Pallet skirt

Abstract

A pallet skirt can be a unitary, foldable pallet skirt. The pallet skirt can comprise one or more strips of material joined to form a foldable rectangle-shaped or square-shaped form. The strip of material can have a width suitably determined to coincide with the height dimension of a pallet on the floor or shelf of a retail establishment. When unfolded to a rectangle or square, the rectangle or square can have the general size and shape of the “footprint” of the pallet(s) on which it will be used.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pallet skirt, comprising:
 a strip of material, the strip of material having two end portions defining a length, the strip of material having a first face separated from a second face by a plurality of fluted members,   portions of one of the first face or the second face being discontinuous to define a plurality of substantially parallel grooved discontinuities extending across a width of the strip of material,   the strip of material joined at the two end portions to form a unitary strip in a rectangle shape having four sides and four corners, an exteriorly facing surface and an interiorly facing surface, and wherein four of the substantially parallel grooved discontinuities are juxtaposed with the four corners of the rectangle shape, and   the plurality of substantially parallel grooved discontinuities being disposed on the interiorly facing surface.   
     
     
         2 . The pallet skirt of  claim 1 , further comprising one of the plurality of substantially parallel grooved discontinuities juxtaposed on one of the four sides. 
     
     
         3 . The pallet skirt of  claim 1 , further comprising one of the plurality of substantially parallel grooved discontinuities juxtaposed on one of the four sides and one of the plurality of substantially parallel grooved discontinuities juxtaposed on an opposing of the four sides. 
     
     
         4 . The pallet skirt of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary strip comprises six grooved portions. 
     
     
         5 . The pallet skirt of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary strip comprises six grooved portions, wherein the six grooved portions are defined by discontinuities on the second face. 
     
     
         6 . The pallet skirt of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary strip comprises plastic. 
     
     
         7 . The pallet skirt of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary strip comprises corrugated plastic. 
     
     
         8 . A pallet skirt, comprising:
 a strip of material, the strip of material having two end portions defining a length, the strip of material having a first face separated from a second face by a plurality of fluted members,   portions of each of the first face and the second face being discontinuous to define a plurality of substantially parallel grooved discontinuities extending across a width of the strip of material, and   the strip of material joined at the two end portions to form a unitary strip having an exteriorly facing surface and an interiorly facing surface, and being deformable between a first folded state and a second rectangular state, the second rectangular state being a rectangle shaped strip having four sides and four corners, and wherein four of the substantially parallel grooved discontinuities are juxtaposed with the four corners of the second rectangular state.   
     
     
         9 . The pallet skirt of  claim 8 , wherein the substantially parallel grooved discontinuities are disposed on the interiorly facing surface. 
     
     
         10 . The pallet skirt of  claim 8 , wherein the first folded state comprises portions of the interiorly facing surface being in contacting relationship with other portions of the interiorly facing surface. 
     
     
         11 . The pallet skirt of  claim 8 , wherein in the second rectangular state the unitary strip has two parallel sides having a first side width and two parallel sides having a second side width, wherein the first side width and the second side width are predetermined to approximate a size of a rectangular pallet. 
     
     
         12 . The pallet skirt of  claim 8 , wherein the two end portions are joined in an overlapping bond. 
     
     
         13 . The pallet skirt of  claim 8 , wherein the unitary strip comprises corrugated plastic. 
     
     
         14 . A method for making a pallet skirt, comprising:
 providing a first strip of corrugated plastic material, the first strip of corrugated plastic material of having two first strip end portions defining a first strip length and two edges defining a first strip width, the first strip of corrugated plastic material having a first strip face separated from a second strip face by a first plurality of fluted members,   removing a plurality of portions of the second strip face to form a plurality of substantially parallel first strip grooved discontinuities extending across the first strip width of the first strip of corrugated plastic material, and   joining the two first strip end portions in an overlapping bond.   
     
     
         15 . The method for making a pallet skirt of  claim 14 , wherein the first strip of corrugated plastic material comprises printable plastic. 
     
     
         16 . The method for making a pallet skirt of  claim 14 , wherein the first strip of corrugated plastic material comprises corona discharge treated corrugated plastic. 
     
     
         17 . The method for making a pallet skirt of  claim 14 , further wherein:
 providing a second strip of corrugated plastic material, the second strip of corrugated plastic material having two second strip end portions defining a second strip length and two edges defining a second strip width, the second strip of corrugated plastic material having a third strip face separated from a fourth strip face by a second plurality of fluted members,   removing a second plurality of portions of the third strip face to form a plurality of substantially parallel second strip grooved discontinuities extending across the second strip width of the second strip of corrugated plastic material, and   joining each of the two first strip end portions to one of the two second strip end portions to form a unitary strip having an exteriorly facing surface and an interiorly facing surface, and being deformable between a first folded state and a second unfolded state, the second unfolded state being a rectangle shaped strip having four sides and four corners.   
     
     
         18 . The method of making a pallet skirt of  claim 17 , wherein joining comprises overlapping bonding. 
     
     
         19 . The method for making a pallet skirt of  claim 17 , further comprising placing the pallet skirt in the first folded state into a container. 
     
     
         20 . The method for making a pallet skirt of  claim 17 , further comprising placing a plurality of pallet skirts in the first folded state into a container.