Pallet Structure with Protective Shell

Abstract

A pallet structure having a deck having an upper surface that can hold or bear a load, a first runner core below the deck, and a shell of sheet material that can cover a portion of a surface of the first runner core or deck, wherein the shell comprises a material that provides a higher impact resistance than the material comprising the first runner core or deck covered by the shell.

1 . A pallet structure, comprising:
 a deck having an upper surface configured to hold a load bearing;   a first runner core associated with and disposed below the deck; and   a shell of sheet material covering a portion of a surface of the first runner core or deck, wherein the shell comprises a material that provides a higher impact resistance than the material comprising the first runner core or deck covered by the shell.   
     
     
         2 . The pallet structure of  claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a multi-ply sheet material. 
     
     
         3 . The pallet structure of  claim 2 , where the deck comprises a low-density core and high-density facing, and an outer layer of the shell extends onto and is bonded to the deck facing and is made of a same sheet material as the facing. 
     
     
         4 . The pallet structure of  claim 1 , wherein the deck further comprises an edge portion, and the shell covers a lateral edge surface of the edge portion of the deck. 
     
     
         5 . The pallet structure of  claim 4 , wherein the shell extends from the lateral edge surface of the edge portion of the deck around the first runner core to a bottom surface portion of the deck on an opposite lateral side of the first runner core to protect the deck and first runner core to improve attachment of the first runner core to the deck. 
     
     
         6 . The pallet structure of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the deck has an edge portion displaced laterally outward from the first runner core and that includes the lateral edge surface of the edge portion of the deck, and   the shell extends between the lateral edge surface of the edge portion of the deck and first runner core to cover a bottom surface of the edge portion of the deck.   
     
     
         7 . The pallet structure of  claim 6 , wherein the shell further covers an upper surface of the edge portion of the deck. 
     
     
         8 . The pallet structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a second runner core located at approximately a first end of the deck portion, wherein:
 the deck further comprises a second edge portion opposite the first edge portion, and the shell covers a lateral edge surface of the second edge portion of the deck;   the shell extends from the lateral edge surface of the second edge portion of the deck around the second runner core to a bottom surface portion of the deck on an opposite lateral side of the second runner core to protect the deck and second runner core to improve attachment of the second runner core to the deck.   
     
     
         9 . The pallet structure of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet material of the shell has a significantly greater density than the first runner core. 
     
     
         10 . The pallet structure of  claim 9 , wherein deck or first runner core covered by the shell comprises a honeycomb paper material, and the shell comprises a laminate paper material. 
     
     
         11 . The pallet structure of  claim 10 , wherein the first runner core comprises a material having more than 70% airspace, and the shell comprises a material having less than 10% airspace. 
     
     
         12 . A pallet structure, comprising:
 a first runner core having a first lateral surface;   a deck associated with and disposed above the first runner core, the deck comprising an upper surface configured to hold a load and an edge portion that extends past the first lateral surface of the first runner core; and   a shell of sheet material covering a portion of an upper surface of the edge portion of the deck, a portion of a first lateral surface of the edge portion of the deck, a portion of a bottom surface of the edge portion of the deck, and a portion of the first lateral surface of the runner core.   
     
     
         13 . The pallet structure of  claim 12 , wherein the shell further covers a portion of a lower surface and a second lateral surface disposed opposite the first lateral surface of the first runner core. 
     
     
         14 . The pallet structure of  claim 12 , wherein the sheet material of the shell comprises has sufficiently greater density and toughness than the first runner core to improve an impact resistance of the covered portions. 
     
     
         15 . The pallet structure of  claim 12 , wherein the shell material disposed covering the portion of the upper surface of the edge portion of the deck is thinner than the shell material covering at least one of the other covered portions. 
     
     
         16 . A pallet structure, comprising:
 a first runner core having a first lateral surface;   a deck associated with and disposed above the first runner core and comprising an edge portion that extends past the first lateral surface of the first runner core, the edge portion having an upper surface and a first lateral surface; and   a shell of sheet material having a first shell portion covering at least a portion of the upper surface of the edge portion of the deck, and a second shell portion covering a portion of the first lateral surface of the edge portion of the deck, wherein the second shell portion has a greater thickness than at least part of the first portion for minimizing a height of the shell on the upper surface of the deck.   
     
     
         17 . The pallet structure of  claim 16 , wherein the shell further covers at least a portion of a bottom surface of the edge portion of the deck. 
     
     
         18 . The pallet structure of  claim 17 , wherein the shell comprises a sheet material of sufficiently greater density than the material of the deck edge portion to significantly improve an impact resistance of the edge portion. 
     
     
         19 . The pallet structure of  claim 16 , wherein the shell is made of a multi-ply sheet material, and the at least part of the first shell portion comprises fewer plies than the second shell portion. 
     
     
         20 . The pallet structure of  claim 19 , wherein the shell comprises a ply that extends along the first and second shell portions, and another ply that does not extend onto the at least part of the first shell portion. 
     
     
         21 . The pallet structure of  claim 19 , wherein the at least part of the first shell portion comprises the entire portion of the shell disposed on the upper surface of the deck. 
     
     
         22 . The pallet structure of  claim 19 , wherein part of the second shell portion adjacent and extending to the first shell portion comprises fewer plies than another part of the second shell portion that is spaced from the upper surface of the deck. 
     
     
         23 . The pallet structure of  claim 16 , wherein the first runner core further comprises at least one cutout portion.