FR2814441A1 - PLASTIC HANDLING PALLET - Google Patents

Abstract

The pallet (1), consisting of a rectangular top panel (2) measuring e.g. 1200 x 800 mm, blocks or feet (3) and sole strips (4), has the panel and sole strips made from a moulded plastic with a honeycomb structure. The structure is in the form of square or round cores (5) linked by oblique arms (6) at 45 degrees to the panel's lengthwise and transverse axes.

Description

The present invention relates to a material handling pallet

  plastic, such a pallet comprising, in a generally known manner, a rectangular upper plate and feet or studs projecting

under the tray.

  Handling pallets are traditionally made of wood. Plastic handling pallets are also known,

  generally obtained by molding.

  As examples of plastic handling pallets, the embodiments known according to French patents N 2070367, N 2172412 and N 2259023, or also according to international patent application WO 96/24529 or the patent can be cited here.

US N 5341748.

  In order to achieve a realization if possible light, and allowing the evacuation of water or other liquids, the plastic handling pallets have, most often, a perforated tray. The openings in the tray may have the form of elongated slots, as shown in some of the aforementioned documents (French patent N 2070367, US patent N 5341748). These slots can be oriented either all in one direction, therefore parallel to each other, or in two perpendicular directions. According to other previous proposals, the plastic pallet trays have square or rectangular openings, forming a grid or a grid (see French patent

  N 2259023 and application WO 96/24529 cited above).

  The choice of such openings, of very simple geometric shapes, does not make it possible to optimize the plastic handling pallets. In particular, there remain points in which focus

  mechanical stresses, which thus favor the initiation of ruptures.

  To avoid these risks, and therefore to increase the resistance of such pallets, their weight must be increased, which goes against the desired objective, and often makes it necessary for two people to handle these pallets, and in particular to lift them, even if these

pallets are not loaded.

  It should also be considered that any pallet of handling must resist not only the weight of the load posed on its plate, but also with the lateral shocks and the stresses of the forks of

  lifting devices used for their handling.

  The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the current plastic handling pallets, by providing an optimized pallet, of a particularly suitable and resistant structure,

  allowing significant relief for such a pallet.

  To this end, the invention essentially relates to a plastic handling pallet, of the type including those comprising a rectangular upper plate and feet or studs projecting under the plate, this plate having an openwork structure, this pallet being characterized by the fact that its tray has an openwork structure of the

like "honeycomb".

  According to a preferred embodiment of the handling pallet which is the subject of the invention, the structure of the "honeycomb" type results from nodes in the shape of a closed geometric figure, with central opening, which are staggered and are connected between them by partitions or oblique arms, delimiting with the knots of other openings

  larger in octagonal or substantially octagonal shape.

  In a particular embodiment, the nodes of the "honeycomb" type structure have a square shape or substantially

  square, the oblique arms joining the angles of these nodes.

  According to a variant, the nodes of the structure of the genus "nest

  bees "have a circular or substantially circular shape.

  Thanks to the use of such structures of the "honeycomb" type, comprising particular nodes allowing the transmission and the distribution of forces, the stresses and the resulting disadvantages are avoided. The mesh, produced by the "honeycomb" type structure, is strong enough to hold the pallet, with respect for European standards, and it also provides maximum lightening of the pallet, allowing it to be lifted and manipulated by one person. In addition, this mesh is thin enough to allow the storage of small objects and small

  parts on the pallet, ensuring their support and avoiding their sliding.

  The invention is applicable to different types of handling pallets: single-use pallets or reusable pallets, pallets stackable or not, pallets with single feet or studs, or pallets with soles, etc. .., these pallets can be naturally of any format, in

  particular of standardized dimensions.

  In the case of a pallet with soles, more particularly a pallet whose feet, arranged in rows, are interconnected at their base by elongated soles, it is advantageously provided, according to the present invention, that the soles also have a structure of the “honeycomb” type, similar to that of the upper plate, in particular in the intermediate parts of these soles, that is to say their parts located between the feet. It is thus guaranteed that, in the case of a pallet with soles, resistance and reactions are obtained

  homogeneous, at the level of the plate and at the level of the soles.

  In any case, the invention will be better understood using the

  description which follows, with reference to the attached schematic drawing

  representing, by way of example, an embodiment of this plastic handling pallet: Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a pallet according to the present invention, with partial representation of its structures of the "honeycomb" type; Figure 2 is a plan view from above of the pallet of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of this pallet Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the same pallet, along IV-IV of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of this pallet, made at mid-height along V-V of Figure 3; Figure 6 shows, on an enlarged scale, a detail of the structure of the

  like "honeycomb" from this palette.

  The example illustrated in the drawing relates to a plastic handling pallet, generally designated by the reference 1, which comprises a perforated upper plate 2 of rectangular shape, under which project nine feet 3, of hollow configuration, divided into three parallel rows of three feet 3. More particularly, in this example, the three feet 3 of each row are interconnected, at

  their base, by a longitudinal sole 4.

  The tray 2 has a structure of the "honeycomb" type,

  partially visible in FIG. 1 and completely visible in FIG. 2.

  Insofar as the pallet 1 considered is provided with soles 4, each sole 4 also has a structure of the "honeycomb" type. The structure of the "honeycomb" type consists of vertical partitions 5 and 6, which meet at points of convergence 7 and which delimit openings 8 and 9 repeating, in a regular geometric pattern, in the longitudinal directions and transverse of

palette 1.

  The partitions 5 extend in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the pallet 1, being arranged in squares, so as to delimit the openings 8 themselves of generally square shape, and of relatively small dimension, the side of these openings square being designated by A (see detail in Figure 6). Each configuration constituted by four partitions 5, delimiting a square opening 8, is designated

  as "knot" and indicated by reference 10.

  The multiple nodes 10, thus formed, are distributed in staggered rows, in particular over the extent of the plate 2, and they are interconnected by the other partitions 6. These partitions 6 are oriented in oblique directions, at 45 relative to the directions longitudinal and transverse of the pallet 1. Each oblique partition 6 connects an angle of a node 10, that is to say the point of convergence 7 of two partitions 5, to a

angle of a neighboring node 10.

  Thus, the combination of partitions 5 and 6 delimits the other openings 9, of octagonal shape, each opening 9 having four sides formed by the partitions 5, and four other sides formed by the

  four oblique partitions 6, which are inserted between the first partitions 5.

  According to the length B of the oblique partitions 6, the openings 9 have the form

regular or non-regular octagons.

  The structure of the “honeycomb” type of the soles 4 is similar to that of the plate 2, however more limited in its extent, since it only exists on the intermediate parts of the soles 4,

located between the feet 3.

  The oblique partitions 6 form arms which converge towards the nodes 10 of the “honeycomb” type structure, so that the pallet 1 is particularly resistant to tensile and bending forces, thus

than crushing and impact.

  This pallet 1 can be produced, by molding, from an appropriate mixture of polyolefins, for example a mixture of

  polypropylene and polyethylene.

  Such a pallet 1 is particularly light. For example, for a pallet of dimensions equal to 1200 x 800 mm, the weight can be reduced to ten kilograms, or even less, while the usual weight of a plastic pallet, of the same dimensions, is

around 25 kg.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the only embodiment of this plastic handling pallet which has been described above, by way of example; on the contrary, it embraces all the variants respecting the same principle. In particular, we would not depart from the scope of the invention: - by modifying the detail of the shapes of the structure of the "honeycomb" type, in particular by making the nodes 10 with a rather circular than square shape ,; - by adapting the invention to pallets of more or less large dimensions, comprising more or less numerous feet; - by applying this invention to pallets devoid of soles and stackable, in which case, of course, the structure of the "honeycomb" type will only concern the plate of the pallet; - more generally, by applying the invention to all handling products with tray or floor, similar to pallets, for example pallet boxes; - by making pallets, or the like, in any material

suitable plastic.

Claims (4)

  1 - Handling pallet (1) made of plastic, comprising a rectangular upper plate (2) and feet or studs (3) protruding under the plate (2), this plate (2) having an openwork structure, characterized in that that the tray (2) of this pallet (1) has   an openwork structure of the "honeycomb" type (5 to 10).   2 - Handling pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure of the "honeycomb" type results from nodes (10) in the form of a closed geometric figure, with central opening (8), which are staggered and are interconnected by oblique partitions or arms (6), delimiting with the nodes (10) other larger openings (9), of octagonal or substantially octagonal shape. 3 - Pallet handling according to claim 2, characterized in that the nodes (10) of the structure of the genus "honeycomb" have a square or substantially square shape, the arms   obliques (6) connecting to the angles of these nodes (10).   4 - Pallet handling according to claim 2, characterized in that the nodes (10) of the structure of the kind "nest   bees "have a circular or substantially circular shape.   - Handling pallet according to any one of   Claims 2 to 4, in which the feet (3), arranged in rows, are   connected together at their base by elongated soles (4), characterized in that the soles (4) also have a structure of the "honeycomb" type, similar to that of the plate (2), in particular in the parts   intermediaries of these soles (4), located between the feet (3).