Foldable palette blank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10864768-B2
Application number	US-201816108163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Aug 17, 2016
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A method of forming a palette includes obtaining a foldable palette blank, the foldable palette blank including a working portion, the working portion defining a first working surface and a second working surface opposite from the first working surface, the working portion defining a working hand hole, the working portion defining a reservoir hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface; and a support portion, the support portion defining a first support surface and a second support surface opposite from the first support surface, the support portion defining a support hand hole, the support portion configured to cover an end of the reservoir hole; positioning the working portion in facing contact with the support portion; aligning the working hand hole with the support hand hole; and covering the end of the reservoir hole with the support portion to form a reservoir.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a palette, the method comprising:
obtaining a foldable palette blank, the foldable palette blank defining a first blank surface and a second blank surface, the first blank surface defined opposite from the second blank surface, the first blank surface and the second blank surface each being planar when the foldable palette blank is in an unfolded configuration, the foldable palette blank comprising:
a working portion, the working portion defining a first working surface and a second working surface opposite from the first working surface, the first working surface defined by a first portion of the first blank surface, the second working surface defined by a first portion of the second blank surface, the working portion defining a first thickness between the first working surface and the second working surface, the working portion defining a working hand hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface, the working portion defining a reservoir hole extending from the first working surface to the second working surface;
a support portion, the support portion defining a first support surface and a second support surface opposite from the first support surface, the first support surface defined by a second portion of the first blank surface, the second support surface defined by a second portion of the second blank surface, the support portion defining a second thickness between the first support surface and the second support surface, the second thickness being equal to the first thickness, the support portion defining a support hand hole extending from the first support surface to the second support surface, the support portion configured to cover an end of the reservoir hole; and
a hinge flexibly connecting the working portion to the support portion, the first blank surface and the second blank surface extending across the working portion, the support portion, and the hinge;

positioning the working portion in facing contact with the support portion, the positioning comprising positioning the first working surface in facing contact with the first support surface;
aligning the working hand hole with the support hand hole; and
covering the end of the reservoir hole with the support portion to form a reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the working portion in facing contact with the support portion comprises folding the foldable palette blank about the hinge.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein folding the foldable palette blank about the hinge in a first direction forms a left-handed palette and folding the foldable palette blank about the hinge in a second direction forms a right-handed palette.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the working hand hole is symmetric to the support hand hole across a hinge axis.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the working portion defines a working notch, the support portion defines a support notch, the support notch being symmetric to the working notch across a hinge axis, and wherein the working notch and the support notch form a palette notch when the foldable palette blank is in a folded position.

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

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first support surface and the first working surface are defined by a first side of the corrugated cardboard, and wherein the second support surface and the second working surface are defined by a second side of the corrugated cardboard.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first support surface is coplanar with the first working surface when the foldable palette blank is in the unfolded configuration.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second support surface is coplanar with the second working surface when the foldable palette blank is in the unfolded configuration.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aligning a working brush hole with a support brush hole to form a palette brush hole, the working brush hole defined by the working portion, the support brush hole defined by the support portion.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first working surface, the second working surface, the first support surface, and the second support surface are substantially each planar.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
covering the end of the reservoir hole with the support portion to form the reservoir comprises covering the end of the reservoir hole with the first support surface; and
the first support surface is planar.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first thickness is constant across the working portion, and wherein the second thickness is constant across the support portion.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repositioning the working portion and the support portion, the repositioning comprising:
separating the first working surface from the first support surface; and
positioning the second working surface in facing contact with the second support surface.

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