Composite pallet structure

Abstract

A composite pallet structure includes a unit pallet including: upper and lower basic supporting boards, at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods attached to each of the corresponding sides of the upper and lower basic supporting boards, a plurality of spacers distributed between the auxiliary rods on the upper basic supporting board and the auxiliary rods on the lower basic supporting board, and a plurality of fixing elements for restricting the spacers within the space between the upper and lower basic supporting boards in order for the unit pallet to have high supporting strength. The composite pallet structure needs no soldering and, therefore, can be easily repaired and recycled.

Claims

1. A unit pallet comprising: an upper basic supporting board; a lower basic supporting board; a plurality of spacers distributed at equal or unequal spacings between corresponding sides of the upper basic supporting board and the lower basic supporting board; a plurality of fixing elements each having a fastening member and a press-fit member, with each said fastening member having spaced-apart elastic stopper portions, with each said press-fit member being received in a space at an end of a corresponding fastening member, with the plurality of fixing elements securing the upper basic supporting board, the lower basic supporting board, and the plurality of spacers in a predetermined configuration; and at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods attached to each of the corresponding sides of the upper basic supporting board and the lower basic supporting board, wherein the plurality of spacers is distributed between the at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods on the upper basic supporting board and the at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods on the lower basic supporting board, wherein the plurality of spacers and the at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods being restricted between the upper basic supporting board and the lower basic supporting board in position by the plurality of fixing elements securing the upper and lower basic supporting boards and the plurality of spacers.

2. The composite pallet structure of claim 1, wherein each of the upper basic supporting board and the lower basic supporting board of the unit pallet has an inner side with two lateral edges, wherein each of the two lateral edges is attached with an L-shaped edge plate, wherein the plurality of spacers is distributed between and each extend across the L-shaped edge plates on the two lateral edges of each of the upper basic supporting board and the lower basic supporting board, and wherein the plurality of fixing elements restricts the plurality of spacers within a space between the upper basic supporting board and the lower basic supporting board.

3. A unit pallet comprising: a plurality of elevated bases of a predetermined width; at least one basic supporting board of a predetermined width; a plurality of fixing elements arranged at a predetermined spacing along the plurality of elevated bases and the at least one basic supporting board, with each said fixing element having a fastening member and a press-fit member, with each said fastening member having spaced-apart elastic stopper portions, with each said press-fit member being received in a space at an end of a corresponding said fastening member, with the plurality of fixing elements securing the plurality of elevated bases and the at least one basic supporting board in a predetermined configuration; and at least two auxiliary rods provided between the plurality of elevated bases and the at least one basic supporting board, wherein the at least two auxiliary rods is restricted between the plurality of elevated bases and the at least one basic supporting board in position by the plurality of fixing elements securing the plurality of elevated bases and the at least one basic supporting board.

4. The composite pallet structure of claim 3, wherein each of the at least one basic supporting board has an inner side with two lateral edges, wherein each of the two lateral edges is attached with an L-shaped edge plate, wherein the plurality of fixing elements restricts the at least one basic supporting board laid over the at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods and the L-shaped edge plates of the two lateral edges to the plurality of elevated bases.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a unit pallet according to the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the unit pallet in FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is an assembled top view of the unit pallet in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 40-40 in FIG. 3;

(5) FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the circled area A in FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 50-50 in FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of a width-extended version of the unit pallet in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a width-extended elevated unit pallet according to the present invention; and

(9) FIG. 8 is an assembled perspective view of the elevated unit pallet in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) The present invention provides a composite pallet structure including a unit pallet 6, and the unit pallet 6 features flexible width extension and high supporting strength. Referring to FIG. 2, the unit pallet 6 includes an upper basic supporting board 1, a lower basic supporting board 1, at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods 2 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 5) attached to each of the corresponding sides of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1, a plurality of spacers 3 (each having a recumbent square-U shaped cross section by way of example) distributed at equal or unequal spacings between the two auxiliary rods 2 on the upper basic supporting board 1 and the two auxiliary rods 2 on the lower basic supporting board 1 (see FIG. 4), and a plurality of fixing elements 5 for restricting the spacers 3 (each extending across the two auxiliary rods 2 on each of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1) within the space between the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 (see FIG. 4A). Based on the weights and sizes of the objects to be placed on the unit pallet 6, the number of the spacers 3 may be increased, and so may the width of the unit pallet 6 and the number of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 (see FIG. 6), in order for the resulting unit pallet 6 (see FIG. 1) to have high supporting strength and a flexibly assembled supporting surface.

(11) The at least two auxiliary rods 2 on each of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 are placed in concave areas 11 of the basic supporting board respectively (see FIG. 5). Each concave area 11 extends over a predetermined range. The auxiliary rods 2 are made of metal and are in the form of tubes having a square cross section by way of example. The fixing elements 5 for restricting the spacers 3, each of which extends across the two auxiliary rods 2 on each basic supporting board 1, will be described in more detail below.

(12) The inner side of each of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 of the unit pallet 6 has two lateral edges each attached with an L-shaped edge plate 4 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 5). The spacers 3 are distributed between the L-shaped edge plates 4 on the two lateral edges of each of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 (in this embodiment, the L-shaped edge plates 4 are made of metal by way of example), and each spacer 3 extends across the L-shaped edge plates 4 on the two lateral edges of each of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1. Therefore, once the spacers 3 are restricted within the space between the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 by the fixing elements 5, the unit pallet 6 as a whole has high supporting strength. The fixing elements 5 for restricting the spacers 3, each of which extends across the two L-shaped edge plates 4 on each basic supporting board 1, will be described in more detail below.

(13) The fixing elements 5 of the unit pallet 6 are configured for restricting the spacers 3, each of which extends across the two auxiliary rods 2 on each basic supporting board 1, within the space between the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 4A), and each fixing element 5 includes a fastening member 51 and a press-fit member 53. The fastening member 51 has an inner section formed with spaced-apart elastic stopper portion 52, and the press-fit member 53 is received in a space at one end of the fastening member 51. The spaced-apart elastic stopper portions 52 at one end of each fastening member 51 are guided through a predetermined hole 12 in one of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1, a corresponding predetermined hole 41 (if existing) in one of the L-shaped edge plates 4, and a corresponding predetermined hole 31 in one of the spacers 3, before restoring their spread configuration and thus being restricted on one side of the one of the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1 (see FIG. 4A). The corresponding press-fit member 53 is then pushed into the fastening member 51. Thus, the upper and lower basic supporting boards 1, the L-shaped edge plates 4, and the spacers 3 are secured in the intended configuration.

(14) FIG. 7 shows the unit pallet 6 in the second embodiment of the present invention. The unit pallet 6 is elevated as a whole, allows flexible extension in width and has high supporting strength. The unit pallet 6 includes: a plurality of elevated bases 7 of a predetermined width, at least two spaced-apart auxiliary rods 2 provided on upper portions of the elevated bases 7 (in this embodiment, the auxiliary rods 2 are made of metal and are in the form of tubes having a square cross section by way of example), at least one basic supporting board 1 of a predetermined width (see FIG. 8) laid over the auxiliary rods 2, and a plurality of fixing elements 5 for restricting the basic supporting boards 1, which are laid over the auxiliary rods 2, to the elevated bases 7. Based on the required placement height, weights, and sizes of the objects to be placed on the unit pallet 6, the number of the basic supporting boards 1 may be increased in order for the resulting unit pallet 6 to have high supporting strength and a flexibly assembled supporting surface.

(15) The inner side of each basic supporting board 1 of the unit pallet 6 has two lateral edges each attached with an L-shaped edge plate 4 (see FIG. 7). The basic supporting boards 1, which are laid over the auxiliary rods 2, and the L-shaped edge plates 4 (which, in this embodiment, are made of metal by way of example) are restricted to the elevated bases 7 by the fixing elements 5 such that the unit pallet 6 as a whole has high supporting strength.

(16) The fixing elements 5 of the unit pallet 6 are configured for restricting the basic supporting boards 1, which are laid over the spaced-apart auxiliary rods 2, to the elevated bases 7, and each fixing element 5 includes a fastening member 51 and a press-fit member 53. The fastening member 51 has an inner section formed with spaced-apart elastic stopper portions 52, and the press-fit member 53 is received in a space at one end of the fastening member 51. The spaced-apart elastic stopper portions 52 at one end of each fastening member 51 are guided through a predetermined hole in one of the basic supporting boards 1 and a corresponding predetermined hole in one of the elevated bases 7, before restoring their spread configuration and thus being restricted on one side of the one of the elevated bases 7. The corresponding press-fit member 53 is then pushed into the fastening member 51. Thus, the basic supporting boards 1 and the elevated bases 7 are secured in the intended configuration.

(17) The elevated bases 7 as well as the basic supporting boards 1 described above with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 7 are formed of a tough material and have a proper width.