EP3023355A1

EP3023355A1 - Improved goods handling assembly

Info

Publication number: EP3023355A1
Application number: EP15192120.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sandro Salmoiraghi
Original assignee: Salmoiraghi SpA
Current assignee: Salmoiraghi SpA
Priority date: 2014-11-18
Filing date: 2015-10-29
Publication date: 2016-05-25
Also published as: ITMI20140357U1

Abstract

A goods handling assembly (M) comprises a rigid platform (1) to support the latter (or generically a pallet) and a wrapping element (13) put around said goods (M). The wrapping element (13) is elastically deformable, in the form of an elastic net, is integral with the rigid platform (1), and can be put on said goods (M) so as to keep the stacking on such platform (1) stable.

Description

The object of the present invention is an assembly for handling goods according to the preamble of the main claim.
It is known that the handling of goods (contained in boxes, crates, bottles or the like) is usually performed by laying them on several superimposed layers on a rigid platform (or pallet) and wrapping them with a film made from an (extensible or heat-shrinkable) plastic material so as to wrap the goods and make them stable during transportation. Straps might also be used to secure the goods on the platform or pallet after being wrapped by the plastic sheet.
The platform is usually provided with grooves or openings in its lower section, suitable for facilitating the arrangement of movable arms of a forklift below it in order to handle the assembly, for instance in order to load it onto a means of transportation or to displace it inside a warehouse.
However, the known solutions have a disadvantage in that the plastic film shall be completely removed in order to access the goods, which makes the load, not retained any longer by the wrapping action exerted by such film and by a strapping, if any, instable during this operating step. Also, when stacking the goods on a pallet, before wrapping them, a load instability situation is still there, which might render any displacement between the loading and the wrapping operations unsafe. Such operation requires attention and needs time, which affects the goods shipping costs.
Another problem is related to the disposal of the plastic materials (film, strap) which are removed in order to access the goods and are disposable materials.
An object of the present invention is to offer a goods handling assembly which is improved with respect to the similar, already known assemblies.
Specifically, an object of this invention is to offer an assembly of the mentioned type wherein the goods can be secured on the rigid platform progressively, while preventing the goods themselves from falling during the operating steps whereby they are stacked on the pallet and also when picking them up partially.
A further object is to offer an assembly of the above mentioned type that is simple to implement and to use while providing the ability to re-use it thus preventing any disposal problems.
These objects and others that will be apparent to those skilled in this art are achieved by an assembly according to the attached claims.
For a better understanding of the present invention, the following drawings are attached for purely illustrative purposes, wherein:

figure 1 shows a perspective side view of an assembly according to the invention;
figure 2 shows a perspective top view of the assembly shown in figure 1;
figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a detail identified by A in figure 1;
figure 4 shows a perspective top view of an assembly according to the invention, during an operating step whereby the goods contained therein are prepared or picked-up;
figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of an assembly according to the invention in a further and different form of use; and
figure 6 shows a side view of an assembly according to the invention in a further form of use.

With reference to the mentioned figures, they show different embodiments of assemblies suitable for transportation of goods M wherein the differences between the individual figures consist in the different quantity and arrangement of goods associated with said assembly. Therefore, the assembly according to the invention comprises the same components in all figures.
The assembly according to the invention comprises a rigid platform or table or pallet (loading pallet) 1 suitable for supporting the goods M. Such platform 1 can be made from different materials (usually wood or plastic materials) and comprises an upper face 2 and a lower face 3, the goods laying on the upper face. From the lower face 3, support elements 4 depart, spaced away from each other and comprise intermediate hollows 5. Other hollows 6 are located between the support elements 4. The hollows 5 and 6 are suitable for receiving movable arms of a usual forklift (not shown) which is used to handle the assembly.
The platform or pallet 1 has a side edge 10 which a first end 12 of a wrapping element 13 is put on to wrap the goods M, suitable for at least laterally wrapping the latter and holding them associated with the platform 1. The first end 12 of the wrapping element 13 is preferably secured to the edge 10 of the platform 1 by means of metal staples (Fig. 4) or a perimetric strapping (Fig. 3).
A second, free end 16 of the wrapping element (which, as it will be described below, consists of a tubular elastic net) is superimposed to the goods M thus allowing their closing on the top by using known means (tying, safety tie wraps).
According to the invention, the wrapping element 13 is elastically deformable (both extensionally and transversally) and makes up a kind of braid which can be lifted above the platform 1, as necessary, along the goods M positioned on the latter up to the top or above the goods themselves. In this way, it is very simple to handle the latter on the platform 1 because the wrapping element 13 is lifted above such platform or pallet 1 as goods (for instance boxes or bottles) are put thereon while keeping them compacted and stably in position as stacking, even of products that because of their own shapes are instable, goes on. The same feature hold true in the reverse case, i.e. whenever unstacking starts, by offering stability to incomplete pallets (Fig. 4), which is not currently warranted by the wrapping elements in use (wrapping made using a plastic film) which shall be totally removed in order to start unstacking.
According to another aspect, the wrapping element can have the shape of an (elastic) net or can have the shape of an elastically collapsible tubular element, extendable above the platform 1 along its own longitudinal axis and on the transversal axis of the goods M; or can it have the shape of a continuous element closable on the top by different means, including tie wraps and tyings, like a sack.
Therefore, thanks to the invention the goods positioning and binding features are considerably improved if compared to those necessary to bind goods on pallets by using the solutions presently known. In addition, using a wrapping element implemented according to the invention and extensible up to some meters makes it possible to hold goods having considerably different dimensional characteristics on the platform or pallet 1: this thanks to the wrapping element 13 made from an extensible material which can reach different heights above the platform 1 and can "wrap" goods of different shapes. The visibility of the content is also warranted through the meshes of the net thus allowing an easy inspection of the parcels and a check for their integrity.
Upon emptying the pallet, the wrapping element 13 remains bound to the rigid platform thus making subsequent uses thereof possible.
Other embodiments of the invention are possible: for instance, the elastically deformable wrapping element 13 can be an element with different colors so as to facilitate the identification of the types of contents from a remote position. These variations are also to be considered to fall in the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

An assembly for handling goods (M) comprising a rigid platform (1) to support the latter and a wrapping element (13) put around such goods (M), characterized in that the wrapping element (13) is elastically deformable, is integral with the rigid platform (1), and can be, even progressively, put on said goods (M) so as to retain them on said platform (1) stably.
An assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the wrapping element (13) is elastically deformable both extensionally and transversally.
An assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the wrapping element is an elastic tubular net.
An assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the wrapping element is a continuous element closable on the top by using different means including tie wraps or tying, like a sack.
An assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that such wrapping element has different colors and elastic return forces.
An assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the wrapping element (13) has a first end (12) secured to the support platform or pallet.
An assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that metal staples or a perimetric strapping are provided suitable for binding the first end (12) of the wrapping element to the rigid platform (1).
An assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, upon emptying the pallet, the net remains bound thereto thus allowing subsequent re-uses thereof.
An assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the rigid platform is a pallet including seats (5, 6) suitable for receiving usual lifting members of handling means, for instance a forklift or the like, the retaining net being bound thereto.