Lightweight dolly assembly

Abstract

A dolly assembly including a base formed of a lightweight, at least partially flexible material, which may be inflatable or a substantially solid, one-piece construction. The base includes a plurality of pockets or apertures extending there-through and a plurality of casters each extending through a different one of the plurality of pockets. At least some of said casters include a head portion having a sufficiently large transverse dimension to restrict passage of the caster through a corresponding one of the pockets. The enlarged head of the plurality of casters are disposed in an exposed relation to an outer surface of the base in confronting relation to an object supported on the base, wherein the lightweight characteristics of the material from which the base is formed necessitate a significant and/or majority of the weight of the supported object being accommodated by the plurality of casters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dolly assembly comprising:
 a base at least partially formed from a substantially flexible material and including oppositely disposed surfaces,   a plurality of pockets extending at least partially through said base in communicating relation with at least one of said opposite surfaces,   a plurality of casters each at least partially disposed within a different one of said plurality of pockets in connected, supporting relation to said base,   at least some of said plurality of pockets and corresponding ones of said plurality of casters disposed in a predetermined spaced relation to one another, and   said substantially flexible material of said base having sufficient structural integrity to maintain said plurality of casters in said predetermined spaced relation to one another.   
     
     
         2 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said base comprises a one-piece structure disposable into a substantially planar configuration. 
     
     
         3 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 2  wherein said base is formed of a foam material. 
     
     
         4 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 2  wherein said base is formed from an at least partially solid, flexible, recyclable material. 
     
     
         5 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein at least some of said plurality of casters include a head portion disposed sufficiently close to an outer exposed surface of said opposite surfaces to collectively define a primary support of an object on said base. 
     
     
         6 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 5  wherein said head portions are collectively disposed adjacent said outer surface when an object is disposed on said base. 
     
     
         7 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 5  wherein at least some of said pockets include oppositely disposed open ends, said head portions disposed adjacent corresponding ones of said open ends disposed in said outer exposed surface. 
     
     
         8 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 7  wherein at least a portion of each of said plurality of casters extend outwardly from a corresponding ones of said open ends disposed in an under surface of said opposite surfaces in engageable relation to a supporting structure for said base. 
     
     
         9 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein at least some of said pockets include oppositely disposed open ends, said base being reversible, wherein either of said opposite surfaces may define an outer exposed surface or and under surface of said base. 
     
     
         10 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein at least some of said casters include a body; said body including an outer peripheral surface disposed in confronting relation with an interior surface of a corresponding one of said plurality of pockets, said confronting relation comprising a supported relation of said base by said plurality of casters. 
     
     
         11 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 10  wherein each of at least some of said casters include a rollerball connected to said housing and extending out of an open and corresponding to and under surface one of said opposite surfaces of said base. 
     
     
         12 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of casters are removably disposed within corresponding ones of said pockets. 
     
     
         13 . A dolly assembly comprising:
 a base at least partially formed from a substantially flexible material and including oppositely disposed surfaces,   a plurality of pockets disposed in predetermined spaced relation to one another and extending at least partially through said base in communicating relation with at least one of said opposite surfaces,   each of a plurality of casters at least partially disposed within a different one of said plurality of pockets in connected, supporting relation to said base, and   said substantially flexible material of said base having sufficient structural integrity to maintain said plurality of casters in sufficiently spaced relation to one another to collectively define a primary support for an object on said base.   
     
     
         14 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 13  wherein at least some of said plurality of pockets include oppositely disposed open ends. 
     
     
         15 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 14  further comprising said base being reversible, wherein either of said opposite surfaces may define an outer exposed surface or an under surface of said base. 
     
     
         16 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 15  wherein at least some of said plurality of casters may be disposed within corresponding ones of said plurality of pockets through either of said oppositely disposed to open ends. 
     
     
         17 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 13  wherein said base comprises an inflatable construction including an at least partially hollow interior structured to retain an inflating fluid therein. 
     
     
         18 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 13  wherein said base comprises a one-piece structure having a substantially planar configuration and formed of an at least partially flexible plastic material. 
     
     
         19 . A dolly assembly comprising:
 a base including oppositely disposed surfaces and a plurality of pockets disposed in said base in predetermined spaced relation to one another,   at least some of said plurality of pockets including at least one open end disposed in communicating relation with at least one of said opposite surfaces,   a plurality of casters each disposed in a different one of said plurality of pockets and extending at least partially through said base in outwardly protruding relation to said one open end and a corresponding one of said opposite surfaces, and   said base formed of a substantially lightweight, recyclable material.   
     
     
         20 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 19  wherein said recyclable material comprises a paper-based material. 
     
     
         21 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 20  wherein said paper-based material comprises a cardboard material. 
     
     
         22 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 19  wherein said base comprises a multilayered construction. 
     
     
         23 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 12  wherein said multilayered construction includes a plurality of interconnected layers collectively defining a substantially rigid configuration of said base. 
     
     
         24 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 23  wherein in at least a majority of said plurality of interconnected layers are formed from a paper-based material. 
     
     
         25 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 24  wherein said paper-based material comprises cardboard. 
     
     
         26 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 23  wherein at least some of said plurality of interconnected layers are dimensioned and structured to be independently and at least partially flexible when not interconnected to a remainder of said plurality of layers. 
     
     
         27 . A dolly assembly comprising:
 a base including oppositely disposed surfaces and a plurality of pockets disposed in said base in predetermined spaced relation to one another,   at least some of said plurality of pockets including at least one open end disposed in communicating relation with at least one of said opposite surfaces,   a plurality of casters each disposed in a different one of said plurality of pockets and extending at least partially through said base in outwardly protruding relation to said one open end and a corresponding one of said opposite surfaces,   said base comprising a multilayered construction including a plurality of interconnected layers collectively defining a substantially rigid configuration of said base, and   at least some of said plurality of interconnected layers formed from a recyclable material.   
     
     
         28 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 27  wherein said paper-based material comprises a cardboard material. 
     
     
         29 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 27  wherein at least some of said plurality of layers are dimensioned and structured to be independently and at least partially flexible when not interconnected to others of said layers. 
     
     
         30 . A dolly assembly as recited in  claim 27  wherein said plurality of pockets are formed in said base in substantially transverse relation to a substantially common plane of said plurality of interconnected layers.