EP2141079A1 - Pallet equipped with studs - Google Patents

Abstract

The pallet (1) has a base (2) equipped with openings (3), and housings (6) with lateral walls (7, 8) and a base (9), where each housing is arranged for receiving a skid (10) that is made of polystyrene or rigid light material. The base of the housing receives a fixation part (11) through its lower face (14), where the fixation part has a head and an axle (13). The head has a contact point in a lower face of the base where the axle is pushed in the skid and forms a stop for permitting to stop the skid. Flexible material bands are arranged on an upper face of the base.

Description

The present invention relates to a pallet of the type comprising a rigid base provided with an upper face on which can be arranged products or containers to be stacked, and a lower face, which is provided with support pads whose particular function is to enhance the base relative to the ground surface to facilitate gripping thereof by means of a stacker or a pallet truck.

The present invention will be implemented in particular by the manufacturers of pallets, made in particular of recycling materials such as cardboard, plastic, wood or any other composites. It will particularly find its application in warehouses, shops or any other surface in which products or containers are stored on pallets for transport, for example for the supply on the shelves or preparation of order, as well as for cargo freight, especially air or road, or even for maintaining in cold or wet rooms because of their sealing property and / or anti-bacterial barrier.

The pallet according to the present invention has known features of the documents FR-A-8320226 and FR-A-9814807 whose design has the advantage of being economical, simple, robust, resistant to moisture and very light.

Such pallets, as described in FR.8320226 and FR.9814807 , consist of a rigid or semi-rigid base, provided with a plurality of openings arranged in line, below which are arranged crenellated housings in which are arranged pads, constituted in particular by polystyrene blocks or any other light but strong material. These pads have a shape adapted to the housing and the opening so that they can be introduced through the upper face of the pallet by introduction through said opening. In this way, the pads appear on the surface of the pallet and perfectly close the openings, the surface of the pallet is thus substantially uniform and does not have a vacuum, which allows a good stability of the distributed load on the upper face of the base.

Under the weight of the load supported by the pallet, the polystyrene pads or other lightweight but strong material are compressed and tend to settle permanently, which significantly reduces their height. The pad therefore tends, particularly during handling of the pallet, to move inside the slot housing, leaving voids at the base and thus adversely affecting the distribution of the load and its stability, or even out completely of the housing, thus rendering the pallet unusable.

To overcome this drawback, it is provided on the pallet according to the document FR-A-8320226 , in order to better maintain the pad inside the slot housing, either to stick said pad inside said housing, or to provide protrusions on the face of the pad, which cooperate with notches arranged in the walls of the housing in niche.

Since such pallets are intended to be used in all weathers, it is difficult to find an adhesive material that is resistant to moisture and heat and that is sufficiently stable over time to envisage fixing, by bonding, the pad in the housing in niche. In addition, the setting of the pads by projections may also not be durable over time; indeed, the protrusions tend to be crushed during the use of the pallet, and therefore can not play durably their role stop.

According to the palette described in the document FR.9814807 , which was intended to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the pallet according to the document FR.8320226 two flaps are arranged laterally on each side of the openings, said flaps being obtained during the formation of the opening by cutting the base. These flaps allow, after folding on the side of the underside of the base, to maintain the pad in position in its slot slot. Thus, despite a possible settlement which substantially reduces the height of said pad, it remains held in position by means of the flaps, which which prevents the skate from moving inside the housing, avoiding any vacuum at the base or its total extraction out of the housing.

According to this design, the presence of the flaps has the disadvantage of increasing the weight of the pallet. Indeed, and for example, for a pallet comprising nine studs, which corresponds to the presence of eighteen flaps or ears, which have the effect of increasing the weight of the pallet of the order of 100 g or more depending on the qualities of resistance required, which on a pallet scale may appear derisory, but in large quantities, has a disadvantage with regard to the transport costs, in particular when air freight products placed on these pallets, as well as the manufacturing costs due to the amount of additional raw material needed during manufacture.

Another disadvantage appears with the pallets similar to those described in the documents FR.9814807 and FR.8320226 . Indeed, such pallets are particularly intended for use in warehouses or store surfaces; the user who, for example, prepares orders or have products in shelves, may feel the need to change the position of the pallet. In order to avoid the use of stackers or pallet trucks, and according to the weight of the products placed on them, it is common for users to slide these pallets on the surface of the ground to position them at their convenience. The pads constituted by the pads arranged in their slot housing, have the disadvantage of having a significant coefficient of friction on the ground surface, the latter being higher when the floor surface is made of concrete or cement, this is commonly the case in warehouses.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and proposes, for this, a pallet which comprises a base, which is provided with a plurality of openings; this base comprises an upper face and a lower face. In addition, the pallet comprises housings having two side walls and a bottom, constituting a crenellated form that extends under the underside of the base, below each opening. Moreover, the pallet includes pads that are introduced into the slots niche; these pads are made of polystyrene or any other lightweight material, rigid and equivalent. According to the invention, the pallet comprises fasteners which have a head and an axis, such as a nail. These fasteners pass through the bottom of the housing, crenellated by the lower face, and extending through the upper face; the head of these fasteners bears on the underside of the bottom of the housing, while the axis is pressed into the shoe positioned in the housing. Thus, the housing receives on its underside the fastener, the head constituting a contact point on the bottom face of the bottom, which is particularly intended to come into contact with the surface of a floor or even products when the pallets are superimposed on each other. According to this design, the contact points that constitute the heads of the fasteners, limit the friction on the ground, which facilitates the sliding of the pallet when the user wishes to move it by pushing manually despite the presence of products on said pallet. Moreover, the axis driven into the polystyrene pad or any other light, rigid and equivalent material makes it possible to constitute a stop of the pad preventing it from sliding or moving inside the housing, in particular after several uses where the pad tends to pack up. By any other light material, rigid and equivalent material is meant that will retain more or less the shape of the pad, despite the load on the pallet, and easily penetrate the axis of the fastener inside the pad .

Preferably, the housing receives two fasteners, which are evenly distributed on the bottom. The use of two fasteners for each housing has the advantage of limiting the dimensions of the heads on the fasteners, which makes it possible to limit the impacts on flexible containers, especially of cardboard, arranged on said pallets, when several pallets are superimposed on each other, that is to say when stacking goods. This design is preferable to the use of a single fastener positioned in the central part. Indeed, in this case, and when the fastener is provided with a weak head dimension, have the aforementioned advantages, it would however tend to penetrate into the underside of the bottom due to the use of a flexible material, both for housing and for the pad. This would have the effect of deforming the bottom in the central part, at the risk of revealing several points of contact thereon, particularly at its contour or at its ends, because of the convex shape generated by the central deformation, and therefore increase the friction on the ground.

Preferably, the fastener has a head of the form of a spherical cap, which limits the contact of said head with the support surface to a point contact, and thus to limit the friction on the ground or even the impacts on the products arranged on other pallets, when they are superimposed.

In addition, the fastener comprises an axis provided with ridges, said grooves being arranged to grip the bottom they pass through, and especially on the pad in which said axis is depressed. This design ensures the assembly of the fastener on the housing and with the pad, which is important as the fasteners are subjected to intense friction on the ground.

Furthermore, the axis of the fastener preferably has a length of between 10 and 20 mm to ensure proper grip of the pad.

This fastener can be made in all types of materials and especially those designed to promote sliding. For example, fasteners made of nylon, polypropylene, ABS or any other plastic material or other suitable materials such as metal.

• La figure 1 présente un exemple de palette selon l'invention en perspective, laquelle est munie de six plots ;
• La figure 2 présente une vue sectionnelle en plan, dans le sens transversal, d'une palette sur laquelle apparaissent les pièces de fixation ;
• La figure 3 présente une pièce de fixation selon un mode préférentiel de réalisation ;
• La figure 4 présente en plan une coupe longitudinale d'un logement sur la palette selon un mode préférentiel de réalisation.

Other characteristics will appear on reading the description which follows, which is based on figures among which:

• The figure 1 shows an example of pallet according to the invention in perspective, which is provided with six studs;
• The figure 2 has a sectional plan view, in the transverse direction, of a pallet on which the fasteners appear;
• The figure 3 has a fastener according to a preferred embodiment;
• The figure 4 presents in plan a longitudinal section of a housing on the pallet according to a preferred embodiment.

The pallet 1 comprises a base 2 which has a plurality of openings 3, and comprises an upper face 4 and a lower face 5, as illustrated in FIGS. Figures 1 and 2 . On the figure 1 are represented two rows of three openings 3, arranged transversely on the pallet. However, it may have a larger number of openings, including nine openings, arranged in three rows arranged transversely.

The pallet includes 6 housing illustrated on the Figures 1, 2 and 4 . These housings 6 comprise two side walls 7 and 8 and a bottom 9, which constitute a crenellated form. This crenellated form extends below the bottom face 5 of the base 2. This crenellated form has dimensions adapted to the opening and extend below said openings 3. The pallet has as many openings 3 as there are housing 6.

Each of these housings is arranged to receive a shoe 10 whose dimensions are substantially identical, as it appears on the Figures 1 and 2 , the assembly forming a pad on the pallet 1. This pad is made of a flexible and lightweight material, including polystyrene. However, any other material with similar characteristics can be envisaged.

The pallet includes fasteners 11 illustrated on the Figures 2 to 4 . As shown in figure 3 , the fastener comprises a head 12, which preferably consists of a spherical cap, and an axis 13. This part comprises a shape similar to that of a nail or a crampon. The axis 13 is provided with a plurality of ridges 15 as illustrated in FIG. Figures 3 and 4 . The attachment piece 11 is arranged to pass through the bottom 9 of the housing 6 and to be inserted into the pad 10. Thus, the head 12 is pressed against the bottom face 9a of the bottom 9, and constitutes a point of contact point, especially because of its spherical cap shape. Moreover, the axis 13 embedded in the pad 10 allows to stop the position thereof relative to the housing 6, which ensures a holding position and prevents slipping thereof during movement of the pallet. This axis will preferably include a length of between 10 and 20 mm to ensure the proper maintenance of the pad 10 in position in the housing. The striated shape of the shaft 13 also makes it possible to hold the shoe in the housing 6 and in particular to prevent it from being able to be released through the opening 3.

Preferably, and as illustrated on the figure 4 each housing receives two fasteners uniformly distributed 11, which reduces the size of the heads 12 on the fasteners. However, it will be possible to envisage a single fastener 11 per housing 6, in which case it will be advisable to increase the section of the head to avoid deformation of the bottom 9 and the pad in the location zone of the fastener, in particular due to the load supported by the pallet, and thus prevent the ends 21, 22 of the bottom 9 or the peripheral contour thereof can not come into contact with the surface of the ground on which the pallet 1 rests.

Preferably, the openings 3 are arranged in a row on the base 2. In addition, the pallet comprises strips 16 made of flexible material, as illustrated in FIG. figure 1 . These strips are arranged in rows on the upper face 4 of the base 2, and are arranged above each of the rows of openings 3 on said base 2. Furthermore, the strips 16 each comprise portions 17 illustrated in FIG. figure 1 delimited by fold lines 23, 24 on the strip; these portions are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the spacing between the openings, and furthermore have equivalent dimensions, extending downwardly with respect to the strip 16, allowing their introduction into the interior of said openings 3. These portions 17 constitute the housing 6 as defined above.

Moreover, these strips 16 comprise pairs of tongues 19, 20, these tongues 19, 20 being precut and arranged facing each other on the lateral edges of each portion 17 delimited by the folding lines 23, 24. These tabs 19, 20 extend in the plane of the strip 16 and constitute stops for holding the pad 10 introduced into the housing 6 or the portion 17. These tabs 19, 20 constitute stops which allow the pad 10 to be held in position in order to prevent its extraction from above at the level of the opening 3, especially when the axes of the fasteners 11 are not provided with streaks. Otherwise, we can consider the removal of these tabs.

Preferably, the strips 16 are provided with means of subjection to the base 2, which are in particular implemented either by clips 25, 26, illustrated in FIG. figure 4 or by any other means such as spot welds made between the strip and the base 2, especially when the materials used are of the composite type.

The fasteners 11 will preferably be made of plastics such as polyester, nylon, ABS or any other suitable material. For example, it is possible to use metal fasteners, especially when the pallets are subjected to frequent displacements on rough floors.

Claims (8)

Pallet (1) comprising: a base (2) provided with a plurality of apertures (3) and having an upper face (4) and a lower face (5); housing (6) having two side walls (7, 8) and a bottom (9) constituting a crenellated form which extends below the bottom face (5), below each opening (3); and pads (10) inserted into said crenellated housings (6), said pads being made of polystyrene or any other light, rigid and equivalent material, characterized in that the pallet (1) comprises fasteners (11) having a head (12) and an axis (13), the bottom (9) of each housing (6) receiving by its lower face (14) at least one fastener (11), said head constituting a point of contact on the bottom face of the bottom (9) while the axis sinks into the pad (10) and constitutes a stop thereof. Pallet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the housings (6) each receive two fasteners (11) uniformly distributed on the bottom (9). Pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the fasteners (11) have a head (12) in the form of a spherical cap. Pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the axis (13) of the fastener (11) is provided with grooves (15) arranged to grip at least on the shoe ( 10) Pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the axis (13) of the fastener (11) has a length of between 10 and 20 mm. Pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the openings (3) are arranged in rows on the base (2), the pallet comprising strips (16) of flexible material arranged in rows on the upper face (4) of the base, above the rows of openings (3), portions (17) of said strips being folded and introduced into said openings (3) to form the slots (6) in the form of a slot. Pallet (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the strips (16) comprise pairs of tongues (19,20) pre-cut and disposed vis-a-vis on the lateral edges (23, 24) of each portion ( 17), these tabs constituting stops for holding the shoe (10) inside the housing (6). Pallet (1) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the strip (16) comprises means for securing the base (2).

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