Tray

Abstract

The invention relates to a tray (100) having a structural top (10) comprising a ring of tubular material around its circumference. The invention also relates to a tray (100) comprising: a foot pier (12); a metal structure top (10); and a colored component as a discrete component on the top of the metal structure, the discrete component being at least one of: a) one of the foot piers (12); b) a pad (42); and c) a gasket, and the color of the discrete component is contrasted with the color of the structure top (10). The invention further relates to a tray (100) which comprises the foot piers (12) and the structural top (10), and the foot piers (12) are connected with the structural top (10) through nuts and bolts. The tray (100) may include one or more of the following: a) a pad (12); b) a gasket and c) a structure bottom or one or more structure pads (14), the nuts and bolts connecting the one or more components to the structure top (10) and the foot piers (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a tray and a method for manufacturing the tray. Background Art

[0002] Pallets are generally made of plastic material, plastic composite material or wood.

[0003] Wooden pallets are often formed from a variety of components. Such components include slats forming the top and the backing plate, or forming the top and the bottom, which may be connected together in the corresponding top or bottom by other slats extending in a direction perpendicular to them. Other components include pads that separate the top and the bottom or the top and the backing plate. The various components are usually connected together with nails, in addition to screws or saddle nails, and sometimes glue or adhesives. When one or more wooden components of such wooden pallets are broken or damaged during use, the pallet can usually be returned to the distributor or pallet pooling company and repaired by replacing the corresponding wooden components. In addition, there are disposable wooden pallets. Disposable pallets are usually made of low-grade wood, while repairable pallets are often made of higher-grade wood, such as hardwood, high-quality softwood or thickened wood. The pallet components that often break are the slats, especially the backing plate or the top and / or bottom slats.

[0004] In contrast, plastic pallets are more often used as pallets for multiple uses and are rented out as part of a pooled inventory by pallet distributors, pallet manufacturers or pallet pooling companies. Pallet pooling companies collect the pooled inventory pallets from customers and redistribute them within their business scope. Compared with wooden pallets, plastic pallets are generally more flexible (or more durable) and are therefore less likely to be seriously damaged during use. The more common type of damage to plastic pallets is scratches rather than breaks, so generally no repair is required. Because plastic pallets are usually made into a one-piece structure (such as a one-piece molded structure), any damage is not easy to repair, so repairing plastic pallets is not economically feasible. For this reason, such plastic pallets can be recycled and reused (i.e., crushed into particles and melted for recasting). Among them, due to the characteristics of the plastic used (generally fiber-reinforced plastic), plastic pallets do not need to be recast into pallet products.

[0005] The third pallet material option is metal, with aluminum and steel being the most common. Compared to aluminum, plastic, and wood pallets, steel pallets are often very heavy due to the high density of steel used to meet strength requirements, which has prevented metal pallets from being widely used to date. Even so, custom pallets made of metal are known to exist in a variety of industries.

[0006] For the structural elements used as the top and bottom or the top and the backing plate of such metal pallets, the applicant has developed a very useful structural element form and published it in the previous patent application WO2015 / 185925. The entire content of this application is incorporated herein by reference. According to the patent, the design of the structural element is not only for metal pallets, and its material can be metal, plastic, or fiber materials such as paper and cardboard. However, since such parts need to be particularly strong and durable, and need to have the ability to recover from damage or breakage, it is particularly beneficial when the material of the pallet structural element is selected from metals such as steel and aluminum, and especially when the pallet is planned to be used as a shared pallet, that is, for multiple uses and / or distributed nationwide, multinational or global. In fact, many other metals are also suitable for use, such as titanium, tin, zinc, brass, pewter, copper or bronze, or a variety of their various alloys, or a variety of various alloys of steel and aluminum, including but not limited to stainless steel, galvanized metal or electroplated metal.

[0007] The structural element described in WO2015 / 18592 uses two material plates, each plate is provided with grooves that are opposite to each other and arranged in an array, and the bottoms of the corresponding grooves are connected together to form a rigid structure. By arranging the grooves closely, the structure can achieve an effect similar to a space truss, thereby improving the rigidity. Among them, the force derived from the bending stress can not only be distributed on the surface of the grooves, but also can be distributed through the vertices between adjacent grooves and the bottoms of the grooves connected together, so as to achieve the distribution of the load in the entire structure. In this way, the main benefit of the structural element described in WO2015 / 185925 is that it is suitable for forming the top or bottom of a pallet, or forming the beam of a pallet. Even if the structural element is formed by only two layers of sheet materials, it can achieve extremely high structural rigidity in multiple directions. This is in sharp contrast to the corrugated board of the prior art. The corrugated board requires three material layers, wherein the middle layer has transversely extending corrugations. Since the corrugated board is a three-layer structure, its weight is 50% heavier than the above-mentioned double-layer structural element. Furthermore, due to the use of transversely extending corrugations, the rigidity is mainly reflected in one of the axes (across each corrugation), while the rigidity is greatly reduced in the axis perpendicular to this axis.

[0008] However, a weakness of the structural element described in WO2015 / 185925, particularly when used in pallets, may be its edge strength. As pallets are frequently loaded and unloaded from vehicles by forklifts, the edges of the structural element may be impacted by the fork arms of the forklifts and damaged, exposing the internal structure of the structural element to the action of the fork arm tips. This may eventually weaken the connection between the bottoms of the slots and, therefore, the integrity of the structural element. Furthermore, when the edges of the structural element are cracked or dented, the resulting edges may be sharp (particularly when the material used is metal), which may increase the risk of injury to consumers or personnel.

[0009] Another weakness of the pallet disclosed in WO2015 / 185925 is that the footrest of the pallet is formed by further deep drawing the metal plate used to form the structural element. Although this can achieve an integrated structure, making the manufacturing simple, it will lead to the problem of difficult maintenance similar to the above-mentioned plastic pallet. The deeper deep drawing process may also lead to material weakening. In addition, according to the disclosure of WO2015 / 185925, the pad is formed separately. However, the pad still has to be connected to the pallet by welding, so as to form an "integrated" structure, which makes maintenance difficult and the related costs are high. Summary of the invention

[0010] In addition to the above, the present invention also hopes to be able to identify the owner of the pallet from a certain distance. Existing wooden pallets generally achieve this purpose by painting or coloring, and existing plastic pallets can be made of colored plastics. All of these methods can provide identification, so that the pallet sharing company knows which pallets are its own pallets when recycling pallets, or when redistributing / repairing pallets. However, metal has the problem that it may be difficult or expensive to paint, and the painting effect of metal pallets is not as good as that of wooden and plastic pallets for the following reasons. After the metal is painted, the paint is easily peeled off due to scratches, causing the appearance of the pallet to deteriorate in a short time. In addition, when repainting is required, repainting will result in high costs because the old paint must be completely removed before the repainted paint can obtain a durable and high-quality finish.

[0011] Painting or coloring of the metal may also detract from the aesthetic appearance of metal pallets, particularly stainless steel pallets, galvanized pallets, or nickel / chrome plated pallets.

[0012] The present invention aims to provide a new tray design to solve at least part of the above problems.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a pallet having a structural top comprising a ring of tubular material around its circumference.

[0014] By providing the tubular ring, a high strength "bumper" is formed around the edge of the pallet. Since the bumper (tube of material) is more difficult to break than a folded or welded edge, it helps prevent damage to the edge of the pallet during forklift interaction with the pallet.

[0015] In some embodiments, the outer height of the ring of tubular material is at least 50% of the height of the top of the tray structure (in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the top of the tray), more preferably at least 80% of the latter. In some embodiments, the outer height is at least 90%, at least 95%, or even at least 98% of the height of the top of the tray structure. The outer height may even be the same as the height of the top of the structure (e.g., define the height of the top of the structure), while the rest of the top of the structure (located inside the ring) has a smaller height.

[0016] In some embodiments, the tubular material has a generally circular cross-section. However, in more common cases, the shape of the tubular material varies along its circumference. For example, the tubular cross-section of the tubular material can be an imperfect circular cross-section. For example, the tubular material can have flattened sides, and the two flattened sides can be on either side of an arc region having the same radius.

[0017] In some embodiments, the maximum diameter of the tubular section is at least 20 mm, preferably between 20 mm and 35 mm. In some embodiments, the minimum diameter of the tubular section is 15 mm, preferably between 15 mm and 32 mm.

[0018] In some embodiments, the tubular material has a wall thickness of at least 1.5 mm around its tubular section, preferably between 1.5 mm and 4 mm.

[0019] In some embodiments, the maximum thickness of the top of the structure does not exceed 35 mm.

[0020] In some embodiments, the ring of tubular material is a single length of tubular material that is bent or formed into a structure that wraps around the top of the structure to form the circumference of the top of the structure.

[0021] In some embodiments, the tubular material is annularly formed into a ring, and the inner side of the ring forms a structure that is a central structure on top of the structure.

[0022] In some embodiments, the top of the structure includes the tubular ring, the top plate and the bottom plate, and the perimeters of the top plate and the bottom plate are welded or bonded to the tubular ring. For this structure, the wall thickness of the tubular material around its tubular section is preferably greater than the wall thickness of the top plate (and preferably greater than the wall thickness of the bottom plate). The top plate and the bottom plate are usually made of plies with the same thickness. This same thickness is usually less than 1.5 mm.

[0023] In some embodiments, the top of the structure is formed only by the top sheet, the bottom sheet, and the ring of tubular material.

[0024] In some embodiments, each of the two layer boards constituting the top and bottom layers is deformed from a corresponding outer plane of the corresponding layer board at a certain interval along its length and width relative to the outer end of the top of the structure to provide an inwardly protruding groove.

[0025] In this structure, the above two layer sheets are the outermost layers of the structural panel.

[0026] In some embodiments, the two laminates are arranged in parallel in a mirrored or opposite manner with their respective cavities facing inwards, so that the bottoms of the opposing cavities are joined in a contact area and the opposing cavities are connected at the contact area.

[0027] In some embodiments, the opposing pockets are connected by welding them together at the bottom, ie, the contact area.

[0028] In some embodiments, the bottom of the groove has an opening. For example, the bottom of each groove may have a hole.

[0029] In some embodiments, the walls of the grooves in the two sheets extend obliquely relative to the outer planes of the sheets, and their cross-sections are substantially straight-sided to form a shape similar to a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid.

[0030] The cone or pyramid-like shape may have (in cross-section) rounded areas between its base and the substantially straight-sided sides, at or between its vertices between adjacent pockets, and between the substantially straight-sided sides.

[0031] In some embodiments, the vertices between adjacent pockets in each layer are substantially rounded in cross section, and there is little or no flat surface at the closest point between adjacent pockets in each layer. In the case of square pockets, triangular pockets, hexagonal pockets, or other pocket structures, the pockets may occupy the entire extension of the top and bottom layers, and when the vertices between adjacent pockets are fully rounded, there may be no flat surface between adjacent pockets in each layer.

[0032] Preferably, the groove is circular, hexagonal or square.

[0033] The slots may be arranged in an array and / or in staggered rows, for example to allow the slots to be staggered to occupy a greater extent of the outer surfaces of the top and bottom layers, or to achieve a higher slot density within the area of ​​the top and bottom layers.

[0034] In a preferred configuration, the pockets act as interconnected braces throughout the top of the structure so that the load on the structure is transferred in multiple directions along the surface of each pocket and distributed over the entire structural panel formed. The best way to achieve this is to make the pockets in each layer close to each other (preferably, the flat area of ​​the outer apex at the closest point between adjacent pockets in each layer is no more than 2mm) so that they are not mechanically independent of each other.

[0035] In some embodiments, between each pair of adjacent joint grooves, the walls of the adjacent and opposite grooves together form a diamond beam structure (i.e., a structure with a diamond cross-section, or a structure with a uniaxial or vertical axis symmetric quadrilateral cross-section). In this way, the diamond beam structure in the structural panel forms a plurality of diamond beam structures in the adjacent blank space between each pair of joint grooves. The vertices or corners of such diamond beams may be minimally rounded, i.e., the radius is generally not greater than 5 mm, or the radius is more preferably 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm.

[0036] In some embodiments, the top and bottom plates act as tension and compression chords in the structural panel. The inwardly facing pockets are connected together at the pocket vertices and the pockets are close to each other so as not to be mechanically independent of each other. In this way, a double-depth space truss grid type matrix is ​​formed that can resist loads applied to the surface of the structural panel and can transmit such loads along the chords.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the wall between the rounded outwardly facing apex and the bottom of the inwardly facing cavity in the diamond-shaped beam structure is a straight wall, thereby having a substantially constant slope.

[0038] In some embodiments, the tubular material ring is made of a bent metal tube. The material may be, for example, steel, aluminum, titanium, tin, zinc, brass, pewter, copper, bronze or an alloy thereof. In some embodiments, the material may be stainless steel, galvanized metal or electroplated metal.

[0039] In some embodiments, the tubular material has a generally constant cross-section over most of the ring, but the cross-section may vary slightly at the corner bends of the ring. For example, the top of the structure may have rounded corners but be generally rectangular, wherein the tubular material has a generally constant cross-section along the sides of the rectangle, but may have a deflected cross-section at the corner bends.

[0040] In some embodiments, the tubular material has an outer profile at the top and bottom of the ring that provides a flatter area for accommodating the top and bottom plates (such as the top and bottom plates described above) at the top of the structure. The flatter area may be flatter than the rest of the outer profile along the cross section of the tubular material, while the rest of the profile is generally arc-shaped. In this way, the tubular cross section may approximate a circle with flattened or slightly flattened side areas. These flattened or slightly flattened side areas may be gradually narrowed relative to each other toward the inside of the ring. Preferably, the angle of each face relative to the upper or lower surface of the top of the structure may be between 2 degrees and 10 degrees. More preferably, the angle of the face may be between 3.5 degrees and 6 degrees. As an alternative (or additional) solution to the narrowing, a recess may be provided to accommodate the thickness of the top and bottom plates.

[0041] In some embodiments, the ring contacts the straight wall portion of the outermost pocket surrounding the top of the structure.

[0042] The cross section of the tubular material along the ring is preferably symmetrical about the transverse plane of the ring so as to achieve contact with the straight walls of the grooves in the top and bottom panels.

[0043] In some embodiments, the pallet comprises one or more footrests. The pallet typically comprises at least four footrests.

[0044] In some embodiments, the pallet includes a structural bottom, or one or more structural pads. Each footer may extend between the structural top and the structural bottom, or between the structural top and the one or more structural pads.

[0045] In some embodiments, the structural base or structural pad includes a ring of tubular material around its perimeter. The structural base or structural pad may have a similar or identical structure to the structural top, wherein in the case of the structural pad, the ring of tubular material is narrower and has a smaller overall width dimension (width in a direction parallel to the top). For example, the base or pad may also adopt a slot-based structural panel design.

[0046] In the case of a structure bottom, the structure bottom may be a mirror image of the structure top.

[0047] In the case of a structural pad, the pallet may comprise two or more structural pads, wherein the two outer pads are, for example, mirror images of each other. In some embodiments, a third pad, or intermediate pad, is also provided. The third or intermediate pad may have a similar structure to the structural top, but due to its smaller overall width dimension (i.e., the overall width dimension in a direction parallel to the top), a narrower ring is provided.

[0048] As mentioned above, the pallet may include foot piers, which may be formed in the structure top, structure bottom or structure pad. These foot piers may be connected between the structure top and structure bottom (or pad). However, in a preferred configuration, the foot piers are separately manufactured as spacers that fit between the corresponding top and bottom components.

[0049] In some embodiments, the top and bottom (or pad) are connected by welding through the foot pier. However, in a preferred configuration, the top and bottom or the top and pad are connected by nuts and bolts through the foot pier, and the nuts and bolts, for example, pass through holes in the structure top, structure bottom (or pad) and foot pier.

[0050] The load from the nut and bolt head can be distributed through the washer.

[0051] In some embodiments, the footrest is made of plastic or a composite material, while the structure top and structure bottom (or structure pad) are made of metal.

[0052] In some embodiments, the footer is molded, or extruded and then molded.

[0053] In some embodiments, the footrest is made by 3D printing.

[0054] In some embodiments, a pad is provided between the foot pier and the top of the structure, and / or between the foot pier and the bottom of the structure (or the structure pad).

[0055] In some embodiments, the liner is made of plastic or a composite material.

[0056] In some embodiments, the foot blocks and / or pads and / or washers are painted or made of a colored material to contrast with the color of the structure top and / or structure bottom / backing plate. By painting or coloring the foot blocks and / or pads and / or washers, the pallet sharing company can identify its own products by color without having to color the structure top and / or structure bottom or backing plate in a similar manner. In other words, the structure top and / or structure bottom or backing plate can maintain its original metal finish. In this way, since the top (bottom) surface of the pallet that is most often seen by customers when handling does not need to be painted or almost does not need to be painted, even if the pallet is worn, its visual appearance will not be significantly affected.

[0057] Based on this, according to the second aspect of the present invention, a pallet is also provided, comprising: a foot pier; a metal structure top; and a colored component, which is a discrete component of the metal structure top, and the discrete component is at least one of the following: a) one of the foot piers; b) a pad; and c) a gasket, and the color of the discrete component contrasts with that of the structure top.

[0058] As described above, this colored component contrasts with the color of the top of the structure, thereby enabling the pallet pooling company to identify its products without having to color the top of the structure in a similar manner.

[0059] In some embodiments, the footing is connected to the structure top by nuts and bolts.

[0060] In some embodiments, the colored component is formed by painting the discrete component. However, more preferably, the colored component is formed by making the discrete component from a colored plastic or composite material so that it is not easily discolored by scratching. However, since the colored component is arranged on the pallet at a position that is less visually noticeable compared to the topmost surface of the pallet (or is only a small part of the upper surface and is recessed relative to the topmost surface; for example, in the case of a washer arranged on the top of the structure as a colored component, a nut and a bolt are used to connect the corresponding foot pier to the top of the structure, and the washer is in a groove or recessed hole between the bolt head or the nut and the bolt), it is not easy to scratch, or even if it is scratched, it is not easy to cause visual discomfort as much as when the paint line on the top of the structure is scratched, so that painting the discrete component also becomes an option.

[0061] In some embodiments, the liner is assembled as a component between: one of the foot piers and the structural top or structural bottom of the pallet; or between the foot pier and the structural pad (if provided), and at least a portion of its perimeter remains visible after the pallet is assembled. In some embodiments, only the at least a portion of the perimeter may have the contrasting color.

[0062] In some embodiments, the structural top is as described above in conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention. However, in this second aspect, the structural top may also not include the tubular material ring. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the structural top is a structural element as described in WO2015 / 185925.

[0063] In some embodiments, the top of the structure includes a top plate and a bottom plate, and each of the two layer plates constituting the top plate and the bottom plate is deformed from the outer plane of the layer at a certain interval along its length and width relative to the outer end of the top of the structure to provide an inwardly protruding groove.

[0064] In some embodiments, the two laminates are arranged in parallel in a mirrored or opposite manner with their respective cavities facing inwards, so that the bottoms of the opposing cavities are joined in a contact area and the opposing cavities are connected at the contact area.

[0065] In some embodiments, the opposing pockets are connected by welding them together at the bottom, ie, the contact area.

[0066] In some embodiments, the bottom of the slot has openings. For example, each slot may have holes in the bottom. In a preferred configuration, bolts for connecting the foot pier to the top of the structure extend through some of these holes (or, when only the slot aligned with the foot pier has such holes, the bolts may extend through all such holes).

[0067] In some embodiments, the walls of the grooves in the two-layer plate are inclined relative to the outer plane of the layer, and the cross-section thereof is substantially straight-sided to form a shape similar to a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid.

[0068] The cone or pyramid-like shape may have (in cross-section) rounded areas between its base and the substantially straight-sided sides, at or between its vertices between adjacent pockets, and between the substantially straight-sided sides.

[0069] In some embodiments, the vertices between adjacent pockets in each layer are substantially rounded in cross section, and there is little or no flat surface at the closest point between adjacent pockets in each layer. In the case of square pockets, triangular pockets, hexagonal pockets, or other pocket structures, the pockets may occupy the entire extension of the top and bottom layers, and when the vertices between adjacent pockets are fully rounded, there may be no flat surface between adjacent pockets in each layer.

[0070] Preferably, the groove is circular, hexagonal or square.

[0071] The slots may be arranged in an array and / or in staggered rows, for example to allow the slots to be staggered to occupy a greater extent of the outer surfaces of the top and bottom boards, or to achieve a higher slot density within the area of ​​the top and bottom boards.

[0072] In a preferred configuration, the pockets act as interconnected braces throughout the top of the structure so that the load on the structure is transferred in multiple directions along the surface of each pocket and distributed over the entire structural panel formed. The best way to achieve this is to make the pockets in each layer close to each other (preferably, the flat area of ​​the outer apex at the closest point between adjacent pockets in each layer is no more than 2mm) so that they are not mechanically independent of each other.

[0073] In some embodiments, between each pair of adjacent joint grooves, the walls of the adjacent and opposite grooves together form a diamond beam structure (i.e., a structure with a diamond cross-section, or a structure with a uniaxial or vertical axis symmetric quadrilateral cross-section). In this way, the diamond beam structure in the structural panel forms a plurality of diamond beam structures in the adjacent blank space between each pair of joint grooves. The vertices or corners of such diamond beams may be minimally rounded, i.e., the radius is generally not greater than 5 mm, or the radius is more preferably 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm.

[0074] In some embodiments, the top and bottom plates act as tension and compression chords in the structural panel. The inwardly facing pockets are connected together at the pocket vertices and the pockets are close to each other so as not to be mechanically independent of each other. In this way, a double-depth space truss grid type matrix is ​​formed that can resist loads applied to the surface of the structural panel and can transmit such loads along the chords.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment, the wall between the rounded outwardly facing apex and the bottom of the inwardly facing cavity in the diamond-shaped beam structure is a straight wall, thereby having a substantially constant slope.

[0076] In some embodiments, the foot and / or the pad and / or the washer are formed with a profiled top or bottom which fits into one or more of the slots so that the slots and the foot, pad and / or washer self-align within the slots, thereby facilitating assembly of the pallet. The self-alignment facilitates insertion of bolts through holes through the structure top and foot (and through holes through the pad and / or washer when provided), i.e., makes it extremely easy to insert bolts through such holes. In addition, in this way, maintenance of the pallet can be made easier when the structure top, foot, pad or pad (if provided) or the structure bottom or structure pad (if provided) is damaged to the extent that it needs to be replaced or repaired.

[0077] Based on the above advantages, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a pallet, comprising a foot pier and a structure top, wherein the foot pier is connected to the structure top by nuts and bolts.

[0078] In some embodiments, the pallet further comprises one or more of the following: a) a liner; b) a washer and c) a structural bottom or one or more structural pads, wherein the nuts and bolts also connect the one or more components to the structural top and footers.

[0079] In some embodiments, the liner is assembled as a component between: one of the foot piers and the structural top of the pallet; or one of the foot piers and the structural bottom or structural pad (if provided). In some embodiments, the liner is sized so that at least part of its perimeter remains visible after the pallet is assembled.

[0080] In some embodiments, the foot and / or the pad and / or the washer are formed with a profiled top or bottom which fits into one or more of the slots so that the slots and the foot, pad and / or washer self-align within the slots, thereby facilitating assembly of the pallet. The self-alignment facilitates insertion of bolts through holes through the structure top and foot (and through holes through the pad and / or washer when provided), i.e., makes it extremely easy to insert bolts through such holes. In addition, in this way, maintenance of the pallet can be made easier when the structure top, foot, pad or pad (if provided) or the structure bottom or structure pad (if provided) is damaged to the extent that it needs to be replaced or repaired.

[0081] In some embodiments, the top and / or bottom profiles of the footrest or pad are adapted to fit into at least two pockets in the top of the structure, or into two pockets in the bottom of the structure or in a backing plate (if provided). The self-alignment described above also encompasses guiding the orientation of the components relative to each other by fitting into two or more pockets.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment, the footrest or pad is contoured to fit into at least four pockets, more preferably five or six pockets.

[0083] In a preferred embodiment, each foot pier is fixed to the top of the structure by at least four bolts. Each bolt may extend through one of the slots into which the pad or foot pier fits.

[0084] The foot pier may be provided with a guide hole therethrough for each bolt. The foot pier may have a generally hollow structure with an internal frame for increasing rigidity.

[0085] The third aspect of the pallet may further be in accordance with the first or second aspect of the invention. For example, consistent with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the structural top is as described above in conjunction with the first aspect of the invention. However, for the second aspect, the structural top may not include the tubular material ring. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the structural top is a structural element as described in WO2015 / 185925.

[0086] In some embodiments, the top of the structure includes a top plate and a bottom plate, and each of the two layer plates constituting the top plate and the bottom plate is deformed from the outer plane of the layer plate at a certain interval along its length and width relative to the outer end of the top of the structure to provide an inwardly protruding groove.

[0087] In some embodiments, the two laminates are arranged in parallel in a mirrored or opposite manner with their respective cavities facing inwards, so that the bottoms of the opposing cavities are joined in a contact area and the opposing cavities are connected at the contact area.

[0088] In some embodiments, the opposing pockets are connected by welding them together at the bottom, ie, the contact area.

[0089] In some embodiments, the bottom of the slot has openings. For example, each slot may have holes in the bottom. In a preferred configuration, bolts for connecting the foot pier to the top of the structure extend through some of these holes (or, when only the slot aligned with the foot pier has such holes, the bolts may extend through all such holes).

[0090] In some embodiments, the walls of the grooves in the two sheets extend obliquely relative to the outer planes of the sheets, and their cross-sections are substantially straight-sided to form a shape similar to a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid.

[0091] The cone or pyramid-like shape may have (in cross-section) rounded areas between its base and the substantially straight-sided sides, at or between its vertices between adjacent pockets, and between the substantially straight-sided sides.

[0092] In some embodiments, the vertices between adjacent pockets in each layer are substantially rounded in cross section, and there is little or no flat surface at the closest point between adjacent pockets in each layer. In the case of square pockets, triangular pockets, hexagonal pockets, or other pocket structures, the pockets may occupy the entire extension of the top and bottom layers, and when the vertices between adjacent pockets are fully rounded, there may be no flat surface between adjacent pockets in each layer.

[0093] Preferably, the groove is circular, hexagonal or square.

[0094] The slots may be arranged in an array and / or in staggered rows, for example to allow the slots to be staggered to occupy a greater extent of the outer surfaces of the top and bottom boards, or to achieve a higher slot density within the area of ​​the top and bottom boards.

[0095] In a preferred configuration, the pockets act as interconnected braces throughout the top of the structure so that the load on the structure is transferred in multiple directions along the surface of each pocket and distributed over the entire structural panel formed. The best way to achieve this is to make the pockets in each layer close to each other (preferably, the flat area of ​​the outer apex at the closest point between adjacent pockets in each layer is no more than 2mm) so that they are not mechanically independent of each other.

[0096] In some embodiments, between each pair of adjacent joint grooves, the walls of the adjacent and opposite grooves together form a diamond beam structure (i.e., a structure with a diamond cross-section, or a structure with a uniaxial or vertical axis symmetric quadrilateral cross-section). In this way, the diamond beam structure in the structural panel forms a plurality of diamond beam structures in the adjacent blank space between each pair of joint grooves. The vertices or corners of such diamond beams may be minimally rounded, i.e., the radius is generally not greater than 5 mm, or the radius is more preferably 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm.

[0097] In some embodiments, the top and bottom plates act as tension and compression chords in the structural panel. The inwardly facing pockets are connected together at the pocket vertices and the pockets are close to each other so as not to be mechanically independent of each other. In this way, a double-depth space truss grid type matrix is ​​formed that can resist loads applied to the surface of the structural panel and can transmit such loads along the chords.

[0098] In a preferred embodiment, the wall between the rounded outwardly facing apex and the bottom of the inwardly facing cavity in the diamond-shaped beam structure is a straight wall, thereby having a substantially constant slope.

[0099] In both the second and third aspects, the structural base or structural pad (if provided) may have a similar structure to the structural top.

[0100] In a third aspect, consistent with the above aspects, the footrest and / or pad can be made of plastic or composite material. The washer (if provided) is typically a metal component, but can also be a plastic or composite component. In some embodiments, the washer is a component consisting of the following two parts: a colored plastic part; a load-distributing metal part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0101] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, purely by way of example. In the accompanying drawings:

[0102] Figure 1 The present invention is shown as a pallet having a structural top, nine foot piers and three structural pads;

[0103] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A further detailed view of the front right corner of the pallet showing the assembly of the foot piers and the pads;

[0104] Figure 3 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the pallet showing in detail the pallet's structural top, nuts, bolts, washers, feet and pads;

[0105] Figure 4 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the structural top of the pallet, where the structural bottom may be identical;

[0106] Figure 5 Shown Figure 1 The cross section of the structural top of the pallet;

[0107] Figure 6 Shown Figure 1 A section of the pallet that passes through the top of the structure, three foot piers and three pads;

[0108] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A magnified view of part B;

[0109] Figure 8 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of the middle M part;

[0110] Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a second pallet of the present invention having a structural top, nuts, bolts and washers, two pads for each foot pier, nine foot piers, and three backing plates;

[0111] Fig.10 Shown is a section of the second pallet in assembled form, the section passing through the top of the structure, three foot piers, and three pads;

[0112] Fig.11 for Fig.10 Enlarged view of the middle M part;

[0113] Fig.12 is a plan view of a loop of tubular material suitable for forming a backing plate of a first or second pallet;

[0114] Fig.13 Shown Fig.12 AA section of the ring;

[0115] Fig.14 for Fig.13 A magnified view of part B;

[0116] Fig.15 for Figure 3 Side view of the foot pier;

[0117] Fig.16 for Fig.15 End view of the foot pier;

[0118] Fig.17 for Fig.15 Top plan view of the foot pier;

[0119] Fig.18 for Fig.15 A perspective view of a foot pier showing the form of the shaped top of the foot pier for fitting into a slot in a top portion of a structure, the bottom of the foot pier also having a corresponding profile for fitting into a slot in a base plate of the structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0120] First, refer to Figure 1 , which shows a pallet 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The pallet 100 has a structural top 10, nine foot piers 12 (five of which are visible and four are obscured by the structural top 10), and three pads 14. Each pad 14 is connected to the structural top 10 via three foot piers 12. The pallet 100 is a known full-size pallet. In addition, pallets of other sizes are also known. For example, a half pallet may have two or three pads and six foot piers, wherein the pads may extend along the long sides of the pallet or along the short sides of the pallet. The size of a half pallet is roughly half of the above-mentioned pallet after being cut in half along its length. A quarter pallet is a pallet whose size is roughly one-quarter of a full pallet after being cut in half again. A quarter pallet may have only two pads extending along the long sides of the structural top and may have only four foot piers.

[0121] The base plate 14 can be replaced by a structure bottom corresponding to the structure top 10. In this solution, all footings connect the structure bottom and the structure top together.

[0122] Next, refer to Figure 2 , as shown in the figure Figure 1 Further details of the forward most corner of the tray. It can be seen that the structural top 10 has a series of hexagonal pockets 16 formed in its top surface and a tubular rim 26 surrounding the structural top 10, as will be described in further detail below. The backing plate 14 is also surrounded by a tubular rim 28, as will be described in further detail below.

[0123] from Figure 2 It can be seen that the bolt 18 extends through the bottom of the slot 16, and the washer 20 is arranged between the head 56 of the bolt 18 and the bottom of the slot 16. Figure 3 and Figure 8 To describe in further detail, each bolt passes through the foot pier 12 and the backing plate 14 .

[0124] Similar to the structural top 10, the backing plate 14 has a series of slots 16 formed on its top surface. These slots 16 are also hexagonal. Although hexagonal slots are shown in the figure, as described in WO2015 / 185925, these slots can also have other shapes, such as square, circular, triangular or other polygonal shapes. In fact, irregular shapes can also be used, but because the structural strength of the structural element will become unpredictable when irregular shapes are used, irregular shapes are not preferred.

[0125] from Figure 2 It can be seen that the foot pier 12 has a shaped bottom with feet 24 that fit into at least four slots of the backing plate 14. As described later in this application, in this embodiment, the foot pier 12 has a shaped top and bottom for fitting into five slots 16 of the structure top 10 and five slots 16 of the backing plate 14, respectively.

[0126] Next, refer to Figure 3 , which shows an exploded view of a pallet 100. It can be seen that each foot pier has a shaped top for fitting into a slot provided on the bottom side of the structure top 10, and a matching shaped bottom for fitting into a slot 16 provided in the backing plate 14. Thus, the bolts 18 can be inserted through the holes at the bottom of the corresponding slots 16 on the top surface of the structure top 10, the foot pier 12, and the backing plate 14 in sequence, and then the free ends thereof are tightened to the bottom of the pallet 100 with nuts 30. Washers 20 are assembled between the heads of the bolts 18 and the topmost slots, and corresponding washers 32 are assembled between the nuts 30 and the bottommost slots at the bottom of the backing plate 14. Thus, after the foot pier 12 is assembled on the backing plate 14 and the structure top 10 is assembled on the foot pier 12, it is only necessary to fix with nuts, bolts, and washers to obtain a pallet.

[0127] Next, refer to Figure 4 , which shows a preferred assembly of a structural top or structural bottom and a structural pad. It can be seen that the structural top includes a ring of tubular material (usually steel or aluminum) and top and bottom plates 34, 36. Each of the top and bottom plates is provided with an array of inwardly recessed slots 16, which form pairs of corresponding slots 16 facing each other between the top and bottom plates 34, 36. The opposing slots are connected together at their contact, for example by welding. Figure 2 As shown, the bottom of the groove can be partially punched into a hole 22.

[0128] Next, refer to Figure 5 , which shows a cross section of the top 10 of the assembled structure. As shown in the figure, and as Figure 8In further detail, each pair of adjacent opposing slots 16 forms a diamond beam structure 40 therebetween. The diamond beam structures 40 are generally diamond-shaped, with generally straight sides 38 formed by two side straight walls 38 of the slots 16. Figure 7 for Figure 5 Further detailed view of section B.

[0129] refer to Figure 7 , which further details a cross section of a ring 26 of tubular material. It can be seen that the cross section of the tubular material is generally circular, but has two flattened sides 44. The two flattened sides 44 taper relative to each other toward the interior of the ring 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the taper angle with the upper (or lower) surface of the top of the structure is 4.8°, however, any angle greater than 0° to 10° may also be used. In an alternative embodiment, the flattened sides 44 may not taper, but may be parallel to each other (e.g., Fig.14 As shown, this is the case for the ring 28 of the backing plate 14).

[0130] In addition, the flattened side surface may also be in the form of steps or grooves.

[0131] Flattening the sides is used to simplify the connection between the top and bottom plates 34, 36 at the top of the structure and the ring 26. By flattening, the contact surface area between the top and bottom plates 34, 36 and the ring 26 can be increased, making it easier to achieve a stable connection between the two. Generally, this connection is achieved by welding.

[0132] like Figure 7 As shown, the top and bottom plates 34, 36 may have tapered edges to match the angle of the flattened side 44, thereby further improving the connection. For this purpose, the top and bottom plates 34, 36 may be deflected inwardly to form a step 46, thereby being able to replace the tapered edge with an inclined edge.

[0133] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the ring 26 contacts the side or straight wall 38 of the immediately adjacent pocket 16 , thereby shortening the length of the arm 48 of the pocket 16 .

[0134] On either side of the flattened side 44, the tubular material has curved sections that give the tubular material a full circumference, with each curved section connected to the flattened side 44 by an area of ​​smaller radius. By giving the tubular material a full circumference, the strength of the tubular material can be increased compared to providing a C-shaped cover on the side of the structure top 10. Similarly, by giving the tubular material an overall circular shape, its strength can also be increased. In addition, the tubular material can also have a full circumference ellipse or some other cross-sectional shape.

[0135] Further Figure 7As shown, as the tubular material bends near the corner of the tray 10, there are displacement areas inside the tubular material at the corners of the ring due to the deflection of the tubular cross section.

[0136] Next, refer to Figure 6 , which shows another cross section of the tray 100, which is similar to Figure 5 The cross section is parallel, but through the three foot piers 12, and the figure particularly shows two bolts of each foot pier extending through the pallet. Therefore, the cross section shows the connection mode of the bolts 18 between the top of the structure 10 and the pad 14, wherein the foot pier 12 is located between the top of the structure 10 and the pad 14. Figure 8 A further detailed view of how this bolt is set up.

[0137] refer to Figure 8 , which shows a cross section of two bolts 18 and a foot pier 12. Each bolt 18 has a head 56 at the top of the bolt, which is fixed in a slot 16 on the top plate 34 of the structure top 10. A washer 20 is provided below the head 56 of the bolt 18. In this embodiment, the washer 20 is a metal washer 20 and abuts against a flange around the hole 22 of the slot 16 to engage with the top plate 34. The head 56 abuts against the washer 20. The bolt 18 then extends through the structure top 10 and into the opposing slot 16 on the bottom plate, wherein the first and second slots 16 form a pair of slots 16. A foot 24 of the foot pier 12 is provided in the opposing slot 16. The bolt 18 further extends into the foot 24 of the foot pier 12, that is, after passing through the foot pier, it extends into the foot 24 at the bottom of the foot pier 12. The bolt 18 is then extended through the hole 22 in the receiving cavity 16 in the backing plate 14, where it is tightened together with another washer 32 and nut 30. In this embodiment, Figure 8 Each bolt 18 through which the cross section passes has a head 56, a first washer 20, a second washer 32 and a nut 30. Figure 3 As shown, each footing pier 12 is connected to the structure top 10 and the corresponding pad 14 by four bolts 18 respectively.

[0138] The profiles of the column feet 24 at both the top and bottom of the foot pier 12 enable them to fit tightly within the corresponding receiving slots, thereby enabling the foot pier 12 to achieve self-alignment within the slot 16.

[0139] In this embodiment, if Figures 15 to 18 As shown, the side of the foot pier is generally flat, and the column foot extends laterally relative to the side. Fig. 9 In the illustrated embodiment, the stubs 24 do not extend in this manner transversely.

[0140] exist Figure 8In an embodiment, the entire foot pier 12, including the column foot 24, can be made of plastic or composite material. At the same time, in this embodiment, the structure top and the structure base plate are made of metal such as aluminum or steel, and the foot pier, as a plastic or composite material, can have a color that contrasts with the structure top and the structure base plate. Through the contrasting color, the foot pier can be used as a manufacturer or owner logo, and because it is made of plastic or composite material, it will not fade even if scratched, thereby achieving a long-lasting coloring effect. In contrast, when painting is used, the paint will quickly peel off due to friction or scratches during the frequent loading and unloading of pallets from vehicles with forklifts, or during transportation within the factory.

[0141] As described in the following alternative embodiments, the metal washer may be replaced by a colored plastic washer, or a colored plastic washer may be provided in addition to the metal washer.

[0142] Reference now Fig. 9 , which shows an exploded view of an alternative embodiment. It can be seen that the pallet 100 also has a structural top 10, nine foot piers 12, three structural pads 14, nuts 30, bolts 18 and washers 20. In addition, although not shown in this embodiment, consistent with the above embodiment, the pallet 100 also has other washers 32. In this embodiment, for aesthetic purposes, the nine foot piers 12 are instead generally in the form of hexagonal columns along all four sides thereof. With this change, the column feet 24 no longer extend laterally from the side of the foot piers, but are integrated into the contours of the top and bottom of the foot piers.

[0143] Additionally, in this alternative embodiment, a liner 42 is provided. The liner 42 may be provided between the foot pier 12 and the structure top 10, and between the foot pier 12 and the structure pad 14. While both are optional features, it is preferred that this liner be provided on both the top and bottom of the foot pier 12.

[0144] In this embodiment, the pad 42 is made of a plastic material. Thus, similar to the footrest in the above embodiment, it can contrast with the other parts of the pallet by color. In this embodiment, when the footrest 12 and the structural top and structural base are all made of metal, the pad 42 can contrast with all of these parts. This aspect is shown in more detail in Fig.11 , the figure is Fig.10 The enlarged view of the M part. Figure 6 similar, Fig.10 Shown is a section through the three foot piers 12 of the pallet 103 and a pair of bolts 18 within each foot pier 12 .

[0145] like Fig.11As shown, the liner 42 has edge flanges 58 which remain visible after the liner 42 is positioned between the structural top 10 and the foot pier 12 and between the structural backing plate 14 and the foot pier 12. Since the edge flanges 58 remain visible, they can be used to identify all sides of the pallet when they are made of a contrasting color.

[0146] from Fig.11 It can be seen that this implementation method is Figure 8 The embodiments also differ in that the washers 20 disposed between the heads 56 of the bolts 18 and the top deck 34 are greatly increased in size. This is because these washers are also intended to be used as plastic or composite components that contrast with the color of the structure top 10. Although the washers 20 of the above embodiments may also be used, these larger washers can further provide a useful means for identifying the owner of the pallet 100.

[0147] Reference again Fig. 9 , additional washers 60 are provided in this embodiment. These washers can be used to fill the tool groove between the head 56 of the bolt 18 and the washer 20. Although these washers are also optional features, they can make the upper surface of the tray 100 flat. The usefulness of this approach is that with the large size of the washer 20, the bolt head is more flush with the top surface of the tray.

[0148] Next, refer to Figure 12 to Figure 14 , which shows a loop of tubular material 28 of the backing plate 14. Since the backing plate is much narrower than the top of the structure, the shape of the loop 28 of the backing plate 14 is also narrower, but the length of the loop can be the same as the length of the loop of tubular material at the top of the structure.

[0149] As described above, although the flattened sides 44 of the ring 26 of the structure top 10 are tapered, in this embodiment, the flattened sides 44 of the structure pad are parallel. If more preferred, the flattened sides 44 can also be tapered. Similar to the situation of the structure top, the top plate and the bottom plate of the pad can also be connected to the ring 28, and the connection can also be achieved by welding.

[0150] Finally, reference Figures 15 to 18 , which shows a preferred embodiment of the foot pier 12. The foot pier is Figure 3As shown in the foot pier. As can be seen and as described above, the foot pier 12 has generally flat side walls 62 and the column foot 24 extends transversely thereto. In addition, the foot pier 12 is generally hollow and has a skeleton structure formed therein. This skeleton structure includes a series of longitudinally extending slats 64, which are interconnected to form a honeycomb grid. The illustrated structure is one of many possible structures of the grid. The grid provides vertical load strength to the foot pier 12, and vertical loads are the main forces that the foot pier is subjected to. In addition, each slat is also connected to each side wall to further provide lateral strength to resist the forces that may be applied thereto during forklift loading and unloading.

[0151] from Fig.18 As can be best seen, the upper profile of the foot pier 12 includes shapes 66 (or protrusions) that fit into the interior of the slots 16. In this embodiment, since the slots have a staggered hexagonal structure, five of the above shapes 66 are provided at the top and bottom of the foot pier 12, wherein the shapes 66 at the four corners are provided with tubes 68 extending from the top to the bottom for the bolts 18 to pass through during the assembly process of the pallet 100. Such tubes 68 can control the posture of the bolts - by keeping the bolts straight and perpendicular to the top 10, the foot pier can be kept straight and perpendicular to the top 10, thereby facilitating the bolts 18 to pass through various components during the assembly process of the pallet. However, in other embodiments, the bolts 18 can also be fitted between the slats 64 of the foot pier 12.

[0152] As shown, the cross-sectional wall thickness of the strips 64 is generally less than the side walls 62 (and end walls) of the foot 12. In addition, in order to increase the strength of the extended column foot 24, the strips or flanges at the column foot are thicker than the other strips 64.

[0153] The invention has been described above purely by way of example. The invention may be modified in detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A pallet, It is characterized in that There is a structural top including a ring of tubular material around its perimeter.

2. The pallet according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The outer height of the ring of tubular material is at least 50% of the height of the structural top of the pallet.

3. A pallet according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The tubular material has a generally circular cross-section.

4. The pallet according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The tubular material has two flattened sides.

5. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The ring of tubular material is a single length of tubular material, wherein the single length of tubular material is bent or formed into a structure around the top of the structure to form the perimeter of the top of the structure.

6. A pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The tubular material is annularly formed into a ring and the inside of the ring forms a structure which is a central structure on top of the structure.

7. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The loop of tubular material is formed from bent metal tubing.

8. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The tubular material has an outer contour at the top and bottom of the ring, wherein the outer contour provides a flatter area for receiving a top and bottom sheet at the top of the structure.

9. A pallet according to claim 8 or 4, It is characterized in that The flatter areas or flattened sides taper relative to each other towards the interior of the ring.

10. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The ring contacts the straight wall portion of the cavity provided at the top of the structure.

11. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The pallet includes one or more structural skids.

12. A pallet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The pallet includes at least four footrests.

13. A pallet according to claim 11 or 12, It is characterized in that Each footer extends between the structure top and one of the one or more structural pads.

14. The tray according to claim 13, It is characterized in that The structure top and the base plate are connected via the foot pier by one or more nuts and bolts, wherein the one or more bolts pass through one or more holes of the structure top, the structure base plate and the foot pier.

15. The tray according to claim 14, It is characterized in that The load from the nut and the head of the bolt is distributed through the washer.

16. A pallet according to any one of claims 12 to 15, It is characterized in that The footrest is made of plastic or composite material and the top of the structure is made of metal.

17. A pallet according to any one of claims 12 to 16, It is characterized in that Pads are provided between: the foot pier and the structure top; and / or between the foot pier and the one or more structure pads.

18. The tray according to claim 17, It is characterized in that The pad is made of plastic or a composite material.

19. A pallet, It is characterized in that include: foot pier; metal structure top; and a colored component, wherein the colored component is a discrete component of the top of the metal structure, wherein the discrete component is at least one of the following: a) one of the footrests; b) a pad; and c) a gasket, and the discrete component contrasts with the color of the top of the structure.

20. The pallet according to claim 19, It is characterized in that The footings are connected to the top of the structure by nuts and bolts.

21. A pallet as claimed in claim 19 or 20, It is characterized in that Also included is one or more of the pads, wherein the pads are components assembled between the foot pier and the top of the structure.

22. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21, It is characterized in that Also includes: Structural base or structural pad; and one or more of the pads, wherein the pads are components assembled between the foot pier and the structural base or structural pad.

23. A pallet as claimed in claim 21 or 22, It is characterized in that At least a portion of the perimeter of the liner remains visible after the pallet is assembled.

24. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 23, It is characterized in that Further according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

25. A pallet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The top of the structure includes a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein each of the two layers constituting the top plate and the bottom plate is deformed from the corresponding outer plane of the corresponding layer at a certain interval along its length and width relative to the outer end of the top of the structure to provide an inwardly protruding groove.

26. The pallet of claim 25, It is characterized in that The two sheets are arranged in parallel in a mirror-image or opposite manner with their respective cavities facing inwards, so that the bottoms of the opposing cavities are joined in a contact area and the opposing cavities are connected at the contact area.

27. The tray of claim 26, It is characterized in that The opposing pockets are connected by welding the bases together in the contact area.

28. The tray of claim 27, It is characterized in that The bottom of the groove has an opening.

29. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 28, It is characterized in that The groove is circular, hexagonal or square.

30. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 29 when dependent on claim 12 or 19, It is characterized in that The foot pier is formed with a profiled top or bottom that fits into one or more of the pockets so that the pockets and the foot pier self-align within the pockets, thereby facilitating assembly of the pallet.

31. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 30 when dependent on claim 17 or 21, It is characterized in that The liner is formed with a profiled top or bottom that fits into one or more of the pockets so that the pockets, the feet, and the liner self-align within the pockets, thereby facilitating assembly of the pallet.

32. A pallet, It is characterized in that It comprises a foot pier and a structure top, wherein the foot pier is connected to the structure top through nuts and bolts.

33. The tray of claim 32, It is characterized in that Also included are one or more of the following: a) a gasket; b) a washer and c) a structural bottom or one or more structural pads, wherein the nuts and bolts also connect the one or more components to the structural top and footings.

34. A pallet as claimed in claim 32 or 33, It is characterized in that The pad is included to be assembled as a component between: one of the foot piers and the structural top of the pallet; or between one of the foot piers and the structural bottom or structural pad.

35. A tray as claimed in claim 34, It is characterized in that At least a portion of the perimeter of the liner remains visible after the pallet is assembled.

36. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 35, It is characterized in that The foot pier is formed with a profiled top or bottom that fits into one or more of the pockets so that the pockets and the foot pier self-align within the pockets, thereby facilitating assembly of the pallet.

37. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 36 when dependent on claim 34, It is characterized in that The liner is formed with a profiled top or bottom that fits into one or more of the pockets so that the pockets, the feet, and the liner self-align within the pockets, thereby facilitating assembly of the pallet.

38. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 37, It is characterized in that Further according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

Images