Oriented fiber reinforced monolithic plastic foam pallet

Claim 2

A monolithic pallet construction, comprising: an upper deck, a plurality of depending legs attached to said upper deck, and a plurality of bottom supports attached to said depending legs, said bottom supports, said upper deck and said plurality of depending legs being integrally formed of a rigid plastic foam, and oriented reinforcing fibers incorporated into said rigid plastic foam; within said upper deck, said oriented reinforcing fibers being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said upper deck; within said bottom supports, said oriented reinforcing fibers being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said bottom supports.

Claim 3

The pallet construction of claim 1 wherein said rigid plastic foam comprises rigid polyurethane foam.

Claim 4

The pallet construction of claim 1 wherein said plurality of depending legs is attached to said upper deck by a plurality of support runners which are attached to said upper deck and to said depending legs, wherein said plurality of bottom supports are perpendicular to said support runners, wherein said upper deck is perforated and wherein, within said support runners, said oriented reinforcing fibers are oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said support runners.

Claim 5

A monolithic pallet construction, comprising: an upper deck, a plurality of depending legs attached to said upper deck, and a plurality of bottom supports attached to said depending legs, said bottom supports, said upper deck and said plurality of depending legs being integrally formed of a rigid plastic foam, a nonfoamed plastic skin covering all exterior surfaces of said pallet, and oriented reinforcing fibers incorporated into said nonfoamed plastic skin; within said upper deck, said oriented reinforcing fibers being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said upper deck; within said bottom supports, said oriented reinforcing fibers being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said bottom supports.

Claim 6

A monolithic pallet construction, comprising: an upper deck, a plurality of depending legs attached to said upper deck, and a plurality of bottom supports attached to said depending legs, said bottom supports, said upper deck and said plurality of depending legs being integrally formed of a rigid plastic foam, a nonfoamed plastic skin covering all exterior surfaces of said pallet, and oriented reinforcing fibers incorporated into said nonfoamed plastic skin; within said upper deck, said oriented reinforcing fibers being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said upper deck; within said bottom supports, said oriented reinforcing fibers being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said bottom supports.

Claim 7

The pallet construction of claim 4 further comprising oriented reinforcing fibers incorporated into said rigid plastic foam; within said upper deck, said oriented reinforcing fibers in said rigid plastic foam being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said upper deck; within said bottom supports, said oriented reinforcing fibers in said rigid plastic foam being oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said bottom supports and wherein said nonfoamed plastic skin is formed of the same plastic material as said rigid plastic foam.

Claim 8

The pallet construction of claim 5 wherein said rigid plastic foam comprises a rigid polyurethane foam and said nonfoamed plastic skin comprises a rigid polyurethane.

Claim 9

The pallet construction of claim 5 wherein said plurality of depending legs is attached to said upper deck by a plurality of support runners which are attached to said upper deck and to said depending legs, wherein said plurality of bottom support are perpendicular to said support runners, wherein said upper deck is perforated and wherein, within said support runners, said oriented reinforcing fibers in said rigid plastic foam are oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said support runners.

Claim 10

The pallet construction of claim 4 wherein said plurality of depending legs is attached to said upper deck by a plurality of support runners which are attached to said upper deck and to said depending legs, wherein said plurality of bottom supports are perpendicular to said support runners, wherein said upper deck is perforated and wherein, within said support runners, said oriented reinforcing fibers are oriented substantially parallel to a long axis of said support runners.

Claim 11

A monolithic pallet construction, comprising: an upper deck formed by injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into a mold along a long axis of said upper deck such that said fiber strands are oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said upper deck, a plurality of support runners attached to said upper deck, said plurality of support runners formed by injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold along a long axis of said plurality of support runners such that said fiber strands are oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said plurality of support runners, and a plurality of bottom supports attached to said plurality of support runners, said plurality of bottom supports having a long axis perpendicular to said long axis of said support runners, said plurality of bottom supports formed by injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold along said long axis of said plurality of bottom supports such that said fiber strands are oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said plurality of bottom supports.

Claim 12

A monolithic pallet construction, comprising: an upper deck formed by injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into a mold along a long axis of said upper deck such that said fiber strands are oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said upper deck, a plurality of support runners attached to said upper deck, said plurality of support runners formed by injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold along a long axis of said plurality of support runners such that said fiber strands are oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said plurality of support runners, and a plurality of bottom supports attached to said plurality of support runners, said plurality of bottom supports having a long axis perpendicular to said long axis of said support runners, said plurality of bottom supports formed by injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold along said long axis of said plurality of bottom supports such that said fiber strands are oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said plurality of bottom supports.

Claim 13

The pallet construction of claim 9 further comprising a nonfoamed plastic skin covering all exterior surfaces of said pallet, wherein said nonfoamed plastic skin is formed integrally of the same plastic material as said plastic foam by coalescing said plastic material from said plastic foam onto an inner surface of said mold to form said nonfoamed plastic skin.

Claim 14

The pallet construction of claim 10 further comprising oriented fiber strands incorporated into said nonfoamed plastic skin; within said upper deck, said oriented fiber strands being oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said upper deck; within said support runners, said oriented fiber strands being oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said support runners; within said bottom supports, said oriented fiber strands being oriented substantially parallel to said long axis of said bottom supports.

Claim 15

The pallet construction of claim 9, wherein said upper deck, said plurality of support runners and said plurality of bottom supports are formed simultaneously by simultaneously injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold along said long axis of said upper deck, said long axis of said plurality of support runners and said long axis of said plurality of bottom supports.

Claim 16

The pallet construction of claim 12, wherein, prior to injecting said plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold, said fiber strands are incorporated into said plastic foam by introducing said fiber strands into a moving airstream to orient said fiber strands longitudinally with respect to said moving airstream, then mixing the oriented fiber strands into said plastic foam.

Claim 17

The pallet construction of claim 13, wherein said oriented fiber strands are mixed into said plastic foam simultaneously with forming said plastic foam by mixing at least two components by impingement of said at least two components into one another.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 further comprising: forming a nonfoamed plastic skin covering all exterior surfaces of said pallet, wherein said nonfoamed plastic skin is formed integrally of the same plastic material as said plastic foam, by coalescing said plastic material from said plastic foam onto an inner surface of said mold to form said nonfoamed plastic skin.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15, wherein said upper deck, said plurality of support runners and said plurality of bottom supports are formed simultaneously by simultaneously injecting plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold along said long axis of said upper deck, said long axis of said plurality of support runners and said long axis of said plurality of bottom supports.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17, wherein, prior to injecting said plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold, said fiber strands are incorporated into said plastic foam by introducing said fiber strands into a moving airstream to orient said fiber strands longitudinally with respect to said moving airstream, then mixing the oriented fiber strands into said plastic foam.

Claim 23

The method of claim 18, wherein said oriented fiber strands are mixed into said plastic foam simultaneously with forming said plastic foam by mixing at least two components by impingement of said at least two components into one another.

Claim 24

The pallet construction of claim 9, wherein said fiber strands comprise chopped fiber strands with a length of approximately 0.10-1.00 inches.

Claim 25

The pallet construction of claim 20, wherein said chopped fiber strands are chosen from the group consisting of fiberglass, Kevlar fibers, carbon fibers, polyester fibers, cellulose fibers, ceramic fibers, and metal fibers.

Claim 26

The pallet construction of claim 9, wherein said fiber strands comprise short fiber strands with a length of approximately 0.10-0.25 inches.

Claim 27

The pallet construction of claim 9, wherein said fiber strands comprise long fiber strands with a length of approximately 0.75-1.00 inches.

Claim 28

The pallet construction of claim 9, wherein said plastic foam comprises rigid polyurethane foam.

Claim 29

The method of claim 15, wherein, prior to injecting said plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold, said fiber strands are incorporated into said plastic foam as chopped fiber strands with a length of approximately 0.10-1.00 inches.

Claim 30

The method of claim 25, wherein said chopped fiber strands are chosen from the group consisting of fiberglass, Kevlar fibers, carbon fibers, polyester fibers, cellulose fibers, ceramic fibers, and metal fibers.

Claim 31

The method of claim 15, wherein, prior to injecting said plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold, said fiber strands are incorporated into said plastic foam as short fiber strands with a length of approximately 0.10-6.25 inches.

Claim 32

The method of claim 15, wherein, prior to injecting said plastic foam containing fiber strands into said mold, said fiber strands are incorporated into said plastic foam as long fiber strands with a length of approximately 0.75-1.00 inches.

Claim 33

The method of claim 15, wherein said plastic foam comprises rigid-polyurethane foam.

Claim 34

The method of claim 15, wherein said upper deck, said plurality of support runners and said plurality of bottom supports are formed by injecting said plastic foam containing fiber strands into a clam-shell mold having removable cores for maintaining open spaces between said upper deck, said plurality of support runners and said plurality of bottom supports, and subsequently removing said clam-shell mold and removable cores from the molded pallet.