Blow-molded plastic structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12408747-B2
Application number	US-201715439842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2016
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A large, thin, generally planar panel constructed from blow-molded plastic may include a first surface, a second surface, and a hollow interior portion disposed between the first and second surfaces. The panel may include a nominal panel thickness (PT), which may be the distance between the first surface and the second surface, and a nominal wall thickness (WT), which may be the thickness of the outer wall of the blow-molded plastic structure. A plurality of depressions may be integrally formed in the second surface and a nominal distance (D) separating adjacent depressions may be measured from an edge of one depression to an edge of the adjacent depression. The relationship between the nominal panel thickness, the nominal wall thickness, and the nominal distance between adjacent depressions is shown by the equation WT·PT·D≤0.030.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A panel constructed from blow-molded plastic, the blow-molded plastic panel comprising:
a first outer surface having a generally planar configuration;
a second outer surface generally spaced apart from the first surface;
a hollow interior portion at least partially disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
a plurality of depressions integrally formed in the second surface and extending towards the first surface, the first surface, the second surface, the hollow interior portion, and the plurality of depressions being integrally formed during the blow-molding process as part of a unitary, one-piece structure; and
a section of the panel having a size of at least four ( 4 ) square feet, the section of the panel comprising:
a nominal panel thickness (PT) measured between the first surface and the second surface, the nominal panel thickness (PT) being equal to or less than 0.5 inches;

a nominal wall thickness (WT) of the first surface and the second surface, the nominal wall thickness (WT) being equal to or less than 0.05 inches;
a nominal distance (D) separating adjacent depressions of the plurality of depressions, the nominal distance (D) being equal to or less than 1.2 inches.

2. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.435 inches.

3. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.3 inches.

4. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.25 inches.

5. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.2 inches.

6. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.15 inches.

7. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.1 inches.

8. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the panel forms a tabletop for a table.

9. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal wall thickness (WT) is equal to or less than 0.04 inches.

10. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions have an overall circular configuration.

11. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions have an overall uniform size, shape, and configuration;
wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions arc uniformly spaced from adjacent depressions;
wherein the panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.45 inches;
wherein the wall thickness (WT) is equal to or less than 0.045 inches; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

12. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is a mean distance between the upper surface and the lower surface;
wherein the nominal wall thickness (WT) is a mean wall thickness of the first surface and the second surface;
wherein the nominal distance (D) is a mean distance separating adjacent depressions of the plurality of depressions;
wherein the panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.45 inches;
wherein the wall thickness (WT) is equal to or less than 0.045 inches; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

13. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the nominal panel thickness (PT) is an average distance between the upper surface and the lower surface;
wherein the nominal wall thickness (WT) is an average wall thickness of the first surface and the second surface;
the nominal distance (D) is an average distance separating adjacent depressions of the plurality of depressions;
wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions have an overall uniform size, shape, and configuration;
wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions are overall uniformly spaced from adjacent depressions;
wherein the panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.45 inches;
wherein the wall thickness (WT) is equal to or less than 0.045 inches; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

14. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the panel thickness (PT) is equal to or less than 0.45 inches, the wall thickness (WT) is equal to or less than 0.045 inches, and the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

15. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions are disposed in an overall uniform arrangement; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

16. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions are disposed in an overall uniform arrangement with each depression separated from an adjacent depression by an overall constant distance; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

17. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the depressions of the plurality of depressions include depressions with an overall uniform configuration and overall uniform characteristics disposed in an overall uniform pattern that covers a majority of the entire second surface to form a structure with overall uniform strength and structural integrity; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

18. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein each depression in the plurality of depressions has an overall uniform configuration and is separated from an adjacent depression by an overall constant distance;
wherein the plurality of depressions covers at least a majority of the entire second surface to form a structure with overall uniform strength and structural integrity; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.5 inches.

19. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the first surface forms at least a portion of an upper surface of a tabletop; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.75 inches.

20. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the depressions in the plurality of depressions are sized and configured to help support the first surface in an overall consistent manner so that the first surface has overall uniform characteristics; and
wherein the distance (D) is equal to or less than 0.5 inches.

21. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 1 , wherein the panel comprises at least a portion of a tabletop;
wherein the upper surface comprises at least a portion of an upper surface of the tabletop and the lower surface comprises at least a portion of a lower surface of the tabletop;
wherein a frame is connected to the lower surface of the tabletop; and
wherein an upper surface of the frame is disposed within about 0.25 inches or less of the upper surface of the tabletop.

22. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 21 , further comprising one or more depressions disposed between the upper surface of the frame and the upper surface of the tabletop.

23. The blow-molded plastic panel as in claim 21 , further comprising a frame receiving portion disposed in the lower surface and at least

Assignees

• Lifetime Prod Inc

Inventors

• Nye S Curtis
• Stanford Carl R
• Peery Wendell
• Olsen Eric
• Monson Charles
• Clegg Frank

Classifications

• E04C2/326

  with corrugations, incisions or reliefs in more than one direction of the element · CPC title

• A47B96/20

  Furniture panels or like furniture elements · CPC title

• A47B2200/001

  Manufacture of table tops · CPC title

• A47B2003/008

  the underframe parts being stored in recesses in the underside of the table top · CPC title

• E04C2/20

  of plastics · CPC title