Foldable support leg and pallet assembly formed therefrom

Abstract

A support leg includes a sheet of material configured into a sequence of adjacent panels and including a first tab, a first cutout configured to receive the first tab being formed within one of the panels, wherein the sheet is foldable into a nested panel structure defining an interior cavity. A pallet deck includes a sheet of material having a plurality of first cutouts and second cutouts defined therein, wherein each first cutout is dimensioned to allow insertion of the at least one tab and at least one panel of the foldable support leg and each second cutout is dimensioned to allow insertion of the at least one tab, each second cutout being spaced apart from each first cutout such that the at least one panel is able to substantially extend therebetween. A pallet assembly is formed by mating a plurality of support legs to a pallet deck.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 721,621, filed on Sep. 29, 2005, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention generally relates to pallet assemblies, and particularly to pallet assemblies made from sheets of corrugated materials like plastic and paper. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Wooden pallets used in connection with shipping and other activities are ubiquitous. However, there are many drawbacks associated with wooden pallets. Wooden pallets are heavy and are prone to infestation by various insects and to fungal growth. The need to check wooden pallets for infestation and / or fungus, and to treat affected pallets can cause serious delay and expense for pallet users, especially in international shipping activities. Before use, wooden ballets must be shipped to prospective points of use. During such shipping, wooden pallets occupy a relatively la...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable support leg that is completely flat when unfolded, but provides superior rigidity and load-bearing capacity once folded, without requiring any adhesives, discrete fasteners, or the like.

[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a foldable support leg adapted for securely mating, without requiring adhesives, discrete fasteners, or the like, with a load bearing surface, such as the deck of a pallet.

[0013] According to a further aspect of the present invention, two diagonal panels traverse the interior cavity of the support leg, offset by approximately 90 degrees, substantially enhancing the structural conformity and load bearing capacity of the support leg.

Problems solved by technology

However, there are many drawbacks associated with wooden pallets.

Wooden pallets are heavy and are prone to infestation by various insects and to fungal growth.

The need to check wooden pallets for infestation and / or fungus, and to treat affected pallets can cause serious delay and expense for pallet users, especially in international shipping activities.

During such shipping, wooden pallets occupy a relatively large volume, thus limiting the number that can be shipped in a given conveyance.

Once used, wooden pallets are difficult to recycle and consequently end up in landfills in excessive numbers.

Such pallets are relatively expensive to produce initially and require nearly the same volume during shipping as wooden pallets.

Because of the large amount of material used, such pallets do not fully take advantage of the lightweight nature of plastic and / or paper, and require as much, or nearly as much, space during shipping as conventional pallets.

Such pallets are difficult to assemble, require additional adhesives and fasteners, and only achieve a limited benefit over wood when more rigid materials are included.

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