SYSTEM COMPRISING A PALLET, CONTAINERS AND STACKING PINS

Abstract

The invention relates to a system comprising at least one lightweight pallet and multiple similarly designed containers. Each container has four side walls and container base. The system includes stacking pins as separate components. The pallet features an upper deck with a bearing surface, supported by feet and/or runners, and incorporates first stacking pin receivers. Each container base is provided with at least one second stacking pin receiver. These receivers are dimensioned for insertion of a stacking pin, allowing a container to be securely fixed to the pallet. The stacking pin can be stably arranged in two positions: in the first, it engages the first receiver on the container's side while protruding over the bearing surface to engage the second receiver; in the second, it is countersunk in the first receiver, forming a clamping fit with the upper deck or its thread.

Claims

1. System comprising at least one pallet, in particular a lightweight pallet, a plurality of containers, in particular of a similar design, each having four circumferential side walls and in each case a container base, and comprising a plurality of stacking members as separate components, wherein the pallet has an upper deck with a bearing surface and, on the underside of the upper deck, a plurality of feet and/or runners, and wherein the upper deck comprises first stacking member receivers, characterised in that the stacking members are formed by means of stacking pins, in particular of a similar design, and the stacking member receivers are formed by means of stacking pin receivers and in that the container base of each container comprises in each case at least one second stacking pin receiver, wherein the first and second stacking pin receivers are dimensioned for insertion of a stacking pin and can be arranged with respect to one another such that each container can be fixed on the upper deck by means of the stacking pin, wherein the stacking pin can be arranged in a stable manner in a first position, in which the stacking pin engages, on the carcass side, into the first stacking pin receiver, on the end side protrudes over the bearing surface and engages into the second stacking pin receiver, and wherein the stacking pin can be arranged in a stable manner in a second position, in which the stacking pin is countersunk in the first stacking pin receiver, wherein the stacking pin is located in a clamping fit with the upper deck or in a thread of the upper deck.

2. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one second stacking pin receiver is designed as an aperture of a container base flange or as an aperture in the container base of reinforcing ribs which are present.

3. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one first stacking pin receiver is delimited by an in particular circumferential receiver fitting, by a partial ring-shaped flange portion and/or by a threaded portion.

4. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one stacking pin has a conical or cylindrical body portion and at least one end portion which has a larger diameter than the body portion.

5. System as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that a transition from the body portion to the end portion is formed by means of a circumferential shoulder.

6. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one stacking pin is designed as a locating pin, wherein the dimensions of the locating pin and of the first stacking pin receiver are adapted to one another such that the locating pin can be inserted through the first stacking pin receiver, in particular from below, under compression, and can be held in the first stacking pin receiver in a form-fitting manner or in a clamping fit.

7. System as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the locating pin has at least one annular lip which is circumferential around the periphery of a body portion.

8. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one stacking pin is designed as a locating pin and has a body portion which is divided by an annular lip into an end-side body portion and a carcass-side body portion wherein, in a first position, the end-side body portion and, in a second position, the carcass-side body portion can be held in a form-fitting manner or in a clamping fit in the first stacking pin receiver.

9. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one stacking pin is formed as a bayonet screw, wherein the first stacking pin receiver is delimited by a threaded portion which is adapted to a bayonet threaded portion of the bayonet screw, so that the bayonet screw can be held in the first stacking pin receiver in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner.

10. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the stacking pin can be held in a first position in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner in the upper deck, wherein the stacking pin engages, on the carcass side, into the first stacking pin receiver and protrudes on the end side over the bearing surface, and can be held in the second position in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner in the upper deck, wherein the stacking pin is completely countersunk in the first stacking pin receiver.

11. System as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the containers can be arranged on the upper deck, substantially covering the surface in one container tier.

12. Pallet comprising a plurality of stacking pins inserted therein, the pallet having an upper deck with a bearing surface and, on the underside of the upper deck, a plurality of feet and/or runners, wherein the upper deck comprises first stacking pin receivers dimensioned for an insertion of a stacking pin, characterised in that the stacking pin can be arranged in a stable manner in a first position, in which the stacking pin engages, on the carcass side, into the first stacking pin receiver, on the end side protrudes over the bearing surface, and wherein the stacking pin can be arranged in a stable manner in a second position, in which the stacking pin is countersunk in the first stacking pin receiver, wherein the stacking pin is located in a clamping fit with the upper deck or in a thread of the upper deck.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0042] The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the figures.

[0043] In the Drawings:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a system having a lightweight board, a plurality of containers and a plurality of stacking pins according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an underside of a container,

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a corner-side portion of a pallet with stacking pins arranged therein,

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a corner region of a system having a pallet and a container according to an alternative embodiment,

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a detailed region of a pallet and of stacking pins in the form of locating pins,

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a section of a system having a pallet, a container and stacking pins in the form of locating pins,

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of a pallet having stacking pins in the form of bayonet screws, and

[0051] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of a system having a pallet, a container and stacking pins in the form of locating pins.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a system 2 according to one embodiment of the invention. A part of a container tier 4 is illustrated on a pallet 10 which is designed as a so-called light-weight board, wherein, in this case, the container tier 4 is formed by way of example of three containers 20.

[0053] The dimensions of the containers 20 are adapted to the pallet 10 such that six containers 20 are arranged in a 23 matrix on the pallet in a manner covering the surface, in order to form a surface-covering container tier 4. Only three containers 20 of the container tier 4 are illustrated, wherein one of the three containers 20 is illustrated in section in order to visualise the cooperation of stacking pins 30 with the container 20 for fixing the container 20 to the pallet 10.

[0054] The containers 20 each have four circumferential side walls 22 and one container base 24, wherein this is not limiting for the invention. In one advantageous embodiment, the containers 20 are illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0055] The pallet 10 in FIG. 1 comprises an upper deck 12 having a bearing surface 120 which has an open rip structure 122, wherein this is not limiting for the invention. Furthermore, in this case the pallet 10 comprises, by way of example but in a manner not limiting for the invention, nine feet 14, of which five can be seen in the view in FIG. 1. The corner feet 14 have pot-like outer shapes 140 which are formed tapering conically towards the base. Therefore, the pallet 14 is designed to be nestable in an identically designed pallet 10, wherein, in this state, the feet 14 nest one inside the other. The feet 14 arranged on the corner side have dome-like inner structures 142 in the form of truncated pyramids which form island-like bearing surfaces 144 on the upper side which can be equiplanar with respect to the bearing surface 120. The dome-like inner structure 142 in the form of the truncated pyramid likewise has the property that it enables the pallet 10 to be supported in a nestable manner.

[0056] A series of stacking pins 30 are inserted in the pallet 10, for which reason the pallet 10 has corresponding first stacking pin receivers 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the stacking pins 30 are arranged spaced apart from the edge of the pallet 10. First stacking pin receivers 16 arranged on the edge side are empty or contain countersunk stacking pins 30, which means that they are not visible in this view. Corresponding to the first stacking pin receivers 16 arranged spaced apart from the pallet edge, the containers 20 have second stacking pin receivers 26 spaced apart on the edge side, which can be seen in FIG. 2 and with which the containers 20 can be fixed on the pallet.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows the underside of a container 20 having a container base 24 which is formed by means of an open rib structure 240, but this is not limiting for the invention. The open rib structure 240 comprises a multiplicity of reinforcing ribs 242 which extend e.g. diagonally in this case. The container base 24 is formed by first intersecting, diagonally extending reinforcing ribs 242 and second intersecting reinforcing ribs 242 extending in parallel with the side walls 22. The illustrated structure of the container base 24 is particularly stable against twisting and torsion.

[0058] Apertures 28 are arranged in the container base 24 and moreover in the form of apertures 28 of the reinforcing ribs 242. Within the scope of the present disclosure, the apertures 28 of the reinforcing ribs 242 form the second stacking pin receivers 26.

[0059] The apertures 28 are delimited by fittings or grommet-shaped structures, so that a circular stacking pin 30 (not illustrated) can be inserted, in particular can be inserted in an accurately fitting manner.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of a corner region of an upper deck 12 of a pallet 10 with stacking pins 30 inserted therein. In contrast to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, in this case the stacking pins 30 are inserted both along the pallet edge and in the inner region of the pallet, and some of the stacking pins 30 protrude over the bearing surface 120.

[0061] FIG. 4 shows a corner region of a container 20 having two stacking pin receivers 26 in the form of apertures 28 in the container base flange 244 which is fixed on a pallet 10 by means of the engagement of stacking pins 30 into the apertures 28. The container base flange 244 can also be designated as a stacking edge and have a corresponding functionality, in particular in the container stack, which is known to a person skilled in the art.

[0062] FIG. 5 shows details of a corner region of a pallet 10 and a stacking pin 30 in the form of a locating pin 300. The locating pin 300 has a body portion 32 as well as an end portion 34, which has a larger diameter than the body portion 32, and a carcass portion 36 which has a larger diameter than the body portion 32. The end portion 34 and the carcass portion 36 each adjoin the body portion 32 via a shoulder 38.

[0063] The dimensions of the first stacking pin receiver 16 are adapted to the diameter of the end portion 34 and body portion 32 such that the locating pin 300 can be inserted into the first stacking pin receiver e.g. by striking it from below, and can protrude on the end side over the bearing surface 120 of the pallet. In this state which is shown on the right in the illustration, the locating pin 300 continues to engage on the carcass side into the first stacking pin receiver 16 and protrudes with its end-side body portion 320 on the end side over the bearing surface 120.

[0064] FIG. 6 shows the inserted stacking pin 30 of FIG. 5 in a functional position in the system 2 for fixing the container 20 on the pallet 10. The stacking pin 30 protrudes with its end-side body portion 320 (cf. also FIG. 5) over the bearing surface 120 of the pallet 10. FIG. 6 illustrates, with the aid of the reference signs, a further functionality of the stacking pin 30 in the form of the locating pin 300 which can be present in addition to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5, but does not have to be.

[0065] Specifically, in the exemplified embodiment of both FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 the stacking pin 30 designed as a locating pin 300 has an annular lip 326 which divides the body portion 32 into an end-side body portion 320 and a carcass-side body portion 322. The annular lip 326 or alternatively the entire locating pin 300 can be made from an elastically compressible material.

[0066] The first stacking pin receiver 16 is designed as a receiver fitting 160 having a tapered portion 162. The dimensions of the tapered portion 162 of the first stacking pin receiver 16 and the body portion 32 of the locating pin 300 are adapted to one another such that the annular lip 326 can be transferred under compression from a position above the tapered portion 162, which is illustrated in FIG. 6, to a position below the tapered portion 162 and vice versa. For the locating pin 300, a second position can be set, in which the end-side body portion 320 can be held in a form-fitting manner or in a clamping fit in the first stacking pin receiver 16 (not illustrated in FIG. 6), and a first position, in which the carcass-side body portion 322 can be held in a form-fitting manner or in a clamping fit in the first stacking pin receiver 16 (illustrated in FIG. 6). An annular shoulder 324 which adjoins the carcass-side body section 322 and forms the transition to the carcass side 36 protrudes downwards below the tapered portion 162 in both cases in this embodiment.

[0067] FIG. 7 shows in particular an alternative embodiment of the stacking pin 30 as a bayonet screw 302.

[0068] The bayonet screw 302 comprises a bayonet threaded portion 304 which cooperates with a corresponding threaded portion 170 (cf. FIG. 8) of the first stacking pin receiver 16 in order to hold the stacking pin 30 in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner in the first stacking pin receiver 16.

[0069] The bayonet screw 302 illustrated in FIG. 7 comprises, on the end side, a screw head drive 306, with the aid of which the bayonet screw can be arranged in a height-adjustable manner in the first stacking pin receiver 16 by means of a tool, in particular e.g. a special tool.

[0070] Furthermore, the bayonet screw 302 has an annular lip 326 which cooperates with a shoulder 172 to prevent the bayonet screw 302 from falling out of the first stacking pin receiver 16.

[0071] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and includes a large number of embodiments which are immediately apparent to a person skilled in the art.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0072] 2 system; 4 container tier; 10 pallet; 12 upper deck; 120 bearing surface; 122 open rib structure; 14 foot; 140 pot-like outer shape; 142 dome-like inner structure; 144 island-like bearing surface; 16 first stacking pin receiver; 160 receiver fitting; 162 tapered portion; 170 threaded portion; 172 shoulder; 180 receiver base; 20 container; 22 side wall; 24 container base; 240 open rib structure; 242 reinforcing rib; 244 container base flange; 26 second stacking pin receiver; 28 aperture; 30 stacking pin; 300 locating pin; 302 bayonet screw; 304 bayonet threaded portion; 306 screw head drive; 32 body portion; 320 end-side body portion; 322 carcass-side body portion; 324 annular shoulder; 326 annular lip; 34 end portion; 36 carcass portion; 38 shoulder