Plastic reinforced thermoformed pallet

• US 5,046,434 A
• Filed: 05/02/1990
• Issued: 09/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wilbert Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Penda Corporation (Kruger Family Industries, LLC)
• Inventors: Price, William F., Breezer, Harlon W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose
• Application Number:
  US07/518,012
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 108/51.1, 108/53.1, 108/53.3, 108/53.5, 108/901, 108/902
• US Class Current: 108/57.27
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/267 Two sheets being thermoformed in separate mould parts and joined together while still in the mould B29C49/0691 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3282 for reinforcing the joint
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/545 one hollow-preform being placed inside the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7178 Pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0018 and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00407 on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00412 on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00432 Non-integral, e.g. inserts B65D2519/00462 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00557 : without separate auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 : chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0094 : nestable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2565/384 : made of recycled material B65D2565/383 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 : Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 : Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet

Abstract

A reinforced twin-sheet thermoformed pallet is disclosed which has a substantially planar load-bearing member which is formed from an upper sheet of thermoplastic material and a lower sheet of thermoplastic material located generally in fixed parallel relationship to each other. A plurality of concave depressions in the load-bearing member form feet which depend from the load-bearing member. Each foot is formed as a downwardly depending portion of each of the two sheets of material joined together. Each foot has an inner foot floor formed from the upper sheet and an outer foot floor formed from the lower sheet. A quantity of reinforcing thermoplastic material is located between the inner and outer walls of each foot and is fused to the upper and lower sheets to form an integral foot floor which is substantially parallel to the load-bearing member. The thickness of the foot floor is substantially greater than the combined thicknesses of the upper and lower sheets. Preferably the upper and lower sheets and the reinforcing thermoplastic material are all composed of the same thermoplastic material. The pallet has reinforced feet of substantially increased thickness which extend the usable life of the pallet. This pallet, being composed of a single plastic material, may be economically crushed and recycled.

Claims

1. A twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic pallet comprising:

(a) a substantially planar load-bearing member formed from an upper sheet of thermoplastic material of a selected thickness and a lower sheet of thermoplastic material of a selected thickness located generally in fixed parallel relationship to each other;

(b) a plurality of feet depending from the load-bearing member, each foot being a downwardly protruding portion of each of the two sheets of material joined together and terminating in a foot floor extending substantially parallel to the load-bearing member; and

(c) wherein each foot floor includes an inner foot floor formed from the upper sheet of thermoplastic material and an outer foot floor formed from the lower sheet of thermoplastic material, and additionally includes a quantity of reinforcing thermoplastic material located bewteen the inner and outer foot floors of each foot and fused thereto, the fused inner foot floor, reinforcing material and outer foot floor comprising an integral reinforced foot floor having a thickness substantially greater than the combined thickness of the material of the upper and lower sheets at that location.

2. The pallet of claim 1 wherein the upper sheet, the lower sheet, and the quantity of reinforcing thermoplastic material are all composed of the same thermoplastic material.

3. The pallet of claim 1 wherein each of the feet includes integral side wall portions formed of deformed portions of the upper and lower sheets of thermoplastic material, and wherein the reinforcing thermoplastic material extends up the side wall portions between the two sheets of material and is fused thereto to form integral reinforced side wall portions.

4. The pallet of claim 3 wherein the side walls of each foot join the foot floor to form a foot edge and wherein the foot edge is reinforced by portions of the reinforcing thermoplastic material fused between the upper and lower sheets.

5. A twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic pallet comprising:

(a) a substantially planar load-bearing member formed from an upper sheet of thermoplastic material of selected thickness and a lower sheet of thermoplastic material of selected thickness located generally in fixed parallel relationship to each other;

(b) a plurality of feet depending from the load-bearing member, each foot being a downwardly protruding portion of each of the two sheets of material joined together and terminating in a foot floor extending substantially parallel to the load-bearing member; and

(c) wherein each foot has a side wall comprised of an outer side wall composed of the lower sheet of thermoplastic material and an innner side wall composed of the upper sheet of thermoplastic material, and a quantity of reinforcing thermoplastic material located between portions of the inner and outer side walls of each foot and fused to the said portions of the inner and outer side walls to form an integral solid side wall portion having a thickness substantially greater than the combined thickness of the upper and lower sheets at the locations of such portions.