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.

1 . A support leg comprising: 
 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 at least one of the panels;    wherein the sheet is foldable into a nested panel structure having the first tab inserted into the first cutout and defining an interior cavity.    
   
   
       2 . The support leg of  claim 1 , wherein the interior cavity defined by the sheet upon folding has a substantially rectangular cross section.  
   
   
       3 . The support leg of  claim 2 , wherein a first panel will diagonally traverse the interior cavity when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure.  
   
   
       4 . The support leg of  claim 3 , wherein a second panel will diagonally traverse the interior cavity when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure.  
   
   
       5 . The support leg of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second panels will diagonally traverse the interior cavity at angles offset by approximately 90 degrees when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure.  
   
   
       6 . The support leg of  claim 3 , wherein a second cutout for accommodating the first tab after insertion into the first cutout is defined in at least one of the panels diagonally traversing the interior of the rectangular solid.  
   
   
       7 . The support leg of  claim 6 , wherein a third and fourth panel define opposing sides of the interior cavity when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure, the first cutout being defined within the third panel, the first tab extending between the third and fourth panels when the first tab is inserted into the first cutout.  
   
   
       8 . The support leg of  claim 5 , wherein a third panel defines one of the sides of the rectangular solid and a fourth panel lies inside of and adjacent to the third panel when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure, the second panel extending from the fourth panel.  
   
   
       9 . The support leg of  claim 8 , wherein the third panel is cut so as to form a second tab, and the fourth panel defines a second cutout, the second tab being insertable into the second cutout to inhibit unfolding of the support leg when the sheet is at least partially folded into the nested panel structure.  
   
   
       10 . The support leg of  claim 3 , wherein a second panel traverses the interior cavity substantially perpendicular to the panels defining the sides of the cavity when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure.  
   
   
       11 . The support leg of  claim 10 , wherein a second cutout is defined within the first panel, the second cutout accommodating the second panel when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure.  
   
   
       12 . The support leg of  claim 2 , wherein the first cutout is defined within a first panel and the first tab extends from a second panel, the second panel overlying at least a portion of the first panel when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure.  
   
   
       13 . The support leg of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second panels are spaced apart when the sheet is folded into the nested panel structure such that another sheet of material, of at least approximately the same thickness as the sheet of material, can be accommodated between the first and second panels.  
   
   
       14 . A pallet assembly comprising: 
 a plurality of support legs, at least one support leg folded from a single sheet of material and including a first tab and defining a first cutout for receiving the first tab therein; and    a pallet deck, at least one second cutout being defined within the pallet deck;    wherein the at least one support leg is secured to the pallet deck by the insertion of the first tab through the at least one second cutout prior to insertion into the first cutout.    
   
   
       15 . The pallet assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the sheet of material forming the support leg is configured into a sequence of adjacent panels that are folded into a nested panel structure defining an interior cavity.  
   
   
       16 . The pallet assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the interior cavity has a substantially rectangular cross section and two of the panels diagonally traverse the interior cavity, the two panels being offset from one another by approximately 90 degrees.  
   
   
       17 . The pallet assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the sheet of material folded to form the at least one support leg includes a first panel and a second panel, the first cutout being defined within the first panel and the first tab extending from the second panel, the pallet deck being accommodated between the first and second panels.  
   
   
       18 . The pallet assembly of  claim 17 , wherein at least one third cutout is defined within the pallet deck, the first tab and the second panel being inserted through the third cutout prior to insertion of the first tab through the second cutout.  
   
   
       19 . The pallet assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the pallet assembly further comprises a shipping monitoring instrument, the shipping monitoring instrument being located between the pallet deck and the at least one support leg.  
   
   
       20 . The pallet assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the pallet assembly further comprises a shipping monitoring instrument, the shipping monitoring instrument being located between the pallet deck and the first panel.  
   
   
       21 . The pallet assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the pallet deck includes a plurality of foldable edge panels substantially surrounding the pallet deck perimeter.  
   
   
       22 . The pallet assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the adjacent edge panels are folded away from the support legs to form a tray.  
   
   
       23 . The pallet assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the adjacent edge panels are folded toward the support legs to form a skirt at least partially concealing the support legs.  
   
   
       24 . A pallet deck comprising: 
 a sheet of material having a plurality of first cutouts and a plurality of second cutouts defined therein;    wherein each first cutout is dimensioned to allow insertion of at least one tab and at least one panel of a corresponding 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.    
   
   
       25 . The pallet deck of  claim 24 , wherein there are two second cutouts associated with each first cutout.  
   
   
       26 . The pallet deck of  claim 24 , wherein the first cutouts associated with support legs to be secured along an edge of the pallet deck are formed as recesses along the edge.  
   
   
       27 . The pallet deck of  claim 24 , wherein the pallet deck includes a plurality of foldable edge panels substantially surrounding the pallet deck perimeter.  
   
   
       28 . The pallet deck of  claim 27 , wherein adjacent foldable edge panels are releasably connectable when folded at an angle of approximately 90 degrees relative to the pallet deck.