Reusable recyclable thermoformed shipping containers
A thermoformed, reusable, recyclable shipping container comprising a thermoformed shell and a plurality of separate load bearing columns secured within said shell at various locations whereby the stacking load imposed on the containers will be at least partially borne by the load bearing columns.
1 . A method of forming a stackable container comprising:
providing a mold configured to provide shape to a container shaped thermoplastic shell; including in said mold a plurality of holder wells for vertical columns for the container thermoformed on said mold; each of said holder wells extending to what will be the bottom of a container formed on said mold; positioning vertical columns in said holder wells and thermoforming a plastic sheet over said mold and said vertical columns.
2 . The method of claim 1 comprising: each of said holder wells including a spindle extending upwardly from within said holder well; whereby vertical columns having a hollow interior can be placed over said spindles as well as being positioned within said holder wells.
3 . The method of claim 2 comprising: providing said mold with a plurality of spaced perimeter mold walls over which the perimeter walls of a container are thermoformed by thermoforming said plastic sheet over said mold and said unconnected perimeter walls; said holder wells being positioned between the ends of said spaced perimeter walls, such that said vertical columns can be thermoformed into said container perimeter walls by thermoforming said plastic sheet over said mold and said perimeter walls formed on said mold; said perimeter mold walls being spaced apart lengthwise sufficiently to create a gap between the end of each perimeter mold wall and a vertical column placed in a holder well, whereby when a container perimeter wall is formed over said perimeter mold walls, it has spaced opposite faces except in said gaps, where said opposed faces are drawn together and fuse during the thermoforming process.
4 . The method of claim 3 comprising: using vertical columns having retainer features whereby when said thermoforming step is performed, the heated plastic of said thermoformed container will tend to engage said retainer features during formation of said container, thereby securing said columns within said container.
5 . The method of claim 4 in which: said mold is provided with interior ribs within the space defined by said perimeter walls; at least some column holder wells being positioned in said interior ribs; positioning vertical columns in said holder wells in said ribs, whereby at least some of said columns are positioned in and projecting upwardly from container interior ribs formed over said interior mold ribs.
6 . The method of claim 5 in which the vertical columns used are made of the same plastic material as the plastic sheet which is thermoformed over said mold and said vertical columns.
7 . The method of claim 1 comprising: providing said mold with a plurality of spaced perimeter mold walls over which the perimeter walls of a stackable container are thermoformed; column holder wells being positioned between said spaced perimeter walls, such that vertical columns can be thermoformed into the container perimeter walls formed on said mold; said perimeter mold walls being spaced apart lengthwise sufficiently to create a gap between the end of each perimeter mold wall and a column placed in a holder well, whereby when a container perimeter wall is formed over said perimeter mold walls, it has spaced opposite faces except in said gaps, where said opposed faces are drawn together and fuse during the thermoforming process.
8 . The method of claim 7 comprising: using vertical columns having retainer features whereby when said thermoforming step is performed, the heated plastic of said thermoformed container will tend to engage said retainer features during formation of said container, thereby securing said columns within said container.
9 . The method of claim 1 in which the vertical columns used are made of the same plastic material as the plastic sheet which is thermoformed over said mold and said load bearing columns.
10 . The method of claim 1 comprising: using vertical columns having retainer features whereby when said thermoforming step is performed, the heated plastic of said thermoformed container will tend to engage said retainer features during formation of said container, thereby securing said columns within said container.
11 . The method of claim 1 comprising: providing said mold with a plurality of spaced perimeter mold walls over which the perimeter walls of a container are thermoformed in said thermoforming step; said spaced perimeter walls being spaced apart sufficiently to create gaps in which column holder wells are positioned; placing vertical columns in said column holder wells in said gaps such that vertical columns positioned in said column holder wells in said gaps and being connected thereby can be thermoformed into said container during said thermoforming step.
12 . The method of claim 11 in which: said mold is provided with interior ribs within the space defined by said perimeter walls; at least some column holder wells being positioned in said interior ribs; positioning vertical columns in said holder wells in said ribs, whereby at least some of said columns are positioned in and projecting upwardly from container interior ribs formed over said interior mold ribs.
13 . The method of claim 12 comprising: using vertical columns having retainer features whereby when said thermoforming step is performed, the heated plastic of said thermoformed container will tend to engage said retainer features during formation of said container, thereby securing said columns within said container.
14 . The method of claim 13 comprising: each of said holder wells including a slot extending upwardly on opposite sides from within said holder well; whereby vertical columns having at least a rib located on the outside of column; extending upwardly on opposite sides can be placed in said slot as well as being positioned within said holder wells.
15 . The method of claim 14 in which the vertical columns used are made of the same plastic material as the plastic sheet which is thermoformed over said mold and said vertical columns.
16 . The method of claim 1 in which: said mold is provided with interior ribs within the space defined by said perimeter walls; at least some column holder wells being positioned in said interior ribs; positioning vertical columns in said holder wells in said ribs, whereby at least some of said columns are positioned in and projecting upwardly from container interior ribs formed over said interior mold ribs.
17 . The method of claim 16 comprising: using vertical columns having retainer features whereby when said thermoforming step is performed, the heated plastic of said thermoformed container will tend to engage said retainer features during formation of said container, thereby securing said columns within said container.
18 . The method of claim 1 comprising: each of said holder wells including a slot extending upwardly on opposite sides from within said holder well; whereby vertical columns having at least a rib located on the outside of column extending upwardly on opposite sides can be placed in said slot as well as being positioned within said holder wells.
19 . The method of claim 17 comprising: using vertical columns having retainer features whereby when said thermoforming step is performed, the heated plastic of said thermoformed container will tend to engage said retainer features during formation of said container, thereby securing said columns within said container.
20 . A method of forming a stackable container comprising:
providing a mold configured to provide shape to a container shaped thermoplastic shell;
including in said mold a plurality of holder wells to receive upstanding vertical columns for the container thermoformed on said mold; each of said holder wells extending to what will be the bottom of a container formed on said mold; positioning the upstanding vertical columns distal and spaced apart from one another in respective ones of said holder wells; and
thermoforming a plastic sheet over said mold and said upstanding vertical columns.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the upstanding vertical columns are each independently formed and separately positioned without contacting one another in said holder wells.