Selectively height adjustable shipping pallet

• US 10,583,960 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Erie, Clinton, Lee, Jason, MacPherson, Michael, Paske, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US16/015,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20190389621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 108 541, 108 5712, 108 5111
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0004 Rigid pallets without side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/38 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00368 of the non-integral separating spacer
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00378 whereby at least one spacer is made of two or more pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00776 Accessories for manipulating the pallet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00796 Guiding means for fork-lift
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00805 Means for facilitating the removal of the load

Abstract

A selectively height adjustable pallet including a first member having a first outer surface and a first inner surface, a second member having a second outer surface and a second inner surface, and a plurality of selectively adjustable supports arranged between the first member and the second member. The selectively adjustable supports being operable to establish a first distance between the first inner surface and the second inner surface in a first configuration and a second distance, distinct from the first distance between the first inner surface and the second inner surface in a second configuration. At least one cross member is selectively arranged between the first inner surface and the second inner surface when the plurality of adjustable supports are in one of the first configuration and the second configuration.

Claims

1. A selectively height adjustable pallet comprising:

a first member having a first outer surface and a first inner surface;

a second member having a second outer surface and a second inner surface;

a plurality of selectively adjustable supports arranged between the first member and the second member, the selectively adjustable supports being operable to establish a first distance between the first inner surface and the second inner surface in a first configuration and a second distance, distinct from the first distance between the first inner surface and the second inner surface in a second configuration; and

at least one cross member arranged between the first member and the second member, the at least one cross member abutting the first inner surface and the second inner surface when the plurality of adjustable supports are in one of the first configuration and the second configuration thereby supporting the first member relative to the second member.

2. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cross member defines at least one fork receiving pocket.

3. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cross member comprises a first cross member arranged between the first inner surface and the second inner surface at a first side of the selectively height adjustable pallet, and a second cross member arranged between the first inner surface and the second inner surface on a second, opposing side of the selectively height adjustable pallet.

4. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 3, wherein each of the first cross member and the second cross member includes at least two fork receiving pockets.

5. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of selectively adjustable supports includes a selectively inflatable bladder.

6. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 5, further comprising:

at least one pressure gauge operatively connected to at least one selectively inflatable bladder.

7. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the selectively adjustable supports are positionable in the first configuration and others of the selectively adjustable supports are positionable in the second configuration such that the first outer surface is angled relative to the second outer surface.

8. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of support receiving members projecting proudly of the first outer surface, each of the plurality of support receiving members being receptive of at least a portion of corresponding ones of the plurality of selectively adjustable supports.

9. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one linkage extending between the first member and the second member, the at least one linkage maintaining alignment between the first member and the second member when the plurality of selectively adjustable supports transition between the first configuration and the second configuration.

10. The selectively height adjustable pallet according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectively adjustable supports connect the first member with the second member.

11. A method of transporting a good on a selectively height adjustable pallet comprising:

positioning a first member of the selectively height adjustable pallet in a first configuration relative to a second member of the selectively height adjustable pallet;

positioning the good on the first member;

adjusting a plurality of selectively adjustable supports to raise the first member to a second configuration relative to the second member; and

installing at least one cross member between the first member and the second member to maintain the first member in the second configuration thereby supporting the first member relative to the second member.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the plurality of selectively adjustable supports includes inflating a bladder arranged in each of the selectively adjustable supports.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting a portion of the plurality of selectively adjustable supports to shift the first member into a third configuration wherein the first member is angled relative to the second member.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

rolling the good off of the first member in the third configuration.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

guiding the first member between the first configuration and the second configuration with at least one linkage connecting the first member and the second member.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

positioning forks in fork pockets formed in the at least one cross member.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein positioning the good on the first member includes positioning the selectively adjustable pallet between first and second support elements extending from a lower surface of the good.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the plurality of selectively adjustable supports includes raising the first member to lift the support elements from a supporting surface.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transporting the good on the selectively height adjustable pallet from one location to another location with the first member fixedly maintained in the second configuration through the at least one cross member.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting the plurality of adjustable supports from the second configuration to the first configuration after installing the at least one cross member.