Plastic tray with snap connection means
By employing a snap-fit connection device with a concave-convex structure between the components and the slide rail on the plastic pallet, and using fastening elements to keep the hooks in the engaged position, the problem of the pallet detaching under load is solved, achieving a more stable connection and impact resistance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-04-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing multi-piece plastic pallets are prone to detachment under load, especially when subjected to impacts during transportation, resulting in unstable connections.
Design a plastic tray in which the upper part and the slide rail are connected by a snap-fit connection device with a concave-convex structure. The protruding foot parts and the concave foot parts form support legs, and the hooks are kept in the snap-fit position by fastening elements, thereby increasing the connection strength and stability.
It improves the stability and impact resistance of the pallet connection under load, extends its service life, and prevents it from coming apart during transportation.
Smart Images

Figure CN115551786B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a plastic tray having an upper component and three or more slide rails. Background Technology
[0002] Pallets are used for storing and transporting goods. Pallets keep goods off the ground so they can be lifted and transported by forklifts. A pallet typically consists of a flat upper component and three slide rails (in the case of a 1200×800mm pallet). These three slide rails can be injection molded into one piece or multiple pieces. Multi-piece plastic pallets are easier and less expensive to produce and, for example, consist of an upper and lower component that interlock and connect. The lower component typically has three slide rails and nine legs.
[0003] As described in CH702628 or CH685549, the upper and lower components or slide rails can be connected by welding. When the upper component is welded to the lower component, a weld bead is formed, which must be removed by milling to give the tray a smooth surface. This is time-consuming and expensive.
[0004] Furthermore, multiple components can be interconnected via snap-locks. GB2421939 discloses a plastic pallet having a flat upper component, a flat lower component, and nine separate legs. The upper and lower components are interconnected via these legs, and the two ends of the legs are respectively connected to the upper and lower components of the pallet via snap-locks.
[0005] US5,483,899 discloses a tray having a lower part and an upper part that can be pushed into each other. The lower part of the tray has ribs with snap-fit elements, each snap-fit element being arranged at the upper end of the rib. A snap-fit connection with the upper part is achieved by the snap-fit elements located at the upper ends of the ribs of the lower part of the tray.
[0006] A plastic pallet having an upper part and a lower part is known from EP2733084, wherein the legs of the upper and lower parts can be fully pushed into each other and locked by a snap-fit connection device. In this case, the outer area of the legs is formed by a slide rail.
[0007] US5,794,543A describes a modular tray system having a separate lower component bottom element and an upper element with a main surface. Furthermore, the system includes complementary engaging elements for the upper and lower elements, which interlock and connect the upper and lower elements together.
[0008] A known disadvantage of multi-piece plastic pallets is that the connections between different parts can come loose under continuous load, and the upper part can separate from the legs or rails. Summary of the Invention
[0009] The present invention aims to provide a multi-piece plastic pallet that allows for connection between the upper component and the slide rail, wherein such connection can better withstand the load caused by the impact of the pallet during transportation and remains as close as possible to the point of not detaching even under high loads.
[0010] This objective is achieved through a plastic tray having an upper component and a slide rail. The upper component has recessed, outward-facing foot components and a middle foot component, while the slide rail has protruding, outward-facing foot components and a protruding middle foot component. The protruding foot components of the slide rail can be pushed into the recessed foot components of the upper component, and in the assembled state of the plastic tray, the protruding and recessed foot components together form supports. The foot components of the upper component and the slide rail can be fastened together by a snap-fit connection device. Each protruding foot component includes at least two hooks arranged in pairs and mirror-symmetrically. Each hook has a hook head with an undercut, a hook arm, and a back face, with the undercuts of the hook heads facing away from each other and the back faces of the hooks facing each other. Each recessed foot component includes at least one locking element into which the hook head snaps into in the assembled state, thereby forming a snap-fit connection device. The recessed foot components are integrally connected to the upper component. A gap is provided between the back faces of the hooks. Each recessed foot component includes at least one fastening element having a free end, the fastening element being integrally connected to the recessed foot component and extending into the gap between the back sides of the hook, such that the hook is held in the engaged position.
[0011] The arrangement of at least one fastening element between paired hooks allows the hooks to remain in the engaged position when the plastic tray is assembled and will not disengage without additional tools. The fastening element provides a secure connection between the upper and lower components of the slide rail, thereby ensuring the slide rail is fixed to the upper component.
[0012] Preferably, the corresponding free end of the at least one fastening element tapers gradually towards its center. The free end may be rounded or point towards the center. The shape of the center-tapered free end of the fastening element is particularly suitable for making it easier for the hook to slide into the desired engagement position when assembling the slide rail along the fastening element.
[0013] Preferably, the free end of the at least one fastening element is symmetrically pointed. Preferably, the free end of the at least one fastening element has an arrowhead-shaped cross-section. The symmetrical tips are advantageous, allowing each hook to be guided along the bevel of the free end of the fastening element during tray assembly. The fastening element may also have multiple free ends preferably arranged side-by-side, which preferably taper towards the center, and more preferably are symmetrically pointed.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the hook with the hook head and undercut is designed to be wider to increase the snap-fit connection area between the hook head and the locking element and to strengthen the snap-fit connection device. Preferably, at least one fastening element between the hook pairs has two free ends that taper towards the center and are preferably symmetrically pointed.
[0015] Each hook includes a locking arm, a back face, and a hook head with an undercut. The hook head has a generally straight back face and an undercut front face. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the final portion of the back face of the hook in the region leading to the tip of the hook head is beveled or rounded, preferably beveled. This results in the tip of the hook head being weakened at the end of the hook and not abutting against the free end of the fastening element when the slide rail is assembled to the upper component. Therefore, when the slide rail is assembled into the upper component, the back face of the hook head slides continuously along the free end of the fastening element into the locking state. Thus, the hook has elastic properties.
[0016] The locking element has at least one groove into which the hook head can engage. The locking element may also have two grooves, in which case one hook head of the hook pair engages. In a preferred embodiment, the locking element has an elongated cross-section, with each groove arranged on a longitudinal side of the locking element parallel to the width of the hook head. Each hook head engages in a groove of the locking element, and the undercut of the hook head together with the locking element forms a snap-fit connection.
[0017] The snap-fit connection is a type of surface-locking connection, consisting of a hook with an undercut and a retaining element with a groove, designed as mating parts. Here, the hook engages in the groove of the retaining element, and the undercut area of the hook snaps into the retaining element. The advantage of this snap-fit connection is that the connection clamps tightly together under load, further strengthening the connection. Furthermore, this snap-fit connection is resilient under load.
[0018] Depending on the required connection strength between the two parts of the tray, the legs can have multiple snap-fit connections. In one design of the invention, each leg has one or more pairs of snap-fit connections, preferably one or two pairs. In one embodiment, preferably at the outermost leg of the middle slide rail, the leg can also have four pairs of snap-fit connections, thus having eight snap-fit connections. The multiple snap-fit connections further increase and ensure the strength of the legs.
[0019] In one embodiment, the recessed foot member of the upper component has a ribbed outer wall portion, and the protruding foot member of the slide rail has a ribbed inner wall portion. Preferably, the outer wall portion of the recessed foot member surrounds the protruding foot member. The outer wall portion of the recessed outer foot member extends substantially over the entire height of the protruding outer foot member, such that the protruding outer foot member of the slide rail can be fully pushed into the recessed outer foot member of the upper component.
[0020] The outer wall of the recessed foot component surrounds the protruding foot component, thus providing adequate protection for the protruding foot component in the event of an impact. The outer wall extends over the entire height of the outer recessed foot component, preferably substantially surrounding the entire foot component. The entire height should be understood as the outer wall of the outer recessed foot component extending from the upper side of the tray to the lower side of the slide rail that can be placed on the support surface. Preferably, except for the recess for the connector to the slide rail, the outer wall extends around the entire foot component, connecting the outer protruding foot component to the protruding intermediate foot component. Therefore, in the assembled state of the tray, the outer wall extends from the upper side of the tray to the lower side of the slide rail on at least three sides of the outer recessed foot component.
[0021] The ribs of the recessed foot components and the ribs of the protruding foot components preferably extend substantially over the entire height of each foot component. The ribs may have different cross-sections and may have cross-sections that are, for example, T-shaped, angular, or rectangular. The ribs of the recessed foot components and the ribs of the protruding foot components can be completely pushed into each other.
[0022] Preferably, the protruding foot component of the slide rail has a ribbed inner wall portion, with the ribs acting as spacers between the inner and outer wall portions. On one hand, these ribs also guide the slide rail assembly onto the upper component of the tray; on the other hand, the ribs form a gap between the inner and outer wall portions, providing additional impact protection. When the plastic tray collides with an object, the ribs can bend slightly and reduce the gap between the inner and outer wall portions for a short time, thereby absorbing the impact force.
[0023] Preferably, the plastic pallet has three slide rails, each slide rail having two protruding outward foot parts and one protruding middle foot part. Preferably, the plastic pallet according to the invention has three longitudinal slide rails. This is the case, for example, with a standard plastic pallet of 1200 × 800 mm. In this case, the protruding outward foot parts are inserted into the recessed outward foot parts to form outward support legs, which are located on the short transverse side of the plastic pallet. The recessed middle foot part and the protruding middle foot part forming the middle support leg are preferably located transversely to the longitudinal side at the center of the pallet.
[0024] In another embodiment, the plastic pallet has more than three slide rails, such as five or six. For example, for a pallet with dimensions of 1200 × 1000 mm, five or six slide rails are preferred. For example, this type of pallet may have five slide rails, with three extending in one direction and two extending laterally along the sides of the pallet. In another embodiment, the pallet includes six slide rails, namely three longitudinal slide rails and three transverse slide rails. In this embodiment, preferably, all eight outermost legs have an outer wall portion extending at least on the outer side of the legs, i.e., on one side arranged at the edge of the plastic pallet, extending over the entire height of the recessed outermost foot member.
[0025] Preferably, the upper component of the plastic pallet has a flat upper side. In a preferred embodiment, the upper side has a continuously closed surface. Preferably, the lower side of the upper component has cross braces to reinforce the upper component. In another embodiment, the upper component includes reinforcing tubes that further strengthen the upper component of the plastic pallet.
[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the protruding foot of a single slide rail can be pushed separately into the foot of the upper component from the protruding foot of the other slide rails. Therefore, the three slide rails can be inserted into the upper component individually, and the plastic tray can be made of four pieces. However, the three slide rails can also be interconnected and formed as one piece, so the plastic tray can be assembled from two pieces, namely the upper component and the lower component with the slide rails.
[0027] The foot components of the upper part and the foot components of the slide rail are preferably integrally connected to the upper part and the slide rail, respectively. This design and snap-fit connection device allow the tray to be assembled from only two or four parts without the aid of tools.
[0028] When engaging the upper component with the slide rail, it is preferable to fully push the protruding foot component with inner walls and ribs into the recessed foot component with outer walls and ribs, so that the ribs of the foot components are fully pushed into each other and arranged parallel to each other along their entire length, thereby forming the pallet's foot. The inner walls of the protruding foot component and the outer walls of the recessed foot component form a double wall of the foot. The double wall provides increased strength to the foot, making it more stable and able to withstand impacts from forklifts or other objects, thus allowing for longer service life.
[0029] The foot component's structure allows for easy and quick assembly of the two parts of the tray, and the snap-fit connection ensures effective locking without tools. If needed, the snap-fit connection can still be reopened by using a screwdriver to engage each hook from the underside of the slide rail between the hook and the locking element, and then pushing the hook out of the locking element. However, this is not possible without other tools.
[0030] The pallet arrangement according to the invention protects the protruding foot members of the slide rails from the recessed foot members of the upper component. During transport, such as on a conveyor belt or by forklift, the short lateral side of the pallet with longitudinal slide rails frequently collides with objects and must be robustly resisted against impacts. Here, the outermost foot members are particularly subjected to strong forces. The protruding foot members of the slide rails are protected by the outer wall of the recessed outermost foot members, which extends along the entire height of the protruding outermost foot members. When the outermost foot members impact an object, shear forces are generated, which are amplified by the weight of the goods transported on the upper side of the pallet. In the pallet according to the invention, these forces are guided to the ground through the upper side of the pallet and the recessed foot members. In this case, the support legs of the upper component, rather than the support legs of the slide rails, bear the load. Therefore, the snap-fit connection can withstand even strong impacts and will not disengage even under continuous load.
[0031] The snap-fit connection device according to the invention, held in the snap-fit position by fastening elements, combined with the outer and inner wall portions of the foot component having ribs serving as impact protection devices, results in an extremely stable connection between the slide rail and the upper component, thus improving impact resistance and extending service life compared to conventional plastic trays. Attached Figure Description
[0032] Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
[0033] in:
[0034] Figure 1A The above components and slide rails are shown in a perspective view from an oblique top, depicting a plastic tray with the upper component and three slide rails.
[0035] Figure 1B A perspective view of the assembled state of the plastic tray according to the invention, viewed from an obliquely upward perspective;
[0036] Figure 2A The plastic pallet is shown in a view from below, looking at the underside of the pallet.
[0037] Figure 2B Shown from below according to Figure 2A Detailed view of the lower side of the support leg of section IIb;
[0038] Figure 3 A side view of the plastic pallet according to the invention is shown in its assembled state along the longitudinal side of the pallet.
[0039] Figure 4A Showing through along Figure 2A or Figure 3 The cross section of the axis of line AA;
[0040] Figure 4B Show Figure 4A IVb support Figure 2B Detailed view of the cross-section of line BB;
[0041] Figure 5A Show Figure 4B The recessed foot component along Figure 7 Detailed view of the cross section of line CC;
[0042] Figure 5B Show Figure 4B A detailed view of the cross-section of the protruding foot component;
[0043] Figure 6 A detailed perspective view showing the lower side of the recessed foot component on the upper side of the tray, viewed from a slightly lower angle.
[0044] Figure 7 Showing a detailed view of the underside of the recessed foot component on the upper side of the tray, viewed from below;
[0045] Figure 8 Showing the underside of the tray in its assembled state, viewed from a slightly below-the-angle angle. Figure 5A support edge Figure 2B A perspective view of the cross section of line BB.
[0046] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements, and the interpretation of the determined reference numerals applies to all drawings unless otherwise expressly stated. Detailed Implementation
[0047] Figure 1A The upper component 2 and the outermost slide rail 3 of the plastic tray 1 according to the invention are shown. The slide rail 3 is shown in a separated and unassembled state. The upper component 2 has recessed outermost foot components 4 (four shown here) and recessed middle foot components 4', one of which is visible here. The slide rail 3 is provided with two protruding outermost foot components 5 and one protruding middle foot component 5'. The protruding foot components 5, 5' have hooks with hook heads 9. The protruding outermost foot components 5 of the outermost slide rail 3 have two pairs of hooks with four hook heads 9, and the protruding middle foot component 5' of the outermost slide rail 3 has one pair of hooks with two hook heads. The protruding foot components 5, 5' have an inner wall portion 15 with ribs 17, which serve as spacers between the inner wall portion 15 and the outer wall portion 14 of the recessed foot components 4, 4', and as guides when assembling the slide rail to the upper component of the tray. The protruding foot components 5, 5' are interconnected by connectors 18 to form the slide rail 3.
[0048] Figure 1BThe diagram shows a plastic tray 1 according to the invention in an installed, assembled state, in which three slide rails 3, 3' (only the connector 18 of slide rail 3 is visible here) are inserted into the upper component 2. In this case, the slide rails 3, 3' are connected by protruding foot components 5, 5' (e.g., ...). Figure 4A As shown, the recessed foot components 4 and 4' are inserted, such that the protruding foot components 5 and 5' assembled to the recessed foot components 4 and 4' form legs 21 and 21' (as shown). Figure 4A (As shown), and such that the recessed foot parts 4, 4' of the upper component and the protruding foot parts 5, 5' of the slide rail can be fastened to each other by a snap-fit connection device 6 (not visible). The snap-fit connection device consists of a hook (8, not visible, as shown) Figure 4A (as shown) and the locking element (7, invisible, such as) Figure 4A (As shown) The plastic tray 1 has six recessed outward foot parts 4 and six protruding outward foot parts 5, which are arranged along the two short lateral sides of the tray and together form six outward support legs 21 (as shown). Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 4A (As shown).
[0049] Figure 2A The lower side of the assembled plastic tray 1 is shown, in which the lower sides of the two outer slide rails 3 and the middle slide rail 3', as well as the lower side of the upper component 2 with the cross brace 22, are visible. Each of the two outer slide rails 3 has two protruding outer foot components 5 and one protruding middle foot component 5', and together with each of the two recessed outer foot components 4 and the corresponding recessed middle foot component 4', forms two outer support legs 21 and one middle support leg 21. The middle slide rail 3' has two protruding outer foot components 5 and one protruding middle foot component 5', and together with the two recessed outer foot components 4 and the recessed middle foot component 4', forms two outer support legs 21 and one middle support leg 21'. The lower side of the hook 8 and the connector 18 of the slide rails 3, 3' are also shown. The lower side of the outer wall portion 14 of the recessed outer foot components, together with the lower side of the protruding foot components 5, 5' and the slide rails 3, 3', forms a bearing surface. In addition, the cross brace 22 of the upper component 2 is visible, and the cross brace serves as a reinforcement for the upper component to increase the load-bearing capacity of the pallet.
[0050] Figure 2B Show Figure 2ADetail IIb and an enlarged view of the lower side of the support leg 21 are shown. The lower side of the outer wall portion 14 of the recessed outer foot member 4 is shown here, which, together with the lower side of the protruding outer foot member 5 and the connecting member 18 of the slide rail 3, forms a bearing surface. Also shown are views of the inner wall portion 15 of the protruding foot member 5 and the hooks 8 and fastening elements 12 with their two free ends 13, as viewed from below. The two free ends 13 of the fastening element 12 are located between the hooks 8.
[0051] Figure 3 A side view of the longitudinal side of a plastic tray 1 with an upper component 2 and a slide rail 3 is shown. Two recessed, outwardly extending foot components 4 are shown, with the outer wall portion 14 visible. Also shown are a recessed middle foot component 4' and two protruding, outwardly extending foot components 5 and a protruding middle foot component 5'. The protruding foot components are interconnected by connectors 18.
[0052] Figure 4A The snap-fit connection device is shown passing through the recessed outer foot component 4 and the protruding outer foot component 5, along... Figure 2A and Figure 3 The line AA passes through the cross section of the axis, and the recessed and protruding outward foot components together form the support leg 21. In particular, a hook 8 with a hook head 9 and an associated locking element 7 are shown, which engage with each other and lock the upper component 2 to the slide rails 3, 3' when the upper component 2 is assembled onto the slide rail. Fastening element 12 is also shown.
[0053] Figure 4B Show Figure 4A Details IVb and along Figure 2BA detailed view of the cross-section of the outermost foot 21 of the slide rail BB is shown. Two hooks 8 of the protruding outermost foot component 5 of the slide rail 3 are disclosed, the hooks 8 being arranged in a mirror-symmetrical pair, each hook 8 having a hook arm 8', a hook head 9 with an undercut 9', and a back face 10. A gap 24 is provided between the back faces 10 of the hooks 8. The undercuts 9' of the hook heads 9 are opposite to each other, and the back faces 10 of the hooks 8 face each other. Each hook head 9 of the hooks 8 engages in a locking element 7, each hook head 9 engaging in a groove 23 of the locking element 7 and forming a snap-fit connection device 6 with the locking element 7, thereby locking the recessed foot component 4 of the upper component 2 to the protruding foot component 5 of the slide rail 3. A fastening element 12 with symmetrical sharp free ends 13 is also shown. In the example shown, the fastening element 12 with free ends 13 has an arrow-shaped cross-section. The free ends 13 taper gradually towards the center. Furthermore, the final portion 11 of the back side 10 of the hook 8 is inclined in the region leading to the tip of the hook head 9. This inclined surface 11 weakens the tip of the hook head 9 at the end of the hook 8, and when the slide rail 3 is assembled to the upper component 2, it slides continuously into the locking state along the inclined edge of the symmetrical sharp free end 13 of the fastening element 12. The outer wall portion 14 of the recessed outer foot component 4, which surrounds the protruding outer foot component 5 and its inner wall portion 15, is also shown. Furthermore, the ribs 16 of the recessed outer foot component 4 and the ribs 17 of the protruding outer foot component 5 are visible. Due to the outer wall portion 14 and the inner wall portion 15, the support leg 21 has a double wall portion, which serves to reinforce the support leg. Therefore, damage to the support leg due to forklift impacts or falls is largely avoided.
[0054] Figure 5A Show along Figure 7 The line CC passes through the cross-section of the recessed outer foot member 4 of the upper component 2 in its unassembled state. The outer wall portion 14 extends over the entire height of the recessed outer foot member 4, preferably substantially surrounding the entire foot. The entire height should be understood as the outer wall portion of the recessed outer foot member extending from the upper side of the tray to the lower side of the slide rail that can be placed on the support surface. The recessed foot member 4 includes a rib 16 that, when the upper component 2 and the slide rail (not shown) are assembled, can push into the protruding foot member (such as...). Figure 5B As shown, the ribs are also visible. Also visible are the two longitudinal sides of the locking element 7 with grooves 23, and the hooks (such as...) Figure 5B (As shown) it is inserted into the recess. The fastening element 12, having a free end 13 that tapers towards the center, has an arrow-shaped cross-section. The free end 13 is symmetrically constructed with a pointed tip.
[0055] Figure 5B The diagram shows a cross-section of the protruding outer foot component 5 passing through the outermost slide rail 3 in its unassembled state. The protruding foot component 5 has an inner wall portion 15, which is used when the slide rail 3 is assembled to the upper component (such as...). Figure 5A When (as shown), the inner wall portion 15 can be fully pushed into the recessed, outwardly positioned foot component 4 (as shown). Figure 5A As shown in the diagram, the rib 17 of the protruding foot component 5 extends over the entire height of the protruding foot component 5. The protruding foot component 5 has two latches 8, which are arranged in a mirror-symmetrical pair and each has a latch arm 8', a hook head 9' with an undercut 9', and a back face 10. The undercut 9's of the hook heads 9 are opposite to each other, and the back faces 10 of the latches 8 face each other. A gap 24 is arranged between the back faces 10 of the latches 8.
[0056] Figure 6 This is a detailed perspective view of the lower side of the recessed, outwardly projecting foot component 4 of the upper component 2 of a plastic tray in an unassembled state. The recessed, outwardly projecting foot component 4 has an outer wall portion 14 extending along its entire height in the outward region of the foot component 4. The outward region of the foot component 4 should be understood as the entire area surrounding the foot component 4, having a recess 19 for receiving a connecting piece of a slide rail in the assembled state. The recessed, outwardly projecting foot component 4 has a plurality of ribs 16 extending substantially along the entire height of the foot component. The ribs have different cross-sections, such as T-shaped, angular, or rectangular cross-sections. The recessed foot component 4 has two locking elements 7, each with two grooves 23 for receiving hooks (e.g., Figure 4B (As shown). The locking elements 7 are all elongated in shape, with grooves 23 arranged on two longitudinal sides of each elongated locking element 7. Each locking element 7 has a fastening element 12 at the center of its elongated shape, each fastening element having two free ends 13 for holding a hook (not shown) in a locked position during tray assembly. In this preferred embodiment, the two free ends 13 are used to hold a wide hook (not shown) in the snap-fit position of the assembled tray. The upper component 2 has a cross brace 22 on its underside for reinforcing the tray.
[0057] Figure 7 A detailed view is shown from the underside of the recessed, outwardly extending foot component 4 of the upper part 2 of the plastic tray, which has an outer wall portion 14, ribs 16, and two elongated locking elements 7, each with a fastening element 12. Each of the two fastening elements 12 has two free ends 13. The cross brace 22 of the upper part 2 is also visible.
[0058] Figure 8 Shown in the assembled state, diagonally below the lower side of component 2 on the tray Figure 2B The line BB cut Figure 5AA perspective view of the cross-section of the support leg 21. The support leg 21 shows a recessed, outwardly extending foot member 4 with an outer wall portion 14 and ribs 16; a locking element 7 with two grooves 23; a fastening element 12 with a free end 13; a protruding, outwardly extending foot member 5 with an inner wall portion 15; and paired hooks 8 with locking arms 8', back faces 10, and hook heads 9. A gap 24 is arranged between the back faces 10 of the hooks 8. The cross brace 22 of the upper member 2 is also visible.
[0059] Figures 1A to 8 This illustration shows one possible design of the invention, in which three longitudinal slide rails are arranged with the outermost feet along the short transverse side of the plastic pallet. Within the scope of the invention, other designs with more than three different arrangements of slide rails are also conceivable. For example, a plastic pallet with five or six slide rails is possible, each slide rail having two protruding outermost foot members and one protruding middle foot member. For example, this type of pallet can have five slide rails, with three extending in one direction and only two extending laterally along the side of the pallet. Alternatively, a pallet with six slide rails can also be used, where the slide rails are arranged as three transverse slide rails and three longitudinal slide rails so that a forklift can transport the pallet from both the longitudinal and transverse sides. A plastic pallet with three transverse slide rails is also conceivable, in which case the outermost feet are arranged along the long longitudinal side. Furthermore, each foot can have any number of snap-fit connections arranged in various configurations.
[0060] Multiple fastening elements with one or more free ends can also be arranged between the hook pairs to improve the safety of the snap-fit connection device.
[0061] List of reference numerals
[0062] 1 plastic pallet
[0063] 2 Upper Components
[0064] 3. Outer sliding rails
[0065] 3' middle slide rail
[0066] 4. Recessed outer foot components
[0067] 4' Recessed middle foot component
[0068] 5. Protruding outward foot components
[0069] 5' Protruding middle foot component
[0070] 6-Snap-on Connection Device
[0071] 7-slot component
[0072] 8 hooks
[0073] 8' chuck arm
[0074] 9. Hook with undercut
[0075] 9' undercut
[0076] The back of the 10 hooks
[0077] The last part of the back of the 11 hook, the bevel.
[0078] 12 fastening components
[0079] 13 Free ends
[0080] 14. Outer wall section
[0081] 15 inner wall part
[0082] 16. Ribs of the foot component of the upper part
[0083] 17 Ribs of the foot component of the slide rail
[0084] 18 slide rail connector
[0085] 19 Recess for slide rail
[0086] 21, 21' support legs
[0087] Horizontal brace of component 22
[0088] 23 grooves
[0089] 24 gaps
Claims
1. A plastic pallet (1) having an upper part (2) provided with recessed outer foot parts (4) and recessed middle foot parts (4'), and a slide rail (3, 3') provided with protruding outer foot parts (5) and protruding middle foot parts (5'), wherein, The projecting foot parts (5, 5') of the slide rails (3, 3') can be pushed into the recessed foot parts (4, 4') of the upper part (2), in the assembled state of the plastic tray (1) the projecting foot parts (5, 5') form feet (21, 21') with the recessed foot parts (4, 4'), the foot parts (4, 4') of the upper part and the foot parts (5, 5') of the slide rails (3, 3') can be fastened to each other by means of a snap connection (6), wherein each projecting foot part (5, 5') comprises at least two snap hooks (8) which are arranged mirror-symmetrically opposite each other, said snap hooks each have a hook head (9) with an undercut (9'), a snap arm (8') and a back (10), the undercuts (9') of the hook heads (9) face away from each other and the backs (10) of the snap hooks (8) face each other, each recessed foot part (4, 4') comprises at least one catch element (7) into which the hook heads (9) snap in the assembled state and each form a snap connection (6), and a gap (24) is provided between the backs (10) of the snap hooks (8), characterized in that the recessed foot parts (4, 4') are integrally connected with the upper part (2), each recessed foot part (4, 4') comprises at least one fastening element (12) which has at least one free end (13) each, wherein the fastening elements (12) are integrally connected with the recessed foot parts (4, 4') and the fastening elements (12) protrude into the gap (24) between the backs (10) of the snap hooks (8) so that the snap hooks (8) are held in the snapped-in position, the recessed foot parts (4, 4') of the upper part (2) have an outer wall (14) with ribs (16) and the projecting foot parts (5, 5') of the slide rails (3, 3') have an inner wall (15) with ribs (17), and the ribs (16) of the outer wall (14) and the ribs (17) of the inner wall (15) serve as spacers between the outer wall (14) and the inner wall (15).
2. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The respective free end (13) of the at least one fastening element (12) tapers towards the center.
3. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The respective free end (13) of the at least one fastening element (12) is configured symmetrically as a pointed tip.
4. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The respective free end (13) of the at least one fastening element (12) has an arrowhead-shaped cross section.
5. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The last tip-opening portion (11) of the back (10) of the snap hook (8) is beveled or rounded.
6. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The outer wall (14) of the recessed foot part (4, 4') each surrounds the projecting foot part (5, 5') and extends over the entire height of the projecting outer foot part (5) so that, in the assembled state of the plastic tray (1), the projecting outer foot part (5) of the slide rail (3, 3') is completely pushed into the recessed outer foot part (4) of the upper part (2).
7. The plastic pallet (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The projecting foot part (5, 5') of a single slide rail (3, 3') can be pushed into the recessed foot part (4, 4') of the upper part (2) separately from the projecting foot parts (5, 5') of the other slide rails. The respective free end (13) of the at least one fastening element (12) tapers towards the center. The respective free end (13) of the at least one fastening element (12) is configured symmetrically as a pointed tip. The respective free end (13) of the at least one fastening element (12) has an arrowhead-shaped cross section. The last tip-opening portion (11) of the back (10) of the snap hook (8) is beveled or rounded. The outer wall (14) of the recessed foot part (4, 4') each surrounds the projecting foot part (5, 5') and extends over the entire height of the projecting outer foot part (5) so that, in the assembled state of the plastic tray (1), the projecting outer foot part (5) of the slide rail (3, 3') is completely pushed into the recessed outer foot part (4) of the upper part (2). The projecting foot part (5, 5') of a single slide rail (3, 3') can be pushed into the recessed foot part (4, 4') of the upper part (2) separately from the projecting foot parts (5, 5') of the other slide rails.
8. The plastic pallet of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The plastic tray (1) has three slide rails (3, 3').
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