[0001] The present invention concerns a pallet formed of two identical plastic material
half pallet members to be assembled to each other in a face to face relationship by
interlocking snap-fit latches.
[0002] It is also related to a method for assembling and disassembling such pallet.
[0003] The invention is more particularly but not exclusively related to the domain of wine
transport and/or the transport of bottle crates for breweries.
[0004] It is known pallets formed from an upper and a lower elements or decks preferably
of identical construction so that both elements can be formed in a single mold, and
in which two such identical elements can be assembled to each other in a face to face
relationship.
[0006] Such pallet allows cheaper moulds because the pallet having two symmetrical parts,
such parts are manufactured with the same mould, therefore less heavy and less expensive.
[0007] Furthermore because the two separate parts are smaller than a complete pallet, it
is possible to use an injection machine with a smaller clamping force.
[0008] However in order to be sufficiently solid such pallets involve connecting parts between
the two halves which should be strong enough to avoid disconnection and to warranty
that such connection will be reliable.
[0009] This is the reason why the prior art had generally proposed separate connectors between
each decks i.e. the upper deck and the lower deck allowing good connection and reliable
one.
[0010] Other types of two parts pallets are connected to each other sufficiently strongly
to avoid disconnection but then in a way that the pallet becomes integral and non-disconnectable.
[0011] It is a main object of the present invention to provide an improved pallet formed
of two identical halves and a method to assemble and disassemble such pallet in a
way that the two separate parts are easily separable or disconnectable.
[0012] This authorizes a possibility to change parts of the pallet without changing the
whole pallet, for example in case only half of the pallet is damaged.
[0013] Therefore the entire pallet does not become obsolete.
[0014] Of course as one half of the pallet is older and/or with a different history than
the other one, to connect them between each other, involves a very good reliability
and standardization of the connection.
[0015] In other words the connecting parts of the oldest element should not be deformed
due to its previcus use otherwise it will not be possible to reconnect it with another
one for example a new one.
[0016] Furthermore, with the invention, it will be possible to provide a pallet formed of
two half pallets injected in two different colors.
[0017] The two colors create a very clean separation of both halves, which renders the middle
of the pallet openings very visible for the fork lift driver.
[0018] This leads to less damages cause by the forks of the fork lift.
[0019] The present invention therefore authorizes a greater longitivity for the pallets
at a lower cost.
[0020] It will also be possible, for example, to use half pallet members in 100% recycled
material, without jeopardizing the strength and/or load supporting ability of the
pallet, for instance one half member being in recycled material and the other connected
to the recycled one being made from a virgin plastic material and/or in a stronger
material by adding, for example, glass fibers.
[0021] For these purposes, the invention mainly proposes a pallet formed of two identical
plastic material half pallet members to be assembled to each other in face to face
relationship by interlocking snap-fit latches, each of said half pallet members comprising
a rigid rectangular main panel having a first lateral side and a second lateral side
opposite to said first lateral side around a central axis of the pallet, a plurality
of support legs and a plurality of corresponding hollow posts, said support legs and
said hollow posts being integral with and projecting from the inner side of said main
panel, the distal ends of the support legs of one half pallet being engaged with the
corresponding hollow posts of the other half pallet by said snap-fit latches,
characterized in that each half pallet comprises a first row of hollow posts disposed on its first lateral
side, a second row of support legs disposed on its second lateral side and a third
central row of half hollow posts integral with half support legs disposed opposite
to said half hollow posts with regard to said central axis of the pallet, and in that
the snap-fit latches are formed by protruding parts arranged to snap in corresponding
holes and are easily disconnectable with a tool.
[0022] Advantageously the protruding parts are integral and disposed on the support legs.
[0023] In another advantageous embodiment the protruding parts are integral and disposed
on the hollow posts.
[0024] Advantageously the two half pallet members are easily disconnectable with a tool
at least partially in a form of a knife blade.
[0025] In a specific embodiment, each snap-fit latches include guiding trenches, i.e. for
instance a biased trench provided on the superior face of the protruding part disposed
in alignment with an access trench disposed on at least a lateral face of one of said
corresponding hollow posts or support legs, said trenches being arranged to guide
a tool on and along said biased trench for pressing the protruding part out of the
corresponding hole, wherein the protruding part is disconnected from the corresponding
hollow for separating the two half pallet members from each other.
[0026] Advantageously the protruding parts and the corresponding holes are cylindrical.
[0027] In another embodiment the two half elements are of different colours.
[0028] Advantageously each half pallet member comprises a substantially planar top deck
of the main panel for carrying articles and friction elements being mounted in openings
in the top deck for increasing the friction between the pallet and any prongs of a
fork lift.
[0029] In another advantageous embodiment each friction element extends below the top deck,
comprises a top portion forming an upper collar, a bottom portion forming a lower
collar and a relatively narrow middle portion between said top portion and said bottom
portion.
[0030] Advantageously the main panel is a grating.
[0031] The invention further proposes a method for assembling and disassembling a pallet
formed of two identical plastic material half pallet members having interlocking snap-fit
latches between each other, each of said half pallet members comprising a plurality
of support legs and a plurality of corresponding hollow posts having at least one
of said snap-fit latches on their external panels, wherein the two half pallet members
are assembled together by snap-fitting of said support legs of one half pallet member
with the hollow parts of the other half pallet member in vis-a-vis,
characterized in that a tool is introduced along said external panels between said support legs and corresponding
hollow posts for disconnection and repeating said disconnection at each support legs
and corresponding hollow posts in order to disconnect entirely the two half pallet
members from each other.
[0032] In an advantageous embodiment the snap-fit latches comprise protruding parts and
corresponding hole, said tool being used for pressing the protruding part out of the
corresponding hole, in order to disconnect from the corresponding hollow parts said
support legs.
[0033] Advantageously the method of assembling and disassembling two halves members forming
a pallet, said halves members comprising a rigid rectangular main panel having a first
lateral side and a second lateral side opposite to said first lateral side around
a central axis of the pallet, a plurality of support legs and a plurality of corresponding
hollow posts, said support legs and said hollow posts being integral with and projecting
from the inner side of said main panel,
for assembling said half members, the distal ends of the support legs of one half
pallet are engaged with the corresponding hollow posts of the other half pallet by
said snap-fit latches,
and, for disassembling said half members, the snap-fit latches being formed by protruding
parts arranged to snap in corresponding holes, and including guiding trenches, arranged
to guide a tool on and along said trench for pressing the protruding parts out of
the corresponding holes, wherein the protruding parts are disconnected from the corresponding
holes for separating the two half pallet members from each other by using said tool.
[0034] Advantageously all the holes of a same hollow post are disconnected from its corresponding
protruding parts of the corresponding support leg simultaneously.
[0035] The present invention will be better understood from reading the following description
of a particular embodiment given by way of non limitating example, with reference
to the accompanying drawings, wherein :
Figure 1 is a schematic axonometric view of two half members to be assembled to each
other in face to face relationship.
Figure 2 shows the pallet in perspective formed by the two half pallet members of
figure 1 after assembling.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the snap-fit latches of the embodiment of the invention
more particularly described here, before connection.
Figure 4 shows the elements of figure 3 after connection, with a disconnecting tool
starting to be engaged.
Figure 4A is an enlarged view of a section of the snap-fit latches of figure 4.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a tool to be used with one embodiment of the invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of such tool in place after disconnection, of the two
half pallet members of figure 1.
[0036] Figure 1 shows a pallet 1 formed of two identical plastic half pallet members 2,
3 to be assembled to each other in face to face relationship by interlocking snap-fit
latches 4 each of said half pallet members comprising a rigid rectangular main panel
5 having a first lateral side 6 and a second lateral side 7 opposite to said first
lateral side with regard to a central axis 8 of the pallet.
[0037] Each half pallet comprises a plurality of support legs 9, 10 and a plurality of corresponding
hollow posts 11, 12, said support legs and hollow posts being integral with and projecting
from the inner side 13 of the main panel. More particularly each half pallet comprises
a first row of for example three hollow posts 11 disposed on the first lateral side
6 and a second row of three corresponding support legs 9 disposed on its second lateral
side 7 and a third central row of three half hollow posts 12 integral with three half
support legs 10 disposed opposite to said half hollow posts 12 with regard to the
central axis 8 of the pallet.
[0038] The snap-fit latches 4 are formed by protruding parts 14 arranged to snap in corresponding
holes 15, the protruding parts 14 being (on the example of figure 1) disposed on the
support legs 9 and 10, and more particularly on one or two (in the corners) of the
external faces with regard to the interior of the pallet of such support legs, in
their upper part or distal end 16 arranged to cooperate with the inner part 17 of
a corresponding hollow post 11 and 12.
[0039] The holes 15 are also disposed on the external face 18 of the hollow posts 11 or
12, with regard to the interior of the pallet, and arranged to snap with corresponding
protruding parts 14.
[0040] In such case, the holes between the two half pallets for instance of two different
colours, allows an easy identification for the fork drivers.
[0041] Friction elements (not represented) for instance diagonally disposed allong a diagonal,
i.e. six friction elements regularly disposed along said diagonals, allows a better
prehension of the pallet by the fork driver, avoiding slippering.
[0042] Such friction elements are advantageously inserted in corresponding holes of the
decks, with a mushroom form presenting an upper collar, a narrow middle and a bottom
portion to be inamovibly plugged in the decks.
[0043] Figure 2 shows the pallet where the two half pallets are connected together after
snap-fitting.
[0044] Figure 3 shows more precisely the snap-fit latch 4 between the upper half pallet
2 and the lower half pallet 3.
[0045] The support leg 9 comprises an upper part 16 which is parallelepipedic, for instance
with a section which is squared and comprises interior rigidification panels in order
to provide a strong and good supporting leg, said upper part 16 having an external
surface 20 arranged to slide along and within the opening 21 of the corresponding
hollow post 11, said opening 21 being therefore slidably connected with said lower
part 16 of the support leg 9.
[0046] The opening 21 comprises on its two external corner panels 22, respectively on each
panel, two circular holes 15 which are connected to the above periphery 23 of the
opening hole by trenches 24 of small thickness, for example of a third or half of
the thickness of the panels 22.
[0047] This trench goes all along the whole height of the panel across the hole and will
serve as guiding rail as it will be explained later.
[0048] On the corresponding surface 20 of the support legs and more particularly on its
upper part 16 are disposed protruding parts 14 which are cylindrical pills and arranged
to match with the holes 15 when the support leg is introduced in the opening 21, and
pushed until when the edge 25 of the upper periphery of the upper part 16 enters in
contact with the periphery 23 of the opening 21 of the hollow post 11.
[0049] Meanwhile the protruding parts will slide along the trench 24 until they snap with
the corresponding holes 15.
[0050] The protruding parts are disposed on guiding ramps 26 with a slop which help to reach
holes in order to obtain the connection.
[0051] Such ramps are also arranged to cooperate with the corresponding trenches 24 in the
opening 21.
[0052] It will now be explained more particularly the way the separation is obtained.
[0053] When the half pallet 2 is connected to the other half pallet 3 as represented on
figure 4, the holes 15 are occupied by the protruding parts 14.
[0054] For disconnecting the tool 28, comprising a blade 29 having an extremity 30 terminated
at the end by a small rectangular lamella 31 (parallelepipedic), is introduced within
the trench 24 of the opening 21 between the external panel 20 of the leg 9 and the
internal panel of the opening.
[0055] The extremity of the blade 29 is slightly sloped in order to favorize its introduction
within the trench 24.
[0056] It is introduced in the direction of the protruding part until the extremity also
slightly sloped or biased of the lamella 31 arrives in contact and then pushes such
protruding part out of the hole 15, therefore authorizing the disconnection.
[0057] This is more clearly appearing on figure 4A which shows in section how the extremity
32 of the lamella 31 is on the merge to push the protruding part 14 away from the
internal panel 32 of the corresponding opening.
[0058] Figure 5 shows a tool to be used in order to make the disconnection according to
the embodiment of the invention more particularly described here.
[0059] It will be remarked that such tool was to be designed specifically in order to allow
the easy disconnection and was not at all existing in the prior art.
[0060] Such tool can be used in several exemplars in order to put out the different protruding
parts all together, therefore allowing a complete disconnection of all the hollow
posts from the support legs in one time.
[0061] As it can be seen, it comprises a plate support 33 which can be manually manipulated
easily on which are fixed one, two, three or four tool poles 34 comprising the blade
30 with an extremity which is sloped 35 and which is terminated by the lamella 31
also terminated by an extremity 36 which is sloped.
[0062] All these poles can be put in place simultaneously in order to disconnect entirely
in one shot one hollow post from its corresponding support legs.
[0063] Figure 6 shows in particular schematically the use of the tool 29 with a pallet of
the invention which allows an easy disconnection of the hollow post 11 from the support
leg 9.
[0064] It will now be more particularly described a method of assembling and disassembling
two half members 2 and 3 forming a pallet as described earlier, in view of figures
3, 4 and figure 6.
[0065] For assembling the half members of the distal ends or upper parts 16 of the support
legs 9 of one half pallet 3 are placed in front of the corresponding hollow posts
and pressed against such hollow post in order to engage their extremities and then
come in sliding contact with the interior of the corresponding opening 21 until the
snap-fit latches function and the respective peripheries 23 and 25 come in contact.
[0066] For disassembling the half members one from the other, the snap-fit latches being
formed by protruding part, the blades 29 of the tool are introduced in the corresponding
trenches and then are pressed, therefore pushing via their lamellas on the surface
of the protruding parts and ejecting said protruding parts from the corresponding
holes, and therefore obtaining the disconnection by separating the two half pallet
members from each other accordingly.
[0067] The tool as described is then used in order to allow a disconnection of all the protruding
parts from all the holes.
[0068] The different panels are then progressively pushed away from each other and a change
of the damaged half member can then for instance be undertaken.
[0069] The present invention is not limitated to the more particularly described embodiment
but concerns all other equivalent embodiments and for instance embodiment having support
legs and hollow posts which are not parallelepipedic but cylindrical, and/or holes
and corresponding protruding parts which are not cylindrical, but rectangular or triangular.
1. A pallet (1) formed of two identical plastic material half pallet members (2, 3) to
be assembled to each other in face to face relationship by interlocking snap-fit latches
(4), each of said half pallet members (2, 3) comprising a rigid rectangular main panel
(5) having a first lateral side (6) and a second lateral side (7) opposite to said
first lateral side around a central axis (8) of the pallet, a plurality of support
legs (9, 10) and a plurality of corresponding hollow posts (11, 12), said support
legs and said hollow posts being integral with and projecting from the inner side
(13) of said main panel, the distal ends (16) of the support legs (9, 10) of one half
pallet (2) being engaged with the corresponding hollow posts (11, 12) of the other
half pallet (3) by said snap-fit latches (4), characterized in that each half pallet comprises a first row of hollow posts (11) disposed on its first
lateral side (6), a second row of support legs (9) disposed on its second lateral
side (7) and a third central row of half hollow posts (12) integral with half support
legs (10) disposed opposite to said half hollow posts with regard to said central
axis (8) of the pallet, and in that the snap-fit latches (4) are formed by protruding parts (14) arranged to snap in
corresponding holes (15) and are easily disconnectable with a tool (29).
2. The pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding parts (14) are integral and disposed on the support legs (9, 10) and
the holes (14) are disposed on corresponding hollow posts (11, 12).
3. The pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding parts are integral and disposed on the hollow posts and the holes
on corresponding support legs.
4. The pallet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two half pallet members are easily separable with an adapted tool (28) at least
partially in a form of a knife blade (29).
5. The pallet according to claim 4, characterized in that each snap-fit latches include guiding trenches (24), i.e. a biased trench provided
on the superior face of the protruding part disposed in alignment with an access trench
disposed on at least a lateral face of one of said corresponding hollow posts or support
legs, said trenches (24) being arranged to guide a tool (28) on and along said biased
trench for pressing the protruding part (14) out of the corresponding hole (15), wherein
the protruding part is disconnected from the corresponding hollow for separating the
two half pallet members from each other.
6. The pallet according to any of the precedent claims, characterized in that the protruding parts (14) and the corresponding holes (15) are cylindrical.
7. The pallet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two half elements are of different colours.
8. The pallet according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each half pallet members comprises a substantially planar top deck of the main panel
for carrying articles and friction elements being mounted in openings in the top deck
for increasing the friction between the pallet and any prongs of a fork lift.
9. The pallet according to claim 7, characterized in that each friction element extends below the top deck, comprises a top portion forming
an upper collar, a bottom portion forming a lower collar and a relatively narrow middle
portion between said top portion and said bottom portion.
10. The pallet according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that surface of the main panel is a grating.
11. A method for assembling and disassembling a pallet formed of two identical plastic
material half pallet members having interlocking snap-fit latches between each other,
each of said half pallet members comprising a plurality of support legs and a plurality
of corresponding hollow posts having at least one of said snap-fit latches on their
external panel, wherein the two half pallet members are assembled together by snap-fitting
of said support legs of one half pallet member with the hollow parts of the other
half pallet member, characterized in that a tool is introduced along said external panels between said support legs and corresponding
hollow posts for disconnection and repeating said disconnection at each support legs
and corresponding hollow posts in order to disconnect entirely the two half pallet
members from each other.
12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the snap-fit latches comprise
protruding parts and corresponding hole, said tool being used for pressing the protruding
part out of the corresponding hole, in order to disconnect from the corresponding
hollow posts said support legs.
13. A method of assembling and disassembling two halves members forming a pallet according
to any of claim 11 and 12, characterized in that, said halves members comprising a rigid rectangular main panel having a first lateral
side and a second lateral side opposite to said first lateral side around a central
axis of the pallet, a plurality of support legs and a plurality of corresponding hollow
posts, said support legs and said hollow posts being integral with and projecting
from the inner side of said main panel,
for assembling said half members, the distal ends of the support legs of one half
pallet are engaged with the corresponding hollow posts of the other half pallet by
said snap-fit latches,
and, for disassembling said half members, the snap-fit latches being formed by protruding
parts arranged to snap in corresponding holes, and including guiding trenches, arranged
to guide a tool on and along said trench for pressing the protruding parts out of
the corresponding holes, wherein the protruding parts are disconnected from the corresponding
holes for separating the two half pallet members from each other by using a tool.
14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that all the holes of a same hollow post are disconnected from its corresponding protruding
parts of the corresponding support leg simultaneously.