Classifications

• • 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
  • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D71/0088—Palletisable loads, i.e. loads intended to be transported by means of a fork-lift truck
  • B65D71/0092—Palletisable loads, i.e. loads intended to be transported by means of a fork-lift truck provided with one or more rigid supports, at least one dimension of the supports corresponding to a dimension of the load, e.g. skids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G57/00—Stacking of articles
  • B65G57/02—Stacking of articles by adding to the top of the stack
  • B65G57/16—Stacking of articles of particular shape
  • B65G57/20—Stacking of articles of particular shape three-dimensional, e.g. cubiform, cylindrical
  • B65G57/22—Stacking of articles of particular shape three-dimensional, e.g. cubiform, cylindrical in layers each of predetermined arrangement
  • B65G57/24—Stacking of articles of particular shape three-dimensional, e.g. cubiform, cylindrical in layers each of predetermined arrangement the layers being transferred as a whole, e.g. on pallets
• • 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
  • B65D19/38—Details or accessories
  • B65D19/40—Elements for spacing platforms from supporting surface
• • 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
  • B65D2571/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D2571/00006—Palletisable loads, i.e. loads intended to be transported by means of a fork-lift truck
  • B65D2571/0008—Load supporting elements
  • B65D2571/00086—Feet or isolated supports, not formed by the articles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of distributing articles in a palletized form from a supplier of the articles. It also relates to a unit load for such distribution.
• the conventional way to distribute palletized articles is by using traditional pallets, most often wooden pallets of standardized dimensions, on which the articles are loaded and often attached, for example by straps.
• Wooden pallets are so widely used that their advantages are rarely questioned. However, there are a number of important disadvantages with wooden pallets:
• a wooden pallet has a short lifetime, which adds to the cost.
• the standard size of the pallets is not optimal for many articles and carriers, such as containers, goods waggons, and trucks and trailers.
• a prior attempt to decrease the disadvantages connected to wooden pallets is to use a loading panel of corrugated cardboard during distribution.
• a loading panel can have a lower height and weight than the wooden panel and is intended to be discarded after one use.
• the main object of the invention is accordingly to create a method of distributing articles in a palletized form from a supplier of the articles.
• each ledge comprising an L- shaped profile having projections for supporting the unit load at a certain distance over its support and being positioned at a lower edge of the unit load, and transporting the unit load on its loading ledges to a receiver of the articles.
• the formed unit load can be handled by handling equipment , * such as fork lift trucks, used for handling unit loads on wooden pallets.
• handling equipment such as fork lift trucks, used for handling unit loads on wooden pallets.
• the unit load is provided at the supplier
• the unit load may be transported by ordinary transport means to a warehouse, where it may be stored for further distribution to a retailer or the like, where the article leaves the distribution system.
• the unit load can be transported directly to the retailer or the like.
• the loading ledges are preferably produced of recyclable plastic, for example uncoloured polypropylene (PP) .
• the production method may be injection moulding. Other materials and production techniques are possible.
• the loading ledges may be returned for renewed use on new unit loads, but it may be advantageous to recycle them, for example by grinding them, and to return the material to a producer of loading ledges.
• the material can be put on the ordinary market as plastic raw material. In the latter case it ' is of special importance to have the plastic material uncoloured.
• loading ledges as set out above it will be possible to use one size only for all applications.
• the size of the unit load is not dependent on any pallet size but rather on the size of the articles, provided at their bottom edges with two or more loading ledges with downwardly extending projections allowing handling by traditional handling equipment. If the articles are long, two or even three loading ledges may be provided at each lower edge .
• loading ledges means in other words that an optimal unit load may be built according to the goods or articles, not according to the pallet size as today.
• a unit load for distribution in a palletized form from a supplier of articles in the unit load to a receiver may according to the invention have two or more loading ledges positioned at lower edges of the unit load comprised of one or more articles.
• the unit load has one loading ledge at each opposing lower edge, but if the unit load is especially long, it may have two or more loading ledges. Also, loading ledges may be provided at all lower edges of the unit load or within the unit load.
• Circumferential straps may be provided around opposing loading ledges.
• a base plate may be arranged between the articles and the loading ledges .
• Fig 1 is a perspective view of a loading ledge to be used in the method according to the invention
• Fig 2 is an overview of the distribution method according to the invention, and Figs 3a-i show examples of unit loads with loading ledges .
• a loading ledge 1 is shown in Fig 1. It is a preferably injection moulded, -shaped profile of recyclable plastic, preferably polypropylene (PP) . Its lower leg 2 is provided with projections 3, in the shown case three projections, for supporting a unit load above the ground or other support and allowing handling with ordinary handling equipment utilized for goods on ordinary wooden pallets presently widely used in distribution systems. Its upper leg 4 is generally plain and is to bear against a vertical side surface of a unit load to be supported by the loading ledges.
• PP polypropylene
• the overall length of the loading ledge 1 may be 760 mm, the widths of the lower leg 2 and the upper leg 4 180 mm and 100 mm, respectively.
• the projections 3 may have a height of 35 mm and a width of 75 mm.
• the central projection may have a length of 160 mm, and each of the two outer projections may have a length of 75 mm.
• Reference numeral 10 therein indicates a producer of the loading ledges 1 to be delivered to a supplier or manufacturer 11 of articles or goods. At the supplier 11 the articles are placed on two or more loading ledges 1 to form a unit load, preferably provided with straps and/or stretch or shrink wrapping.
• the unit loads are transported for example by a truck or lorry 12 to a central warehouse 13 for later delivery to one of several retailers 14 supplied with articles from the warehouse 13.
• transport may alternatively occur directly from the supplier 11 to each retailer 14.
• the use of traditional wooden pallets 15 (from a producer 16 thereof) between the warehouse 13 and the retailer 14 is suggested in Fig 2.
• the reason for this may be that the storing system at existing retailers 14 may be based on the use of wooden pallets on store beams. As a development, the additional use of wooden pallets 15 can be suspended with.
• loading ledges 1 can be returned from the retailer 14 to the warehouse 13.
• the used loading ledges 1 could well be returned to the supplier or manufacturer 11 for renewed use.
• the used ledges are accordingly ground, for example in a recycle company 17. From there the material may be delivered back as raw material to the loading ledge producer 10 or be put on the ordinary market, if this is advantageous for example from an economical viewpoint. Quite naturally, it is preferred to keep the plastic material uncoloured.
• loading ledges as set out above may reduce the needed storage space in for example the warehouse 13 by 30-35% and also increase the filling rate at transport with some 35%. The more compact filling during transport will prevent mutual movements and decrease transport damages to a minimum.
• Fig 3 illustrates certain possibilities to arrange unit loads.
• Figs 3b and d represent "basic" unit loads on two loading ledges 1 each with for example two straps 20.
• Fig 3a shows a longer unit load with two loading ledges 1 at each side and for example four straps.
• Fig 3c three sub-unit loads - each with two loading ledges 1 and two straps 20 - are stacked and held together by two further straps 21 to form a unit load.
• Fig 3e four articles (or cardboard boxes) are arranged on four loading ledges 1, as is further illustrated in Fig 3f. Straps, not shown, may finalize the unit load.
• Fig 3g illustrates 32 smaller articles (or cardboard boxes) forming a unit load with two loading ledges 1.
• a base plate 22 for example hardboard or plastic. Straps, not shown, may finalize the unit load.
• Fig 3h illustrates a unit load with four articles and a base plate 22.
• four loading ledges 1 are used, one at each bottom edge.
• Fig 3i finally illustrates a unit load with four loading ledges in a similar fashion as is shown in Fig 3h.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Pallets (AREA)
• Buffer Packaging (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)

Priority Applications (15)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20287979

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (26)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2002
  • 2002-05-28 SE SE0201591A patent/SE0201591L/sv not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2003
  • 2003-05-21 AR AR20030101772A patent/AR040639A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-05-27 EP EP03733697A patent/EP1509458A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-05-27 CN CNB038120526A patent/CN1317167C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-05-27 NZ NZ536647A patent/NZ536647A/en unknown
  • 2003-05-27 AU AU2003238986A patent/AU2003238986A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-05-27 KR KR10-2004-7019195A patent/KR20050004242A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-05-27 WO PCT/SE2003/000862 patent/WO2003099668A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-05-27 BR BR0311341-8A patent/BR0311341A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-05-27 MX MXPA04011821A patent/MXPA04011821A/es unknown
  • 2003-05-27 CA CA002486575A patent/CA2486575A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-05-27 YU YU102904A patent/YU102904A/sh unknown
  • 2003-05-27 PL PL372243A patent/PL200771B1/pl unknown
  • 2003-05-27 TW TW092114238A patent/TWI268897B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-05-27 JP JP2004507337A patent/JP2005527439A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-05-27 RU RU2004137125/12A patent/RU2004137125A/ru unknown
• 2004
  • 2004-11-11 IL IL16516304A patent/IL165163A0/xx unknown
  • 2004-11-11 TN TNP2004000220A patent/TNSN04220A1/en unknown
  • 2004-11-17 ZA ZA200409211A patent/ZA200409211B/en unknown
  • 2004-11-22 IS IS7541A patent/IS7541A/is unknown
  • 2004-11-25 NO NO20045155A patent/NO20045155L/no unknown
  • 2004-11-25 NO NO20045154A patent/NO20045154L/no unknown
  • 2004-11-25 HR HR20041128A patent/HRP20041128A2/hr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2004-11-26 MA MA27969A patent/MA27694A1/fr unknown
  • 2004-12-21 LT LT2004112A patent/LT5231B/lt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-12-23 LV LVP-04-150A patent/LV13265B/en unknown
• 2006
  • 2006-01-04 HK HK06100053.8A patent/HK1080054A1/zh unknown

Patent Citations (6)

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