FR2702450A1 - Flat recyclable support for transporting goods, a pallet in particular - Google Patents

Abstract

The flat recyclable support (1) for transporting goods, a pallet in particular, comprises a seating (2) adapted to support the goods and means forming feet (3) adapted to keep the seating (2) above the ground or above a floor (4) to allow the passage underneath the seating (2) of means of handling the said support (1). This support (1) is made from plaster.

Description

 The present invention relates to a flat support for transporting goods, in particular a pallet, comprising a seat adapted to support the goods, and means forming feet adapted to maintain the seat above the ground or a floor to allow passage under the seat of means for handling said support.

 Flat supports of the aforementioned type are known and commonly used for handling, transporting and storing goods of a wide variety of types, in particular pallets.

 These pallets are generally made of wood, or metal. Wooden pallets are relatively expensive and fragile. Repairs are possible but expensive.

Wooden pallets cause a significant consumption of wood. Damaged or destroyed wooden elements cannot be reused for the manufacture or repair of pallets. They are theoretically recyclable in the paper industry, but they are usually burnt at the repair site.

 The metal pallets are made up of profiles, sheets or wire mesh. They are heavy and expensive. They are theoretically repairable, but repairs are expensive. The damaged parts can be recycled in the form of scrap as part of the general recovery of metallic waste.

 The object of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of existing flat supports, and to propose a new kind of flat support which is made of a material which is practically entirely recyclable by the manufacturer of this support, and which is at the same time of manufacture. simple and inexpensive.

 According to the invention, the recyclable flat support of the aforementioned type is characterized in that said support is made of plaster.

 A person skilled in the art making flat supports such as pallets is completely dissuaded from thinking of using a material such as plaster to manufacture flat supports and pallets: in fact, plaster is known as a fragile material having a very low mechanical resistance and very low resilience, crumbling or breaking in the event of an impact, and not suitable for any repair.

 However, the applicant, after having carefully analyzed the stresses to which the flat supports such as pallets are subjected, has understood that the main function of these supports, which is to support a load substantially uniformly distributed at a certain distance above a floor or a floor to allow the passage of handling means such as forks of a forklift, is compatible with a plaster construction.

 In the event of destruction or damage, the plaster of the flat support of the invention is fully recyclable by the manufacturer of said support in a manner perfectly known to plaster specialists which it is not necessary to describe in detail here.

 The plaintiff's merit is therefore to have proposed an original and new solution to a new problem he had posed.

 According to an interesting version of the invention, the plaster is reinforced with fibers, in particular vegetable fibers.

 According to an advantageous version of the invention, the seat is a solid plate.

 According to a preferred version of the invention, the seat has nine individual feet, regularly distributed over the surface of the seat facing the ground.

 Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the detailed description below.

In the accompanying drawings, given only by way of nonlimiting examples
- Figure 1 is a front view of a pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention
- Figure 2 is a bottom view of the pallet of Figure 1.

 In the embodiment shown in the figures, the recyclable flat support 1 for transporting goods, which here is a pallet, comprises a seat 2 adapted to support goods, and means forming feet 3 adapted to hold the seat 2 above the floor or floor, shown diagrammatically at 4, to allow the passage, between the seat 2 and the floor or floor 4, of means for handling the pallet 1.

 According to the invention, the pallet 1 is made of plaster.

 More precisely, the pallet is made of plaster reinforced with fibers. The fibers can be any fibers used in the plaster industry, in particular vegetable fibers.

 As seen in particular in Figure 2, the seat 2 is a solid plate whose upper surface 5 is perfectly flat, which facilitates the deposition of goods of all types on this seat.

 The pallet shown has nine individual feet 3 of conical shape whose diameter decreases when one goes from the seat 2 to the ground 4, to facilitate demolding. The feet are regularly distributed over the surface 6 of the seat 2 facing the ground.

 In the event of breakage, breakage or damage, it is easy to grind the plaster loaded with fibers from pallet 1 and recycle it almost completely for the manufacture of new pallets made of plaster reinforced with fibers.

 The applicant has thus designed a pallet whose square seat of 1.02 m on a side has a thickness of approximately 3.5 cm. This palette has nine feet 10 cm high. The conical feet have a diameter of 10 cm at the start of the seat and a diameter of 8 cm on their face intended to be placed on the ground. The type and proportion of fibers are chosen according to the conditions of use of the pallet, according to rules well known in the plaster industry.

 Such a palette is very easy to produce by molding. The molds required are simple and inexpensive, the raw materials, plaster and fibers, are inexpensive, and the manufacturing costs are low.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described, and many changes and modifications can be made to it without departing from the scope of the invention.

 Thus, it is possible to provide on the face 6 of the pallet turned towards the ground protruding parts forming a reinforcement directed parallel to the sides of the pallet, these parts connecting the feet together or extending between adjacent feet.

 The face 5 of the pallet carrying the goods may include means such as projecting edges, holes, etc. for retaining side panels in order to form a pallet box. Such panels can be of any material, plaster, wood, wire mesh.

 It is of course possible to replace the pallet described above by any other type of flat support for transporting goods.

Claims (5)

 1. Recyclable flat support (1) for transporting goods, in particular a pallet, comprising a seat (2) adapted to support the goods, and means forming feet (3) suitable for holding the seat (2) above the ground or d 'a floor (4) to allow passage under the seat (2) of means for handling said support (1), characterized in that said support (1) is made of plaster.  2. Flat support (1) according to claim I, characterized in that the plaster is reinforced with fibers.  3. Flat support (1) according to la- claim 2, characterized in that the plaster is reinforced with vegetable fibers.  4. Flat support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the seat (2) is a solid plate.  5. flat support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises nine individual feet (3) regularly distributed over the surface (6) of the seat (2) facing the ground .