GB2138391A

GB2138391A - Pallet and container combination

Info

Publication number: GB2138391A
Application number: GB08310402A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Holger Strom
Original assignee: DANSK STYROPACK; NEOPAC AS
Current assignee: DANSK STYROPACK; NEOPAC AS
Priority date: 1983-04-08
Filing date: 1983-04-18
Publication date: 1984-10-24
Also published as: GB2138391B; DK182784A; DK182784D0; GB8310402D0

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a pallet and container combination and comprises a fibreboard container (12) mounted on a polystyrene pallet. The pallet has three parallel longitudinal feet (14, 15, 16) which define two fork entries at the front and rear of the pallet. The container (12) has a front panel and a rear panel (24) which are disposed above the front and rear entry sides of the panel, respectively. The container has two opposite side panels (22) which are located above the closed sides of the pallet. The two side panels have integral extension portions (27, 28) which extend downwardly over the closed sides of the pallet, leading edge portions (31) of which are folded inwardly to contact the outermost feet (14, 16) of the pallet substantially along the whole length of the feet. Preferably the leading edge portions (31) are located within longitudinal slots (19, 20) formed on the underside of the feet (14, 16). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pallet and container combination This invention relates to improvements in pallet and container combinations. The invention is particularly concerned with a combination in which a two-way load pallet, which.may be made from expanded polystyrene or the like is connected to a fibreboard container. A "twoway" pallet is a pallet having entries on two opposite sides to receive the forks of a forklift.

Two-way pallet and container combinations are known in which an expanded polystyrene pallet supports a corrugated fibreboard container, and in which the container is connected to the pallet by means of die-cut flaps which are cut out from the container at positions above the fork entries of the pallet and which are folded inwardly into the fork entries between parallel longitudinal feet of the pallet.

The known pallet and container combinations suffer from a number of disadvantages.

Firstly, because the rigidity of the container is broken by the four locking flaps, the container does not add very much strength to the pallet which is itself of fairly weak construction.

Therefore, there is a tendency for the pallet to break or bend when a loaded pallet with container is lifted with a fork-lift. Secondly.

the container has to be die-cut because the locking flaps cannot be made on a conventional creaser-slotter machine.

It is an object of the invention to overcome these disadvantages and to provide a pallet and container combination of improved construction.

According to the invention a pallet and container combination comprises a pallet having a load-receiving platform, a plurality of parallel longitudinal feet in spaced-apart location on the underside of the platform and defining therebetween at least one fork entry at a front entry side and at an opposite rear entry side of the pallet, and the outermost pallet feet forming two closed sides of the pallet, a container supported on the upperside of the platform, and having a front panel and rear panel located above and substantially parallel to said front and rear entry sides of the pallet, and two side panels each located above and substantially parallel to a closed side of the pallet, wherein the two side panels of the container have extension portions which extend downwardly over the closed sides of the pallet, each extension portion having a leading edge portion which is folded inwardly to contact an outermost foot of the pallet substantially along the length of the pallet foot.

Preferably, each outermost foot of the pallet has a slot formed in a surface thereof and extending longitudinally of the foot for substantially the whole length of the foot, and the leading edge portion of the container side wall is located in said slot. Suitably, the slot is formed in the underside of each outermost foot. Preferably, the pallet has three longitudinal feet, two of which are located adjacent an outer edge of the pallet, to form the closed side walls of the pallet and the third substantially midway of the pallet, the feet defining therebetween two fork entries in each of the front and rear entry sides of the pallet.

In a further embodiment, the pallet platform projects outwardly beyond the outer side walls of the outermost feet of the pallet and the leading edge portion of each extension portion of the container side panel is folded beneath said projecting edge of the platform and into contact with the side wall of the pallet foot.

Some embodiments of the invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the underside of a known pallet and container combination; Figure 2 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of a pallet of the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of the pallet of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the underside of one embodiment of a pallet and container combination according to the invention, with the container partly connected to the pallet; Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the pallet and container combination of Figure 4 with the container fully connected to the pallet; Figure 6 is a plan view of a blank for use in the construction of the container shown in Figure 5;; Figure 7 is a plan view of a blank for use in the construction of a second embodiment of a container according to the invention; and Figure 8 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of a pallet according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, this shows the construction of a known pallet and container combination. The combination comprises a two-way pallet 1 having three parallel longitudinal feet 3, 4 and 5, which define channels 6 and 7 providing the fork entries at two opposite sides of the pallet. The pallet 1 is combined with and supports a container 8.

Flaps 9 are die-cut from the underside of the container 8 and extend from the two opposite sides of the container which are disposed transversely of the feet of the pallet. The flaps 9 are folded about fold lines 10 inwardly into the channels 6 and 7. The flaps 9 are slightly wider than the narrowest portion of the channels 6 and 7 and therefore form a tight fit within the channels thus serving to lock the container and pallet together. However, as mentioned above, these known pallet and container combinations suffer from a number of disadvantages. Firstly, because the rigidity of the container 8 is broken by the cutting-out of the four flaps 10 from the underside, the container does not add much strength to the pallet which is made from expanded polystyrene and which is itself of fairly weak construction.Accordingly, there is a tendency for the pallet to break or bend when a loaded pallet container is lifted with a fork-lift. Secondly, the flaps 9 must be die-cut and so cannot be made on a conventional creaserslotter machine.

One embodiment of a pallet and container combination of the invention is shown in Figures 2 to 4 of the drawings. The combination is comprised of a pallet 11 which is adapted to be combined with a container 1 2.

The pallet has a load-receiving platform 1 3 supported by three longitudinal feet 14, 1 5 and 16 located on the underside of the platform. The feet are disposed parallel to each other and extend from one side of the pallet to the opposite side. The outermost feet 14 and 1 6 are located at an adjacent outer edge of the platform and each define one side of the pallet. The feet define therebetween two channels 1 7 and 18 which provide fork entries on two opposite sides of the pallet, hereinafter referred to as "the entry sides".

The other two sides of the pallet are hereinafter referred to as "the closed sides".

Each of the outermost feet 14, 1 6 of the pallet has formed therein a longitudinal slot 19, 20 respectively. These slots 19, 20 extend along the whole length of the feet 14, 16 and are of a depth substantially equal to half the height of the feet. The upper side of the platform 1 3 is formed with a raised portion 21 which extends transversely of the platform 13, the purpose of which will be described below.

The pallet is preferably made from expanded plastics material but it may also be made from a compressed fibre material or by injection moulding a plastics material. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pallet is a two-way pallet having three feet but it will be appreciated that the number of feet may vary from two upwards although three is the preferred number.

Figures 4 and 5 show the container 1 2 mounted on the platform 1 3 of the pallet 11.

The container 1 2 is suitably manufactured from fibreboard, preferably corrugated fibreboard. The container 1 2 is comprised of two opposite side panels 22, 23, which are disposed above the closed sides of the pallet, a front panel 25 disposed above the front entry side, and a rear panel 24 disposed above the rear entry side of the panel. In the particular embodiment shown in Figure 5, the container has an opening 26 in the side panel 25 such that the container may be used as a display carton. The container may also have a lid (not shown). As shown more clearly in Figure 4, the side wails 22, 23 have downwardly extending portions which form extension portions 27, 28.The extension portions 27, 28 are each provided with fold lines (27a, 27b in Fig. 4) so that the extension portions can be folded about the outer surface of each of the outermost pallet legs 14, 1 6 and a leading edge portion 31 of each extension portion inserted in a respective slot 19, 20 of the feet. In Figure 4, the lefthand side extension portion 28 is shown inserted in the slot 19, whereas the opposite flap 27 is shown in a position in which it is unconnected to the pallet.

It will be noted from figure 4 that the pallet feet have circular holes 36 formed therein.

The purpose of the holes is to aid in the cooling of the plastics during the manufacture of the pallet.

The blank used in assembling the container or carton 1 2 is shown in Figure 6 and comprises a panel 22 which forms the sidewall 22 of the carton. The panel 22 is connected by a fold line 22a to a panel 25 which forms the front wall 25 of the carton. Panel 25 is in turn connected by a fold line 25a to a panel 23 which forms the other sidewall 23 of the carton. Panel 23 is connected by a fold line 23a to panel 24 which forms the rear wall of the carton. Panel 22 is connected by a fold line 32a to tab portion 32. The tab portion 32 is used to connect the side panel 22 to the rear panel 24 by gluing the tab portion 32 to an edge portion of the panel 24 in well known manner. The panels 22 and 23 have downwardly extending extension portions 27 and 28 which are used for connecting the assembled carton to the pallet as described above in relation to Figures 4 and 5.The connecting portions 27 are formed with transverse fold lines 27a, 27b and 28a, 28b respectively. The part 29 of the extended portion between the bottom of the container and the fold line 27a, 28a has a depth x equal to the height x of the feet 14 and 16 (see Figures 4). The depth y of the intermediate portion 30 is equal to approximately half the width of the underside portion of the feet 14, 16. Thus the fold lines 27a, 28a, coincide with the outer corner edge of the feet and the fold lines 27b, 28b coincide with the outermost edge of the slots 20, 1 9. The leading edge portion 31 fits within the slots 20, 1 9 respectively.

The front and rear panels 25, 24 are connected by fold lines 33a, 34a to floor panels 33, 34 which form part of the floor of the container. As shown most clearly in Figure 5, the floor panels 34, 35 do not cover the complete base of the container but abut against the lateral edges of the raised portion 21 of the pallet platform. The raised portion 21 of the pallet has a height which is approximately equal to the thickness of the floor panels 34 and 35 such that the upper sur faces of the panels 34 and 35 are level with the upper surface of the raised portion 31.

This arrangement has the advantage that when the container is connected to the pallet it is prevented by the raised portion 21 from moving relative to the pallet in a direction parallel to the pallet feet. The extension portions 27, 28 prevent the container from moving relative to the pallet in a direction transverse of the pallet feet. The panel 25 has a cutaway portion which forms the display opening 26 in the front wall of the carton.

The blank shown in Figure 7 is used to form a second embodiment of a carton in accordance with the invention. The basic construction of this blank is similar to that shown in Figure 6, and where appropriate, like numerals are used for like parts The blank shown in Figure 7 is made on a conventional creaser-slotter machine and to facilitate construction the various transverse fold lines are extended across the whole width of the blank.

Thus for example the fold lines 33a, 34a extend into the panels 22 and 23 although they are not strictly needed in these latter panels. Furthermore, the fold lines 27a, 27b and 28a, 28b are extended into the lower portions 33 34 although again they are not needed in these portions. In this embodiment the carton is formed with integral lid flaps 40 41, 42 and 43 which are connected to the respective wall panels 22, 25, 23, 24 by fold lines 40a, 31a, 42a, 43a, and the display opening 26 has been omitted.

It has been found that. where the extension portions 27, 28 are joined to their respective sidewall panels 22, 23 by a fold line, it is preferable for the outer sidewalls of the feet 1 4 1 6 to be inclined slightly inwardly as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 9 shows a second embodiment of a pallet of the invention to an enlarged scale.

Only two of the feet of the pallet and part of the container 1 2 is shown in Figure 9. In this embodiment the platform 1 3 projects outwardly beyond the side walls of the outermost pallet feet 14, 1 6. Each leading edge portion 31 of the extension portions 27, 28, is folded, about a fold line 127b, through approximately 150" to 180 , beneath the projection of the platform and into contact with the side walls of the respective feet 14, 1 6. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment the slots 19, 20 in the feet 14, 1 6 are not required.

The pallet and container combination of the invention has a number of advantages over the prior art combinations. Firstly, the container of the invention has no die-cut flaps to take from the stiffness of the container, and because the extension portions used to connect the container to the pallet are in effect extensions of the side walls of the container this stiffness is imparted to the pallet. Furthermore, the container of the invention may be produced on a conventional in-line machine which prints, creases, slots, folds and glues the container blank in one pass.

The invention has been described in terms of a two-way pallet. However, it will be appreciated that the pallet could be in the form of a four-way pallet. This could be achieved by forming pairs of apertures in each of the closed side walls of the pallet which coincide with apertures formed in the extension portion of the container side walls. The apertures are of such dimensions, and so spaced, as to receive the forks of a fork lift.

In one example, the pallet may measure 800 mm x 600 mm. The height of the pallet feet is about 100 mm and the depth of the slots 19, 20 is about 50 mm.

Claims

1. A pallet and container combination comprising a pallet having a load-receiving platform, a plurality of parallel longitudinal feet in spaced apart location on the underside of the platform and defining therebetween at least one fork entry at a front entry side and at an opposite rear entry side of the pallet, and the outermost pallet feet forming two closed sides of the pallet, a container supported on the upperside of the platform, and having a front panel and rear panel located above and substantially parallel to said front and rear entry sides of the pallet, and two side panels each located above and substantially parallel to a closed side of the pallet, where the two side panels of the container have extension portions which extend downwardly over the closed sides of the pallet, each extension portion having a leading edge portion which is folded inwardly to contact an outermost foot of the pallet substantially along the length of the pallet foot.

2. A pallet and container combination as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each outermost foot of the pallet has a slot formed in a surface thereof and extending longitudinally of the foot for substantially the whole length of the foot, and the leading edge portion of the container side wall is located in said slot.

3. A pallet and container combination as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the slot is formed in the underside of each outermost foot.

4. A pallet and container combination as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the platform projects outwardly beyond the outer side walls of the outermost feet of the pallet and the leading edge portion of each extension portion of the container side panel is folded beneath said projecting edge of the platform and into contact with the side wall of the pallet foot.

5. A pallet and container combination as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pallet has three parallel longitudinal feet, two of which are located adjacent the outer edge of the pallet to form the closed side walls of the pallet, and a third located substantially midway of the pallet, the feet defining two fork entries in each of the front and rear entry sides of the pallet.

6. A pallet and container combination as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein each of the closed side walls of the pallet is formed with apertures which coincide with apertures in the extension portions of the container side wall, said apertures being adapted to receive the forks of a fork-lift such that the pallet may be lifted from all four sides thereof.

7. A pallet and container combination as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the upperside of the pallet platform has a raised portion which extends transversely of the platform substantially parallel to the front and rear sides of the platform, and the container has two opposite floor panels which cover the non-raised portions of the platform and the edges of which abut against the lateral edges of the raised portions, and the thickness of the floor portions is substantially equal to the height of the raised portion of the platform.

8. A pallet and container combination as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pallet is made from expanded polystyrene and the container is made from corrugated fibreboard.

9. In or for a pallet and container combination as claimed in Claim 1, a pallet having a load-receiving platform, a plurality of parallel longitudinal feet in spaced apart location on the underside of the platform and defining therebetween at least one fork entry at a front entry side and at an opposite rear entry side of the pallet, and the outermost pallet feet forming two closed sides of the pallet, wherein each outermost pallet foot has a slot formed in the underside thereof, which slot extends longitudinally of the foot for substantially the whole length of the foot.

10. In or for a pallet and container combination as claimed in Claim 1, a fibreboard container having a front panel, a rear panel, and two opposite side panels, wherein each of the two side panels is formed with extension portions which extend downwardly beyond a floor of the container, and each extension portion has at least one transverse fold line which defines a leading edge portion which may be folded inwardly of said extension portion.

11. A pallet and container combination substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

1 2. A pallet and container combination substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.

1 3. In or for a pallet and container combination a pallet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

14. In or for a pallet and container combination a pallet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.

1 5. In or for a pallet and container combination a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

1 6. A container blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A container blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.