GB2449374A

GB2449374A - Pallet of plastics material with vertical bonded joints

Info

Publication number: GB2449374A
Application number: GB0813499A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antony Stanley Milton
Original assignee: RFTraq Ltd
Current assignee: RFTraq Ltd
Priority date: 2008-07-23
Filing date: 2008-07-23
Publication date: 2008-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2028-07-23
Also published as: GB0813499D0; WO2010010323A1; GB2449374B

Abstract

A pallet 2 comprises plastic deck members 4 supported on and bonded to plastic support members 6, the support members 6 comprising an upper section 8 and a lower section 10 connected together by first connecting formations 12 comprising vertical overlapping surfaces 13, 15 bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear, the deck members 4 and the support members 6 being connected together by second connecting formations 14 comprising vertical overlapping surfaces 17, 19 also bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear. The connecting formations may comprise male and female formations. The deck members 4 may be plastic. The plastic may be ABS and the bonds may be through solvent welding with polystyrene cement. The pallet may include a radio frequency identification tag, anti-bacterial agent or anti static agent.

Description

I

A PALLET MADE OF PLASTICS MATERIAL

This invention relates to a pallet and, more especially, this invention relates to a pallet made of plastics material.

Products are often mounted on pallets. The pallets enable the products easily to be moved, for example by fork lift trucks. Pallets have traditionally been made of wood. Wooden pallets easily become dirty and unhygienic.

This may prevent the re-use of the wooden pallets, for example in the food industry, unless stringent cleaning measures are undertaken, which increases cost. Also, the wooden pallets are often stolen and used for firewood.

Pallets made of plastics material are known. These pallets made of plastics material are able to overcome the above mentioned problems associated with wooden pallets. However, the known pallets made of plastics material provide their own problems in that the pallets are often difficult to manufacture and/or are not sufficiently strong so that they may break during use.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a pallet which is made of plastics material, and in which the above mentioned problems with pallets made of plastics materials are obviated or reduced.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a pallet comprising deck members supported on support members, and the pallet being such that the deck members are made of a plastics material, the support members are made of a plastics material, the deck members are permanently bonded to the support members, the support members comprise an upper section and a lower section, the upper section and the lower section are connected together by first connecting formations, the first connecting formations comprise overlapping surfaces which are vertical in use of the pallet, the first connecting formation are bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear, the deck members and the support members are connected together by second connecting formations, the second connecting formations comprise overlapping surfaces which are vertical in use of the pallet, and the second connecting formations are bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear.

The pallet of the present invention may be produced to be easier to clean and lighter than wooden pallets. In addition, the pallet of the present invention may be easier to assemble and more robust in nature than known pallets made of plastics material. The bonding is easily done and the pallet does not require connecting members such as screws or rivets. Also, because the separating forces are only in shear, the bonding is extremely strong. Once produced, the pallet is not able to be dismantled.

The pallet may be one in which the first connecting formations are male and female formations. The male and female formations of the first connecting formations may be male upstanding formations and female complementary recesses. The male upstanding formations are preferably of a square shape but they may be of other shapes, for example rectangular, if desired.

The pallet may be one in which the second connecting formations are male and female formations. The male and female formations of the second connecting formations may be male upstanding formations on the upper section, and recesses in the support members.

The pallet may be one in which the recesses are channels in the support members, and in which the support members slide over the male upstanding formations. Advantageously, the upper section is provided with abutment members for preventing the support members sliding beyond an outer edge of the upper section. The abutment members are preferably lips but other constructions for the abutment members may be employed.

Usually, the pallet will be one in which the deck members are spaced apart from each other, If desired however the deck members may touch each other.

Usually, the deck members and the support members will be made of the same plastics material. Preferably, the plastics material is acrylo-butadiene-styrene (ABS). If desired, different plastics materials may be employed. Also if desired, the deck members and the support members may be made of thfferent plastics materials.

Preferably, the bonding is effected by solvent welding. The solvent welding may be effected with a polystyrene cement. Other materials may be employed for the solvent welding. Bonding other than by solvent welding may be employed, for example ultrasonic welding.

The pallet may include an anti-bacterial agent. Any suitable anti-bacterial agent may be used.

Additionally or alternatively, the pallet may include an anti-static agent.

Any suitable anti-static agent may be used.

The pallet may include at least one moulded recess for receiving at least one radio frequency identification tag.

The radio frequency identification tag may be contained in its own protective housing. The pallet may include two or more of the radio frequency identification tags if desired.

The pallet may be one which is a closed pallet, and in which the closed pallet comprises cross members on a side of the support members opposite the deck members. The cross members may be connected to the lower section by resting on lugs on the lower section. Other ways of securing the cross members in position may be employed.

Alternatively, the pallet may be one which is an open pallet having no cross members on a side of the support members opposite the deck members.

The pallet may include voids. The voids may be in various parts of the pallet in order to enable the pallet to weigh less than it would otherwise do.

Preferably, the pallet has plain non-crevassed surfaces for hygiene purposes. With such plain non-crevassed surfaces, the pallets are easily kept clean.

The pallet may include closing end members so that there is no access to voids within otherwise open parts of the pallet.

The pallet may include at least one radio frequency identification tag.

The pallet may include one or more of sensors for temperature and/or humidity and/or shock.

The pallet may include weight-saving apertures in the upper section.

The pallet may include upstanding sidewalls to help retain products on the pallet.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first pallet of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an upper section of an end support member forming part of the pallet shown in Figure 1; Figures 3, 4 and 5 are end, top and underneath views of the upper section shown in Figure 2; Figure 6 is a perspective view of an upper section of an inner support member in the pallet shown in Figure 1; Figures 7, 8 and 9 are end, top and underneath views of the upper section shown in Figure 6; Figure 10 is a perspective view of a lower section of an end support member as shown in Figure 1; Figures 11, 12 and 13 are end, top and underneath views of the lower section shown in Figure 10; Figure 14 is a perspective view of a lower section of the inner support member shown in Figure 1; Figures 15, 16, and 17 are end, top and underneath views of the lower section shown in Figure 14; Figure 18 is a perspective view of the pallet shown in Figure 1, the pallet being a closed pallet; Figure 19 is an end view of the pallet as shown in Figure 18; Figure 20 is a perspective view like Figure 18 but shows an alternative pallet which does not have lower cross members and is therefore an open pallet; Figure 21 is an end view of the pallet as shown in Figure 20; Figure 22 is a perspective view of a lower section of a support member for use in the open pallet shown in Figure 20; and Figures 23, 24 and 25 are end, top and underneath views of the lower section shown in Figure 22.

Referring to Figures 1 -19, there is shown a pallet 2 comprising deck members 4 supported on support members 6. The pallet 2 is such that the deck members 4 are made of a plastics material, and the support members 6 are also made of a plastics material. The deck members 4 are permanently bonded to the support members 6 so that the pallet 2 is not able to be dismantled into separate deck members 4 and support members 6.

The support members 6 comprise an upper section 8 and a lower section 10. The upper section 8 and the lower section 10 are connected together by first connecting formations 12. The first connecting formations 12 comprise overlapping surfaces 13, 15 which are vertical in use of the pallet 2.

The first connecting formations 12 are bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear. The deck members 4 and the support members 6 are connected together by second connecting formations 14. The second connecting formations 14 comprise overlapping surfaces 17, 19 which are vertical in use of the pallet 2. The second connecting formations 14 are bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear.

The first connecting formations 12 are male and female formations.

The male and female formations of the first connecting formations 12 are male upstanding formations 16 and female complementary recess 18 in the bottom of the upper section 8. The male upstanding formations 16 are square as shown but they may be of other shapes, for example rectangular shapes, if desired.

The second connecting formations 14 are also male and female formations. The male and female formations of the second connecting formations 14 are male upstanding formations 20 on the upper section 8, and recesses 22 in the support member 6. The recesses 22 are channels in the support members 6 as shown. During assembly of the pallet 2, the support members 6 are able to slide over the male upstanding formations 20.

The upper section 8 has abutment members in the form of lips 24. The lips 24 prevent the support members 6 sliding too far, and beyond the outer edge of the upper section 8.

As shown in Figure 1, the deck members 4 are spaced apart from each other. The deck members 4 and the support members 6 are made of the same plastics material. This plastics material is ABS. The bonding is effected by solvent welding using a polystyrene cement.

The pallet 2 may include an anti-bacterial agent and/or an anti-static agent.

The pallet 2 may include at least one moulded recess for receiving at least one radio frequency identification tag (not shown).

As can be appreciated from Figure 18, the pallet 2 is a closed pallet having cross members 26 on a side of the support members 6 opposite the deck members 4. The cross members 26 rest on Jugs 28 on the end support members 6 as shown in Figure 1, and on lugs 30, 32 on the inner support member 6 shown in Figure 1. The Jugs 28, 30, 32 are all formed as an integral part of their lower sections 10 of the support members 6. The cross members 26 and the lugs 28, 30, 32 have overlapping vertical surfaces as shown in the same manner as the overlapping vertical surfaces 17, 19.

The pallet 2 may have voids for making it as light as possible. The pallet 2 has plain non-crevassed surfaces which enables the pallet 2 easily to be cleaned for hygiene purposes, for example for transporting food.

Closing end members (not shown) may be employed as desired in order to prevent access to voids within the various parts of the pallet. Weight-saving apertures 34 as shown in Figures 4, 5, 8 and 9 may be employed.

Referring now to Figures 20 -24, there is shown a pallet 36 which is like the pallet 2, except that the pallet 36 is an open pallet without the cross members 26. In the pallet 36, similar parts as in the pallet 2 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

Because the cross members 26 are not employed, it will be noticed that the lower section 10 shown in Figures 22 -25 does not have the lugs 28 shown in the equivalent Figures 10-13 for the pallet 2.

As can be appreciated from the drawings, the component parts of the pallets are bonded together, and they are not held together by pins or other mechanical fastening members. The pallets are advantageously completely recyclable.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the pallets 2, 36 may be provided with sensors for temperature and/or humidity and/or shock impact. The pallets 2, 36 may be provided with upstanding side walls which upstand with respect to the deck members 4 and which are for use in helping to retain goods on the pallets 2, 36.

Claims

1. A pallet comprising deck members supported on support members, and the pallet being such that the deck members are made of a plastics material, the support members are made of a plastics material, the deck members are permanently bonded to the support members, the support members comprise an upper section and a lower section, the upper section and the lower section are connected together by first connecting formations, the first connecting formations comprise overlapping surfaces which are vertical in use of the pallet, the first connecting formation are bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear, the deck members and the support members are connected together by second connecting formations, the second connecting formations comprise overlapping surfaces which are vertical in use of the pallet, and the second connecting formations are bonded together such that separating forces are only in shear.

2. A pallet according to claim I in which the first connecting formations are male and female formations.

3. A pallet according to claim 2 in which the male and female formations of the first connecting formations are male upstanding formations and female complementary recesses. Ii

4. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims in which the second connecting formations are male and female formations.

5. A pallet according to claim 4 in which the male and female formations of the second connecting formations are male upstanding formations on the upper section, and recesses in the support members.

6. A pallet according to claim 5 in which the recesses are channels in the support members, and in which the support members slide over the male upstanding formations.

7. A pallet according to claim 6 in which the upper section has abutment members for preventing the support members sliding beyond an outer edge of the upper section.

8. A pallet according to claim 7 in which the abutment members are lips.

9. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims in which the deck members are spaced apart from each other.

10. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims in which the deck members and the support members are made of the same plastics material.

11. A pallet according to claim 10 in which the plastics material is ABS.

12. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims in which the bonding is effected by solvent welding.

13. A pallet according to claim 12 in which the solvent welding is effected with a polystyrene cement.

14. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including an anti-bacterial agent.

15. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including an anti-static agent.

16. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including at least one moulded recess for receiving at least one radio frequency identification tag.

17. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and which is a closed pallet, and in which the closed pallet comprises cross members on the side of the support members opposite the deck members.

18. A pallet according to claim 17 in which the cross members are connected to the lower section by resting on lugs on the lower section.

19. A pallet according to any one claims 1 -16 and which is an open pallet having no cross members on the side of the support members opposite the deck members.

20. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including voids.

21. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and having plain non-crevassed surfaces for hygiene purposes.

22. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including closing end members so that there is no access to voids within otherwise open parts of the pallet.

23. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including at least one radio frequency identification tag.

24. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including one or more sensors for temperature and/or humidity and/or shock impact.

25. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including weight-saving apertures in the upper section.

26. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims and including upstanding side walls to help retain products on the pallet.

27. A pallet substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.