WO1999006290A1

WO1999006290A1 - Transport pallet

Info

Publication number: WO1999006290A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/004213
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hubert Decker
Original assignee: Hubert Decker
Priority date: 1997-08-01
Filing date: 1997-08-01
Publication date: 1999-02-11
Also published as: AU4116597A

Abstract

An industrial container pallet is provided which is economical lightweight, sanitary and stackable. Two compact rigid pre-formed plastic core elements are permanently sealed together to form a pallet (10) which can hold heavy loads provided with interior foaming, is impact resistant and fits all common handling equipment. Stacking the pallets at the platform height by inserting the open leg support of the pallet, provides a space-saving feature. A pallet basket (30) of four loose sides, to be assembled at the time of use, fitted to the pallet and locked on for safety and a basket bottom/top cover (44) for loading loose goods and closing the basket at the top, completes a packing process system which is environmentally friendly, is reusable for many industries and economical for loose return shipments.

Description

Transport Pallet

The present invention relates generally to commonly used pallets for goods to be loaded and carried by pallet-trucks, forklifts and other means in as many industrial applications.

At the current state of goods transportation handling, pallets are made of wood, which may become a scarce commodity and plastics, mainly injection molded, which are bulky, heavy, as to various degrees sanitary and only partly recyclable.

Usually, pallets are being destroyed, sold as whole or sold as scrap material at their destination point.

The return shipment of empty pallets is not economical and warehouse storage space has become costly.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a pallet which is economical for the user.

A further object is to provide a pallet which is shock resistant and can withstand impacts from handling equipment.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which is hygienic, sanitary and easy to clean, suitable for clean-room operations.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which is light weight in its construction and can handle equivalent the load of commonly used pallets.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which can be easily recycled and confirms with environmental requirements.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which has a nine leg support and fits all common handling equipment's.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which is stackable on top of each other, using only the pallet board space, space-saving for handling and storing and is economical for empty return shipping.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet with such dimensions to fit the various common container sizes without leaving any empty spaces.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which is simple in its construction and not expensive to fabricate.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which can be foam-injected between the two layer cavities formed by the assembly process, for additional strength and for special applications.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet which can be fitted with a pallet basket consisting of four pre-formed parts for easy assembly and disassembly provided with a slide in corner segment, intended to accommodate loose goods, thereby reducing the use of carton boxes, incorporated with a snap on device onto the pallet and is reusable, sanitary and when disassembled space-saving.

A yet further object is to provide a pallet with a pallet basket which can accommodate a basket bottom/top cover which fits into the pallet basket and on top of it to complete a packing process in an economical way.

To achieve at least one of these objects, a pallet is proposed with the features of claim 1 . The arrangement of contact fixing areas, pot-like depressions and cavities results in a very stiff structure resisting bending and twisting deformations of the pallet loading face, even if uneven loading or lifting forces are applied. The interengaging feet of piled up pallets allow stacking in a compact arrangement.

In a preferred embodiment, the substantially vertical extending wall sections between the feet reinforce the pallet, if high forces are applied during the lifting procedure, as they transmit forces between the upper and the lower sheet on the shortest way in vertical direction.

Preferably, the pallet is made at least partly from recycled plastics material. The pallet sheets may be formed of the same base material so that the pallet may be easily recycled after use. This is also true for the material of an optional basket which may be fastened on the upper side of the pallet.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted however, that the drawings are illustrative only and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

The figures in the drawings are briefly described as follows: Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of the invention showing its reinforcement cavities; Fig. 2 is a broken cross section taken along line 2-2 of fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom side; Fig. 4 is a cross section taken along line 4-4 in Fig 1 ; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the paliet basket when assembled; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the basket bottom/top cover.

The pallet 1 0 is a compact rigid fiber reinforced plastic structure comprising basically an upper and a lower layer 1 2, 14 of plastic sheet material which are sandwiched together.

Each layer of sheet material 1 2, 1 4 is made of thermoformable or injection molded fiber reinforced plastics including up to 60% recycled plastic material and is profiled by a plurality of double walled reinforcement depressions 1 6 and nine double walled pot like leg support depressions 1 8, 20, as shown in Fig. 2. The two sheets 1 2, 1 4 are bonded or sealed together by heating, preferably high frequency welding, along substantially all contact areas or points 21 at the bottom of the leg cavities 1 8, 20 and at the cavities 1 6 and in selected areas therebetween, and further along the peripheral edges 22 of the pallet. The upper sheet 1 2 forms a flat load bearing platform 24 and, together with the lower sheet 14, the double-walled leg supports 1 8, 20. The reinforcement depressions 1 6 may be formed of one or both of the two sheets 1 2, 1 4. The nine leg support depressions 1 8, 20 are arranged in a square pattern and confine channels 25 for the horizontal insertion of lifting bars of a fork lift. The surface of the flat load bearing platform is formed with a rough profile, e.g. ripples or dots.

When a pallet is placed on top of another pallet, the leg depressions 20 of the upper sheet 1 2 fits inside the legs depression 1 8 of the lower sheet 1 4, thereby allowing stacking of the pallet 10 at a space-saving platform height. All around curved rounded edges 26 provide added stability and to protect the pallet 1 0 from damages by rough handling.

Between the leg depressions 1 8, 20 at the upper wall of the channels 25 and the additional reinforcement depressions 1 6 form subsantially vertical wall sections 1 7 of the upper and lower sheets 1 8, 20 to transmit the weight of the loaded pallet from the loading face 24 directly to lifting bars inserted into the channels 25. These wall sections 1 7 may form further depressions 1 6a opening downwards into the channels 25.

Between the contact areas 21 , i.e. the leg depressions 1 8, 20 and at least partly the reinforcement depressions 1 6, the upper and lower sheets 1 2, 1 4 are spaced apart to form cavities 28 confined by the substantially vertical wall sections 1 7 of the upper and lower sheets 1 2, 1 4 and by these sheets 1 8, 20.

A foam injection can be made into the cavities 28 between the two layers 1 2, 1 4 for additional stabilization of the compact pallet platform 24.

A rectangular pallet basket 30 made from one single layer of fiber reinforced plastic sheet material by means of thermoforming or injection molding of such dimensions to fit onto the pallet 1 0, comprises two longer side walls 32 and two shorter side walls 34, held together by means of four edge profiles 36. The edge profiles 36 are provided with undercut slots 38 to insert the sidewalls for holding the basket 30 together. Stabilization reinforcement cavities 40 provide stable side walls 32/34 of the assembled pallet basket 30. Locking projections 42 formed on the lower edge of each side wall 30, 32 secure the pallet basket 30 at the pallet 1 0 by engaging snap-in depressions 43 in the outer walls 1 8 of the middle supporting legs 20. The edge profiles 36 may be integrally formed with one of the adjacent side walls 32, 34.

A basket bottom and/or top cover 44 is made from one single layer of fiber reinforced plastic sheet material by means of thermoforming or injection molding of such dimension to fit into the pallet basket 30 at the bottom and as well as top cover. The bottom/cover 44 is provided with stabilization reinforcement cavities 46 and, distributed at the circumference thereof, support extensions 48. When the cover 44 is placed on or below or inside the basket, the support extensions 48 snap into corresponding receptacles 49 in the upper or lower rim of the side walls 32, 34 of the basket. A plurality of baskets are stackable onto each other on one pallet. In this case, the bottom of the upper basket(s) may be omitted to enlarge the height of the side walls 30, 32 of the lower basket.

The pallet is economical lightweight, sanitary and stackable.

The two compact rigid pre-formed plastic sheet elements are permanently sealed together to form a pallet which can hold heavy loads provided with interior foaming, is impact resistant and fits all common handling equipment. Stacking the pallets at the platform height by inserting the open leg support of the pallet, provides a space-saving feature.

The pallet basket of four loose sides, to be assembled at the time of use, fitted to the pallet and locked on for safety and a basket bottom/top cover for loading loose goods and closing the basket at the top, completes a packing process system which is environmentally friendly, is reusable for many industries and economical for loose return shipments.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1 . A transport pallet, comprising:

- an upper sheet ( 1 2) and a lower sheet ( 14) which are fixed together, wherein the upper sheet ( 1 2) has an approximately flat loading face (24),

- wherein the upper and the lower sheets ( 1 2, 14) commonly form a plurality of pot-like feets (20) which are spaced apart in a longitudinal and a cross direction of the pallet and projecting downwards from the loading face (24) and which engage into each other when a plurality of pallets are in a piled up condition,

- wherein side walls of the feets (20) at least partially confining passages for allowing a laterally introducing of lifting bars for lifting the pallet,

- wherein the upper and the lower sheets ( 1 2, 14) are fixed together in fixing areas at least at the pot-like feets (20) and an outer circumference rim (22) of the pallet,

- and wherein the upper and the lower sheets ( 1 2, 14) are partially spaced apart for forming cavities (28) between the upper and the lower sheets ( 1 2, 14) outside said fixing areas.

2. A transport pallet, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pot like feets (20) are shaped with one of a rectangular, square, round and oval cross section.

3. A transport pallet, as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pot like feets (20) are arranged in a plurality of rows intersecting each other.

4. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the pot like feets (20) are arranged substantially in a rectangular lattice.

5. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the pallet comprises nine pot like feets (20) arranged in a rectangular pattern.

6. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the upper and lower sheet ( 1 2, 1 4) comprises approximately vertical extending sheet sections ( 1 6) .

7. A transport pallet, as recited in claim 6, wherein the approximately vertical extending sheet sections ( 1 6) are shaped as tubular protusions with one of a rectangular square, round and oval cross section.

8. A transport pallet, as recited in claim 6 or 7, wherein the approximately vertical extending sheet sections (1 6) are placed between the pot like feets (20) .

9. A transport pallet, as recited in claim 6,7 or 8, wherein the approximately vertical extending sheet sections ( 1 6) are disposed to transmit the weight of the pallet onto lifting bars introduced into the passages formed between the pot like feets (20) .

1 0. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 6 to 9, wherein the approximately vertical extending sheet sections ( 1 6) are formed as pot like structures open to one of the upper and lower side of the pallet.

1 1 . A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 6 to 1 0, wherein the approximately vertical extending sheet sections ( 1 6) are formed as pot like structures formed from one of the upper sheet ( 1 2) and the lower sheet ( 1 4) and closed by the other one of the upper sheet ( 1 2) and the lower sheet ( 14) .

12. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper sheet (12) and the lower sheet (14) are fixed together along substantially all points (21) of contact between the sheets (12,14) and along the circumference rim (22) of the pallet.

13. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper sheet (12) and the lower sheet (14) are fixed together by high frequence welding.

14. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the pallet comprises rounded edges at the circumference rim (22).

15. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the cavities (28) are foamed by foam injection.

16. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper and the lower sheets (12,14) are made of the same base materials.

17. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper and the lower sheets (12,14) are made of an fiber compound material.

18. A transport pallet, as recited in claim 17, wherein the fiber compound material includes up to 60% recycled plastic material.

19. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the pallet has no other sheet material beyond said upper and lower sheets (12,14).

20. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the loading face (24) has a rough surface, to prevent loaded goods from slipping on the flat loading face (24).

21 . A transport pallet, as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the pallet comprises mounting means for mounting wall segments (32,34) of a pallet basket (30) onto the flat loading face (24) .

22. A transport pallet, as recited in claim 21 , wherein wall segments (32,34) can be mounted removably to the pallet.

23. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 21 to 22, wherein the wall segments (32,34) of the basket (30) are made of a fiber compound material.

24. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 21 to 23, wherein the wall segments (32,34) of the basket (30) are made of a single sheet material formed with stabilizing profiles (40), extending approximately orthogonal with respect to a plane surface of the wall segments (32,34) .

25. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 21 to 24, wherein the wall segments (32,34) can be secured to each other by means of edge profiles (36).

26. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 21 to 25, wherein the edge profil (36) has an slit opening (38), wherein the wall segments (32,34) engage the slit opening (38) in a secured condition.

27. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 21 to 26, wherein the pallet basket (30) has a top cover (44) with support extensions (48) along the circumference rim of the top cover (44) , wherein the extensions 48 fits with recesses of the wall segments (32,34).

28. A transport pallet, as recited in one of the claims 21 to 27, wherein the wall segments (32,34) and the top cover (44) are made of an fiber compound material, which is substantially the same as that of the upper and the lower sheet (1 2, 1 4) of the pallet.