Pallet and pallet package

• US 5,676,064 A
• Filed: 04/24/1996
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lyle H. Shuert
• Original Assignee: Lyle H. Shuert
• Inventors: Shuert, Lyle H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US08/642,243
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 108/901, 108/902, 108/51.1, 108/55.1
• US Class Current: 108/57.25
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0012 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00104 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 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00373 whereby at least one spacer is made of one piece
• 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: Y10S 108/901 Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet

Abstract

A plastic pallet and a method of shrink-wrapping an article onto the platform structure of the pallet. The pallet includes a plurality of legs and a planar platform structure supported by the legs and formed of upper and lower thermoformed sheets of plastic selectively fused together. The upper and lower sheets are maintained in vertically spaced parallel relation in a central portion of the platform structure and peripheral edges of the upper and lower sheets are fused together to define a downwardly extending peripheral lip defining a downwardly opening groove extending around the periphery of the platform structure outboard of the legs. The peripheral lip improves the stiffness and the side impact resistance of the platform structure and the groove facilitates the shrink-wrapping of an article onto the pallet. Specifically, an article is placed on the platform structure and the article is shrink-wrapped onto the platform structure utilizing a plastic film sheet by placing the film sheet in covering relation over the article and tucking a lower edge portion of the film sheet into the downwardly opening groove.

Claims

1. In a plastic pallet of the type including a plurality of legs and a planar platform structure supported by the legs and formed of upper and lower thermoformed sheets of plastic selectively fused together, the improvement wherein:

the legs are positioned in circumferentially spaced relation around the periphery of the platform structure, extend downwardly from the platform structure, and each includes an outboard surface;

the upper and lower sheets are maintained in vertically spaced parallel relation in a central portion of the platform structure;

peripheral edges of the upper and lower sheets are fused together to define a downwardly extending peripheral lip defining a downwardly opening groove proximate the periphery of the platform structure; and

the groove extends around the periphery of the platform structure outside of the legs and in outwardly spaced relation to the outboard surfaces of the legs.

2. A pallet according to claim 1 wherein the lip is formed by bringing the peripheral edge portion of the lower sheet upwardly into proximity with the peripheral edge portion of the upper sheet and bending the sheet edge portions downwardly together.

3. A plastic pallet including:

a planar platform structure; and

a plurality of legs positioned in circumferentially spaced relation around the periphery of the platform structure, extending downwardly from the platform structure, and each including an outboard surface;

the planar platform structure being supported by the legs and formed of upper and lower thermoformed sheets of plastic selectively fused together to form a central platform structure, wherein the upper and lower sheets are maintained in vertically spaced parallel relation, and a peripheral platform structure, wherein peripheral edges of the upper and lower sheets are fused together to define a downwardly extending peripheral lip defining a downwardly opening groove extending around the periphery of the platform structure outside of the legs and in outwardly spaced relation to the outboard surfaces of the legs.

4. A pallet according to claim 3 wherein:

each leg comprises a hollow modular structure defining an upper attachment surface; and

the upper attachment surface of each leg is fused to a lower attachment surface defined on an under face of the platform structure.

5. A method of forming a plastic pallet of the type including a platform structure and a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs extending downwardly from the platform structure, the method comprising:

thermoforming upper and lower plastic sheets;

selectively fusing central main body portions of the sheets together to form a central platform structure for the pallet;

providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs extending downwardly from the platform structure and each including an outboard surface; and

fusing peripheral edge portions of the sheets together to form a downwardly extending peripheral lip defining a downwardly opening groove proximate the periphery of the platform structure outside of the legs and in outwardly spaced relation to the outboard surfaces of the legs.

6. A method of packaging an article comprising:

forming a pallet by thermoforming upper and lower plastic sheets, selectively fusing central main body portions of the sheets together to form a platform structure, providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs extending downwardly from the platform structure and each including an outboard surface, and fusing peripheral edge portions of the sheets together to form a downwardly extending peripheral lip defining a downwardly opening groove proximate the periphery of the platform structure outside of the legs and in outwardly spaced relation to the outboard surfaces of the legs;

placing the article on the platform structure; and

shrink-wrapping the article on the platform structure, utilizing a plastic film sheet, by placing the film sheet in covering relation over the article and tucking a lower edge of the film sheet into the downwardly opening groove.