Patent Application
20210147112
The present invention is directed to products and goods transportation.
Transportation concerns the movement of products from a source such as a plant, factory, farm, or workshop to a destination such as a warehouse, distribution center, customer, or retail store. The most common transport structure used to transfer products or goods is a pallet or a skid.
A pallet or a skid is a flat horizontal transport structure, which supports products or goods while being lifted by material handling equipment such as a forklift, a pallet jack, an erect crane and the like. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies. Goods or shipping containers are often placed on the pallet secured with strapping, stretch wrap or shrink wrap and shipped.
While pallets are made of different materials such as plastic, metal, paper, etc. the majority of pallets are made of wood.
Wooden pallets, though vastly used, harbor several deficiencies, for example, significant storage space requirement, worker safety risks (nails, splinters, etc.), consumption of natural resource, material handling equipment damages, and food safety hazards.
The present invention provides a products transportation system including a pallet with handling and storage efficiencies, different crates suitable for transporting different products, and a stacking element for products protection and safe nesting.
Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a pallet for transporting products comprising: a deck having an upper surface; a pattern of recesses formed in the upper surface, the pattern of recesses comprising at least two of: a first set of recesses deployed for receiving a footprint of 6 crates substantially covering the deck and arranged in a 2×3 array, a second set of recesses deployed for receiving a footprint of 5 crates substantially covering the deck and arranged in a 5-per-layer configuration; and a third set of recesses deployed for receiving 4 crates in a 2×2 array. a plurality of legs extending downwards from the deck; and, a plurality of sockets formed in the deck, each socket of the plurality of sockets being positioned and shaped to receive a corresponding leg of another identical pallet to allow nesting of the pallet.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the pallet includes all three of the sets of recesses.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the pallet further comprising a plurality of alignment projections projecting upwards from the upper surface along at least two outer edges of the deck, each of the at least two outer edges having two halves, two of the alignment projections being deployed symmetrically within each of the halves of each of the at least two outer edges.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of sockets includes a central projection extending towards the upper surface.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface includes a plurality of apertures.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the deck includes a plurality of indentations in the external edges of the deck deployed for receiving a binding element.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the deck includes at least one friction enhancing portion positioned on the bottom side of the deck.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the friction enhancing portion is formed from an elastomeric material.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the pallet further comprising a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag or computer chip integrated with the pallet.
There is also provided according to the teachings of an embodiment of the present invention, a transportation system comprising the pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the system further includes: a stacking element comprising: a board including a surface for deploying on the upper edges of a layer of crates; and, a pattern of recesses formed in the surface, the pattern of recesses comprising at least two of: a first set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 6 crates arranged in a 2×3 array; a second set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 5 crates arranged in a 5-per-layer configuration; and, a third set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 4 crates arranged in a 2×2 array.
There is also provided according to the teachings of an embodiment of the present invention, a stacking element comprising: a board including a surface for deploying on the upper edges of a layer of crates; and, a pattern of recesses formed in the surface, the pattern of recesses comprising at least two sets of recesses selected for the group consisting of: a first set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 6 crates arranged in a 2×3 array; a second set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 5 crates arranged in a 5-per-layer configuration; and, a third set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 4 crates arranged in 2×2 array.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the stacking element includes all three of the sets of recesses.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the stacking element further comprising at least one engagement feature modified to engage with features on the upper edges of the layer of crates.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one engagement feature is a projection positioned on the bottom side of the surface, the projection configured for engaging with at least one indentation on the upper edges of walls of at least one crate for fastening the stacking element to the top side of the at least one crate.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one engagement feature is an indentation positioned on the bottom side of the surface, the indentation configured for engaging with at least one projection on the upper edges of walls of at least one crate for fastening the stacking element to the top side of the at least one crate.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the stacking element further comprising at least one engagement feature positioned on the bottom or top side of the surface, the at least one engagement feature is modified to engage with features on the top or bottom of a corresponding stacking element.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one engagement feature is a projection complementary to at least one indentation on the top or bottom side of a corresponding stacking element, so as to stack the corresponding stacking element with the stacking element.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one engagement is an indentation complementary to at least one projection on the top or bottom side of a corresponding stacking element, so as to receive the corresponding projection of the corresponding stacking element for stacking the corresponding stacking element with the stacking element.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, the surface includes a plurality of reinforced regions to accommodate the legs of a pallet positioned on top of the stacking element.
There is also provided according to the teachings of an embodiment of the present invention, a transportation system comprising a stacking element according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the system further includes: a pallet for transporting products including: a deck having an upper surface; and, a plurality of legs extending downwards from the deck.
According to further features of an embodiment of the present invention, stacking element includes a plurality of reinforced regions to accommodate the legs of the pallet positioned on top of the stacking element.
Unless otherwise defined herein, all technical and/or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplary methods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily limiting.
Some embodiments of the present invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.
Attention is now directed to the drawings, where like reference numerals or characters indicate corresponding or like components. In the drawings:
The present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description. The invention is capable of other embodiments, or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The present invention provides a products and/or goods transportation system including a pallet with handling and storage efficiencies, different crates suitable for transporting different products and/or goods, and a stacking element for products protection and safe nesting.
By way of introduction, most pallets can be broadly subdivided into two classes: generic flat pallets and application-specific pallets. Generic flat pallets typically have a flat deck surface which can be loaded with any desired produce or product in any desired arrangement. Wooden pallets typically fall into this category, as do many plastic pallets. Application-specific pallets are pallets with surfaces that are specially adapted to receive certain objects in certain layouts, typically by suitable deployment of various recesses and/or projecting features. A typically example of an application-specific pallet is a pallet with sockets or projections for securing shrink-wrapped multi-packs of bottles, or for anchoring a particular layout of crates on a pallet deck.
Application-specific pallets have advantages of stabilizing the goods on the pallet so that they are unlikely to become dislodged during shipping, even under conditions of considerable lateral impact and/or tilting. On the other hand, since a different type of pallet is required for each different type of product, handling of application-specific pallets presents major logistical challenges and increased costs for users dealing handling product types. In contrast, generic pallets provide maximum flexibility in terms of logistics for pallet usage, but fail to provide the stability offered by an application-specific pallet.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pallet with a deck provided with a pattern of recesses formed in its upper surface, where the pattern of recesses includes at least two of: a first set of recesses deployed for receiving a footprint of 6 crates substantially covering the deck and arranged in a 2×3 array, a second set of recesses deployed for receiving a footprint of 5 crates substantially covering the deck and arranged in a 5-per-layer configuration, and a third set of recesses, preferably complemented by a safety lip with strategically placed design features deployed for receiving a 2×2 or 4-per-layer arrangement. Most preferably, the deck also features a plurality of alignment projections projecting upwards from the upper surface along at least two outer edges of the deck, with two of the alignment projections deployed symmetrically within each half of the corresponding outer edges. By providing these various combinations of features, it becomes possible to achieve interengagement between features of the deck and features of various different sizes of crates arranged in corresponding different stacking patterns on the surface of the deck. At the same time, since the features of interengagement are limited to relatively shallow recesses on the upper surfaces, and projections which are preferably limited to the outer periphery of the deck surface, the deck preferably remains usable as a generic pallet for additional applications, and the alignment features preferably do not interfere with compact nesting of the pallet with other similar pallets.
A further aspect of the present invention, useful alone or in combination with the aforementioned pallet, is a stacking element for deploying on top of a layer of crates which has engagement features, similar to those described in relation to the pallet deck surface, but modified to engage features of the upper edges of walls of the crates, for engaging different sizes of crates in different layouts, thereby stabilizing a stack of crates and/or distributing the load of an additional loaded pallet which may be stacked on top of an underlying stack of crates. Here too, a pattern of recesses preferably accommodates an arrangement of 6 crates substantially covering the deck and arranged in a 2×3 array, and an arrangement of 5 crates substantially covering the deck and arranged in a 5-per-layer configuration, as well as most preferably also an arrangement of 4 larger crates in a 2×2 layout.
These and other features of certain embodiments of the present invention will become clearer from the following description.
“Footprint” as used herein, refers to the configuration in which crates are positioned on top of a pallet so as to fully use the region of the pallet.
“5-per-layer” as used herein, refers to a layout of 5 rectangular crates having a long side and a short side. The layout includes 3 crates with their long sides adjacent and a further two crates with their long sides running adjacent to the short sides of the first 3 crates, such that the two crates meet at their short sides. This layout works best with crates having a lengths ratio of 2:3 between the short and long sides.
“Substantially covering” as used herein, refers to coverage of at least 95%, which is sufficient to be considered full use of the pallet.
The deck 102 further includes a plurality of alignment projections 112 and 114 projecting upwards from the upper surface 104 along at least two outer edges of the deck 102 with two of the alignment deployed symmetrically within each half of the corresponding outer edges. The interengagement of the projections 112 and 114 with features such as perimeter safety rims and indentations positioned on the bottom side of a plurality of crates make the upper surface 104 suitable for deployment of, for example, four crates arranged in a 2×2 array substantially covering the upper surface 104 (best seen in
The deck 102 also features grommet inserts specifically designed to integrate with the design of deck 102 to ensure enhanced compatibility of the deck with different forms of transport packaging, not just crates, for example, corrugate, wood & wire, shrink wrapped items and products placed directly on the upper surface 104.
The upper surface 104 further features a pattern of recesses. The pattern of recesses includes, for example, a first set of recesses 116 and a second set of recesses 118. The first set of recesses 116, best seen in
The second set of recesses 118, best seen in
As best seen in
Returning to
A plurality of friction pads 119 made of a friction enhancing material, for example, an elastomeric material such as rubber are also assembled on the upper surface 104 in order to avoid any friction or contact damages that may occur to the upper surface 104 by another identical pallet positioned on top it during nesting. The plurality of friction pads 119, which are elevated from the upper surface 104, create a space between the pallet 100 and the bottom of an identical upper pallet positioned on top. The created space prevents any encounter or contact between the pallets. These friction pads are also strategically placed to increase the friction between pallet 100 and shipping crates or containers not compatible with the interengagement deck design. Thus, the pallets of the present invention can additionally be used for loads that do not conform to the particular engagement patterns of the deck, such as cardboard containers, wood & wire containers, shrink wrapped products and product placed directly on the pallet deck itself.
The deck 102 further features a plurality of indentations 120 in its external edges deployed symmetrically within each half of the deck 102. The plurality of indentations 120 are used for vertical binding of crates containing transferred products or goods as they allow wrapping the crates deployed on the upper surface 104 with the pallet 100 as one unit using binding elements, for example, strips, bands, tapes and a combination thereof. This ensures the fixation of the crates containing the products or goods to the pallet 100.
Tags or microchips 124, for example, passive or active tags or computer chips, may also be assembled on the bottom of deck 102 allowing the identification and tracking of the pallet as well as the collection of information in real-time. The tags or microchips are, for example, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. Each tag or microchip contains a unique ID number and data is retrieved by an ID reader (a two-way radio transmitter-receiver) (not shown) that sends an encoded signal to the tag. The tag then responds with its identification and any stored information, such as stock number, batch number, production date, etc.
Alternatively or additionally, the bottom of deck 102 may include an electric box 126. The electric box 126 is, for example, an active unit that provides the pallet 100 with smart pallet properties. The electric box 126 may further feature different sensors or batteries, for example, temperature sensors to provide temperature measurements through an electrical signal, or onboard batteries to power electrical, computer, or charging components.
A further aspect of the present invention, useful alone or in combination with the aforementioned pallet, is a stacking element for deploying on top of a layer of crates.
The pattern of recesses includes, for example, at least two sets of recesses selected for the group consisting of a first set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 6 crates arranged in a 2×3 array, a second set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 5 crates arranged in a 5-per-layer configuration, and a third set of recesses deployed for receiving the upper edges of 4 crates arranged in 2×2 array.
Projections 204, similar to those described in relation to the pallet deck, and indentations 206 are found on both sides of the stacking element 200 (
Projections 208 are also found on both sides of the stacking element 200. The Projections 208 are configured for engaging with indentations positioned on the bottom and/or top sides of an identical stacking element, allowing nesting of two or more stacking elements for efficient handling and storage space saving.
The stacking element 200 further features a pattern of reinforced regions 210 positioned on its upper side. The pattern of reinforced regions 210 is shaped to accommodate the legs of a pallet placed on top of the stacking element 200. The pattern of reinforced regions 208 distributes the load of the loaded pallet and allows the loaded pallet to be stacked on top of an underlying stack of crates.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. Therefore, the claimed invention as recited in the claims that follow is not limited to the embodiments described herein.
