Foldable palette blank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10105986-B2
Application number	US-201615239360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	Aug 17, 2016
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A foldable palette blank includes a working portion defining a first working surface and a second working surface opposite from the first working surface, the working portion defining a reservoir hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface; a support portion defining a first support surface and a second support surface opposite from the first support surface; and a hinge disposed between the working portion and the support portion of the foldable palette blank, the hinge flexibly connecting the working portion to the support portion, the hinge foldable about a hinge axis; wherein the support portion is configured to cover an end of the reservoir hole when the foldable palette blank is folded about the hinge, and the working portion is positioned in facing contact with the support portion.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A foldable palette blank comprising:
a working portion defining a first working surface and a second working surface opposite from the first working surface, the working portion defining a reservoir hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface;
a support portion defining a first support surface and a second support surface opposite from the first support surface; and
a hinge disposed between the working portion and the support portion of the foldable palette blank, the hinge flexibly connecting the working portion to the support portion, the hinge foldable about a hinge axis;
wherein the support portion is configured to cover an end of the reservoir hole when the foldable palette blank is folded about the hinge, and the working portion is positioned in facing contact with the support portion; and
wherein the first support surface is coplanar with the first working surface when the foldable palette blank is in an unfolded position, and wherein the second support surface is coplanar with the second working surface when the foldable palette blank is in the unfolded position.

2. The foldable palette blank of claim 1 , wherein the working portion defines a working hand hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface, the support portion defines a support hand hole extending from the first support surface to the second support surface, and folding the foldable palette blank about the hinge aligns the working hand hole with the support hand hole.

3. The foldable palette blank of claim 2 , wherein the working hand hole is substantially symmetric to the support hand hole across the hinge axis.

4. The foldable palette blank of claim 1 , wherein the working portion defines a working edge surface, the support portion defines a support edge surface, and the working edge surface is substantially symmetric to the support edge surface across the hinge axis.

5. The foldable palette blank of claim 4 , wherein the working edge surface defines a working notch proximate a working hand hole.

6. The foldable palette blank of claim 1 , wherein the first support surface and the first working surface comprise a first blank surface of the foldable palette blank, and the first blank surface is planar prior to folding.

7. The foldable palette blank of claim 1 , wherein the foldable palette blank is comprised of corrugated cardboard.

8. The foldable palette blank of claim 1 , wherein:
the foldable palette blank defines a first blank surface and a second blank surface;
the first blank surface is defined opposite from the second blank surface;
the first blank surface and the second blank surface are each planar when the foldable palette blank is in the unfolded position;
the first blank surface is parallel to the second blank surface;
the first blank surface comprises the first working surface and the first support surface;
the second blank surface comprises the second working surface and the second support surface;
the first working surface is positionable in facing contact with the first support surface; and
the second working surface is positionable in facing contact with the second support surface.

9. A palette comprising:
an upper layer, the upper layer defining a first working surface and a second working surface opposite from the first working surface, the upper layer defining a reservoir hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface; and
a lower layer, the lower layer defining a first support surface and a second support surface opposite from the first support surface, the second support surface in facing contact with the second working surface, the second support surface covering the reservoir hole; and
wherein the upper layer is a working portion of a foldable palette blank, the lower layer is a supporting portion of a foldable palette blank, the upper layer is flexibly connected to the lower layer by a hinge, the foldable palette blank defines a first blank surface and a second blank surface, the first blank surface is defined opposite from the second blank surface, the first blank surface and the second blank surface are each planar when the foldable palette blank is in an unfolded position, the first blank surface is parallel to the second blank surface, the first blank surface comprises the first working surface and the first support surface, and the second blank surface comprises the second working surface and the second support surface.

10. The palette of claim 9 , wherein the reservoir hole defines a reservoir hole inner surface, and a reservoir is defined by the reservoir hole inner surface and a portion of the second support surface covering the reservoir hole.

11. The palette of claim 9 , wherein the upper layer defines a working hand hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface, the lower layer defines a support hand hole extending from the first support surface to the second support surface, and the working hand hole is aligned with the support hand hole.

12. The palette of claim 9 , wherein the upper layer and the lower layer are each comprised of corrugated cardboard.

13. The palette of claim 9 , wherein the upper layer defines a working notch, the lower layer defines a support notch, the support notch being substantially symmetric to the working notch, and the working notch and the support notch comprise a palette notch.

14. The palette of claim 9 , wherein the palette defines a palette brush hole extending through the upper layer and the lower layer from the first working surface to the first support surface, the palette brush hole configured to hold a tool.

15. The palette of claim 9 , wherein the first support surface is defined by a first side of a sheet of corrugated cardboard, and wherein the second support surface is defined by a second side of the sheet of corrugated cardboard.

16. A foldable palette blank comprising:
a working portion defining a first working surface and a second working surface opposite from the first working surface, the working portion defining a reservoir hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface;
a support portion defining a first support surface and a second support surface opposite from the first support surface; and
a hinge disposed between the working portion and the support portion of the foldable palette blank, the hinge flexibly connecting the working portion to the support portion, the hinge foldable about a hinge axis;
wherein the support portion is configured to cover an end of the reservoir hole when the foldable palette blank is folded about the hinge, and the working portion is positioned in facing contact with the support portion;
wherein the working portion defines a working notch, the support portion defines a support notch, and the working notch and the support notch align to form a palette notch when the working portion is positioned in facing contact with the support portion;
wherein the working portion defines a working hand hole, the support portion defines a support hand hole, and the working hand hole and the support hand hole align to from a palette hand hole when the working portion is positioned in facing contact with the support portion; and
wherein the support portion is selectively foldable about the hinge relative to the working portion between a right-handed configuration and a left-handed configuration, the second working surface positioned in facing contact with the second support surface in the left-handed configuration, the first working surfa

Assignees

• Pratt Corrugated Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Conrad Hannah

Classifications

• B44D3/02 Primary

  Palettes · CPC title

• B31D1/00

  Multiple-step processes for making flat articles {; Making flat articles} · CPC title