Stacking device for stackable trays

Abstract

This invention discloses an easily stackable pallet, comprising a pallet body with multiple support strips at the bottom. The bottom of each support strip has a curved surface, and the support strips have embedded grooves. When multiple pallet bodies are stacked, the embedded grooves and support strips form a nested fit. Compared to conventional pallets, this invention can compress the stacking height, allowing more pallets to be stacked in the same space, resulting in higher space utilization. Furthermore, due to the corresponding fit between the stacked pallet bodies, it is easier to maintain a neat and stable pallet stack during stacking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to logistics equipment, and more specifically, to a stacking and storage device for easily stackable pallets. Background Technology

[0002] Pallets are horizontal platform devices used for assembling, stacking, handling, and transporting goods and products as unit loads, and are widely used in production, transportation, warehousing, and distribution. Pallets themselves occupy a certain area, and when not in use, they are usually stacked to reduce the floor space. Conventional pallet designs often do not consider the structural matching of the pallet's top and bottom surfaces, resulting in a lack of mating connection between stacked pallets. This leads to a simple stacking of pallet thickness, resulting in a large overall height of the pallet stack, making it difficult to stack more pallets within a limited height to improve space utilization. Furthermore, it is difficult to maintain the neatness and stability of the pallet stack during stacking. Utility model CN212048343U discloses a plastic pallet, including a pallet body with multiple legs integrally fixed to one side. Reinforcing strips for enhancing the load-bearing strength of the pallet body are inserted inside the pallet body, and anti-slip plugs are provided at both ends of the reinforcing strips on the upper surface of the pallet body. This utility model can improve the anti-slip performance of the upper surface of the pallet body, effectively preventing goods from slipping and falling during pallet transportation; in addition, it can also enhance the load-bearing strength of the pallet body. However, this utility model cannot easily solve the technical problems of stacking height compression and stacking instability. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Conventional pallet stacking has low space utilization and makes it difficult to keep the pallet stack neat and stable. To overcome these shortcomings, the present invention provides a stacking and storage device for easy-to-stack pallets that allows pallets to be easily removed manually from the pallet stack.

[0004] The technical solution of this invention is: a stacking and storage device for easily stackable pallets, comprising stackable pallets, each pallet including a pallet body with a hand-held hole in the center, and multiple support strips at the bottom of the pallet body. The bottom of each support strip has a curved surface, and the support strips have embedded grooves. When multiple pallet bodies are stacked, the embedded grooves and support strips form a nested fit. The device also includes a base and a hollow core column vertically fixed to the base and having four long slots evenly distributed on its circumference. The cross-section of the core column is adapted to the hand-held hole. A screw and a lifting bracket that rises and falls on the screw and extends out of the core column are located inside the core column. A miniature air hammer and a latch that can be retracted into the core column and unfolded into the gap between adjacent stacked pallet bodies are located above the screw. After the pallet body is loaded with goods, the support strips contact the ground or other supporting surfaces, supporting the pallet body. The gaps between the support strips form channels for forklift forks. When transporting the pallet body along with the goods, the forks insert into the channels, and the support strips provide lateral restraint to the forks, ensuring the stability of the pallet body during transport. When the pallet body is not in use, it is stacked. During stacking, the support strips of the upper pallet body correspond one-to-one with the support strip slots of the lower pallet body and embed themselves into each other. This interlocking of the stacked pallet bodies creates a fit and a misalignment along their thickness. Therefore, the overall height of the stacked pallet bodies is smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of each individual pallet body. Thus, compared to conventional pallets, this invention can compress the stacking height, allowing for the storage of more pallets in the same space, resulting in higher space utilization. Furthermore, due to the corresponding fit between the stacked pallet bodies, it is easier to maintain a neat and stable pallet stack during stacking.

[0005] Preferably, the pallet body has anti-sucking folds along its edges. These anti-sucking folds prevent stacked pallet bodies from deeply nesting together, maintaining only limited nesting. This avoids a strong suction effect caused by large-area contact between stacked pallet bodies, which would make it difficult to separate and remove the stacked pallets. Furthermore, the anti-sucking folds also provide additional reinforcement, further enhancing the pallet body's bending strength.

[0006] Preferably, the bottom of the support bar has a wavy curved surface. The wavy curved surface can be regarded as a combination of multiple arched structures, which have stable load-bearing performance and high load-bearing efficiency.

[0007] Alternatively, the bottom of the support bar has a sawtooth curved surface.

[0008] Preferably, the support strip is integrally molded with the pallet body. The support strip and the pallet body are produced by molding, which is convenient for processing and can maintain product consistency.

[0009] Preferably, the pallet body has lifting holes on all four sides. Sometimes, when transporting goods with a pallet, high horizontal stability is required. In such cases, lifting is the most suitable method, and the lifting holes facilitate the lifting operation.

[0010] Preferably, the pallet body is made of plastic and manufactured using a molding process. Using plastic to make pallets is lighter and less expensive.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0012] This invention improves space utilization when stacking pallets. Compared to conventional pallets, this invention allows for a compressed stacking height, enabling more pallets to be stored in the same space, resulting in higher space utilization.

[0013] Improved pallet stacking stability. When using this invention, the pallet bodies of the stacked pallets have a corresponding mating relationship, making it easier to keep the pallet stack neat and stable during stacking. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a top view of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view at point AA;

[0018] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Sectional view at point BB;

[0019] Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the stacked structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the pallet stacking and storage device applied to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the usage state of the tray stacking and storage device applied to the present invention.

[0023] In the diagram, 1-pallet body, 2-support bar, 3-support bar groove, 4-anti-sucking groove, 5-anti-sucking baffle, 6-bending reinforcement groove, 7-handheld hole, 8-lifting hole, 9-anti-sucking folded edge, 10-strip support surface, 11-aluminum alloy reinforcing plate, 12-handheld hole folded edge, 13-base, 14-core column, 15-lifting support, 16-screw, 17-miniature air hammer, 18-base plate, 19-connecting rod, 20-claw, 21-claw opening and closing cylinder, 22-nut seat, 23-power bracket, 24-lifting motor, 25-driving bevel gear, 26-driven bevel gear, 27-axle, 28-synchronous belt. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] Example 1:

[0026] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a stackable pallet includes a pallet body 1. The pallet body 1 has a square hand-held hole 7 at its center. Seven parallel support strips 2 are located at the bottom of the pallet body 1, with the middle two support strips 2 interrupted in the middle to avoid the hand-held hole 7, forming four shorter support strip segments. The cross-section of the support strips 2 is tapered, and the bottom of the support strips 2 has an undulating curved surface. Support strip grooves 3 are provided within the support strips 2, and the top surface of the pallet body 1 between the support strip grooves 3 forms a strip-shaped support surface 10. When multiple pallet bodies 1 are stacked, the support strip grooves 3 and support strips 2 form a nested fit. Anti-sucking grooves 4 are provided at both ends of the top surface of the pallet body 1 corresponding to the gaps between the support strips 2, and anti-sucking baffles 5 are provided within the anti-sucking grooves 4. X-shaped bending reinforcement grooves 6 are provided at both ends of the top surface of the pallet body 1 corresponding to the gaps between the support strips 2, and the bending reinforcement grooves 6 are connected to the anti-sucking grooves 4. The bottom of the support strips 2 has a wavy curved surface. The support strips 2 are integrally formed with the pallet body 1. The pallet body 1 has lifting holes 8 on its four sides. An aluminum alloy reinforcing plate 11 is provided outside the lifting holes 8. The aluminum alloy reinforcing plate 11 is attached to the bottom surface of the pallet body 1 and fixed with rivets. The aluminum alloy reinforcing plate 11 has openings that are the same size and aligned with the lifting holes 8. The edges of the pallet body 1 are provided with anti-sucking folded edges 9. The pallet body 1 is made of plastic and is manufactured by compression molding. During the compression molding process, the pallet body 1 is formed by pressing a heated plastic sheet with a mold, forming recessed support strip grooves 3, anti-sucking grooves 4, and bending reinforcement grooves 6 on the top surface of the pallet body 1. At the same time, corresponding raised strips or ribs are formed on the bottom surface of the pallet body 1. The part corresponding to the support strip groove 3 becomes the support strip 2, and the parts corresponding to the anti-sucking groove 4 and the bending reinforcement groove 6 become the anti-sucking groove ribs and the bending reinforcement groove ribs, respectively.

[0027] When unused pallet bodies 1 are stacked, the support strips 2 of the upper pallet body 1 correspond one-to-one with the support strip grooves 3 of the lower pallet body 1 and are embedded. Similarly, the anti-sucking groove protrusions and the anti-bending reinforcement groove protrusions are also embedded in the corresponding anti-sucking grooves 4 and anti-bending reinforcement grooves 6. In this way, the stacked pallet bodies 1 interpenetrate with each other, forming a fit, and creating a misalignment in the thickness direction of the pallet body 1. Thus, the overall height of the stacked pallet bodies 1 is smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the individual pallet bodies 1, so more pallets can be stacked in the same space. The anti-sucking baffle 5 can prevent the stacked pallet bodies 1 from being deeply nested with each other, maintaining only a limited nesting, so that the stacked pallet bodies 1 retain gaps and avoid strong suction effects caused by large-area contact between the stacked pallet bodies 1, making the stacked pallets difficult to separate and remove. The anti-sucking fold 9 also plays the same anti-sucking role. When the pallet bodies 1 are stacked, the anti-sucking fold 9 prevents the pallet bodies 1 from getting too close and sticking together.

[0028] Example 2:

[0029] like Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment does not include an anti-sucking baffle 5; the anti-sucking between the tray bodies 1 is achieved entirely through the anti-sucking folded edge 9. The inner edge of the handle hole 7 also has a handle hole folded edge 12 at the same height as the anti-sucking folded edge 9. The rest is the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0030] When unused tray bodies 1 are stacked, the bottom edge of the anti-sucking fold 9 of the upper tray body 1 abuts against the top edge of the lower tray body 1. Similarly, the bottom edge of the handle hole fold 12 of the upper tray body 1 abuts against the top surface around the handle hole 7 of the lower tray body 1, restricting the two tray bodies 1 from further fitting together, so that the two tray bodies 1 retain a gap.

[0031] Example 3:

[0032] This embodiment does not include the anti-sucking baffle 5, nor the folded edge 12 for the handheld hole. The rest is the same as in embodiment 1.

[0033] When unused tray bodies are stacked, a dedicated tray stacking and storage device is required, such as... Figure 8 , Figure 9As shown, the pallet stacking and storage device includes a base 13, a core column 14, a lifting bracket 15, a screw 16, a latch assembly, and a miniature air hammer 17. The core column 14 is vertically fixed to the base 13 and has a hollow structure. Four long slots are evenly distributed on the circumference of the core column 14, and the cross-section of the upper core column 14 is adapted to the hand-held hole 7. A screw fixing block is fixed to the base 13 and inside the core column 14 by bolts. The screw 16 is entirely located inside the core column 14, and both ends of the screw 16 are rotatably connected to the screw fixing blocks. The lifting bracket 15 is formed by two U-shaped frames cross-fixed together, appearing cross-shaped when viewed from above. The ends of the two U-shaped frames extend from the long slots. A nut seat 22 is welded to the bottom of the lifting bracket 15, and the nut seat 22 forms a threaded connection with the screw 16. The latch assembly includes a square base plate 18, two pairs of connecting rods 19, two pairs of latches 20, and a latch opening / closing cylinder 21. The base plate 18 is fixed to the hammer head of the miniature air hammer 17, and the latch opening / closing cylinder 21 is fixed to the bottom of the base plate 18. The connecting rods 19 are evenly distributed on the four sides of the base plate 18 and are connected to the latches 20 one by one. One end of the connecting rod 19 is hinged to the base plate 18, and the other end is hinged to the latch 20. One end of each latch 20 is hinged to the piston rod of the latch opening / closing cylinder 21. The hinge point between the connecting rod 19 and the latch 20 is located between the free end of the latch 20 and the midpoint of the latch 20. The latches 20 can extend and retract into the core column 14 through the elongated slot. The air pipes on the miniature air hammer 17 and the latch opening / closing cylinder 21 are arranged inside the core column 14 and lead out from the bottom of the core column 14. A lifting power mechanism is installed on the base 13. The lifting power mechanism includes a power bracket 23, a lifting motor 24, a driving bevel gear 25, a driven bevel gear 26, and a driving pulley. The power bracket 23 is inverted L-shaped and fixed to the base 13 with bolts. The lifting motor 24 is fixed to the vertical surface of the power bracket 23. The driving bevel gear 25 is keyed to the output end of the lifting motor 24. The driven bevel gear 26 is rotatably connected to the horizontal surface of the power bracket 23 through a wheel axle 27. The driven bevel gear 26 and the driving pulley are both keyed to the wheel axle 27. A driven pulley is keyed to the bottom of the screw 16. The driven pulley and the driving pulley are connected by a synchronous belt 28, which passes through a hole at the bottom of one side of the core column 14. The core column 14 is equipped with an embedded pallet lifting limit sensor at the position corresponding to the claw 20. The embedded pallet lifting limit sensor, the lifting motor 24, the miniature air hammer 17, and the relevant control valves of the claw opening and closing cylinder 21 are all electrically connected to a controller. An operation panel is also electrically connected to the controller.

[0034] The method of using this tray stacking and storage device is as follows:

[0035] Step 1. The pallet stacking and storage device is mechanically reset to zero via the operation panel. The lifting tray 15 is lowered to the lowest point, the piston rod of the latch opening and closing cylinder 21 extends, the latch 20 retracts, and the whole device is retracted into the core column 14. The miniature air hammer 17 is on standby.

[0036] Step 2. Align the hand-held hole 7 of the unused tray body 1 with the core column 14, and stack them in series on the lifting tray 15 through the core column 14. The stacking height shall not exceed the position of the embedded tray lifting limit sensor. The two ends of the U-shaped frame of the lifting tray 15 are supported on the plane around the hand-held hole 7 on the bottom surface of the tray body 1.

[0037] Step 3. When taking a pallet, start the pallet stacking and storage device through the operation panel. The lifting power mechanism will lift the pallet stack until the embedded pallet lifting limit sensor is triggered.

[0038] Step 4. Under the control of the controller, the piston rod of the latch opening and closing cylinder 21 retracts, causing the latch 20 to expand. The free end of the latch 20 extends out of the core column 14 and inserts into the gap between the uppermost tray body 1 and the second tray body 1.

[0039] Step 5. Under the control of the controller, the miniature air hammer 17 is started, which drives the base plate 18 to vibrate. The claw 20 repeatedly impacts the area around the hand-held hole 7 on the bottom surface of the uppermost pallet body 1, making the uppermost pallet body 1 loose enough to avoid the uppermost pallet from being too tightly attached to the pallet stack due to local adhesion between the pallet bodies 1 or due to large local friction caused by stacking misalignment. This makes it easier for the pallet body 1 to be manually removed from the pallet stack.

[0040] Example 4:

[0041] The bottom of support bar 2 has a serrated curved surface. There are five support bars 2. The tray body 1 is made of metal and is manufactured using a die-casting process. The rest is the same as in Example 1.

Claims

1. A stacking and storage device for easily stackable trays, comprising stackable trays, each tray including a tray body with a central handle hole, and multiple support strips at the bottom of the tray body. The bottom of each support strip has a curved surface, and the support strips have recessed grooves. When multiple tray bodies are stacked, the recessed grooves and support strips form a nested fit. The device is characterized in that... It includes a base and a hollow core column that is vertically fixed on the base and has four long slots evenly distributed on its circumference. The cross-section of the core column is adapted to the hand-held hole. Inside the core column is a screw and a lifting support that moves up and down on the screw and extends out of the core column. Above the screw is a miniature air hammer and a latch that can be retracted into the core column and unfolded into the gap between adjacent stacked pallet bodies.

2. The stacking and storage device for easily stackable trays according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray body has anti-sucking folded edges.

3. The stacking and storage device for easily stackable trays according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface of the tray body, corresponding to the gaps between the support bars, is provided with bending-resistant reinforcement grooves at both ends.

4. The stacking and storage device for easily stackable trays according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the support bar has a wavy curved surface.

5. The stacking and storage device for easily stackable trays according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the support bar has a sawtooth curved surface.

6. The stacking and storage device for easily stackable trays according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support strip is integrally formed with the tray body.

7. The stacking and storage device for easily stackable trays according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pallet body is equipped with lifting holes.

8. The stacking and storage device for stackable trays according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The tray itself is made of plastic and is manufactured using a molding process.

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