Board with cellular structure

(54) NAME Cell pallets with cellular structure (56) PUBLISHED BY: SEE B 396 883 (A47C 7/02), WO A 83/01243 (B65D 19/34),

DE B 1 781 334 (B65D 19/32), FR A 2 389 485 '(B32B 3/12), US A 2 080 469 (36:29), US A 3 709 161 (108: 51.1), US A 3 938 448 (108: 51.1), US A 3 410 004 36: 2.5), US A 4 325 488 (220: 1.5).

(57) SUMMARY:

Cell structure plate having a core (10) of adjacent cells (12). The cells are covered on one side by a cover layer or cover plate (16) whereby a surface is formed to support a load or constitute a supporting surface. Each cell (12) is made of a resilient resilient material, such as plastic, and is hermetically sealed both to the cover plate and at its opposite end. In this way, in each cell (12), an enclosed air cushion is formed which absorbs and dampens shocks and loads of the core (10) of continuous cells.

PRV 328 ALLF 138 9 132 AA

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The numbers in brackets indicate international identification code, INID code. Letters in clamps indicate international document code.

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Cargo pallet with cell structure

The present invention relates to a cell structure pallet comprising a core of a plurality of cells covered at least on one side by a cover layer or cover plate to form a load bearing surface or support surface.

Pallets for storage and transport of goods must meet a variety of requirements. They must be lightweight, inexpensive to manufacture, have high strength and rigidity against torsion, and in many cases be easy to clean and otherwise hygienic for use in, for example, food transport.

Against this background, the most common wooden pallets have a number of disadvantages. The timber used must meet many requirements with regard to freedom from defects such as damage, cracks, rot etc. and have a specific moisture ratio during manufacture and also meet strict requirements for the nail joints or similar strength. This means that wooden pallets are relatively complicated and expensive.

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When transporting and handling food, the pallets of wood are unhygienic, as the wood absorbs moisture which gives rise to mold. Through the pallet building, many nests are formed in which dirt and bacteria can be collected. Wooden pallets are also difficult to clean and keep clean, which has contributed to the endeavor to manufacture pallets of other, lighter, stronger and more hygienic material.

Therefore, in order to eliminate the disadvantages of wooden pallets, metal pallets and various plastics have been manufactured, which have proved inferior in strength and usability. Attempts have been made to reinforce the plastic in various ways, for example with glass fiber or similar reinforcing material.

However, this causes drawbacks as the reinforcement makes the pallet more expensive to manufacture and also increases the weight of the pallet. Another significant problem also arises from the requirement that plastic pallets after damage or wear must be reusable, which is done by grinding and repositioning the pallet. However, this handling will be made more difficult or impossible when using reinforced plastic pallets, as the reinforcement of fiberglass or similar materials results in unacceptable wear on the machines used for the grinding.

Attempts have also been made to manufacture pallets with cellular structure for single transport. Thus, it is known from Swedish laying-out publication 30 356 944 to manufacture a pallet of light, inexpensive material such as paper, plastic or the like, whereby a number of separate sleeves of said material are arranged side by side to form a pallet of honeycomb-like construction. The sleeves may then be cylindrical or angular in shape and some sleeves are extended to form the feet of the pallet.

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It has also been proposed, for example, according to US patents 3,587,479, 3,709,161 and 4,319,530 to make cardboard pallets made of cellular cavities formed by joining together folded cardboard strips.

As mentioned, these cell pallets with cellular structure are more disposable and are primarily intended to facilitate handling by not returning them to the sender, which of course makes the area of ​​use limited and in this case the pallet is part of the packaging of the goods.

The described pallets with cellular structure have several disadvantages, even if they were manufactured for multiple use. The construction with individual sleeves or jointed, folded straps makes the material supply large and a pallet of plastic material which is constructed in this way and is to withstand multiple use is given increased weight and thereby becomes expensive to manufacture and use. The use of cardboard as a material for the pallet, on the other hand, causes the same problems as wood material when it comes to, for example, the hygienic aspects. The known pallets for which cardboard or paper has been proposed as material, because of the composition of several sleeves or pleated layers, form a large number of cavities and / or voids in which dirt, bacteria etc. can be collected.

However, the biggest disadvantage of the pallets constructed according to the prior art of individual sleeves or folded layers is that they do not, even with heavy dimensioning, receive the necessary strength to withstand the stresses that arise during the handling of the pallet with or without cargo. Thus, a strong point load or impact on an edge or surface of the pallet causes the sleeves or cells to be compressed and thereby obtain a permanent deformation that cannot be restored, since the wall material

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557 rial in the sleeves and any cover layer has been cracked and cannot regain its original configuration. Therefore, as previously mentioned, these pallets are best suited for single use and cannot in any way be compared to the wooden or molded, reinforced plastic pallets that can be used repeatedly as replacement pallets despite the harsh treatment they are often subjected to.

In view of the foregoing, the main object of the present invention is to provide a plate with cellular structure, which can be used, for example, as a load-bearing plate in a pallet for multiple use, whereby the above-mentioned disadvantages of known pallets of wood, molded plastic or with cellular structure are completely eliminated.

Another object is to provide such a plate which is particularly suitable for manufacture in a light and relatively inexpensive material and with a design that makes it extremely useful for high hygienic requirements.

The above and other objects are achieved by obtaining the plate according to the invention with the features set forth in the following claims.

The invention and its advantages will now be described in more detail in connection with a preferred embodiment shown in the drawings. Figure 1 shows in perspective and partially cut a pallet of plastic material which includes a plate with cell structure according to the invention. Figure 2 shows in perspective a base part which forms and forms a support foot in the pallet according to Figure 1. Figure 3 shows in perspective another embodiment of a support foot for the pallet in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a side view of one long side of the pallet. Figure 5 shows a side view of the short side of the pallet. Figure 6 shows on a larger scale a circular detail of the pallet in Figure 5. Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the pallet in Figure 1 from below.

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As shown in Figure 1, the shown pallet comprises a load carrying plate or core 10 with cell structure. The cells thereby have a multi-edge shape, preferably as in the shown embodiment hexagonal shape, and form a honeycomb structure that extends over the entire surface of the load-bearing plate. According to the invention, each cell 12 has walls 14 which are common, ie integral with the walls 14 of the surrounding cells. Thus, unlike prior art pallets or plates with cellular structure, the cells here are not formed of joined sleeves or folded ribbons or strips, but all cells 12 are integrated into a uniform structure without joints. According to the invention, furthermore, for the load-bearing plate, an elastic ie resilient resilient material is preferably used, and the material of this material is made when the cell structure 10 is provided with cover layers 16, 18 on both the underside and the top, which cover layers 16, 18 are so connected to the cell structure 10. each cell 12 being individually hermetically sealed.

This connection between cover layers 16, 18 and cell structure 10 can be effected in a suitable manner, for example by means of gluing, welding or other fusion in a manner known in the plastics technology.

In this way, the cell structure 10 is made up of cells 12 which form a uniform structure without joints, in which each cell 12 is airtightly sealed and consists of an elastic resilient material, a load-bearing surface of incredible strength is obtained. Each cell acts as a staging and supporting part for the entire cell structure 10 as the cells are integrated with each other ie. joined to a coherent whole and each cell also functions, thanks to the trapped air cushion, as a shock absorber and shock absorber. The trapped air bag and the structure of the cell structure 10 of an elastic resilient material

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557 also causes the cell structure 10 in the event of any shock or point loads not to break but resiliently yield to return to its original shape when the load ceases. The described cell structure 10 also causes the load-bearing plate to obtain very high resistance to torsional forces and thus are considerably more torsional than prior art structures.

The upper cover layer 16 of the plate preferably, as shown in the embodiment shown in the drawings, constitutes the upper deck of the pallet and is then formed on the upper side with channels 20 which lead to any moisture and water formed therefrom to drain holes 22 arranged at the center and corner of the pallet.

The tire 16 is also optionally, as shown in the embodiment shown in the drawing, at the long and short sides provided with recesses 28, 30, which are also provided with drainage holes, 32, 34.

Around the periphery of the pallet, an edge strip 24 is provided which seals the cell structure 10 to the sides and is secured thereto by gluing, welding or similar dressing, preferably the same as used for attaching the tire 16 to the cell structure 10. The edge strip 24 projects a piece above the tire 16, for example 5. mm and thereby form a circumferential edge 26. This edge 26 makes the pallet stackable without the risk of the pallet stacks collapsing. The edge 26 also prevents goods from slipping off the pallet so easily.

On the underside of the cell structure 10 are provided support feet for the pallet. These are in the form of two brackets 36 arranged along the long sides (see also Figure 2) which have a support plate 38 arranged to rest on a support and three raised portions 40 which are arranged to be attached to the underside of the cell structure 10 to its lower cover layer or deck 18. The brackets 36 are welded to the top to form a unit therewith. Between the raised portions of the

463 The 557 brackets have openings 44, see figure 4, in which lifting means can be inserted for lifting the pallet, for example the lifting forks (not shown) on a forklift. The brackets 36 also have in the raised portions drainage holes 46 which connect to the drainage holes 22, 32 in the upper deck 16. It is clear that a corresponding drainage is provided through the cell structure, for example, through pipes (not shown) passing through it.

Following the short sides of the structure 10 may be provided additional support feet 48 and a support plate 42 which have drain holes 50 connecting through the cell structure 10, as described above, to the holes 34 in the tire 16. Between the brackets 36 and the feet 48 r⁴5, openings 52 for insertion of lifting means described above are formed.

It will be apparent from the above description that, according to the invention, a bearing surface or plate having unique properties has been provided. The plate, thanks to the air-tightly connected cells 12 of a resilient material, becomes extremely resilient to pressure, impacts and torsional forces. Each hermetically sealed cell acts as a guide and support member throughout the plate or tire and more importantly as a shock absorber and shock absorber. Because all the cells are staggered into one another, the plate gains its great strength against torsional forces while the trapped air cushion provides the necessary suspension to avoid knocking of the material. It is clear that the plate according to the invention, although described in connection with its use as a load-bearing surface in a pallet, can be used for other applications. Thus, it can be used for the construction of objects such as trays, containers, cabinets etc. the structure described in addition to providing the necessary strength for the object also results in a good insulation thereof.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the embodiment shown but can be varied in the broadest sense within the scope of the following claims.

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