Cot/tab protective shipping apparatus and method

摘要

Industry-standard COT/TAB integrated circuit part carrier frame members are receivable into a shipping tube member in a stack which rests at one end on paired retaining pins and at the other end is retained by a closure member of the shipping tube. As so disposed in the shipping tube, the carrier frames are securely held with virtually no risk that they will slip out of place within the shipping tube. The shipping tube member includes side walls which define plural pairs of apertures spaced along the length of the shipping tube so that: the paired pins may be relocated to adapt the shipping tube to various shipment sizes. The remainder of the shipping tube remains empty to reduce both the cost of carrier frames conventionally used just as filler, as well as reducing shipping costs by eliminating the weight of these filler carrier frames which are shipped empty.