Shipping container for modular chairs

An interlocking pallet assembly for containing an arrangement of components within a shipping container is disclosed. The shipping container includes a first pallet having a plurality of compartments for containing a plurality of components, at least one of the components including a vertical member which extends above the surface of the first pallet, and a second pallet having a plurality of compartments for containing a plurality of components, and at least one aperture for receiving the vertical member associated with the first pallet through a bottom portion thereof. The first and second pallets are similarly dimensioned so that when the second pallet is disposed on the first pallet, the vertical member aligns with and engages the aperture formed in the second pallet thereby forming an interlocking mechanism for preventing movement of the second pallet relative to the first pallet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
The present invention relates generally to a shipping container for 
furniture. More specifically, the present invention relates to an 
apparatus for shipping the partially assembled components of a modular 
wheeled health care chair. 
2. Discussion 
In an attempt to manage ever increasing health care costs, more and more 
individuals are electing to be provided with health care services within 
their own home. As such, there is a growing need for medical devices and 
health care products which can be used in a residential environment, and 
efficient channels for delivering these devices. However, there appears to 
be a limited number of channels through which these home health care 
products are currently made available to consumers. An additional problem 
is that the relatively few number of retail establishments which provide 
suitable home health care products cannot be easily accessed by disabled 
individuals who have difficulty traveling outside their home. One such 
example is a disabled individual who can only be transported in a wheel 
chair. 
Wheeled chairs are widely used in a variety of both residential and 
commercial health care applications, and as such, are adapted to mobilize 
the seat occupant under a wide range of conditions. Most of the wheel 
chairs known in the prior art are designed toward the mobility of the seat 
occupant, and less toward the functionality and comfort of the seat 
occupant. At present, wheeled chairs for specialized purposes are 
typically only available through specialty medical products channels and 
are usually quite expensive. Moreover, the prior art wheel chairs which 
incorporate comfort features are generally heavier and cannot be easily 
transported. The total weight of these chairs, even when disassembled, 
generally requires that they must be shipped to individuals as freight as 
with other heavy or bulky furniture products, rather than being shipped as 
a parcel or package through commercial parcel delivery services. The cost 
associated with shipping a suitable wheel chair as freight is typically 
higher than the cost of shipping a suitable wheel chair as a parcel. 
Moreover, shipping the chair as freight takes considerably more time. A 
further problem is that many parcel delivery services set limitations for 
the total weight of a parcel, as well as the external dimensions of the 
shipping carton for containing the parcel. Thus, the wheel chairs known 
within the art which provide a suitable level of comfort features are 
either too heavy, or if modular, are not packaged within a suitable 
container which is acceptable to commercial parcel delivery services. As 
such, these wheel chairs must be shipped with a freight carrier at a 
higher cost to the consumer and a longer time for delivery. 
In view of the problems associated with prior art wheel chairs, it is 
desirable to provide a shipping apparatus and container system for 
shipping the partially assembled components of a modular wheel chair. One 
such approach is to provide a modular wheel chair which can be easily 
assembled and disassembled using a limited number of simple hand operated 
tools. It is further desirable to provide a shipping container which is 
lightweight and compactly dimensioned so that the shipping container or 
containers can be handled by lower cost parcel delivery services as 
opposed to higher cost freight carriers. Finally, it is desirable to 
provide a shipping apparatus having a system of interlocking pallets for 
containing the partially assembled components and providing suitable 
protection to these components during shipping. The combination of such a 
modular wheel chair and lightweight shipping container would significantly 
increase the availability of wheeled health care chairs to disabled 
individuals within their own homes. Moreover, a lightweight shipping 
container would further allow the shipping of partially assembled wheel 
chairs on an expedited or overnight basis. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an interlocking pallet assembly for 
containing an arrangement of components within a shipping container. As 
disclosed, the shipping container includes a first pallet having a 
plurality of compartments for containing a plurality of components, at 
least one of the components including a vertical member which extends 
above the surface of the first pallet. The shipping container also 
includes a second pallet having a plurality of compartments for containing 
a plurality of components, and at least one aperture for receiving the 
vertical member associated with the first pallet through a bottom portion 
thereof. The first and second pallets are similarly dimensioned so that 
when the second pallet is disposed on the first pallet, the vertical 
member aligns with and engages the aperture formed in the second pallet 
thereby forming an interlocking mechanism for preventing movement of the 
second pallet relative to the first pallet. 
In a related embodiment of the invention, a shipping device for containing 
a modular wheel chair in a partially assembled fashion is provided. As 
part of this related embodiment, the shipping device includes a first 
carton for containing a partially assembled wheel chair base. The first 
carton also includes a bottom member for supporting the wheel chair base. 
A pallet member is disposed in the first carton for supporting a wheel 
assembly for the wheel chair base. The shipping device also includes a 
second carton for containing a seat back member. The seat back member is 
operably associated with the wheel chair base. A first compartmentalized 
pallet is disposed in the second carton for containing at least a foot 
plate assembly, wherein the foot plate assembly includes a vertical member 
extending above an upper surface of the first pallet. A second 
compartmentalized pallet is disposed on the first pallet for containing 
components associated with the wheel chair base and includes an aperture 
formed therein. The aperture is positioned for receiving the vertical 
member of the foot plate assembly through a lower portion thereof and 
forming an interlocking mechanism thereby preventing movement of the 
second pallet relative to the first pallet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In general, the present invention is directed to a lightweight container 
for shipping a modular chair. While the following description is directed 
to a container for shipping the modular components of a partially 
assembled wheeled health care chair, it will be understood that the 
present invention is also applicable to a shipping apparatus and container 
system for shipping a variety of modular articles of furniture and modular 
chairs which can be shipped in a partially assembled state. 
Turning now to FIG. 1, the shipping container 10 according to the preferred 
embodiment of the present invention is shown. Shipping container 10 is 
generally defined by a chair base carton 14 preferably formed from 
corrugated cardboard, or another suitable material. Carton 14 includes 
four flaps 16 which define an opening at the top portion thereof. The 
inside side walls of carton 14 are lined with four padding members 18 
which provide additional protection to the contents within shipping 
container 10. Preferably, each padding member 18 is formed from a paper 
fiber material defining an inner honeycomb structure 20 which is covered 
by an outer facing layer 22 on both sides thereof. Preferably facing layer 
22 is a heavy duty kraft paper, or a similar substitute. A bottom support 
member 24, which is also manufactured from a honeycomb cardboard structure 
fits within the bottom of carton 14 which provides the primary protection 
to the undercarriage of a modular wheel chair base 26. Bottom support 
member 24 includes a pair of cut-outs 28 for receiving the protruding 
members 30 which extend from the undercarriage of wheel chair base 26. 
Carton 14 and its associated components are specifically designed for the 
modular wheel chair base 26 disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 08/892,048, filed 
Jul. 14, 1997, entitled "Wheeled Health Care Chair," which is commonly 
owned and the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by 
reference. Modular wheel chair base 26 also includes an upwardly extending 
seat back link 32 for receiving the chair's modular seat back 66. A pallet 
36 is provided for securing various components of the modular chair. 
Preferably, pallet 36 is formed from corrugated cardboard. More 
specifically, a pair of rear wheels 38, a pair of rear wheel hand rings 
40, and a pair of hub caps 42 can be secured to pallet 36 using suitable 
fasteners such as locking cable ties 44 which are fitted around each 
modular component 38, 40, 42 and through apertures formed in pallet 36 and 
locked into place. This arrangement securely retains each modular 
component 38, 40, 42 within carton 14 during shipping. Pallet 36 is 
dimensioned so that it fits snugly on all four sides within the inside 
area defined by padding members 18. A pair of flaps 46 are provided to 
allow pallet 36 to be disposed on top of wheel chair base 26 so that flaps 
46 will deflect when applied against the rear upstanding portions 48 of 
wheel chair base 26. The packaging of shipping container 10 is completed 
with a top cover 50, also preferably formed from corrugated cardboard for 
providing protection to the modular components 38, 40, 42 secured on 
pallet 36. 
As will be appreciated, when all of the modular components are packed 
within carton 14, shipping container 10 defines a durable yet lightweight 
shipping apparatus for shipping modular wheel chair base 26 and its 
pre-assembled components. As disclosed, the outside dimensions of carton 
14 are approximately 30 inches in length, 29 inches in width, and 21 
inches in height, and the weight of shipping container 10 is approximately 
89 pounds. Accordingly, these specifications are within the currently 
accepted standards of many commercial parcel and overnight delivery 
services. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, shipping container 12 is also disclosed in 
accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
Shipping container 12 is generally defined by a carton 54 also having four 
flaps 56 which define the top opening thereof. The inner side walls of 
carton 54 are lined with four padding members 58 for providing additional 
protection to the contents of shipping container 12. Each padding member 
58 is also formed from a paper fiber honeycomb structure 60 covered by an 
outer facing layer 62 on both sides thereof. A distinguishing feature 
associated with carton 54 is that padding members 58 extend approximately 
one-half to two-thirds of the way up the inner side walls of carton 54. As 
such, the top edges of the padding members 58 form a support ledge 64 
which will be described in more detail below. The inner volume 59 defined 
by the four padding members 58 is dimensioned for receiving a modular seat 
back 66. As shown, seat back 66 includes a pair of movable handles 68, and 
a locking bracket 70 for engaging the seat back link 32 of modular wheel 
chair base 26. Locking bracket 70 also includes a lock-down mechanism 72 
for securely locking bracket 70 to seat back link 32 during assembly of 
the modular chair. 
Shipping container 12 also includes a lower pallet 74 and an upper pallet 
76, which are each specifically designed with a plurality of cut-outs 
forming customized compartments. Each cut-out is specifically designed for 
receiving one of the partially assembled modular components forming the 
modular chair. Each pallet 74, 76 is similarly dimensioned so that after 
modular seat back 66 is placed within carton 54, pallets 74, 76 can be 
placed within carton 54 so that they rest on top of support ledge 64 and 
modular seat back 66. As disclosed, the outside dimensions of each pallet 
74, 76 are approximately 35 inches in length and 29 inches in width. 
Pallets 74, 76 are also designed with a unique interlocking feature which 
helps to prevent movement of one pallet relative to the other. More 
specifically, several of the modular components contained within lower 
pallet 74 extend above the top surface of pallet 74. Upper pallet 76 is 
provided with three through cut-out areas for receiving the upwardly 
extending portions of these modular components so that upper pallet 76 may 
be placed directly on top of lower pallet 74 so that they can be packaged 
in close proximity to each other. The details associated with this 
interlocking feature are described in more detail below. The packaging 
within shipping container 12 is completed by placing a top cover 78 onto 
upper pallet 76 for further protecting the modular components contained 
within shipping container 12. 
As will be appreciated, when all of the modular components are packed 
within carton 54, shipping container 12 also defines a durable and 
lightweight shipping apparatus for shipping modular seat back 66 and the 
remaining preassembled components associated with modular wheel chair base 
26. As disclosed, the outside dimensions of carton 54 are approximately 36 
inches in length, 30 inches in width, and 16 inches in height, and the 
weight of shipping container 12 is approximately 60 pounds. Accordingly, 
these specifications are also within the currently accepted standards for 
many commercial parcel and overnight delivery services. 
Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the details of lower pallet 74 are shown. 
More specifically, lower pallet 74 includes a plurality of cut-outs 80 for 
receiving the various modular components associated with the modular 
chair. FIG. 4 shows lower pallet 74 with the modular components positioned 
in their designated compartments. As shown, a pair of foot plate cut-outs 
84 are provided for receiving foot plates 86. It should be specifically 
noted that a bracket 88 on each foot plate 86 extends above the top 
surface of lower pallet 74 for engaging similarly positioned cut-outs 130 
on upper pallet 76 and forming the interlocking feature therebetween. A 
brake assembly cut-out 90 is provided for receiving the pair of brake 
assemblies 92. It should also be specifically noted that each brake 
assembly 92 includes a bracket portion 94 which also extends above the 
surface of lower pallet 74, also for engaging a similarly positioned 
cut-out 132 on upper pallet 76 and forming the interlocking feature 
therebetween. Front caster cut-outs 96 are formed in lower pallet 74 for 
receiving a pair of front casters 98 which are secured to the front 
portion of wheel chair base 26 during final assembly in the customer's 
home for example. A pair of front post cut-outs 100 are formed at opposite 
sides of lower pallet 74 for receiving the front posts 102, which are also 
secured to modular wheel chair base 26 during final assembly. Finally, a 
recliner handle cut-out 104 is provided for receiving the recliner handle 
106, which is secured along the right side frame of modular wheel chair 
base 26 on square drive shaft 108. 
Preferably, lower pallet 74 is formed from a cardboard honeycomb structure 
110 having a paper facing 112, such as heavy duty kraft paper secured 
thereto. This arrangement provides a structurally rigid yet lightweight 
packaging material for protecting the modular components associated with 
the wheeled health care chair during shipping. 
It should be noted that the plurality of cut-outs 80 formed within lower 
pallet 74 each defined a customized outline shape as well as a customized 
depth within the thickness of lower pallet 74. Additionally, a corrugated 
pad 81 is laminated to the bottom of pallet 74 to contain modular 
components within the pallet. As will be appreciated, this feature 
provides additional protection to the modular components stored within 
lower pallet 74. 
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the details of upper pallet 76 are shown. 
Upper pallet 76 is also provided with a plurality of cut-outs 82 which 
form the individual compartments for receiving the modular components. 
More particularly, a pair of arm rest cut-outs 114 are provided for 
receiving arm rests 116. A pair of anti-tip bar cut-outs 118 are provided 
for receiving anti-tip bars 120. A single rectangular cut-out 122 is 
formed for receiving the rear axle pins 124, as well as various hardware 
components and simple hand tools for assembling the modular chair. 
However, depending on the various options included with the modular chair, 
rectangular cut-out 122 can also be used for containing other components. 
A second rectangular cut-out 126 is provided for receiving the pair of 
foot plate brackets 128 which are secured to the front posts 102 during 
the final assembly of the modular chair. 
A pair of through rectangular cut-outs 130 are provided in the central 
portion of upper pallet 76 along with a through T-shaped cut-out 132, 
which also define the interlocking feature associated with lower pallet 74 
and upper pallet 76. More specifically, through cut-outs 130 are 
positioned so that when upper pallet 76 is placed on top of lower pallet 
74, the upwardly extending bracket 88 of each foot plate assembly 86 
extends up into rectangular cut-out 130. In a similar fashion, T-shaped 
cut-out 132 is positioned so that bracket portion 94 of the brake assembly 
92 will extend up into T-shaped cut-out 132. While the position of 
cut-outs 130, 132 define the interlocking feature for preventing relative 
movement between pallets 74, 76, cut-outs 130, 132 also allow for modular 
components having thicker packaging requirements to be protectively 
enclosed between two protective pallets 74, 76 in a more compact fashion. 
Preferably, upper pallet 76 is also formed from a cardboard honeycomb 
material 134 which is covered on both sides with a heavy duty kraft paper 
facing 136. This arrangement provides a structurally rigid yet lightweight 
packaging material for protecting the modular components associated with 
the wheeled health care chair during shipping. It should be noted that the 
plurality of cut-outs 82 formed within upper pallet 76 each define a 
customized outline shape as well as a customized depth within the 
thickness of upper pallet 76. Additionally, a corrugated pad 83 is 
laminated to the bottom of pallet 76 to contain the modular components 
within the pallet. This feature provides additional protection to the 
modular components stored within upper pallet 76. 
Accordingly, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the 
shipping containers 10, 12 of the present invention provide a lightweight 
shipping apparatus for transporting the partially assembled components of 
a modular wheeled health care chair. Additionally, the dimensions and 
integral design of shipping containers 10, 12 also allow a modular wheeled 
health care chair to be shipped via a commercial parcel and/or overnight 
delivery service. Accordingly, the present invention eliminates the 
previous need for a modular chair such as the wheeled health care chair 
shown herein to be shipped as freight. This feature represents a 
considerable time and cost savings to individuals desiring the expedited 
delivery of a modular chair to their home. 
The foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodiments of 
the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from 
such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that 
various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the 
following claims.