EP3856653A1

EP3856653A1 - Plastic pallet with handle

Info

Publication number: EP3856653A1
Application number: EP19787442.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rüdiger SOSTMANN
Original assignee: Georg Utz Holding AG
Current assignee: Georg Utz Holding AG
Priority date: 2018-09-26
Filing date: 2019-09-16
Publication date: 2021-08-04
Also published as: CH715381A1; US11420791B2; US20220041330A1; CN112752717A; WO2020065437A1; MX2021003488A

Abstract

The invention relates to a plastic pallet (1) having an underside (7) provided with skids (2, 2') and an upper side (4), wherein one skid (2') runs along the centre of the plastic pallet (1) and the skid along the centre (2') has a handle (3) which may be gripped from the underside (7) of the pallet (1). The handle (3) is preferably arranged on the underside of the central skid (2') preferably parallel to the surface of the upper side (4) and preferably along the central longitudinal axis of the central skid (2').

Description

Plastic pallet with handle

The invention relates to a plastic pallet with runners. State of the art

Pallets made of plastic with a handle are known for example from US2017297765A1. It describes a pallet with several feet and several handles, which can be gripped from the bottom of the pallet. The handles include a through hole with side walls and with an entry opening that are perpendicular to the surface of the pallet and parallel to the short side of the pallet. The handles are located outside the center of the pallet and outside the feet. Furthermore, EP2877408 describes a pallet with four feet, an upper side and a lower side, the upper side having a hand access hole in the center, which extends parallel to the short side of the pallet. This allows you to reach into the hole from the top and carry the pallet. The pallets can be stacked in that the feet have an opening and the feet of a first pallet engage in the opening of the feet of a second pallet stacked thereon.

In addition, US7856932, EP2067709 or W00078620 discloses pallets with handles on the peripheral sides of the pallet or in the lateral region of the surface of the pallet. Pallets with handles in the side area or on the peripheral sides of the pallet have the disadvantage that such pallets usually have to be carried with two hands.

Object of the invention

The present invention is based on the object of specifying a plastic pallet with runners which is optimized for easy handling Allows transportation with one hand and allows the clean top of the pallet to be carried against the body.

Description of the invention

This object is achieved by a plastic pallet with a bottom provided with runners and an upper side, a runner running along the middle of the plastic pallet and the runner along the middle of the pallet having a handle which can be gripped from the underside of the pallet. The runner along the middle of the plastic pallet is also called the middle runner, regardless of how many runners the pallet has. The plastic pallet preferably has three runners, preferably three longitudinal runners. However, it is also possible that the plastic pallet has two runners and three feet or that it has three transverse runners, or that it has more than three runners, for example five runners.

The handle is preferably arranged in the middle of the middle runner, relative to the length and width of the pallet, preferably along the central longitudinal axis of the middle runner. The handle is particularly preferably arranged in the geometric center of the pallet, as close as possible to or in the center of gravity of the pallet. This means that heavier pallets weighing 20 kg or more can be carried with one hand.

The arrangement of the handle in the middle runner with respect to the height between the top of the pallet and the bottom of the runner is variable. The handle is preferably arranged on the underside of the middle runner, as close as possible to the surface that would come into contact with the floor. This enables easy and ergonomic access to the handle from the bottom of the pallet. The term “graspable from the bottom” means that the handle of the pallet can be gripped either from below or from the side of the pallet. In contrast, the handle cannot be gripped from the top of the pallet. The handle is preferably elongated. The orientation of the handle ideally runs parallel to the surface of the upper side, preferably along the central longitudinal axis of the middle runner. In this embodiment, a cavity for fingers is provided between the handle and the top of the plastic pallet. The opening to the cavity is preferably arranged in the lower surface of the middle runner, in the region of the surface which would come into contact with the floor.

In a further embodiment, the lower surface of the middle runner is continuous and the handle is arranged parallel to the top of the pallet and on a plane between the bottom of the middle runner and the top of the pallet. In this embodiment, the opening to the cavity for fingers is preferably in the side wall of the middle runner.

In yet another embodiment, the handle is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the middle runner and perpendicular to the surface of the top of the pallet. In this embodiment, the opening to the cavity for fingers is also preferably in the side wall of the middle runner.

The opening in the side wall of the middle runner allows the handle to be gripped from the side of the pallet, possibly through additional openings in the outer runner, which enables the pallet to be removed from the side from a stack. The side of the pallet is also counted towards the bottom.

The elongated handle preferably has a substantially rectangular, square, U-shaped or triangular cross-section with preferably slightly rounded corners. The slightly rounded corners ensure a high level of comfort for the hand. The elongated handle can also have a round or elliptical cross section and be designed, for example, as a circular cylinder. In a further embodiment, the handle has a round or elliptical shape, for example in the form of a ball, a button or an ellipsoid.

The top of the plastic pallet preferably has a continuously closed surface. This is possible because the handle is located in the skid on the underside of the pallet. The closed surface of the upper side can be provided with an essentially smooth surface, so that the pallet is easy to clean and does not offer any approaches for dirt or bacteria, which is why it is also suitable for use in the hygiene and clean room area.

The plastic pallets are made of a hard-wearing and resilient material, preferably one or more thermoplastics. For example, the thermoplastic material contains polyethylene or polypropylene or mixtures thereof. In addition, the plastic pallet can have reinforcements in different profiles, for example steel profiles, in particular steel pipes. The reinforcements for reinforcing the plastic pallets and for increasing the load can be arranged as desired. For example, reinforcement tubes can be arranged along the sides of the pallet, along the skids of the pallet or along all four sides.

The plastic pallet according to the invention has the great advantage that the flat top lies against the body when carried by the handle on the underside. The top is usually cleaner than the bottom with the runners. This is a great advantage over pallets with handles on the top of the pallet, which either carry an edge or the dirty underside of the pallet with the feet or runners against the body when carried, which is uncomfortable and requires more force. However, carrying the plastic pallet according to the invention is pleasant due to the handle on the underside and requires less force. The position of the handle in the middle runner enables the pallet to be carried with just one hand. This special arrangement of the handle means that even smaller people can carry the pallet.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the handle is arranged close to or in the center of gravity of the pallet, which also simplifies carrying the pallet.

In a further embodiment, there is also an advantage in that the handle can be gripped from the side of the pallet through an opening in the side wall of the middle runner and that the pallet can be removed from the side from a stack.

Combinations of two or more of the versions and variants listed above are conceivable and claimed. Further advantages of the invention follow from the following description, in which the invention is explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the schematic drawings.

Brief description of the figures

Show it:

1 is a plastic pallet with a handle in a perspective view of the underside of the pallet,

2A the plastic pallet with handle in a further perspective view obliquely from below,

2B is a detailed view of the handle of the plastic pallet of Figure 2A,

3 shows a further perspective view of the plastic pallet with a handle from obliquely below, Fig. 4 the plastic pallet with a handle in a perspective view obliquely from above, Fig. 5 the plastic pallet of Figure 4 in a view from above of the top, Fig. 6 is a cross section through the central longitudinal axis of the middle runner of the plastic pallet along the line AA of 5, FIG. 7 shows a cross section through the central longitudinal axis of the middle runner along the line AA of FIG. 5 through the plastic pallet,

8 shows a cross section along the line B-B of FIG. 5 through the plastic pallet,

9 the plastic pallet in a view from below onto the underside with runners,

10 the plastic pallet with a variant of the handle in a perspective view obliquely from below,

1 1, the plastic pallet with a further variant of the handle in a perspective view obliquely from below,

Fig. 12, the plastic pallet with a further variant of the handle in a perspective view obliquely from below.

In the figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements and explanations apply to a specific reference number for all figures, unless expressly stated otherwise. Embodiments of the invention

1 shows a plastic pallet 1 with three runners 2, 2 'on the underside 7 of the pallet 1, and an upper side 4, the middle runners 2' having a handle 3. In addition, cavities 5 are provided in the middle runner 2 'between the handle 3 and the surface 4 and between the handle 3 and the side walls 8 of the middle runner 2'. These rooms offer enough space to grip the handle with your hand or fingers or, depending on the position of the hand, to completely enclose the handle.

The handle 3 is elongated with slightly rounded edges and is arranged on the underside of the middle runner 2 '. The orientation of the handle 3 runs parallel to the surface of the upper side and along the central longitudinal axis of the middle runner 2 '. In addition, the handle 3 is arranged in the middle of the middle runner in the geometric center of the pallet and as close as possible to the center of gravity of the pallet, close to the contact surface of the runner with the floor. This arrangement allows easy access to the handle, and the handle is easy to grasp from the bottom 7 of the pallet 1. The underside 7 of the plastic pallet 1 has a rib structure 6 with cavities in order to bring about mechanical stability and great weight savings.

FIG. 2A shows a plastic pallet 1 as described in FIG. 1 from a different perspective and with a different rib structure 6 on the underside 7.

FIG. 2B shows a detail from FIG. 2A with the handle 3 and the cavities 5 on the side of the handle 3 between the handle 3 and the side walls 8 of the middle runner 2 ′ and the cavity 5 between the handle 3 and the top side 4 (not shown) of the pallet 1. Figure 3 shows the plastic pallet as described in Figure 2A in a further perspective view.

Figure 4 shows a perspective on the top 4 of the plastic pallet 1 with the three runners 2, 2 '. The top 4 has a closed surface.

Figure 5 shows the top 4 of the plastic pallet 1, as shown in Figure 4, with a closed surface. In addition, the longitudinal axis along line A-A and the transverse axis along line B-B are shown.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section through the central longitudinal axis A-A of the middle runner 2 ″ of the plastic pallet 1 of FIG. 5. The elongated handle 3 is arranged in the middle of the middle runner 2 ′ along the central longitudinal axis A-A on the underside 7 of the pallet 1. The cross section shows the cavity 5 between the handle 3 and the top 4 of the pallet 1. In addition, the rib structures 6 and the cavities in between can be seen.

Figure 7 shows a cross section through the central longitudinal axis A-A of the pallet 1 of Figure 5 as described in Figure 6 in a perspective view. In addition to FIG. 6, in addition to the middle runner 2, an outer runner 2 can be seen here.

Figure 8 shows a cross section through the central transverse axis BB of the pallet 1 of Figure 5 in a perspective view. The handle 3 in the middle of the middle runner 2 'has a U-shaped cross section with the opening of the U downwards. The two outer skids 2 and the cavities 5 between the handle 3 and the side walls 8 of the central skid 2 'and between the handle 3 and the top 4 of the pallet 1 are also shown. These cavities 5 offer enough space to grip the handle in an ergonomic manner. FIG. 9 shows a bottom view of the underside 7 of the plastic pallet 1 with the two outer runners 2 and the middle runners 2 ', the elongated handle 3 and the rib structure 6 of the pallet 1. The orientation of the elongated handle 3 along the central longitudinal axis of the central runner 2 'can be seen.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show two further variants of the handle 3 ″, 3 ″. The handle 3 ″, 3 ″ has a cylindrical shape and is arranged in the middle of the middle runner 2 ″.

In FIG. 10, the elongated handle 3 'is arranged parallel to the surface 4 along the central longitudinal axis in the direction of the central longitudinal skid 2'. In addition, the circular cylindrical handle 3 'is arranged on a level between the top 4 of the pallet and the bottom of the runner 2', and the lower surface of the bottom of the middle runner 2 'is continuous. There is an opening to a cavity 5 ″ for fingers in the side wall of the middle runner 2 ″ for easier access to the handle 3 ″. In this variant, the handle 3 ″ can be gripped by the runners 2, 2 ″ from the side of the underside of the pallet 1, which enables the pallet 1 to be removed from a stack from the side.

In FIG. 11, the elongated handle 3 ″ is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the middle runner 2 ′ and perpendicular to the upper side 4 of the pallet 1, the circular-cylindrical handle 3 ′ being arranged between the upper side 4 of the pallet 1 and the underside of the runner 2 ′, and the lower surface of the underside of the middle runner 2 'is continuous. But here too the handle 3 "is as close as possible in the geometric center or in the center of gravity of the pallet 1. In the side wall of the middle runner 2 'there is an opening to a cavity 5' for fingers in order to facilitate access to the handle 3". In this variant, the handle 3 ″ can also be gripped through the runners 2, 2 ′ from the side of the underside of the pallet 1, which enables the pallet 1 to be removed from a stack from the side. FIG. 12 shows a further variant of a plastic pallet 1 with three runners 2, 2 ', the middle runners 2' having an opening to two cavities 5 for fingers along the middle of the middle runners 2 '. The middle runner 2 'has two symmetrical arranged handles 3 in the area of the opening and on the underside along the two long sides of the middle runner 2 '. The opening and the cavities 5 enable the two symmetrical handles 3. The cavities 5 for fingers run parallel to the underside of the middle runner 2 'and are formed at a distance from the underside of the middle runner 2' against the side walls 8 of the middle runner 2 '. The side walls 8 are closed in the central region of the central runner 2 '. This variant is particularly suitable for smaller people who can grip their fingers from the middle of the middle runner 2 'against the side wall 8 of the middle runner 2'.

Reference list

1 plastic pallet

2 runners, outer runners

2 ‘middle runner

3, 3 ', 3 "handle

4 top

5, 5 'cavity

6 rib structure

7 bottom

8 sidewall of the middle runner

Claims

1. Plastic pallet (1) with a bottom (7) and a top (4) provided with runners (2, 2 '), a runners (2') running along the center of the plastic pallet (1), characterized in that the Skid along the middle (2 ') has a handle (3, 3', 3 ") which can be gripped from the underside (7) of the pallet (1).

2. Plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the top (4) of the pallet (1) has a continuously closed surface. 3. Plastic pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the handle (3, 3 ',

3 “) is elongated.

4. Plastic pallet (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the orientation of the elongated handle (3, 3 ') is arranged parallel to the surface of the top (4) of the pallet (1).

5. Plastic pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the orientation of the handle (3, 3 ', 3 ") along the central longitudinal axis of the runner (2') is arranged along the center.

6. Plastic pallet (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the orientation of the elongated handle (3 ") is arranged perpendicular to the surface of the top (4).

7. Plastic pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a cavity (5) for fingers is provided between the handle (3) and the top (4) of the plastic pallet (1).

8. Plastic pallet (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the opening to the cavity (5) is arranged in the lower surface of the runner 2 '.

9. Plastic pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the lower surface of the middle runner (2 ') continuously and an opening to a cavity (5 ') for fingers is provided in the side wall of the middle runner (2').