CONFIGURABLE, REPAIRABLE, AND RECYCLABLE CARGO PALLET

• US 20120240827A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edgar Hidalgo
• Original Assignee: Edgar Hidalgo
• Inventors: Hidalgo, Edgar
• Application Number:
  US13/266,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/50.11
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0095 and each contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00104 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00298 skeleton type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00353 skeleton type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00373 whereby at least one spacer is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00407 on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00412 on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00417 on the non-integral separating spacer
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00572 with separate auxiliary element, e.g. screws, nails, bayonets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0084 Separated elements, e.g. including in-moulded elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lightweight and versatile pallet and its manufacturing and assembling method. It consists of the design of a repairable, recyclable, and reusable pallet with a modular structure, configurable load capacity, and with non-slip rubber surfaces to prevent sliding of the cargo on the pallet and of the pallet on the ground, shelf, and forklift or other pallet handling equipment. This pallet is to be used in numerous commercial and industrial applications. An embodiment of the platform members used to form the bottom and top surfaces of the pallet can be used to construct other flat platforms such as walls, floors, and molds for pouring concrete structures.

Claims

1. A reusable, repairable, recyclable, with configurable load capacity pallet 10, characterized by having two main components:

the central beams 2 and platform members 1 which have grids of reinforcing ribs 9 and 3, respectively, whose thickness is adjustable in the manufacturing process to vary the strength and robustness of the pallet 10;

several of these main components are interconnected, conical protuberances 8 on said central beams 2 are inserted into conical holes 11 in said platform members 1;

at least two of the central beams 2 are placed in parallel and at their top and bottom sides they are aligned and coupled perpendicularly to a variable number of platform members 1;

said platform members 1 and central beams 2 are secured and interlocked with bolts 12 or 22, washers 13, and nuts 14;

said pallets 10 have empty spaces 23 to insert the forks of a forklift or other pallet handler;

the number and the thickness of the walls of said platform members 1 and/or central beams 2 is adjustable to configure the load capacity of the pallet 10;

the thicknesses of the walls 16, 17, 19, and 21, web 29, and the grids of reinforcing ribs 9 and 3 of said platform members 1 and/or central beams 2 are also adjustable to configure the load capacity of the pallet 10.

2. The pallet 10 of claim 1 is characterized by having central beams 2 which have flat ends 21, web 29, and flat surfaces 19 that are identical at its top and bottom, with its lateral sides having a grid of reinforcing ribs 3 longitudinal, transversal, and diagonally connected along the central beams 2;

centered on the flat surfaces 19 and located along the central beams 2, there are rows of conical protuberances 8;

between each pair of conical protuberances 8, there are holes 6 that could be smooth or threaded to insert bolts 12 or 22.

3. The pallet 10 of claim 1 is characterized by having platform members 1 with a flat surface 16 and flat sidewalls 17;

on the opposite side to the flat surface 16, there is a grid of reinforcing ribs 9 longitudinal, transversal, and diagonally connected along the platform members 1;

said platform members 1 have holes 7 to insert bolts 12 or 22;

said holes 7 have housings 15 to accommodate the heads 18 of bolts 12 or 22 or the nuts 14 and also to accommodate the washers 13;

said holes 7 are threaded to insert bolts 22.

4. The pallet 10 of claim 1 is characterized by having non-slip rubber blocks 5 that are inserted into holes 4 in the platform members 1 to prevent slippage of the pallet 10 on the floor, shelf, or forklift or other pallet manipulating devices, and also to prevent slippage of the cargo on the pallet 10.

5. The pallet 10 of claim 1 is characterized by having aligning and engaging means consisting of conical protuberances 8 that are inserted in conical holes 11 of platform members 1 to contribute carrying shear stresses and to prevent relative displacement or rotation between the platform members 1 and beams 2;

pallet 10 also has interlocking and connecting means that consist of bolts 12 or 22, whose heads 18 are lodged in the accommodations 15 at the ends of the holes 7 of the platform members 1, said bolts pass through holes 7 in platform members 1 and holes 6 in the central beams 2, and at the other end of the bolts 12 or 22, opposed to the heads 18, washers 13 are placed, and nuts 14 are threaded onto the bolts 12 or 22 and lodged in the accommodations 15 at the ends of the holes 7 of the platform members 1;

the washers 13 can also be placed next to the heads 18 of the bolts 12 or 22, and between platform members 1 and beams 2.

6. The pallets of claim 3 are characterized by forming flatbeds or platforms on the top and bottom of pallet 10;

platform members 1 are modified by removing the holes 4 to create other platform members 1′

;

two or more of said platform members 1′

are placed adjacently and attached to each other using connecting pieces 24, bolts 25, and nuts 26 to construct flatbeds 20 of adjustable size and robustness depending on the number of platform members 1′ and

connectors 24 that are connected together;

said connecting pieces 24 have at least four holes 27 to coincide with holes 7 of the platform members 1′

, said connecting pieces 24 have at least four protuberances 28 that are inserted into the accommodations 15 of the platform members 1′

, said bolts 25 are inserted into holes 7 of the platform parts 1′

that match the holes 27 in connectors 24 to assemble the adjustable size platform 20;

said connectors 24 have holes 27 and protuberances 28 that match the accommodations 15 of members 1′

to align and secure them with bolts 25 and nuts 26;

said platforms 20 are used as walls, floors, and molds for concrete pouring applications.