Pallet assembly

• US 20040218276A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Original Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Inventors: Apps, William P., Overholt, Trenton M., Smyers, Justin M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,661,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/582
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0012 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• 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 2519/00129 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00139 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00144 Agglomerates, i.e. different materials mixed together
• 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 2519/00343 contact surface being substantially in the form of a panel
• 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 2519/00437 on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00442 on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00567 mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00796 : Guiding means for fork-lift

Abstract

A pallet assembly includes an upper deck and a lower deck spaced by a plurality of columns. The weight of the pallet is reduced without significant reduction in strength by providing only a single cross beam in each of the upper and lower reinforcement members and orienting them perpendicular to one another. The reinforcement members are minimized for weight reduction and for improved performance in heat tests. The peripheral rail of the upper reinforcement member is reduced such that it rests on only an inwardly open recess on an inner corner of each of the corner columns. This reduces the size and weight of the upper reinforcement member, while still providing support to the upper deck. Additionally, the peripheral rails of both the upper and lower decks are reduced in length such that either ledge does not directly support them while the pallet is stored on a rack. As a result, in the case of sufficient heat source on the pallets, the pallets will eventually collapse without interference from the reinforcement members and at least partially smother the heat source.

Claims

1. A reinforced pallet assembly comprising:

a first deck;

a second deck;

a plurality of columns between the first deck and the second deck;

a first reinforcement member between the first deck and the plurality of columns, the first reinforcement member comprising a first peripheral rail and a first cross-bar connected at opposite ends to the first peripheral rail to define at least one uninterrupted opening between the first peripheral rail and first cross bar; and

a second reinforcement member between the second deck and the plurality of columns, the second reinforcement member comprising a second peripheral rail and a second cross-bar connected at opposite ends to the second peripheral rail.

2. The reinforced pallet of claim 1 wherein the first cross bar generally bisects an opening defined by the first peripheral rail into two substantially equal, uninterrupted openings including the at least one uninterrupted opening.

3. The reinforced pallet of claim 2 wherein the second cross bar generally bisects an opening defined by the second peripheral rail into two substantially equal, uninterrupted openings.

4. The reinforced pallet of claim 1 wherein the first peripheral rail generally comprises two spaced, generally laterally-extending rails parallel to the first cross-bar and two spaced, parallel longitudinally-extending rails, the laterally-extending rails connected to the cross-bar by the longitudinally-extending rails, the reinforcement member including no other connection of the cross-bar to the laterally-extending rails.

5. The reinforced pallet of claim 4 wherein the second peripheral rail generally comprises two spaced, generally longitudinally-extending rails parallel to the second cross-bar and two spaced, parallel laterally-extending rails, the longitudinally-extending rails connected to the cross-bar by the laterally-extending rails, the reinforcement member including no other connection of the cross-bar to the longitudinally-extending rails.

6. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 1 further including a laterally and longitudinally central column between the first reinforcement member and the second reinforcement member, the central column positioned between the first cross-bar and the second cross-bar.

7. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 6 wherein the first cross-bar is in a non-parallel orientation relative to the second cross-bar.

8. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein the first cross-bar is in a non-parallel orientation to the second cross-bar.

9. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 8 wherein the first cross-bar is substantially perpendicular to the second cross-bar.

10. A reinforced pallet assembly comprising:

a first deck;

a second deck;

a plurality of columns between the first deck and the second deck, the plurality of columns including a plurality of corner columns each including an inwardly open recess; and

a first reinforcement member between the first deck and the plurality of columns, the first reinforcement member comprising a peripheral rail supported on the inwardly open recesses of the plurality of corner columns and the first deck.

11. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 10 wherein the first reinforcement member further includes a cross-bar connected at its opposite ends to each of two first peripheral rail sections.

12. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 11 further including a second reinforcement member between the second deck and the plurality of columns, the second reinforcement member comprising two generally parallel second peripheral rail sections and a second cross-bar connected at its opposite ends to each of the two second peripheral rail sections, the second cross-bar perpendicular to the first cross-bar.

13. A reinforced pallet assembly comprising:

a first deck;

a second deck;

a plurality of columns between the first deck and the second deck;

a first reinforcement member between the first deck and the plurality of columns, the first reinforcement member comprising two generally parallel first peripheral rail sections and a first cross-bar connected at its opposite ends to each of the two first peripheral rail sections; and

a second reinforcement member between the second deck and the plurality of columns, the second reinforcement member comprising two generally parallel second peripheral rail sections and a second cross-bar connected at its opposite ends to each of the two second peripheral rail sections, the second cross-bar perpendicular to the first cross-bar.

14. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 13 wherein at least some of the plurality of columns include upper channels into which the first reinforcement member is received and lower channels into which the second reinforcement member is received.

15. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 14 wherein the plurality of columns includes a plurality of corner columns each having an inwardly open corner recess upon which the first reinforcement member rests.

16. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 15 wherein the first deck includes an upper support surface upon which objects can rest, the first deck abutting the plurality of columns, the first deck integrally molded as a single unitary construction.

17. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 16 wherein the second deck includes a lower surface which rests on a floor, the second deck abutting the plurality of columns, the second deck integrally molded as a single unitary construction.

18. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 13 wherein the plurality of columns include cross-ribs, the first reinforcement member abutting upper edges of the cross-ribs.

19. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 18 wherein the second reinforcement member abuts lower edges of the cross-ribs of the plurality of columns.

20. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 19 wherein the first deck includes a planar member including a major upper surface for supporting objects and an opposite major surface abutting the first reinforcement member.

21. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 20 wherein the second deck includes a planar member including a major lower surface upon which the pallet assembly rests and an opposite major surface abutting the second reinforcement member.

22. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 20 further including a plurality of ribs extending downwardly from the opposite major surface of the planar member of the upper deck, the first reinforcement member positioned adjacent the plurality of ribs.

23. A reinforced pallet assembly comprising:

a upper deck integrally molded as a single unitary construction to include an upper support surface upon which objects can rest;

a lower deck integrally molded as a single unitary construction to include a lower surface upon which the pallet can rest on a floor;

a plurality of columns between the upper deck and the lower deck and abutting the upper deck and the lower deck;

a first reinforcement member between the upper deck and the plurality of columns; and

a second reinforcement member between the lower deck and the plurality of columns.

24. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 23 wherein the first cross-bar is positioned in a non-parallel orientation relative to the second cross-bar.

25. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 23 wherein the first reinforcement member is received within a channel molded into the upper deck and the second reinforcement member is received within a channel molded into the lower deck.

26. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 25 wherein the first reinforcement member is received within a channel molded into an upper end of the plurality of columns and the second reinforcement member is received within a channel molded into a lower end of the plurality of columns.

27. The reinforced pallet assembly according to claim 23 wherein the first reinforcement member comprises a first peripheral rail extending completely around a periphery of the upper deck and a first cross-bar connected at opposite ends to the first peripheral rail to define two uninterrupted space within the peripheral rail, the first reinforcement member not including any additional cross-bars connecting the first cross-bar to the peripheral rail.

28. A reinforced pallet assembly comprising:

a first deck having a first surface in which a channel is defined, a plurality of flexible members extending into the channel;

a plurality of columns extending from the first deck; and

a first reinforcement member in the channel abutting the plurality of flexible members.

29. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 28 wherein the flexible members are flexible ribs formed on side walls of the channel.

30. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 28 wherein the reinforcement member is formed of a different material from the first deck.

31. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 30 wherein the flexible members flex in response to different rates of thermal expansion of the reinforcement member and the first deck.

32. The reinforced pallet assembly of claim 28 wherein the reinforcement member generally defines a plane parallel to or co-planar with a plane generally defined by the deck, the flexible members extending into the channel in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the reinforcement member.