PALLET COVER
A pallet cover includes a deck. A plurality of flanges extend upwardly from the deck and a plurality of legs extend downwardly from the deck. The pallet cover includes a plurality of adjustable corner members that allow the pallet cover to fit pallets of varying sizes. The adjustable corner members operate in an “accordion-like” fashion so that they can be reused on multiple pallets and still retain their original size.
This invention relates to a pallet cover. Pallet covers are useful with wooden pallets. Pallet covers protect a load from splinters, nails, and other elements that can be on a pallet. Pallet covers also protect the pallet from the load. Plastic pallet covers are reusable and more durable than cardboard pallet covers.
Some pallet covers can be challenging to fit on wooden pallets. Wooden pallets have relatively large variations in dimension. The large variations in dimension can be due to manufacturing, moisture absorption, and damage by forklifts.
Other pallet covers protect a perimeter of the pallet and not a deck portion. However, this type of pallet cover can obstruct openings along the side of the wooden pallet which are used by a forklift or a pallet jack to engage and move the pallet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA pallet cover according to the present invention includes a deck and a plurality of flanges extending upwardly from the deck. The flanges can prevent a load from shifting on a pallet. The flanges can also protect the load from equipment that may be used to move the pallet.
The pallet cover includes a plurality of protrusions that extend from a face on a leg. The plurality of protrusions allow stretch wrap, which is commonly used to cover a pallet during shipping, to be easily gripped.
The pallet cover includes a plurality of legs that extend downwardly from the deck to engage corners of the pallet. The pallet cover includes adjustable corner members that allow the pallet cover to fit pallets of varying sizes. The adjustable corner members function in an “accordion-like” manner. The adjustable corners allow the legs to extend outward to snugly fit a first pallet. When the pallet cover is removed from the first pallet, the adjustable corner members contract, and the legs return to their original positions. The pallet cover is then ready to use on a second pallet which could vary in size from the first pallet. This makes the pallet cover especially useful with wooden pallets, since they are known to have varying dimensions due to construction and environmental conditions.
Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
A pallet cover 10 according to the present invention is shown in
The deck 12 includes a textured top surface 26. The textured top surface 26 includes a plurality of small vertical protrusions, such as bosses 28 shown. The bosses 28 extend from the deck 12. The textured top surface can also be produced by applying an adhesive spray 52, a textured strip 50, or by including additives into the plastic material to increase its coefficient of friction. A plurality of drain holes 30 are located on the deck 12 and drain the pallet cover.
The pallet cover 10 on the pallet 34 can be nested with a similar pallet cover 10′ and similar pallet 34′. A base portion of the similar pallet 34′ is received by the upper portion of the deck 12 of the pallet cover 10. The flanges 18 guide the base portion of the similar pallet 34′ onto the deck 12.
The pallet cover 10 can also be nested with the similar pallet cover 10′. The lower portion of the deck 12′ is received by the upper portion of the deck 12. The flanges 18 guide the similar pallet cover 10′ onto upper portion of the deck 12. The flanges 18 and 18′ and the legs 22 and 22′ engage each other to maintain the pallet covers in a nested position.
The pallet cover 10 may thermoformed such that the deck 12, legs 22 and flanges 18 are all integrally formed from a single sheet of plastic. Alternatively, the pallet cover 10 may be formed by some other suitable plastic forming process. Alternatively, the legs 22 and/or flanges 18 could be formed separately and attached to the deck 12.
While an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is not intended that this embodiment illustrates and describes all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A pallet cover comprising:
- a deck;
- a plurality of vertically extending legs; and
- a plurality of adjustable corner members connecting the legs to the deck.
2. The pallet cover as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of deck corner portions attach the vertically extending legs to the plurality of adjustable corner members.
3. The pallet cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of vertically extending legs engage a pallet.
4. The pallet cover as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of adjustable corner members provide a tension force to engage a plurality of vertically extending legs with a corresponding corner of a pallet.
5. The pallet cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of adjustable corner members allow the plurality of vertically extending legs to extend to fit a corresponding corner on a first pallet.
6. The pallet cover as recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of vertically extending legs return to their original positions when removed from the first pallet and can extend again to fit a corresponding corner on a second pallet.
7. The pallet cover as recited in claim 6, wherein the second pallet varies in size from the first pallet.
8. The pallet cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of adjustable corner members allow the pallet cover to engage pallets having varying dimensions.
9. The pallet cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of vertically extending legs permit a tool having parallel extending arms to engage openings in the pallet.
10. The pallet cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the deck includes a plurality of deck openings.
11. The pallet cover as recited in claim 10, wherein an attachment means extends through at least one of the of plurality of deck openings; and
- the attachment means surrounds a portion of a pallet to secure the pallet cover to the pallet.
12. The pallet cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the deck includes a textured top surface.
13. The pallet cover as recited in claim 12, wherein the textured top surface includes a plurality of vertically extending portions, an adhesive spray, or an adhesive strip.
14. A pallet assembly comprising:
- a pallet including an upper surface;
- a pallet cover including a deck;
- the pallet cover located on the upper surface; and
- the pallet cover including a plurality of flanges extending upwardly from a perimeter of the deck.
15. The pallet cover as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of flanges has a corresponding flange on an opposing side of the deck.
16. The pallet cover as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of flanges has a corresponding flange on an adjacent side of the deck.
17. The pallet cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the deck has a lower portion to engage a pallet and an upper portion to engage a load.
18. The pallet cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of vertical flanges extend along an edge of the deck from a first adjustable corner member to a second adjustable corner member.
19. The pallet cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of vertical flanges include a plurality of bosses.
20. The pallet cover as recited in claim 19, wherein the plurality of bosses engage a pallet wrapping material.
21. The pallet cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the deck contains a plurality of drain holes.
22. A pallet cover comprising:
- a deck;
- a plurality of protrusions; and
- a plurality of vertically extending legs, wherein at least one face of the plurality of vertically extending legs include the plurality of protrusions.
23. The pallet cover as recited in claim 20, wherein the plurality of protrusions engage a pallet wrapping material.
24. A method for attaching a pallet cover to a pallet comprising:
- selectively mating a vertically extending leg with a corresponding corner of a pallet.
25. The method as recited in claim 25, further controlling an amount of deflection of the vertically extending leg by applying a force to the vertically extending leg.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 24, 2007
Publication Date: Feb 26, 2009
Inventors: Daniel Barbalho (Atlanta, GA), Glenn Rindfleisch (Naples, FL)
Application Number: 11/844,410
International Classification: B65D 19/06 (20060101); B65D 19/44 (20060101);