Pallets generally include a deck having an upper support surface for supporting goods above a floor. A plurality of feet extend downward from the deck to provide tine openings between the feet and below the deck.
Half-pallets, typically in the range of approximately 20-24 inches by approximately 40-48 inches, may be used to provide deliveries into stores. Sometimes narrower pallets would be advantageous in certain delivery locations with tighter spaces, while sometimes wider pallets would be required for certain products.
A first pallet includes a deck including an upper support surface and a peripheral wall extending downward from a periphery of the upper support surface. A plurality of feet extend downward from the deck. Each of the feet include a foot wall defining a periphery of the foot. An outer portion of each foot wall is coterminous with the peripheral wall of the deck. The deck includes an opening aligned with each of the plurality of feet. The foot wall protrudes inwardly of the respective opening to form a ledge recessed downward from the upper support surface of the deck.
A second, wider pallet may be used with the first pallet. The second pallet may be stacked on the first pallet. The second pallet has a plurality of feet extending downward from a deck having a peripheral wall. The outer portion of the wall of each of the feet is spaced inward from the peripheral wall of the deck, such that the deck of the second pallet is wider than the deck of the first pallet, but the spacing and size of the feet of both decks are identical. In this manner, a system with two different-width pallets can be used together and stacked together when empty.
A pallet 10 according to a first embodiment is shown in
The deck 12 further includes a peripheral rib 20 extending downward from a periphery of the upper planar portion 19. Each foot 14 includes a wall 22 defining a periphery of the foot 14. The wall 22 of each foot 14 is recessed from the upper surface of the deck 12 and terminates approximately ⅓ of the height of the peripheral wall 20 of the deck 12 below the upper surface 19 of the deck 12. The upper surface of the wall 22 of each foot 14 protrudes inward of each corresponding opening 16 formed in the upper surface 18 of the deck 12 to form a ledge 24 about the entire periphery of the top of each foot 14.
An outer portion 26 of the wall 22 of each foot 14 is coterminous with the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall 20 of the deck 12. This coterminous outer portion 26 of wall 22 and the peripheral wall 20 does not extend upward to the plane containing the upper surface 19 of the deck 12, but rather is recessed downward therefrom with the rest of the wall 22 of the foot 14. The outer portion 26 of the wall 22 of each foot 14 is in the vertical plane of the outer peripheral wall 20 of the deck 12. The outer portion 26 of the wall 22 of each foot 14 may be corrugated for stiffness and strength, as shown. A plurality of ribs 28 protrude inward from the wall 22 of each foot 14 with an uppermost surface in the same plane as the uppermost surface of the ledge 24.
A pallet 110 according to a second embodiment is shown in
The pallet 110 is integrally molded as a single piece of plastic, such as by injection molding. Pallet 110 includes the deck 112 having an upper support surface 118 upon which goods can be supported. The upper surface 118 is defined by an upper planar portion 119 of the deck 112. Feet 114 project downward from the deck 112 to support the deck 112 above the floor. Openings 116 are formed in the upper surface 118 of the deck 112 above each of the feet 114. The openings 116 can receive the feet 114 of an identical deck 110 stacked thereon and partially received in the deck 112 for stability.
The deck 112 further includes a peripheral rib 120 extending downward from a periphery of the upper planar portion 119. Each foot 114 includes a wall 122 defining a periphery of the foot 114. The wall 122 of each foot 114 is recessed from the upper surface of the deck 112 and terminates approximately ⅓ of the height of the peripheral wall 120 of the deck 112 below the upper surface 119 of the deck 112. The upper surface of the wall 122 of each foot 114 protrudes inward of each corresponding opening 116 formed in the upper surface 118 of the deck 112 to form a ledge 124 about the entire periphery of the top of each foot 114.
In this embodiment, the outer portion 126 of the wall 122 of each foot 114 is spaced inward of the peripheral wall 120 of the deck 112 because the deck 112 is wider. The outer portion 126 of the wall 122 of each foot 114 may be corrugated for stiffness and strength, as shown. A plurality of ribs 128 protrude inward from the wall 122 of each foot 114 with an uppermost surface in the same plane as the uppermost surface of the ledge 124.
As shown in
A plurality of each of the two pallets 10, 110 can be used together in a system. The narrower pallet 10 can be used for deliveries to locations where the reduced width is advantageous and/or where the products to be carried permit the reduced width. The wider pallet 110 can be used for deliveries where an increased deck width is accommodated and/or where the products to be carried require the increased width. A mixture of the two pallets 10, 110 can be stacked together when empty to return all of the pallets 10, 110 to the distribution facility to be sorted and reused.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
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