EP3632808B1 - Plastic pallet - Google Patents

Description

Field of invention

The invention relates to a plastic pallet which is composed of several parts. Such a plastic pallet comprises a deck for storing objects to be transported, as well as feet, which comprise first and second foot elements, the first foot elements being molded onto a deck underside and the second foot elements being molded onto runners which connect at least two feet to one another. Finally, the plastic pallet also comprises connecting means for connecting first foot elements with corresponding second foot elements and thus the deck with the runners. The deck is essentially a plate-shaped body with a top side and a bottom side of the deck. In particular, the top side of the cover is usually flat; it can be designed, for example, closed, but also as a lattice structure or as a combination of these. Furthermore, various functional elements can be molded onto the deck, such as, for example, recesses for receiving barrel-shaped containers, other positioning aids or limiters in order to prevent horizontal movement of goods on the pallet beyond the edge of the pallet.

The underside of the cover can also be designed essentially flat, with the first foot elements being molded onto the underside of the cover. These protrude from the underside of the deck and are made in one piece with the deck. Depending on the size of the pallet, for example four, six or nine first foot elements are formed on the underside of the deck. The runners, on which the second foot elements are molded, now connect at least two feet, with larger pallets also three or more feet, each in a straight line one behind the other or as a lattice structure. The second foot elements are complementary to the first foot elements, ie they match these, for each first foot element there is a corresponding second foot element, whereby depending on the position of the foot in the pallet - at one of the four corners, at one of the four edges or in the Inside, for example at the position the geometric center of gravity of the top of the deck - the first and second foot elements and thus the feet can be shaped differently.

The plastic pallet described here is a pallet that is composed of several parts, i.e. the runners with the second foot elements are connected to the deck on which the first foot elements are molded via connecting means. These connecting means do not necessarily have to connect all of the first foot elements to corresponding second foot elements, but rather only be present, for example, in those first and second foot elements which correspond to the corners of the pallet.

State of the art

Pallets are used to store and transport goods and are accordingly exposed to a wide range of stresses. Loaded pallets are often transported by forklift truck, which can easily damage the feet of the pallet. In addition, pallets are often transported on conveyor belts, which are often roller conveyors. Sometimes pallets also fall from medium heights, for example between heights of 1 m and 2 m, on the ground, be it at the end of a conveyor belt after unloading or if they are carelessly transported to or from a truck, to name just one example. This can lead to damage to the pallet, with the feet and especially the corner feet being affected. Such damage then often means that the pallets can no longer be used and have to be replaced.

In order to improve the durability of pallets, various solutions are known in the prior art, of which here as an example the one in FIG DE 10 2014 002 832 A1 solution described is to be singled out. There a two-part pallet is disclosed, which consists of an upper part and a lower part. First foot elements are integrally formed on the upper part on the underside of the deck, the lower part comprises all runners in a lattice structure, and second foot elements which are connected by the runners are integrally formed on the runners. The upper part and the lower part are connected to one another via the first and second foot elements; the connection can be designed as a plug-in connection, as an adhesive connection, as a heat-welded connection and / or as a latching connection. These are irreversible connections, since locking or ratchet connections usually only work in one direction. In order to protect the feet and thus improve the durability of the pallet, clip-on man protective sleeves are provided on the pallet. Ideally, if the corners are damaged, only the protective sleeves have to be replaced while the pallet itself can continue to be used. However, if the pallet falls from a medium height, for example, and the pallet is on one of the runners or on If the deck is damaged, the entire pallet must be replaced, as the parts - except for the protective sleeves - are irreversibly connected to one another. Even if only one runner is damaged, the entire pallet has to be replaced, which is associated with high costs and increases the amount of waste.

The document is from the prior art US 2013032507 A1 which discloses a pallet having a main body defining a cargo deck and feet and a lower accessory attachable to the feet of the main body to form crumples. The main body and lower accessory are configured to nest together when they are not attached to one another. A panel system is also disclosed that includes a plurality of fasteners that can be removed if desired. Document is also known DE 20 2011 104 024 U1 , which describes a plastic pallet with a cover plate and a base part which are connected to one another by latching devices, and there are circumferentially spaced support feet which form openings for the engagement of means of transport.

US 6109190 A discloses a molded plastic product and material handling pallet comprising top and bottom pieces of different plastic materials which can be separably mated together in a plug to provide a permeable product bed and lower frame with sufficient strength for vertical stacking of product loaded pallets in open To provide racks. The document DE 201 05 233 U1 provides a pallet with a reinforcement plate with a support plate and interchangeable feet. The carrier plate and / or the feet are provided with cutouts that receive such a reinforcing element and secure it in place.

Description of the invention

The object of the invention is therefore to further develop a plastic pallet of the type described at the outset in such a way that the costs for replacement in the event of damage and repair of a pallet are reduced and more sustainable use is made possible.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. The connecting means are reversible and in at least one selected part of the feet each comprise a tab which is formed on one of the two foot elements and is preferably tongue-shaped and elastically flexible about a bending axis with a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the bending axis. It is a reversible connection means, ie the connection can be released again and, if necessary, re-established again. The tab can either be attached to the first or the second Be molded foot elements. It is in at least one selected part of the feet present, for example, this selected part can be formed by the feet that are positioned in the corners of the pallet, or by the feet whose foot elements are on the edge of runners. In principle, however, a tab can also be arranged in each of the feet.

At a fixed end with respect to its longitudinal axis, the tab is firmly connected to the respective foot element, i.e. the first or second foot element, in that it is molded onto it, i.e., for example, it is manufactured in an injection molding process at the same time as the foot element or is subsequently installed. The other end of the tab with respect to its longitudinal axis is a free end.

The flap is elastically flexible about a bending axis, it can for example be designed in the shape of a tongue, ie essentially based on the shape of a plate, with two large sides or large surfaces which are connected to one another via narrow sides or narrow surfaces and where the large sides have a significantly larger area than have the narrow sides and the thickness - the distance between the large areas - are significantly smaller than the width and length. The tongue shape also allows deviations from the strict geometry of a plate, for example variable thicknesses or narrow sides that do not run parallel to each other.

The bending axis runs parallel to one of the narrow sides with which the tab is molded onto the corresponding first or second foot element. The distance between the two large sides must be dimensioned in such a way that elastic bending is possible perpendicular to the bending axis, i.e. the surfaces of the large areas can be curved by mechanical action - manually or with the help of a tool, so that the large sides have a cross-section perpendicular to the bending axis , so along their longitudinal axis, can be bent in a concave or convex elastic manner. The greater the distance between the two large areas, the more force has to be expended in order to elastically deform the tab, as described. The longer the narrow side of the tongue-shaped flap with which it is molded onto the corresponding foot element, the more stable the connection. However, it is also possible to make the narrow side with which the tab is formed on the first or second foot element so short that the tab can not only be elastically bent in the manner just described, but also perpendicular to it, around a second Bending axis that is perpendicular to the first bending axis and the longitudinal axis of the bracket. The tab can then have the shape of a column, for example. In addition, it is also possible to make the tab even closer to the tongue shape, with a stronger base with which it is molded onto the first or second foot element and a shape that tapers away from the base in one or both directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis so that it is flexible about one or two bending axes at least in an upper area closer to the free end.

At least one hook is formed on the free end of the tab. In the selected part of the feet on which the tab is molded on one of the two foot elements - this means that the tab is molded on all first or all second foot elements in this selected part - is in each case on the other of the two foot elements - this applies again to all of the second or all of the first foot elements in the selected part - a hook receptacle is formed which is complementary to the hook and which receives the hook. In this way, the two foot elements are at least positively connected to one another via the hook. The hook receptacle is complementary to the hook, i.e. it matches its shape, so that a correspondingly form-fitting connection can be established. The form fit prevents the runners from being pulled off the deck along the longitudinal axis of the flap, i.e. perpendicular to the top of the deck.

A positive connection in the other two directions, that is to say for movements in a plane parallel to the top surface or top surface, is preferably produced in that the feet have at least partially a double-walled structure on their outer circumference. The first foot elements then protrude from the underside of the deck and the second foot elements from the runner so far that they are pushed into one another when they are put together, which requires that one of the two foot elements has a smaller outer circumference than the other of the two foot elements, so that they can slide into one another to enable. On the one hand, the double-walled structure increases the stability against damage, for example by means of a forklift, on the other hand, the formation of a double-walled structure can also advantageously establish a non-positive connection between the deck and the runners along the normal to the top of the deck, i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flap. For this purpose, for example, the outer circumference of one foot element, which forms the inner part of the double-walled structure, is designed with a slight oversize compared to the inner diameter of the other foot element, which forms the outer part of the double-walled structure. However, the assembly is facilitated if on the outer circumference of the one foot element forming the inner part of the double-walled structure, ribs protruding from this circumference are formed and only the free edges of the ribs are overdimensioned. This can reduce the risk of the first and second foot elements jamming when they are pushed into one another.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one hook and the hook receptacle are each arranged in the middle of the feet, namely in plan view and / or from the side, ie hook and hook receptacle are located in rectangular feet approximately at the intersection of the diagonals of the rectangle in the Top view and / or halfway between the top of the deck and an underside of the runners. This ensures a high level of protection against sudden and shock-like external influences, for example from a forklift truck.

In addition to the form fit, the connection via the hook can also take place with a force fit, the force fit then taking place in directions that are parallel to the surface of the deck and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tab. The hook is then additionally fixed by frictional forces, which can be achieved, for example, by dimensioning the length of the tab so that the hook rests in the hook receptacle without play or under tensile stress.

However, this places high demands on the production in terms of the tolerance of the tool and the pallet. The tolerances are usually in a range between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, so that a backlash-free version cannot always be achieved. In order to prevent unintentional loosening of the connection between the deck and the runners or between the first and the second foot elements, in a preferred embodiment closure elements are formed on the hook receptacle which prevent the hook connection from loosening. The closure elements replace or complement the force-fit connection of the hook with the hook holder and prevent the hook from moving out of the hook holder in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flap, that is, in a plane parallel to the top of the cover. The closure elements can be designed, for example, so that they establish a positive connection of the hook with the hook receptacle in these directions in the plane parallel to the top of the deck, in addition to the positive connection in the direction of the longitudinal axis, which is essential to the deck with the To connect skids.

In order to facilitate the establishment of the connection between the first and second foot elements, a hook guide element is advantageously formed on the hook receptacle, which, when assembling the feet by moving the first and second foot elements towards each other along the longitudinal axis of the tab, makes the tab elastically and continuously stronger Rest position is designed deflecting. The rest position of the flap is that position in which no bending forces act on the flap, so it is usually aligned perpendicular and parallel to the normal direction of the top of the cover. The hook guide element now bends the tab elastically around the bending axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tab, the more the first and second foot elements approach their end positions when the pallet is assembled, i.e. the hook and hook holder move towards each other. Depending on the design of the hook and the hook receptacle, the hook can, for example, automatically snap into the hook receptacle at the end of this process, but this snapping can also be supported mechanically either manually or by a tool. If the parts of the pallet are assembled automatically during production, the use of an appropriate tool is preferable. It is in this In the case of a snap hook connection that is releasable again - that is, reversible - in contrast to a latching connection which is not releasable and has only one or more latching positions.

According to the invention, the at least one hook is designed as a widening of the tab along the bending axis and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. This enables greater flexibility in the formation of the hook; in particular, the extent along the bending axis can also influence how strong the at least form-fitting connection is: the longer the extent along the bending axis, the more the form-fitting connection is along the normal direction of the The top of the deck is resilient.

According to the invention, the hook holder is designed as a rail-shaped support perpendicular to the bending axis. On the top of the rail there is a support surface for the hook to match. The support surface or the rail has a longitudinal direction of the rail that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracket and the bending axis.

With a suitable design of the tab, it can be rotated about its longitudinal axis so that the hook can be guided past the free end of the tab on the rail-shaped support during assembly. As soon as the end position is reached, in which the two foot elements are put together, the hook is automatically rotated in the correct direction due to the torsional stress. In order to facilitate this process and the handling of the hook, the free end of the tab can also be provided with a grip element.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, which is particularly advantageous in conjunction with a hook guide element, the rail-shaped support has a free end. In this case, the hook at the free end of the flap does not have to be twisted, but it the bend in the tab is sufficient to guide the hook past the rail-shaped support into the end position.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, two hooks are formed on opposite sides along a direction parallel to the bending axis on the free end of the tab. Correspondingly, there are also two hook receptacles which are separated by a space. So it is a double hook and a double hook holder. The hooks can be connected by means of a grip element. The connection of the first and second foot elements and thus the individual parts of the pallet can be further strengthened in this way. The construction of the rail-shaped supports with a space therebetween also makes it possible to suppress a movement of the hook along the bending axis. In addition, the form-fitting connection is further strengthened along the normal direction of the top of the cover.

There are several possibilities to form closure elements on this hook holder, provided that these are to be used. In one embodiment, the closure elements comprise stop elements which are arranged on the free end of the rail-shaped supports and prevent the hook from being displaced beyond the free end. These are simple elevations, for example in a hemispherical shape or in a cuboid shape. Corresponding stop elements can also be arranged on the rail-shaped supports in the direction of their fixed ends - the fixed ends mean those ends of the rail-shaped supports with which the rail-shaped supports are formed on the corresponding foot element on which the hook receptacle is formed - and the The distance between these stop elements on a rail can be dimensioned such that the hook fits exactly between them, so that the hook is prevented from moving along the rail-shaped supports after the end position has been reached. But stop elements can also be formed at the free end of the rail-shaped support on the side thereof in the region of the tab and - when a double hook is formed, protrude into the gap, i.e. taper its opening.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of this embodiment of the hook receptacle, a hook guide element is formed thereon, which has a bevel on an underside of the hook receptacle facing the other foot element for deflecting the tab from a rest position during assembly. If the hook receptacle is formed, for example, on the first foot element, the slope is formed on the side of the hook receptacle that faces the second foot element. This is, for example, the underside of the rail-shaped support, the support surface forms the top of the rail-shaped support and the hook receptacle. The width of these bevels preferably corresponds to the width of the rail-shaped supports, so that the at least one hook is contacted by the slope in each case and the tab is deflected from its rest position. The slope may only enclose such an acute angle with the normal direction of the deck surface that does not prevent a deflection, but the angle should not be so acute that the distance along the normal direction over the length of which the deflection takes place becomes too long, here natural limits are set by the height of the feet.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment, an opening through which the hook is accessible from outside the foot element is formed on that of the two foot elements - that is, on each corresponding foot element in the selected part of the foot elements - on which the hook receptacle is formed. In this way you can - by hand or with the help of a tool - attack the hook directly when making or loosening the connection, which requires the least amount of force if you consider the bending axis as the starting point for a lever.

In a further preferred embodiment, the hook receptacle is formed on the first foot element and the tab is formed on the second foot element. An opening is then made in the deck so that the hook receptacle and the hook are readily accessible in the normal storage position of the pallet. Of course, it is also possible to integrate the hook receptacle into the second foot element and the tab for this into the first foot element.

It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the specified combinations but also in other combinations without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1

eine Explosionszeichnung eines Ausschnitts einer Palette mit zwei Fußelementen in perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig. 2a

den Ausschnitt aus Fig. 1 in einer Draufsicht,

Fig. 2b

einen Schnitt durch den in Fig. 1 gezeigten Ausschnitt und

Fig. 2c

eine vergrößerte Darstellung eines Bereichs aus Fig. 2a,

Fig. 3a-d

verschiedene Ansichten nur eines Deck-Ausschnitts mit einem ersten Fußelement,

Fig. 4a-c

einen Ausschnitt der Palette mit erstem und zweitem Fußelement in zusammengesetztem Zustand,

Fig. 5a-b

Ansichten der gesamten Palette,

Fig. 6

die Wirkung eines Hakenführungselements,

Fig. 7a-c

verschiedene Ausgestaltungen von Verschlusselementen im Ausschnitt und

Fig. 8a-c

entsprechende Schnitte solchermaßen verbundener Fußelemente.

The invention is explained in more detail below, for example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which also disclose features essential to the invention. Show it

Fig. 1

an exploded view of a section of a pallet with two foot elements in a perspective view,

Fig. 2a

the cutout Fig. 1 in a plan view,

Figure 2b

a section through the in Fig. 1 shown section and

Figure 2c

an enlarged view of a region Fig. 2a ,

Figures 3a-d

different views of only one deck section with a first foot element,

Figures 4a-c

a section of the pallet with the first and second foot element in the assembled state,

Figures 5a-b

Views of the entire range,

Fig. 6

the effect of a hook guide element,

Figures 7a-c

various designs of closure elements in the cutout and

Figures 8a-c

corresponding sections of foot elements connected in this way.

Detailed description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows first in an exploded drawing a section of a plastic pallet 1, which is composed of several parts, such a plastic pallet 1 is for example in Figure 5a shown in a plan view from above. The plastic pallet 1 comprises a deck 2 for storing objects to be transported, as well as feet, which comprise first foot elements 3 and second foot elements 4. The first foot elements 3 are integrally formed on a deck underside 5 of the deck 2, the second foot elements 4 are integrally formed on runners 6 which connect at least two feet to one another.

The plastic pallet 1 also includes connecting means for the reversible connection of first foot elements 3 and corresponding second foot elements 4 and thus the deck 2 with the runners 6. The connecting means are present in at least one selected part of the feet; in the example shown, the selected part consists of the feet from the corner feet 7 of the pallet, as in Figure 5b , which shows a section through the plastic pallet 1 along the in Figure 5a shown line BB perpendicular to the plane of the sheet. The runners 6 are designed here as real runners and not as a lattice structure, but this is also easily possible.

The connecting means comprise in at least one selected part of the feet - here in the corner feet 7 - a tab 8 which is integrally formed on one of the two foot elements 3, 4 and is elastically flexible about a bending axis K with a longitudinal axis L perpendicular to the bending axis K. The bending axis K and the longitudinal axis L are in Figure 2b marked, Fig. 2a shows a top view of the in Fig. 1 shown section of the exploded view from a plastic pallet 1, Figure 2b a section through the cutout along the line AA in Fig. 2a . Figure 2c shows the section labeled B in Fig. 2a in an enlarged view. The tab 8 is in Fig. 1 and in Figure 2b to recognize. The bending axis K is in Figure 2b and is perpendicular to the plane of the sheet. The longitudinal axis L lies in Figure 2b in the leaf level and in Fig. 2a she stands perpendicular to her.

In the example shown, the tab 8 is tongue-shaped or essentially plate-shaped. The tab 8 is at a fixed end with respect to the longitudinal axis L with the respective foot element - here connected to the second foot element 4 or molded onto it. At a free end with respect to its longitudinal axis L, at least one hook 9 is formed on the tab 8. In the present example, two hooks 9 are designed as widenings of the tab 8 along the bending axis K and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. They are formed on opposite sides along a direction parallel to the bending axis K. A grip element 10 on both sides of the free end of the flap 8 enables the flap 8 to be easily gripped with a tool or with the hands. The gripping surfaces 10 can be roughened for manual assembly.

Finally, the connecting means in the selected part of the feet - so here at the corner feet 7 - each have one on the other of the two foot elements - here the first foot element 3 - formed, complementary to the hook 9 - so matching - hook receptacle 11, which the Hook 9 receives, whereby the two foot elements 3, 4 are connected to one another at least in a form-fitting manner via the hook 9. Such a hook receptacle 11 is for example in Fig. 2a and in the enlarged section in Figure 2c in relation to the exploded view Fig. 1 shown. The hook receptacle 11 is designed as a rail-shaped support 12 perpendicular to the bending axis K. Rail-shaped means that the area on which the hook 9 rests on the rail-shaped support 12, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L and perpendicular to the bending axis K - that is, along the direction in which the tab 8 can be moved - has a greater longitudinal extent than the hook 9 is wide. For reasons of stability, the two rail-shaped supports 12 in the example are firmly connected on two sides in the viewing direction along the longitudinal axis L to the first foot element 3, which is molded onto the deck 2, ie molded onto it or formed thereon. The hook receptacle 11 is designed here as a rail-shaped support 12 perpendicular to the bending axis K and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L, it has a free end 13 via which the hook 9 can be brought into the form-fitting connection with the hook receptacle 11. Since two hooks 9 are formed in the example shown, two hook receptacles 11 are correspondingly required, which are separated from one another by an intermediate space 14 which is used to introduce the tab 9 into the hook receptacle 11. In this way, the stability of the form-fitting connection is increased.

Figures 3a-d show the first foot element 3 from different perspectives, without the second foot element 4. Fig. 3a shows a top view, Figure 3b shows the hook receptacle 11 again enlarged and in detail corresponding to the section B. Fig. 3a without a second foot element 4 with tab 8 arranged underneath. Figure 3c shows a section through the first foot element 3 along the line AA in FIG Fig. 3a . Fig. 3d finally shows the first foot element 3 from below. Fig. 4 show similar views, but with the foot elements 3, 4 assembled.

As in Fig. 1 As can be seen, the deck 2 has an opening 15 on its upper side, through which the hook 9 is accessible from outside the first foot element 3 in the inserted state. This makes it easier to make and break the connection. If the first foot element 3 and the second foot element 4 are put together, the feet formed from the two foot elements 3, 4 at least partially form a double-walled structure on their outer circumference. In the present case, the inner circumference of the first foot element 3 is smaller than the outer circumference of the second foot element 4, so the latter is at least partially enclosed by the first foot element 3 during assembly. This increases the stability against damage as well as the stability under load from above. To produce a force-fit connection between the first foot element 3 and the second foot element 4 - this generally includes all foot elements 3, 4 or feet - the second foot element 4 has ribs 16 on its outer circumference, and ribs 16 on the circumference of the second Foot element 4 protruding edges, the non-positive connection over the inner circumference of the first foot element 3 is made. In addition, the connection established via the hook 9 between the first foot element 3 and the corresponding second foot element 4 can also take place in a non-positive manner, specifically in the directions parallel to the deck surface.

In this case, closure elements are preferably formed on the hook receptacle 11, which prevent unintentional loosening of the connection between the first foot element 3 and the second foot element 4. These closure elements can be designed in various ways. An example is in Figure 3b shown, here the closure elements comprise stop elements 17, which are formed at the free end 13 of the rail-shaped supports 12 on their sides in the area where the tab 8 is located in the connected state. The tab 8 can be pressed past the stop elements 17 into the space 14, the rounded edges serve to facilitate introduction. The tab 8 is wider, at least in this area, than the distance between the two stop elements 17 in the plane of the sheet. The tab 8 can therefore only be introduced into the intermediate space 14 with a certain expenditure of force, which can be applied by hand or with a tool. Figures 4a-c show the two foot elements 3, 4 in the connected state, in Figure 4c If the tab 8 and with it the hooks 9 are shown inserted into the opening 14 and thus into the hook receptacles 11, the tab 8 is so wide that it cannot be easily removed from the space 14.

In another embodiment of the closure elements, which can be easily combined with the one just described, the closure elements comprise stop elements 18 which are arranged on the free end 13 of the rail-shaped supports 12 and prevent the hook 9 from being displaced beyond the free end 13 , as well as the stop elements 17 described above. Such stop elements 18 are shown in FIG Figure 7b shown, whereas Figure 7a shows the stop elements 17 again. Figure 7c shows a combination of the two types of stop elements 17 and 18. Die Figures 8a-c show the sections CC as they are in Figures 7a-c are each marked. While the stop elements 17 attack the tab 8 and prevent its movement by engaging in the space in which the tabs 8 move, specifically here directly below the hook 9, the stop elements 18 prevent the connection from being released by they prevent the grip element 10, on the underside of which the hooks 9 are formed, from sliding out of the space 14. The in Figure 7b and 7c Such stop elements 18 can also be arranged on the other side of the grip element 10 in order to minimize the play of the tab 8 perpendicular to the bending axis K and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L.

Finally, a hook guide element 19 is formed on the hook receptacle 11, which here has a bevel 20 or is designed as a bevel 20 for deflecting the tab 8 from a rest position during assembly, this is for example in FIG Figure 3c clearly visible. In the example, it is arranged on an underside of the hook receptacle 11 facing the other foot element. As a result, when the feet are assembled, the tab 8 is deflected elastically and continuously more strongly from a rest position towards one another by moving the first and second foot elements 3, 4 along the longitudinal axis L of the tab 8. The rest position of the tab 8 is, for example, in Figure 2b shown, the longitudinal axis L extends there parallel to the normal surface of the deck 2.

The effect of the hook guide element 19 with the bevel 20 is shown in FIG Fig. 6 shown. The movement of the first foot element 3 and the second foot element 4 towards one another takes place along the lowermost arrow pointing straight up. The tab 8 in the rest position also initially only moves in this direction. If, however, the grip element 10 of the flap 8 hits the slope 20, the flap 8 is elastically deflected from its rest position, the free end of the flap 8 on the grip element 10 follows the arrow drawn obliquely to the top left, while the two foot elements 3, 4 continue be moved towards each other in the previously indicated direction. Once the first foot element 3 and the second foot element 4 have reached their end positions, the tab 8 or the hooks 9 on the grip element 10 must be pressed with force over the stop elements - here stop elements 18 - this is symbolized by the top, horizontal arrow. Once this has taken place, the positive connection between the first foot element 3 and the second foot element 4 and thus between the deck 2 and the runners 6 is established.

If one or more of the runners 6 are damaged when the pallet is used, the entire pallet no longer has to be disposed of, but the runners 6 concerned can be detached from the deck 2 and replaced without great mechanical effort. Due to its construction, the connection is released in the event of a fall from a height of approx. 2m and more - which corresponds to typical situations in which pallets are damaged - usually at least partially by itself due to the vibration, so that the effort to change is even less. For the user of such a multi-part plastic pallet, this is more cost-effective than replacing the entire pallet with a new one, and this concept also helps to reduce the amount of waste.

List of reference symbols

1

Plastic pallet

2

deck

3

first foot element

4th

second foot element

5

Deck underside

6th

Skid

7th

Corner foot

8th

Tab

9

hook

10

Handle element

11

Hook mount

12th

rail-shaped support

13th

free end

14th

Space

15th

opening

16

rib

17th

Stop element

18th

Stop element

19th

Hook guide element

20th

Slant

K

Bending axis

L.

Longitudinal axis

Claims (12)

1. A plastic pallet (1) composed of several parts, comprising:

   a deck (2) for storing objects to be transported,

   feet comprising first foot members (3) and second foot members (4), the first foot members (3) being formed at a deck underside (5) and the second foot members (4) being formed on runners (6) connecting at least two feet with each other, and

   connecting means for connecting first foot elements (3) to corresponding second foot elements (4) and thus the deck (2) to the runners (6), wherein

   the connecting means are reversible and comprise, in at least a selected part of the feet, a respective tab (8) formed on one of the two foot elements (3, 4) and elastically bendable about a bending axis (K), with a longitudinal axis (L) perpendicular to the bending axis (K),

   wherein the tab (8) is connected at a fixed end with respect to its longitudinal axis (L) to the respective foot element (3, 4) and at least one hook (9) is formed at a free end with respect to its longitudinal axis, and wherein

   the connecting means in the selected part of the feet each comprise a hook receptacle (11) formed at the other one of the two foot elements (4, 3) and being complementary to the hook (9) which receives the hook (9), whereby the two foot elements (3, 4) are connected at least positively by means of the hook (9), characterized in that the hook (9) is formed as an extension of the tab (8) along the bending axis (K) and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L), and in that the hook receptacle (11) is configured as a rail-shaped support (12) which has a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tab (8) and to the bending axis (K).
2. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that locking elements are formed at the hook receptacle preventing unintentional release of the connection.
3. The plastic pallet (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a hook guiding element (19) is formed at the hook receptacle (11) and is configured to continue to increasingly deflect the tab (8) resiliently from a rest position when the feet are assembled by moving the first and second foot elements (3, 4) towards each other along the longitudinal axis (L) of the tab (8).
4. The plastic pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first foot elements (3) are provided in a friction joint with the corresponding second foot elements (4).
5. The plastic pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that there is a respective additional friction joint between the first foot element (3) and the corresponding second foot element (4) via a hook (9).
6. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the rail-shaped support (12) has a free end (13).
7. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that two hooks (9) are formed at the free end of the tab (8) on opposite sides along a direction parallel to the bending axis (K) and two corresponding hook receptacles (11) are provided separated by a gap (14).
8. The plastic pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that closing elements are formed at the hook receptacle (11), which comprise stop elements (17, 18) arranged at the free end (13) of the rail-shaped supports (12) on top thereof and prevent displacement of the hook (9) beyond the free end (13) of the rail-shaped supports (12) and/or which are arranged at the free end (13) of the rail-shaped supports (12) at the sides thereof in the region of the tab (8).
9. The plastic pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a hook guiding element (19) is formed at the hook receptacle (11) which is provided with a slope at an underside of the hook receptacle (11) facing the respective other foot element below the rail-shaped support (12) for deflecting the tab (8) from a rest position during assembly.
10. The plastic pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that an opening (15) is formed at the one of the two foot elements (3, 4) at which the hook receptacle (11) is formed, through which the hook (9) is accessible from outside the respective foot element (3, 4).
11. The plastic pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the hook receptacle (11) is formed in the first foot element (3) and the tab (8) is formed at the second foot element (4).
12. The plastic pallet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the feet include at least partially a double-walled structure on their outer circumference.

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