US 6,622,642 B2Granted

Thermoplastic pallet

OwnerHarout Ohanesianinventor

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Abstract

A pallet assembly includes an upper deck and a lower deck. Each deck comprises a thermoplastic sheet formed with ridges and channels on one side, corresponding to features necessarily defined on the opposite side. A plurality of strengthening ridges and channels are formed in the load bearing surface of each deck, with corresponding channels and ridges necessarily formed in the lifting surface of the deck, to resist bending and folding of the pallet. A reinforcing member is received within a peripheral channel of each deck. Apertures are formed in the upper deck and the lower deck in alignment. A column is disposed between each pair of aligned holes. A hollow pin extends through a hole in the column and the apertures of the decks. A rigid insert is disposed in each open end of each pin. Each insert includes a recess for receiving an anti-skid plug.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A dual deck pallet comprising:

a first sheet having
a first rigid but formable single sheet of material,
a first plurality of apertures, and
a first structure including a first external surface, a first internal surface substantially parallel and opposite to the first external surface, and a first plurality of channels and ridges formed in the first sheet to form a plurality of channels and ridges in the first external surface and a corresponding plurality of ridges and channels in the first internal surface such that each ridge formed in the first internal surface defines a channel in the first external surface and each channel formed in the first internal surface defines a ridge in the first external surface;
a second sheet having
a second rigid but formable single sheet of material,
a second plurality of apertures, and
a second structure including a second external surface, a second internal surface substantially parallel and opposite to the second external surface, and a second plurality of channels and ridges formed in the second sheet to form a plurality of channels and ridges in the second external surface and a corresponding plurality of ridges and channels in the second internal surface such that each ridge formed in the second internal surface defines a channel in the second external surface and each channel formed in the second internal surface defines a ridge in the second external surface;
a plurality of columns disposed between the first sheet and the second sheet, each column comprising a bottom portion, a top portion, and a tube extending from the bottom portion to the top portion;
and
a plurality of clamping pins coupling the first sheet to the second sheet, each clamping pin being disposed in the tube of a corresponding column and being removable from the tube, each clamping pin extending through a corresponding aperture in the first sheet and a corresponding aperture in the second sheet, each clamping pin having a first lip configured to abut portions defining the corresponding aperture in the first sheet and a second lip configured to abut portions defining the corresponding aperture in the second sheet.

8 more elements

A dual deck pallet comprising:

a first sheet having
a first rigid but formable material, and
a first structure including a first external surface, a first internal surface substantially parallel and opposite to the first external surface, and a first plurality of channels and ridges formed in the first sheet to form a plurality of channels and ridges in the first external surface and a corresponding plurality of ridges and channels in the first internal surface such that each ridge formed in the first external surface corresponds to a channel formed in the first internal surface and each channel formed in the first external surface corresponds to a ridge formed in the first internal surface, wherein the first sheet has a first plurality of apertures;
a second sheet having
a second rigid but formable material, and
a second structure including a second external surface, a second internal surface substantially parallel and opposite to the second external surface, and a second plurality of channels and ridges formed in the second sheet to form a plurality of channels and ridges in the second external surface and a corresponding plurality of ridges and channels in the second internal surface such that each ridge formed in the second external surface corresponds to a channel formed in the second internal surface and each channel formed in the second external surface corresponds to a ridge formed in the second internal surface, wherein the second sheet has a second plurality of apertures;
a plurality of columns disposed between the first sheet and the second sheet, wherein the columns each comprise a bottom portion, a top portion, and a tube extending from the bottom portion to the top portion;
a plurality of clamping pins, wherein:
a clamping pin is separably disposed in the tube of a corresponding column;
and
wherein each clamping pin extends through an aperture of the first sheet and an aperture of the second sheet, and
wherein each clamping pin comprises a first lip at a first end and a second lip at a second end, wherein the first lip has a first diameter greater than a diameter of the apertures of the first sheet, and wherein the second lip has a second diameter greater than a diameter of the apertures of the second sheet.

9 more elements

A dual deck pallet comprising:

a first sheet having
a first rigid but formable material, and
a first structure including a first external surface, a first internal surface substantially parallel and opposite to the first external surface, and a first plurality of channels and ridges formed in the first sheet to form a plurality of channels and ridges in the first external surface and a corresponding plurality of ridges and channels in the first internal surface such that each ridge formed in the first external surface corresponds to a channel formed in the first internal surface and each channel formed in the first external surface corresponds to a ridge formed in the first internal surface, wherein the first sheet has a first plurality of apertures;
a second sheet having
a second rigid but formable material, and
a second structure including a second external surface, a second internal surface substantially parallel and opposite to the second external surface, and a second plurality of channels and ridges formed in the second sheet to form a plurality of channels and ridges in the second external surface and a corresponding plurality of ridges and channels in the second internal surface such that each ridge formed in the second external surface corresponds to a channel formed in the second internal surface and each channel formed in the second external surface corresponds to a ridge formed in the second internal surface, wherein the second sheet has a second plurality of apertures.
a plurality of columns disposed between the first sheet and the second sheet, wherein the columns each comprise a bottom portion, a top portion, and a tube extending from the bottom portion to the top portion;
a plurality of clamping pins, wherein a clamping pin is disposed in the tube of each column;
wherein each clamping pin has a hollow core;
and
a plurality of rigid inserts, wherein a rigid insert is disposed in a top portion and a bottom portion of the hollow core of each clamping pin.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/990,676Filed 14 Nov 2001 · division
Priority: 7 Oct 1998
Published: US 2002/0104465 A18 Aug 2002
Granted: 23 Sep 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification36 codes

B65D 19/0012
The base surface being made of a single element: forming a continuous plane contact surface
B65D 19/0018
Forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces: and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
B65D 19/0036
The base surface being made of a single element: forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces
B65D 19/004
Forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces: and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape

Family

Application09/168,304Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Oct 1998
Application09/514,518Parent of this division · filed 28 Feb 2000
US 2002/0104465 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Aug 2002
US 6,446,563 B1Parent of this division
Application09/514,518Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,123,032 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,622,642 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.