Pallet for storing parts and batten box for transporting parts

Abstract

The invention relates to a tray for storing parts and a batten box for transporting parts. There is provided a tray (20) for storing parts (22) for transporting the parts, the tray (20) comprising: a planar wall (24) comprising an upper surface (24a) capable of supporting a part (22) to be transported and a lower surface; and positioning columns (26) attached to the planar wall (24) and projecting from the upper surface (24a) in order to block a part (22) to be transported, characterized in that the positioning columns (26) are attached independently of each other and independently to the upper surface (24a) of the planar wall (24) in order to block the part (22) to be transported. Each of the positioning columns (26) includes a first portion (32a) made of rigid foam attached to the upper surface (24a) and a second portion (32b) made of flexible foam contactable with the part (22) to be transported.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to European patent application EP24306894.7, filed on 12 November 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention particularly relates to a pallet for storing parts for transporting the parts, and a crate for transporting the parts. Background Technology

[0003] The prior art specifically includes documents US 2018 / 0265249A1, DE 20 2005 008496U1, WO 2020 / 165662A1 and DE 44 34 286C1.

[0004] It is well known that parts are transported in crates. Typically, a crate has a roughly parallelepiped shape and includes a base and four sidewalls extending along the four sides of the base. Parts are placed in the crates for transport. These parts may be, for example, parts destined for an assembly plant, such as vehicle parts destined for a car assembly plant.

[0005] The parts may be relatively fragile, so they need to be contained as safely as possible in crates to prevent them from shifting or colliding with each other during transport. For example, parts may have smooth surfaces that cannot be scratched, or flexible parts that cannot be deformed or crushed. This is especially true for sealing parts in vehicles, particularly automobiles.

[0006] Depending on the size of each part, these parts may need to be stacked in crates. To achieve this, storage pallets can be stacked one on top of another in the crates, with each pallet supporting multiple parts stacks. In this configuration, the risk of parts shifting and colliding increases, which further necessitates securing the parts stacked on each pallet.

[0007] This invention provides a simple, effective, and economical solution to this need in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Therefore, the present invention provides a pallet for storing parts for transporting these parts, the pallet comprising: - A planar wall, comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface capable of supporting the parts to be transported, and - Multiple positioning posts, which are attached to the flat wall and protrude from the upper surface to block the parts to be transported. The feature is that the plurality of positioning posts are independently and independently attached to the upper surface of the planar wall, and at least some of the positioning posts include a first rigid foam portion attached to the upper surface and a second portion made of flexible foam, the second portion being capable of contacting the parts to be transported.

[0009] These locating posts are used to stop parts, that is, to decelerate or lock the parts, thereby limiting their movement during transport. These locating posts are attached to a flat wall and abut against the parts to be transported. Therefore, these locating posts consist of two parts, each with a specific function. The first part of each locating post is made of rigid foam, enabling the locating post to attach to the flat wall. Thus, it should be understood that each locating post is attached to the flat wall via its rigid first part. The second part of each locating post is made of flexible foam and is designed to contact the parts to achieve the stopping purpose.

[0010] In this application, the terms "rigid" and "flexible" refer to the hardness of the foam. It should be understood that rigid foam has a higher hardness than flexible foam. This means that the hardness of the first part of each positioning post is greater than the hardness of the second part of the positioning post.

[0011] For example, if the measured hardness is Shore 00, the hardness of flexible foam is less than 20, while the hardness of rigid foam is greater than 20.

[0012] The tray according to the invention may include one or more of the following features, which may be used individually or in combination: - This first part is based on XPE; - The first part has a strength greater than 110 kg / m 3 Preferably greater than or equal to 120 kg / m 3 The density; - The first part has a Shore 00 hardness greater than 20, preferably greater than 30; - The first part has an elongation at break greater than 110%, for example, between 110% and 140%; - The second part is of the shape memory type; - This second part is based on EPDM foam; - The second part has a weight of less than or equal to 110 kg / m 3 For example, at 80 kg / m 3 With 110 kg / m 3 Density between; - The second part has a Shore 00 hardness of less than 20, preferably less than 13; - The second part has an elongation at break greater than 150%, for example, between 150% and 300%; - At least some of the positioning posts are covered with a textile film or textile layer; - The textile film or textile layer contains polyester, polyamide, or a combination of both; - The textile film or textile layer has a strength of 50 g / m 2 With 200 g / m 2 Between, preferably about 100 g / m 2 The density; - The textile film or textile layer covers the opposite sides of the positioning post, or even covers the top and / or base of the positioning post; - At least some of the locating posts are the same, or not all of the locating posts are the same; - Each of these multiple positioning posts has a roughly parallelepiped shape; - Each of the first and second parts has a parallelepiped shape; - The volume of the positioning post occupied by the second part of each positioning post is smaller than the volume of the positioning post occupied by the first part of the positioning post; - All of these positioning posts are the same height; - The number of these multiple positioning posts is greater than ten; - The plurality of locating posts are attached to the plane wall by adhesive and / or by passing attachment screws through the plane wall and screwing them into the plurality of locating posts; - The upper surface of the planar wall includes a graphic representing the shape and position of the parts to be transported and blocked between these positioning posts; - The flat wall is made of polypropylene (PP); - This planar wall has a strength of 1000 g / m 2 With 2000 g / m 2 Between, for example, at 1200 g / m 2 With 1800 g / m 2 The density is between; for example, it is about 1500 g / m³. 2 ; - The planar wall has a thickness between 2 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 3 mm and 7 mm; the thickness is, for example, 5 mm; - The flat wall is a hollow or honeycomb panel, such as hollow or honeycomb panels sold under the trademark Triplex®; - The textile film or textile layer is, for example, a textile sold under the trademark Evolon®.

[0013] The present invention also relates to a crate for storing parts for transporting the parts, the crate comprising a container in which a plurality of pallets as described above are stacked, the pallets having planar walls of the same size.

[0014] The crates according to the present invention may include one or more of the following features, which may be used alone or in combination with each other: - Each pallet, referred to as the upper pallet and stacked on top of a pallet referred to as the lower pallet, rests on top of a plurality of positioning posts attached to the lower pallet; - The parts to be transported are located on each of these pallets and are blocked by the positioning posts on these pallets; - Multiple layers of parts are stacked on each of these trays; - At least some parts or at least some layers are at least partially separated from each other by protective sheets or textiles; - The parts or layers on each of these pallets are stacked to a height less than the height of the positioning post on that pallet; - The height difference is between 0.5 cm and 5 cm; - The crate does not include any parts to be shipped, and the crate includes a pallet stack for empty return, the pallet stack comprising multiple pairs of pallets stacked and housed in the crate, each pair of pallets comprising two pallets with their upper surfaces facing each other and their positioning posts spaced apart from each other.

[0015] The present invention also relates to the use of the pallets or crates described above for transporting sealing parts of vehicles, particularly motor vehicles. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of non-limiting embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a transport crate, which is empty in this case. Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view of a transport crate, which includes at least one storage pallet on which parts to be transported are stacked. Figure 3 This is a schematic front view of a storage tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic 3D diagram of the positioning post. Figure 5 It is a schematic 3D view of another positioning post, and Figure 6It is a schematic three-dimensional view of the stack of parts on the storage tray. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Figure 1 A crate 10 for transporting parts is shown. The crate 10 has a generally parallelepiped shape, for example as shown in the example, and includes or forms a container having a base 12 or base wall and four side walls 14 extending along the four sides of the base 12, respectively.

[0018] Typically, the base 12 is horizontal and associated with one or more legs 16. The sidewalls 14 are typically vertical, and therefore perpendicular to the base 12. In the example shown, these sidewalls are also perpendicular and parallel to each other.

[0019] The base 12 is preferably rigid and is made of, for example, metal, wood or both.

[0020] The sidewall 14 can be made of metal and, for example, has a screen as shown in the example.

[0021] Alternatively, crate 10 can be made of plastic.

[0022] The crate 10 may also be of a non-removable type, or conversely, the crate 10 may be removable, especially foldable.

[0023] like Figure 2 As shown, the crate 10 includes or forms a container, and multiple pallets 20 are designed to be placed one on top of another in the container.

[0024] There is no limit to the number of pallets 20 that can be stacked in crates 10.

[0025] Figure 2 The image shows an upper tray stacked on a lower tray, which itself can be stacked on another tray.

[0026] These trays 20 preferably have the same dimensions, particularly width and length, which substantially correspond to the dimensions of the base 12, so that the lowest tray can be placed on the base 12.

[0027] Each pallet 20 supports multiple parts 22 and is configured to block these parts as much as possible to limit any movement of these parts 22 during transport.

[0028] Figure 3 An example of tray 20 is shown.

[0029] Each pallet 20 mainly consists of two parts: a flat wall 24 and multiple positioning posts 26.

[0030] The planar wall 24 includes an upper surface 24a and a lower surface, the upper surface 24a being able to support the part 22 to be transported.

[0031] As can be seen, the upper surface 24a may include markings 28 that demarcate the boundaries of the part 22 to be transported. In the present case, part 22 is a sealing part for a vehicle, particularly an automobile. These parts have relatively complex shapes, with straight and elongated cross-sections.

[0032] In the example shown, it can be seen that the upper surface 24a includes four markings 28, which allows for the production of a stack of four parts 22.

[0033] Marker 28 can be made by continuous lines or dashed lines drawn on the planar wall 24, as shown in the example.

[0034] The flat wall 24 may also include an opening 30 to make it easier to grip and handle the tray 20.

[0035] For example, the flat wall 24 includes two openings 30 located substantially in the center, allowing an operator to grasp the tray 20 by inserting their hand into these openings 30 and hooking their fingers onto the lower surface of the flat wall 24. Thus, the user can manipulate the tray 20, for example, by removing or inserting the tray into the crate 10.

[0036] The figure shows that the opening 30 is a distance from the mark 28 to prevent the operator from touching the parts when handling the tray 20.

[0037] For example, the planar wall 24 is made of polypropylene (PP).

[0038] The planar wall 24 can have a density between 1000 g / m² and 2000 g / m², for example, between 1200 g / m² and 1800 g / m². The density of the planar wall 24 is, for example, about 1500 g / m².

[0039] The planar wall 24 may have a thickness between 2 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 3 mm and 7 mm. The thickness of the planar wall 24 is, for example, 5 mm.

[0040] The flat wall 24 can be a hollow or honeycomb panel, such as a hollow or honeycomb panel sold under the trademark Triplex®.

[0041] Multiple positioning posts 26 are attached independently to the upper surface 24a of the planar wall 24.

[0042] Figure 3The diagram shows that the tray 20 may include a considerable number of positioning posts 26. The number of positioning posts 26 in each tray 20 is, for example, greater than or equal to 10 or 20.

[0043] There are two types of positioning posts 26: blocking posts 26a and supporting posts 26b.

[0044] Support column 26b is designed to support the upper tray.

[0045] The blocking post 26a is positioned in a specific area next to the mark 28, so that the part 22 is precisely blocked at the mark 28.

[0046] The same part 22 can be blocked by multiple blocking posts 26a depending on the shape and size of the part 22. For example, the number of blocking posts 26a for each part 22 can be greater than or equal to 2 or 5.

[0047] The function of the blocking posts 26a is to block part 22 in a plane parallel to the plane wall 24, provided that part 22 is placed on or on another part 22 located on the plane wall 24, and provided that part 22 is covered by another part 22 or another tray 20. In other words, the number and position of the blocking posts 26a used to block part 22 are advantageously selected to block movement of part 22 in any direction in that plane, or movement in at least several directions in that plane.

[0048] Each positioning post 26 may have a roughly parallelepiped shape.

[0049] from Figure 4 and Figure 5 As can be seen more clearly, the blocking post 26a includes a first part 32a made of rigid foam and a second part 32b made of flexible foam. The first part 32a is attached to the upper surface 24a, and the second part 32b is able to contact the part 22 to be transported.

[0050] It should be understood that the blocking post 26a is attached to the planar wall 24 by its rigid first portion 32a and rests on the part by its flexible second portion 32b.

[0051] It should also be understood that the blocking post 26a must be located on the planar wall 24 such that the flexible second part 32b of the blocking post faces the nearest mark 28 so as to rest on the part 22 placed on these marks 28.

[0052] Each of the first portion 32a and the second portion 32b of each blocking post 26a can have a parallelepiped shape, such as Figure 4 As shown in the example.

[0053] The volume of the second portion 32b of each blocking post 26a is smaller than the volume of the first portion 32a of the blocking post 26a, for example... Figure 4 It can be seen in the image.

[0054] For example, the first part 32a has a Shore 00 hardness greater than 20, preferably greater than 30.

[0055] For example, Part 1, 32a, is based on XPE.

[0056] Part 32a can have a weight greater than 110 kg / m 3 Preferably greater than or equal to 120 kg / m 3 The density.

[0057] For example, the first part 32a has an elongation at break greater than 110%, for example, between 110% and 140%.

[0058] For example, the second part 32b has a Shore 00 hardness of less than 20, preferably less than 13.

[0059] Part 32b is preferably of shape memory type.

[0060] For example, part 32b is made of EPDM foam.

[0061] Part 2, 32b, can have a weight of less than or equal to 110 kg / m³. 3 For example, at 80 kg / m 3 With 110 kg / m 3 The density between.

[0062] Part 2, 32b, may have an elongation at break greater than 150%, for example, between 150% and 300%.

[0063] In the case of support column 26b, these support columns can be made entirely of rigid materials.

[0064] like Figure 5 As shown, each of these positioning posts 26 may be covered with a textile film or textile layer 36. Using such a textile film or textile layer is advantageous for several reasons. The textile film or textile layer helps, for example, maintain the integrity of the second part 32b over time and prevents the second part from tearing. The textile film or textile layer also facilitates the placement of stacked parts 22 on a tray by preventing the second part 32b from being torn off when the part 22 comes into contact with the positioning post 26.

[0065] The textile film or textile layer 36 may comprise polyester, polyamide, or a combination of both. The textile film or textile layer 36 may be, for example, a textile product sold under the trademark Evolon®.

[0066] The textile film or textile layer 36 can have a strength of 50 g / m 2 With 200 g / m 2 Between, preferably about 100 g / m 2 The density.

[0067] The textile film or textile layer 36 may cover the opposite sides of the positioning post 26, or even cover the top and / or base of the positioning post 26.

[0068] The textile film or textile layer 36 can be attached to the corresponding positioning post 26, for example, by adhesive.

[0069] For example, in Figure 5 In this case, the textile film or textile layer 36 covers the top of the positioning post 26, particularly the top of the two portions (first portion 32a, second portion 32b) of the blocking post 26a, and the textile film or textile layer 36 comprises two portions: these two portions are folded over one surface of the second portion 32b intended to contact one or more parts and the opposite surface of the other first portion 32a, respectively. Alternatively, the textile film or textile layer 36 may comprise two portions folded over one surface of the positioning post 26, or even these two portions may be stacked on the positioning post: in this case, the textile film or textile layer 36 completely surrounds the positioning post 26.

[0070] At least some, or all, of these positioning posts 26 may have the same height H1. This is especially true for the support post 26b on which the tray 20 will be placed.

[0071] The positioning post 26 is attached to the plane wall 24 by adhesive (e.g., bonding agent) and / or by passing an attachment screw 38 through the plane wall 24 and screwing it into the positioning post 26. The attachment screw advantageously passes through the textile film or textile layer 36, which is an additional guarantee for the optimal retention of the textile film or textile layer on the positioning post. Figure 4 This illustrates a situation where, for example, the first portion 32a of each stop post 26a has a threaded hole 40 at its base to receive a screw 38. These screws 38 pass through openings (not shown) in the planar wall 24 and are screwed into and tightened into the holes 40.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown, at least some parts 22 or multiple parts can be at least partially separated from each other by protective sheets or textiles 42.

[0073] These sheets or textiles 42 may be similar to or the same as the aforementioned textile film or textile layer 36.

[0074] When these sheets or textiles are intended to be inserted between parts of the same stack to avoid relative friction between these parts 22, these sheets or textiles 42 can be batched together, such as Figure 6 As in the case described above. In this case, the sheet or textile 42 may comprise multiple portions 42a stacked and attached together. These portions 42a may also be attached to the planar wall 24, particularly to the upper surface 24a of the planar wall. This can be achieved, for example, by adhesive and / or sewing.

[0075] Multiple parts 22 or multiple layers of parts 22 on each of these trays 20 are stacked to a height H2, which is preferably less than the maximum height H1 of the positioning post 26 of the tray 20. The height difference (H1-H2) is preferably between 0.5 cm and 5 cm to prevent the upper tray from contacting the parts 22 on the lower tray on which the upper tray is placed.

[0076] The pallet 20 and crate 10 are reusable, which is particularly advantageous and environmentally friendly. Each textile film or textile layer 36 can be secured to the positioning post 26, and does not need to be replaced when the pallet 20 is reused. The same applies to sheets or textiles 42, especially when the sheets or textiles are attached to the flat wall 24.

[0077] In a particular embodiment of the invention, at least 120 parts are stored on a pallet in the same crate 10.

[0078] The positioning posts 26 on pallet 20 are advantageously positioned such that two empty pallets without any parts can be stacked on top of each other, with the upper surfaces 24a of the two empty pallets facing each other. In this way, the stacking height of the two pallets (relative to placing the pallets on their positioning posts) is almost halved, and the floor space occupied by the empty pallets is significantly reduced. The crates are also preferably foldable to reduce their floor space when empty and to make them easier to transport with the empty pallets. Advantageously, the pallets used to transport the parts in the two crates are stacked as described above and housed in one of the crates. The other crate can be folded, for example, folded and placed on top of the folded crate containing the pallet stack.

Claims

1. A pallet (20) for storing parts (22) for transporting said parts, said pallet (20) comprising: - A planar wall (24), the planar wall comprising an upper surface (24a) and a lower surface, the upper surface (24a) being capable of supporting the part (22) to be transported, and - Multiple positioning posts (26) are attached to the planar wall (24) and protrude from the upper surface (24a) to block the part (22) to be transported. The plurality of positioning posts (26) are independently and independently attached to the upper surface (24a) of the planar wall (24), characterized in that at least some of the positioning posts (26) include: - A first part (32a) made of rigid foam, the first part being attached to the upper surface (24a), and - A second part (32b) made of flexible foam, which is capable of contacting the part (22) to be transported and is of shape memory type.

2. The tray (20) according to claim 1, wherein, The first part (32a) is based on XPE.

3. The tray (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first part (32a) has: - Greater than 110 kg / m 3 Preferably greater than or equal to 120 kg / m 3 density, and / or - Shore 00 hardness greater than 20, preferably greater than 30, and / or - Elongation at break greater than 110%, for example, between 110% and 140%.

4. The tray (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second part (32b) is based on EPDM foam.

5. The tray (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second part (32b) has: - Less than or equal to 110 kg / m 3 For example, at 80 kg / m 3 With 110 kg / m 3 Density between, and / or - Shore 00 hardness less than 20, preferably less than 13, and / or - Elongation at break greater than 150%, for example, between 150% and 300%.

6. The tray (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least some of the plurality of positioning posts (26) are at least partially covered with a textile film or textile layer (36).

7. The tray (20) according to claim 6, wherein, The textile film or textile layer (36) has a strength of 50 g / m 2 With 200 g / m 2 Between, preferably about 100 g / m 2 The density.

8. The tray (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The positioning post (26) is attached to the plane wall (24) by adhesive and / or by passing an attachment screw (38) through the plane wall (24) and screwing it into the positioning post (26).

9. The tray (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Multi-layer parts (22) are stacked on each of the trays (20).

10. A crate (10) for transporting parts (22), the crate comprising a container in which a plurality of pallets (20) according to any one of the preceding claims are stacked, the plurality of pallets (20) having planar walls (24) of the same size.

11. The crate (10) according to claim 10, wherein, Each pallet (20), referred to as the upper pallet and stacked on top of a pallet referred to as the lower pallet, rests on top of a plurality of positioning posts (26) attached to the lower pallet.

12. The crate (10) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The parts (22) to be transported are located on each of the pallets (20) and are blocked by a plurality of positioning posts (26) of the plurality of pallets (20).

13. The crate (10) according to claim 12, wherein, Multi-layer parts (22) are stacked on each of the trays (20).

14. The crate (10) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, At least some parts (22) or at least some layers are at least partially separated from each other by protective sheets or textiles (42).

15. The crate (10) according to claim 10, wherein, The crate does not include the parts to be transported, and the crate includes a pallet stack for empty return, the pallet stack including multiple pairs of pallets stacked and housed in the crate, each pair of pallets including two pallets, the upper surfaces (24a) of the two pallets facing each other, and the positioning posts (26) of the two pallets spaced apart from each other.

16. The use of the pallet (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or the crate (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 15 for transporting sealing parts of vehicles, particularly motor vehicles.

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