Simplified stacked pallet and method of making the same
The inventors have discovered that certain hot melt adhesives can be used to form a stable stacked pallet that can limit the need for additional packaging materials e.g. inter-layer and pallet wrap.
1. A stacked pallet comprising:
a pallet,
a plurality of layers of secondary packages stacked on the pallet, and
a hot melt adhesive sandwiched between the layers of secondary packages thereby adhering the layers to each other, the hot melt adhesive comprising:
a polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene copolymers derived from ethylene and a co-monomer that includes vinyl unsaturation, styrene block copolymers, and olefin based polymers, and
no greater than 10% by weight of a plasticizer.
2. The stacked pallet of claim 1 being free of inter-layer.
3. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the secondary packages include at least 4 primary packages.
4. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the secondary packages are formed by a shrinkable film.
5. The stacked pallet of claim 3 wherein the primary packages comprise a beverage packaged in a plastic container.
6. The stacked pallet of claim 5 wherein the plastic container comprises PET.
7. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein each layer of secondary packages is in an interlock formation.
8. The stacked pallet of claim 3 wherein the hot melt adhesive is applied to the top of each of the primary packages.
9. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the hot melt adhesive has a viscosity of no greater than about 2500 cps at 149° C.
10. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the hot melt adhesive has a wax content of from about 5% to about 20% by weight.
11. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the hot melt adhesive has a plasticizer content of no greater than about 5% by weight.
12. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the hot melt adhesive has a plasticizer content of from about 1% to about 10% by weight and a wax content of from about 5% to about 20% by weight.
13. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the hot melt adhesive comprises an olefin based polymer.
14. The stacked pallet of claim 13 wherein the olefin based polymer is a single site catalyzed polymer.
15. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein the hot melt adhesive is applied as a bead.
16. The stacked pallet of claim 1 wherein each secondary package comprises from about 0.5 to about 3.0 grams of the hot melt adhesive.
17. A method of stacking a pallet comprising:
grouping a plurality of primary packages,
encasing the primary packages in a plastic film shrunk by heat to form a plurality of individual secondary packages,
applying hot melt adhesive to at least two locations on the top of each of the individual secondary packages; and
arranging the plurality of individual secondary packages on a pallet to form a plurality of layers, wherein the hot melt adhesive is sandwiched between two layers of secondary packages, the hot melt adhesive comprising:
a polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene copolymers derived from ethylene and a co-monomer that includes vinyl unsaturation, styrene block copolymers, and olefin based polymers, and
no greater than 10% by weight of a plasticizer.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the hot melt adhesive is applied in a bead to the top of each primary package.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the hot melt is applied at a temperature of no greater than about 150° C.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the secondary packages are arranged in an interlock formation.