BE1017621A3 - PALETTE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Palette made up of parallel longitudinal elements (2, 5) placed at regular distances, perpendicular transverse elements (4) and vertical support elements (3), the vertical support elements (3), the transverse elements (4) and, successively, vertically on the lower longitudinal elements (2) the upper longitudinal elements (5) are arranged in that the transverse elements (4) have cutouts (6) into which the upper longitudinal elements (5) engage, the elements (2-5) of the pallet (1) being made of solid cardboard, this is compressed or glued paper. Method for the manufacture of the aforementioned palette.

Description

Palette.

The present invention relates to a palette.

It is well known that pallets are tools that are widely used for storing and transporting goods. The most famous pallets are wooden pallets.

Due to specific hygiene reasons in certain sectors, such as the food sector, the feed sector, the pharmaceutical sector and the new international regulations by, for example, the Food and Agriculture Organization and / or legislation in certain countries regarding phytosanitary measures and import and export, wooden pallets must undergo a special thermal or other treatment that can prevent the spread of vermin, such as insects, bacteria, rats, mice and so on.

A disadvantage of this is that such a treatment is expensive and time-consuming.

In addition, it is known that to prevent fumigation of loads on wooden pallets and to obtain pallets that are easier to clean or that meet the very strict hygiene standards and safety requirements, such as the absence of splinters and metal parts, pallets in other materials, such as plastic and aluminum have been developed.

However, due to their very high cost price, these have little entry into the industry and distribution sector.

It is also known that one-off pallets or multiple-use pallets, which can be recycled in an economically and ecologically responsible way, are of course an interesting alternative.

The development of cardboard pallets that can be processed in a traditional pulp installation is obvious. A number of patents such as EP 1,588,952 and EP 1,695,915 describe cardboard pallets.

All these cardboard pallets, however, consist of corrugated cardboard parts that are compressible and moisture-sensitive under high loads, which is extremely disadvantageous for areas of application with high loads.

The present invention has for its object to provide a solution to one or more of the aforementioned and other disadvantages.

To this end, the present invention relates to a pallet composed of parallel longitudinal elements placed at regular distances, perpendicular transverse elements and vertical support elements, wherein the support elements, the transverse elements and the upper longitudinal elements are placed vertically on the lower longitudinal elements, characterized in that the transverse elements have cutouts in which the upper longitudinal elements engage, the elements of the pallet being made of solid cardboard, this being compressed or glued paper.

By solid cardboard is here meant cardboard which, as is known, is preferably formed by processing old paper together with water into fibers, cleaning, spreading sheet formation and dehydrating on a cardboard machine, mechanically pressing and thermally drying. The cardboard is then glued on both sides and sheets are cut on a cutting machine. These sheets are used by cardboard boxes to make, among other things, shipping packaging for various products such as flowers, vegetables and fruit, frozen meat and fish, archive items, bolts and nuts, etc., but they are also used to make binders, book covers and jigsaw puzzles.

As can be seen from the above, solid board must have certain properties in order to be able to pack moist products in it and at the same time be sufficiently sturdy to allow the boxes to stack on top of each other. Also the possible printing of such a box should remain beautiful because the producer of the packaged article wants to show what is in the box.

Solid board typically has a weight from 500 to 1000 grams per square meter and after sticking with paper this can go up to 2000 g / m2. Typically, the thickness of solid board is between half a millimeter and three millimeters.

Solid board is shipped worldwide, unlike corrugated board that is usually only sold within a radius of 400 km. Solid board accompanies fishing vessels to pack the catch, and is widely used in flower, fruit and vegetable auctions, but it also makes emergency homes and chairs. It is a versatile and completely recyclable product.

A solid cardboard pallet according to the invention offers many advantages.

A first important advantage is that a solid cardboard pallet according to the invention is hygienic and can be used immediately in various sectors without having to undergo a thermal or other process in order, for example, to be pest-free.

An additional advantage is that a solid cardboard palette can be recycled via the traditional paper recycling process, which contributes to the environment.

Another advantage is that a solid cardboard palette according to the invention can be decorated in whole or in part, as a result of which new possibilities arise for better management of goods flows and possibly even advertising possibilities.

Another advantage is that a solid cardboard pallet according to the invention has a modular structure, whereby different dimensions in length, width and height can be realized.

An additional advantage is that a solid cardboard pallet according to the invention is inexpensive in comparison with plastics and wood, that it is light in comparison with wood and that it simultaneously has the same appearance and configuration of wooden pallets.

Another advantage is that a solid cardboard pallet according to the invention, provided that compliance and production according to the legally imposed hygiene standards, may come into direct contact with food products.

In a preferred embodiment of a pallet according to the invention, all parts are solid cardboard profiles which, in the case of the vertical support elements, can be glued together to form a sleeve and which are placed and assembled at regular distances.

This offers the advantage that a relatively light and inexpensive pallet is obtained that, depending on the thickness of the parts and their mutual distances, can bear high loads.

Preferably, all longitudinal and transverse elements are the same solid cardboard U-shaped profile, and in addition, all supporting elements can also be assembled or manufactured from said U-profile.

This offers the advantage that an even cheaper production process of a pallet according to the invention is obtained.

The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid cardboard profiles are pressed, cut, and punched, the profiles assembled as the elements of the pallet (1) and the elements on be attached to each other with an adhesive and / or mechanical connection.

With the insight to better demonstrate the characteristics of the invention, a few embodiments of a pallet according to the invention are described below as an example without any limiting character, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a solid cardboard palette shows; Figure 2 shows an enlargement of Figure 1 according to F2; Figure 3 shows the vertical structure of the pallet; figures 4 to 9 show a top view of different support elements; Figure 10 shows a variant on the solid cardboard pallet and; Figure 11 shows a combination of only longitudinal and support elements that can also be used for other applications.

Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a pallet 1, being a horizontal support surface. The pallet 1 is built up from bottom to top by placing the lower longitudinal elements 2, support elements 3, perpendicular transverse elements 4 and upper longitudinal elements 5 at regular distances or parallel. There are here as many support elements 3 on each lower longitudinal element 2 as there are transverse elements 4. The number of upper longitudinal elements 5 can be equal to the number of lower longitudinal elements 2, but is higher in Figs. 1 and 2 than the number of lower longitudinal elements 2, whereby even small-size loads can easily be carried by the pallet 1.

Figure 3 illustrates the vertical structure of the pallet 1 and shows that the longitudinal elements 2 and 5 and the transverse elements are solid cardboard U-profiles, the transverse elements 4 having cut-outs 6 which engage with the legs of the upper longitudinal elements 5. There are therefore twice as many cut-outs 6 if there are upper longitudinal elements 5.

Figure 3 also shows that the support elements 3 at the top and bottom are optionally provided with cut-outs 7 in order to place the support elements more firmly on the lower longitudinal elements 2.

The lower longitudinal elements 2 ensure a solid foundation of the pallet 1, but optionally the lower longitudinal elements 2 can also be omitted.

Figures 4 and 5 show a top view of a support element 3 that is composed of two U-profiles 8 glued together.

Variants to this are possible, as shown in figures 6 to 9. In figure 6, two angular L-profiles 9 are glued together. In Figure 7 the support element 3 is one large U-profile 10 and in Figure 8 a circular profile 11. Figure 9 finally shows U-shaped profiles 12 that may or may not be glued together but which are identical in size and composition to the profiles from which the shelves 2, 4 and 5 are made.

All profiles 8-12 that are used as support element 3 in a pallet 1 are used in a vertical position and are limited in height, whereby they also consist of paper strips glued together. In other words, the profiles 8-12 are also made of solid cardboard.

The shape of each profile 8-12 is obtained during the production process and consists of gluing or pressing and profiling the various paper webs.

The strength and bearing capacity of the pallet 1 is determined by the number of support elements 3 on the one hand, and the intrinsic strength of each support element 3 on the other. This intrinsic strength will be largely determined by the number of paper layers within the profiles 8-12, the quality of the gluing, the shape and the dimensions of the profile 8-12, the vertical positioning of the profiles 8-12 in the pallet construction 1 and the height of the support element 3. Typically, the height of each support element 3 is between 10 and 20 cm, and typically the thickness of each profile 8-12 is of the order of 5 mm.

The adhesives used to make profiles 8-12 are water-soluble or dispersible adhesives, such as silicates, polyvinyl acetate (PVA), starch, dextrins, hot melts, etc.

Due to the complete gluing of the various paper layers in the elementary profiles 8-12, little or no dust is formed during the production process of the pallets 1 or pallet parts 2-11, in other words during the cutting, punching and gluing of the individual profiles 8 -12 to elements 2, 4 and 5 or supporting elements 3. Nor is little or no dust formed by mechanical damage during use, in other words during loading and unloading and storing of the pallets 1. Due to the intense gluing of the various paper layers in the sections 8-12 the intrinsic strength of these elemental structural elements 2-5 is much greater than with structural elements 2-5 made from corrugated cardboard.

In order to further improve the water resistance and the possible linting behavior, a form for dust formation, of the profiles 8-12, these profiles 8-12 may contain a coating, for example in the form of a coated paper layer, an alu coating or a plastic outer layer.

These water-resistant outer layers are applied during the production of profiles 8-12.

This outer layer can also consist of a colored or decorated paper web or plastic film. This easy way of coloring and decorating the profiles 8-12, which form the support or support elements 2-5, creates the possibility of producing personalized pallets 1 in the flexible and economically responsible manner that sort, group, and identify the goods. in warehouses, during transportation, etc.

For use in the transport and distribution sector, the solid cardboard pallet 1 preferably has the dimensions 80 x 120 cm, the size of a so-called euro pallet. Other sizes for the pallet 1 are of course also possible, such as the usual sizes 100 by 120 cm or 40 by 60 cm. For euro pallets different degrees are possible depending on the load capacity, for example a static load capacity according to ASTM D1185 of at least 1300 kg and preferably 1500 kg and more preferably 1800 kg. With cardboard pallets in general, the dynamic load-bearing capacity depends on the construction, but a high load is certainly possible for a solid-cardboard pallet 1 according to the invention. Connecting the horizontal support and vertical support elements 2-5 to a pallet 1 can be done in various ways, such as gluing, stapling, screws, clamps, etc.

For the use of such solid cardboard pallets 1 in the food industry, gluing is the most appropriate method.

The adhesives used thereby can have a different composition, such as silicates, PVA, dextrins, acrylates, hotmelts or others. These adhesives are sufficiently water-resistant under normal conditions of use, but can still be dissolved in a traditional paper pulp installation.

The glue method used for pallet assembly avoids the insertion of metal staples or screws that could possibly come loose during use and disrupt the HACCP processes in food companies. HACCP is a systematic approach with the aim of identifying, evaluating and controlling food safety hazards. The HACCP is based on seven research phases. These phases are: 1 describe all hazards for each process step (Hazards); 2 determine the critical control points (Critical Control Points); 3 establish (internal) standards with regard to all critical control points; 4 develop a control system for the control of all critical control points; 5 develop a correction system for all possible deviations; 6 set up verification procedures; 7 develop a registration and documentation system.

Other assembly techniques, such as staples, screws, taps, etc. will mainly be used for pallets 1 that can be mechanically dismantled after use or for which the support and / or support elements 2-5 of the pallet 1 itself are further used for further processing and / or construction of goods stored on such a pallet 1.

In the above description, cut-outs 6 are provided on the transverse elements 4, but it is not excluded that cut-outs are provided on the upper 5 and / or lower longitudinal elements 2 instead, or additionally.

Figure 10 shows a variant on a solid cardboard pallet according to the invention, wherein the lower longitudinal elements 2, the support elements 3, the upper longitudinal elements 5 and the transverse elements 4, respectively, are placed.

This offers the advantage that the combination of the lower longitudinal and support elements 2, 4 and 5 as shown in Fig. 11 can also easily be used for other applications. For example, two of these combination elements can be used to place a full plate on top of it.

The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described by way of example and shown in the figures, but a solid cardboard pallet according to the invention can be implemented in all kinds of ways without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (13)

1 Palette composed of parallel longitudinal elements (2, 5) placed at regular distances, perpendicular transverse elements (4) and vertical support elements (3), the vertical support elements (3), the transverse elements (4) being successively vertical on the lower longitudinal elements (2) and the upper longitudinal elements (5) are arranged in that the transverse elements (4) have cutouts (6) into which the upper longitudinal elements (5) engage, the elements (2-5) of the pallet (1) being made of solid cardboard, this is compressed or glued paper. Pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that the support elements (3) have cut-outs (7) that fit over the lower longitudinal elements (2) and / or transverse elements (4). Palette according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the longitudinal and transverse elements (2-5) are made as a U-profile (11). Pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support elements (3) are made as two glued-together U-profiles (8) or two glued-together L-profiles (9) to form a tubular support element (3), one U-profile (10) or a single O-profile (10). Palette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all elements (2-5) of the palette (1) are manufactured or assembled from the same U-profile (12) Palette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of elements (2-5) of the palette (1) are attached to each other with an adhesive that is water-soluble or water-dispersible, such as polyvinyl acetate paper glue, silicate paper glue or dextrin paper glue. Pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of elements (2-5) of the pallet (1) are attached to each other with a mechanical connection which is created by clamping or hooking the aforementioned elements (2-5) ) that have been punched, incised or deformed accordingly. Palette according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the elements (2-5) of the palette (1) are attached to each other by a combination of gluing and mechanical joining techniques. Palette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more elements (2-5) of the palette (1) are provided with a coating, in the form of, for example, a layer of coated paper, an aluminum coating or a plastic film. Palette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more elements (2-5) of the palette (1) are printed or colored. Pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness of the longitudinal and transverse elements (2, 4, 5) is of the order of 5 mm. Pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transverse elements (4) are arranged not below but above the upper longitudinal elements (5). Method for manufacturing a pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solid cardboard profiles (8-12) are pressed, cut, and punched, the profiles (8-12) are assembled as the elements (2) -5) of the pallet (1) and the elements (2-5) are attached to each other with an adhesive and / or mechanical connection.