Abstract
A pallet made of plastic, with a cover plate for holding objects and with at least two, preferably three skids arranged below the cover plate, which are arranged parallel to each other and parallel to a pallet edge and each with a skid standing surface, wherein at the ends of which an angled support leg-like skid member is arranged from the skid base in the direction of the cover plate, the skid base surface being arranged at a distance from the cover plate by the skid support members and support feet arranged therebetween is detachably connected to the latter, the skids each being formed from at least two, preferably one-piece skids which together form a skid of the pallet each releasably connectable to the cover plate and which are in the position mounted on the cover plate.
Claims
1. A pallet, comprising: a cover plate configured to hold objects; and at least two skids arranged below the cover plate which are arranged parallel to each other and parallel to a pallet edge and each with a skid standing surface configured to abut a ground surface, at the ends of which a support leg-like skid support member angled from the skid standing surface in an upward direction of the cover plate is arranged, the skid standing surface being spaced apart from the cover plate by the skid support members and support feet arranged therebetween; and wherein the at least two skids are each formed from at least two, one-piece skid elements, such that each skid element is L-shaped and such that the skid support member of each skid element each formed at an end of the skid elements is angled at right angles from the skid standing surface of the skid element, wherein the skid elements are each releasably connectable to the cover plate and which cooperate to form a skid of the pallet in the position mounted on the cover plate, and wherein the pallet comprises plastic.
2. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the skids are divided transversely in the skid stand surface for forming the at least two skid elements, and wherein a skids-mounted position of the cover plate, the underside of the at least two skids stand surfaces of both skid elements complement each other to form a skid standing surfaces that is flush on an underside.
3. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the skid elements are configured to be detachably connected to the cover plate of the pallet via the skid support members by a positive plug-in connection and/or a clip-like latching connection and an end opposite the skid support member is connected to a support foot by a snap lock or by at least a separate mechanical fastener.
4. The pallet according to claim 3, wherein the fastener includes a bolt with a bayonet locking mechanism, a bolt head being received flush in a recess in a skid base surface and the bayonet locking of the bolt is configured to be locked with the cover plate.
5. The pallet according to claim 3, wherein the fasteners are formed by bolts with a bolt head designed with a larger radius than the bolt diameter and with a bayonet lock or screw lock formed on the end opposite the bolt head.
6. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the at least two skid elements are opposite one another in a mounted skid position and are provided with complementary ring-shaped receiving flanges offset in height from one another for the fastener, wherein bayonet bolts, which are arranged one above the other in an assembled position in such a way that undersides of the skid base surfaces of the at least two skid elements are flush, and wherein at least two opposite skid elements are configured to be releasably locked to a support foot by the bayonet bolt.
7. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the at least two opposing skid elements in an assembled skid position are configured to be releasably lockable separately with a support foot using a bayonet bolt.
8. The pallet according to claim 7, wherein in an assembled position of at least two opposing skid elements whose ends are received in complementary recesses on the underside of the support foot such that the undersides of the skid stands and the corresponding support feet are flush with each other.
9. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the free ends of the at least two skid elements are configured to be positively fitted in a complementary recess on the cover plate and/or are configured to be locked with the latter by a clip-like latching closure, and wherein the releasable connection between the skid element and the cover plate includes pivoting the skid element to the cover plate.
10. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein in the case of a pallet with support feet arranged in a middle of the pallet, each skid is divided in a middle and both ends of the skid base surfaces of both skid elements are configured to be locked with a support stand arranged in the center by one or two bayonet bolts.
11. A pallet according to claim 1, wherein the at least two skid elements are stiffened by fiber-stiffened plastic material and/or by embedding rigid and/or steel bars.
12. A pallet according to claim 1, wherein the skid support members with adjacent support feet or adjacent skid support members form engagement openings for prongs of lifting devices.
13. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the at least two skids include three skids which include engagement openings for the prongs of lifting devices between them, and wherein each skid formed from two skid elements has two opposite skid support members and in a middle of the skid in each case a support foot formed on an underside of the cover plate is arranged, the skid support members, with the central support foot of the cover plate of the pallet, delimiting corresponding engagement openings for prongs of lifting devices.
14. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the cover plate with support feet and the skid elements is formed in one piece by injection molding of the plastic.
15. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the skid support members of the skid elements are positively fixed via projections to the cover plate by engagement in recesses, the projections of the skid elements fixed by a shoulder part such that the skid elements are mechanically attachable only on their ends via quick-release elements.
16. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the pallet forms the substructure of a large load carrier which has a side wall structure with circumferentially arranged side walls, of which at least one side wall is configured to be foldable inwards.
17. A pallet according to claim 16, wherein the pallet forms the bottom part of the large load carrier with its cover plate, whereas side walls or lower frame elements of the large load carrier are pivotably connected with edge sides or edge regions of the cover plate of the pallet.
18. A large load carrier with a base part and a side wall structure, wherein the large load carrier includes a base part which is formed by a pallet according to claim 1.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described purely schematically below with reference to the drawings.
(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pallet according to the invention (viewed from above);
(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pallet seen from the bottom;
(4) FIG. 3 shows a view of the pallet according to FIG. 2, but in the functional position of individual components;
(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a pallet in accordance with a further embodiment (view from above);
(6) FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 showing the attachment of a skid element to the cover plate;
(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the pallet in the form of a bottom part of a large container or bulk container; and
(8) FIG. 7 is an illustration of the embodiment of FIG. 6, but in the functional position and in the reverse position, i.e. with the bottom part arranged above.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
(9) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the pallet according to the invention in a view from above, the pallet 1 having a cover plate 2 with a flat support surface, which is used for the transport of products and goods. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the pallet 1 further comprises three skids 4, here in an identical design to one another, which are arranged parallel to one another and parallel to a side edge and thus, due to the rectangular plan, parallel to the two opposite side edges 6. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the side edges 6 are the edges of the narrow side of the pallet.
(10) It is only a so-called half-pallet, which is very common on the market and—again only by way of example—has a pallet size of 800×600 mm here for the purpose of illustration. Of course, the invention is also applicable to any other standard sizes.
(11) As can be seen from FIG. 2, the pallet has in particular three support feet 8 arranged centrally, that is to say along a central longitudinal axis of the pallet, by means of which the distance between the lower part of the skids 4 and the pallet ceiling, that is to say the cover plate 2 of the pallet 1, is fixed. The skid 4 has at both of its opposite ends an angled, in particular right-angled skid support member 10, which is designed like a support foot and is arranged at a distance from one another in series at the longitudinal edges 9 of the pallet 1. These skid support members 10 also determine the distance between the lower part of the skid 4 and the underside of the cover plate 2 of the pallet 1. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the skid 4 has an elongated, strip-like skid stand surface 12 which has an underside at the top in FIG. 2 due to the upside-down representation, with which the pallet normally rests on the ground in the correct direction of rotation. The underside is not assigned a reference number here.
(12) As can be clearly seen from FIG. 1, the two skid support members 10 of each skid 4 arranged on the narrow side, with the centrally arranged support foot 8 between them, delimit an engagement opening which is used for retracting tines of conventional lifting devices, such as forklifts or pallet trucks or Hand pallet truck. This allows the tines to be inserted from the narrow side accordingly.
(13) Corresponding engagement openings are, however, also provided on the longitudinal edges 9 of the pallet, the skids 4 delimiting two engagement openings for lifting devices between them in the exemplary embodiment shown.
(14) In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, each skid 4 is advantageously divided into two skid elements 4a and 4b in the middle of the skid stand surface along a transverse dividing plane 14, as can best be seen in FIG. 3. Each of these skid elements is L-shaped, namely from half a length of the skid stand surface and the angled skid support member 10. At the free end of the skid support member 10 there is a projection 15, which can preferably be positively fitted into a complementary recess 16 on the underside of the cover plate 2 and expediently, but not necessarily, releasably fastened by means of a suitable, in particular clip-like latching connection.
(15) As can be seen from FIG. 3, each skid element can be attached obliquely to the underside of the cover plate so that the projections 15 can engage in the corresponding recesses 16. Thereupon each skid is pivoted in the direction of the corresponding middle support leg 8 and expediently engages there with its skid stand surface in a corresponding complementary recess 18 of the middle support leg 8. With the pivoting of the skid element 4a and 4b in the direction of the recesses 18, in the case of latches, the latching nose formed by the projection 15 automatically snaps into a corresponding latching recess means of the underside of the cover plate in the region of the recess 16, so that the free end of each skid support member 10 can be locked to the underside of the cover plate 2.
(16) The pivoted-in position for the front skid is presented in FIG. 3. Here, at the free ends of the skid elements, flange shaped, annular recesses 20a and 20b, which are offset from one another and are offset from one another, lie coaxially on one another at the free ends of the skid elements, so that there is an overall flush underside of the skid stand surface 12 of each skid 4 (cf. FIG. 4, foremost skid). In this position, in which the free ends of the two skid elements 4a, 4b are arranged opposite one another and expediently abutting one another, the flange-like recesses 20a, 20b lie one on top of the other in a coaxial orientation, so that a suitable mechanical fastening means can be introduced, which extends through a corresponding opening in the support leg 8 and is releasably attachable in the area of the upper deck or the skid by means of appropriate fastening facial expressions, which is not shown. As FIG. 3 shows, a bolt 22 is suitable as the fastening means, which is provided with a bayonet lock 24, shown here as bayonet thread sections. The bolt 22 has a radially widened bolt head at the other end. Such bayonet bolts are known and need not be described in detail. In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the bayonet bolt 22 is inserted from the underside, but a reverse arrangement is also expedient in that the bolt can be inserted into a corresponding receptacle from the top of the cover plate 2 and then the bayonet mimic on the bolt can engage with a corresponding bayonet mimic approximately in the ring flange 20b of the skid element which, in the illustration shown in FIG. 3, rests coaxially from above on the annular receiving flange 20a. In both cases, both skid elements are releasably locked to the upper deck by means of a bolt, here in the area of the central support leg.
(17) Obviously, in the event of damage to a skid element, it can be exchanged quickly and easily for an undamaged new skid element. It is only necessary to open the bayonet catch, remove the bolt and then swing the corresponding skid element upwards as shown in FIG. 3, so that the free end of the skid support member is unlocked from the upper deck and the damaged skid element can be removed and replaced with a new one.
(18) It goes without saying that the projection 15 is designed with the latching mechanism in each case such that it can be fitted flush into the recess 16 on the underside of the cover plate and thus is flush with the outside and the underside of the cover plate. This can be seen very clearly from FIG. 1.
(19) FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention, in which each of the L-shaped skid elements 4a, 4b with the respective central support foot of the cover plate 2 separately by a mechanical fastening means, here again expediently by a corresponding bayonet locking bolt, as shown in FIG. 3, is releasably lockable. The form-fitting and/or latching connection of the skid support members corresponds to that of the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, so that it does not have to be described again here. The other components also correspond to those of the previously described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, after the two skid elements 4a, 4b have been swiveled in, the bottom of the skid 4 is again aligned flush, so that under inclusion of the bottom of the central support leg formed on the underside of the cover plate, there is a quasi-closed, continuous skid stand surface 12 results. This embodiment has the advantage that, unlike in the case of the previous embodiment, a uniform skid element can be used for all six skid elements.
(20) FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of an attachment of the ends of the skid elements 4a, 4b to the cover plate 2 of the pallet 1, specifically by way of example using the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, but also the attachment of the ends of the skid elements shown in FIG. 5 is equally applicable to other embodiments, in particular the embodiment according to FIG. 4.
(21) According to FIG. 5, the skid elements 4a, 4b are provided at their outer ends, namely at the ends of the angled skid support members 10 with an outwardly directed projection 15 which is designed as an outwardly projecting tongue and, in the exemplary embodiment shown, extends preferably parallel to the skid base surface of the skid elements extends. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the projection 15 is part of a flange part 24, which is formed on the inside of the skid support member 10 and is L-shaped. The projection 15 interacts with a recess 16 in the cover plate 2, into which it can be inserted. Recess and projection 15 are formed complementary, so that there is a positive connection. Here, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 5, the projection 15 engages under a shoulder part 26 provided on the recess 16. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the shoulder part 26 bridges the recess 16, but can also be designed continuously or in the manner of projecting stubs on the side surfaces of the walls of the recess. In any case, the shoulder part 26 in the plug-in position of the projection 15 in the recess 16 prevents the skid element finally fastened via the fastening element in the middle pallet area, here the skid element 4b, from being able to move out of the recess, rather the skid element in the functional position as a skid is fixed and positively caught within the recess 16, so that it is only fastened at the opposite end, that is to say in the region of the centrally arranged support feet 8 of the skid element, in each case by means of the corresponding fastening means, in particular a bolt 22. In this respect, only one-sided fixing of the skid elements at one end by a separate fastening means is required in order to firmly fasten the skid element and thus the skid 4 to the cover plate 2 to form the lower part of the pallet. This enables a quick change of a damaged skid or a damaged skid element.
(22) FIG. 6 shows the use of the pallet 1 as the base part of a large container 28, the side walls 30 of the large container being preferably foldably connected to the corresponding sides of the cover plate 2 and thus, as it were, the pallet. This means that the special design of the pallet with the interchangeable skid elements is also corresponding and analogous for large containers or bulk container applicable. These large containers are generally known and have a pallet-shaped bottom part, on which the side walls 30 are arranged and mostly foldable. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the side walls are preferably arranged on frame members 31 of the base part designed as a pallet 1, and in particular in a hinged manner. The frame members 31 are preferably arranged all around the pallet. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame members 31 are part of the pallet, but this is not mandatory. They could also be connected separately to the bottom part of the pallet 1 by a snap-in or plug-in connection, but they protrude all the way up from the bottom part. From the bottom part to the upper edge of the side walls 30, the height of such large containers usually is in the range from 80 to 110 cm, so that a large-volume storage space is possible for accommodating, in particular, lumpy goods. These large containers have standard pallet-like dimensions.
(23) FIG. 7 shows the large container with the bottom up, so that the skids 4 can be seen. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the base part of the pallet 1 corresponds to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3, a pallet according to the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 4 being equally applicable. The bottom part of the large container forms, so to speak, the pallet 1 with the lower part in the form of skids, so that the pallet shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 can be used as the bottom part of a large container.
(24) As can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, in this exemplary embodiment the large container is only equipped with two skids 4, but this is only an example. If necessary, depending on the size of the large container, a middle skid can also be provided as in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 4.
