EP1980495A1

EP1980495A1 - Multifunctional pallet

Info

Publication number: EP1980495A1
Application number: EP08380036A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carlos Rivera Ballarin
Original assignee: Ribawood SA
Current assignee: Ribawood SA
Priority date: 2007-04-11
Filing date: 2008-02-12
Publication date: 2008-10-15
Also published as: ES1065213Y; ES1065213U

Abstract

Multifunctional pallet for transporting goods by means of manipulation with a forklift, consisting of a single-part body comprised of a platform (1), the lower side of which, in correspondence with their vertices, comprises support legs (5), characterized in that the platform (1) has a flat upper side with a plurality of slots (3,4) configured to couple panels that laterally contain objects disposed on the platform (1).

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pallet, of the kind used for transporting goods and, more specifically, of the kind manipulated with a forklift, transpallet or other similar device.
The object of the invention is to achieve a multifunctional pallet, specifically a pallet materialized in the form of a flat platform for certain types of load, with small marginal flaps for retention of other types of load, or even configured in the form of a container with considerable capacity, through the use or non-use of certain removable components.
The pallet is of the kind produced by means of plastic injection molding, and another objective of the invention is that of achieving maximum mechanical resistance with a minimum amount of material, in addition to a non-slip effect both with respect to the ground and with respect to the forklift or manipulation means used in each case.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pallets materialized in the form of a single-part body, produced from a plastic material by means of injection molding are known, wherein a loading platform raised above the ground by means of legs that may or may not be joined together is defined, and which in any case define side windows, both longitudinal and transverse, which allow the introduction of, for example, a forklift fork.
Taking this basic structure as a starting point and depending on the specific use of the pallet, said pallet may contain more or less plastic material, in accordance with the mechanical resistance required to support the expected load, it may include side walls comprising a container for certain types of goods, etc.
In practice, this entails considerable manufacturing complexity, on having to offer the market a wide range of pallets that covers all or most of the features, widely variable, which can be requested, said complexity from a manufacturing viewpoint also obviously applying to pallet storage and distribution, with the consequent and negative economic impact.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The pallet proposed by the invention solves the previously expounded problems in an entirely satisfactory way, thanks to its multifunctional nature, in such a manner that the same pallet may be adapted to different practical requirements by implementing certain complements that are very quickly and simply assembled and disassembled.
More specifically, the specified pallet includes a flat platform that rests on four legs in correspondence with its corners, preferably joined in pairs by means of lower crosspieces, said platform having a plurality of peripheral slots that allow the coupling, when necessary, of side walls that convert the pallet into a container, in addition to, alternatively, retention flaps for certain types of objects such as, for example, boxes to be manipulated and transported by said pallet.
Said loading platform is also provided with two longitudinal and pass-through orifices that penetrate it from one end to the other, allowing said pallet to be rigidified, when necessary, by introducing two iron profiles through said orifices.
A reticular structure has also been disposed at the free end of said legs that will allow, when necessary, the coupling of two different types of non-slip pads to improve the pallet's stability on the ground.
Other non-slip pads that prevent the pallet from tending to eventually slip off the forklift arms have also been disposed on the inner side of the loading platform, and in correspondence with the pass-through areas of the forklift fork or other manipulating device.
According to this structure and taking a basic body that is maintained under any circumstance as a starting point, the introduction of modifications in said body so as to adapt it to different practical requirements is feasible.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of complementing this description and to aid towards a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings has been included as an integral part of said description, in accordance with an example of preferred embodiment thereof, wherein the following figures have been represented in an illustrative and non-limitative manner:

Fig. 1: shows a side top perspective of a multifunctional pallet pursuant to the object of this invention;
Fig. 2: shows another perspective of the same pallet, opposite to that of the preceding figure;
Fig. 3: finally shows a partial detail according to a lower perspective view of the pallet, having different types of non-slip pads disposed on its corners.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As already seen from the preceding figures, the specified pallet is comprised of a loading platform (1), with a flat upper side, as shown in figure 1, and a lower side having a plurality of small partitions (2), with a reticular structure, that confer a high degree of mechanical resistance to the pallet with a lower amount of material.
Said platform (1) has a plurality of peripheral slots (3) that allow the optional coupling of side walls, so as to convert it into a peripherally closed container, said side walls not being represented in the drawings due to their susceptibility to practically unlimited variations.
Other slots (4) also used optionally allow, in turn, the coupling of flaps, not represented in the drawings either, which act as side contention means for certain types of load such as, for example, the aforementioned boxes, normally used to transport goods or to secure other larger elements such as, for example, beer kegs and similar.
The platform (1) which, as mentioned earlier, rests on the ground by means of legs (5) disposed in correspondence with its vertices, is penetrated by two longitudinal orifices (6) that are preferably disposed in correspondence with the start of said legs (5), said orifices intended to house two metal profiles (7) in their interior, preferably materialized in the form of iron pipes or bars, in such a manner that these rigidifying elements shall also be used selectively, in accordance with expected pallet load.
The legs (5) have a reticular structure (8), with a tubular and cylindrical central core (9), in their lower and free end, in such a manner that a non-slip pad (10) may be tongue-and-groove coupled to said core (9), also when deemed convenient, said non-slip pad (10) being replaceable by the pad (11) shown in detail in figure 3, which affects the whole leg (5) and is tongue-and-groove coupled to said reticular structure (8).
The legs (5), as mentioned earlier, are joined in pairs by means of a pair of crosspieces (12) for the structural rigidifying thereof, and define wide orifices (13) between each other open at the bottom, in correspondence with the major sides of the platform, and annular orifices (14) in correspondence with the minor sides, both being dimensionally adequate to allow the passage of the fork arms of a forklift or similar, as in any conventional pallet, but with the peculiarity that in this case, cylindrical and hollow cores (15) are disposed on the lower side of the platform (1) and in correspondence with the "lanes" defined between the orifices (13) and (14), to which non-slip pads (16), intended for better supporting the fork to prevent the pallet from accidentally slipping off said fork, may be pressure coupled, also when deemed convenient or necessary.
In this manner, as mentioned earlier, different types of pallets, adapted to different practical requirements, both from a mechanical resistance and functional viewpoint, may be configured taking a single basic body consisting of the aforementioned platform (1) with its legs (5) as a starting point, by simply adding the complements required in each case to said basic body, the assembly and disassembly of which is very fast and simple, as also mentioned earlier.

Claims

Multifunctional pallet constituted by a single-part body comprising a platform (1), the lower side of which, in correspondence with its vertices, comprises support legs (5), characterized in that the platform (1) has an upper side comprising a plurality of slots (3, 4) disposed along its periphery, configured to couple panels that laterally contain objects disposed on the platform (1).
Pallet, according to claim 1, wherein the platform (1) comprises at least two longitudinal orifices (6) configured to couple metal profiles (7).
Pallet, according to the preceding claims, wherein a free end of the legs (5) comprises a reticular structure (8) wherefrom a central tubular core (9) emerges, configured to couple a non-slip pad (10) configured to be pressure coupled to the reticular structure (8).
Pallet, according to claim 3, wherein the core (9) is configured to couple a pad (11) that affects the whole corresponding leg (5) base.
Pallet, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lower side of the platform (1) comprises a plurality of cylindrical cores (15) configured to pressure couple non-slip pads (16), disposed in correspondence with pallet support areas on the fork arms of a forklift.