Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
STACKABLE PALLET SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Patent Application claims priority to and the benefit of
Provisional U.S. Patent
Application Serial No. 62/432,257 filed on December 9, 2016, which is
incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety
BACKGROUND
[0002] A pallet is commonly used in various industries for transporting and
storing a load
and for providing structure to the load so that the load may be lifted by a
forklift. A pallet may
be made of wood, plastic, or metal, for example, and act as a structural
foundation for a load. In
particular, a pallet provides strength in its structure for the purpose of
standing strong and
providing the necessary support and structure, not only to keep the load off
and above ground,
but also to withstand the stress that may be caused underneath, for example,
by the forks of a
forklift.
[0003] In one particular application, as illustrated by the example of a
commonly used
stackable pallet system 100 in Figure 1, a known pallet 102 may be used with a
load 103, which
may include including one or more drums or barrels, or stacks of the same. The
known pallets
102 may be used to facilitate shipment and storage of a load 103 that is a
stack of multiple
articles or containers on top of one another, as illustrated, where a first
level of drums 104 is
separated from a second level of drums 106 by an identical pallet 102. The
known pallets 102
may be rigid in order to provide structure to the stackable pallet system 100.
[0004] The known pallets 102, however, may be bulky and heavy which may add
extra
weight to the load 103. In addition, known pallets 102 may take up significant
space, in the
vertical or horizontal dimensions. Specifically, on a known pallet 102, the
distance between the
bottom of the drum 104 and a floor 110 (or the distance between the drum 106
and the next drum
106 below) is equal to the full height of the pallet 102. Accordingly,
stacking loads 103 having
multiple levels of drums 104,106 may not be possible because the load 103 may
be too tall for a
particular transport truck or receiving warehouse. For example, the vertical
dimension of three
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(3) or more levels of drums secured via the known pallets 102 may be too tall
for a particular
warehouse.
[0005] In addition, the known pallets 102 that are made of wood often
require special
treatment before being exported or imported in order to avoid potential
disease transmission.
Also, known pallets 102 made from wood are expensive to purchase and maintain,
and are
susceptible to fracture which necessitates costly replacement. Moreover, the
known pallet 102
may have a smooth load surface 112 that allows the load 103 to slide side to
side when the pallet
102 is shifted, unless the known pallet 102 includes some form of surface
finish or restraint to
prevent shifting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] In the accompanying drawings, structures are illustrated that,
together with the
detailed description provided below, describe exemplary embodiments of the
claimed invention
and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. Like elements are
identified with the same
reference numerals. It should be understood that elements shown as a single
component may be
replaced with multiple components, and elements shown as multiple components
may be
replaced with a single component. The drawings are not to scale and the
proportion of certain
elements may be exaggerated for the purpose of illustration. The subject
matter disclosed is
capable of considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and
equivalents in form and
function, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
[0007] Figure 1 illustrates an example known stackable pallet system.
[0008] Figure 2 illustrates an example pallet stacking system.
[0009] Figure 3 illustrates an example base pallet of Figure 2.
[0010] Figure 4 illustrates an example base pallet of Figure 2.
[0011] Figures 5A - 5B illustrates an example divider of Figure 2.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The present disclosure is related to pallets and, more particularly,
to stackable pallet
systems having a reduced size as compared to conventional pallet systems.
[0013] Figure 2 illustrates an example pallet stacking system 200 for
storing and transporting
a load according to one or more embodiments. As illustrated, the pallet
stacking system 200 may
include a base pallet 202 and one or more dividers 204 to stack a load that,
in the illustrated
embodiment, is a plurality of lower barrels or drums 206 and a plurality of
upper barrels or
drums 208 arranged thereon. In other embodiments, the pallet stacking system
200 is arranged
to stack and secure other loads, including but not limited to boxes, buckets,
containers, kegs, etc.,
any of which may have any number of geometries. However, while the pallet
stacking system
200 may be utilized to store and secure a variety of different types of
articles, it is hereinafter
described with reference to the drums 206, 208. It will be appreciated that,
while various types
of material-handling equipment may be utilized with the pallet stacking system
200, the pallet
stacking system 200 is hereinafter described in use with a forklift.
[0014] The pallet stacking system 200 utilizes the rigidity of the drums
206, 208 in order to
provide a multiple-level load stacking system that minimizes a total height H
of the stack or load
(e.g., the stacked drums 206, 208) from the floor or other underlying support
surface, and also
prevents horizontal displacement of the load. Here, the stack or load includes
a stack of two
layers of drums (i.e., the drums 206, 208); however, the stack or load may
instead comprise more
than two (2) layers of drums (i.e., the drums 206, 208 plus a third row on top
of the drums 208)
or a single layer of drums (i.e., the drums 206). Thus, it will be appreciated
that the total height
H of the stack or load may be larger or smaller than that illustrated in
Figure 2 depending on
whether the stack or load includes more or less than the drums 206, 208,
respectively. In
particular, the pallet stacking system 200 uses the rigidity of the drums 206,
208 to provide a
structure to overall stacking system 200. Thus, stacking multiple rigid
pallets 102 in between
two (2) or more levels of the drums 104, 106 to form the known pallet system
100 described in
Figure 1 is not necessary to organize the plurality of drums 104, 106 in a
space-efficient manner.
Rather, the lightweight pallet stacking system 200 may be utilized to enable
efficient stacking of
three (3) or more levels of drums 204, 206 as hereinafter described.
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[0015] Figure 3 is a top view of an example of the base pallet 202 of the
pallet stacking
system 200, according to one or more embodiments. In the illustrated
embodiment, the base
plate 202 has a top side 203T that receives the drum 206 as described below,
as well as a bottom
side 203B that may lay on a floor or other underlying support surface during
use. As illustrated,
the top side 203T of the base pallet 202 includes at least one (1) round
pocket or recess 210 that
is sized to receive a bottom end face 206B of the drum 206 so that the drum
206 fits securely into
the recess 210 and nests inside the base pallet 202. The nesting of the drum
206 inside the base
pallet 202 helps prevent the drum 206 from horizontal movement, meaning the
drum 206 is less
likely to shift or slide when being transported or stored on warehouse floors
that are not level.
This further helps prevent the drums 206 from bumping into or rubbing into
each other during
transport, thereby preventing or reducing potential cargo damage. In some
embodiments, several
recesses 210 are provided that are each sized to fit drums 206 having
differently sized end faces
206B. Also, the recesses 210 may be provided to fit the exact circumference of
the drum 206
end face, or sized larger than the bottom end face 206B of the drum 206 so
that it may be utilized
with various sized drums 206.
[0016] The recesses 210 are also illustrated in Figure 4, which is a bottom
view of the base
pallet 202 according to one (1) or more embodiments. As illustrated, the base
pallet 202 includes
four (4) recesses 210 that extend from the top side 203T into the bottom side
203B. However, it
should be appreciated that, although the example base pallet 202 is
illustrated to include four (4)
recesses 210 for receiving four (4) drums 206, the base plate 202 may include
any suitable
number of recesses 210 for receiving any suitable number of drums 206. It
should be further
appreciated that although the example base pallet 202 is illustrated to
include recesses 210 that
are round in shape, the pockets 210 may be of any suitable shape for receiving
other cargo of
different shapes and sizes. For example, the recesses 210 may be square for
receiving one (1) or
more rectangular shaped boxes.
[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, the base pallet 202 further includes
one (1) or more
elongated base legs 212 extending along the bottom side 203B. The elongated
base legs 212
form a gap or separation 214 between the floor and a main body 202B of the
base pallet 202, and
this gap 214 creates a clearance between the base pallet 202 and the floor.
The gap 214 includes
a gap ceiling 214C that rests upon the forklift forks during use and,
therefore, the gap 214
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provides room for a forklift to slide under the base pallet 202, such that its
forks may be raised
into contact with the gap ceiling 214C in order to lift and transport the base
pallet 202 along with
any drums 206 received on the top side 203T of the base pallet 202. Where two
(2) or more
elongated base legs 212 are provided, one (1) or more channels 215 are formed
there-between,
within which one (1) or more forks of a forklift may be inserted. In such
embodiments, the
channels 215 are defined by the floor, the elongated base legs 212, and the
gap ceiling 214C
there-between.
100181 In addition to the recesses 210, the base pallet 202 may further
include one (1) or
more elongated pockets 216 on the top side 203T and, in some embodiments, the
one (1) or more
elongated pockets 216 each correspond in size and/or position to the elongated
legs 212 on the
bottom side 203B. In the illustrated embodiment, the elongated pockets 216 are
sized and
shaped such that when a second base pallet 202 (not illustrated) is aligned on
top of the first base
pallet 202, the elongated legs 212 on the bottom side of the second base
pallet 202 align with and
nest inside of the elongated pockets 216 on the top side 203T of the first
base pallet 202. Thus,
the base pallets 202 may be stacked and nested when not in use in order to
conserve space, for
example, when the base pallets 202 are being transported from the manufacturer
to the
warehouse end-user.
100191 It should be appreciated that the height of the base pallet 202 is
minimized, which in
turn reduces the overall height of the loads stacked thereon. For example, the
height of the
elongated legs 212 may be minimized to a height just slightly above the height
necessary for a
forklift's forks to fit inside the gap 214 under the pallet 202. For example,
if the forks of a
forklift lower to a height of two (2) inches above the floor, then the gap 214
may extend to a
height of three (3) inches or two and one-half (2.5) inches above the floor.
In addition, the
height of the body 202B of the base pallet 202 that separates the drum 206
from the forks of the
forklift and forms the bottom of the recesses 210 may be minimized, for
example, to a thin sheet,
which further minimizes the total height H of the load or stack. In some
embodiments, the
height or thickness of the body 202B as measured from a base 210B of the
recesses 210 the gap
ceiling 214C of the gap 214 may be minimized, for example, to form thin trays.
Thus, the
combination of the minimized base pallet 202 height in combination with the
ability to nest the
drums 206 inside the base pallet 202 results in a reduced overall height h of
the drum 206
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stacked on top of the base pallet 202 since the distance between the bottom
end face 206B of the
drum 206 and the floor is less than the full height of the base pallet 202.
[0020] In some embodiments, the pallet stacking system 200 includes a
divider 204 that
facilitates secure and sturdy stacking of a second layer or stack of drums on
top of the first layer
or stack of drums, while still minimizing the total height H of the load. As
illustrated in Figure
2, the divider 204 may be interposed between the drums 206,208 and utilized to
facilitate
stacking of the second drum 208 on top of the first drum 206 while still
minimizing the overall
height H of the stacked drums 206 and 208 as hereinafter described. Because
the forklift will
raise the upper drum 208 on a second level simultaneously with the lower drum
206 on a lower
level, the upper drum 208 doesn't require room underneath it for the forklift
forks to slide or be
positioned. Therefore, the divider 204 may be provided with a minimum height
or thickness and
need not include elongated legs 212 to form a gap 214, as described above with
respect to the
base pallet 202. In the illustrated embodiment, the divider 204 is arranged to
rest in-between the
bottom drum 206 and the top drum 208 without creating any gap in-between that
is sufficient to
receive a forklift fork. It will be appreciated that using the divider 204
that is slim and has a
minimal thickness, rather than a second base pallet 202, to separate levels of
drums further aids
in reducing the total height H of the load.
[0021] Figures 5A-5B illustrate the divider 204 utilized in figure 2,
according to one or more
embodiments. In one example, the divider 204 has a bottom side 302 and a top
side 304, and
includes a recess or pocket 306 on the top side 302 for receiving a bottom end
face 208B of the
drum 208, similar to the recess 210 on the top side 203T of the base pallet
202. As with the base
pallet 202, the pocket 306 on the top side 304 of the divider 204 allows for
the drum 208 to nest
inside the divider 204. The nesting of the drum 208 inside the divider 204
helps prevent the drum
208 from horizontal movement. In some embodiments, the pocket 306 on the top
side 304 of the
divider 204 is circular and sized to receive the bottom end face 208B of the
drum 208 in a close
or tight fitting fashion. It will be appreciated, however, that in other
embodiments the pocket
306 on the top side 304 of the divider 204 may have different geometries and
sizes as detailed
above with respect to the recesses 210.
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[0022] In this example, the divider 204 may further include a bulge 218 at
the bottom side
302 of the divider 204 that is arranged to nest into or within a top side 206T
the drum 206. The
nesting of the divider 204 into the top side of a drum 206 further helps
prevent the drums 206
and 208 from lateral movement. In addition, the bulge 218 at the bottom side
302 of the divider
204 is further configured to nest into the top side pocket of a second divider
204. Thus, multiple
dividers 204 may be stacked and nested when not in use to conserve space.
Here, the bulge 218
is a round protrusion or structure extending down from the bottom side 302 of
the divider 204.
In other non-illustrated embodiments, the divider 204 includes, in addition to
or in lieu of the
bulge 218, a ring or sleeve that extends down from the bottom side 302 of the
divider 204 and
receives an outer periphery or circumference of the top side 206T such that
the drum 206 nests
within the divider 204. In embodiments where the ring or sleeve is provided in
addition to the
bulge 218, the ring or sleeve may be provided coaxial with the bulge 218. It
will be appreciated
that, the ring or sleeve (within which the top side 206T of the drum 206
nests) will have a larger
diameter than the top side 206T and, moreover, that this ring or sleeve may
have various sizes
and geometries depending on the application, as detailed above.
[0023] Also in this embodiment, the divider 204 includes a plurality of
corner support
structures 308 arranged at the corners of the divider 204. The corner support
structures 308
provide corner support to the upper drums 208 stacked within the recess 306 of
the divider 204.
While four (4) such corner support structures 308 are illustrated, it will be
appreciated that more
or less may be provided in various symmetrical or non-symmetrical arrangements
depending on
the type of load secured above and below the divider 204. Also in the
illustrated embodiment, a
plurality of perimeter portions 310 are arranged between the corner support
structures 308 and,
in at least some embodiments, they are serrated with a plurality of ridges
312.
[0024] It should be appreciated that although the pallet stacking system
200 is illustrated as
being used for stacking two (2) levels of drums, multiple levels of drums may
be stacked using
the pallet stacking system 200. For example, the pallet stacking system 200
may be used to stack
three (3) or more levels of drums. As a result of the reduced overall height H
of the stack of
drums using the pallet stacking system 200, the height of a three (3) level
drum stack may be
utilized to the extent it meets the cargo height size constraints of
particular receiving warehouse
and/or truck.
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[0025] The base pallet 202 and the divider 204 may be manufactured from any
number of
materials. In one example, the base pallet 202 and the divider 204 are made of
either plastic or a
composite material. In even other embodiments, the base pallet 202 and the
divider 204 are
manufactured from a light-weight metal such as aluminum or titanium. It should
be further
appreciated that both the base pallet 202 and the divider 204 toned not be
manufactured from the
same material. For example, the base pallet 202 may include a first material
while the divider
204 may include a second material that is different from the first material.
[0026] In other unillustrated embodiments, the base pallet 202 is provided
without the
elongated base legs 212 so that the base pallet 202 may lie flat on the floor,
for example, of a
truck. In some of these embodiments, the base pallet 202 is provided with two
(2) recesses 210,
whereas in other embodiments the base pallet 202 is provided with four (4)
recesses 210;
however, it will be appreciated that other numbers of recesses 210 may be
utilized. In these
embodiments, the base pallet 202 may be positioned on the floor of a truck and
the drums 206
may be locked within the recesses 210 therein. In addition, dividers 204
having a corresponding
number of recesses 306 may be disposed on top of such base pallets 202 to both
secure the lower
drums 206 and facilitate loading of a second level of drums 208. Moreover, a
second divider 204
may be disposed on top of the second level of drums 208, and such second
divider 204 will both
secure the second level of drums 208 and facilitate loading of a third row of
drums on top of the
second level of drums 208. Further, the base pallet 202 without the elongated
base legs 212 may
be placed on top of the upper most level of drums (e.g., the third row of
drums) and utilized as a
cap to secure the level of drums beneath it (e.g., the third row of drums). In
embodiments
utilizing just two levels of drums 206,208, the base pallet 202 without the
elongated base legs
212 will be positioned on top of the upper drums 208, whereas when it's
utilized with four (4) or
more levels of drums, it will be placed on top of the upper most level of
drums. Also, a dampener
(not illustrated) such as a piece of foam may be positioned on top of the base
pallet 202 without
the elongated base legs 212 that is being utilized as a cap, thereby bracing
the stack of drums, for
example, against the ceiling of a truck. In one embodiment, a piece of dense
foam is utilized as
the dampener; however, other materials may be utilized to brace the levels. As
will be
appreciated, the above example keeps the drums from shifting during transit,
thereby preventing
freight damage.
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100271 To the extent that the term "includes" or "including" is used in the
specification or the
claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term
"comprising" as that term is
interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to
the extent that the
term "or" is employed (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean "A or B or both."
When the applicants
intend to indicate "only A or B but not both" then the term "only A or B but
not both" will be
employed. Thus, use of the term "or" herein is the inclusive, and not the
exclusive use. See,
Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (2d. Ed. 1995). Also,
to the extent
that the terms "in" or "into" are used in the specification or the claims, it
is intended to
additionally mean "on" or "onto." Furthermore, to the extent the term
"connect" is used in the
specification or claims, it is intended to mean not only "directly connected
to," but also
"indirectly connected to" such as connected through another component or
components.
[0028] While the present application has been illustrated by the
description of embodiments
thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail,
it is not the
intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the
appended claims to such
detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those
skilled in the art.
Therefore, the application, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the
specific details, the
representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and
described.
Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from
the spirit or
scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
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