BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to composite material handling platforms and composite material pallets. The present invention also relates to methods of making composite material handling platforms and composite material pallets. The present invention particularly relates to sandwich composite material platforms and methods of making the sandwich composite material platforms.

Material handling platforms and pallets are known. Existing material handling platforms, such as shipping and warehousing pallets, are traditionally constructed of various species of wood or metals, such as steel or aluminum. Wooden pallets suffer from many shortcomings. Wooden pallets are dimensionally inconsistent, heavy, and are hygroscopic. Wooden pallets also cause material handling issues and product damage due to protruding nails, splintered and broken boards, inconsistent weight and so on. Other issues, such as, for example, international regulations involving invasive species (bugs and parasites), have also made wooden pallets a less desirable material handling platform. Metal pallets can be excessively heavy, expensive, and more difficult to repair.

In an effort to improve upon material handling pallets made from these materials, plastic materials have been introduced into the industry. Today, there are many manufacturers of plastic pallets. However, according to the National Wooden

Pallet & Container Association, plastic pallets only represent 3-5% of the total market for pallets. Even though plastic pallets have been in the market for approximately 30 years, their success has been severely limited due to many performance issues, cost issues, manufacturing issues and other issues.

Regarding the warehouse pallet industry, there are approximately 2.2 billion pallets in circulation within the United States and approximately 500 million new pallets enter the industry every year. Due to the shortcomings of plastic pallets, plastic pallets represent only about 3 to 5% of the total industry. However, wooden pallets, which make up the vast majority of pallets in the industry, have been and will continue to be replaced for various reasons. However, existing plastic pallets have not been desired replacements for wood pallets because of the problems with existing plastic pallets. Accordingly, there is a significant need for new, improved pallets.

Plastic pallets have traditionally been made from polyolefin plastics. These commodity resins, polyethylenes and polypropylenes, are relatively inexpensive, readily available, and are easily processed. However, polyolefin plastic pallets cannot on their own support the required 2800 lbs. racking loads required by industry, and therefore require the use of steel or fiberglass reinforcements. The additional reinforcements add considerable complexity, cost and weight to the pallet assembly.

One plastic pallet made from engineering resins has overcome the load bearing issues without the use of reinforcements, but the pallet is excessively heavy (over 50 Ibs.) and too expensive to achieve commercial success.

Currently, plastic pallets made to meet industry needs typically approach or exceed $100 per pallet and are greater than the desired 50 lbs. weight limit. Some warehouse pallets can be manufactured at less than 50 lbs, meeting OSHA weight recommendations and industry requirements. However the industry has yet to produce a viable 2800 lbs load rated warehouse pallet that meets this requirement. Further, commodity resins represent an unusual fire hazard that can cause the pallets made from those resins not to comply with fire codes, thereby significantly limiting the use of those pallets. Various flame retardants have been used in plastic pallets to address fire code restrictions, but the pallets have a higher cost, loss of physical performance, and increased weight. A plastic pallet meeting all of the physical, weight, fire performance and cost requirements of the industry has yet to be manufactured.

Traditional plastic pallets made from polyolefin material's must also utilize secondary reinforcements in order to achieve a 2800 lbs load bearing capability without excessive deflection (particularly at elevated temperatures). Existing plastic pallets can exhibit excessive deflection which causes problems with material handling equipment automated storage and retrieval systems and can be a safety hazard, for example. The additional reinforcements add considerable complexity, cost and weight to the pallet assembly.

Generally, it is desirable that pallets also meet various other requirements. For example, pallets should meet impact resistance requirements, under both hot and cold temperatures. Also, pallets should satisfy requirements of durability per ASTM standards or UL's proposed SU 2417 standard and acceptable performance through programs such as Virginia Polytechnic Institute's fast track and end user test protocol.

However, wooden pallets suffer cracking, splintering, protruding nails and missing components, and existing plastic pallets crack and fail catastrophically.

Various deficiencies in existing pallets include, for example, excessive weight, deflection under load, manufacturing and assembly complexity, fire performance and cost.

Thus, various needs exist for new, improved pallets. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide new, improved pallets, particularly, new non- delaminating sandwich composite material pallets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides composite material handling platforms and composite material pallets. The present invention also provides methods of making composite material handling platforms and composite material pallets. The present invention particularly provides sandwich composite material platforms and methods of making the sandwich composite material platforms. The sandwich composite materials have multiple layers (such as, a core flanked with a fiber layer) which are non-delaminating.

In embodiments, the present invention provides new pallets and methods of making the pallets so as to be compatible with Automated Storage and Retrieval

Systems (ASRS). ASRS systems are rapidly developing industry systems for the storage and distribution of unit loaded products. Existing pallets, such as wooden pallets having broken wooden boards, or protruding nails or plastic pallets that deflect excessively under load, have been extremely problematic when used with ASRS systems. A pallet according to the present invention overcomes these problems with existing pallets and can be used effectively with ASRS systems.

In embodiments, the present invention further provides new pallets and methods of making the pallets so as to meet fire retardant standards per Underwriters Laboratory Standard 2335, incorporated herein by reference. Meeting this requirement allows the elimination of fire protection, insurance and storage penalties existing plastic pallets have per the National Fire Protection Association Standard 13 (NFPA 13), incorporated herein by reference.

In an embodiment, the present invention further provides new pallets and methods of making the pallets which can employ non-absorbing (non-hygroscopic) materials. This is an important advantage over wood pallets. Moisture absorption can cause wood pallets to gain several pounds in weight. Chemical spills on pallets are absorbed in the wood causing odor and product contamination issues. Wood pallets also promote mold growth that contaminates commodities stored on the pallets. The present invention provides composite material pallets which can eliminate these problems.

In an embodiment, the present invention further provides a novel pallet and method of making the pallet wherein non-delamination sandwich composites are employed to allow for compatibility with the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International, Standards 2 and 51, incorporated herein by reference). These standards are required for use in food service and pharmaceutical environments. Wood based products are not acceptable in these environments per NSF standards and the Food and Drug Administration's Food Code.

Coefficient of friction problems cause plastic pallet manufacturers to add a slip resistant coating or rubber grommets to the product so goods and material handling equipment won't easily slide off the inherently slippery surfaces. This problem can be addressed by the properties of composite materials, as provided in connection with the present invention.

Existing plastic pallets are typically more than three times the cost of their wooden counterparts. Composite technologies in these structures, such as provided by the present invention, can overcome this cost problem through exceptional strength to weight ratios utilizing beam principles providing lightweight and low cost assemblies.

Existing plastic pallets are homogeneous in nature with their general mechanical, physical and chemical properties dependant upon the properties of the main material of construction. Composite technologies in the structures provided by the present invention, can overcome this limitation by allowing the properties to be altered in all three dimensions without affecting the physical shape or appearance of the end product. This allows unparalleled flexibility in selectively improving the physical properties, mechanical properties, aesthetics, impact resistance, fire retardancy and the like, while providing lightweight and low cost assemblies.

Issues have recently surfaced regarding invasive species with the international shipping of wood based material handling pallets, crates and dunnage. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), part of the US Department of Agriculture, will require all wooden shipping products to either be heat-treated or fumigated utilizing methyl bromide. Composite materials as provided in connection with the present invention eliminate this problem altogether.

According to the present invention, composite components can also be manufactured to replace conventional components on wood pallets, crates or dunnage.

These composite components can be assembled to pallets by utilizing traditional nailing guns and other fastening techniques used for the assembly of wood pallets, crates and the like. The increased impact and durability performance can reduce repair frequency while providing lighter weight, non-hygroscopic, component (s) or an entire pallet for one replacement of all wood components.

Tooling and assembly advantages can also be realized by the apparatus and method of the present invention. The low pressure molding or casting of composite components or full assemblies allows for inexpensive tooling. Wood, silicone, <BR> <BR> aluminum, or steel, etc. , for example, can also be utilized as tooling materials in the manufacture of composite products according to the present invention. Plastic

products require large expensive tooling and equipment in order to process prototypes or high volume production components.

The present invention utilizes novel materials in the form of composite technologies. A liquid or semi-liquid material filled with micro spheres, (made from <BR> <BR> plastic, glass, ceramic, etc. , for example) is surrounded by woven and non-woven materials consisting of fiberglass, carbon fiber and the like. This structure provides for a very rigid and lightweight substrate. This approach provides for high modulus and stiffness, light weight, durability, impact performance, ease of manufacturing, fire performance and low cost. The design flexibility of the present invention allows for the finished product to be of a homogonous assembly. Strength to weight ratios of the present invention provide for low material deflection while under load in a simply supported condition. Also, the assembly and design flexibility of the present invention further allows for low cost tooling and the use of assembly techniques not possible with traditional polyolefin or wood materials and designs.

According to the present invention, for example, top and bottom assemblies can be made in identical geometries. By rotating the two components assembly can be achieved. One advantage is in lower tooling costs. Also, taking advantage of the intrinsic modulus and stiffness of the composites load bearing capabilities pallets can achieve the desired load rating without the traditional use of nine separation blocks or posts. In an embodiment of the present invention, a 2800 lbs load bearing pallet can be made using only four corner posts or blocks, or five blocks-four corner posts and one central support column. This reduces weight, assembly complexity and minimizes the opportunity for post or block damage by material handling devices.

Components and/or assemblies according to the present invention can be manufactured in a variety of ways. For example, hand lay-up of fabrics, fiberglass, carbon fiber and the like into a tool are then filled with the resin followed by another layer of fabric. The tool, e. g. a press or mold, is closed for curing. Low pressure processing makes it possible to use inexpensive tooling such as wood, aluminum etc.

Components can be assembled by"B-staging"the resin and then assembling the components for final cure. This results in a homogeneous part, which can be significantly stronger than with the use of mechanical fasteners. The processes employed can also include extrusion/pultrusion, for example.

Traditional assembly techniques can also be employed (such as, snap fits, nailing, adhesives, bolting, etc. , for example), for use of the composite components of the present invention. This may be further useful when composite components of the present invention are used in combination with other materials like plastic, wood, steel, etc. , for example.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1A is a bottom view of a traditional 9-block wood pallet.

Figure 1B is a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 1A.

Figure 1C is a end view of the pallet of Fig. IA.

Figure 1D is another end view of the pallet of Fig. 1A.

Figure 2A is a bottom view of a traditional stringer wood pallet.

Figure 2B is a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 2A.

Figure 2C is a end view of the pallet of Fig. 2A.

Figure 2D is another end view of the pallet of Fig. 2A.

Figure 3A is a top view of a pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 3B is a bottom view of the pallet of Fig. 3A.

Figure 3C is a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 3A, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figure 3D is an end view of the pallet of Fig. 3A, the opposite end view being a mirror image.

Figure 4A is a top view of the pallet of Fig. 3A with the top deck removed.

Figure 4B is a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 4A with the top deck in place, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figure 4C is an end view of the pallet of Fig. 4A with the top deck in place, the opposite end view being a mirror image.

Figure 5 shows a composite material according to the present invention.

Figures 6A-D show composite material structures according to the present invention.

Figure 7 shows a top deck of a pallet reinforced with the composite material structures according to the present invention.

Figure 8 shows a composite material frame structure according to the present invention.

Figure 9A shows a bottom view of another pallet according to the present invention.

Figures 9B and 9C show end views of the pallet of Fig. 9A.

Figure 9D shows a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 9A, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figure 10A shows a bottom view of another pallet according to the present invention.

Figures 10B and 10C show end views of the pallet of Fig. 10A.

Figure 10D shows a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 10A, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figure 11 A shows a bottom view of another pallet according to the present invention.

Figures 11 B and 11 C show end views of the pallet of Fig. 11 A.

Figure 11D shows a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 11A, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figures 12A and 12B show a deck grid according to the present invention.

Figure 13A shows another grid structure according to the present invention.

Figure 13B shows the grid structure of Fig. 13A in greater detail.

Figures 14A and 14B show a method of making composite materials according to the present invention.

Figure 15A shows a top view of another pallet according to the present invention.

Figures 15B and 15C show end views of the pallet of Fig. 15A.

Figure 15D shows a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 15A, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figure 16A shows a bottom view of another pallet according to the present invention.

Figures 16B and 16C show end views of the pallet of Fig. 16A.

Figure 16D shows a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 16A, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figure 17A shows a top view of another pallet according to the present invention.

Figures 17B and 17C show end views of the pallet of Fig. 17A.

Figure 17D shows a right side view of the pallet of Fig. 17A, the left side view being a mirror image.

Figure 18A shows an exploded, perspective view of a composite material pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 18B shows the composite material pallet of Fig. 18A assembled and in a side view.

Figures 19A-C show another composite material pallet according to the present invention.

Figures 19D-F show joining posts of the composite material pallet of Figs.

19A-C in detail.

Figure 20A is an enlarged views of the joining posts of Fig. 19D.

Figure 20B shows another set of joining posts.

Figure 21A shows another set of joining posts.

Figure 21B shows another set of joining posts.

Figure 22A shows an exploded, perspective view of a composite material pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 22B shows the composite material pallet of Fig. 22A assembled and in a side view.

Figure 23A shows another composite material pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 23B shows an enlarged portion of a top deck of the pallet of Fig. 23A.

Figure 23C shows the top deck of the pallet of Fig. 23A.

Figure 24A shows another pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 24B is a cross-sectional view of the pallet of Fig. 24A along the line A- A.

Figure 24C is an enlarged view of a portion of the pallet of Fig. 24A.

Figure 25A shows another pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 25B is a cross-sectional view of the pallet of Fig. 25A along the line A- A.

Figure 25C is an enlarged view of a portion of the pallet of Fig. 25A.

Figure 26 shows an intermediate bulk container according to the present invention.

Figure 27A shows another composite material pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 27B is a cross-sectional view of the composite material pallet of Fig.

27A taken along the line A-A.

Figure 27C is an enlarged view of a portion of the composite material pallet of Fig. 27B.

Figure 28A shows a plan view of the composite material pallet of Fig. 27A with the top deck removed.

Figure 28B is a cross-sectional view of the composite material pallet of Fig.

28A taken along the line A-A with the top deck included.

Figure 28C is an enlarged view of a portion of the composite material pallet of Fig. 28B.

Figure 29A shows another composite material pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 29B is a cross-sectional view of the composite material pallet of Fig.

29A taken along the line A-A.

Figure 29C is an enlarged view of a portion of the composite material pallet of Fig. 29B.

Figure 30A shows a plan view of the composite material pallet of Fig. 29A with the top deck removed.

Figure 30B is a cross-sectional view of the composite material pallet of Fig.

30A taken along the line A-A with the top deck included.

Figure 30C is an enlarged view of a portion of the composite material pallet of Fig. 30B.

Figure 31A shows another composite material pallet according to the present invention.

Figure 31B is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the pallet of Fig. 31A.

Figure 31C is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the pallet of Fig. 31B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figures 1A-D show a traditional 9-block wood pallet 10. The 9-block pallet 10 has a top deck 12, a bottom deck 14, and nine blocks 16 (three rows of three blocks 16). All of the components of the 9-block pallet 10 are made of wood and are typically fastened together by nails or staples.

Figures 2A-D show a traditional stringer wood pallet 18. The stringer wood pallet 18 has a top deck 20, a bottom deck 22, and three stringers 24. All of the components of the stringer pallet 18 are also made of wood and are typically fastened together by nails or staples.

Figures 3A-D show a composite pallet 26 according to the present invention.

The composite pallet 26 has a top deck 28, a bottom deck 30, and nine blocks or spacers 32 (three rows of three blocks 32). The top deck 28, the bottom deck 30 and the blocks 32 are made of composite materials and are bonded together to form a unitary structural frame. Preferably, the top deck 28 is formed as a one-piece unitary component and the bottom deck 30 is formed as a one-piece unitary component.

Alternatively, the top deck 28 and/or the bottom deck 30 can be formed from multiple components attached together.

Referring to Fig. 3B, the bottom deck 30 may have one or more openings 34.

The openings 34 allow for lifting equipment, such as a hand truck, to lift the composite pallet 26 with protruding portions of the lifting equipment extending into the openings 34. Accordingly, the openings 34 can reduce or prevent damage to the composite pallet 26, compared to traditional plastic pallets.

Referring to Fig. 3A, the top deck 28 of the composite pallet 26 may also have one or more openings. The structural frame is remarkably strong and the amount of

composite material used to make the composite pallet 26 can be reduced by providing the openings. This reduces the cost of manufacturing the composite pallet 26. Fig. 3A shows modular panels 36 in four openings. The panels 36 provide the top deck 28 with a complete load supporting surface. The panels 36 can be made of the same or different material than the structural frame. For example, the panels 36 can be made of a composite material which is less expensive than the composite material of the structural frame which reduces the cost of the composite pallet 26. The panels 36 and/or the top deck 28 can have a non-slip surface or texture to prevent slipping of items placed on the composite pallet 26.

While Figs 3A-D show the composite pallet 26 as having openings in the top deck 28 and the bottom deck 30, the openings are not required to practice the present invention. For example, the top deck 28 and/or the bottom deck 30 can be formed as a complete solid surface. Another alternative is to provide the top deck 28 and/or the bottom deck 30 with composite material boards attached together to make a pallet assembly similar to the pallet assembly of a traditional wood pallet made from wood boards.

The composite material components of the composite material pallet 26 can be connected together in various ways. For example, the composite material components can be permanently bonded together, cross-linked together in a chemical curing process or fastened together using fasteners.

Figs. 4A-C show a view of the composite material pallet 26 of Fig. 3A in which the top deck 28 has been removed. Also, the bottom deck 30 is shown in a form as not having the openings 34. Figs. 4B-C, however, show the top deck 28. The blocks 32 may all have the same size and shape or have different sizes and shapes. For example, Fig. 4A shows four corner blocks 32a as having the same size and shape.

Blocks 32b have the same width as blocks 32a in one direction and are narrower in the other direction. Similarly, blocks 32c have the same width as blocks 32a in one direction, but are narrower in another direction. Center block 32d is narrower in both directions compared to the corner blocks 32a, but has the same widths as blocks 32b and 32c as shown in Fig. 4A. The sizes of the blocks 32b-d can be reduced compared to the corner blocks 32a because of the remarkable strength of the composite material

pallet 26, particularly due to the structural frame nature of the top and bottom decks 28,30.

The composite material pallet 26 conveniently permits use of the blocks 32 which have widths (left-right direction in Fig. 4A) that are the same as widths as conventional stringers 24 in Figs. 2A-D. The blocks 32 use less material than stringers while being able to maintain the same dimensions as conventional stringer pallets without sacrificing strength and performance.

If desired, the blocks 32 (or other components of the pallet 26) could be made of materials other than composite materials, such as metals, rubbers, plastics, and even wood, for example.

Fig. 5 shows an example of the composite material used to make the composite material pallet 26. A composite material structure 38 has a core 40 and outer flanking layers 42. The core 40 is a matrix material and microspheres. The matrix material can be, for example, any suitable resin, such as a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin. The microspheres can be any suitable microspheres, for example, glass microspheres, ceramic microspheres, or thermoplastic microspheres. The amounts of resin and microspheres contained in the core 40 can vary. For example, the resin can be completely filled or saturated with microspheres. The core 40 can contain other additives, if desired, such as curing agents, fillers, and re-enforcements, for example.

The flanking layers 42 can be fiberglass or carbon fiber layers, for example, woven mat, continuous strand, or even chopped fiber. The flanking layers are wetted- out with the resin and integrally cross-linked with the resin to form the non- delaminating composite material structure 38. The cross-linking or chemical coupling of the flanking layers 42 to the core 40 prevents delamination between the layers.

Layer delamination has been a significant problem with existing multi-layered composite materials bonded together with adhesive. The adhesive layer may tend to fail and cause delamination. However, the present invention is a non-delaminating sandwich and an improvement over existing composite materials. The composite material structure 38 is shown as having a multi-layer sandwich structure. The sandwich structure can also provide an encapsulated core 40 which is encapsulated by the outer flanking 42.

The composite material structure 38 can have any desired shape. For example, the composite material structure 38 can be formed in shapes to make the components of the composite material pallets of Figs 3A-D and Figs. 4A-C.

Figs. 6A-C show end views of composite material structures 44,46, 48 having elongated bar shapes with different cross-sectional shapes. The composite material structure 44 has an I cross-sectional shape, the composite material structure 46 has a square cross-sectional shape, and the composite material structure 48 has a triangular cross-sectional shape. The composite material structures 44,46, 48 have a core 40 and an outer flanking material 42. The composite material structures 44,46, 48 are elongated bars, as Fig. 6D shows the composite material structure 46 as an elongated square bar.

Fig. 7 shows a top deck 50 of a pallet reinforced with the composite material structure 46 of Figs. 6B and 6D. The composite material structure 46 is secured to the top deck 50 by bonding, fastening, or in-laid, for example. Of course, other composite material structures can be used to reinforce the top deck 50. The bottom deck could also or alternatively be reinforced with a composite material structure.

Fig. 8 shows a composite material frame structure 52 having a plurality of elongated composite material bars 42a-c, such as the composite material structures 42 of Figs. 6B, D. The top composite material bars 42a are connected to the bottom composite material bars 42b by composite material posts 42c. Additional posts 42c can be included, if desired. Similarly, the additional top bars 42a and bottom bars 42b can also be provided, if desired. The additional composite material bars can connect to any of the bars 42a-c in any desired configuration to form alternative frame structures.

The composite material frame structure 52 can be used to form a pallet by attaching a top deck to the top side of the top bars 42a and a bottom deck to the bottom side of the bottom bars 42b.

The composite material structure of Fig. 5 can be formed into shapes the same as the shapes of existing wood boards used to make conventional wood pallets. Figs.

9A-D show composite material planks 54 used on a bottom deck 56 of a pallet 58.

The remaining components of the pallet 58 can be made of any desired material, for example, the composite material of the present invention or wood. The composite material planks can be used to repair wood pallets that become damaged or worn.

Figs. 9A-D showed only two ends of the bottom deck 56 as having composite material planks 54. However, any of the components of the pallet 58 can be made of the composite material according to the present invention. For example, Figs. 10A-D show a pallet 60 having the entire bottom deck 62 made from composite material planks 54 connected together. Instead of individual planks 54, the bottom deck 62 can be an integral one-piece structural frame made of the composite material.

Also, the pallet 60 can have spacer blocks 64 made of the composite material.

The spacer blocks 64 can be formed a separate, individual components which are then connected to the bottom deck 62. Alternatively, the spacer blocks 64 can be formed integrally with the bottom deck 62 as a one-piece component.

Of course, the entire pallet can be constructed of the composite material as shown, for example, in Figs. 11A-D. The pallet 66 has a top deck 68, a bottom deck 70 and a plurality of blocks 72 made of the composite material. Similarly as described with reference to Figs. 10A-D, various parts of the composite material pallet 66 shown in Figs. 11 A-D can be made as individual components or made integrally as one-piece components.

Figs. 12A-B show a deck grid 74 according to the present invention. The deck grid 74 has a plurality of composite material bars 76 interconnected together in a grid pattern. The deck grid 74 can be preferably used for a top deck of a pallet or even a pallet bottom deck, if desired. The composite material bars 76 can be formed as an integral one-piece grid 74. Alternatively, individual bars 76 could be made and connected together to form the grid 74, such as by providing notches at the bar junctions and overlapping the bars together. It may be desirable to also bond the individual bars permanently together.

Figs 13A-B show another grid structure 78 for a top and/or bottom pallet decks according to the present invention. The grid structure 78 has multiple layers 80 of fibers encapsulated by a resin matrix. The layers 80 alternately overlap each other as shown in Fig. 13B. The fibers can be single-strand, multi-filament, or multiple rovings, for example. Microspheres can be provided in the resin matrix.

Figs. 14A-B show a method of making the composite material according to the present invention. Referring to Fig. 14A, a bottom layer of chopped fiber 82 (such as glass or carbon fiber) is fed into a bottom portion 84 of a mold. A resin layer 86

loaded with microspheres and/or other additives is provided on top of the bottom layer of chopped fiber 84 as shown in Fig. 14B. A top layer of chopped fiber 88 (glass or carbon fiber) is provided on top of the resin layer 86. The top portion 90 of the mold is mated with the bottom mold portion 84 and the layers are molded together to form a composite material sandwich structure. Other layers in addition to the three described layers can be added as desired. A fiber mat can be used instead of or in addition to the chopped fiber 88. Composite material structures having complex geometries, such as the grid structures of Figs. 12A-B and 13A-B, can be molded by this method using the pin/post shut-off configuration shown.

Figs. 15A-D show another composite material pallet 92 according to the present invention. The composite material pallet 92 has a top deck 94 made of a composite material grid, such as the grids shown in Figs. 12A-B and 13A-B.

Figs. 16A-D show another composite material pallet 96 according to the present invention. The pallet 96 has a bottom deck 98 which has a grid structure. The bottom deck 98 also has openings 100 through the bottom deck 98. The bottom deck 98 can be formed or molded as an integral one-piece component. Alternatively, the bottom deck 98 can be made of multiple individual components joined together to form the bottom deck 98. The spacer blocks 102 may also be formed of the composite material, integral with or separate from the bottom deck 98. Of course, the top deck of the pallet 98 can also be made of the composite material.

Figs. 17A-D show another composite material pallet 104 according to the present invention. The pallet 104 has a top deck 106 which has a grid structure 108 in the center. The center grid structure 108 is surrounded by composite material frame planks 110. The top deck 106 can be formed or molded as an integral one-piece component, including the grid structure 108 and the frame planks 110. Alternatively, the top deck 106 can be made of multiple individual components joined together to form the top deck 106. The spacer blocks 102 may also be formed of the composite material, integral with or separate from the top deck 106. Of course, the bottom deck of the pallet 104 can also be made of the composite material.

Fig. 18A shows an exploded, perspective view of a composite material pallet 112 according to the present invention. Fig. 18B shows the composite material pallet 112 assembled and in a side view. The composite material pallet 112 has a top deck

114, a bottom deck 116 and a plurality of spacer blocks 118. The composite material pallet 112 is similar to the composite material pallet 26 of Figs. 3A-D, except the top deck 114 is a complete sheet, i. e. , the top deck 114 does not have any inserts or openings through the top deck 114. All of the components of the composite material pallet 112 are made of composite materials. The top deck 114 is a one-piece component. The bottom deck 116 is also a one-piece component. The pallet 112 is assembled by bonding the top deck 114, the block spacers 118 and the bottom deck 116 permanently together.

Figs. 19A-F show another composite material pallet 120 according to the present invention. The pallet 120 has modular top and bottom decks 122,124.

Actually, a single deck design can be used for both the top deck 122 and the bottom deck 124. Alternatively, the top and bottom decks 122,124 can have differences.

Outer joining posts 126 and inner joining posts 128 are provided to assemble the top and bottom decks 122,124 together. The inner joining post 128 slides into the outer joining post 126 to assemble the top deck 122 to the bottom deck 124. The outer and inner joining posts 126,128 can be integrally molded with the top and bottom decks 122,124 or molded as individual components and attached to the decks 122,124.

Referring to Fig. 19F, the outer and inner joining posts 126,128 can have any desired shape. The shapes shown in Fig. 19F are only examples and the joining posts could have other shapes.

Fig. 20A is an enlarged view of the outer and inner joining posts 126,128.

Resin or adhesive is provided on the posts 126,128 to bond the posts together and thus, join the top deck 122 and the bottom deck 124 together. Holes 130 may be provided through the cylinder wall of the inner joining post 128 to allow the resin or adhesive to more thoroughly contact the joining surfaces to improve the bond strength.

A sleeve 132 may be provided around the outside of the outer joining post 126.

The sleeve 132 can provide protection to the assembled joining posts 126,128, for example, protection against impact by fork tines of lifting equipment. The sleeves 132 can also provide an enhanced aesthetic appearance for the pallet or provide information, such as text, symbols, or color coding, for example.

Fig. 21A shows another outer joining post 134 and another inner joining post 136. These joining posts 134,136 are made from alternate materials, such as metal,

steel or aluminum, instead of the composite material. The joining posts 134,136 are joined together by suitable means, for example, fasteners or welding.

Fig. 21B shows another outer joining post 138 and another inner joining post 140. The outer joining post 138 has internal threads 142 which engage external threads 144 on the inner joining post 140. The threaded design allows for height adjustment between the top and bottom decks of the pallet. At least one of the joining posts 138,140 is rotatably mounted to its respective top or bottom deck. Or, the joining posts 138,140 could be threaded together to the desired height and then mounted to the top and bottom decks.

Figures 22A-B show additional views of the composite material pallet 120 of Figs. 19A-C. Figure 22A shows the pallet 120 in an exploded view and Fig. 22B shows the pallet assembled and in a side view.

Figures 23A-C show another composite material pallet 146 according to the present invention. The composite material pallet 146 has a top deck 148 which has a bumper 150. The bumper 150 can be made of various materials, for example, rubber or plastics. The bumper 150 can provide increased protection from damage to the pallet 146. As shown in Fig. 23B, the bumper 150 can be molded into the top deck 148 or the bumper 150 can be attached to the top deck 148. The bottom deck of the pallet 146 can also have a bumper 150, if desired. Referring to Fig. 23C, the top deck 148 has a frame 152 and deck inserts 154, such as grid structure inserts. The inserts 154 can be molded integrally with the frame 152 or formed separately and attached to the frame 152.

Figs. 24A-C show another pallet 156 according to the present invention. The pallet 156 has a top deck 158 connected to a bottom deck 160 by blocks 162. The pallet 156 is made out of metal, such as hydro-formed metal, including Al, Mg, steel, etc. Portions of the bottom deck 160 are shown in cross-section to illustrate the free air space or voids 164. The structure of the pallet 156, particularly the voids 164, significantly increases the strength of the pallet 156. The top deck 158 is not shown as having voids 164; however, the top deck 158 can be made with voids similar to the bottom deck 160. If the top deck 158 also has the voids 164, the strength of the pallet is increased further. The number of blocks 162 can be reduced while maintaining sufficient strength.

Figs. 25A-C show another pallet 166 according to the present invention. The pallet 166 is similar to the pallet 156 of Figs. 25A-C, except the top deck 168 is also a hydro-formed metal having voids 164. Also, the top deck 168 has insert panels 170.

The insert panels 170 can be made from plastic, metal, or a composite material.

Fig. 26 shows an intermediate bulk container 172 according to the present invention. The intermediate bulk container 172 has composite material walls 174 and a composite material pallet base 176 connected to the walls 174. The composite material walls 174 may fold-up when the intermediate bulk container 172 is not in use for compact storage.

Figs. 27A-C show another composite material pallet 178 according to the present invention. Fig. 27A is a top plan view of the pallet 178. The spacer blocks 180 are shown for reference, but are actually positioned underneath the top deck 182.

The top deck 182 has a composite material frame 184 and a plurality of insert panels 186. Fig. 27B is a cross-sectional view of the composite material pallet 178 along the line A-A; however, the insert panels 186 are not shown. The bottom deck 188 of the composite material pallet 178 is shown in Figs. 28A-C. The bottom deck 188 has a composite material frame 190 and openings 192.

The frames 184,190 have a core 194 and outer reinforcing layers of fiber. The core can include composite materials according to the present invention, or alternate <BR> <BR> materials, such as balsa, syntactic foam, composites, plastics, etc. , if desired. The outer reinforcing layers include a continuous lineal fiber layer 196 and another fiber layer 198. The lineal fiber layer 196 can be, for example, glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc.

The fiber layer 198 can be a non-directional fiber, non-linear fiber, random fiber mat, sprayed fiber, or woven fiber fabric, for example. Either of the reinforcing layers 196, 198 can be placed first against the core 194 with the remaining reinforcing layer placed on top of the first reinforcing layer. The reinforcing layers 196,198 are embedded into the resin of the core 194 and are integrally molded with the core 194.

Referring to Figs. 27A and 28A, the linear reinforcing fiber layer 196 preferably extends along the same pattern as the top and bottom deck frames 184, 190.

The top and bottom deck frames 184,190 can have any desired configuration.

For example, Figs. 29A-C and Figs. 30A-C show another composite material pallet 200 according to the present invention. The composite material pallet 200 has a top

deck 202 having a top deck frame 204 of a different configuration. The lineal fiber reinforcing layer 196 extends along the configuration of the top deck frame 204.

Fewer spacer blocks 180 are provided for the composite material pallet 200. Also, the top deck 204 of the composite material pallet 200 has insert panels 206 in the form of a grid. The bottom deck 208 has the same configuration as the bottom deck 188 except for the spacer blocks 180.

Figs. 31A-C show detail on a linear fiber reinforcing layer 210. Fig. 31 A is a top view of a top deck of the pallet. The spacer blocks are shown for illustrative purposes; however, the spacer blocks are actually positioned underneath the top deck.

The reinforcing layer 210 has a plurality of individual layers 212, such as single strand or multi-filament strands, alternately overlapping each other. Figs. 31B-C show an example of the overlapping of the individual fiber layers 212. The individual fiber layers 212 can form a substantially continuous, unbroken network across the span of the pallet in all directions; thus, significantly increasing the stiffness of the pallet.

Fig. 31A also shows examples of bumpers 214 which can be provided on the composite material pallet. The bumpers 214 are made of an energy absorbing material and/or have an energy absorbing shape to reduce or eliminate the effect of impacts on the pallet. The energy absorbing bumpers 214 can be provided at only particular locations, as desired, or circumscribing the entire pallet. The energy absorbing bumper 214 can be integrally molded with the pallet deck or made as a separate component and then attached to the pallet deck by, for example, mechanical fastening or chemical bonding. The spacer block 216 is shown as being located generally flush with the outer perimeter of the pallet. The bumper 214 may stop when it meets the spacer block 216 or wrap around the outside of the spacer block 216. Alternatively, the spacer block 218 is spaced inward away from the outer perimeter edge of the pallet and the bumper 214 is generally flush with the outer perimeter edge. One suitable energy absorbing bumper 214 is the bumper 150 shown in Figs. 23A-C.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.