Combination bulk container and pallet

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a combination bulk container and pallet having an assembled configuration and a collapsed configuration. In one embodiment, the combination bulk container and pallet includes: a pallet including a bottom tray, a material supporter, and a plurality of support legs positioned between the bottom tray and the material supporter; a collapsible sidewall structure having a collapsed configuration when the combination bulk container and pallet is in the collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration when the combination bulk container and pallet is in the assembled configuration; and a cover. When the combination bulk container and pallet is in the collapsed configuration, the cover covers the sidewall structure (which is in the collapsed configuration). When the combination bulk container and pallet is in the assembled configuration, the cover covers a material holding area defined by the sidewall structure (which is in the expanded configuration) and the material supporter.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A combination bulk container and pallet comprising:
 a pallet including:
 (a) a bottom tray, 
 (b) a material supporter, and 
 (c) a plurality of support legs positioned between the bottom tray and the material supporter; 
   a cover; and   a collapsible sidewall structure having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the collapsible sidewall structure including a plurality of connected walls, wherein:
 (a) in the collapsed configuration, an exterior surface of one of the walls faces a top surface of the material supporter, and an exterior surface of another one of the walls faces an interior surface of a first wall of the cover; and 
 (b) in the expanded configuration, the walls and the material supporter define a material holding area, bottom edges of the walls face an interior surface of a first wall of the bottom tray, and upper edges of the walls face the interior surface of the first wall of the cover. 
   
     
     
         2 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the support legs are connected to the bottom tray and the material supporter. 
     
     
         3 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 1 , which includes a plurality of combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors. 
     
     
         4 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 3 , wherein, in the collapsed configuration, a bottom edge of one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces the interior surface of the first wall of the bottom tray, and a top edge of the combination cover support/cut-strap protector faces the interior surface of the first wall of the cover. 
     
     
         5 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 3 , wherein, in the expanded configuration, an interior surface of one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an exterior surface of the first wall of the cover and an interior surface of another one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an exterior surface of a second wall of the cover. 
     
     
         6 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom tray includes a first wall defining a plurality of bottom tray tine receiving openings and a second wall defining a plurality of bottom tray tine receiving openings, wherein each of the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the first wall is aligned with a different one of the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the second wall. 
     
     
         7 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 6 , wherein a first plurality of the support legs and a first plurality of the aligned bottom tray tine receiving openings define a first tine receiving channel, and a second plurality of the support legs and a second plurality of the aligned bottom tray tine receiving openings define a second tine receiving channel. 
     
     
         8 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom tray, the material supporter, and the support legs define a sidewall receiving channel, and in the expanded configuration, bottom edges of the walls are received in the side wall receiving channel. 
     
     
         9 . A combination bulk container and pallet comprising:
 a pallet including:
 (a) a bottom tray; 
 (b) a material supporter; and 
 (c) a plurality of support legs positioned between and connected to the bottom tray and the material supporter, the bottom tray, the material supporter, and the support legs defining a sidewall receiving channel; and 
   a collapsible sidewall structure having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the collapsible sidewall structure including a plurality of connected walls, wherein:
 (a) in the collapsed configuration, an exterior surface of one of the walls faces a top surface of the material supporter; and 
 (b) in the expanded configuration, the walls and the material supporter define a material holding area, and bottom edges of the walls are received in the side wall receiving channel. 
   
     
     
         10 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 9 , which includes a cover, wherein in the collapsed configuration, an exterior surface of another one of the walls faces an interior surface of a first wall of the cover; and in the expanded configuration, upper edges of the walls face the interior surface of the first wall of the cover. 
     
     
         11 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 10 , which includes a plurality of combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors. 
     
     
         12 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 11 , wherein, in the collapsed configuration, a bottom edge of one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an interior surface of a first wall of the bottom tray, and a top edge of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces the interior surface of the first wall of the cover. 
     
     
         13 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 11 , wherein, in the expanded configuration, an interior surface of one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an exterior surface of the first wall of the cover and an interior surface of another one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an exterior surface of a second wall of the cover. 
     
     
         14 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom tray includes a first wall defining a plurality of bottom tray tine receiving openings and a second wall defining a plurality of bottom tray tine receiving openings, wherein each of the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the first wall is aligned with a different one of the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the second wall. 
     
     
         15 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 14 , wherein a first plurality of the support legs and a first plurality of the aligned bottom tray tine receiving openings define a first tine receiving channel, and a second plurality of the support legs and a second plurality of the aligned bottom tray tine receiving openings define a second tine receiving channel. 
     
     
         16 . A combination bulk container and pallet comprising:
 a pallet including:
 (a) a bottom tray including:
 (i) a first wall defining a plurality of bottom tray tine receiving openings; and 
 (ii) a second wall defining a plurality of bottom tray tine receiving openings, wherein each of the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the first wall is aligned with a different one of the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the second wall; 
 
 (b) a material supporter; and 
 (c) a plurality of support legs positioned between the bottom tray and the material supporter; and 
   a collapsible sidewall structure having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the collapsible sidewall structure including a plurality of connected walls, wherein:
 (a) a first one of the walls defines a plurality of sidewall tine receiving openings; 
 (b) a second one of the walls defines a plurality of sidewall tine receiving openings; and 
 (c) in the expanded configuration:
 (i) each of the sidewall tine receiving openings defined by the first one of the walls is aligned with a different one of the sidewall tine receiving openings defined by the second one of the walls; and 
 (ii) the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the first wall are aligned with the sidewall tine receiving openings defined by the first one of the walls, and the bottom tray tine receiving openings defined by the second wall are aligned with the sidewall tine receiving openings defined by the second one of the walls. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 16 , wherein a first plurality of the support legs and a first plurality of the aligned bottom tray tine receiving openings define a first tine receiving channel, and a second plurality of the support legs and a second plurality of the aligned bottom tray tine receiving openings define a second tine receiving channel. 
     
     
         18 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 16 , wherein the bottom tray includes a third wall defining a plurality of wheel receiving openings. 
     
     
         19 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 16 , wherein in the collapsed configuration, an exterior surface of one of the walls faces a top surface of the material supporter. 
     
     
         20 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 16 , wherein the bottom tray, the material supporter, and the support legs define a sidewall receiving channel, and in the expanded configuration, bottom edges of the walls are received in the side wall receiving channel. 
     
     
         21 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 16 , which includes a cover, wherein in the collapsed configuration, an exterior surface of one of the walls faces an interior surface of a first wall of the cover. 
     
     
         22 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 21 , which includes a plurality of combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors. 
     
     
         23 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 22 , wherein, in the collapsed configuration, a bottom edge of one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an interior surface of a third wall of the bottom tray, and a top edge of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces the interior surface of the first wall of the cover. 
     
     
         24 . The combination bulk container and pallet of  claim 22 , wherein, in the expanded configuration, an interior surface of one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an exterior surface of the first wall of the cover and an interior surface of another one of the combination cover supports/cut-strap protectors faces an exterior surface of a second wall of the cover.