FR2786160A1 - Plastic pallet has feet in form of hollow blocks held in place by flaps cut out of base - Google Patents

Abstract

The pallet consists of a base (2) made e.g. from twin-walled plastic with partitions and has feet (5) in the form of hollow blocks. The feet are held in place on the underside of the base by flaps (9) cut out of the base and pushed into the open ends of the feet.

Description

PALLET WITH A SKATE LOCKING SYSTEM
The present invention relates to a pallet of the type comprising a rigid base, one face of which is provided with support pads.

 The document FR-A-83 20226 describes a new type of pallet of economic design, simple, robust, resistant to humidity, which is obtained by first forming one or more lines of holes or openings in the base. In a second step, there are above these lines of holes, strips of flexible material of width less than or equal to the width of the holes, the width of the holes being considered in the direction of the line. These strips are driven into the in-line holes so as to form slots in which pads are inserted serving as support pads. By "flexible material" is meant the fact that the strip can be pushed into the holes to form the slots. Thus, the flexible material can be of the textile type or more rigid, but provided with folding lines making it suitable for forming the desired slots.

 The pads are, in general, blocks of polystyrene or other light but resistant materials having a shape adapted to the housings formed by the slots, so that they can be easily inserted into these housings and be held there, by friction between their surface. external and internal surface of the housing walls or possibly by snap-fastening. The height of the pads is substantially equal to that of the slots so that one of their faces is flush with the base of the pallet, the pad being then retained, according to its height, by the thickness of the base of the pallet. In this way, the pads appear on the surface of the pallet and perfectly seal the openings, the surface of the pallet is therefore practically uniform and has no voids, which allows good load stability and a better distribution of that -this.

 The shoe can also be blocked in height by a tab formed by cutting from the strip and partially closing the opening and therefore preventing the shoe from coming out through said opening.

 The palette described in document FR-A-83 20226 has the advantage of being light and robust. Furthermore, the manufacturing process for this type of pallet can be easily automated, which makes it possible to produce a large number of pallets having a low manufacturing cost.

 However, the Applicant has found that, under the weight of the load supported by the pallet, the polystyrene pads or other light but resistant materials are compressed and tend to settle durably, which significantly reduces their height. The pad therefore has a tendency, in particular when handling the pallet, to move inside the housing, leaving voids at the level of the base, thereby adversely affecting the distribution of the load and its stability, or even completely emerging from the housing, thus rendering the pallet unusable.

 Certainly, document FR-A-83 20226 provides, in order to better hold the shoe 6 inside the housing, either to stick it there, or to provide projections on the surface of the shoe which would cooperate with notches arranged in the walls of the slots.

 The pallet being intended to be used in all weathers, it is difficult to find an adhesive material resistant to humidity and heat, and sufficiently stable over time to consider correctly fixing, by gluing, the pad in its housing. . In addition, this type of attachment requires an additional operation during the manufacture of the pallet, which increases its manufacturing cost.

 The setting of the pads by protrusions also risks not being durable over time, the protrusions tending to be crushed when the pallet is used, they cannot play their abutment rote durably.

 The object of the present invention is to propose a palette of simple design and manufacture, in particular, but not exclusively, of the type described in document FR-A-83 20226, but which overcomes the aforementioned drawback of displacement or loss of the studs. , sane require glue. This object is perfectly achieved by the palette dE) 'invention which comprises, in known manner, a base provided with a plurality of openings and comprising a first and a second face and a plurality of pads acting as support pads, arranged on the second side of the pallet opposite each opening. Characteristically, according to the invention, each opening is fitted laterally, on two opposite sides, with a flap which is obtained by: the formation of the opening by cutting in the base and which is shaped so as to ensure maintaining the corresponding pad in place, after folding it towards the second face of the base.

 In the case of a pallet of the type described in document FR-A-8 20226, with slots arranged on the second face of the base forming housings with pads, obtained from a strip of flexible material, so characteristic, the sides of the opening provided with (flaps are disposed longitudinally to said strip. In this case, two flaps close off, in whole or in part, the two open faces: of a slot considered. Furthermore, given that the flap is obtained by folding from a part of the base forming the opening, the material constituting the base is advantageously chosen so that it has a certain restoring force exerted against said folding, so qu (the flap is applied against the shoe, which not only contributes to its retention in place in the housing but also prevents the raba from being easily accessible.

 The base material is preferably a cellular material with continuous hollow cells. Advantageously, in this case, the fold line of the flap is perpendicular to the general direction of the cells. This cellular material can be in any plastic material, for example polypropylene, or other material obtained by extrusion or any other suitable technique.

 It can also be another type of pallet, free of housings for the support pads. In particular with regard to a pallet whose pads are at least partially hollowed out on two opposite faces, each flap is shaped to penetrate into the corresponding recess.

 Preferably, the shoe has a width greater than the length of the openings, which avoids any risk that the shoe does not come out through the corresponding opening.

 Depending on the weight of the pad, the restoring force exerted in an antagonistic manner by the two flaps may be sufficient to hold the pad in place. However, it is preferred to shape the flap so that it gets stuck against the wall of the recess during its penetration.

The width of the flap is at least partly greater than the width of the recess.

The present invention will be better understood and its characteristics and advantages will appear better on reading the description which follows and refers to the appended drawings representing two embodiments of the present invention, presented by way of nonlimiting examples, in which:
FIG. 1 is a general view of a first embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a skate;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a second embodiment
of the present invention when the support pads are formed
by hollow skids;
FIG. 4 represents a particular embodiment of one of the
two flaps usable, in particular, when the pads are hollow.

 Referring to Figure 1, the pallet 1 of the invention consists of a base 2 comprising a first face 2 on which is placed the load to be supported and a second face 2t provided with support pads.

The base 2 is, for example, made up of a hollow honeycomb section forming cells 2c, parallel to each other and of length 6 equal to that of the base 2. The thickness of the base 2 is of the order of 3mm. Lines 3 of openings 4 are formed in the base 2 of the pallet. The openings 4 are substantially rectangular, have, in the direction of the lines 3, a width I and a length L and are arranged uniformly on the base 2 of the pallet so as to ensure a good distribution of the load. Preferably the base is in a plastic material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, optionally obtained by extrusion.

Complementary means for supporting the pad 5 are constituted by strips 6 (FIG. 1) of polypropylene or other family of flexible plastic or other material having a width less than or equal to the width! openings 4, which are arranged on the first face 2a of the base 2 of the pallet and pressed inside each of the openings 4 so as to form slots 7. The slots 7 constitute housing with pads 8, arranged in lines on the second side 2b of the pallet and open on two sides parallel to the length
L of the openings 2d.

 Flaps 9 are fitted to each of these open sides of the shoe housings 8 and are articulated at the level of folds 10, perpendicular to the general direction of the cells 2c. The presence of the flaps 9 therefore makes it possible to use pads 5 of various shapes, these being no longer retained solely by friction or by the thickness of the base, as in the pallets of the prior art, but also wedged and blocked by the flaps 9. In particular, the width and the height h of the shoe 5 can be variable, including due to compression of the shoe, without causing the shoe 5 to come out of the shoe housing 8 which would make pallet 1 unusable.

 The flaps 9 have substantially a height equal to or equal to the height h of the shoe 5 and are produced during the formation of the openings 4. A cut-out made in the base 2 makes it possible both to provide the openings 4 in the base 2 and to form the flaps 9. This cut is adapted according to the configuration of the pad and the configuration that we want to give to the flap: square, rectangular, trapezoidal, rounded or other shape. The simplest is, of course, a H cut. The formation of the flaps 9 is perfectly integrated into the process for manufacturing the pallet 1, without any additional step or use of a material other than that constituting the base 2 itself .

 Referring to Figure 1, the flaps 9, due to the biasing force they exert, have their end 9a which is in contact with the shoe 5. The flaps 9 thus offer no grip at their surface outside, they are therefore difficult to tear off and perfectly cover the shoe 5, thus effectively protecting it.

 The shoe 5 shown in Figure 2 is provided with a continuous recess 5a going from one face to ('other.)) Has a width L' greater than the length L of the openings 4. We also define the thickness e of the pad as the thickness of the upper wall of the pad 5, defining the recess 5a.

 In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the shoe 5 is hollow. The flaps 9 are folded along a first fold line 10, perpendicular to the general direction of the cells 2c and along a second fold line 11 substantially parallel to the fold line 10 and located at a distance greater than or equal to the thickness e of the shoe, so that the flap 9 can easily penetrate the shoe 5. In particular, the end 9a of the flaps penetrates inside the shoe 5. The gripping effect of the flaps 9 is thus reinforced and due to the hollow structure of the pad 5 and its lightness, the latter can be secured to the base 2 of the pallet only by means of these two flaps 9, which further simplifies the structure of the pallet of the invention, thereby lowering its cost Manufacturing.

 FIG. 4 shows an example of a flap shape which is particularly suitable in the case of a hollow shoe 5. The flap 9 comprises, in this case, a first portion 9b having substantially a width equal to the length L of the openings 4, a second narrower portion 9c articulated by a fold 9d and a third portion 9e, bevelled and articulated at a fold 9f which can, for example, be forced into the lower internal wall of the pad. Thus, the portions 9c and 9e penetrate into the shoe 5 due to the restoring force exerted in particular at the level of the fold 10 of the flap 9. They can, moreover be locked mechanically, by folding the portions 9c and 9g according to the folds 9d and 9f, so as to conform to the internal configuration of the shoe 5, creating, in addition to the restoring force, friction at the level of the internal walls of the shoe 5 and of the portions acting as a mechanical stop, in particular at the folds 9d and 9f, which makes it possible to reinforce the blocking and the maintenance of the pad 5. This type of flap can, in particular, be used for hollow pads 5 whose recess 5a has a width 1''inferior to the length L of the openings 4.

 Referring to Figure 1, the strips 6 are secured on the first face 2a of the pallet at the welds 12 parallel to the width of the openings 4 and arranged near these openings 4 and at the two ends of the strips 6. The welds 12 are produced, for example, by means of ultrasound. The openings 4 are partially obstructed by tabs 13 and 14 cut in the strips 6 which prevent the pads 5 from coming out through the openings 4 and allow a base 2 having a substantially uniform first face 2a to be obtained, thus ensuring a better distribution of the load and its better stability.

Claims (9)

 -a plurality of pads (5) acting as support pads, arranged on the second face (2b) of the pallet (1) opposite each opening (4), characterized in that each opening (4) is equipped laterally , on two opposite sides, a flap which is obtained during the formation of the opening by cutting the base and which is shaped so as to ensure that the pad is held in place, after its folding towards the second face of the base.  -a base (2) provided with a plurality of openings (4) and comprising a first (2a) and a second face (2b); and  CLAIMS 1. Pallet (1) of the type comprising: 2. Pallet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises slots (7) arranged on the second face (2b) of the base (2), forming housing with pads (8), obtained at from a strip (6) of flexible material, and in that the sides of the opening (4) provided with flaps (9) are arranged longitudinally to said strip (6). 3. Pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the base (2) of the pallet (1) consists of a cellular plastic material. 4. Pallet (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the flaps (9) are folded along fold lines (10) perpendicular to the general direction of the cells (2c) of the material constituting the base (2). 5. Pallet (1) according to any one of claim 1 cl 4, characterized in that the base (2) is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polystyrene. 6. Pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the base (2) has a thickness of the order of 3mm. 7. Pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the shoe (5) has two opposite faces at least partially hollowed out (5a) and in that each flap (9) is shaped to penetrate into the corresponding recess (5a). 8. Pallet (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the shoe (5) has a width (L '} greater than the length (L) of the openings (4). 9. Pallet (1) according to claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the flap (9) has a shape adapted to be wedged against the internal wall of the recess during its penetration into the corresponding recess (5a).