US 12,103,730 B2
Recyclable abrasion resistant dunnage tray
Thayer A. Brown, Jr., Midland, MI (US); and Christopher M. Surbrook, Midland, MI (US)
Assigned to Midland Compounding & Consulting, Inc., Midland, MI (US)
Filed by Midland Compounding & Consulting, Inc., Midland, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/554,196.
Application 17/554,196 is a continuation of application No. 16/456,626, filed on Jun. 28, 2019, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/692,228, filed on Jun. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0363426 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B32B 3/28 (2006.01); B29C 48/00 (2019.01); B29C 48/21 (2019.01); B29C 51/00 (2006.01); B29C 51/02 (2006.01); B29C 51/14 (2006.01); B32B 7/022 (2019.01); B32B 27/08 (2006.01); B32B 27/32 (2006.01); B65D 1/36 (2006.01); B65D 81/133 (2006.01); B65D 85/68 (2006.01); B29C 45/16 (2006.01); B29C 48/49 (2019.01); B29K 105/26 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65D 1/36 (2013.01) [B29C 48/0017 (2019.02); B29C 48/022 (2019.02); B29C 48/21 (2019.02); B29C 51/002 (2013.01); B29C 51/02 (2013.01); B29C 51/14 (2013.01); B32B 3/28 (2013.01); B32B 7/022 (2019.01); B32B 27/08 (2013.01); B32B 27/32 (2013.01); B32B 27/327 (2013.01); B65D 81/133 (2013.01); B65D 85/68 (2013.01); B29C 45/16 (2013.01); B29C 48/49 (2019.02); B29K 2023/06 (2013.01); B29K 2105/26 (2013.01); B29L 2031/712 (2013.01); B32B 2323/04 (2013.01); B32B 2323/043 (2013.01); B32B 2439/00 (2013.01); B65D 2565/385 (2013.01); B65D 2585/6877 (2013.01); Y10T 428/24628 (2015.01); Y10T 428/24661 (2015.01); Y10T 428/31909 (2015.04); Y10T 428/31913 (2015.04)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dunnage tray, comprising:
a) a rigid base portion formed from a first material; and
b) a flexible top portion formed from a second material and being adjacent to the base portion, wherein the flexible top portion and the rigid base portion are thermoformed together from a co-extruded sheet to define a plurality of upstanding exterior wall structures and a plurality of upstanding interior wall structures, the plurality of interior wall structures forming a plurality of cavities or recesses for supporting and receiving machine components on the flexible top portion, wherein the co-extruded sheet has an overall thickness of at least about 0.1 inch and comprises a base layer, including the first material and having a thickness of at least 0.05 inch, and a top layer, including the second material and having a thickness of greater than 0.03 inch,
wherein the first material includes a high molecular weight, high density polyethylene copolymer (HDPE),
wherein the second material includes a blend of, at least 50 percent by weight, a metallocene catalyzed, polyolefin elastomer and, at least 25 percent by weight, HDPE, and
wherein the second material is relatively more elastic and softer than the first material and has a static coefficient of friction that is higher than the first material, and wherein the first and second materials are compatibly recyclable together such that the dunnage tray is grindable, without separation and/or disassembly, to form the first material.