Patent Grant
10399740
The invention relates to a transport pallet with a base body. In particular, the transport pallet is a cardboard box pallet, which is intended for one-time use, i.e. as a disposable pallet. The invention further relates to a module for the transport pallet, a folding sheet for producing the module and a method for producing the transport pallet.
Transport pallets are used for the transport of loading goods of many different types. For this purpose, the transport pallet provides a bearing surface for the loading goods. The transport pallet can be transported using floor conveying equipment such as forklift trucks, together with the loading goods placed thereon, and therefore, for example, be lifted onto the loading area of a heavy goods vehicle. To this end, prongs of the material handling device engage laterally into the base body between the feet of the base body. The feet are then arranged between a top surface of the body, which is the bearing surface for the loading goods, and a lower surface of the base body, which is a contact surface for the respective substrate.
In many cases, the transport pallets used have a base body, which consists substantially of wood, such a transport pallet being known, for example, by the name “Euro-pallet”. These known transport pallets are used for several purposes. After each use, these transport pallets, which are also designated as reusable pallets, are therefore returned.
As an alternative to the reusable pallets, for example, disposable pallets are known, the base bodies of which consist substantially of cardboard. Disposable pallets can be useful or even prescribed, in order to counteract the spread of pathogens, which could accumulate on the transport pallets. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of disposable pallets increases compared to reusable pallets with increasing transport distance, since the return transportation of the transport pallet is eliminated. However, for reasons of economic efficiency the disposable pallet must be able to be produced much less expensively than the reusable pallet. At the same time, sufficient stability must also be ensured in the disposable pallet.
In case of one such transport pallet known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,834 known, but which is not yet fully produced with sufficient stability, a base body is provided, which consists of a composite with a plurality of identical modules, wherein each of the modules consists of exactly one folded and glued folding sheet formed of a plurality of folding sheets identical to each other, each forming one segment of the surface of the base body.
To produce sufficient stability, in this transport pallet disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,834, two end plates are additionally provided, which are produced separately from the folding sheets for the modules from other folding sheets, which enclose the modules and can absorb shear forces. Thereafter, it is no longer the modules but the end plates that provide the surface of ready-to-use transport pallet. The manufacture of the different folding sheets must be performed in separate manufacturing processes, which makes the production and handling during assembly time-consuming and expensive. In addition, for each transport pallet a total of four folding sheets are required that are quite large in relation to the size of the transport pallet, which leads to a high material consumption and makes the transport pallet even more expensive.
The object of the invention therefore is to provide a transport pallet of the above type, which is sufficiently stable and, at the same time, can be cost-effectively produced.
The invention achieves this object with a transport pallet, with a module for the transport pallet, with a folding sheet for producing the module and with a method for producing a transport pallet according to the invention. In a transport pallet having a base body, wherein the base body has a top surface, which is a bearing surface for loading goods, wherein the base body consists of a composite which exclusively has a plurality of modules that are identical to one another and connecting means, by means of which the modules are connected to one another, wherein each module consists of exactly one folding sheet from a plurality of folding sheets that are identical to each other and a fixing means, in particular an adhesive, and in each case provides one segment of the top surface of the base body, wherein the base body has a lower surface which is a contact surface to the respective substrate, and wherein between the upper surface and the lower surface the base body has feet, between which prongs of material handling equipment can laterally engage in the base body, it is provided according to the invention that the base body has exactly four modules of the identical modules, that each module has exactly four feet of the feet of the base body, arranged spaced apart from one another, that each foot has foot lateral surfaces, by means of which each respective foot is laterally closed around a hollow space, and that on each side each module has one lateral surface, which is formed from foot lateral surfaces of two feet of the feet of the module, wherein the foot lateral surfaces that form opposite lateral faces of modules connected to one another rest flat against each other. In accordance with the method, four modules identical to each other are connected to the base body, so that each module subsequently provides one segment of the base body.
The transport pallet is, in particular, a disposable pallet. Preferably, the transport pallet is also a flat pallet. The modules are arranged side by side. The segment of the surface of the base body provided by each module represents only a quarter of the bearing surface for the loading goods on the transport pallet. Each module is able to support the loading goods to be stored on the respective segment of the top surface. Overall, a high degree of stability of the base body and thus of the transport pallet is therefore obtained. Due to the use of modules that are identical to each other, these same modules can also be produced in large quantities at low cost. The cavities are arranged in the feet of the module and thus within the folded and fixed folding sheet. The bearing surface of the transport pallet is preferably closed or at least 98% closed, and therefore has no major openings.
The base body preferably has the dimensions of a known Euro pallet, thus a length of 1200 mm and a width of approximately 800 mm. Each module therefore has a length of around 600 mm and a width of approximately 400 mm. The folding sheet required for the production of a module has a length of less than 1000 mm, in particular of 980 mm, and a width of less than 750 mm, in particular of 735 mm. As an alternative, and also preferred, the base body has the dimensions of a Euro2 pallet. The length of the body in this case is about 1200 mm and the width of the body approximately 1000 mm. The modules therefore have a length of around 600 mm and a width of approximately 500 mm. The folding sheets can therefore be inexpensively transported on a Euro pallet to a shipper of goods. The shipping agent can store the folding sheets in a space-saving manner and requires only a comparatively small-sized machine that produces the modules from the folding sheets.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the base body has adhesive tape, by means of which the modules are connected to each other.
Adhesive tape is an inexpensive connecting means, which can also be applied automatically onto the modules with little effort for producing the composite. Using the adhesive tape, gaps between directly adjacent modules are preferably bridged on both the top surface and on the lower surface. In particular, the adhesive tape is arranged exclusively on the top surface and on the lower surface of the base body. The adhesive tape can support tensile loads. By the arrangement of the tape on both the top surface and the lower surface, the modules are therefore held together both in the area of the top surface and in the area of the lower surface. This counteracts any bending of the modules relative to one another.
The adhesive tape has an adhesive side, with which a materially bonded connection is produced at the base body between the adhesive tape and the respective module. According to an advantageous extension of the invention, on its opposite side to the adhesive side the tape has an anti-slip coating, at least in some parts. The adhesive tape preferably has an anti-slip coating on the top surface of the base body. This counteracts any slippage of transport goods that are resting on the adhesive tape. The adhesive tape preferably has an anti-slip coating on the lower surface of the base body. This counteracts any slippage of the transport pallet on the substrate. The anti-slip coating causes an increased contact friction compared with the corresponding side of the adhesive tape without this anti-slip coating. On the side opposite to its adhesive side the adhesive tape is not equipped to produce a materially bonded connection with the loading goods or with the respective substrate.
According to a further advantageous extension of the invention, the base body has at least one clamping device for receiving stretch film. In particular, each module has at least one such clamping device. The clamping device is in particular an opening in a side wall of the base body, hence in a side wall of the module. In particular, the opening is arranged in a foot. Preferably, the opening has at least one slot, into which the stretch film can be stuck. Particularly preferably, the opening is formed as a triangular cutout with at least one slot joined thereto. Alternatively, the opening can be star-shaped, for example, and optionally formed with at least one slot joined thereto. The stretch film can be wound around the transport pallet with the loading goods placed thereon, starting from the device used for receiving the stretch film, and thus fix the goods in position relative to each other and to the transport pallet. The transport pallet itself also benefits from the stretch film due to the stabilizing effect holding the individual modules together by means of the stretch film.
Particularly preferably, the folding sheet of each module has sections that are fixed to one another. In order to fix the sections together, the module consists not only of the folded sheet, but also of a fixing means which fixes sections of the folding sheet to one another and therefore makes the module keep its shape. The fixative is preferably an adhesive. Alternatively or in addition, the fixing means has other means known to the person skilled in the art, such as adhesive tape or a clip, which is designed to fix two layers of the folding sheet to each other.
The folding sheet is particularly preferably made of cardboard, in particular corrugated cardboard. Cardboard is inexpensive to provide and can later be sent for recycling. Corrugated cardboard ensures a high stability of the module.
In accordance with the method therefore, one folding sheet made of cardboard is creased and folded to produce each module. The sections of the folding sheet are then fixed together using adhesive. The module can thus be produced automatically and cost-effectively from just the folded sheet and some adhesive. In addition, the folding sheets can be stored in stacks at the respective premises of the goods shipping agent in a space-saving manner, before they are used to produce the transport pallet as needed.
To produce each folding sheet, preferably one sheet of cardboard is punctured to produce separating lines and then grooved or perforated to form crease lines and folding lines. The folding sheet therefore has continuous punched holes or cuts and is grooved or perforated at the crease lines and folding lines. Preferably, the folding sheet is grooved or perforated on only one side. All creases and folds of the folding sheet are therefore effected during the manufacture of the module in one direction, which greatly facilitates the automatic production. The process of forming the grooves or perforations can be simply carried out automatically in advance. For each module only exactly one folding sheet is required. It is therefore no longer necessary to assemble a plurality of folding sheets together.
Each foot preferably has essentially the shape of a cuboid. Therefore, each foot preferably has exactly four pairs of parallel foot lateral surfaces. For the absorption of shear forces, in a particularly preferred embodiment at least one, or exactly one, foot lateral surface of each foot has two or three layers resting flat on top of one another, of which preferably two or all three layers are glued together.
In an advantageous embodiment, a portion of the outer layer of this foot lateral surface is formed by two folds from opposite sides of the foot lateral surface. In particular if this fold is glued to the layer underneath it, which preferably is also a layer folded over downwards from above or below, a high stability of the foot is obtained. The layers of the foot lateral surface area resting flat on top of one another are, in particular, all formed by folded layers with crease lines on each of three or four sides of the foot lateral surface.
Each module has preferably at least two, preferably exactly two, runners. The runners provide a portion of the lower surface of the base body. At least two feet spaced apart, which are formed between the surface of the base body and the respective runner of the module, are assigned to each runner. The runners ensure a greater stability of the part of the base body provided by the respective module, including between the feet. In accordance with a further extension of the invention, the runners have an anti-slip coating on the lower surface of the base body. Alternatively or in addition to an anti-slip coating of the adhesive tape on the lower surface, the base body is thus secured against unintentional slippage on the substrate. According to an advantageous embodiment the top surface also has an anti-slip coating, to secure the transport goods to be stored thereon against slippage.
Between the spaced apart feet on each side of each module, there is respectively exactly one slot in the base body for one of the prongs of the floor conveyor. This provides an advantageous stability against falling for the module. In addition, the transport pallet can be advantageously picked up using the floor conveyor. The prongs of the floor conveyor, arranged side by side, then engage in adjacent modules of the transport pallet. Each prong also reaches through the part of the base body provided by one module and through or into the part of the base body provided by another module.
The base body therefore has exactly two first passages arranged parallel to each other and exactly two second passages, arranged perpendicular to the first passages and parallel to each other, for prongs of the floor conveyor. In this regard, in particular each module has exactly one first passage and exactly one second passage arranged perpendicular to the first passage, for exactly one prong each of the floor conveyor.
In a particularly preferred embodiment it is provided that each slot of each module is at least partly bounded in the direction of the surface by one fold each, which is connected via folding lines at the edges of the segment of the surface of the base body provided by the respective module to the section of the folding sheet providing this segment of the surface, and rests flat against this section of the folding sheet. This enables loads bearing on the transport pallet to be better directed to the feet or onto the prongs of the floor conveyor.
Preferably, each module has two short sides and two long sides, which are at least 18% longer than the short sides. According to an advantageous embodiment the slots on the long sides of the module are no longer than the slots on the short sides of the module. As a result, the slots on the short sides are large enough to allow a prong of the floor conveyor to be threaded in with little effort. In addition, the slots on the long sides are small enough, to have a positive effect on the stability of the module, due to the appropriately dimensioned feet. Preferably, the slots on the long sides of the module no more than 230 mm long, more preferably a maximum of 220 mm long and particularly preferably a maximum of 210 mm long.
Less preferably, the slots on the short sides of the module are shorter than the slots on the long sides of the module. However, the length of the slots on the short sides must be at least 80% of the length of the slots on the long sides of the module.
According to a preferred embodiment, on exactly one short side exactly two feet are arranged, each having one short foot lateral surface and one long foot lateral surface. The short foot lateral faces form the lateral surface of this short side of the module. Preferably, the difference in length between the long foot lateral surface and the short foot lateral surface is at least 90% of the length difference between the long side of the module and the short side of the module. As a result, an asymmetrical arrangement of the slots on the long sides of the module is obtained. In the case of a Euro2-pallet the length difference between the long side of the module and the short side of the module is only half as large as that of a Euro pallet. In particular, if the transport pallet has the dimensions of a Euro2 pallet, the length difference between the long foot lateral surface and the short foot lateral surface is therefore even at least 180% of the length difference between the long side of the module and the short side of the module.
In the transport pallet assembled from four modules, the short side of the respective module referred to is arranged on the outside. The modules are therefore connected to each other in the area of their respective opposite short sides. This allows the transport pallet to be picked up by the floor conveyor from all sides, without the distance between the prongs having to be changed relative to one another. In addition, the large length of the long foot lateral surface causes as short a length as possible of the adjacent slot on the long side of the module. As a result, the load bearing capacity of the module is only slightly weakened by the slot.
Further embodiments arise from the claims, from the exemplary embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and from the following description of these exemplary embodiments. The drawings show:
In
The base body 2 has four identically designed and thus identical modules 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, which hereafter are also designated with the reference numeral 3. The base body 2 comprises a top surface 4. In doing so, the module 3a provides a segment 5a, the module 3b a segment 5b, the module 3c a segment 5c and the module 3d a segment 5d of the top surface 4. The segments 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are hereafter collectively designated with the reference numeral 5.
On the transport pallet 1, loading goods can be stacked and transported with the transport pallet 1. The top surface 4 is therefore a bearing surface for loading goods. For lifting and moving the transport pallet 1 a standard commercially available floor conveyor 6 can be used, for example in the form of the forklift truck illustrated. The floor conveyor 6 has prongs 7 and 8 arranged parallel to each other, which engage in the base body 2 under the top surface 4 and, if necessary, can reach through the base body 2.
Adhesive tapes 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60 are shown in
In
The module 3 has a multi-part lateral surface on each side 20, 21, 22 and 23. Of these, the lateral surface on the first long side 20 is composed of a first foot lateral surface 24 of the first short foot 12 and of a long foot lateral surface 25 of the first long foot 13. The first long foot 13 has a short foot lateral surface 26 on the second short side 23. The second long foot 15 has foot lateral surfaces with dimensions which correspond to the dimensions of the foot lateral surfaces of the first long foot 13. In the area of the slots 16, 17, 18 and 19, the module 3 has folds 27, 28, 29 and 30 for reinforcement.
The separating lines 32 and 33 are produced by punching or by means of a cutting tool. One section of the separating line 32 is at the same time a part of the outer border of the folding sheet 31. The folding sheet 31 has crease lines 34a, 34b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b, 37a, 37b, 38a, 38b, 39a, 39b, 40a, 40b, 41 and 42, at which the folding sheet 31 is grooved or perforated on one side, to enable sections of the folding sheet 31 to be bent approximately at right angles thereto.
The folding sheet 31 has folding lines 43, 44 and 45 in the connecting region of the folds 29, 30 and 27 towards a central section 46 of the folding sheet 31. The reverse of the central section 46 provides the segment 5 of the top surface 4 for the main body 2 in the module 3. The folding lines 43, 44 and 45 resemble two crease lines arranged parallel to each other, at which the folding sheet 31 is grooved or perforated on one side. At individual crease lines the folding sheet 31 would either not be able to be folder over by 180°, or only disadvantageously. Due to the folding lines 43, 44 and 45, an advantageous folding of the folds 29, 30 and 27 by approximately 180° towards the central section 46 is possible.
In
Subsequently a bend is performed along the crease lines 36a and 36b, then along the crease lines 35a and 35b and then along the crease lines 34a and 34b, so that the partially bent and folded folding sheet 31 has the form shown in
The bending and folding of the folding sheet 31 and the gluing of sections of the folding sheet 31 is preferably performed automatically by machine. For this purpose, the folding sheet 31 is taken from a stack of similar folding sheets and as previously described, bent at the crease lines and folded at the folding lines and also glued in some sections, so that the module 3 is produced. As shown in
Optionally, at least one of the foot lateral surfaces 24, 25 and 26 and/or the top surface 4 of the base body 2 can be imprinted, for example, with a company logo or an advertisement. Alternatively or additionally, the transport pallet 1, for example, can have an identification device on one of the foot lateral surfaces 24, 25, or 26, for example, in the form of a barcode, an RFID transponder or a label.
All the above mentioned features referred to in the above description or in the claims can be combined in any permutation with the features of the independent claim. The disclosure of the invention is therefore not limited to the feature combinations described or claimed, rather all meaningful feature combinations are to be considered as disclosed in the context of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2015 012 066 | Sep 2015 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/072602 | 9/22/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/050932 | 3/30/2017 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country |
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| 3922635 | Jan 1991 | DE |
| 9110425 | Oct 1991 | DE |
| 102010049074 | Apr 2012 | DE |
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| Entry |
|---|
| European Office Action based on Application No. 16 778 709.2, dated Mar. 7, 2019. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180265247 A1 | Sep 2018 | US |
