Abstract:
A shipping platform and method of producing such a device for use in the cargo-shipping industry. The platform has a planar deck structure with upper and lower surfaces. A plurality of support structures are arranged at predetermined locations under the lower surface of deck structure. Each of the support structures forms an open-ended channel cavity. At least one vertical support core is placed within the open ended channel of at least one of the support structures. The deck structure, the support structures, and the vertical support cores are secured together to form the shipping platform.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of shipping devices. In particular, the invention relates to shipping platforms for use in the shipping of quantities of goods, and the methods of constructing such devices. 
     Structurally sound pallets are essential tools in the cargo-shipping industry throughout the world. Whether cargo is being shipped by land, sea, or air, the handling of cargo necessitates the use of a practical means of supporting and moving unit amounts of goods. Traditionally, shipping platforms have been constructed utilizing strong structural materials such as wood or metal to provide a stiff, damage resistant device. However, these devices generally have significant drawbacks. 
     For example, wooden shipping platforms are environmentally unfriendly. They are constructed from wood, which depletes forests to provide the necessary raw materials. The devices are also difficult to recycle. Many landfills refuse to take them, while others charge fees to dispose of them. 
     Furthermore, since traditional devices are constructed from materials such as wood or metal, the devices are heavy, weighing between 45 and 65 pounds. Transportation companies generally factor in the weight of these devices to determine the cost of shipping the goods, thereby costing the owner money each time the device is shipped. 
     Recently, devices have been proposed and developed using recyclable materials such as corrugated fibreboard or plastic. These devices although environmentally friendly, have generally not been affordable due to either, the amount of material necessary to produce a device having the structural strength necessary to replace traditional devices, or a platform design that requires many production steps or has many components to be assembled. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the field of shipping platforms for a product that is lightweight; easy to use, simple to assemble, and dispose of; yet still durable and cost effective to produce. 
     The present invention provides a device that is recyclable, constructed of lightweight material, efficiently designed to use minimal material while providing the structural strength necessary to replace traditional devices, and is easy to fabricate and assemble. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a shipping platform for shipping a quantity of goods and a method of constructing such a device. The device is comprised of a deck structure, a plurality of support structures, and a vertical support core placed within at least one support structure. 
     The method of producing the device according to the present invention is comprised of several steps. At least one sheet of planar material must be provided. The material is creased to form a platform frame having a plurality of fold lines. 
     The material is then folded to form a shipping platform having a planar deck structure and a plurality of support structures. Each support structure is constructed and arranged to form an open-ended channel cavity therein. At least one vertical support core is provided and at least one of the vertical support cores is placed into one of the support structures. The shipping platform is then secured by attaching the planar deck structure, the vertical support cores, and the support structures together. 
     The above mentioned benefits and other benefits of the invention will become clear from the following description by reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an upward angled perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 a  is an overhead inside view of one sheet comprising one half of a platform frame of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 1 b  is an overhead inside view of the two sheets comprising a platform frame of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 a  is an overhead inside view of the platform frame of the embodiment represented in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the support structure and vertical support core prior to assembly of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 a  is a cutaway view of the cleat structure during assembly of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 b  is a cutaway view of the cleat structure of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the support structure, having the vertical support core in position, of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of the deck structure being placed over an optional deck pad and support structure with vertical support core of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is a cutaway view of the assembled support structure with vertical support core and option deck pad of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 is an overhead cutaway view of the support structure with vertical support core and an optional core of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the assembly of one half of the shipping platform of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the assembly of the shipping platform of the embodiment represented in FIG. 1 having an optional deck pad and vertical support cores inserted therein. 
     FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the assembled shipping platform of the embodiment represented in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 11 is an upward angled perspective view of the shipping platform of the embodiment represented in FIG. 1 having an optional bottom deck with die-cut openings to accommodate four-way entry of a pallet jack. 
     FIG. 12 is an angled perspective view of the shipping platform of the embodiment represented in FIG. 1 having deck runners. 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shipping platform of the embodiment represented in FIG. 1 within a forming fixture. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Shipping platforms  10  and  40 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are constructed in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated, shipping platforms  10  and  40  are comprised of a deck structure  12  and a plurality of support structures  14  and  16 , or  42  with each support structure forming an open-ended channel cavity therein. These portions of the shipping platform may be fabricated from a single sheet of material or from many sheets. For example, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 2 a  shows these portions designed from one sheet of material, whereas the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1,  1   a , and  1   b , has these portions constructed from two sheets of material. 
     Furthermore, the material used to fabricate the shipping platform may be any material suitable to achieve the objects of the invention, for example, cardboard, paperboard, fibreboard, plastic, or materials having similar structural qualities may be utilized within the purview of this invention. Preferably, the device is constructed of 275 pound, 350 pound, or 500 pound double-walled corrugated fibreboard material. Also, many of the suggested materials may be constructed having a direction of corrugation or grain. It is preferred that when multiple layers of material are utilized, the directions of corrugation or grain should be aligned perpendicular to those of its adjacent layers when possible. The directions of corrugation or grain are indicated in the figures with roman numerals and direction shown with a two-headed arrow. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-2 a  in addition to the deck and support structures, a vertical support core  24  or  44  is placed within the open-ended channel cavity of the support structures  14  and  16 , or  42  to provide the primary vertical and shear strength to the support structures. Wood, metal, cardboard, paperboard, fibreboard, plastic, and other similar materials may be utilized to form the vertical support cores. Furthermore, any number of vertical support core configurations may be utilized within the purview of this invention. 
     For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a section of material may be folded accordion-style, indicated by  44 , and placed within the support structure  42 . Another example is shown in FIG. 1, wherein a rectangular vertical support core  24  having an opening in the center, as shown in FIG. 3, is placed into the open-ended cavity of the support structures  14  and  16 . Denoted as II on FIG. 3, the direction of corrugation or grain in the vertical support structure should run up and down the sides of the structure. In this embodiment, the support structures  14  and  16  each preferably contain a cleat  22  formed within the open-ended cavity to provide further shear strength to the support structure. 
     The deck structure is constructed having a planar, generally polygonal shape. As shown in FIG. 1, a preferred shape for the deck structure  12  is rectangular. The deck structure may also be constructed to include stretch wrap retention tabs along its edges. These tabs  20  allow stretch wrap, to stay in position and not ride up and away from the shipping platform. The stretch wrap material unitizes the shipping platform to the load. 
     The device, as shown in FIG. 1, is preferably constructed from two sheets of material. One of these sheets is shown in FIG. 1 a . A sheet of material, as shown, is die-cut to form one half of the embodiment shown in FIG.  1 . The die-cutting preferably creases the sheet to create fold lines along which the different parts of the device are formed. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 3 b , the lines between cleat sections  22   a  and  22   b  are perforated to create a hinge, thereby exacting the uniformity of the cleat structures  22 . 
     In FIG. 1 b , a second sheet of material, a mirror image of the one shown in FIG. 1 a , is attached to the first sheet to form a single platform frame. The two sheets are attached by folding the cleat sections marked  22 A and  22 B upward, and attaching the standing surfaces facing each other together. This attachment forms a flat platform frame having three standing cleats formed along its center. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 a  and  8 , the sheet of material comprises; one half of deck structure  12  indicated as  12   a , one row of three outside support structures  16  each having a cleat  22 , a deck support member  18 , and one row of three half sections of the inside support structures  14  each having one half of a cleat  22  indicated as  22 A. When the two sheets are attached together to form a platform frame, the row of half sections of cleats  22 A and  22 B are attached to form the cleats within the inside support structures  14 . Furthermore, the inboard edges of the halves of the deck structure  12   a  and  12   b  should preferably meet in the center of the shipping platform to form a flat, smooth deck surface, as shown in FIG.  1 . However, as shown in FIG. 2, the shipping platform may be designed that the deck sections may not meet. 
     Also, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 a , the direction of corrugation or grain should run in the direction marked I. This wrap around configuration provides added strength to the corners and edges of the support structures, the cleats, and the stretch wrap retention tabs. 
     Generally, the support structures, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 are constructed as shown in FIGS. 3-7. When forming the support structure, the cleat sections  22   a  and  22   b  are folded upward as shown in FIG. 3 a  until the cleat sections are standing upright as shown in FIG. 3 b . The cleats  22  may be fixed in this position by adhesive, stapling, or any other means known in the art. The sides  14   a ,  14   b ,  16   a , and  16   b  of the support structures are then folded upward to create the side walls of the support structures  14  and  16 , and thereby form open-ended cavities defined within the support structures. The vertical support core  24  is placed within the open-ended cavity to provide primary support to the support structures. The vertical support cores  24  may be frictionally fit into place or may be fixed in place by adhesive means or any other means known in the art. 
     Additionally, the ends of the cleats  22  are preferably designed to be recessed into the cavity equal to the thickness of the wall of the vertical support core to allow for the placement of the vertical support core  24  over the cleat  22 . However, as shown in FIG. 7, the cleat  22  preferably should still be long enough to provide a snug fit between the end walls of the vertical support core  24  allowing for maximum shear strength protection should the vertical structure be struck laterally by a forklift tine or other object. 
     Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, one or more optional cores  26  may be added within the confines of the vertical support core  24  in some or all of the support structures  14  and  16  to provide additional support when heavy loads are to be shipped. The optional cores may be constructed from any suitable material and have any suitable shape. One such example is shown in FIG.  7 . The optional core  26  is shown as a circular cylindrical tube, preferably made of tightly wound paper. The optional cores  26  may be fixed in place by any means known in the art including frictionally fixing them in place. 
     As shown, the support structures  14  and  16  are constructed and arranged underneath deck structure  12  to raise the platform  10  off of the ground, thereby allowing access to the platform by fork lift and pallet jack. Fork lifts, pallet jacks, conveyors, or other such equipment are commonly used to move shipping platforms, and therefore, it is within the purview of this invention that the number, shape, construction and arrangement of the support structures  14  and  16  be changed to allow such equipment to lift the platform  10 . 
     For example, in FIG. 1, the shipping platform  10  has a four-way entry configuration formed by the alignment of nine support structures  14  and  16  that are generally rectangular in shape and are located in three spaced rows and three spaced columns. The rows provide access on two sides of the platform and provide space on the underside of the platform for the tines of a fork lift, while the columns allow access from the two other sides of the platform. 
     As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the shipping platform  10  may also include additional components, such as a bottom deck panel  28 , that allows for use with a conveyor and may be die-cut to allow for use with a pallet jack, or other such equipment. The bottom deck panel is also useful for reducing top deck deflection and stacking two or more loaded platforms. Alternatively, bottom deck runners  32  may be attached on the bottom surfaces of the support structures  14  and  16  to provide additional directional stability and reduce deflection of the deck structure when the platform is raised by a fork lift or pallet jack. For each additional component, the preferred direction of corrugation is shown and marked as III. The runners  32  and bottom deck panel  28  also allow for greater load/weight distribution if the loaded platforms are stacked one on top of another. The runners  32  may be affixed to the shipping platform running from side to side, as shown, or from front to back. 
     Furthermore, an optional deck pad  30  may be placed between the deck structure  12  and the plurality of support structures  14  and  16  to provide additional strength to the deck structure  12 . The pad  30  should preferably be made from the same material as the deck structure  12  and be similar in size and shape to the deck structure. The deck pad may be affixed to the platform in any means know in the art. It is preferred that the direction of corrugation of the pad be aligned perpendicular to that of the deck structure. 
     The shipping platform of this invention may be formed using a forming fixture, as shown in FIG.  13 . Preferably, the fixture should be adjustable to allow for the construction of different size and style platforms. The fixture shown has an adjustment means  52  for each side of a channel used to form the support structures. The forming fixture is preferably made from a rigid material such as metal, wood, plastic, of other such suitable materials known in the art. 
     The shipping platform is constructed, using the fixture, by placing the sections of the inner support structure of the platform frame into the fixture  50  which forms the inner support structures  14 , thereby also forming their respective open-ended cavities and cleats  22 . The sections comprising the outside support structures  16  are then formed by placing the sections into the fixture  50 . Vertical support cores are placed into the cavities of the support structures. 
     An optional deck pad  30  may then be placed over the support structures, if desired, and the two sections of the deck structure  12   a  and  12   b  may be folded over and secured to either or all of: the deck support members  18 , support structures  14  and  16 , or to the deck pad  30  if used. The shipping platform may then be removed from the fixture  50 . Optional components such as bottom deck runners or a bottom deck panel may then be added if desired. 
     Since many possible embodiments may be made of the present invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted in the illustrative and not a limiting sense.