U.S. patent application number 09/399271 was filed with the patent office on 2002-07-11 for novel pallets.
Invention is credited to BEAN, WAYNE, BROWN, DAVID W., PHILLIPS, JERRY S., SIGLER JR., DONALD H..
Application Number | 20020088379 09/399271 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22281421 |
Filed Date | 2002-07-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020088379 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PHILLIPS, JERRY S. ; et
al. |
July 11, 2002 |
NOVEL PALLETS
Abstract
The present invention is a novel pallet comprising conventional
pallet coated with an elastomeric material, such as a polyurea. The
present invention is further directed to a novel composite pallet
comprising an elastomeric material, such as a polyurea, and one or
more filler materials.
Inventors: |
PHILLIPS, JERRY S.;
(MARIETTA, GA) ; BROWN, DAVID W.; (OAK RIDGE,
TN) ; BEAN, WAYNE; (MARIETTA, GA) ; SIGLER
JR., DONALD H.; (WHITEFISH, MT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAMES D. WITHERS
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS,
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Family ID: |
22281421 |
Appl. No.: |
09/399271 |
Filed: |
September 17, 1999 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60100765 |
Sep 17, 1998 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/57.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2519/00562
20130101; B65D 19/0095 20130101; B65D 2519/00029 20130101; B65D
2519/00044 20130101; B65D 2519/00079 20130101; B65D 2519/00572
20130101; B65D 2519/00064 20130101; B65D 2519/00034 20130101; B65D
2519/00293 20130101; B65D 19/38 20130101; B65D 2519/00069 20130101;
B65D 2519/00323 20130101; B65D 2519/00273 20130101; B65D 2519/0086
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
108/57.26 |
International
Class: |
B65D 019/38 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pallet comprising one or more structural elements and an
elastomeric material, wherein the elastomeric material coats or
encapsulates the one or more structural elements.
2. The pallet of claim 1, wherein the one or more structural
elements comprise wood boards and the elastomeric material forms a
uniform, monolithic, continuous coating over the wooden boards.
3. The pallet of claim 2, wherein the elastomeric material
comprises a polyurea, polyurethane, polyaspartics, epoxy,
polyurethane-polyurea hybrids or a combination thereof.
4. The pallet of claim 2, wherein the elastomeric material
comprises a polyurea.
5. The pallet of claim 2, wherein the coating has a thickness of
from about 1 mil to about 250 mils.
6. The pallet of claim 5, wherein the coating has a thickness of
from about 60 mils to about 75 mils.
7. The pallet of claim 1, wherein the one or more structural
elements comprise filler materials and the elastomeric material
forms a continuous matrix encapsulating the filler materials.
8. The pallet of claim 7, wherein the filler material comprises
particulate material, fibers, a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, a
knitted fabric, rods, or a combination thereof.
9. The pallet of claim 7, wherein the filler material comprises
glass fibers, a nonwoven glass fabric, a woven glass fabric or a
combination thereof.
10. The pallet of claim 7, wherein the elastomeric material
comprises a polyurea, polyurethane, polyaspartics, epoxy,
polyurethane-polyurea hybrids or a combination thereof.
11. The pallet of claim 10, wherein the elastomeric material
comprises a polyurethane foam.
12. A method of making the pallet of claim 1 comprising: spraying
the wood boards with the elastomeric material to form an uniform,
monolithic, continuous coating over the wooden boards.
13. A method of making the pallet of claim 7 comprising: placing
filler materials in a mold with an elastomeric material; molding
the materials to form a high density composite panel; cutting the
composite panel into boards; and adhering the boards to one another
to form the pallet.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the boards are adhered to one
another by nails, screws, adhesives or a combination thereof.
15. An improved, waterproof, damage-resistant pallet comprising: a
wood or compressed wood pallet; and an elastomeric material which
forms an uniform, monolithic, continuous coating over the wood or
compressed wood pallet.
16. The pallet of claim 15, wherein the elastomeric material
comprises a polyurea, polyurethane, polyaspartics, epoxy,
polyurethane-polyurea hybrids or a combination thereof; and wherein
the coating has a thickness of from about 1 mil to about 250
mils.
17. The pallet of claim 16, wherein the coating has a thickness of
from about 60 mils to about 75 mils.
18. A pallet comprising: a first plurality of composite boards in a
first plane; a second plurality of composite boards in a second
plane; a third plurality of composite boards positioned between the
first plurality of composite boards and the second plurality of
composite boards; and attachment means for attaching the first
plurality of composite boards and the second plurality of composite
boards to the third plurality of composite boards; wherein the
first, second and third plurality of composite boards comprise one
or more filler materials and an elastomeric material which forms a
continuous matrix encapsulating the one or more filler
materials.
19. The pallet of claim 18, wherein the filler material comprises
glass fibers, a nonwoven glass fabric, a woven glass fabric or a
combination thereof; and wherein the elastomeric material comprises
a polyurea, polyurethane, polyaspartics, epoxy,
polyurethane-polyurea hybrids or a combination thereof.
20. The pallet of claim 18, wherein the composite boards have a
density of from about 10 to about 40 pounds per cubic foot.
21. The pallet of claim 18, further comprising a uniform,
monolithic, continuous coating over the first, second and third
plurality of composite boards and the attachment means.
22. The pallet of claim 21, wherein the coating comprises a
polyurea, polyurethane, polyaspartics, epoxy, polyurethane-polyurea
hybrids or a combination thereof.
23. The pallet of claim 22, wherein the coating comprises a
polyurea.
24. The pallet of claim 21, wherein the coating has a thickness of
from about 1 mil to about 250 mils.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/100,765, filed Sep. 17, 1998.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention is in the field of storage pallets for
storing and transporting a wide variety of goods. More
specifically, the present invention relates to coating a
conventional pallet so that it can be used for storage or
transportation support.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Conventional pallets are used internationally for storing
and transporting a wide variety of goods. Most wooden pallets have
a life expectancy of about six months before they have to be
repaired or discarded. This is a relatively large expense and a
time consuming process.
[0004] What is needed is a pallet for storing or transporting goods
that is resistant to damage and has a long life expectancy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention addresses the foregoing problems with
conventional pallets by providing a system that is waterproof and
is highly durable. The present invention is directed to a novel
pallet that is comprised, for example, of wood that is coated with
a fast-curing elastomeric material using spray techniques whereby a
homogeneous, non-porous, and monolithic coating is formed. The
pallet of the present invention is waterproof and is highly
resistant to damage. The present invention also includes a method
for manufacturing a pallet comprising spraying or otherwise
administering an elastomeric material, preferably a polyurea, to a
conventional pallet thereby producing a coated pallet that is
durable, has a long life expectancy and requires a minimum of
maintenance.
[0006] The present invention is further directed to a composite
pallet comprising one or more components, wherein each component
comprises one or more polymeric materials optionally filled with
one or more filler materials. The composite pallets of the present
invention are waterproof and highly resistant to damage. To
increase the water-resistance and damage-resistance of the
composite pallets of the present invention, the composite pallets
may be coated with a fast-curing elastomeric material, such as a
polyurea coating.
[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a pallet that is waterproof, resistant to impact, and will
remain functional for a long period of time.
[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
pallet that can be used in the food and/or drug industry.
[0009] These and other features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent after a review of the following
detailed description of the disclosed embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention is directed to a pallet that is
comprised of a conventional pallet coated with a fast-curing
elastomeric material using spray techniques whereby a homogeneous,
non-porous, and monolithic coating is formed. The desired
elastomeric materials used in the present invention are prepared by
initiating the reaction of an aliphatic or aromatic
isocyanate-terminated compound or polymer with an aliphatic or
aromatic amine-terminated compound or polymer immediately before
applying the elastomeric material to the surface to be coated.
Desirably, the reactive components (i.e., isocyanate-containing and
amine-containing materials) are mixed directly in a spray gun used
to apply the elastomeric material. The thickness of the elastomeric
coating can easily be controlled by conventional application means.
It is important that the thickness of the elastomeric coating be
enough so that the coating is resistant to impact that is normal in
use. The desired thickness of the elastomeric coating on the pallet
material is between approximately 1 mil and 250 mils, with the most
desired thickness of between 60 mils and 75 mils. The present
invention also includes a method of manufacturing a pallet
comprising spraying a conventional pallet with an elastomeric
material on the surface of the pallet so that the resulting device
is substantially impermeable to water and is resistant to
impact.
[0011] It is to be understood that the term "conventional pallets"
means any pallet that is made of wood or compressed wood, and is
rigid and strong enough to be used as a support for goods.
[0012] The elastomeric material that is applied to the conventional
pallet includes, but is not limited to, polyurea, polyurethane,
polyaspartics, epoxy, polyurethane-polyurea hybrids or other
similar polymer. Desirably, the polymer is polyurea. Polyureas are
typically supplied in monomer form as two solutions. One solution
is an isocyanate and the second solution is a polyamine. The
resulting polymer after mixing the two components is a polyurea.
The general reaction is shown as follows: 1
[0013] Another desired polymer is polyurethane which is supplied as
two components, an isocyanate and a polyether or polyester polyol.
The two solutions are mixed immediately before application to a
conventional pallet as shown in Examples 1 and 2 herein. The
polyurethane system requires the use of a catalyst, such as an
organotin compound, i.e., dibutyl tin dilaurate. The general
reaction for the production of a polyurethane polymer is as
follows: 2
[0014] For the application of polyurea to a conventional pallet, a
polyether polyamine is mixed with the isocyanate immediately before
the application of the mixture. The mixing of the two components is
typically done in a spray gun and the mixture is sprayed onto the
conventional pallet. Polyurea is the desired coating because the
formation of the polymer does not require a catalyst and the
reaction is relatively temperature insensitive as well as
relatively insensitive to water and humidity. Also, since polyurea
has no volatile organic compounds (VOC's), the utilization of
polyurea does not cause any EPA problems for the applicator or
detriment to the conventional pallets.
[0015] Polyamines that can be used in practicing the present
invention include, but are not limited to, Jeffamine.RTM. D2000
(Huntsman Corp., Houston, Tex.), which are amine-terminated
polypropylene glycols having the following general structure: 3
[0016] wherein x averages about 33 and the molecular weight is
about 2000; Jeffamine.RTM. T5000 (Huntsman Corp., Houston, Tex.),
which are amine-terminated polypropylene glycols having the
following general structure: 4
[0017] wherein A represents glycerine and the molecular weight is
about 5000; Ethacure.RTM. 100 (Albemarle Corporation, Baton Rouge,
La.), which is diethyltoluenediamine; and Unilink.RTM. 4200 (UOP,
Des Plaines, Ill.) which has the following formula: 5
[0018] wherein R represents an alkyl group. Desirably, R has from
about 1 to 8 carbon atoms, more desirably 4 carbon atoms.
Desirably, the urethane is diphenylmethane diisocyante (ICI, West
Deptford, N.J.).
[0019] The polyamines can be mixed together to form the desired
physical properties. For pallets, the resulting polyurea should be
rigid and exhibit a high tensile strength.
[0020] In practicing the present invention, the isocyanate and the
polyamine solutions (Solution A and Solution B respectively) are
mixed immediately before application to the pallet material. The
mixing is done in the mixing portion of an application gun under
pressure and the resulting mixture is applied uniformly to the
pallet material as shown in Examples 1 and 2. The mixture that is
applied to the pallet cures rapidly and results in a uniform
coating. The thickness of the coating according to the present
invention will vary depending upon the final physical qualities
desired. The thickness of the coating is desirably between
approximately 1 mil and 250 mils with a more desired thickness of
between 60 and 75 mils and the most desired thickness of
approximately 62.5 mils, which is approximately {fraction (1/16)}
of an inch.
[0021] The elastomeric coating can optionally contain additives
that will provide resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Further, the
elastomeric coating can optionally contain colorants added to
provide a desired color.
[0022] The present invention is further directed to composite
pallets and a method of making composite pallets. The composite
pallets of the present invention comprise one or more polymeric
materials optionally in combination with one or more filler
materials. Suitable polymeric materials include any polymeric
material capable of being formed into a polymeric board or sheet.
Suitable polymeric materials include, but are not limited to,
polyolefins, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyureas, epoxys,
polyurea-polyurethane hybrids, and combinations thereof. Desirably,
the polymeric material comprises polyurea, polyurethane, or a
combination thereof. More desirably, the polymeric material
comprises a polyurethane foam. The filler material may be organic
or inorganic filler material in the form of particulate material,
fibers, fabrics, rods, or any other structural reinforcement.
Suitable inorganic filler materials include, but are not limited
to, calcium carbonates, clays, silica, sand, glass fibers and
carbon fibers. Suitable organic fillers include, but are not
limited to, fibers such as cotton, rayon, nylon, and other
polymeric fibers, such as polyolefin fibers and aramid fibers. The
amount of filler may vary as desired by one of ordinary skill in
the art. In one embodiment of the present invention, filler
material is added to the polymeric material in an amount ranging
from about zero to 200 parts per weight of filler material per 100
parts per weight of polymeric material.
[0023] The composite pallets of the present invention may be
produced by any thermoforming process known to those of ordinary
skill in the art. Suitable thermoforming processes include, but are
not limited to, batch molding, extrusion molding, and compression
molding. In one embodiment in the present invention, a composite
pallet is formed by placing glass fibers or fabrics in a mold with
a polyurethane material and molding the pallet materials to form a
high density composite panel. Desirably, the density of the
composite material ranges from about 5 to about 80 pounds per cubic
foot. More desirably, the density of the composite material ranges
from about 10 to about 40 pounds per cubic foot. The composite
panel is then cut into boards having dimensions similar to wooden
boards of a conventional wooden pallet. The thickness, length and
width of the resulting composite boards may vary depending upon the
particular application. The composite boards may be adhered to one
another to form a composite pallet by any means known to those of
ordinary skill in the art. Suitable adhesion means include, but are
not limited to, nails, screws, adhesives or a combination
thereof.
[0024] The present invention is further illustrated by the
following examples, which are not to be construed in any way as
imposing limitations upon the scope thereof. On the contrary, it is
to be clearly understood that resort may be had to various other
embodiments, modifications, and equivalent thereto which, after
reading the description herein, may suggest themselves to those
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present
invention.
EXAMPLE 1
[0025] A conventional pallet is formed spraying the surface of the
pallet with a polyurea formulation having the following
formula:
1 Solution A Rubinate .RTM. 9432 100% Solution B Unilink .RTM. 4200
5.0% Jeffamine .RTM. D2000 64.0% Ethacure .RTM. 100 23.0% Jeffamine
.RTM. T5000 8.0%
[0026] The components of solution B were mixed together 1:1 by
volume with Solution A and the polymer solution (Solution A and
Solution B) was applied using a plural component spray machine to a
thickness of approximately 62.5 mils.
EXAMPLE 2
[0027] A conventional pallet is formed spraying the surface of the
pallet with a polyurea formulation having the following
formula:
2 Solution A Rubinate .RTM. 9432 100% Solution B Unilink .RTM. 4200
3.0% Jeffamine .RTM. D2000 65.875% Ethacure .RTM. 100 23.125%
Jeffamine .RTM. T5000 8.0%
[0028] The components of solution B were mixed together 1:1 by
volume with Solution A and the polymer solution (Solution A and
Solution B) was applied using a plural component spray machine to a
thickness of approximately 62.5 mils.
[0029] It is to be understood that the Examples herein are
illustrative embodiments and that this invention is not to be
limited by any of the Examples or details in the Description. Those
skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is
capable of many modifications and variations without departing from
the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the Detailed Description
and Examples are meant to be illustrative and are not meant to
limit in any manner the scope of the invention as set forth in the
following claims. Rather, the claims appended hereto are to be
construed broadly within the scope and spirit of the invention.
* * * * *