Materials handling pallet

• US 6,109,190 A
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 1607 Commerce Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Plastic Pallet Production, Inc.
• Inventors: Kruger, Paul A., Hale, Ronald G., Byers, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US09/421,766
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• Field of Search: 108/57.25, 108/57.26, 108/901, 108/902, 108/51.11, 108/56.1, 108/56.3
• US Class Current: 108/57.25
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0016 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 2519/00273 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 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• 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 2519/00985 the pallet being not usable as a pallet after dismounting
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0099 single dismountable pallet element, e.g. for replacement

Abstract

A molded plastic product and material handling pallet comprising upper and lower pieces of different plastic materials assembled in separable mating registration to provide a pervious product bed and a lower framework of sufficient strength for vertical stacking storage of product-loaded pallets in open racks.

Claims

1. A product and material handling pallet comprising:

a molded plastic upper piece and a molded plastic lower piece, said upper and lower pieces adapted for latched mating when brought together in registration;

said upper piece comprising a pervious load bed predominantly of cellular honeycomb-like construction and a plurality of support posts having side walls extending downwardly from said load bed, each of said support posts being at least partially hollow and open at its lower end, each of said support posts having a recessed slot in at least one of said side walls extending from the lower end of said support post toward said load bed, and a latch ledge projection within said slot and located at a distance from the lower end of said slot;

said lower piece comprising a framework of interconnected side rail members, cross-rail brace members and a plurality of support post platforms, each said platform having a base surface and at least one upstanding latch finger extending upwardly from said base surface and terminating at its upper end in a projecting latch shoulder;

said support post platforms being so arranged and positioned as to each mate in registration with one of said support posts with said at least one latch finger extending into a recessed slot of said support post sufficiently that said shoulder of said latch finger latches over said latch ledge of said slot.

2. The pallet as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of guide members positioned on said platform base surfaces to extend into said support posts when said support posts are brought into registration with said base surfaces and said upper and lower pieces are mated thereby to steady and brace said support posts.

3. A The pallet as defined in claim 2 wherein said latch fingers are flexible in a direction allowing movement of said latch shoulders past said latch ridges to achieve latching engagement when said upper and lower pieces are mated in registration.

4. The pallet as defined in claim 3 wherein said support posts are so constructed as to provide access to said latch fingers when said upper and lower pieces are mated in registration whereby said latching engagement may be released.

5. The pallet as defined in claim 3 wherein said upper and lower pieces are made of different plastic materials.

6. The pallet as defined in claim 1 wherein said latch fingers are flexible in a direction allowing movement of said latch shoulders past said latch ridges to achieve latching engagement when said upper and lower pieces are mated in registration.

7. The pallet as defined in claim 6 wherein said support posts are so constructed as to provide access to said latch fingers when said upper and lower pieces are mated in registration whereby said latching engagement may be released.

8. The pallet as defined in claim 6 wherein said upper and lower pieces are made of different plastic materials.

9. The pallet as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of support posts are positioned at each corner, at the mid-point of each side and in the middle of said upper piece.

10. The pallet as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower pieces are made of different plastic materials.

11. A product and material handling pallet comprising:

a molded plastic upper piece and a molded plastic lower piece adapted for latched mating when said upper and said lower pieces are brought together in registration;

said upper piece comprising a pervious load bed predominantly of cellular honeycomb-like construction and a plurality of support posts having side walls extending downwardly from said load bed, each of said support posts being at least partially hollow and open at its lower end, each said support post having a recessed slot in at least one of said side walls extending from the lower end of said support post toward said load bed, and a latch ledge projection within said slot and located at a distance from the lower end of said slot;

said lower piece comprising a framework of interconnected side rail members, cross-rail brace members and a plurality of support post platforms, each said platform having a base surface and at least one upstanding latch finger extending upwardly from said base surface and terminating at its upper end in a projecting latch shoulder;

said support post platforms being so arranged and positioned as to each mate in registration with one of said support posts with said at least one latch finger extending into a recessed slot of said support post sufficiently that said shoulder of said latch finger latches over said latch ledge of said slot;

each of said latch fingers being flexible in a direction allowing movement of said latch shoulder of said finger past said latch ridge to achieve latching engagement;

and guide members on each said platform base surface positioned to extend within and steady and brace said support post when said post is brought into registration with said base surface.

12. The pallet as defined in claim 11 wherein said upper and lower pieces are made of different plastic materials.

13. The pallet as defined in claim 12 wherein said support posts are so constructed as to provide access to said latch fingers w en said upper and lower pieces are mated in registration whereby said latching engagement may be released.

14. The pallet as defined in claim 13 wherein said plurality of support posts are positioned at each corner, at the mid-point of each side and in the middle of said upper piece.