Patent Application
20230202711
This document relates to devices and systems for enhancing warehouse material handling operations. For example, this document relates to pallet stands that make material handling processes more safe and efficient.
A pallet (sometimes referred to as a “skid”) is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being coupleable with material handling equipment such as forklifts, pallet jacks, front loaders, jacking devices, or scissors lifts. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load, which allows handling and storage efficiencies. Many pallets are made of wood. Others can be made of plastic, fiberboard, metal, various other types of materials, and combinations thereof.
Pallets are the primary interface of a unit load. They protect the product, absorb the stresses, hold the weight, encounter fork truck impacts, and safeguard goods traveling through the supply chain.
Today there are over 2 billion pallets in circulation. Over 500 million pallets are manufactured in the U.S. every year. Wooden pallets can be reused multiple times. With proper maintenance, a typical wooden pallet can be reusable up to nine times. Accordingly, the use of pallets in warehouses, transport devices, and elsewhere is ubiquitous.
This document describes devices and systems for enhancing warehouse material handling operations. For example, this document describes pallet stands that make material handling processes more safe and efficient. In some embodiments, as described further below, a pallet stand includes a structure comprising a top configured for a pallet to rest on, and a pedestal arranged to elevate the structure above a floor. The pedestal has an outer size that is less than the width of the top structure and less than the length of the top structure.
In one aspect, this disclosure is directed to a pallet stand that includes a structure comprising a top configured for a pallet to rest on, the top having a width and a length; and a pedestal arranged to elevate the structure above a floor. The pedestal has an outer size that is less than the width of the structure and less than the length of the structure.
Such a pallet stand may optionally include one or more of the following features. The top may have a first edge and a second edge opposite of the first edge. The width may be defined between the first and second edge. The pedestal may be inset from the first edge and inset from the second edge. The top may have a third edge and a fourth edge opposite of the third edge. The length may be defined between the third and fourth edge. The pedestal may be inset from the third edge and inset from the fourth edge. The pedestal may be configured to rest on the floor. The top may be a planar surface. The structure may define two passageways configured to receive forks of a forklift. One edge of the structure may have a lip extending above the top. The lip may extend non-orthogonally in relation to the top. The lip may extend at a 30° to 60° angle in relation to the top. The pedestal may have an octagonal outer peripheral shape. The top may be a continuous planar surface. The top may be rectangular.
In another aspect, this disclosure is directed to another pallet stand that includes a rectangular upper surface configured for a pallet to rest on; and a single column extending below the upper surface and having a height whereby the upper surface is elevated above a floor.
Such a pallet stand may optionally include one or more of the following features. The column may have an outer peripheral size that is smaller than a length of the upper surface and smaller than a width of the upper surface. The pallet column may be centered in relation to a center of the upper surface. The column may have an octagonal outer peripheral shape. The column may have a circular outer peripheral shape. The column may have a polygonal outer peripheral shape.
The systems and processes described here may be used to provide one or more of the following optional advantages and/or benefits. First, worker safety enhancements can be provided by the systems and processes described herein. The need for manual lifting is reduced because of a raised pallet height. In addition, the manual tasks that workers need to perform for palletization and/or depalletization (or pallet down-stacking) are made more ergonomic by the systems and processes described herein. That is the case, for example, because of the elevated pallet height and because of toe-clearance space provided below the surface on which the pallets rest.
Second, labor costs associated with palletization and depalletization processes can be reduced using the pallet stands and processes described herein. Productivity is improved using the systems and processes described herein. That is, each worker can handle more boxes/items per hour using the systems and processes described herein.
Third, in some cases warehouse space requirements can be reduced using the systems and processes described herein. That is the case because the pallet stands described herein can be located closer to each other (arranged in a higher density) than conventional pallet handling techniques (e.g., without using pallet stands). The toe-clearance provided below the surface on which the pallets rest also benefits the use of material handling equipment such as pallet jacks and fork trucks. That is, the legs and wheels of such material handling equipment can travel into the clearance areas below the surface on which the pallets rest. Such clearance is one of the reasons that the pallet stands described herein can be arranged at a higher density than other conventional pallet handling equipment/techniques.
Fourth, the pallet stands described herein are configured to be readily portable, yet also configured to be affixed to a floor for a solid, stable pallet stand configuration.
Other features, aspects and potential advantages will be apparent from the accompanying description and figures.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements
This document describes devices and systems for enhancing warehouse material handling operations. For example, this document describes pallet stands that make material handling processes more safe and efficient. In some embodiments, as described further below, a pallet stand includes a structure comprising a top configured for a pallet to rest on, and a pedestal arranged to elevate the structure and the pallet above a floor. The pedestal has an outer size that is less than the width of the top structure and less than the length of the top structure.
As shown in
The example boxes 20 shown here represent any type of items such as, but not limited to, bins, bags, crates, totes, packages, containers, and any other suitable type of item. The pallet 10 can be placed onto, and thereafter rest on, the pallet stand 100 while the boxes 20 are being loaded onto the pallet 10, and/or while the boxes 20 are being off-loaded from the pallet 10. Afterwards, the pallet 10 (and sometimes including the boxes 20 on the pallet 10) can be removed from resting on the pallet stand 100.
Referring now also to
The pallet stand 100 includes an upper structure 110 that includes a top 112 on which the pallet 10 can rest. The top 112 can be a planar surface. The top 112 can be a continuous planar surface, or can be discontinuous (e.g., made of multiple strips of metal, expanded metal, or combinations thereof in some embodiments).
In the depicted embodiment, the top 112 is rectangular. In some embodiments, the top 112 can be any other suitable shape such as, but not limited to, polygonal, square, octagonal, circular, and the like.
The top 112 has a width W and a length L. As shown in
In some embodiments, one or more peripheral edges of the top 112 include(s) an impact bumper 117 that extends along the one or more peripheral edges of the top 112. Such an impact bumper 117 can be a soft, resilient material, for example, that provides protection for workers who might otherwise be injured (e.g., from a contusion to an ankle or shin) by accidentally impacting his/her leg into a hard metal peripheral edge surface of the top 112.
The pallet stand 100 includes a pedestal 120. The structure 110 that includes the top 112 (on which a pallet 10 can rest) is physically supported by the pedestal 120. Said another way, the pedestal 120 acts as a column to support the weight of the structure 110, pallet 10, and the contents of the pallet 10.
As shown in
The pedestal 120 supports the structure 110, such that the top 112 is at a height H above the floor 1 (
In the depicted embodiment of the pallet stand 100, a single pedestal 120 is included. In some embodiments, two or more pedestals with smaller outer size profiles can be used in place of the single pedestal 120. In certain embodiments, the pedestal 120 can include a rotary union by which the structure 110 is rotatable in relation to the floor 1. Such a rotary union can latch in particular arrangements, and can be manually unlatched and rotated as desired.
As shown in
In the depicted embodiment, the pedestal 120 has an octagonal outer profile shape. In some embodiments, the pedestal 120 can have other outer profile shapes such as, but not limited to, circular, hexagonal, heptagonal, rectangular, square, triangular, polygonal, and the like. In some embodiments, the pedestal 120 is centered in relation to the top 112. Alternatively, in some embodiments the pedestal 120 is off center in relation to the top 112.
In some embodiments, the structure 110 includes two passageways 114a and 114b. The passageways 114a-b can be structural members (e.g., rectangular tubing) of the structure 110. In addition, the passageways 114a-b can define openings to receive the forks of a forklift truck. As a result, the pallet stand 100 can be readily transported while the forks of a forklift truck are in the passageways 114a-b and the pallet stand 100 is lifted off/above the floor 1.
As best seen in
In the depicted embodiment, the lip 116 extends orthogonally in relation to the top 112. In some embodiments, the lip 116 extends non-orthogonally in relation to the top 112. In particular embodiments, the lip extends at an angle in a range of 30° to 60° in relation to the top 112. In example embodiments, the lip extends at a 45° angle in relation to the top 112.
While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described herein as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system modules and components in the embodiments described herein should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63/293,427, filed Dec. 23, 2021. The disclosure of the prior application is considered part of (and is incorporated by reference in) the disclosure of this application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63293427 | Dec 2021 | US |
