Modular pallet arrangement

• US 5,094,175 A
• Filed: 03/13/1991
• Issued: 03/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eugene P. Christie
• Original Assignee: Eugene P. Christie
• Inventors: Christie, Eugene P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/668,938
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 108/57.1, 108/56.1, 108/56.3, 108/901, 108/51.1
• US Class Current: 108/56.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0069 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0075 and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00308 grid type, e.g. perforated plate
• 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 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00363 grid type, e.g. perforated plate
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00442 on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00557 without separate auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00567 mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00761 the surface being variable, e.g. extendable pallets B65D2519/00746 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet

Abstract

A modular pallet arrangement formed of a pair of upper and lower pallet sections each of which includes plurality of molded plastic lower pallet units that are adapted to be interconnected in telescoping interlocking relation to form a complete pallet. Certain of the lower units are adapted to be connected to more than one upper unit, so they can join adjacent upper units to each other.

Claims

1. A modular pallet arrangement formed of a plurality of molded plastic units adapted to be interconnected in interlocking relation to form a complete pallet, said arrangement comprising:

(a) an upper section having four generally similiar rectangular upper units, each unit including;

(i) a flat, grid-like, base member presenting upper and lower surfaces that define parallel, vertically spaced, upper and lower planes;

(ii) a plurality of integral, horizontally spaced, downwardly facing, cup-like, upper connector members;

(b) a lower section having a pair of L-shaped units and a pair of rectangular, but open in the center, units arranged and disposed for interlocking engagement with each other and with said upper section units, the lower section units each including;

(i) a plurality of flat, elongated, grid-like, base elements joined at adjacent ends to form a base member presenting upper and lower surfaces that define a pair of parallel, vertically, spaced upper and lower planes;

(ii) a plurality of integral, horizontally spaced, upwardly facing, cup-like, lower connector members;

(c) the connector members of said upper and lower section units being arranged and disposed for telescoping engagement with each other to provide interlocking connections between adjacent upper section units and also between adjacent upper and and lower section units.

2. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 1, wherein certain of said lower connector members each includes;

(i) a hollow body open at the top that is arranged and disposed to telescopingly receive hollow bodies of two separate adjacent upper section unit upper connector members;

(ii) a pair of laterally spaced, upwardly projecting, columns arranged and disposed to be telescopically received within hollow shafts projecting downwardly from said two upper connector members.

3. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each of said connector members comprises a hollow body element and at least one integral, internal, column element arranged and disposed for telescoping engagement with corresponding elements of a related connector member.

4. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 3, wherein certain of said connector members include a pair of column elements spaced laterally from each other and adapted for telescoping engagement with column elements of two separate adjacent related connector members.

5. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a body element of one connector member is received within the body element of a related telescoping connector member while a column element of said related telescoping connector member is received within a column element of said one connector member.

6. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 1, wherein certain of said lower connector members are adapted for telescoping engagement with connector members of more that one upper section pallet unit at the same time.

7. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 1, wherein certain of said lower unit base members have tongue and groove-type interlocking interconnection with adjacent lower unit base members.

8. A modular pallet arrangement formed of a plurality of molded plastic units adapted to be interconnected in interlocking relation to form a complete pallet, said arrangement comprising:

(a) an upper section having a plurality of generally similiar upper units, each including a grid-like, base member having a flat central portion and having at locations adjacent the periphery of said central portion a plurality of integral, downwardly extending, upper connector members;

(b) each of said upper connector members including a continuous side wall forming a cup-like body having a vertical shaft projecting downwardly within said side wall;

(c) a lower section having a plurality of units arranged and disposed for interlocking engagement with said upper section units, each lower section unit including a grid-like base member having a flat central portion and having at locations adjacent the ends of said central portion a plurality of integral, upwardly extending lower connector members;

(d) each of said lower connector members including a bottom wall and a continuous side wall extending upwardly therefrom to form a cup-like body open at the top and having a pair of laterally spaced shafts projecting upwardly from said bottom wall;

(e) the lower section unit connector members being arranged and disposed so that the shafts of each will be in full telescoping engagement with individual shafts of two separate, adjacent upper section unit connector members to provide interlocking connections between adjacent upper section units and also between related upper and lower section units.

9. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 8, wherein certain of said lower unit base members have tongue and groove-type interlocking interconnection with adjacent lower unit base members.

12. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 8, wherein certain of said lower connector members are arranged and disposed to telescopingly receive two separate adjacent upper section unit upper connector member bodies and wherein both shafts of certain of said lower connector members are arranged and disposed to be telescopingly received within hollow shafts projecting downwardly from said two separate upper connector members.

10. A modular pallet arrangement formed of a plurality of molded plastic units adapted to be interconnected in interlocking relation to form a complete pallet, said arrangement comprising:

(a) an upper section having a plurality of generally similar upper units, each including a grid-like, base member having a flat central portion and having at locations adjacent the periphery of said central portion a plurality of integral, downwardly extending, upper connector members;

(b) each of said upper connector members including a top wall and a continuous side wall depending therefrom to form a cup-like body open at the bottom and having a vertical shaft projecting downwardly from said top wall;

(c) a lower section comprising a plurality of lower connector members arranged and disposed for interlocking engagement with said upper section units;

(d) each of said lower connector members including a bottom wall and a continuous side wall extending upwardly therefrom to form a cup-like body open at the top and having a pair of laterally spaced shafts projecting upwardly from said bottom wall;

(e) said lower connector members being arranged and disposed so that the shafts of each will be in full telescoping engagement with individual shafts of two separate, adjacent upper section unit connector members to provide interlocking connections between adjacent upper section units and also between upper and and lower sections.

13. A modular pallet arrangement according to claim 10, wherein certain of said lower connector members are arranged and disposed to telescopingly receive two separate adjacent upper section unit upper connector member bodies and wherein both shafts of certain of said lower connector members are arranged and disposed to be telescopingly received within hollow shafts projecting downwardly from said two separate upper connector members.

11. A modular pallet arrangement formed of a plurality of molded plastic units adapted to be interconnected in interlocking relation to form a complete pallet, said arrangement comprising:

(a) an upper section having a plurality of generally similar upper units, each unit including;

(i) a flat, grid-like, base member;

(ii) a plurality of integral, horizontally spaced, downwardly facing, cup-like, upper connector members;

(b) a lower section having a plurality of units arranged and disposed for interlocking engagement with each other and with said upper section units, the lower section units each including;

(i) a plurality of flat, elongated, grid-like, base elements joined at adjacent ends to form a base member;

(ii) certain of said lower unit base members comprising only two base member elements, which are arranged to form an L-shape, and other of said lower unit base members comprising four base member elements, which are arranged to form the shape of a rectangle open in the center;

(iii) a plurality of integral, horizontally spaced, upwardly facing, cup-like, lower connector members extending between said last mentioned planes and upwardly beyond the upper plane;

(c) the connector members of said upper and lower section units being arranged and disposed for telescoping engagement with each other to provide interlocking connections between adjacent upper section units and also between adjacent upper and lower section units.