Thin sheet thermoformed pallet sleeve

A container comprising:

• a plastic pallet having an upwardly opening peripheral groove;
• a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic sleeve having walls which extend upwardly from the plastic pallet, the walls having portions which extend into the pallet peripheral groove, each wall being formed from a first sheet fused to a second sheet;
• a hinge extending between two sleeve walls approximately perpendicular to one another, wherein the hinge and portions of the two perpendicular walls are formed as one piece, and the hinge is a fusion between said first sheet and said second sheet, the hinge having a plurality of outwardly opening, parallel grooves, such that the sleeve may be removed from the pallet and the walls pivoted about the hinge to bring the two walls into approximately the same plane;
• a cover which overlies the sleeve and engages with the sleeve above the pallet;
• and a reinforcing substrate positioned within the cover.

A container comprising:

• a plastic pallet having an upwardly opening peripheral groove;
• a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic sleeve having walls which extend upwardly from the plastic pallet, the walls having portions which extend into the pallet peripheral groove;
• and
• a hinge extending between two sleeve walls approximately perpendicular to one another, wherein the hinge and portions of the two perpendicular walls are formed as one piece, such that the sleeve may be removed from the pallet and the walls pivoted about the hinge to bring the two walls into approximately the same plane;
• a cover which overlies the sleeve and engages with the sleeve above the pallet;
• a reinforcing substrate positioned within the cover, wherein the cover substrate is positioned above said at least one vertical substrate member in the sleeve wall such that loads carried by the cover substrate are directed to the vertical substrate member.

A container comprising:

• a plastic pallet having an upwardly opening peripheral groove;
• a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic sleeve having walls which extend upwardly from the plastic pallet, the walls having portions which extend into the pallet peripheral groove;
• a hinge extending between two sleeve walls approximately perpendicular to one another, wherein the hinge and portions of the two perpendicular walls are formed as one piece, such that the sleeve may be removed from the pallet and the walls pivoted about the hinge to bring the two walls into approximately the same plane;
• and
• a cover which overlies the sleeve, wherein the sleeve has an outwardly facing exterior skin, and an inwardly facing interior skin, and wherein portions of the exterior skin are fused to the interior skin to define a trim lip which extends above the sleeve, the trim lip being positioned closer to the exterior of the sleeve than the interior of the sleeve, wherein the trim lip is positioned to engage the overlying cover and thereby cause the sleeve walls to bow inwardly toward a load contained within the container.

A container comprising:

• a pallet having an upwardly facing deck;
• a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic sleeve, the sleeve being formed from a first thermoplastic sheet to define an outer skin of the sleeve and a second thermoplastic sheet to define an inner skin of the sleeve, the sleeve having walls which extend upwardly from the pallet, said first thermoplastic sheet being fused to said second thermoplastic sheet at a plurality of regions, portions of the sheets being spaced from one another at regions between the fused regions, wherein portions of the first sheet are fused to the second sheet to define an upwardly extending first hinge between and pivotably connecting two walls, the hinge having a plurality of parallel, outwardly facing grooves formed therein;
• a cover which is positioned over the pallet and supported on and engaged with the sleeve walls;
• at least one vertical substrate member positioned in the sleeve and fused between the outer skin and the inner skin, the substrate member extending between the cover and the pallet;
• and
• portions of the sleeve which extend above the vertical substrate to define a ridge which protrudes above the substrate, the ridge being formed by portions of the outer skin and the inner skin, the ridge engaging against the cover to support loads applied by the cover to the sleeve.

A container comprising:

• a pallet having an upwardly facing deck;
• a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic sleeve, the sleeve being formed from a first thermoplastic sheet to define an outer skin of the sleeve and a second thermoplastic sheet to define an inner skin of the sleeve, the sleeve having walls which extend upwardly from the pallet;
• a cover which is positioned over the pallet and supported on and engaged with the sleeve walls;
• at least one vertical substrate member positioned in the sleeve between the outer skin and the inner skin, the substrate member extending between the cover and the pallet;
• and
• portions of the sleeve which extend above the vertical substrate to define a sinuous ridge which protrudes above the substrate, the ridge being formed by portions of the outer skin and the inner skin, the ridge engaging against the cover to support loads applied by the cover to the sleeve a reinforcing substrate positioned within the cover;
• and
• a reinforcing substrate positioned within the cover.

A container comprising:

• a pallet having an upwardly facing deck;
• a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic sleeve, the sleeve being formed from a first thermoplastic sheet to define an outer skin of the sleeve and a second thermoplastic sheet to define an inner skin of the sleeve, the sleeve having walls which extend upwardly from the pallet;
• a cover which is positioned over the pallet and supported on and engaged with the sleeve walls;
• at least one vertical substrate member positioned in the sleeve between the outer skin and the inner skin, the substrate member extending between the cover and the pallet;
• portions of the sleeve which extend above the vertical substrate to define a ridge which protrudes above the substrate, the ridge being formed by portions of the outer skin and the inner skin, the ridge engaging against the cover to support loads applied by the cover to the sleeve;
• and
• wherein portions of the exterior skin are fused to the interior skin to define a trim lip which extends above the sleeve, the trim lip being positioned closer to the exterior of the sleeve than the interior of the sleeve, wherein the trim lip engages with the cover and thereby causes the sleeve walls to bow inwardly toward the load contained within the container.

A twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic sleeve half for engagement with a like sleeve half to define a sleeve extending between a pallet of a first width and a cover, the sleeve half comprising:

• one full wall which extends approximately the first width;
• a first hinge extending vertically along the full wall;
• a first partial wall extending from the full wall along the first hinge, wherein the width of the first partial wall is less than width of the full wall;
• a second hinge extending vertically along the full wall and spaced from the first hinge;
• and
• a second partial wall extending from the full wall along the second hinge, wherein the width of the second partial wall is less than width of the full wall, and wherein the full wall, the first hinge, the first partial wall, the second hinge, and the second partial wall are formed in the twin-sheet thermoforming process to be one piece, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge each have a vertically extending hinge body, a plurality of substantially parallel bars which extend inwardly from the hinge body, and a plurality of grooves on the exterior of the hinge body, said grooves extending parallel to the bars.