Light weight, strong, fire retardant dunnage platform bag and system of loading, dispensing and using bag

• US 8,781,921 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airdex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Airdex International, Inc.
• Inventors: Seagle, Vance L., Tschirn, Phillip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Shay S
• Application Number:
  US13/571,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/38 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00268 made of one piece
• 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 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00567 mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00776 Accessories for manipulating the pallet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0086 Protection against environmental hazards, e.g. humidity, bacteria, fire
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00955 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/10 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing lightweight thermoplastic dunnage platform decks or repairing and reusing damaged lightweight thermoplastic dunnage platform decks to be mounted with molded feet. In an embodiment of the present invention, a dunnage platform with damaged feet is modified such that the damaged feet are removed and replacement feet are attached. In an embodiment of the present invention, the damaged feet of a dunnage platform are removed and the resulting dunnage platform deck is shipped to a desired site whereupon molded feet are attached to the dunnage platform deck and the dunnage platform generated from the deck and molded feet is used for shipping cargo.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring location, condition and status of a cargo loaded on one or more dunnage platforms, comprising:

(a) supplying one or more dunnage platforms in a dunnage platform bag, said bag including an opening in its bottom and a platform stop adapted for holding the dunnage platform closest to said opening in a position to cover said opening;

(b) dispensing and loading the cargo on the one or more dunnage platforms, wherein the condition of the one or more dunnage platforms, the cargo location, the cargo condition and the cargo status are stored in one or more RFID tags;

(c) relaying the condition of one or more dunnage platforms, the cargo location, the cargo condition and the cargo status to a base station; and

(d) unloading the client cargo at the one or more desired destinations wherein the base station monitors the number of unloaded dunnage platforms and automatically picks up one or more of the unloaded dunnage platforms as needed;

wherein said tags are included in one or one or more of the dunnage platform bag, the platform and the cargo.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more dunnage platforms are assembled to form a container for containing the cargo.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a processor in communication with an RFID reader able to read the one or more RFID tags.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the processor receives one or both of operator input information and RFID tag reader scanned information about the condition of one or more of loaded dunnage platforms.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the processor is able to distinguish between a RFID signal from one or more RFID tags of one or more dunnage platforms in the vicinity and a RFID signal from a RFID tag not in the vicinity based on one or more parameters comprising an RFID tag location, RFID tag identification code, shipment information, time stamp or changes in RFID tag location with time stamp.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising a portal in contact with the processor, and in communication with the base station for transmitting to the base station one or more parameters comprising one or more RFID tag locations, one or more RFID tag identification codes, dunnage platform condition, cargo condition, time stamp or changes in RFID tag location with time stamp.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said RFID reader is positioned on one or more of said dunnage platforms.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said one or more dunnage platforms comprises a lightweight material including a core and substantially surrounded by one or more thermoplastic sheets.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising assembling one or more dunnage platforms to form a container.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said cargo comprises temperature sensitive product.

11. A method of monitoring location, condition and status of cargo loaded on dunnage platforms comprising:

(a) supplying one or more dunnage platforms in a dunnage platform bag, said bag including an opening in its bottom and a platform stop adapted for holding the dunnage platform closest to said opening in a position to cover said opening;

(b) loading, shipping and monitoring cargo on the one or more dunnage platforms;

(c) relaying the cargo location, condition and status of the one or more dunnage platforms and the cargo stored in one or more RFID tags to a base station; and

(d) unloading the cargo at the one or more desired destinations;

wherein the base station monitors the number of unloaded dunnage platforms and automatically picks up one or more used dunnage platforms as needed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more dunnage platforms are assembled to form a container for containing temperature sensitive cargo.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising a processor in communication with a RFID reader for reading one or more RFID tags.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor is able to distinguish between a RFID signal from one or more RFID tags of one or more dunnage platforms in the vicinity and a RFID signal from a RFID tag not in the vicinity, based on one or more parameters comprising RFID tag location, RFID tag identification code, shipment information, time stamp or changes in RFID tag location with time stamp.

15. A system for one or more of loading, dispensing, storing and of transporting cargo loaded on one or more dunnage platforms, comprising:

(a) a dunnage platform bag having a top, one or more sides, and one or more opening in the dunnage platform bag for one or more of loading , dispensing and inspecting the cargo on one or more dunnage platforms, said dunnage platform bag comprises a platform stop adapted for holding the dunnage platform closest to one of said openings in a position to cover said opening;

(b) one or more of dunnage platforms, cargo and bag comprising one or more RFID tags;

(c) an RFID tag reader in the proximity of the dunnage platform capable of reading one or more RFID tags; and

(d) a portal in communication with a base station for relaying information from the RFID reader to the base station;

wherein at least one of said one or more dunnage platforms and the cargo is monitored during at least one of loading, shipping and unloading through the one or more RFID tags.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said one or more dunnage platforms further comprise two or more ‘

L’

shaped molded feet affixed onto the one or more dunnage platforms.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a processor in communication with an RFID reader for reading one or more RFID tags.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is able to distinguish between a RFID signal from one or more RFID tags of one or more dunnage in the vicinity and a RFID signal from a RFID tag not in the vicinity, based on one or more parameters comprising RFID tag location, RFID tag identification code, shipment information, time stamp or changes in RFID tag location with time stamp.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the RFID tag present in one of the dunnage platforms or cargo is passive and the RFID tag present on the bag is active.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said one or more dunnage platforms are assembled into a container for shipping temperature sensitive product.