US20220258914A1 - Modular reusable shipping crate - Google Patents
Modular reusable shipping crate Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220258914A1 US20220258914A1 US17/728,922 US202217728922A US2022258914A1 US 20220258914 A1 US20220258914 A1 US 20220258914A1 US 202217728922 A US202217728922 A US 202217728922A US 2022258914 A1 US2022258914 A1 US 2022258914A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- side wall
- crate
- enclosure frame
- pallet base
- side walls
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D19/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D19/02—Rigid pallets with side walls, e.g. box pallets
- B65D19/06—Rigid pallets with side walls, e.g. box pallets with bodies formed by uniting or interconnecting two or more components
- B65D19/18—Rigid pallets with side walls, e.g. box pallets with bodies formed by uniting or interconnecting two or more components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
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- B65D19/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D19/02—Rigid pallets with side walls, e.g. box pallets
- B65D19/06—Rigid pallets with side walls, e.g. box pallets with bodies formed by uniting or interconnecting two or more components
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
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- B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
- B65D21/08—Containers of variable capacity
- B65D21/083—Containers of variable capacity by means of additional elements, e.g. modular
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- B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
- B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
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- B65D2519/00258—Overall construction
- B65D2519/00263—Overall construction of the pallet
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- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
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- B65D2519/00258—Overall construction
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- B65D2519/00293—Overall construction of the load supporting surface made of more than one piece
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- B65D2519/00328—Overall construction of the base surface shape of the contact surface of the base
- B65D2519/00338—Overall construction of the base surface shape of the contact surface of the base contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
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- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00741—Dimensional aspects of the pallet
- B65D2519/00746—Dimensional aspects of the pallet divisible into sub-pallets of smaller dimensions
- B65D2519/00756—Dimensional aspects of the pallet divisible into sub-pallets of smaller dimensions joined together by removable elements, e.g. bands encircling the feed
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00776—Accessories for manipulating the pallet
- B65D2519/00786—Accessories for manipulating the pallet for lifting, e.g. hooks, loops
- B65D2519/00791—Accessories for manipulating the pallet for lifting, e.g. hooks, loops handles, handgrip holes
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00805—Means for facilitating the removal of the load
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/0086—Protection against environmental hazards, e.g. humidity, bacteria, fire
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00865—Collapsible, i.e. at least two constitutive elements remaining hingedly connected
- B65D2519/00875—Collapsible, i.e. at least two constitutive elements remaining hingedly connected collapsible side walls
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00865—Collapsible, i.e. at least two constitutive elements remaining hingedly connected
- B65D2519/00875—Collapsible, i.e. at least two constitutive elements remaining hingedly connected collapsible side walls
- B65D2519/00925—Collapsible, i.e. at least two constitutive elements remaining hingedly connected collapsible side walls with semi-detachable components, i.e. with some side walls hinged to each other or to a base panel and the other side walls being detachable to allow collapsing of the container
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00935—Details with special means for nesting or stacking
- B65D2519/00955—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable
- B65D2519/0096—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable when empty
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00935—Details with special means for nesting or stacking
- B65D2519/00955—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable
- B65D2519/00965—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable when loaded
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00935—Details with special means for nesting or stacking
- B65D2519/00955—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable
- B65D2519/00965—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable when loaded
- B65D2519/00975—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable when loaded through the side walls
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y02W30/00—Technologies for solid waste management
- Y02W30/50—Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies
- Y02W30/80—Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to shipping cargo, and more particularly, to the methods, systems, and devices for transport, storage, and logistics management of a variety of cargo.
- Wood shipping crates are the standard container for shipping a large variety of cargo. Such crates are made from heavy and bulky wooden materials. An example of cargo that is shipped in wood crates is data server racks, blades, cart-based healthcare devices, household appliances and other high-tech machines and components. Wood crates are economically, inefficient, resource and energy intensive, and environmentally destructive. Despite advances in real-time asset tracking technology, wood crates typically do not contain technology that allows for condition and location monitoring. However, these crates remain the primary container used for shipping many products today. The vast majority of these wood crates are built to transport a particular product, and are used only one time before being disposed of. Wood crates are also heavy and difficult to maneuver, even when empty.
- the present disclosure generally relates to a reusable container platform for the transport and storage of a large variety of cargo, including data server racks, blades, cart-based healthcare devices, and associated physical and electronic components.
- the crate can allow for easy and inexpensive return shipment (reverse logistics) through a collapsible, interlocking system that in some embodiments can reduce the unit height by more than 70% of its standard assembled shipping height and allows for return shipment volumes that are reduced by as much as 82%.
- a crate including a pallet base and an enclosure frame.
- the enclosure frame can have a first end and second end opposite the first end, the first end of the enclosure frame removably connectable to the pallet base to define a storage volume between the pallet base and the enclosure frame, the enclosure frame having four side walls forming four corners on the enclosure frame when the first end of the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base, each of the side walls being pivotally connected to adjacent side walls at corresponding corners of the enclosure frame.
- the crate can include a lid removably connectable to the second end of the enclosure frame.
- Each side wall assembly can include: a side wall having a first side wall end and a second side wall end; a first side wall portion pivotally connected to the first side wall end, and a second side wall portion pivotally connected to the second side wall end; wherein the first side wall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connected to each other and the second side wall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connected to each other to form an enclosure frame including the first side wall, the second side wall, a third side wall including the first side wall portions, and a fourth including the fourth side wall portions, the enclosure frame having a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end removably connectable to the pallet base.
- the crate can include a lid removably connectable to the top end of the enclosure frame.
- Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of shipping cargo comprising: at a first location, providing a crate having a pallet base, an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosure frame removably connected to the pallet base and the lid, the enclosure frame having one or more side walls pivotally connected to one another; placing the cargo in the crate; transporting the crate with the cargo to a desired location; unloading the cargo from the crate; removing the lid from the enclosure frame and removing the enclosure frame from the pallet base; folding the side walls of the enclosure frame onto one another to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation; stacking the folded enclosure frame between the pallet base and the lid; and transporting the stacked crate back to the first location.
- the present invention in one embodiment, contemplates that the crate is made of plastics, metal components, rubber and other solid materials and can protect various sized cargo through a stacking modular interlocking design that utilizes guide protrusions and corresponding guide recesses or cavities to fit the components together and limit how they can move with respect to each other.
- the pallet, side walls and lid can be connected utilizing these guide protrusions and corresponding shaped recesses, along with multiple latch assemblies to removably connect various components of the crate together.
- the height of the crate can be increased by additional tiers of side walls above the pallet.
- a container latch is designed and used in one embodiment to fasten adjacent components to each other.
- the container latch is capable of fastening the side walls to each other or the pallet and the lid to the side walls. Through various accessories and inserts the container can also be used to ship a wide array of commodities including electronic equipment, machinery, dry goods and retail merchandise.
- the crate includes a condition and location monitoring device in a small enclosed pocket of the pallet that monitors humidity, temperature in the pallet as well as detecting tilt, impact, and vibration. The device also senses light when the crate is opened as well as the geographic coordinates of the crate via a global positioning sensor (GPS) and triangulation of cell towers from a cellular chip. Remote inventorying of disassembled components can be performed utilizing Bluetooth beacons on each of the components and a Bluetooth sensor in the condition and location monitoring device in the pallet base.
- GPS global positioning sensor
- the drawings and sketches included with this submission are a set of engineered production plans that have been used to produce full size prototypes.
- the figures include a 3D image of the fully assembled unit as well as line art from the production drawings complete with specific dimensions, measurements, material call outs, thicknesses and required accessories for a completed product.
- the figures include the main components, which include the risers, pallet, side walls and the lid and exploded images of all requisite parts. Structural elements in the pallet system such as the riser with vibration dampeners and the supporting metal tubing of the pallet are shown.
- the two elements for connecting of the components include the latching system and the rectangular protrusions and the cavities that they fit into.
- a line art image of the unit in folded down or collapsed return shipping mode showing the inventive interlocking method incorporated into the design.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary single-tier crate of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another exemplary two-tier crate of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary three-tier crate of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a riser assembly of a crate of the present disclosure with included EPDM dampeners (shock isolators).
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the riser assembly of FIG. 4 connected to a pallet base.
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pallet base of the crate in FIG. 1 including a ramp assembly.
- FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the pallet assembly of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 8 is an upper and lower perspective view of exemplary ramps for the crate of FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a channel associated with the ramp of FIG. 8 .
- FIG. 10 is a perspective and side view of fixture rails for the pallet base of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 11 a is a perspective view of a reinforcement frame for the pallet base including apertures for receiving the ramps.
- FIG. 11 b is a detailed perspective view of the reinforcement frame of FIG. 11 a.
- FIG. 11 c is a detailed perspective view of a ramp being received in the apertures on the pallet base.
- FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a side wall assembly of the crate of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a hinge assembly of the side wall assembly of FIG. 12 .
- FIG. 14 a is an upper perspective view of a pallet base and side wall connection of a crate of the present disclosure that utilizes rectangular guide protrusions and corresponding rectangular guide cavities.
- FIG. 14 b is a lower perspective view of a pallet base and side wall connection of the crate of FIG. 14 a.
- FIG. 15 a is a lower perspective view of the side wall to side wall connection of the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 15 b is an upper perspective view of the side wall to side wall connection of the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 16 a is a lower perspective view of the side wall to lid connection of the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 16 b is an upper perspective view of the side wall to lid connection of the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a lid and lid latch assemblies of a crate of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 18 is an exploded view of an exemplary latch assembly of a crate of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an exemplary rectangular guide protrusion (“teeth”) for a crate of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 20 a is a perspective view of an embodiment of a single-tier crate of the present disclosure disassembled and collapsed for return shipping.
- FIG. 20 b is a front elevation view of an embodiment of a single-tier crate of the present disclosure disassembled and collapsed for return shipping.
- FIG. 21 is a front elevation view of two single-tier crates stacked on top of each other.
- the present disclosure includes a device, system, and method for transporting cargo via a modular reusable shipping crate. Further, the present invention discloses methods, systems, and devices for transport, storage, and logistics management of a variety of cargo.
- one aspect of the present disclosure is a crate 50 including a pallet base 5 and an enclosure frame 52 .
- the enclosure frame 52 can have a first or bottom end 54 and second top end 56 opposite the first end 54 , the first end 54 of the enclosure frame 52 removably connectable to the pallet base 5 to define a storage volume 68 (beneath the lid 66 in FIG.
- the crate 50 can include a lid 66 removably connectable to the second end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 .
- the enclosure frame 52 when the enclosure frame 52 is connected to the pallet base 5 , the enclosure frame 52 can include first and second side walls 58 a and 58 b positioned opposite one another on the pallet base 5 and third and fourth side walls 58 c and 58 d positioned opposite one another on the pallet base 5 .
- each of the third and fourth side walls includes: a first side wall portion 15 b pivotally connected to the first side wall 58 a ; and a second side wall portion 15 c pivotally connected to the second side wall 58 b , wherein the first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 c are removably connectable to one another when the enclosure frame 52 is connected to the pallet base 5 .
- FIGS. 1, 12, and 20 b Another aspect of the present disclosure, shown in FIGS. 1, 12, and 20 b , is a crate 50 including a pallet base 5 and a pair of side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b .
- Each side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b can include a side wall 15 a having a first side wall end 64 a and a second side wall end 64 b .
- a first side wall portion 15 b can be pivotally connected to the first side wall end 64 a
- a second side wall portion 15 c can be pivotally connected to the second side wall end 64 b
- the first side wall portions 15 b of each side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b can be removably connected to each other
- the second side wall portions 15 c of each side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b can be removably connected to each other to form an enclosure frame 52 including the first side wall 58 a , the second side wall 58 b , a third side wall 58 c including the first side wall portions 15 b , and a fourth side wall 58 d including the second side wall portions 15 b
- the enclosure frame 52 having a bottom end 54 and a top end 56 , the bottom end 54 removably connectable to the pallet base 5
- the crate 50 can include a lid 66 removably connectable to the top end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 .
- FIG. 12 shows an exploded view of the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b .
- the side walls 15 a and side wall portions 15 b and 15 c of the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can include a blow-molded long main side wall 15 a that is pivotally connected to a first side wall portion 15 b and second side all portion 15 c wall on corresponding ends 64 a and 64 b of the main side wall 15 a , the side wall portions 15 b and 15 c being shorter than the main side wall 15 a so the side wall portions 15 b and 15 c can be foldable onto the main side wall 15 a during storage of the crate 50 .
- first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 c can be of a similar size but are different patterns to allow for an overlapping and interlocking relationship, as shown in FIG. 1 , between opposing first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 c when multiple side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b are connected together by connecting first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 c together.
- the side wall assemblies 62 a can include one or more a handles 16 that can be made of either plastics, metal or a combination of both.
- each short side wall portion 15 b and 15 c can include two container handles 16 that can be used to manipulate the crate 50 .
- the handles 16 can be held in place by screws.
- the side wall portions 15 b and 15 c can include handle recesses 86 for each handle 16 , and the handle 16 s can span across corresponding handle recesses 86 .
- the handle recesses 86 can provide clearance for a user to grab the handles 16 while allowing the handles 16 to be oriented generally flush with the side wall portions 15 b and 15 c .
- handles 16 and handle recesses 16 can be disposed on the main side wall 15 a of the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b.
- the side wall 15 a in some embodiments can include indentations 19 a where shipping labels or other information can be located.
- the side wall 15 a can also include additional areas 19 b where a company logo or other information can be located.
- the side walls 15 a can include multiple areas 20 wherein the two sides of the blow molded plastic for the side wall 15 a and side wall portions 15 b and 15 c come together and contact. These contact areas 20 can help provide strength and rigidity to the long main side wall 15 a .
- Similar contact areas 21 can be included in the short side wall portions 15 a and 15 c that provide strength and rigidity for those pieces.
- the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can include an interlocking protrusion 22 extending from on the first and/or second side wall portions 15 b and 15 c that creates an overlap and interlocking arranging with an interlocking recess 88 on an opposite side wall portion 15 b and/or 15 c when the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b are put together to form a tier 70 , as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the short side wall portions 15 b and 15 c can include one or more stacking protrusion 23 .
- these stacking protrusions 23 can into corresponding stacking cavities 24 on the main side wall 15 a of the side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b stacked on top of it. This feature allows the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b to nest on each other and to be stacked easily during storage and transportation of empty and disassembled crates 50 .
- FIG. 13 shows the hinge assembly 90 .
- the hinge assembly incorporates a hinge pin 25 that can be metal or plastic.
- the hinge pin 25 can be received through pin apertures defined on ends of the side wall 15 as and the side wall portion 15 c .
- An upper cap 26 and a lower cap 28 can cover opposing ends of the hinge pin 25 once received through corresponding side wall 15 a and side wall portion 15 c .
- the hinge assembly 90 can include multiple bushings that allow the hinge pin 25 and side wall 15 a and side wall portion 15 c to rotate on each other and help reduce wear on the components of the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b .
- the hinge middle bushing is made of rubber or a similar pliable material with the upper and lower bushings being made from plastic.
- the crate 50 having side walls 58 a , 58 b , 58 c , and 58 d that are pivotally connected to one another, or side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b with side walls 15 a and side wall portions 15 b and 15 c pivotally connected to one another can allow the side walls 58 a , 58 b , 58 c , and 58 d and/or side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 to be removed from the pallet base 5 and folded onto themselves.
- the side walls 58 a , 58 b , 58 c , and 58 d or side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can then be folded into a flat orientation such that the enclosure frame 52 and the side walls contained therein can be stacked between the pallet base 5 and the lid 66 for easy reshipping of the crate 50 back to an original or otherwise desired location.
- the crate 50 can include a set of risers 6 , a pallet base 5 , one, two, three, or more tiers of side walls and a lid 66 .
- FIG. 1 depicts a single tier crate 50 with the pallet base 5 , a single or first tier 70 of side walls and a lid 66 .
- FIG. 2 depicts a two-tier crate 50 with a pallet base 5 , a first tier of sidewalls 70 , a second tier of sidewalls 72 , and a lid 66 .
- the second tier of sidewalls 72 can be stacked on top of the first tier of sidewalls 70 , such that the first and second tiers of sidewalls 70 and 72 together form the enclosure frame 52 .
- the first tier of side walls 70 can define the first or lower end 54 of the enclosure frame 52 that is removably connectable to the pallet base 5
- the second tier of sidewalls 72 can define the second or upper end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 , with the lid 66 being removably connected to the second or upper end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 .
- each tier of sidewalls 70 , 72 , 74 in some embodiments can include four sidewalls to form a substantially rectangular crate 50 .
- each tier of sidewalls 70 , 72 , 74 can include 3, 4, 5, or 6, etc. pivotally connected side walls to accommodate cargo of various shapes.
- FIG. 4 depicts the riser assembly 6 .
- the riser assembly 6 can include a riser body 1 that can be composed of any plastics or glass-filled plastic material. In some embodiments, nine riser assemblies 6 can be connected to the pallet base 5 and provide a height sufficient for inserting a forklift or pallet jack beneath the pallet base 5 .
- the riser body 1 may include a cut out on the outside wall on one or both sides with a rod 2 inserted in the riser body 1 and accessible through the opening that allows for straps or other materials to loop around or hook to the rod 2 in fastening cargo or crate components.
- the riser assembly 6 can also include an upper shock dampener 3 .
- the upper shock dampener 3 may include a larger size and durometer or hardness and serves to reduce the transmission of high external shocks on the internal cargo contained within the crate 50 .
- the riser assembly 6 can also include a lower shock dampener 4 .
- the lower shock dampener 4 is smaller in size and may include a lower durometer or hardness to reduce vibration.
- the lower shock dampener 4 also may include a concentric ring of material removed to reduce vibration transmission through the riser assembly 6 into the pallet base 5 .
- the interior solid portion is sufficient to provide tension against the nut and bolt assembly during shocks or impacts where compression occurs.
- the riser assembly 6 can be fastened to the pallet body 5 utilizing at least one bolt and nut fasteners through the centerline of the riser as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 .
- two bolt and nut fasteners can be used to secure each riser assembly 6 to the pallet base 5 .
- the pallet base 5 can rest atop the upper shock dampener 3 such that the upper shock dampener 3 is compressed when weight is applied to the top of the pallet base 5 .
- FIG. 6 depicts a pallet assembly 45 .
- the pallet assembly 45 can include the pallet base 5 , the riser assemblies 6 , a pair of channels 7 , a pair of ramps 8 , and fixation rails 9 .
- the pallet base 5 rests on the upper shock dampener which nests in the riser body.
- the pallet base 5 can be made from a variety of plastics or metals, with strength, rigidity and safety against breakage being the primary considerations.
- FIG. 7 depicts an exploded view of the pallet assembly 45 .
- the pallet assembly 45 can include a pocket 10 in the surface of the pallet base 5 that allows for placement of a tracking device 48 for condition and location monitoring.
- the pocket 10 can have a lid 46 that can be screwed in to protect the tracking device 48 .
- the lid 10 may have at least one hole in it to allow light and air to be transmitted to allow the tracking device 48 to measure humidity, temperature, and the presence of light in the crate 50 .
- the bottom of the pallet base 5 may include multiple cavities or channels (not shown) that include perimetric channels that run around the perimeter of the pallet base 5 and other channels or cavities that run across the pallet base 5 in perpendicular directions from the perimetric channels or cavities.
- the pallet base 5 can include a supporting metal frame 11 that can nest inside these lower cavities or channels in the pallet base 5 .
- the cavities or channels in the pallet base 5 can generally conform to a shape of the metal frame 11 .
- the frame 11 can include metal tubing that can be welded together or cast to provide rigidity to a plastic pallet base 5 , in order to help reinforce the pallet base 5 to support heavy cargo such as data servers and electrical panels.
- the metal tubing can run along the edges of a longer side of the pallet base 5 and can have multiple sections running perpendicular and connecting the two long sides together.
- the pallet base 5 can include sets of two threaded rods 13 that are welded or connected in some other fashion to a flat piece of metal. These rods 13 may be used in the center section of the pallet base 5 to bolt the riser assemblies 6 and isolators 3 and 4 to the pallet base 5 . Bolts 14 may also be used on the edges of the pallet base 5 to connect some of the riser assemblies 6 , pallet base 5 and fixation rails 9 together.
- the perimeter of the pallet base 5 can be lined with a first set of guide protrusions 12 , or “teeth”.
- These guide protrusions 12 can be generally rectangular in some embodiments, but could also be in the form of other geometric shapes (circles, oval, square, trapezoidal, etc.).
- the crate 50 can also include a first set of guide recesses 76 on the first end of the enclosure frame 52 .
- Each of the guide projections 12 on the pallet base can be receivable in a corresponding guide recess 76 defined in the first end of the enclosure frame 52 , or the side walls positioned immediately above the pallet base 5 , to align the enclosure frame 52 and the side walls of the crate 50 on the pallet base 5 .
- a top or second end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 can include a second set a second set of guide protrusions 78
- the bottom of the lid 66 can include a second set of guide recesses 80 .
- Each of the second set of protrusions 78 on the enclosure frame 52 can be received in a corresponding guide recess of the second set of guide recesses 80 in the lid 66 to nest and align the lid 66 on the enclosure frame 52 .
- each of the tiers of side walls 70 and 72 can be aligned and removably connected with one another using additional sets of guide protrusions and corresponding guide recesses.
- a top of the first tier of side walls 70 can include a third set of guide protrusions 82
- the bottom of the second tier of sidewalls 72 can include a third set of guide recesses 84 .
- Each of the third set of protrusions 82 on the first tier of sidewalls 70 can be received in a corresponding guide recess of the third set of guide recesses 84 to nest and align the first tier of sidewalls 70 with the second tier of sidewalls 72 on the enclosure frame 52 .
- Additional tiers of sidewalls can be removably connected in succession using similar sets of guide projections and guide recesses.
- the crate 50 can include a first plurality of latch assemblies 92 that can removably connect the pallet base 5 to the first end 54 of the enclosure frame 52 and side walls 58 a , 58 b , 58 c , and 58 d .
- the crate 50 can include a second plurality of latch assemblies 94 operable to removably connect the second end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 to the lid 66 . Additional pluralities of tier latch assemblies 96 can be provided to removably connect subsequent tiers 70 , 72 , and 74 together.
- the short side wall portions 15 b and/or 15 c can include one or more side wall portion latch assemblies 98 that are operable to connect the side wall portions 15 b and 15 c to opposing side wall portions 15 b and 15 c on side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b being connected together via their side wall portions 15 b and 15 c .
- the one or more side wall portion latch assemblies 98 can include at least a third side wall latch assemblies connecting first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 c of the third side wall 58 c and a fourth side wall latch assembly connecting first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 c of the fourth side wall 58 d.
- the horizontal latch assemblies 98 can be utilized to connect different side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b together to form the enclosure frame 52 .
- the first plurality of latch assemblies 92 and the first sets of guide protrusions 12 and guide recesses 76 can be used to align and removably connect the pallet base 5 to the lower end 54 of the enclosure frame 52 .
- the second plurality of latch assemblies 94 and the second sets of guide protrusions 78 and guide recesses 82 can be used to align and removably connect the lid 66 to the top end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 , and the tier latch assemblies 96 and additional sets of guide protrusions 82 and guide recesses 84 between successive tiers of side walls 70 , 72 , and 74 can be used to align and removably connect success tiers of side walls together.
- each side wall 15 a on each side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b can have at least 3 vertical latch assemblies 92 connecting the side wall 15 a to the pallet base 5 , at least 3 vertical latch assemblies 94 or 96 connecting the side wall 15 a to the lid 66 or to an above tier of sidewalls 66 or 72 , 73 respectively, and at least 2 horizontal latches 98 connecting pairs of side wall portions 15 b and 15 c together. At least one additional vertical latch can be used to connect one or more of the first and second side wall portions 15 b and/or 15 c to the pallet base 5 and/or the lid 66 for additional stability.
- FIG. 18 shows an exemplary latch assembly 92 .
- the catch 36 can be made of plastic and is the catch piece over which the elastic (rubber, EPDM, etc.) tensioner 41 is placed before closing the lever 40 .
- the lever 40 can be made of plastic and is held in place by and rotatably disposed on lever housing members 38 and 39 which can both be made of plastic in some embodiments.
- Bolts 37 can hold all of the latch pieces in place.
- the catch 36 can be connected to one component to be secured by the latch, and the tensioner 41 and lever 40 can be connected to another component to be secured by the latch.
- the components can be positioned near each other such that the tensioner 41 can be engaged with the catch 36 and the lever 40 can be actuated to move the latch assembly 92 to a latched position to removably connect the components together.
- the tensioner 41 has a small cavity 93 on the inside of the tensioner 41 that can allow a lever protrusion 95 on the outside of the lever 40 to nest when the latch assembly 92 is in the locked position. This helps to keep the latch assembly 92 in the closed position and creates a snapping sound when the latch assembly 92 is latched.
- Lever housing members 38 and 39 create a hinge for the lever to rotate around when opening and closing the latch.
- the crate 50 can include a ramp system that can be used to help roll or load cargo into the assembled crate 50 .
- Ramps 8 can allow items to be rolled onto the pallet base 5 .
- a pair of ramps 8 can be provided that are removably disposable on the pallet base 5 .
- Each ramp 8 can include at least one ramp tooth 8 b at one end 8 a of the ramp 8 that allows for the ramp tooth 8 b to be received or disposed in ramp apertures 81 defined in the pallet base 5 .
- the crate 50 can include a long side and a short side, and the ramp apertures 81 can be defined in the short side of the crate 50 .
- the ramp teeth 8 b can help keep the ramps 8 from moving apart and help coordinate the location at which they connect to the pallet base 5 .
- Reinforcing ribs 8 c may be connected of formed on the bottom of the ramps 8 to provide additional support for extremely heavy objects being loaded.
- the ribs 8 c may run the length of the ramp 8 and taper to off near the beginning edge of the ramp 8 to allow the beginning of the ramp 8 to sit flush on the ground.
- the reinforcing ribs 8 c can have crosspieces 8 d that act as supports as well as nesting points for nesting with collapsed side wall assemblies 62 a and/or 62 b when shipping the crates 50 back in a collapsed state, as shown in FIG. 20 b .
- the outside edges of the ramp 8 may be bent up at a 90-degree angle to keep a cart-based device from running off the edge of the ramp during loading. These edges may also help support the stiffness of the ramp 8 surface.
- the crate 50 in some embodiments can include a pair of channels 7 removably receivable on the pallet base 7 .
- the pallet channels 7 are designed to help support specific cargo like wheeled devices and devices with legs where the weight is specifically concentrated.
- the channels 7 can be an extension of the ramps 8 in some embodiments wherein the channels 7 can be aligned with the ramps 8 , and vice versa, such that wheeled devices can be rolled from the ramps 8 onto the channel 7 .
- Each channel 7 can have a least one channel tooth that can be bent or extend at a 90-degree angle from the channel bearing surface. The teeth are designed to fit into corresponding channel apertures 83 defined in the pallet base 5 .
- the channel apertures 83 can run parallel to the short sides of the pallet base 5 .
- the plurality of channel apertures 83 and ramp apertures 81 defined in the pallet base 5 can allow pairs of channels 7 and ramps 8 to be placed on the pallet base 5 at different distances apart to support different cargo items that have different distances between their supporting wheels or legs.
- the outside edges of the channel 7 are bent up at a 90-degree angle to limit a cart-based device from rolling off the channel 7 onto the plastic surface of the pallet base 5 .
- the ramps 8 can be rotatable on the pallet base 5 via the ramp teeth 8 b within the ramp apertures 81 .
- the ramp teeth 8 b can have a generally rounded or curved shape to allow for rotation of the ramp 8 about the ramp teeth 8 b within the ramp aperture 81 .
- the ramp may include slits 85 .
- the slits 85 can allow the ramps 8 to be flipped over and seated on ramp catches 87 on corresponding channels 7 when the crate 50 is being shipped back empty.
- the ramps 8 can be removed from the ramp apertures 81 and placed inside the crate 50 during shipment of the cargo. In other embodiments, the ramps 8 can be rotated upward to rest against the cargo during shipment.
- the ramps 8 can simply be removed during shipping and an additional set of ramps can be located at the desired shipping location and the receiver of the crate 50 can place their own ramps 8 on the pallet base 5 for unloading of the cargo.
- the ramps 8 and the channels 7 can be removable from the pallet base 5 to form a generally flat pallet base 5 surface to support non-wheeled cargo.
- the ramp apertures 81 and the channel apertures 83 can be defined in the metal frame 11 .
- FIG. 11 shows a metal plate 11 a connected adjacent the metal tubing of the metal frame 11 with the ramp apertures 81 and channel apertures 83 cut out of the metal plate 11 a .
- the apertures 81 and 83 in the plate allow for the teeth from the ramps and channel to be fixed at different locations.
- the ramp apertures 81 and the channel apertures 83 can be offset from one another such that multiple ramp teeth 8 b received in the ramp apertures 81 and multiple channel teeth 7 b received in the channel apertures 83 can form an interlocking arrangement such that the ramp teeth 8 b and channel teeth 7 b created a generally uniform transition area between the ramp 8 and the channel 7 .
- FIG. 11 shows a metal plate with various openings cut out of it that is connected to the metal support structure. The openings in the plate allow for the protrusions from the ramps and channel to be fixed at different locations.
- FIG. 10 shows the fixation rail 9 .
- the fixation rail 9 can be are metallic and are extruded with a profile that allows for a nut, the head of a bolt or other adapter to slide the length of the rail 9 .
- Two fixation rails 9 can be located along the long side of the pallet base 5 in some embodiments. Different adapters can be mounted on and slid along the rail 9 to allow fixation of various cargo to the pallet base 5 .
- the fixation rail 9 can include two opposing L-shaped flanges 9 a and a fixation channel defined between the two L-shaped flanges 9 a .
- the fixation rail 9 can be shaped to receive an edge of the ramps 8 to store the ramps 8 in the fixation rail 9 during transport of the cargo.
- the lid 66 is shown in FIG. 17 can include a large blow-molded shape that fits the top of two side walls below it and a plurality of latches 94 to keep the lid 66 connected to the enclosure frame.
- the top of the lid 66 has depressed areas 32 that correspond to the dimensions to the bottom of the risers on the pallet base 5 and allow the risers to nest in the depressed areas when stacking one crate on another.
- Each lid 66 can have a number of latches 94 on the long side and the short side that firmly fix the lid 66 to the side wall.
- the bottom edge of the lid 66 can also have cavities that correspond to the protrusions in the top of the side wall that allow the lid to nest onto the side wall and help reduce movement in the horizontal plane.
- the lid 66 can include lid handles 34 at each end of the lid 66 that allow for easier lifting and movement.
- the lid 66 also can have depressed areas 35 running through the middle and perpendicular to the long side that allow for straps to be put over the top and to nest in the depressed area 35 for helping to affix the lid 66 or strap one container to another.
- FIG. 19 shows an exemplary guide protrusion 12 that is inserted into the pallet surface to allow it to nest with the side wall above it when assembling the crate.
- the guide protrusions 12 can be an injection-molded part.
- the similar protrusions along the top edge of the side walls are cast in place when the side walls are molded as opposed to being inserted in the pallet base.
- FIG. 20 depicts a single tier crate disassembled and collapsed.
- the stacking order consists of a pallet base 5 with channels 7 on top.
- the ramps 9 can be flipped over and nested on top of the channels.
- Side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b are removed from the pallet base 5 and are then folded at the corners and nested onto the nesting points 8 c on the back of the ramps.
- Multiple side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can be stacked on top of each other with stacking protrusions 23 being received in or nested within stacking recesses 24 between subsequent side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b .
- the lid 66 nests on the collapsed sidewalls.
- the lid 66 may have a sufficient height such that the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 can fit within the lid 66 and latch components of the latch assemblies 94 on the lid 66 can engage corresponding latch components on the latch assemblies 92 on the pallet base 92 to secure the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b between the lid 66 and the pallet base 5 in a flat stored orientation.
- the basic unit for a standard server rack is three tiers tall, but can be utilized effectively using anywhere from one to four tiers attached to the base unit.
- a complete tier consists of two side wall assemblies put together on each side of the pallet base 5 or attached to the tier below it.
- FIG. 21 shows two single-tiered crates 50 stacked on top of one another.
- Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of shipping cargo including the steps of: at a first location, providing a crate having a pallet base, an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosure frame removably connected to the pallet base and the lid, the enclosure frame having one or more side walls pivotally connected to one another; placing the cargo in the crate; transporting the crate with the cargo to a desired location; unloading the cargo from the crate; removing the lid from the enclosure frame and removing the enclosure frame from the pallet base; folding the side walls of the enclosure frame onto one another to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation; stacking the folded enclosure frame between the pallet base and the lid; and transporting the stacked crate back to the first location.
- the crate further includes a tracking device disposed on the pallet base, the tracking device operable to track a location of the crate via a global positioning system, and the method further comprises tracking the location of the crate via the tracking device during transportation of the crate to and from the desired location.
- Such a method can allow for the return and reuse of the modular shipping crates disclosed herein.
- the crate can be disassembled into a fraction of the volume of the assembled crate and then shipped back to a shipping vendor, where the crate can be readily reassembled and reused to ship additional products.
- Additional Bluetooth beacons can be placed in each component of the shipping crates and communicated with a tracking device so it can be readily determined if all components of a particular shipping crate have been returned together.
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Abstract
A system, method, and device for shipping, transporting, storing, and managing logistics of a variety of cargo. A crate is disclosed that allows for easy and inexpensive return shipment (reverse logistics) after use through a collapsible, interlocking system of a pallet base, foldable side wall assemblies, and a lid that can be removably connected to one another. The crate can utilize guide protrusions and corresponding guide recesses to fit the components together. The height of the crate can be increased by additional tiers of side walls. Latch assemblies can be utilized to fasten adjacent components together. The crate may include a tracking or monitoring device that can monitor one or more of humidity, temperature, tilt, impact, vibration, and variety of desired conditions. The system may include Bluetooth beacons on each of the components and a Bluetooth sensor in the monitoring device in the pallet base to monitor disassembled components.
Description
- A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
- This non-provisional patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/891,340, filed Aug. 24, 2019, entitled MODULAR REUSABLE SHIPPING CRATE, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/037,981, filed Jun. 11, 2020, entitled REUSABLE SHIPPING PLATFORM FOR TRANSPORTING MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/001,603, filed Aug. 24, 2020, which is now U.S. Pat. No. 11,312,534, entitled MODULAR REUSABLE SHIPPING CRATE, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
- Not Applicable
- Not Applicable
- The present invention generally relates to shipping cargo, and more particularly, to the methods, systems, and devices for transport, storage, and logistics management of a variety of cargo.
- Wood shipping crates are the standard container for shipping a large variety of cargo. Such crates are made from heavy and bulky wooden materials. An example of cargo that is shipped in wood crates is data server racks, blades, cart-based healthcare devices, household appliances and other high-tech machines and components. Wood crates are economically, inefficient, resource and energy intensive, and environmentally destructive. Despite advances in real-time asset tracking technology, wood crates typically do not contain technology that allows for condition and location monitoring. However, these crates remain the primary container used for shipping many products today. The vast majority of these wood crates are built to transport a particular product, and are used only one time before being disposed of. Wood crates are also heavy and difficult to maneuver, even when empty.
- What is needed then are improvements to shipping crate technologies.
- This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description below. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
- The present disclosure generally relates to a reusable container platform for the transport and storage of a large variety of cargo, including data server racks, blades, cart-based healthcare devices, and associated physical and electronic components. The crate can allow for easy and inexpensive return shipment (reverse logistics) through a collapsible, interlocking system that in some embodiments can reduce the unit height by more than 70% of its standard assembled shipping height and allows for return shipment volumes that are reduced by as much as 82%.
- One aspect of the present disclosure is a crate including a pallet base and an enclosure frame. The enclosure frame can have a first end and second end opposite the first end, the first end of the enclosure frame removably connectable to the pallet base to define a storage volume between the pallet base and the enclosure frame, the enclosure frame having four side walls forming four corners on the enclosure frame when the first end of the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base, each of the side walls being pivotally connected to adjacent side walls at corresponding corners of the enclosure frame. The crate can include a lid removably connectable to the second end of the enclosure frame.
- Another aspect of the present disclosure is a crate including a pallet base and a pair of side wall assemblies. Each side wall assembly can include: a side wall having a first side wall end and a second side wall end; a first side wall portion pivotally connected to the first side wall end, and a second side wall portion pivotally connected to the second side wall end; wherein the first side wall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connected to each other and the second side wall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connected to each other to form an enclosure frame including the first side wall, the second side wall, a third side wall including the first side wall portions, and a fourth including the fourth side wall portions, the enclosure frame having a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end removably connectable to the pallet base. The crate can include a lid removably connectable to the top end of the enclosure frame.
- Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of shipping cargo comprising: at a first location, providing a crate having a pallet base, an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosure frame removably connected to the pallet base and the lid, the enclosure frame having one or more side walls pivotally connected to one another; placing the cargo in the crate; transporting the crate with the cargo to a desired location; unloading the cargo from the crate; removing the lid from the enclosure frame and removing the enclosure frame from the pallet base; folding the side walls of the enclosure frame onto one another to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation; stacking the folded enclosure frame between the pallet base and the lid; and transporting the stacked crate back to the first location.
- The present invention, in one embodiment, contemplates that the crate is made of plastics, metal components, rubber and other solid materials and can protect various sized cargo through a stacking modular interlocking design that utilizes guide protrusions and corresponding guide recesses or cavities to fit the components together and limit how they can move with respect to each other. The pallet, side walls and lid can be connected utilizing these guide protrusions and corresponding shaped recesses, along with multiple latch assemblies to removably connect various components of the crate together. The height of the crate can be increased by additional tiers of side walls above the pallet. A container latch is designed and used in one embodiment to fasten adjacent components to each other. The container latch is capable of fastening the side walls to each other or the pallet and the lid to the side walls. Through various accessories and inserts the container can also be used to ship a wide array of commodities including electronic equipment, machinery, dry goods and retail merchandise. The crate includes a condition and location monitoring device in a small enclosed pocket of the pallet that monitors humidity, temperature in the pallet as well as detecting tilt, impact, and vibration. The device also senses light when the crate is opened as well as the geographic coordinates of the crate via a global positioning sensor (GPS) and triangulation of cell towers from a cellular chip. Remote inventorying of disassembled components can be performed utilizing Bluetooth beacons on each of the components and a Bluetooth sensor in the condition and location monitoring device in the pallet base.
- It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and exemplary only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
- The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. Together with the description, they serve to explain the objects, advantages, and principles of the invention.
- The drawings and sketches included with this submission are a set of engineered production plans that have been used to produce full size prototypes. The figures include a 3D image of the fully assembled unit as well as line art from the production drawings complete with specific dimensions, measurements, material call outs, thicknesses and required accessories for a completed product. The figures include the main components, which include the risers, pallet, side walls and the lid and exploded images of all requisite parts. Structural elements in the pallet system such as the riser with vibration dampeners and the supporting metal tubing of the pallet are shown. The two elements for connecting of the components include the latching system and the rectangular protrusions and the cavities that they fit into. Also included is a line art image of the unit in folded down or collapsed return shipping mode showing the inventive interlocking method incorporated into the design. In the drawings:
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary single-tier crate of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another exemplary two-tier crate of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary three-tier crate of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a riser assembly of a crate of the present disclosure with included EPDM dampeners (shock isolators). -
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the riser assembly ofFIG. 4 connected to a pallet base. -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pallet base of the crate inFIG. 1 including a ramp assembly. -
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the pallet assembly ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 8 is an upper and lower perspective view of exemplary ramps for the crate ofFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a channel associated with the ramp ofFIG. 8 . -
FIG. 10 is a perspective and side view of fixture rails for the pallet base ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 11a is a perspective view of a reinforcement frame for the pallet base including apertures for receiving the ramps. -
FIG. 11b is a detailed perspective view of the reinforcement frame ofFIG. 11 a. -
FIG. 11c is a detailed perspective view of a ramp being received in the apertures on the pallet base. -
FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a side wall assembly of the crate ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a hinge assembly of the side wall assembly ofFIG. 12 . -
FIG. 14a is an upper perspective view of a pallet base and side wall connection of a crate of the present disclosure that utilizes rectangular guide protrusions and corresponding rectangular guide cavities. -
FIG. 14b is a lower perspective view of a pallet base and side wall connection of the crate ofFIG. 14 a. -
FIG. 15a is a lower perspective view of the side wall to side wall connection of the two-tiered crate ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 15b is an upper perspective view of the side wall to side wall connection of the two-tiered crate ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 16a is a lower perspective view of the side wall to lid connection of the two-tiered crate ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 16b is an upper perspective view of the side wall to lid connection of the two-tiered crate ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a lid and lid latch assemblies of a crate of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 18 is an exploded view of an exemplary latch assembly of a crate of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an exemplary rectangular guide protrusion (“teeth”) for a crate of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 20a is a perspective view of an embodiment of a single-tier crate of the present disclosure disassembled and collapsed for return shipping. -
FIG. 20b is a front elevation view of an embodiment of a single-tier crate of the present disclosure disassembled and collapsed for return shipping. -
FIG. 21 is a front elevation view of two single-tier crates stacked on top of each other. - Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, some aspects of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
- The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosed inventions and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, summary, or the following detailed description.
- In the drawings, not all reference numbers are included in each drawing, for the sake of clarity. In addition, positional terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “side,” “top,” “bottom,” etc. refer to the system or components thereof when in the orientation shown in the drawing. A person of skill in the art will recognize that the system can assume different orientations when in use.
- The present disclosure includes a device, system, and method for transporting cargo via a modular reusable shipping crate. Further, the present invention discloses methods, systems, and devices for transport, storage, and logistics management of a variety of cargo.
- As shown in
FIG. 1 , one aspect of the present disclosure is acrate 50 including apallet base 5 and anenclosure frame 52. Theenclosure frame 52 can have a first orbottom end 54 and secondtop end 56 opposite thefirst end 54, thefirst end 54 of theenclosure frame 52 removably connectable to thepallet base 5 to define a storage volume 68 (beneath thelid 66 inFIG. 16a ) between thepallet base 5 and theenclosure frame 52, theenclosure frame 52 having fourside walls corners enclosure frame 52 when thefirst end 54 of theenclosure frame 52 is connected to thepallet base 5, each of theside walls corners enclosure frame 52. Thecrate 50 can include alid 66 removably connectable to thesecond end 56 of theenclosure frame 52. In some embodiments, when theenclosure frame 52 is connected to thepallet base 5, theenclosure frame 52 can include first andsecond side walls pallet base 5 and third andfourth side walls pallet base 5. In some embodiments, each of the third and fourth side walls includes: a firstside wall portion 15 b pivotally connected to thefirst side wall 58 a; and a secondside wall portion 15 c pivotally connected to thesecond side wall 58 b, wherein the first and secondside wall portions enclosure frame 52 is connected to thepallet base 5. - Another aspect of the present disclosure, shown in
FIGS. 1, 12, and 20 b, is acrate 50 including apallet base 5 and a pair ofside wall assemblies side wall assembly side wall 15 a having a first side wall end 64 a and a secondside wall end 64 b. A firstside wall portion 15 b can be pivotally connected to the first side wall end 64 a, and a secondside wall portion 15 c can be pivotally connected to the secondside wall end 64 b; wherein the firstside wall portions 15 b of eachside wall assembly side wall portions 15 c of eachside wall assembly enclosure frame 52 including thefirst side wall 58 a, thesecond side wall 58 b, athird side wall 58 c including the firstside wall portions 15 b, and afourth side wall 58 d including the secondside wall portions 15 b, theenclosure frame 52 having abottom end 54 and atop end 56, thebottom end 54 removably connectable to thepallet base 5. Thecrate 50 can include alid 66 removably connectable to thetop end 56 of theenclosure frame 52. -
FIG. 12 shows an exploded view of theside wall assemblies side walls 15 a andside wall portions side wall assemblies main side wall 15 a that is pivotally connected to a firstside wall portion 15 b and second side allportion 15 c wall on corresponding ends 64 a and 64 b of themain side wall 15 a, theside wall portions main side wall 15 a so theside wall portions main side wall 15 a during storage of thecrate 50. In some embodiments, the first and secondside wall portions FIG. 1 , between opposing first and secondside wall portions side wall assemblies side wall portions - In some embodiments, the
side wall assemblies 62 a can include one or more ahandles 16 that can be made of either plastics, metal or a combination of both. In some embodiments, each shortside wall portion crate 50. For easier repair, thehandles 16 can be held in place by screws. Theside wall portions recesses 86 for eachhandle 16, and the handle 16 s can span across corresponding handle recesses 86. The handle recesses 86 can provide clearance for a user to grab thehandles 16 while allowing thehandles 16 to be oriented generally flush with theside wall portions handles 16 with theside wall portions handles 16 during transport of thecrate 50. While the handles are shown onside wall portions recesses 16 can be disposed on themain side wall 15 a of theside wall assemblies - The
side wall 15 a in some embodiments can includeindentations 19 a where shipping labels or other information can be located. Theside wall 15 a can also includeadditional areas 19 b where a company logo or other information can be located. In some embodiments, theside walls 15 a can includemultiple areas 20 wherein the two sides of the blow molded plastic for theside wall 15 a andside wall portions contact areas 20 can help provide strength and rigidity to the longmain side wall 15 a.Similar contact areas 21 can be included in the shortside wall portions side wall assemblies protrusion 22 extending from on the first and/or secondside wall portions side wall portion 15 b and/or 15 c when theside wall assemblies tier 70, as shown inFIG. 1 . - Referring again to
FIGS. 12 and 20 b, the shortside wall portions protrusion 23. When the shortside wall portions main side wall 15 a to allow for stacking of multipleside wall assemblies protrusions 23 can into corresponding stackingcavities 24 on themain side wall 15 a of theside wall assembly side wall assemblies crates 50. -
FIG. 13 shows thehinge assembly 90. The hinge assembly incorporates ahinge pin 25 that can be metal or plastic. Thehinge pin 25 can be received through pin apertures defined on ends of the side wall 15 as and theside wall portion 15 c. Anupper cap 26 and alower cap 28 can cover opposing ends of thehinge pin 25 once received through correspondingside wall 15 a andside wall portion 15 c. Thehinge assembly 90 can include multiple bushings that allow thehinge pin 25 andside wall 15 a andside wall portion 15 c to rotate on each other and help reduce wear on the components of theside wall assemblies - The
crate 50 havingside walls side wall assemblies side walls 15 a andside wall portions side walls side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 to be removed from thepallet base 5 and folded onto themselves. Theside walls side wall assemblies enclosure frame 52 and the side walls contained therein can be stacked between thepallet base 5 and thelid 66 for easy reshipping of thecrate 50 back to an original or otherwise desired location. - In some embodiments, the
crate 50 can include a set ofrisers 6, apallet base 5, one, two, three, or more tiers of side walls and alid 66. For example,FIG. 1 depicts asingle tier crate 50 with thepallet base 5, a single orfirst tier 70 of side walls and alid 66. By way of another example,FIG. 2 depicts a two-tier crate 50 with apallet base 5, a first tier ofsidewalls 70, a second tier ofsidewalls 72, and alid 66. In such embodiments, the second tier ofsidewalls 72 can be stacked on top of the first tier ofsidewalls 70, such that the first and second tiers ofsidewalls enclosure frame 52. The first tier ofside walls 70 can define the first orlower end 54 of theenclosure frame 52 that is removably connectable to thepallet base 5, and the second tier ofsidewalls 72 can define the second orupper end 56 of theenclosure frame 52, with thelid 66 being removably connected to the second orupper end 56 of theenclosure frame 52.FIG. 3 depicts a three-tier crate 50 with apallet base 5, a first tier ofsidewalls 70, a second tier ofsidewalls 72, a third tier ofsidewalls 74 and alid 66. In such embodiments, the second tier ofsidewalls 72 can be removably connected between the first and third tiers ofside walls side walls 70 can define the first orlower end 54 of theenclosure frame 52, and the third tier ofsidewalls 74 can define the second orupper end 56 of theenclosure frame 52. Each tier ofsidewalls rectangular crate 50. In other embodiments, each tier ofsidewalls -
FIG. 4 depicts theriser assembly 6. Theriser assembly 6 can include ariser body 1 that can be composed of any plastics or glass-filled plastic material. In some embodiments, nineriser assemblies 6 can be connected to thepallet base 5 and provide a height sufficient for inserting a forklift or pallet jack beneath thepallet base 5. Theriser body 1 may include a cut out on the outside wall on one or both sides with arod 2 inserted in theriser body 1 and accessible through the opening that allows for straps or other materials to loop around or hook to therod 2 in fastening cargo or crate components. - The
riser assembly 6 can also include anupper shock dampener 3. Theupper shock dampener 3 may include a larger size and durometer or hardness and serves to reduce the transmission of high external shocks on the internal cargo contained within thecrate 50. Theriser assembly 6 can also include alower shock dampener 4. Thelower shock dampener 4 is smaller in size and may include a lower durometer or hardness to reduce vibration. Thelower shock dampener 4 also may include a concentric ring of material removed to reduce vibration transmission through theriser assembly 6 into thepallet base 5. The interior solid portion is sufficient to provide tension against the nut and bolt assembly during shocks or impacts where compression occurs. Theriser assembly 6 can be fastened to thepallet body 5 utilizing at least one bolt and nut fasteners through the centerline of the riser as shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 5 . In some embodiments, two bolt and nut fasteners can be used to secure eachriser assembly 6 to thepallet base 5. Thepallet base 5 can rest atop theupper shock dampener 3 such that theupper shock dampener 3 is compressed when weight is applied to the top of thepallet base 5. -
FIG. 6 depicts apallet assembly 45. Thepallet assembly 45 can include thepallet base 5, theriser assemblies 6, a pair ofchannels 7, a pair oframps 8, and fixation rails 9. Thepallet base 5 rests on the upper shock dampener which nests in the riser body. Thepallet base 5 can be made from a variety of plastics or metals, with strength, rigidity and safety against breakage being the primary considerations. -
FIG. 7 depicts an exploded view of thepallet assembly 45. Thepallet assembly 45 can include apocket 10 in the surface of thepallet base 5 that allows for placement of atracking device 48 for condition and location monitoring. Thepocket 10 can have alid 46 that can be screwed in to protect thetracking device 48. Thelid 10 may have at least one hole in it to allow light and air to be transmitted to allow thetracking device 48 to measure humidity, temperature, and the presence of light in thecrate 50. - In some embodiments, the bottom of the
pallet base 5 may include multiple cavities or channels (not shown) that include perimetric channels that run around the perimeter of thepallet base 5 and other channels or cavities that run across thepallet base 5 in perpendicular directions from the perimetric channels or cavities. In some embodiments, thepallet base 5 can include a supportingmetal frame 11 that can nest inside these lower cavities or channels in thepallet base 5. The cavities or channels in thepallet base 5 can generally conform to a shape of themetal frame 11. Theframe 11 can include metal tubing that can be welded together or cast to provide rigidity to aplastic pallet base 5, in order to help reinforce thepallet base 5 to support heavy cargo such as data servers and electrical panels. The metal tubing can run along the edges of a longer side of thepallet base 5 and can have multiple sections running perpendicular and connecting the two long sides together. - In some embodiments, the
pallet base 5 can include sets of two threadedrods 13 that are welded or connected in some other fashion to a flat piece of metal. Theserods 13 may be used in the center section of thepallet base 5 to bolt theriser assemblies 6 andisolators pallet base 5.Bolts 14 may also be used on the edges of thepallet base 5 to connect some of theriser assemblies 6,pallet base 5 andfixation rails 9 together. - Referring now to
FIGS. 14a and 14b , the perimeter of thepallet base 5 can be lined with a first set ofguide protrusions 12, or “teeth”. These guideprotrusions 12 can be generally rectangular in some embodiments, but could also be in the form of other geometric shapes (circles, oval, square, trapezoidal, etc.). Thecrate 50 can also include a first set of guide recesses 76 on the first end of theenclosure frame 52. Each of theguide projections 12 on the pallet base can be receivable in acorresponding guide recess 76 defined in the first end of theenclosure frame 52, or the side walls positioned immediately above thepallet base 5, to align theenclosure frame 52 and the side walls of thecrate 50 on thepallet base 5. - Referring now to
FIGS. 16a and 16b , a top orsecond end 56 of theenclosure frame 52 can include a second set a second set of guide protrusions 78, and the bottom of thelid 66 can include a second set of guide recesses 80. Each of the second set of protrusions 78 on theenclosure frame 52 can be received in a corresponding guide recess of the second set of guide recesses 80 in thelid 66 to nest and align thelid 66 on theenclosure frame 52. - Referring now to
FIGS. 15a and 15b , in embodiments with multiple tiers of side walls, each of the tiers ofside walls side walls 70 can include a third set ofguide protrusions 82, and the bottom of the second tier ofsidewalls 72 can include a third set of guide recesses 84. Each of the third set ofprotrusions 82 on the first tier ofsidewalls 70 can be received in a corresponding guide recess of the third set of guide recesses 84 to nest and align the first tier ofsidewalls 70 with the second tier of sidewalls 72 on theenclosure frame 52. Additional tiers of sidewalls can be removably connected in succession using similar sets of guide projections and guide recesses. - Referring to
FIGS. 1-3, 12, and 14-16 , in some embodiments, thecrate 50 can include a first plurality oflatch assemblies 92 that can removably connect thepallet base 5 to thefirst end 54 of theenclosure frame 52 andside walls crate 50 can include a second plurality oflatch assemblies 94 operable to removably connect thesecond end 56 of theenclosure frame 52 to thelid 66. Additional pluralities oftier latch assemblies 96 can be provided to removably connectsubsequent tiers side wall portions 15 b and/or 15 c can include one or more side wallportion latch assemblies 98 that are operable to connect theside wall portions side wall portions side wall assemblies side wall portions portion latch assemblies 98 can include at least a third side wall latch assemblies connecting first and secondside wall portions third side wall 58 c and a fourth side wall latch assembly connecting first and secondside wall portions fourth side wall 58 d. - As such, the
horizontal latch assemblies 98 can be utilized to connect differentside wall assemblies enclosure frame 52. The first plurality oflatch assemblies 92 and the first sets ofguide protrusions 12 and guide recesses 76 can be used to align and removably connect thepallet base 5 to thelower end 54 of theenclosure frame 52. The second plurality oflatch assemblies 94 and the second sets of guide protrusions 78 and guide recesses 82 can be used to align and removably connect thelid 66 to thetop end 56 of theenclosure frame 52, and thetier latch assemblies 96 and additional sets ofguide protrusions 82 and guide recesses 84 between successive tiers ofside walls side wall 15 a on eachside wall assembly vertical latch assemblies 92 connecting theside wall 15 a to thepallet base 5, at least 3vertical latch assemblies side wall 15 a to thelid 66 or to an above tier ofsidewalls horizontal latches 98 connecting pairs ofside wall portions side wall portions 15 b and/or 15 c to thepallet base 5 and/or thelid 66 for additional stability. -
FIG. 18 shows anexemplary latch assembly 92. In some embodiments, all of thelatch assemblies latch assembly 92 shown inFIG. 18 . Thecatch 36 can be made of plastic and is the catch piece over which the elastic (rubber, EPDM, etc.)tensioner 41 is placed before closing thelever 40. Thelever 40 can be made of plastic and is held in place by and rotatably disposed onlever housing members Bolts 37 can hold all of the latch pieces in place. Thecatch 36 can be connected to one component to be secured by the latch, and thetensioner 41 andlever 40 can be connected to another component to be secured by the latch. The components (for instance thepallet base 5 and enclosure frame, enclosure frame and lid, etc.) can be positioned near each other such that thetensioner 41 can be engaged with thecatch 36 and thelever 40 can be actuated to move thelatch assembly 92 to a latched position to removably connect the components together. Thetensioner 41 has asmall cavity 93 on the inside of thetensioner 41 that can allow alever protrusion 95 on the outside of thelever 40 to nest when thelatch assembly 92 is in the locked position. This helps to keep thelatch assembly 92 in the closed position and creates a snapping sound when thelatch assembly 92 is latched.Lever housing members - Referring now to
FIGS. 6, 8, 9 and 11 , in some embodiments, thecrate 50 can include a ramp system that can be used to help roll or load cargo into the assembledcrate 50.Ramps 8 can allow items to be rolled onto thepallet base 5. In some embodiments, a pair oframps 8 can be provided that are removably disposable on thepallet base 5. Eachramp 8 can include at least oneramp tooth 8 b at oneend 8 a of theramp 8 that allows for theramp tooth 8 b to be received or disposed inramp apertures 81 defined in thepallet base 5. In some embodiments, thecrate 50 can include a long side and a short side, and theramp apertures 81 can be defined in the short side of thecrate 50. Theramp teeth 8 b can help keep theramps 8 from moving apart and help coordinate the location at which they connect to thepallet base 5. Reinforcingribs 8 c may be connected of formed on the bottom of theramps 8 to provide additional support for extremely heavy objects being loaded. Theribs 8 c may run the length of theramp 8 and taper to off near the beginning edge of theramp 8 to allow the beginning of theramp 8 to sit flush on the ground. The reinforcingribs 8 c can havecrosspieces 8 d that act as supports as well as nesting points for nesting with collapsedside wall assemblies 62 a and/or 62 b when shipping thecrates 50 back in a collapsed state, as shown inFIG. 20b . Referring again toFIGS. 6, 8, 9 and 11 , the outside edges of theramp 8 may be bent up at a 90-degree angle to keep a cart-based device from running off the edge of the ramp during loading. These edges may also help support the stiffness of theramp 8 surface. - The
crate 50 in some embodiments can include a pair ofchannels 7 removably receivable on thepallet base 7. Thepallet channels 7 are designed to help support specific cargo like wheeled devices and devices with legs where the weight is specifically concentrated. Thechannels 7 can be an extension of theramps 8 in some embodiments wherein thechannels 7 can be aligned with theramps 8, and vice versa, such that wheeled devices can be rolled from theramps 8 onto thechannel 7. Eachchannel 7 can have a least one channel tooth that can be bent or extend at a 90-degree angle from the channel bearing surface. The teeth are designed to fit intocorresponding channel apertures 83 defined in thepallet base 5. In some embodiments, thechannel apertures 83 can run parallel to the short sides of thepallet base 5. The plurality ofchannel apertures 83 andramp apertures 81 defined in thepallet base 5 can allow pairs ofchannels 7 andramps 8 to be placed on thepallet base 5 at different distances apart to support different cargo items that have different distances between their supporting wheels or legs. The outside edges of thechannel 7 are bent up at a 90-degree angle to limit a cart-based device from rolling off thechannel 7 onto the plastic surface of thepallet base 5. - The
ramps 8 can be rotatable on thepallet base 5 via theramp teeth 8 b within theramp apertures 81. Theramp teeth 8 b can have a generally rounded or curved shape to allow for rotation of theramp 8 about theramp teeth 8 b within theramp aperture 81. The ramp may include slits 85. Theslits 85 can allow theramps 8 to be flipped over and seated on ramp catches 87 on correspondingchannels 7 when thecrate 50 is being shipped back empty. Once cargo is loaded into thecrate 50, theramps 8 can be removed from theramp apertures 81 and placed inside thecrate 50 during shipment of the cargo. In other embodiments, theramps 8 can be rotated upward to rest against the cargo during shipment. In still other embodiments, theramps 8 can simply be removed during shipping and an additional set of ramps can be located at the desired shipping location and the receiver of thecrate 50 can place theirown ramps 8 on thepallet base 5 for unloading of the cargo. In some embodiments, theramps 8 and thechannels 7 can be removable from thepallet base 5 to form a generallyflat pallet base 5 surface to support non-wheeled cargo. - In some embodiments, as shown in
FIG. 11a-11c , in some embodiments, theramp apertures 81 and thechannel apertures 83 can be defined in themetal frame 11.FIG. 11 shows ametal plate 11 a connected adjacent the metal tubing of themetal frame 11 with theramp apertures 81 andchannel apertures 83 cut out of themetal plate 11 a. Theapertures ramp apertures 81 and thechannel apertures 83 can be offset from one another such thatmultiple ramp teeth 8 b received in theramp apertures 81 andmultiple channel teeth 7 b received in thechannel apertures 83 can form an interlocking arrangement such that theramp teeth 8 b andchannel teeth 7 b created a generally uniform transition area between theramp 8 and thechannel 7.FIG. 11 shows a metal plate with various openings cut out of it that is connected to the metal support structure. The openings in the plate allow for the protrusions from the ramps and channel to be fixed at different locations. -
FIG. 10 shows thefixation rail 9. Thefixation rail 9 can be are metallic and are extruded with a profile that allows for a nut, the head of a bolt or other adapter to slide the length of therail 9. Twofixation rails 9 can be located along the long side of thepallet base 5 in some embodiments. Different adapters can be mounted on and slid along therail 9 to allow fixation of various cargo to thepallet base 5. In some embodiments, thefixation rail 9 can include two opposing L-shapedflanges 9 a and a fixation channel defined between the two L-shapedflanges 9 a. In some embodiments, thefixation rail 9 can be shaped to receive an edge of theramps 8 to store theramps 8 in thefixation rail 9 during transport of the cargo. - The
lid 66 is shown inFIG. 17 can include a large blow-molded shape that fits the top of two side walls below it and a plurality oflatches 94 to keep thelid 66 connected to the enclosure frame. The top of thelid 66 has depressedareas 32 that correspond to the dimensions to the bottom of the risers on thepallet base 5 and allow the risers to nest in the depressed areas when stacking one crate on another. Eachlid 66 can have a number oflatches 94 on the long side and the short side that firmly fix thelid 66 to the side wall. The bottom edge of thelid 66 can also have cavities that correspond to the protrusions in the top of the side wall that allow the lid to nest onto the side wall and help reduce movement in the horizontal plane. Thelid 66 can include lid handles 34 at each end of thelid 66 that allow for easier lifting and movement. Thelid 66 also can have depressedareas 35 running through the middle and perpendicular to the long side that allow for straps to be put over the top and to nest in thedepressed area 35 for helping to affix thelid 66 or strap one container to another. -
FIG. 19 shows anexemplary guide protrusion 12 that is inserted into the pallet surface to allow it to nest with the side wall above it when assembling the crate. The guide protrusions 12 can be an injection-molded part. The similar protrusions along the top edge of the side walls are cast in place when the side walls are molded as opposed to being inserted in the pallet base. - The crate is designed to be taken apart and shipped back in a collapsed form.
FIG. 20 depicts a single tier crate disassembled and collapsed. The stacking order consists of apallet base 5 withchannels 7 on top. Theramps 9 can be flipped over and nested on top of the channels.Side wall assemblies pallet base 5 and are then folded at the corners and nested onto the nesting points 8 c on the back of the ramps. Multipleside wall assemblies protrusions 23 being received in or nested within stackingrecesses 24 between subsequentside wall assemblies lid 66 nests on the collapsed sidewalls. In some embodiments, thelid 66 may have a sufficient height such that theside wall assemblies 62 a and 62 can fit within thelid 66 and latch components of thelatch assemblies 94 on thelid 66 can engage corresponding latch components on thelatch assemblies 92 on thepallet base 92 to secure theside wall assemblies lid 66 and thepallet base 5 in a flat stored orientation. - The basic unit for a standard server rack is three tiers tall, but can be utilized effectively using anywhere from one to four tiers attached to the base unit. A complete tier consists of two side wall assemblies put together on each side of the
pallet base 5 or attached to the tier below it.FIG. 21 shows two single-tiered crates 50 stacked on top of one another. - Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of shipping cargo including the steps of: at a first location, providing a crate having a pallet base, an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosure frame removably connected to the pallet base and the lid, the enclosure frame having one or more side walls pivotally connected to one another; placing the cargo in the crate; transporting the crate with the cargo to a desired location; unloading the cargo from the crate; removing the lid from the enclosure frame and removing the enclosure frame from the pallet base; folding the side walls of the enclosure frame onto one another to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation; stacking the folded enclosure frame between the pallet base and the lid; and transporting the stacked crate back to the first location. In some embodiments, the crate further includes a tracking device disposed on the pallet base, the tracking device operable to track a location of the crate via a global positioning system, and the method further comprises tracking the location of the crate via the tracking device during transportation of the crate to and from the desired location.
- Such a method can allow for the return and reuse of the modular shipping crates disclosed herein. After use and unloading of the cargo, the crate can be disassembled into a fraction of the volume of the assembled crate and then shipped back to a shipping vendor, where the crate can be readily reassembled and reused to ship additional products. Additional Bluetooth beacons can be placed in each component of the shipping crates and communicated with a tracking device so it can be readily determined if all components of a particular shipping crate have been returned together.
- While various aspects of the present invention have been particularly shown and described with reference to the exemplary, non-limiting, embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional aspects and embodiments may be contemplated without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
- For example, a skilled artisan would understand that various materials can be used to construct the shipping crate as well as using various dimensions and configurations.
- Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the claims.
Claims (20)
1. A crate comprising:
a pallet base;
an enclosure frame having a first end and second end opposite the first end, the first end of the enclosure frame removably connectable to the pallet base to define a storage volume between the pallet base and the enclosure frame, the enclosure frame having four side walls forming four corners on the enclosure frame when the first end of the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base, each of the side walls being pivotally connected to adjacent side walls at corresponding corners of the enclosure frame; and
a lid removably connectable to the second end of the enclosure frame.
2. The crate of claim 1 , further comprising a first plurality of latch assemblies operable to removably connect the first end of the enclosure frame to the pallet base.
3. The crate of claim 2 , further comprising a second plurality of latch assemblies operable to removably connect the second end of the enclosure frame to the lid.
4. The crate of claim 1 , wherein when the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base, the enclosure frame includes first and second side walls positioned opposite one another on the pallet base and third and fourth side walls positioned opposite one another on the pallet base; wherein each of the third and fourth side walls include:
a first side wall portion pivotally connected to the first side wall; and
a second side wall portion pivotally connected to the second side wall;
wherein the first and second side wall portions are removably connectable to one another when the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base.
5. The crate of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one third side wall latch assembly operable to removably connect the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion on the third side wall together; and
at least one fourth side wall latch assembly operable to removably connect the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion on the fourth side wall together.
6. The crate of claim 1 , wherein the four side walls comprise a first tier of side walls of the enclosure frame, and the enclosure frame further comprises a second tier of four side walls, the second tier of side walls removably connectable to the first tier of side walls, wherein the first tier of side walls defines the first end of the enclosure frame and is removably connectable to the pallet base and the second tier of side walls defines the second end of the enclosure frame and is removably connectable to the lid.
7. The crate of claim 1 , wherein the four side walls comprise a first tier of side walls of the enclosure frame, and the enclosure frame further comprises:
a second tier of four side walls, the second tier of side walls removably connectable on top of the first tier of side walls; and
a third tier of four side walls, the third tier of side walls removably connectable on top of the second tier of side walls;
wherein the first tier of side walls defines the first end of the enclosure frame and is removably connectable to the pallet base and the third tier of side walls defines the second end of the enclosure frame and is removably connectable to the lid.
8. The crate of claim 1 , further comprising a first set of guide recesses on the first end of the enclosure frame, and a first set of guide protrusions on the pallet base, each of the guide projections on the pallet base receivable in a corresponding guide recess defined in the first end of the enclosure frame to align the enclosure frame on the pallet base.
9. The crate of claim 8 , further comprising a second set of guide recesses on the lid, and a second set of guide protrusions on the second end of the enclosure frame, each of the guide protrusions on the second end of the enclosure frame receivable in a corresponding guide recess defined in the lid to align the lid on the enclosure frame.
10. The crate of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of ramp apertures defined in the base;
a plurality of corresponding channel apertures aligned with the a plurality of ramp apertures defined in the base;
a pair of ramps, each ramp having a ramp end including at least one ramp tooth shaped to be received in a corresponding ramp aperture of the plurality of ramp apertures in the pallet base; and
a pair of channels, each channel having a channel end with at least one channel tooth shaped to be received in a corresponding ramp aperture of the plurality of ramp apertures in the pallet base;
wherein the ramp tooth of each ramp is disposable in one of the ramp apertures and the channel tooth of corresponding channels is disposable in a corresponding channel aperture such that the ramps and the corresponding channel can be aligned with one another.
11. The crate of claim 10 , wherein:
the ramps are rotatable on the pallet base via the at least one tooth of the ramp to rotate the ramp onto the corresponding channel.
12. The crate of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fixation rail disposed on the pallet base, the fixation rail including two opposing L-shaped flanges and a fixation channel defined between the two L-shaped flanges.
13. The crate of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure frame can be removed from the frame and the lid, and folded at the corners to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation such that the enclosure frame can be stored between the lid and the pallet base.
14. The crate of claim 1 , further comprising a tracking device disposed on the pallet base, the tracking device operable to monitor one or more of the following:
a temperature inside the crate;
a humidity inside the crate; and/or
a location of the crate via a global positioning system.
15. A crate comprising:
a pallet base;
a pair of side wall assemblies, each side wall assembly including:
a side wall having a first side wall end and a second side wall end;
a first side wall portion pivotally connected to the first side wall end, and
a second side wall portion pivotally connected to the second side wall end;
wherein the first side wall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connected to each other and the second side wall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connected to each other to form an enclosure frame including the first side wall, the second side wall, a third side wall including the first side wall portions, and a fourth side wall including the second side wall portions, the enclosure frame having a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end removably connectable to the pallet base; and
a lid removably connectable to the top end of the enclosure frame.
16. The crate of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first side wall latch assembly operable to removably connect the first side wall portions of the third side wall together;
a second side wall latch assembly operable to removably connect the second side wall portions of the fourth side wall together; and
a plurality of pallet base latch assemblies operable to connect a first end of the enclosure frame to the pallet base;
wherein the first and second side wall latch assemblies are oriented in a horizontal direction and the plurality of pallet base latch assemblies are oriented in a vertical direction when the first end of the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base and the enclosure frame is positioned on top of the pallet base.
17. The crate of claim 15 , wherein each of the first and second side wall portions further comprises:
an outer surface,
a handle recess defined in the outer surface; and
a handle spanning the handle recess such that the handle is substantially flush with the outer surface.
18. The crate of claim 15 , wherein the first and second side wall portions of each of the side wall assemblies can be folded onto the side wall such that the side wall assemblies can be stacked between the pallet base and the lid for storing the crate when not in use.
19. A method of shipping cargo comprising:
at a first location, providing a crate having a pallet base, an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosure frame removably connected to the pallet base and the lid, the enclosure frame having one or more side walls pivotally connected to one another;
placing the cargo in the crate;
transporting the crate with the cargo to a desired location;
unloading the cargo from the crate;
removing the lid from the enclosure frame and removing the enclosure frame from the pallet base;
folding the side walls of the enclosure frame onto one another to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation;
stacking the folded enclosure frame between the pallet base and the lid; and
transporting the stacked crate back to the first location.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the crate further includes a tracking device disposed on the pallet base, the tracking device operable to track a location of the crate via a global positioning system, and the method further comprises tracking the location of the crate via the tracking device during transportation of the crate to and from the desired location.
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-
2020
- 2020-08-24 US US17/001,603 patent/US11312534B2/en active Active
-
2022
- 2022-04-25 US US17/728,922 patent/US20220258914A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11312534B2 (en) * | 2019-08-24 | 2022-04-26 | Logistics Advanced Research Center LLC | Modular reusable shipping crate |
Also Published As
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US11312534B2 (en) | 2022-04-26 |
US20210053722A1 (en) | 2021-02-25 |
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