EP0144263B1 - Stackable box pallets - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A stackable pallet-crate formed of four upright posts (1) rigidly interconnected by a floor member (2), each post (1) carrying sliding channels (5, 6) into which are inserted removable lateral panels (7, 12) ; the internal faces (6) and the external faces (5) of the sliding channels being of uneven heights, the external face (5) extending over at least the full usable height of the crate, this height being equal to an integer multiple of the width of the pannel (7, 12) to which is added a substantial fraction (x) of this width, characterized in that the height of the internal face (6) equals the integer multiple being immediately smaller than said height to which is added a fraction (y) of said height being approximately equal to or smaller than the previous fraction, so that the difference of heights (x + z) between the internal face (6) and the external face (5) will be approximately equal to or larger than one panel width (7, 12).

Description

The pallet box traditionally used for handling and storage is generally a box of fixed height with at least one opening side totally or partially. Cases of this type are described in French patents 1 508 153 or American patent US-A-2,775,360. The latter more particularly describing a box comprising sliding angles enabling the panels to be inserted or removed easily before or after use.

Such boxes can in particular be used for the storage and handling of small parts, but they have the disadvantage that, when the boxes are stacked, it is impossible or very difficult to pick up parts, this picking up of parts also becoming very difficult to as the crates empty. In addition, such cases are bulky when empty.

The subject of the invention is a stackable pallet box without these drawbacks, that is to say from which it is possible to pick up the pieces easily and safely whatever its level of filling, this picking up being also possible when the boxes are stacked. In addition, the box according to the invention is of variable volume and can be, when empty, stored in a small volume.

The box according to the invention is a stackable pallet box formed by four uprights rigidly connected by a lower plate, each upright carrying slides in which are inserted removable side panels; the internal and external faces of the slides being of unequal heights, the external face extending at least over the entire useful height of the body which is equal to an integer multiple of the width of the panel plus a substantial fraction of this width, characterized in that the height of the internal face is equal to the immediately lower whole multiple of said width plus a fraction of this width close to or less than the previous fraction, so that the difference in heights between internal face and external face either close to or greater than a panel width.

The wooden, metallic, mesh, or other panels, being removable and interchangeable, by elements, and can be combined on all four sides and on the same face.

By useful height of the box is meant the height between the lower plate and the top of the uprights, reduced by the height of overlap of the cups of the stacking feet when these cover the uprights.

With a box thus constituted, the side panels are constantly removable, even when the box is part of a stack, and yet the panels cannot accidentally spill outwards; we can therefore remove the panels as the box is emptied, as we can put them in place as it is filled, even after stacking, which greatly facilitates handling and ensures the versatility of cases; moreover, the uprights being rigidly linked to the lower plate, it is possible to use the pallet once the panels have been removed, for a use known as "in cradle".

• a) Le plateau inférieur est formé de quatre traverses latérales dont les zones médianes sont reliées entre elles par des entretoises parallèles aux diagonales, l'ensemble supportant une surface de fond.
• b) Il est prévu des rehausses de montants ayant la même constitution que les montants, la hauteur utile des rehausses étant, dans ce cas, identique à la hauteur des montants des rehausses. Le volume de la caisse de base est donc variable par adjonction sur les montants, de rehausses admettant des panneaux amovibles de même nature que les panneaux de base.
• c) Les pieds de gerbage sont constitués par des coupelles à concavité tournée vers le bas qui recouvrent les sommets des montants et rehausses, eux-mêmes de préférence biseautés.
• d) Les montants et rehausses sont formés de tubes constitués de cornières assemblées, et de plats soudés perpendiculairement, les ailes de la cornière externe débordant le tube et formant les faces externes des glissières. Les ailes de la cornière interne et les plats perpendiculaires servent de butées de guidage des bords verticaux des panneaux.
• e) Les rehausses portent des pieds s'insérant dans les tubes des montants et rehausses.

The invention is further characterized in that:

• a) The lower plate is formed by four lateral crosspieces, the median zones of which are connected to one another by spacers parallel to the diagonals, the assembly supporting a bottom surface.
• b) It is planned to raise the amounts having the same constitution as the amounts, the useful height of the extensions being, in this case, identical to the height of the amounts of the extensions. The volume of the base box is therefore variable by adding to the uprights, extensions admitting removable panels of the same kind as the base panels.
• c) The stacking feet consist of cups with a concavity facing downwards which cover the tops of the uprights and risers, themselves preferably beveled.
• d) The uprights and risers are formed of tubes made up of assembled angles, and of plates welded perpendicularly, the wings of the external angle protruding from the tube and forming the external faces of the slides. The wings of the internal angle and the perpendicular plates serve as guide stops for the vertical edges of the panels.
• e) The risers have feet that fit into the upright and riser tubes.

• . la figure 1 est une vue perspective d'ensemble d'un exemple de réalisation de la caisse palette gerbable selon l'invention;
• . la figure 2 est une vue en coupe d'un montant;
• . la figure 3 est une vue de dessus;
• . la figure 4 est une vue latérale d'un montant;
• . la figure 5 est une vue latérale d'une rehausse;
• . la figure 6 illustre, en perspective, une caisse avec rehausses;
• . la figure 7 illustre, en perspective, le gerbage de deux caisses;
• . la figure 8 illustre en plan l'empilage à vide.

The invention is more fully described below with reference to the attached drawing in which:

• . Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of an embodiment of the stackable pallet box according to the invention;
• . Figure 2 is a sectional view of an upright;
• . Figure 3 is a top view;
• . Figure 4 is a side view of an upright;
• . Figure 5 is a side view of an extension;
• . FIG. 6 illustrates, in perspective, a box with extensions;
• . Figure 7 illustrates, in perspective, the stacking of two boxes;
• . Figure 8 illustrates in plan stacking vacuum.

Referring to these figures, we see that a pallet box according to the invention is formed of four uprights 1 rigidly connected to a floor or lower plate 2 rectangle or square. In the example shown (Figure 3), the plate 2 is formed of lateral tubes 3 and diagonal spacers 4 connecting the midpoints of the tubes 3, the assembly supporting a bottom surface 2, for example of sheet metal. This arrangement has the advantage of facilitating handling by pallet trucks, the arms of which bear on the tubes 3 and the spacers 4.

The uprights 1 carry slides 5, 6 in which are inserted from the removable side panels 7 or 12.

According to the invention, the internal 6 and external 5 faces of the slides are of unequal heights: the faces 5 extend at least from the level of the plate 2 to the upper level of the uprights 1, possibly reduced by the depth of the cups 8 forming seat and stacking legs; this distance, called useful height in the present description, is equal to an integer multiple n of the width of a panel 7 or 12, added to a fraction x of this width; the internal faces 6, on the other hand, extend from the plate 2 over a height equal to the immediately lower multiple (n-1) of the width of the panel plus a fraction y close to or less than the fraction x, so that the difference in height of the faces 5 and 6 (x + z) is close to or greater than a panel width (Figures 4 and 5).

This difference in height must be sufficient to allow the exit of the pallet panels when they are stacked. If the difference in height is slightly less, the panels will be removed by an inward tilting operation, if the difference is greater, the panels will be removed by a horizontal inward operation.

As shown in Figure 7, this arrangement allows to place and remove the panels 7 or 12 even when the pallet boxes are stacked.

• Au chargement, on peut placer les panneaux 7 au fur et à mesure du remplissage, ce qui permet un meilleur rangement, un meilleur remplissage, avec moins de bris ou de détériorations.

This results in several advantages:

• During loading, the panels 7 can be placed as and when filling, which allows better storage, better filling, with less breakage or damage.

When loading, the upper part of the box is always accessible through the space between upper panels 7 or 12 and lower plates 2 of the stacked box.

As the unloading takes place, the panels 7 or 12 can be removed one by one, which ensures complete and easy accessibility of the parts until the crate is completely emptied.

In all cases, there can be no accidental spillage of parts because the panels 7 or 12 can be removed by an inclination maneuver or a horizontal maneuver towards the inside of the body.

The invention provides extensions 10 (Figure 5 and Figure 6) which increase the volume of the boxes. The risers 10 have the same constitution as the uprights 1, in particular with regard to the slides 5 and 6 and their respective heights, the distance (x + z) also being close to or greater than a panel width.

The box with a level of extensions is shown in Figure 6; we see that the panels 7 or 12, at the junction with the extensions 10, are contiguous.

In the case of extensions 10, their useful height is the height of the amount of the extension.

As shown in FIG. 2, the uprights are preferably tubular and of rectangular or square cross-section and the risers 10 are extended by feet 11 dimensioned to be housed in the upper part of the uprights 1, or risers 10.

According to a preferred embodiment, the uprights 1 and risers 10 are produced by welding of external angles 1a and internal angles 1b, the wings of the angles being projecting so as to form the external face 5 of the slides. The internal faces 6 are added by welding, parallel to the external faces, this profile can just as easily be produced in one piece by extrusion or profiling. The internal angle 1b serves as a guide stop for the vertical edges of the panels. Thus the slides are U-shaped, the lateral sides being respectively formed by a wing of the angle 1a, and a flat 6, and the bottom of the U being formed by a wing of the angle 1b.

The panels 7 can be full or perforated as shown in 12 Figure 7, for reasons of lightening or visibility of the contents of the boxes.

FIG. 8 shows that the boxes, according to the invention, can be stacked empty without great bulk by angular shift from one box to the next.

Thus the box is multi-functional by its variable volume (addition of risers) and its possibility of rapid stacking thanks to its centering cups. It can be used in a cradle for long loads and in shelving with the possibility, depending on the nature of the removable panels (mesh or full), to view the stock.

Its content is very accessible since by removing one, several or all of the panels from the floor, even if the boxes are stacked, its access and recovery are made on all four sides.

• . Elle s'adapte aisément à tous les types de contenus, et évite donc à la fois la recherche, l'achat, la manutention de contenants spécifiques de formes et volumes fixes, différents, et encombrants (on a pu mesurer jusqu'à 15% de gain de productivité par un aménagement rationnel des postes de travail), et les pertes de temps résultant d'un contenant mal adapté: chargements difficiles, chutes... (on obtient jusqu'à 40% de gain de temps dans les manutentions par rapport à l'utilisation de palettes traditionnelles).
• . Hors service, les caisses s'empilent dans un volume très réduit permettant un gain de place important (de l'ordre de 60% par rapport à l'utilisation de caisses palettes traditionnelles), et une réduction des coûts de "transport à vide".

Finally, it is economical, in fact:

• . It adapts easily to all types of content, and therefore avoids both searching for, purchasing and handling specific containers of fixed, different, and bulky shapes and volumes (we were able to measure up to 15% productivity gain through a rational arrangement of workstations), and the loss of time resulting from a poorly adapted container: difficult loads, falls ... (we obtain up to 40% time savings in handling by compared to the use of traditional pallets).
• . Out of service, the boxes are stacked in a very small volume allowing a significant saving of space (of the order of 60% compared to the use of traditional pallet boxes), and a reduction of the costs of "empty transport" .

Claims (6)

1. A stackable pallet-crate formed of four upright posts (1) rigidly interconnected by a floor member (2), each post (1) carrying sliding channels (5, 6) into which are inserted removable lateral panels (7, 12); the internal faces (6) and the external faces (5) of the sliding channels being of uneven heights, the external face (5) extending over at least the full usable height of the crate, this height being equal to an integer multiple of the width of the pannel (7, 12) to which is added a substantial fraction (x) of this width, characterized in that the height of the internal face (6) equals the integer multiple being immediately smaller than said height to which is added a fraction (y) of said height being approximately equal to or smaller than the previous fraction, so that the difference of heights (x + z) between the internal face (6) and the external face (5) will be approximately equal to or larger than one panel width (7, 12).

2. A pallet-crate according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom plate (2) is formed of four lateral cross-members (3) the median zones of which are connected together by bracing members (4) parallel to the diagonals, the assembly supporting a bottom surface (2).

3. A pallet-crate according to either of the above claims, characterized in that there are provided risers (10) forming extensions of the posts (1) having the same constitution as the posts, the usable height being, in this case, the height of the extension risers.

4. A pallet-crate according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the stacking feet are formed of cup-shaped pads (8) the concavity of which is turned downwards and which fit over the apexes of the posts (1) and of the risers (10) when such risers are present, said apexes being preferably bevelled.

5. A pallet-crate according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the posts and the risers, when present, are made of tubes formed of assembled corners (1a a and 1b), the wings of the external corner extending beyond the tube and forming the external faces (5) of the sliding channels the internal faces (6) being flat strips added-on in parallel to the external faces.

6. A pallet-crate according to claim 3, characterized in that the risers carry feet (11) which can be inserted into the tubes of the posts (1) and risers (10).

Images