CA1304016C

CA1304016C - Pallet

Info

Publication number: CA1304016C
Application number: CA000560159A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Bengt Johansson; Jan Helgesson
Original assignee: Inter Ikea AS
Current assignee: Inter Ikea AS
Priority date: 1987-03-17
Filing date: 1988-03-01
Publication date: 1992-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-23
Also published as: FI881047A0; EP0283799B1; DK137087D0; DK166768B1; DK137087A; NO881136L; NO180332C; DE3866389D1; EP0283799A1; ATE69778T1; NO180332B; FI91233C; NO881136D0; FI881047A; FI91233B

Abstract

Abstract:
A pallet A disposable pallet comprises a base plate (1) of corrugated cardboard and a plurality of block-shaped feet (2) situated on the bottom side of the base plate (1). Each block-shaped foot (2) is made of a strong corrugated cardboard and is substantially solid, said foot comprising a substantially planar laminate including at least ten layers (3a, 3b, 3c, ..) of corrugated cardboard situated substan-tially perpendicular to the base plate (1). Compared to the main dimension (H) of the base plate (1) the block-shaped foot (2) is of a relatively small height (h) of 15-35 mm. The pallet is very simple and strong and furthermore very inexpensive.

Description

~3~ 22273-19~
The invention relates to a pallet, preferably a disposable pallet o~ the type comprising a base plate of corrugated cardboard and a plurality of block-shaped feet also of corrugated cardboard and situated on the bottom side of the base plate.

It has been known for a long time to manufacture pallets of corrugated cardboard. Thus the US-PS No. 3~763,791 discloses a pallet comprising block-shaped feet formed by small box-shaped bodies of corrugated cardboard, ~he walls of said bodies including two layers of corrugated cardboard. The box-shaped bodies comprise projectiny webs of corrugated cardboard, said webs allowiny a securing of the bodies to the bottom side of the pallet base plate. Thesa webs extend upwards through slots in the base plate and are bent on the top side of the base plate. Furthermore these block-shaped feet are rather high. The latter two features lmply that this pallet is not quite satisfactory because a large inner cavity in the block shaped foot makes said foot rather weak.
As the block-shaped feet are rather high they can work loose relatively easily from the base pla~e in case said base plate is subjected to a s~rong horlzontal effect when the pallet is loaded with articles whi.le situated on the ground. A further disadvanta~e of this known pallet is that it is rather complicated.

Another pallet of the initially described ~ype is disclosed in the GB-A-697 232. This known pallet having block-shaped feet constructed by the gluing together of multiple layers of double-faced corrugated cardboard comprises a base plate formed of two '~
'. ~
... .. .
~ . .

130gL~L6 layers of clouble-faced corrugated cardboard secured together by wire-staples. The underside layer of the base p].ate :Ls formed with a plurality of square recesses to receive the feet. The recesses are formed by marking the appropria~e squares on the undersicle layer of the material, by means of score lines and making diagonal cuts across each square. A~ter the layers have been stapled together, the triangular tabs formed by the cuts are bent outwardly at right angles to the panel to reveal the recesses. A disadvantage of this known pallet is that it is rather complicated. Further, as the block-shaped feet are rather high, they can work loose relatively easily fxom the base plate in case that the base plate is suhjected to a strong horizontal effect when the pallet is loaded with articles while situated on the ground.

Further, the US-A-3 477 395 discloses a pallet leg structure.
This leg structure is formed ~rom sheets of double-faced corrugated board which have been slit scored to permit folding of the sheet. After ~olding the le~ structure is glued on a pallet-face component to form conventional pallets.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pallet o~ the above type which is simpler and stronger than the previously known pallets, and which in addition is very compact.

To be compact is a very important feature because many pallets with articles piled thereon must be pileable atop one another in small compartments, such as in a container or a truck where the r ~4~
22~73 196 compartment is ~ltilizecl to a maximum, i.e. including as little air as possible. This compact feature must be ensuxed at the same time as a safe handling of ~he palle~s by means of a fork truck must be possible in an eas~ manner.

The invention provides a pallet of the type compri.sing a base plate of corrugated cardboard and a plurality of block-shaped feet, also of corrugatecl cardboard ancl situated on the bottom side of the base plate, each block-shaped foot being made of a strony corrugated cardboard and being substantially solid as it consists of a substantially planar la~inate having at least ten single layers of corrugated cardboard arranged substantially perpendicular to the base plate such that small channels of at leask a part of the layers of corrugated cardboard of each block-shaped foot extend substantially perpendicular to the base plate, characterized in that the block-shaped feet are of a height of approximately 15-35 mm, in that the corrugated cardboard used for the laminate of the block-shaped feet is of a type of a weight in the range 140-180 g/m2, and in that the block-shaped feet are glued directly and exclusively onto the base plate by means of a single-component latex glue.

As the block-shaped feet are very low on account of the large number of layers of corrugated cardboard and furthermore very broad, no risk exists of said Eeet working loose from the base plate at a lateral effect on the pallet when said pallet is being loaded with articles. Furthermore the pallet is very suited for transporting articles in containers or truck compartments where ~, ~

~3~0~
2227;3-1~6 khe compartments must be utilized to a maximum, and where loading and unloading of the pallets by means of a fork truck is simultaneously desired. The very simple structure of the pallet ensures a particularly inexpensive manufacturing price, which allows discarcling of the pallet, the pallat thus being a disposclble pallet.

Furthermore at least part of the pallet, preferably the block-shaped feet, may be coated and/or impregnated with a water-repellent agent such as wax or plastics. As a result the pallet is stronger in a very simple manner than the known pallets even in case it is exposed to moisture hecause said moisture cannot weaken ~he block-shaped feet.

One or more very thin layers of plastic foam, preferably polyvinyl chloride may form part of the laminate of the blo~k-shaped feet, whereby each block-shaped foot is strengthened considerably.

Moreover the bottom sicle of the block-shaped feet may be covered by a cover face of for instance cardboard or corrugated cardboard, whereby it is ensured that water cannot by capillary efiect penetrate the small grooves in the vertical layers of corrugated cardboard. The maximum sectional dimension of these small grooves i5 about 4-5 mm.

Furthermore one or more thin metal wires may extend around each block-shaped foot so as to hold together the layers of corrugated cardboard when said layers are loaded. As a result the layers of ~3i~
222~3-~96 corrugated cardboard of each block-shaped foot are prevented from being pressed aside under great vertical loads. Corlsecluently the block-shaped feet are considerably strengthened.

Finally the layers of corrugated cardboard in each block-shaped foot may be crossed, the small grooves of each layer of corrugated cardboard being situated substantially perpendicular to the small grooves of the neighboring layer of corrugated cardboard.

The invention will be described below with referénce 4a ~`~

~3~

to the accompanying draw;ngs, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pallet according to the invention, where the very low block-shaped faet of the pallet are situated on the bottom side 50f the pallet base plate and appear clearly, Figure 2 is an inclined bottom view of a block-shaped foot, Figure 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a block-shaped foot including a layer of plastic foam be-lOtween the layers of corrugated cardboard, Figure 4 illustrates a third embodiment of a block-shaped foot, where the bottom side of said foot is provided with a hori70ntal layer of corrugated cardboard, 15 Figure 5 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a block-shaped foot, where one or more circumferential metal wires are provided for holding together and strengthening all the layers of corrugated card-board, and 20 Figure 6 illustrates a portion of a block-shaped foot comprising crossed layers of corrugated card-board.

The pallet of Figure 1 is preferably a disposable pallet and comprises a base plate 1 of corrugated 2~ cardboard and a plurality oE block-shaped feet 2 situated on the bottom side of the base plate. These feet are also made of corrugated cardboard. The ~3~D~0~6 base plate 1 comprises preferably a horizontal layer of corrugated cardboard, but may also comprise two or three such layers. Each block-shaped foot 2 comprises a substantially planar laminate, cf.
5 Figure 2, which includes at least ten layers of corrugated cardboard 3a, 3_, 3c .... situated sub-stantially perpendicular to the base plate 1. The block-shaped foot is substantially solid because no large cavities exist in the interior thereof.
10 The corrugated cardboard used is of a strong type.
The height h of each block-shaped foot is relatively small compared to the main dimension _ of the pallet and is in the range 15-35 mm. Thus the block-shaped foot is very low which is an extremenely important 15 feature because the pallet and the articles piled thereon must take up as little space as possible when stored in for instance a container or a truck compartment. However, the block-shaped feet must be just so high that the forks of a fork truck can 20 slip beneath the pallet so as to lift and handle said pallet.

Usually the corrugated cardboard used is of the type "one-sided well" of a weight in the range 140-130 g/m2, preferably 160 g/m2.

25 In order to increase the resistance of the block-shaped feet to moisture, they may be coated and/or impregnated with a water-repellant agent, such as wax or plastics, preferably polyvinyl chloride.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the corrugated cardboard 30 laminate of each block-shaped foot 2 may include one or more very thin layers of plastic foam as - ~L3~

indicated for instance at 4a, 4b, and 4c. These layers have a blocking effect and increase the resistance to compression of the block-shaped foot.

Each block-shaped Eoot 2 is preferably glued onto 5 the base plate 1 by means of a single-component latex glue.

Figure 2 is, as mentioned, an inclined bottom view of a block-shaped foot. It is noted that the small grooves 5a, 5_, 5c of each layer of corrugated lO cardboard preferably extend perpendicular to the base plate 1.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the bottom side of each block-shaped foot 2 may be covered by a cover face ~ of for instance cardboard or corru~ated 15 cardboard, whereby moisture to a certain degree is prevented from seeping upwards into the small grooves 5a, 5b, Sc, cf. Figure 2, of the foot.

As illustrated in Figure 5 one or more thin metal wires 8', 8" may extend around each block-shaped 20 foot 2 so as to increase the resistance to compres-sion of the foot. The metal wires may optionally also e~tend between two succeeding layers of corru-gated cardboard in the interior of the block-shaped foot. The invention may be varied in many ways 25 without deviating from the scope thereof. Thus the layers of corrugated cardboard of each block-shaped Eoot 2 may be crossed, cf. Figure 6, whereby the small grooves lOa, 10_, lOc of the layer lO are situated substantially perpendicular to the small 30 ~rooves lla, llb of the layer ll.

Claims

1. A pallet of the type comprising a base plate of corrugated cardboard and a plurality of block-shaped feet, also of corrugated cardboard and situated on the bottom side of the base plate, each block-shaped foot being made of a strong corrugated cardboard and being substantially solid as it consists of a substantially planar laminate having at least ten single layers of corrugated cardboard arranged substantially perpendicular to the base plate such that small channels of at least a part of the layers of corrugated cardboard of each block-shaped foot extend substantially perpendicular to the base plate, characterized in that the block-shaped feet are of a height of approximately 15-35 mm, in that the corrugated cardboard used for the laminate of the block-shaped feet is of a type of a weight in the range 140-180 g/m2, and in that the block-shaped feet are glued directly and exclusively onto the base plate by means of a single-component latex glue.

2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the height of the block-shaped foot is 1.5 to 3.5 per cent of the main dimension of the base plate.

3. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least part of the pallet is coated and/or impregnated with a water-repellent agent, such as wax or plastics.

4. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that one or more very thin layers of plastic foam forms part of the laminate of the block-shaped feet.

5. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bottom side of the block-shaped feet is covered by a cover face.

6. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one thin metal wire extends around each block-shaped foot so as to hold together the layers of corrugated cardboard when said layers are loaded.

7. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the layers of corrugated cardboard in each block-shaped foot are crossed, the small grooves of each layer of corrugated board being situated substantially perpendicular to the small grooves of the neighboring layer of corrugated cardboard.

8. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the corrugated cardboard has a weight of about 160 g/m2.

9. A pallet as claimed in claim 5 wherein at least one thin metal wire extends around each block-shaped foot so as to hold together the layers of corrugated cardboard when said layers are loaded.