Plastic pallet

• US 6,352,039 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Geon Co. (Avient Corp.)
• Original Assignee: The Geon Co. (Avient Corp.)
• Inventors: Taylor, David W., Booth, Patrick C., Shoemaker, Craig L., Woods, Martin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US09/803,138
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 100/57.25, 100/57.26, 100/51.11, 100/51.3, 100/901, 100/402, 100/56.1
• US Class Current: 108/57.25
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0012 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0091 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0095 and each contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• 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 2519/00278 the load supporting surface and the base surface being identical
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00298 skeleton type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00353 skeleton type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00373 whereby at least one spacer is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00378 whereby at least one spacer is made of two or more pieces
• 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 2519/00417 on the non-integral separating spacer
• 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 2519/00567 mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0084 : Separated elements, e.g. including in-moulded elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0086 : Protection against environmental hazards, e.g. humidity, bacteria, fire

Abstract

A plastic pallet (10) having good load bearing construction and held together without mechanical fasteners, includes deck boards (30). The deck boards include ridges (24) on an upper side (32) and a lower side (34) thereof. Deck boards are positioned transversely on stringers (12) and joined thereto by either an adhesive or thermoplastic welding processes. The stringers and deck boards may be provided with end caps (26, 42) which seal interior areas of the stringers and deck boards and prevent tearing thereof. The stringers and deck boards have interior reinforcement ribs (22,40). The cross sectional profiles of the stringers, deck boards, and end caps provide a cost effective and light weight pallet. Openings which extend between the stringers allow for either two way fork entry and/or four way fork entry. The stringers and deck boards provide flexibility in constructing pallets of various designs. The plastic pallet preferably is highly durable and fully recyclable.

Claims

1. A plastic pallet comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart stringer blocks, each of the stringer blocks being formed from a thermoplastic material, each of the stringer blocks in cross section having a pair of stringer side walls connected by a stringer top wall and a stringer bottom wall, each of the stringer blocks having a stringer interior area defined by the stringer side walls and the stringer top and stringer bottom wall, each of the stringer blocks further having at least one reinforcement rib situated in the stringer interior area thereof;

a plurality of first stringer boards formed from a thermoplastic material in supporting connection with each of the stringer blocks; and

a plurality of spaced apart deck boards, each of the deck boards being formed from a thermoplastic material, each of the deck boards in cross section having a board upper side and a board lower side connected with board side walls, each of the deck boards further having a board interior area defined by the board upper side and lower side and the board side walls, each of the deck boards further having at least one reinforcement rib situated in the board interior area thereof, at least one of the deck boards having ridges on at least one of the board upper side and board lower sides thereof, the deck boards being positioned generally transversely relative to the first stringer boards with the board lower side of each of the deck boards being joined in fixed supporting connection with each of the first stringer boards.

2. A plastic pallet according to claim 1 and further comprising a second stringer board in supporting connection with each of the stringer blocks, wherein the second stringer board is in supporting connection with at least one stringer block on a side opposed of a first stringer board, and further comprising a plurality of lower deck boards extending transversely to the second stringer board, wherein the lower deck boards are joined in fixed engagement to the second stringer board.

3. A plastic pallet according to claim 2, wherein each of the deck boards include ridges on both the upper board side and the lower board side thereof.

4. A plastic pallet according to claim 1, wherein the plastic pallet is constructed exclusive of any mechanical fasteners.

5. A plastic pallet according to claim 1, wherein the deck boards, the stringer blocks, and the stringer boards are joined in fixed relation by a process type selected from the group consisting of adhesion, solvent welding, hot plate welding, microwave welding, ultrasonic welding and laser welding.

6. A plastic pallet according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the stringer blocks includes an end, and further comprising an end cap, wherein the end cap closes the end and is fixably engaged to the stringer block and at least one stringer board.

7. A plastic pallet constructed without mechanical fasteners, comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart stringer blocks, wherein each of the stringer blocks is formed from a thermoplastic material;

a plurality of stringer boards, wherein each of the stringer boards is formed from a thermoplastic material, wherein each of the stringer boards have a top wall and a bottom wall, and wherein each respective stringer board is in supporting connection with plural stringer blocks; and

a plurality of spaced apart deck boards, wherein each of the deck boards is formed from a thermoplastic material, wherein each of the deck boards have a board upper side and a board lower side, wherein at least one of the deck boards have ridges on at least one of the board upper side and board lower side thereof, and wherein each respective deck board is joined in supporting connection with each of the stringer boards.

8. A plastic pallet according to claim 7 wherein each of the stringer blocks in cross section have a pair of stringer side walls connected by a stringer top wall and a stringer bottom wall, and each of the stringer blocks having a stringer interior area defined by the stringer side walls and the stringer top and stringer bottom wall.

9. A plastic pallet according to claim 8 wherein each of the stringer blocks further have at least one reinforcement rib situated in the stringer interior area thereof.

10. A plastic pallet according to claim 7 wherein the stringer blocks are spaced apart in at least two non-parallel directions.

11. A plastic pallet according to claim 7 wherein the stringer blocks are in rows, and wherein each stringer block is positioned in a row that is both parallel and perpendicular to another row.

12. A plastic pallet according to claim 7 wherein each of the deck boards in cross section have the board upper side and the board lower side connected with board side walls, and wherein each of the deck boards further have a board interior area defined by the board upper side and the board lower side and the board side walls.

13. A plastic pallet according to claim 12 wherein each of the deck boards further have at least one reinforcement rib situated in the board interior area thereof.

14. A plastic pallet according to claim 7 wherein the board lower side of each of the deck boards is joined in fixed supporting connection with each of the stringer boards.

15. A plastic pallet according to claim 14 wherein the deck boards are positioned generally transversely relative to the stringer boards.

16. A plastic pallet according to claim 14 wherein the stringer blocks, the stringer boards, and the deck boards are joined in fixed relation by a process type selected from the group consisting of adhesion, solvent welding, hot plate welding, microwave welding, ultrasonic welding and laser welding.

17. A plastic pallet according to claim 7 wherein the ridges facilitate engagement between at least one deck board and a stringer board.

18. A plastic pallet comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart stringer blocks, each of the stringer blocks being formed from thermoplastic material, each of the stringer blocks in cross section having a pair of spaced stringer side walls connected by a stringer top wall and a stringer bottom wall, each of the stringer blocks having a stringer interior area defined by the stringer side walls and the stringer top and bottom wall, each of the stringer blocks further having at least one reinforcement rib situated in the stringer interior area thereof; and

a plurality of longitudinal spaced apart boards in operative connection with plural stringer blocks, each of the boards being formed from thermoplastic material, each of the boards in cross section having a board upper side and a board lower side connected by spaced board side walls, each of the boards further having a board interior area defined by the upper and lower sides and the side walls, each of the boards further having at least one board reinforcement rib situated in the interior thereof, at least one of the boards having a plurality of ridges on a board upper side and a board lower side.

19. A plastic pallet constructed without mechanical fasteners, comprising:

a plurality of deck boards, each of the deck boards being formed from thermoplastic material, each of the deck boards in cross section having a board upper side and a board lower side connected by spaced board side walls, each of the deck boards further having a board interior area defined by the board upper side and the board lower side and the board side walls,

a plurality of spaced apart top stringer boards, each of the top stringer boards being formed from thermoplastic material, each of the top stringer boards having a top wall and a bottom wall,

a plurality of spaced apart stringer blocks, each of the stringer blocks being formed from thermoplastic material, each of the stringer blocks in cross section having a pair of spaced stringer block side walls connected by a stringer block top wall and a stringer block bottom wall, each of the stringer blocks having a stringer block interior area defined by the stringer block side walls and the stringer block top and stringer block bottom wall,

a plurality of spaced apart lower stringer boards, each of the lower stringer boards being formed from thermoplastic material, each of the lower stringer boards having a top wall and a bottom wall,

wherein the deck boards are joined in fixed engagement with the top wall of each of the top stringer boards at a plurality of upper joining locations, and wherein at the upper joining locations the deck board lower side and the stringer board top wall each include ridges thereon;

wherein each top stringer board is in supporting connection with plural stringer blocks at joining locations, and wherein at the joining locations the top stringer board bottom wall and the stringer block top wall each include ridges thereon,

wherein each lower stringer board is in supporting connection with plural stringer blocks at lower joining locations, and wherein at the lower joining locations the lower stringer board top wall and the stringer block bottom wall each include ridges thereon,

wherein the ridges facilitate engagement between the deck boards and top stringer boards and stringer blocks and lower stringer boards, and wherein the ridges include at least one of either a surface including generally pointed projections, a dimpled surface, a roughened surface, a wave-like shape surface, a surface having high friction coating, a sinusoidal shape surface, and a surface including a co-extruded layer of high friction material.

20. A plastic pallet according to claim 19 wherein the lower stringer boards form a first layer of the pallet, the stringer blocks form a second layer of the pallet, the top stringer boards form a third layer of the pallet, and the deck boards form a fourth layer of the pallet.

21. A plastic pallet according to claim 19 wherein the top stringer boards are positioned generally transversely relative to the lower stringer boards.

22. A plastic pallet according to claim 19 wherein the deck boards, the top stringer boards, the stringer blocks, and the lower stringer boards are joined in fixed relation by a process type selected from the group consisting of adhesion, solvent welding, hot plate welding, microwave welding, ultrasonic welding, and laser welding.