EP1136374B1 - Multi-use pallet - Google Patents

Abstract

The pallet consists of lower (1) and upper (5) decks joined by blocks (8). The upper deck has a raised rim (6) round at least part of its periphery, and the lower one has a series of bosses (3) at its corners and along some of its cross-members (2). The bosses are positioned to prevent side slip between two pallets stacked with facing lower decks.

Description

The present invention relates to a multi-purpose palette.

We know that, in general, we designate under the term "palette" supports made of various materials, such as wood, metal or material plastic, which are intended to support loads so that they can be lifted and move them easily using a forklift.

Such pallets are most often formed by an upper floor and a lower floor, joined by studs to allow passage between them forks of forklifts or pallet trucks. It is also known to carry out the lower floor in the form of sleepers connecting the lower parts of different pads.

It is also known to place a rim at the periphery of the upper floor vertical which delimits a surface capable of receiving a plurality of packaging or containers of smaller dimensions, as they are known under the name of "Galia bins".

The object of the present invention is to provide a pallet which can be indifferently be placed on the ground to receive the forks of a forklift, serving as a support for a plurality of containers, such as those known as Galia bins, possibly superimposed in several layers, or to be placed on top of a plurality of such containers to hold them in place, being in the same position as the lower pallet or in the inverted position.

The pallet according to the invention is also such that if the floor is applied lower pallet against the lower floor of another pallet, these two pallets do not can move laterally relative to each other.

A palette presenting the characteristics of the preamble of claim 1 is known from document US-A-4,000,704.

This pallet which does not have a lower floor also presents the characteristic of having to be put in place by being turned over on a stack of containers arranged on a lower pallet to hold them.

The characteristics of the pallet according to the invention are the subject of the claim 1.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the bosses are arranged at the four corners of the lower floor as well as for example along at least some of the crosspieces connecting the studs to constitute the lower floor.

According to the invention, the spaces left between the bosses are located at the right container walls of different sizes that can be stacked on the pallet so as to hold them laterally.

The object palette patent allows easy use of pallet trucks while avoiding any risk of tilting of the containers between the crosspieces which constitute the lower floor of a pallet placed above a stack of containers.

We know, in fact, that the forks of pallet trucks are introduced between the two floors, thanks to small diameter rollers which must pass easily the crosspieces of the lower floor, the total height of the forks of the pallet truck in front be less than the relatively small height of the space between the two floors.

The pallets currently used which do not include bosses, have lower cross members of a thickness which is sufficiently reduced to be able to be crossed by the pallet truck rollers, while being sufficiently resistant to withstand the mechanical stresses which are imposed on the pallet.

Now, placing in accordance with the invention protruding bosses below the lower floor has the consequence of raising above the ground the upper side of the sleepers of the lower floor, which makes them difficult passable by the rollers of the pallet trucks, and constitutes a drawback which makes difficult to move pallets of this type using pallet trucks.

In accordance with the invention, it is advantageous to produce the pallet as regards injection molded plastic, for example high density polyethylene or another material with similar mechanical characteristics.

According to a first variant of the invention, the crosspieces which deform to allow the passage of the pallet truck rollers do not have, at this point, bosses at their bottom and have their bevelled edges, so as to allow the engagement of the pallet truck rollers and to be able to deform and flex when passing of said rollers.

According to this variant, the middle part of the cross member bends in its together, enough to allow the passage of the pallet truck roller, but without that it is mandatory that the central part of the cross comes to bear on the ground.

In another variant of this embodiment, it is possible to produce, on the edges of the sleepers which must be crossed by the pallet truck rollers, parts in the form of ailerons which are joined to the body of the crosspiece by an area thin, so as to pivot so as to constitute a ramp for passage shingles.

For this it is also possible to make a short slit perpendicular to the edge of sleepers, on both sides of the rollers' passage to facilitate their sagging.

According to another variant of the invention, there are below the crosspieces, bosses of lower height which allow a deformation of the sleepers downwards which, although of lesser importance, nevertheless allows the passage of the pebbles pallet trucks, due to the bevels that are made on the upper edges of the sleepers.

We see that the pallet according to the invention can be used very varied by ensuring lateral maintenance of a stack of pallets and receptacles such as Galia bins, while also allowing the use of pallet trucks including rollers can despite the bosses engage on the crosspieces of the lower floor.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une superposition de palettes selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'une superposition de palettes selon un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue en élévation représentant la superposition de deux ensembles de bacs Galia maintenus chacun par une palette selon l'invention disposée à leur partie basse et une palette selon l'invention disposée à leur partie haute,
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique montrant comment selon l'invention les galets d'un transpalette peuvent franchir les traverses du plancher grâce à leur déformation,
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique de droite qui correspond à la figure 4,
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe représentant un autre mode de réalisation de la traverse du plancher,
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe d'un autre mode de réalisation dans lequel les traverses du plancher comportent des bossages de hauteur moindre que les bossages qui sont disposés sous les plots de manière à permettre un fléchissement de la traverse néanmoins suffisant pour qu'elle puisse être franchie par les galets d'un transpalette, et
• la figure 8 est une vue schématique en plan d'une traverse du plancher présentant des ailerons pour permettre par leur déformation le franchissement des galets du transpalette.

In order to better understand the invention, we will now describe by way of illustration and without any limiting character, several embodiments given by way of examples and represented in the appended drawing, in which:

• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a superposition of pallets according to a first embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a stack of pallets according to another embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 3 is an elevation view showing the superposition of two sets of Galia containers each held by a pallet according to the invention arranged at their bottom part and a pallet according to the invention arranged at their top part,
• FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing how, according to the invention, the rollers of a pallet truck can cross the sleepers of the floor due to their deformation,
• FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view on the right which corresponds to FIG. 4,
• FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the cross member of the floor,
• FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another embodiment in which the crosspieces of the floor have bosses of lesser height than the bosses which are arranged under the studs so as to allow a deflection of the crosspiece nevertheless sufficient for it can be crossed by the rollers of a pallet truck, and
• Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of a cross member of the floor having fins to allow by their deformation the crossing of the rollers of the pallet truck.

Four pallets according to the invention have been shown in FIG. 1, stacked with on top of each other, the lower floor 1 of which is made up of crosspieces 2 which have bosses 3 at their lower part.

We also see in Figure 1 the upper floor 5 of the pallet which is constituted by a flat surface provided with flanges 6 which during stacking are housed in the peripheral recesses 7 around the bottom floor of the upper pallet which is thus maintained.

The lower 1 and upper 5 floors are joined by a series of studs 8.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the pallet according to the invention.

At the bottom of the pallet stack shown in Figure 2, there are the elements of Figure 1 with, in addition, on the lower floor two crosspieces 4 arranged on the short sides of the pallet and which connect the cross members 2 which are parallel on the long sides of the palette.

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically how four pallets A, B, C, D as described with reference to Figures 1 or 2 can be used to maintain and transport stacks of smaller containers, such as example of Galia containers.

For this we place on the ground a first pallet A on which we have a stacking of Galia 9 trays, the shapes of which are determined to allow assembly essentially corresponding to the horizontal surface of palette A.

As indicated previously the rim 6 located at the top of the Pallet A laterally maintains the bottom layer of the Galia 9 trays which are maintained each other to the upper layer on which a second pallet B is placed in the inverted position, that is to say with the flange 6 directed downwards so as to frame the upper end of the Galia tanks which constitute the last layer.

In this way we obtain a stack of Galia trays which are maintained laterally and which can be easily moved with a forklift or pallet truck whose forks engage in the spaces between the pads 8 of the palette A.

In accordance with the invention, the bosses arranged at the bottom of a palette have shapes and positions such that it is possible to apply one on top of the other two pallets B, C so that the bosses of a pallet are located between the bosses of the other pallet which ensures lateral support of the two pallets B, C one compared to each other.

FIG. 3 shows a second stack of Galia 9 containers which as in the first stack are held at the top by the edge of head of a pallet D which has been turned over like pallet B.

We see that thanks to this arrangement it is possible at will to stack multiple Galia trays which are placed between two pallets, one of which is turned upside down and superimpose such assemblies so as to transport them all at once with a forklift or pallet truck.

We also see in Figure 3 that to obtain this result it is necessary to have bosses 3 at the bottom of the bottom floor 1 of each pallet otherwise, the pallets B and C would not be joined to the lateral forces of one in relation to the other.

The bosses in question are also used when a pallet is placed on top a stack of Galia containers in the same orientation as pallets A and C, laterally hold the Galia trays in the stack. The bosses 3 are arranged at inside the upper ends of the walls of Galia tanks.

The shape and arrangement of the bosses placed below the floor lower may be different from those shown provided that a apart from the lateral support of the different types of containers that must be stacked and on the other hand to be able to join laterally two pallets applied one against the other in the inverted position.

The existence of the bosses arranged according to the invention below the sleepers consequence of raising the crosspieces from the lower floor which can make them difficult to pass by the rollers of the pallet truck.

We have schematically shown in Figure 4 how this problem was solved according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

We find in Figure 4 the cross 4 schematically shown in cross section.

To allow the roller 10 of a pallet truck to cross the cross member 4 of the pallet, bevels 4a are produced on both sides of the cross member 4 which is made of a plastic material such as high density polyethylene having sufficient deformation capacity to allow the lateral parts of the cross member to collapse towards the ground when the pallet truck roller engages on the cross member as shown in 10 a , 10 b , 10 c in FIG. 4.

Found in Figure 5, which is a right view of Figure 4, the upper floor 5 of the pallet, the studs 8, the bosses 3 and the cross 4 with its bevels 4 a .

The position taken by the edge of the cross 4 when the roller 10 of a pallet truck passes.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rigidity of the central part of the cross is sufficient for it to deform little, while its edges 4a are deformed to allow the passage of the roller 10.

In a variant it is possible to allow the central part of the crosspiece 4 to collapse at the same time as its edges 4a to facilitate the passage of the roller 10 of the pallet truck.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the edges of the cross-member 4 have, in addition to the bevel 4 , a recess 4 c placed for example at their lower part to give them a greater capacity for flexibility down to facilitate the crossing of the cross 4 by the rollers of the pallet truck.

In the embodiment of Figure 7, we find the cross 4 comprising the bevelled edges 4a but which also has bosses 3a in its part which, although providing to a lesser extent the lateral support of two pallets placed upside down one on the other or Galia bins on which the pallet rests, allow the cross member 4 a deformation down which is sufficient to ensure that it is crossed by the rollers of a pallet truck, thus avoiding too much bending, of the plastic material constituting the pallet.

This embodiment achieves a compromise between the lateral support made by the bosses 3a and constraints that are imposed on cross when passing pebbles constraints are limited by the support bosses 3 was on the floor.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, which is a view of above, we find in section the studs 8 and the cross 4 which is provided in the vicinity of its ends of two 4d notches which facilitate the downward bending of the lateral parts of the crosspiece during the passage of the pallet truck roller.

It is understood that the embodiments which have been described above are for illustration only and may be subject to any modifications desirable without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

1. Multi-use pallet of the type comprising an upper floor (5) comprising a rim (6) on at least part of its periphery, the pallet having on its lower face a plurality of bosses (3) arranged in such a way that two pallets placed above and below a stack of containers (9), such as Galia crates, hold this stack laterally, and in such a way that two pallets (B, C) placed lower face against lower face are secure relative to one another with respect to lateral forces, characterized in that the upper floor (5) is connected by means of studs (8) to a lower floor (1) consisting of cross members (2, 4), the lower face of which forms the lower face, equipped with the bosses, of the pallet, and in that some of the cross members (2, 4) of the lower floor possess a deformation capacity on their parts which must be crossed by the rollers (10) of a pallet truck, in such a way that this deformation allows the rollers of the pallet truck to engage into the gap between the two floors (1, 5) of the pallet.
2. Pallet according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bosses (3) are arranged at the four corners of the lower floor (1) and, for example, along at least some of the cross members (2) connecting the studs so as to form the lower floor.
3. Pallet according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spaces left between the bosses (3) are located in line with the walls of the containers (9) of different sizes which can be stacked on the pallet so as to hold them laterally.
4. Pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is produced from injection-moulded plastic, for example from high-density polyethylene or from another material having similar mechanical characteristics.
5. Pallet according to Claim 4, characterized in that the cross members (4) which are deformed in order to allow the passage of the rollers of the pallet truck have their edges bevelled (4a), so as to be capable of bending during the passage of the rollers of the pallet truck.
6. Pallet according to Claim 5, characterized in that the edges of the cross members (4) which must be crossed by the rollers of the pallet truck are equipped with flap-shaped parts (4b) which are connected to the central part of the cross member by means of a zone of smaller thickness (4c), so as to pivot in order to form a ramp for the passage of the rollers.
7. Pallet according to either one of Claims 5 and 6, characterized in that notches (4d) perpendicular to the edges of the cross members are produced on either side of the passage of the rollers in order to facilitate the bending of the edges.
8. Pallet according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the underneath of the cross members comprises bosses (3a) of lesser height than the other bosses (3), in order to allow a downward deformation of the central part of the cross members, at the same time limiting this deformation due to the fact that the bosses (3a) come to bear on the ground.

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