Transport pallet, module and folding sheets for same, and method for producing a transport pallet

Abstract

A transport pallet includes a base body, which includes an upper surface, a lower surface and feet. The base body includes a composite which exclusively has multiple modules that are similar to one another and connecting element, whereby the modules are connected to one another. Each module includes a folding sheet and a fixing element and provides a respective segment of the upper surface of the base body. The base body has exactly four modules, where each module has exactly four feet arranged spaced apart from one another, where each of which has foot lateral surfaces around a respective hollow space, and where each side has a respective lateral surface which is formed from the foot lateral surfaces of two respective feet, where the foot lateral surfaces, which form opposing lateral surfaces of modules connected to one another, rest flat against one another.

Claims

1. A transport pallet having a base body, which is formed with a folding sheet consisting of cardboard and having crease lines and with an adhesive, wherein the base body has a top surface, which is a contact surface for loading goods, wherein the base body has a lower surface which is a contact surface to a respective substrate, wherein between the top surface and the lower surface, the base body has feet, between which prongs of floor conveyors can laterally engage in the base body, wherein from the folding sheet exactly four feet of the base body are formed spaced apart from each other, wherein each foot has exactly four foot lateral surfaces, which are arranged parallel in pairs and by means of which each respective foot is laterally closed around one hollow space, wherein each foot has crease lines arranged perpendicular to the top surface of the base body, by means of which adjacent foot lateral surfaces of the respective foot are connected to each other, and wherein one lateral surface is formed by each two feet of the four feet formed from the folding sheet, wherein the base body consists of a composite, which exclusively has four modules that are identical to each other and connecting means, by means of which the modules are connected to one another, wherein each module is connected to two immediately adjacent modules, wherein each module is formed with exactly one folding sheet, which is identical to the folding sheets with which the other modules are formed, and the adhesive, and in each case provides one segment of the surface of the base body, wherein each module on each side comprises one of the lateral surfaces, which is formed in each case by two feet of the module, and wherein the foot lateral surfaces, which form opposite lateral surfaces of connected modules, rest flat against each other, and that all crease lines of each foot of each module, which are arranged perpendicular to the top surface of the base body from which the module is formed, are oriented parallel to one another in the unfolded folding sheet.

2. The transport pallet according to claim 1, wherein the base body has adhesive tape, by means of which the modules are connected to one another, and that gaps between directly adjacent modules are bridged on both the top surface and on the lower surface with the adhesive tape.

3. The transport pallet according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive tape has an adhesive side and on its opposite side to the adhesive side, the tape has an anti-slip coating, at least in some parts.

4. The transport pallet according to claim 1, wherein the base body has at least one clamping device for receiving stretch film.

5. The transport pallet according to claim 1, wherein the folding sheet of each module has sections that are fixed together.

6. The transport pallet according to claim 1, wherein each module has at least two runners, which provide portions of the lower surface of the base body, and that each runner is assigned at least two feet spaced apart from each other, which are formed between the surface of the base body and the respective runner of the module.

7. The transport pallet according to claim 1, wherein between the feet arranged spaced apart from each other on each side of each module, respectively exactly one slot is located in the base body for one of the prongs of the floor conveyor.

8. The transport pallet according to claim 7, wherein each module has two short sides and two long sides, which are at least 18% longer than the short sides, and that the slots on the long sides of the module are no longer than the slots on the short sides of the module.

9. The transport pallet according to claim 8, wherein on exactly one short side, exactly two feet are arranged, each having one short foot lateral surface and one long foot lateral surface, wherein the short foot lateral faces form the lateral faces on this short side of the module, and that the difference in length between the long foot lateral surface and the short foot lateral surface is at least 90% of the difference in length between the long side of the module and the short side of the module.

10. A module for a transport pallet, wherein with a plurality of these modules a base body of a transport pallet is formed, wherein the base body has a top surface which is a bearing surface for loading goods, wherein the base body has a lower surface which is a contact surface to a respective substrate, and wherein between the top surface and the lower surface the module has exactly four feet spaced apart from each other, between which prongs of floor conveyors can laterally engage in the base body, wherein the module provides one segment of the top surface of the base body, wherein the module is formed with exactly one folding sheet consisting of cardboard and having crease lines and with a fixing means, wherein the four feet are formed from the folding sheet, wherein each foot has exactly four foot lateral surfaces, which are arranged parallel in pairs and by means of which each respective foot is laterally closed around one hollow space, wherein each foot has crease lines arranged perpendicular to the top surface of the base body, by means of which adjacent foot lateral surfaces of the respective foot are connected to each other, wherein the module on each side comprises one lateral surface, which is formed in each case from foot lateral surfaces of two feet of the module, wherein the foot lateral surfaces are designed in such a way that the foot lateral surfaces each forming one lateral surface of the module rest flat against the foot lateral surfaces forming a lateral surface of an identically designed module, if the base body is formed from a composite with said modules in which each module is connected to two immediately adjacent modules, and wherein all crease lines of each foot of the module, which are arranged perpendicular to the top surface of the base body are aligned parallel to one another in the unfolded folding sheet from which the module is formed.

11. A folding sheet made of cardboard for producing the module according to claim 10 for a transport pallet, wherein the folding sheet has crease lines, wherein the composition of the folding sheet is such that exactly four feet spaced apart from each other is formed from the folding sheet, wherein each foot formed from the folding sheet has exactly four foot lateral surfaces, which are arranged parallel in pairs and by means of which each respective foot is laterally closed around one hollow space, and wherein the module is produced with the folding sheet, wherein the produced module is formed with the exactly one folding sheet and a fixing means.

Description

(1) Further embodiments arise from the claims, from the exemplary embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and from the following description of these exemplary embodiments. The drawings show:

(2) FIG. 1: a transport pallet according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention together with a floor conveyor in a perspective representation;

(3) FIG. 2: the transport pallet of the first exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1 in a perspective representation rotated through 180;

(4) FIG. 3: a module of the transport pallet of the first exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1 in a perspective representation rotated through 180;

(5) FIG. 4: a folding sheet for producing the module of FIG. 3 in a plan view;

(6) FIG. 5: the folding sheet of FIG. 4 with bent or folded sections in perspective view;

(7) FIG. 6: the folding sheet of FIGS. 3 and 4 with further bent sections in perspective view;

(8) FIG. 7: a module for a transport pallet according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention with a clamping device in perspective view;

(9) FIG. 8: the transport pallet according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention together with a floor conveyer in a perspective representation, in which adhesive tapes connect the modules together to form a composite; and

(10) FIG. 9: the transport pallet of the first exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 8 in a perspective representation rotated through 180.

(11) In FIG. 1 a transport pallet is designated with the reference numeral 1. The transport pallet 1 has a base body 2. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the transport pallet 1 consists of the base body 2 alone. In accordance with exemplary embodiments not shown, however, superstructures or attachments can be provided on the base body 2.

(12) The base body 2 has four identically designed and thus identical modules 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, which hereafter are also designated with the reference numeral 3. The base body 2 comprises a top surface 4. In doing so, the module 3a provides a segment 5a, the module 3b a segment 5b, the module 3c a segment 5c and the module 3d a segment 5d of the top surface 4. The segments 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are hereafter collectively designated with the reference numeral 5.

(13) On the transport pallet 1, loading goods can be stacked and transported with the transport pallet 1. The top surface 4 is therefore a bearing surface for loading goods. For lifting and moving the transport pallet 1 a standard commercially available floor conveyor 6 can be used, for example in the form of the forklift truck illustrated. The floor conveyor 6 has prongs 7 and 8 arranged parallel to each other, which engage in the base body 2 under the top surface 4 and, if necessary, can reach through the base body 2.

(14) Adhesive tapes 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60 are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, which connect the modules 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d together, form a composite. The adhesive tapes 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60 bridge gaps between the modules 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d on the top surface 4 and on the lower surface 9 of the base body 2 shown in FIG. 9. The lower surface 9 of the base body 2 is provided by runners 10 and 11, which in FIG. 9 are only labelled by way of example for the module 3a. Further details on the modules 3 can be found in the description of FIGS. 3 to 7.

(15) In FIG. 3, one of the modules 3, for example the module 3a, of the first exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown separately. Between the segment 5, hidden in the illustration according to FIG. 3, of the top surface 4 to be produced and the first runner 10, a first short foot 12 and a first long foot 13 are arranged. Between this segment 5 and the second runner 11 are a second short foot 14 and a second long foot 15 are arranged. Between the first short foot 12 and the first long foot 13 a first slot 16 is located. Between the second short foot 14 and the second long foot 15 a second slot 17 is located. A third slot 18 is located between the short feet 12 and 14. A fourth slot 19 is located between the long feet 13 and 15. Due to the slots 16, 17, 18 and 19, one of the prongs 7 and 8 of the floor conveyor unit 6 can therefore engage into the module 3, and thus into the main body 2, from a first long side 20, from a second long side 21, from a first short side 22 and from a second short side 23, in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2.

(16) The module 3 has a multi-part lateral surface on each side 20, 21, 22 and 23. Of these, the lateral surface on the first long side 20 is composed of a first foot lateral surface 24 of the first short foot 12 and of a long foot lateral surface 25 of the first long foot 13. The first long foot 13 has a short foot lateral surface 26 on the second short side 23. The second long foot 15 has foot lateral surfaces with dimensions which correspond to the dimensions of the foot lateral surfaces of the first long foot 13. In the area of the slots 16, 17, 18 and 19, the module 3 has folds 27, 28, 29 and 30 for reinforcement.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a folding sheet 31 made of corrugated cardboard. In its area shown at the bottom, the folding sheet 31 has a first separating line 32 and a second separating line 33. The separating lines 32 and 33 each have three sections that are arranged at right angles to each other. The area of the folding sheet 31 shown at the top is the mirror image of the area shown at the bottom, so that in this case only the area formed at the bottom will be described. The description applies analogously to the region shown at the top.

(18) The separating lines 32 and 33 are produced by punching or by means of a cutting tool. One section of the separating line 32 is at the same time a part of the outer border of the folding sheet 31. The folding sheet 31 has crease lines 34a, 34b, 35a, 35b, 36a, 36b, 37a, 37b, 38a, 38b, 39a, 39b, 40a, 40b, 41 and 42, at which the folding sheet 31 is grooved or perforated on one side, to enable sections of the folding sheet 31 to be bent approximately at right angles thereto.

(19) The folding sheet 31 has folding lines 43, 44 and 45 in the connecting region of the folds 29, 30 and 27 towards a central section 46 of the folding sheet 31. The reverse of the central section 46 provides the segment 5 of the top surface 4 for the main body 2 in the module 3. The folding lines 43, 44 and 45 resemble two crease lines arranged parallel to each other, at which the folding sheet 31 is grooved or perforated on one side. At individual crease lines the folding sheet 31 would either not be able to be folder over by 180, or only disadvantageously. Due to the folding lines 43, 44 and 45, an advantageous folding of the folds 29, 30 and 27 by approximately 180 towards the central section 46 is possible.

(20) In FIG. 5, the folds 27 and 28 are shown appropriately folded over. Also, sections of the later first short foot 12 are bent at the crease lines 39a and 39b, and sections of the later first long foot 13 are bent at the crease lines 40a and 40b. The term bent sections in the present case always refers to an approximately right-angled arrangement of the sections adjoining each other at the bend line relative to each other.

(21) Subsequently a bend is performed along the crease lines 36a and 36b, then along the crease lines 35a and 35b and then along the crease lines 34a and 34b, so that the partially bent and folded folding sheet 31 has the form shown in FIG. 6. Sections are then bent at the crease lines 41 and 42, and optionally glued to the section bent at the crease line 39a or to the section bent at the crease line 40b respectively. Over these, sections are finally bent at the crease lines 37a and 37b or at the crease lines 38a and 38b and glued to the section which is bent at the crease line 41 or 42. Finally, the folds 29 and 30 are also folded over at the folding line 43 or folding line 44 and glued together with the central section 46. After this stage, the module according to FIG. 3 is produced.

(22) The bending and folding of the folding sheet 31 and the gluing of sections of the folding sheet 31 is preferably performed automatically by machine. For this purpose, the folding sheet 31 is taken from a stack of similar folding sheets and as previously described, bent at the crease lines and folded at the folding lines and also glued in some sections, so that the module 3 is produced. As shown in FIGS 3 and 6, cavities are arranged in the feet 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the module 3 and thus within the folded and fixed folding sheet 31. Four such modules are also glued together either automatically or manually by means of adhesive tape. After this the transport pallet 1 is produced and ready for collection for the transport of loading goods.

(23) FIG. 7 shows the module 3 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention. The module 3 in this case is substantially designed according to the above description identically to the first exemplary embodiment, but at least in its second long foot 15 and optionally also in its first long foot 13 it has a clamping device 53 in the form of an opening with a slot joined thereto, for clamping stretch film 54. The stretch film 54 can therefore easily be attached to the pallet 1 and hold together the modules 3 of the pallet and the goods placed thereon.

(24) Optionally, at least one of the foot lateral surfaces 24, 25 and 26 and/or the top surface 4 of the base body 2 can be imprinted, for example, with a company logo or an advertisement. Alternatively or additionally, the transport pallet 1, for example, can have an identification device on one of the foot lateral surfaces 24, 25, or 26, for example, in the form of a barcode, an RFID transponder or a label.

(25) All the above mentioned features referred to in the above description or in the claims can be combined in any permutation with the features of the independent claim. The disclosure of the invention is therefore not limited to the feature combinations described or claimed, rather all meaningful feature combinations are to be considered as disclosed in the context of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(26) TABLE-US-00001 1 transport pallet 2 base body 3 (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) module 4 upper surface 5 (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) segment 6 material handling device 7 prong 8 prong 9 lower surface 10 first runner 11 second runner 12 first short foot 13 first long foot 14 second short foot 15 second long foot 16 first slot 17 second slot 18 third slot 19 fourth slot 20 first long side 21 second long side 22 first short side 23 second short side 24 first foot lateral surface 25 long foot lateral surface 26 short foot lateral surface 27 fold 28 fold 29 fold 30 fold 31 folding sheet 32 first separating line 33 second separating line 34a, 34b crease line 35a, 35b crease line 36a, 36b crease line 37a, 37b crease line 38a, 38b crease line 39a, 39b crease line 40a, 40b crease line 41 crease line 42 crease line 43 folding line 44 folding line 45 folding line 46 central section 53 clamping device 54 stretch film