Paperboard pallet and apparatus for producing such a pallet

Abstract

A paperboard pallet (10) comprises a first layer comprising a planar top surface (105) and first and second legs (110, 120) extending in a first direction (x) and vertically downwardly from the top surface; a second layer comprising first and second beams (210, 220) extending in a second direction (y), generally orthogonal to the first direction, and vertically downwardly from the top surface, wherein lower edges of the first and second beams are aligned to form the bottom portion of the pallet, each of the first and second beams (210, 220) comprising a vertical beam slit (211) configured to interlock the respective beam with at least one of the first and second legs; a third layer (300) arranged below the second layer and comprising first and second board elements (310, 320), each board element comprising first and second cover elements (313, 314) extending upwardly vertically from the board element; and a plurality of leg elements (430), each leg element extending vertically between the top surface and a respective one of the first and second board elements.

Description

[0001] PAPERBOARD PALLET AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SUCH A PALLET

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of materials handling equipment, and more particularly to a pallet and an apparatus for the manufacture thereof.

[0004] Background

[0005] Pallets are a fundamental component in the transportation and storage of goods across diverse industries, ranging from agriculture and manufacturing to retail. Conventionally, pallets are formed of wood, owing to its strength and relative availability. However, wood-based pallets are associated with drawbacks, such as a significant weight that adds shipping costs, and recycling difficulties. Upon reaching the end of their serviceable life, wooden pallets often become waste material ending up in landfills.

[0006] In order to overcome these drawbacks, pallets formed of paperboard have been proposed, which have the advantage of being lighter than wooden pallets and easier to recycle. Paperboard pallets are typically formed by folding and gluing cardboard sheets or blanks into the main elements of the pallet, such as deckboards and stringers. This process, however, poses a number of challenges and limitations. The reliance on folding and gluing can lead to structural weaknesses and can be labour-intense as well as timeconsuming, compromising the load-bearing capacity of the pallet and impacting production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

[0007] Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved paperboard pallet design that addresses these limitations in structural strength and load bearing capacity while maintaining the advantages of weight reduction and recyclability. There is also a need for a more efficient and cost-effective apparatus for manufacturing such pallets.

[0008] Summary

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet and an apparatus for the manufacture thereof, which addresses at least some of the above drawbacks. This object is achieved by the present invention as defined in the independent claims. Hence, according to a first aspect, a pallet is provided, comprising a first layer and a second layer. The first layer comprises a planar top surface of the pallet and at least a first leg and a second leg, wherein each leg extends along the top surface in a first direction and vertically downwardly from the top surface. The second layer comprises at least a first beam and a second beam, wherein each beam has a length extending along the top surface in a second direction, generally orthogonal to the first direction, a height extending vertically downwardly from the top surface, and a lower edge, wherein the lower edges of the first and second beams are aligned to form the bottom portion of the pallet. Further, each of the first and second beams comprises a vertical slit configured to interlock the respective beam with at least one of the first and second legs.

[0010] The top surface, on which the goods can be placed, is supported by the legs and the beams that run beneath the top surface. The substantially vertical orientation of the legs and the beams, with a length extending along the top surface and a height extending vertically downwardly from the top surface of the pallet, allows for the load-carrying capability of the legs and beams to be improved and provides mechanical stability and strength to the pallet.

[0011] The present design utilises a modular approach in which the first layer and the second layer may be formed and handled as separate components, or component types, to simplify and facilitate forming and handling during the manufacturing process. The top surface and the legs may hence be formed in a first station and the beams in a second station, which may be separate from the first station. These components may then be transported to an assembly station, in which they are interlocked with each other to form the pallet.

[0012] The slits allow for a beam and a leg to be jointed in a relatively stable and simple way. The present interlocking technique helps to prevent the two pieces, i.e., the beam and the leg, from twisting or warping in relation to each other, which may improve the stability of the pallet. Further, this interlocking technique is relatively simple and easy to implement in a manufacturing process. In some examples, each slit may be fitted with a corresponding structure on the legs to enable a self-alignment between the beam and the leg in the assembly process. The slits may be considered to form part of a so- called cross lap joint, in which a beam and a leg can be joined by removing material from the beam and / or the leg at the point of intersection.

[0013] In an embodiment, the first layer is formed of a folded first paperboard blank. The paperboard blank may be formed of a paperboard sheet that has been cut and, in some examples, creased or scored, in preparation for being folded into the top surface and the legs. The top surface and at least the first leg and the second leg may hence be formed of a single piece of material, and there is therefore no need to attach the legs separately to the top surface. Forming the top surface and the first and second legs as a single, structurally integral component, helps to increase stability and robustness of the first layer. Further, forming the top surface and the legs from the same blank reduces the number of separate elements that otherwise need to be handled and assembled.

[0014] In an embodiment, the first beam and the second beam are formed of a set of second paperboard blanks. Each one of the second paperboard blanks may be creased and folded one or more times into a beam. Further, glue may be applied to increase structural integrity and stability. The glue may be applied in strips or points on the surface of the blank prior to folding. In an example, the blank may comprise one or more cut-outs which, when the blank is folded, form the slit for interlocking the beam with a leg of the top layer. Alternatively, or additionally, the slit may be formed by removing material from the finished beam, for example by cutting or sawing.

[0015] In an embodiment, each of the first and second beams may be formed of a primary blank that is folded around a reinforcing blank. The set of the second paperboard blanks may thus comprise the primary blank and the reinforcing blank. The primary blank may further comprise a blank cut-out forming a winglet or flap which is foldable around at least a portion of the beam to provide mechanical reinforcement and protection of the beam. The winglet may, for example, be folded or wrapped around a portion of the beam to prevent ingress of moisture into the beam structure.

[0016] In an embodiment, a top portion of each of the first and second beams is arranged to support the top surface from below. By arranging the first and second beams to touch the part of the first layer that forms the top surface, at least some of the load from goods arranged on the top surface can be carried by the first and second beams.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pallet further comprises a third layer arranged below the second layer. The third layer comprises at least a first board element and a second board element, wherein each board element may have a length extending along the first direction and a width extending along the second direction. Put differently, the board elements may be oriented along the same plane as the top surface and have a length extending along the legs of the first layer. Each of the board elements may further comprise a first clamping element formed by a first end portion of the board element and a second clamping element formed by a second end portion of the board element. The clamping elements extend upwardly vertically from the board element and clamps a corresponding end of a respective one of the first and second legs. The longitudinal end portions of the board elements may hence be formed as winglets that can be bent around the end portions of the legs to clamp the same. Beneficially, the board elements may provide additional stability and strength to the pallet and help to keep the first and second layers together.

[0018] The pallet may further comprise one or more reinforcing elements for strengthening various components of the different layers, such as the legs of the first layer, and improving overall stability of the pallet. The reinforcing element may be formed by creasing, gluing, and folding a sheet or blank.

[0019] Thus, in an embodiment, there is provided a plurality of first reinforcing elements that extend along the top surface and are attached to the first and second legs. Each of the first reinforcing elements may be arranged along one or both sides of a leg to increase the effective thickness of the leg and hence the mechanical stability of the same. The slit in the beams may be widened to a corresponding degree to allow the combined leg and first reinforcing element structure to be fitted in the slit when the beam is attached to the first layer. The first reinforcing elements may be provided with a length that is the same as, or similar to, the corresponding length of the legs.

[0020] In an embodiment, there is provided a plurality of second reinforcing elements which are clamped between the clamping elements of the board elements and the legs of the first layer. Similar to the first reinforcing elements, the second reinforcing elements may be arranged at one or both sides of a leg to increase the effective thickness of the leg, preferably to the same degree as the first reinforcing elements. The second reinforcing elements may be arranged below the first reinforcing elements, such that the first reinforcing elements are arranged between the top surface and the second reinforcements, as seen in the vertical direction. The second reinforcing elements may however differ from the first reinforcing elements in that the former may have a shorter length to form an opening between two successive elements to allow insertion of forks of a forklift.

[0021] The pallet may comprise openings for receiving tools for lifting and transporting the pallet. These openings may be provided to allow, for example, forks of a forklift to be inserted from the first direction and / or the second direction. In an embodiment, each of the first and second beams comprises a cut-out allowing the forks of a forklift to be inserted into the pallet along the first direction. In a further embodiment, each of the first and second legs comprises a cut-out allowing the forks of a forklift to be inserted into the pallet along the second direction. It is to be noted that in some embodiments the pallet comprises both types of cut-outs, allowing forks to inserted from both directions. Pallets having forklift openings on two ends may be referred to as two-way entry pallets, whereas pallets having forklift opening on all four sides may be referred to as four-way entry pallets.

[0022] According to a second aspect, a pallet is provided, comprising a first layer comprising a planar top surface of the pallet and at least a first leg and a second leg, each leg extending along the top surface in a first direction and extending vertically downwardly from the top surface. The pallet further comprises a second layer comprising at least a first beam and a second beam, each beam having a length extending along the top surface in a second direction, generally orthogonal to the first direction, a height extending vertically downwardly from the top surface, and a lower edge, wherein the lower edges of the first and second beams are aligned to form the bottom portion of the pallet. Each of the first and second beams comprises a vertical beam slit configured to interlock the respective beam with at least one of the first and second legs. Further, a third layer is arranged below the second layer and comprising at least a first board element and a second board element, wherein each board element comprises a length extending along the first direction, a first cover element formed by a first end portion of the board element, and a second cover element formed by a second end portion of the board element, wherein each of the first and second cover elements extends upwardly vertically from the board element. The pallet also comprises a plurality of leg elements, wherein each leg element extends vertically between the top surface and a respective one of the first and second board elements and in the first direction, such that each leg element extends between one of the first cover element and the first beam, and the second cover element and the second beam.

[0023] The first layer and the second layer may be similarly configured as the first and second layers described above in connection with the first aspect and the associated embodiments. However, it will be appreciated that the first and second legs of the first layer may be shorter in the vertical direction, allowing each of the first and second legs to be supported in the vertical direction by a respective leg element. The first and second board elements may also be similarly configured as the first and second board elements according to the first aspect, with the difference that the end portions of the first and second board elements in some examples may be formed as cover elements instead of clamping elements. While the clamping elements are formed to clamp an end of the first and second legs, the cover elements may be formed to cover or protect a face of the leg element. Preferably, each of the cover elements may provide a substantially planar and uniform end surface of the pallet to facilitate optical identification of the forklift entry points of arranged between two consecutive cover elements.

[0024] The leg elements, or supports, may be arranged to extend all the way between the first and second legs and the first and second board elements. In different words, the leg element may be arranged such that they on their upper side support the first and second legs and with their lower side rest on the first and second board elements. In an example, a first and a second leg element may be arranged between the first leg and the first board element, whereas a third and a fourth leg element may be arranged between the second leg and the second board element.

[0025] In some examples, each of the leg elements comprises a first leg slit and a second leg slit for receiving a leg of the first layer. The first and second leg slits may thus be aligned to allow the leg to run through both slits.

[0026] A leg element may be formed of a folded paperboard strip or blank. The strip may be rolled into a tube or prism, wherein the bases of the prism may form the upper and lower sides of the leg element, respectively. The strip or blank may comprise a plurality of cut-outs forming the first and second leg slits when folded or rolled into the leg element.

[0027] It will be appreciated that features and advantages associated with the pallet according to the first aspect generally may apply to the pallet according to the second aspect, and vice versa. The pallet according to the second aspect may hence utilise a modular approach in which the respective layers and elements may be formed and handled as separate components, slits may be used as an interlocking technique for joining two pieces, such as a beam and a leg, and the plurality of first reinforcing elements that extend along the top surface and are attached to the first and second legs may be employed to reinforce the first layer in a similar manner as in the first aspect.

[0028] According to a third aspect, an apparatus for producing a pallet according to the first aspect is provided. The apparatus comprises a first folding station for folding a first blank into the top surface and the first and second legs, a second folding station for folding a set of second blanks into the first and second beams, wherein each of the second blanks comprises a cut-out forming the slit when folded, and a first assembly station for attaching the first and second beams to the first and second legs.

[0029] In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a third folding station for folding a set of third blanks into at least a first board element and a second board element, wherein each of the first board element and the second board element comprises a first clamping element formed by a first end portion of the board element and a second clamping element formed by a second end portion of the board element, and wherein each of the first and second clamping elements extends vertically from the board element. Further, a second assembly station is provided for attaching the first and second board elements to the first and second legs such that a length of each board element extends along the first direction and a width extends along the second direction, and such that each of the first and second board elements and clamps a corresponding end of a respective one of the first and second legs.

[0030] In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a fourth folding station for folding a set of fourth blanks into a plurality of first reinforcing elements, and a third assembly station configured to, for each of the first reinforcing elements, arrange the reinforcing element along the first direction and attaching the reinforcing element to one of the legs of the first layer.

[0031] In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises a fifth folding station for folding and cutting a fifth blank into a plurality of second reinforcing elements, and a fourth assembly station configured to, for each of the second reinforcing elements, attach the reinforcing element to one of the legs of the first layer, such that a portion of the first reinforcing element is arranged between the second reinforcing element and the top surface of the first layer.

[0032] According to a fourth aspect, an apparatus for producing a pallet according to the second aspect is provided. The apparatus comprises a first folding station for folding a first blank into the top surface and the first and second legs, a second folding station for folding a set of second blanks into the first and second beams, a third folding station for folding a set of third blanks into the first and second board elements, and a fourth folding station for folding a set of fourth blanks into plurality of leg elements. The apparatus further comprises a first assembly station for attaching the first and second beams to the first and second legs, a second assembly station for attaching the plurality of leg elements to the first and second legs, and a third assembly station for attaching the first and second board elements to the plurality of leg elements.

[0033] In an embodiment, the fourth folding station is configured to fold each of the set of fourth blanks into a roll. The resulting leg element may hence be shaped as a prism or tube, having a polygonal cross section formed by the folds.

[0034] In an embodiment, the second assembly station is configured to position each of the leg elements at a respective end portion of the first and second legs. The leg elements may, for example, interlock with the first and second legs by means of a first and second leg slit, into which the leg (and, if present, any reinforcing element) may be fitted.

[0035] In an embodiment, the third assembly station is configured to attach the first and second cover element to a side surface of the respective leg elements. The first and second cover element, formed by end portions of the first and second board elements, may be folded upwardly, in the vertical direction, to cover the side surface of the leg elements.

[0036] In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a fifth folding station for folding a set of fifth blanks into a plurality of reinforcing elements, which may be similar to the first reinforcing elements of the pallet according to the first aspect, and a fourth assembly station for arranging the reinforcing elements to extend along the top surface and attaching them to a respective one of the first and second legs.

[0037] The apparatus according to the third and fourth aspects may comprise a workstation, such as a folding station or an assembly station, for each of the layers and elements discussed above. In this way, a modular production line may be provided, allowing for folding and assembly to be performed in a sequence of successive steps in an economical and flexible way that easily can be scaled when necessary. Each of the folding and assembly stations may hence be separate, freestanding modules. It is however to be understood that other configurations also are possible, wherein an assembly station, for example, may be provided as a sub-station to a folding station. In further examples, one or more folding stations may be provided as a sub-station to another folding station. It will also be appreciated that there may be provided additional stations and means for, for instance, gluing and transporting of the work products. Such stations may be integrated in any of the above-mentioned folding or assembly stations, provided as sub-stations to the same, or provided as separate stations arranged in sequence with the folding and assembly stations.

[0038] The modular configuration allows for each workstation to be manufactured, assembled, and tested separately already at the machine production facility. Further, the modular configuration facilitates transporting, as each workstation can be packed and shipped separately.

[0039] As used in the present disclosure, ‘paperboard’ generally refers to a relatively thick (such as over 0.30 mm), paper-based material with a foldability and rigidity that makes it suitable for forming a pallet. Examples of paperboard include folding boxboard (FBB), which is designed to be creased and folded, and corrugated fibreboard, also known as cardboard. Cardboard may typically be understood as a type of multilayer paper-pulp based board comprising one or more corrugated sheets and one or more flat liner sheets. The liner sheet(s) may be glued to on one or both sides of the corrugated sheet. The corrugations may also be referred to as flutes, and the direction of the corrugations, i.e., their length extension, may be referred to as ‘flute direction’. The flute direction can affect the strength and flexibility the cardboard, and it may be preferred to arrange the flute direction perpendicular to a fold line for increased strength. Various examples of cardboard include sandwich structures with one, two, three or more corrugated sheets interleaved with one, two, three or more liner sheets. In case of more than one corrugated sheet, the sheets may have different flute directions to further increase the strength of the cardboard. The corrugated sheets may, for instance, be arranged with orthogonal flute directions. The different layers of the sandwich structure may in some examples have different thickness, such as a first corrugated sheet with a first thickness and a second corrugated sheet with a second thickness, which is greater than the first thickness. In further examples, the cardboard may comprise a honeycomb-structured layer instead of, or in addition to, the corrugated sheet.

[0040] By ‘sheet’ is generally understood a flat piece of material, such as paperboard or cardboard, in its plain, unprocessed state. The sheet has generally not been cut, creased or otherwise prepared for assembly into a final or intermediate product, such as a beam or a board element as discussed above. By the term ‘blank’ is generally meant a sheet of paperboard or cardboard that has been cut, and possibly creased, in preparation for being folded into the final or intermediate product. The blank may hence be understood as a semi-processed sheet which has not yet been folded or assembled into the intermediate product, or work-in-progress, that has gone through a workstation of the of the production line.

[0041] As used herein, the term ‘pallet’ generally refers to a substantially flat transport structure designed to support goods while being lifted and transported, for example by means of a forklift, pallet jack, front loader, or a crane. Pallets may be used to stack, store, transport, and handle products in a wide range of industries and may serve as the structural foundation of a unit load, allowing efficient handling and storage. Alternative terms include skid, loading deck, load support platform, freight platform, cargo carrier, and load-bearing base.

[0042] It is to be noted that the pallet according to the present disclosure may be provided in many different shapes, sizes, and configurations. The number of legs of the first layer may, for example, not be limited to two. In some examples, the first layer comprises three or four or more legs. The same applies to other elements of the pallet, such as the beams of the second layer, and the board elements of the third layer, which in some examples may be more than two, such as three or four.

[0043] The pallet disclosed herein may further be provided in sizes and designs that comply with various standards, such as the dimensions specified by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) or the European Pallet Association (EPAL). Accordingly, a pallet may be referred to as an ISO pallet (which may come in six types, ISO 1 to ISO 6 depending on the amount of product it can carry), or an EUR-pallet. As used herein, the term ‘horizontal’ denotes a direction parallel to a main plane of extension of the top, load-bearing surface of the pallet, whereas the term ‘vertical’ denotes a direction transverse, typically orthogonal, to the main plane of extension of the top surface. Accordingly, the terms ‘above’ and ‘below’ refer to directions along the vertical direction.

[0044] Brief description of drawings

[0045] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, on which:

[0046] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pallet according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0047] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a pallet according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0048] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a pallet according to a further embodiment of the invention;

[0049] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pallet in figure 3;

[0050] Figure 5a is a schematic diagram of a blank for forming the first layer of the pallet;

[0051] Figure 5b is a schematic diagram of the blank when folded into the first layer;

[0052] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of a blank for forming a beam of the pallet;

[0053] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the blank when folded into the beam;

[0054] Figure 7a is a schematic diagram of a blank for forming a board element;

[0055] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of the blank when folded into the board element;

[0056] Figure 8a is a schematic diagram of a blank for forming a reinforcement element;

[0057] Figures 8b and c are schematic diagrams of various reinforcement elements;

[0058] Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of a pallet according to an embodiment;

[0059] Figures 10a and b are perspective views of the first layer of the pallet;

[0060] Figure 1 la is a schematic diagram of a blank for forming a leg element; Figure 1 lb is a schematic diagram illustrating the leg element at various stages of the folding process of the blank;

[0061] Figure 11c is a perspective view of the leg element;

[0062] Figure 12 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus for manufacturing a pallet according to some embodiments of the invention; and

[0063] Figure 13 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus for manufacturing a pallet according to some embodiments of the invention.

[0064] Detailed description

[0065] Figure 1 shows schematically an exploded view of a pallet 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pallet 10 comprises a first layer 100 comprising a horizontal top surface 105 of the pallet 10 and three legs 110, 120, 130 extending along the top surface in a first direction x and vertically downwardly from the top surface 150. It is to be understood that other numbers of legs are possible, such as two or four or more. In the present embodiment, there is provided a first leg 110 and a second 120 at opposite sides of the pallet 10 and a third, middle leg 130 in between. With this arrangement, two openings for receiving forks of a forklift are defined between the first and third leg 110, 130 and second and third leg 120, 130, respectively.

[0066] The pallet 10 further comprises second layer 200 with four beams 210, 220, 230, 240 extending along the top surface 105 in a second direction y, generally orthogonally to the first direction x, and being oriented such that a height of each beam extends vertically downwardly from the top surface 105 by the same distance, such that lower edges of the beams are aligned on a common plane that is parallel to the top surface 105, thereby combining to form a bottom surface of the pallet. Other numbers of beams are however possible. In the present example, a first and second beams 210, 220 are arranged at opposite sides of the pallet 10 and a third and a fourth beam 231, 232 are arranged between the first and second beams 210, 220. As indicated in figure 1, the third and fourth beams 231, 232 may be arranged slightly spaced apart and relatively close to a middle of the pallet 10 to define two openings that are large enough to receive the forks of a forklift.

[0067] Each leg 110, 120, 130 may comprise one or more cut-outs, such as two cutouts 115, for receiving a respective fork of a forklift. The cut-outs of the first, second and third legs 110, 120, 130 may be aligned with each other to form a passage through the pallet 10, allowing forks to be inserted along the y direction through the openings discussed above. Similarly, each beam 210, 220, 231, 232 may comprise one or more cut-outs, such as two cut-outs 215, forming a passage through the pallet 10 along the x direction to allow forks of a forklift to be inserted from either side of the pallet 10.

[0068] In figure 1, the beams 210, 220, 231, 232 are orthogonal to the legs 110, 120, 130. In each point of intersection, a joint may be formed by removing material from at least one of the leg and the beam to allow the leg and the beam to interlock. In the present example, the joint is similar to a cross lap joint, in which a slit 111 in the leg is configured to engage a corresponding slit 211 in the beam. The width of the slit 111 in the leg may correspond to a thickness of the beam, whereas the width of the slit 211 in the beam may correspond to a thickness of the leg, to ensure proper fitting between the leg and the beam at the point of intersection. Preferably, the joint is designed to allow the top portion of each beam to abut and mechanically support the lower side of the top surface 105. This may be achieved by adjusting the depth of at least one of the slits 111, 211 to an insertion depth that is sufficiently large to allow the beam to touch the top surface 105 from below.

[0069] Figure 2 shows schematically a pallet 10 according to an embodiment, which may be similarly configured as the embodiment discussed above with reference figure 1. However, the pallet 10 in figure 2 further comprises a third layer 300, arranged below the second and first layers 100, 200 and forming the bottom surface of the pallet 10. The third layer 300 comprises at least a first elongate board element 310 and a second elongate board element 320 having a length extending along the first direction x and a width, which is relatively narrow compared to the length, extending along the second direction y. In the present example, the third layer 300 comprises a further, third elongate board element 330 arranged parallel to, and between, the first and second board elements 310, 320. The elongate board elements in this embodiment each comprise a generally planar lower surface, which is aligned on a plane parallel to the top surface and thereby together form the bottom surface of the pallet 10.

[0070] Each end portion of the board elements 310, 320, 330 comprises a pair of winglets 311, 312 that extend vertically upwardly from the board elements 310, 320, 330 and are bent inwards to clamp a corresponding end portion of a respective leg 110, 120, 130. This allows each of the board elements 310, 320, 330 to be attached to a corresponding leg 110, 120, 130. As shown in figure 2, each board element 310, 320, 330 may hence be aligned with a corresponding leg 110, 120, 130 such that the first board element 310 extends below and along the first leg 110, the second board element 320 extends below and along the second leg 120, and the third board element 330 extends below and along the third leg 130. The board elements 310, 320, 330 may also be referred to as rack strips.

[0071] The board elements 310, 320, 330 may further comprise a pair of flaps or winglets 321 for engaging the third and fourth beams 231, 232 of the second layer 200 and further increasing the stability of the pallet 10.

[0072] Figure 3 depicts a similar pallet 10 as in figures 1 and 2, which further comprises a plurality of reinforcing elements 410, 420 for strengthening the legs 110, 120, 130 of the top layer 100 and increasing the stability of the assembled pallet 10. The reinforcing elements 410, 420 may also be referred to as inserts. The plurality of reinforcing elements may comprise a set of first reinforcing elements 410 being formed as elongated bars running along the entire length, or at least a substantial length, of the legs 110, 120, 130. The first reinforcing elements 410 are arranged on one or both sides of the legs 110, 120, 130. In the present example, four reinforcing elements 410 may be provided: one on the outside of the first leg 110, i.e., the side of the leg 110 facing away from a centre of the pallet 10, one on the outside of the second leg 120, and one on each side of the third leg 130. Each of the first reinforcing elements 410 may be arranged at the base of the leg, i.e., near the top surface 105, and may in some examples be attached also to the underside of the top surface 105. As the set of first reinforcing elements 410 adds to the thickness of the respective legs 110, 120, 130, the width of the corresponding slit in the beams 210, 220, 230, 240 may be increased to a corresponding degree to ensure proper fitting in the point of intersection (in examples in which the reinforcing elements coincide with the slits).

[0073] The plurality of reinforcing elements may further comprise a set of second reinforcing elements 420. The second reinforcing elements 420 may be similarly configured as the first reinforcing elements 410, but shorter. The second reinforcing elements 420 may hence have a similar thickness (in the y direction) and height (in the vertical direction) as the first reinforcing elements 410 but may be shorter (in the x direction) and therefore not extending along the entire length of the legs 110, 120, 130. In the example illustrated in figure 3, the second reinforcing elements 420 may be arranged at the end portions of the legs 110, 120, 130, such as the portion of each leg overhanging the first / second beam 210, 220. This allows the second reinforcing elements 420 to act as inserts between the clamping elements 311 and the end portions of the legs 110, 120, 130, without impinging on the cut-outs 115. Put differently, the first reinforcing elements 410 may be arranged above the second reinforcing elements 420 to that they can span across the top of the cut-outs 115, whereas the second reinforcing elements 420 are arranged blow the first reinforcing elements 410 and have a similar height as the cut-outs 115. Together, the first and second reinforcing elements 410, 420 cover / reinforce the legs, while not impinging on the cut-outs 115.

[0074] It is to be noted that while the present figure shows the first and second reinforcing elements 410, 420 as separate elements, they could in some examples be formed as one element. Hence, each second reinforcing element 420 that is arranged on a side of a leg 110, 120, 130 may be integrally formed with the first reinforcing element 410 that is arranged above the second reinforcing element 420.

[0075] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pallet 10 shown in figure 4, indicating the top surface 105, which is a load bearing surface of the pallet, formed by the first layer 100, the supporting legs 110 and beams 210, 220, 231, 232, the reinforcing elements 410, 420, and the board elements 310, 320, 330 with clamping elements 311 clamping the end portions of the legs 110. In the present example, the legs 110, 120, 130 and the beams 210, 220, 231, 232 are provided with cut-outs and distributed along the first and second directions x, y such that two orthogonal pairs of passages are formed, allowing the forks of a forklift to be inserted from all four sides. From the first direction x, a first pair of passages may be formed between the legs 110, 120, 130 and accessed through openings 11, 12. From the second direction y, a second pair of passages may be formed between the outer beams 210, 220 and the pair of inner beams 231, 232 and accessed through openings 21, 22. During use, goods may be placed on the top surface 105 and the pallet 10 lifted and transported by, for example, a forklift inserting its forks from one of the sides of the pallet 10.

[0076] The pallet 10 may be formed of paperboard, such as cardboard comprising a corrugated sheet with one or more liner sheets. Specifically, the components of the pallet 10, such as the top surface and legs, the beams, the board elements, and the reinforcing elements may be formed by cutting and folding paperboard sheets into the required shapes. In the following, exemplary processes for forming various components of a pallet 10, which may be similarly configured as the pallets 10 in figures 1 to 4, will be discussed with reference to figures 5 to 8. Each component may be formed from a sheet which has been cut into a blank which, when creased, folded and possibly glued, forms the component. In alternative examples, a component may be formed by multiple layers of the same blank, which may be glued together rather than folded.

[0077] Figure 5a shows a blank 500 for forming a top layer 100, such as the one shown in figure 1. In figure 5b, the blank 500 has been folded into a top surface 105 and three supporting legs 110, 120, 130. The blank 500 has been formed of a cardboard sheet that has been cut to provide the required shape of the top layer 100 when folded. The blank 500 comprises a series of cut-outs 511, 515 forming the slits 111 into which the beams may be inserted, as well as the leg cut-outs 115 for receiving the forks of a forklift. The blank 500 may further be creased along the fold lines 520, 520’ to facilitate folding. The flute direction may be oriented across the fold lines 520, 520’, such as perpendicular to the fold lines 520, 520’. Each leg 110, 120, 130 may be formed by folding the blank along three lines - two lines 520 defining the base of the leg, i.e., the line along which the leg is connected to the top surface 105, and one line 520’ defining a longitudinal, distal edge of the leg. When assembled into a pallet, the base of the leg may be arranged closest to the top surface whereas the distal edge of the leg may be arranged closest to the bottom portion of the pallet.

[0078] Figure 6a shows a set of second blanks 601, 602 for forming a beam 210, such as the one shown in figure 1. The set of second blanks comprises a primary blank 601 with cut-outs 611 forming the slits 211 when folded into the beam 210 shown in figure 6b. Further, a series of cut-outs 615, 615’ are provided to form the beam cut-outs 215 defining the passage for receiving the forks of a forklift. In the present example, the flute direction may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the fold lines 520, 520’. The set of second blanks in this example also comprises a secondary blank 602 with similar cut-outs 611, 615 as the primary blank 601. The secondary blank 602 may serve as an insert around which the primary blank 601 can be folded. The flute direction may be oriented along the length direction of the secondary blank 602, such that the flute direction of the second blank 602 is substantially orthogonal to the flute direction of the first blank 601 when assembled into the beam 210. As illustrated in figure 6a, the primary blank 601 has been creased along the pair of fold lines 620, 620’ that allow the blank 601 to be folded into three layers. The secondary blank 602 has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the beam 210 in figure 6b and can hence be inserted into one of the folds to further increase the thickness and strength of the beam 210. Figure 6a further shows winglet 617 formed of material at the cut-outs 615’, which may be folded to reinforce portions 217 of the beam at the beam cut-outs 215 shown in figure 6b. The material at the cut-outs 615’ may be folded onto itself, such that the winglets 617 rests against a side of the resulting beam 210. The winglets 617 may be folded once, or multiple times, depending on the design of the blanks 601, 602. Figure 6c shows a portion of a beam 210, in which the winglet 617 has been folded twice to form reinforcing portions 217 at the beam cut-outs 215. This allows for a more efficient use of the material, as less material needs to be removed when forming the cut-outs 215 in the primary blank 601.

[0079] Figure 7a shows a blank 700 for forming a board element 310 according to an example, which may be similarly configured as the board elements 310 depicted in figure 2. Figure 7b shows the board element 310 after the blank 700 has been folded. The end portions of the blank 700 have been cut to define the first and second pair of winglets 711, 712 that form the clamping elements 311, 312 of the board element 310. As mentioned above, the clamping elements 311, 312 are formed by bending the winglets into a vertical position and further bending them to clamp the end portions of the leg 210 in figure 5b. The blank 700 further comprises cuts 721 defining a pair of flaps 321 for engaging the third and fourth beams 231, 232 of the second layer 200 shown in figure 2. The flute direction may be oriented along the length direction of the board element 310, i.e., along the x-direction in figure 2.

[0080] The forming of reinforcing elements 410, 420 is illustrated in figures 8a-c. The reinforcing elements 410, 420 may be similarly configured as the ones discussed above in connection with figure 3. The reinforcing elements 410, 420 may hence be formed as an elongated beam or bar having a length that corresponds to the length of the legs of the first layer and which can be arranged to reinforce the base of the leg or be cut into smaller pieces forming the inserts 420 for the end portions of the legs, protruding from the first and second beams. The flute direction may be oriented across, such as orthogonal to, the length direction as well as the fold lines 820, 820’. Figure 8a shows a blank 800, from which the reinforcing elements 410, 420 may be formed. The blank 800 has a substantially rectangular shape and is creased along the first and second fold line 820, 820’. Figure 8b shows the blank 800 when folded along the fold lines 820, 820’ into a first reinforcing element 410, and figure 8c shows the same component after it has been cut into smaller pieces forming a set of second reinforcing elements 420. It will however be appreciated that the blank for forming the first reinforcing element 410 may differ in shape and size from the blank for forming the second reinforcing elements 420. As shown in figure 3, the second reinforcing elements 420 may be higher (in the vertical direction) than the first reinforcing elements 410, and hence formed of a slightly larger blank. In further examples, the first and second reinforcing elements 410, 420 may be formed of the same blank, which, when folded, may be provided with a cut-out that corresponds to the cut-out 115 in the leg 110, 120, 130.

[0081] Figure 9 shows schematically a pallet 10 according to an embodiment, which may be similarly configured as the embodiments discussed above with reference to figures 3 and 4. The pallet 10 comprises a first layer 100 comprising a horizontal top surface 105 of the pallet and a plurality of legs, such as three legs 110, 120, 130 extending along the top surface in the first direction and vertically downwardly from the top surface 150. With the present configuration, two forklift entry points are defined between the first and third leg 110, 130 and the second and third leg 120, 130, respectively. In the present example, the legs 110, 120, 130 may be substantially uniform along their entire length in the first direction, i.e., without any slits 111 or cutouts 115 indicated in figure 5b. Further, the legs 110, 120, 130 may have a reduced extension or “height” in the vertical direction, which may correspond to the height of the remaining part of the cut-out portion 115 shown in figure 5b.

[0082] The second layer 200 comprises a plurality of beams, such as four beams 210, 220, 230, 240 extending along the top surface 105 in a second direction, generally orthogonal to the first direction and the legs 110, 120, 130. A height of each beam extends vertically downwardly from the top surface 105 by the same distance, such that lower edges of the beams are aligned on a common plane that is parallel to the top surface 105, thereby combining to form a bottom surface of the pallet 10. In each point of intersection between the legs 110, 120, 130 and the beams 210, 220, 230, 240, a joint may be formed by removing material from at least one of the leg and the beam to allow the leg and the beam to interlock. In the present example, a slit in the beam is configured to engage the leg. The width of the slit may correspond to a thickness of the leg to ensure proper fitting. In the present example, in which reinforcing elements 410 are arranged on one or both sides of the legs, the width of the slit may be increased to accommodate the total with of the leg and any present reinforcement element 410.

[0083] The slit may be provided with a depth in the vertical direction corresponding to a height of the leg (in the vertical direction), such that the upper side of the beam touches and supports the lower side of the top surface 105 when mounted.

[0084] The pallet 10 may further comprise a third layer 300 arranged below the first layer 100 and the second layer 200, such that the beams 210, 220, 230, 240 of the second layer 200 are arranged between the first layer 100 and the third layer 300. The third layer 300 comprises a plurality of elongated board elements, in the present example first board element 310, a second board element 320, and a third board element 330 arranged between the first and second board elements 310, 320. Each of the board elements 310, 320, 330 has a length extending along the first direction and a width extending along the second direction.

[0085] A plurality of leg elements, or supports 430, may be arranged between the third layer 300 and the first layer 100. Each leg element 430 may be arranged to interlock with a leg 110, 120, 130 of the first layer 100 (and possibly one or more reinforcing elements 410 on one or more sides of the leg 110, 120, 130) and extend downwardly to a board element 310, 320, 330 arranged below the leg 110, 120, 130. The leg element 430 may hence be arranged to carry at least a part of the load placed on the top surface 105 and transfer the load to the underlying board element 310, 320, 330. In the present example, each leg element 430 comprises a first leg slit 431 and a second leg slit 432 arranged to “straddle” a leg 110, 120, 130. In different words, the first leg slit 431 and the second leg slit 432 may be aligned so as to allow the leg to run through both slits 431, 432. The slits 431, 432 may have a depth corresponding to the height of the leg in the vertical direction, such that the leg touches the bottom of the slit 431, 432 and the lower side of the top surface 105 touches the top of the leg element 430. In the present example, a leg element 430 may be arranged at each end portion of the respective legs 110, 120, 130 as well as in the middle of each leg 110, 120, 130. Thus, a total of nine leg elements 430 may be provided to support the first layer 100 and distribute the load placed on the top surface 105. The outer leg elements 430, i.e., the six leg elements 430 placed at the respective end portions of the first, second and third legs 110, 120, 130 shown in figure 9, may be arranged between the first beam 210 and a cover element 313 extending vertically upwardly from a first end portion of each of the board elements 310, 320, 330 and between the second beam 220 and a cover element 314 extending vertically upwardly from a second end portion of each of the board elements 310, 320, 330. The cover elements 313, 314 may be formed by folding the end portions of the board elements 310, 320, 330 upwards to create a protective surface covering the side of the leg elements 430 facing away from the pallet 10. It will be appreciated that while the cover elements 313, 314 are shown as planar portions of the blank from which the board element 310, 320, 330 is formed, it is also possible to use clamping elements 311, 312 similar to the ones shown in figures 7a and b, i.e., clamping elements not only covering the outwardly facing side of the leg elements 430 but, but also clamping at least a portion of the leg elements 430. Further details and examples of the leg elements 430, or supports 430, will be discussed with reference to figures l la-c.

[0086] Figures lOa-c are perspective views of the top layer 100 of an example embodiment, which may be similarly configured as the pallet 10 shown in figure 9. The top layer 100 may be formed from a paperboard blank that has been folded into a top surface 105 and a plurality of supporting legs, such as a first supporting leg 110, a second supporting leg 120, and a third supporting leg 130 arranged therebetween. The top layer 100 may be similar to the one shown in figures 5a and b, with the difference that no cut-outs have been formed in the present blank. As a result, the legs 110, 120, 130 may be substantially uniform along their entire length (in the first direction). Hence, each of the legs may have substantially the same height (in the vertical direction) along the entire length. It will be understood that while the legs of the top layer of the embodiment depicted in figures 5a and b may have a height allowing them to reach all the way down to the board elements 310, 320, 330, the legs 110, 120, 130 of the embodiment shown in figures 10a and b may be shorter (in the vertical direction) and hence not extend all the way down to the board elements 310, 320, 330. Figure 10c shows an example design in which the top surface 105 of the top layer 100 has been slightly increased to allow flaps 106 to be formed at the end portions of the pallet 10 (as seen in the first direction x). The flaps 106 may be folded and attached to the leg elements 430 shown in figures l la-c. In this particular example, the flaps 106 of the top layer 100 form a side surface 435 of the pallet 10 together with the vertically oriented cover elements 313, 314 of the board elements 310, 320, 330 shown in figure 9.

[0087] Figures l la-c show an example of a leg element 430 similar to the ones disclosed in figures 9 and 10a, b, as well as a technique for forming such a leg element 430 from a blank 803. Figure I la shows an example of a blank formed by a paperboard strip 803, comprising a series of cut-outs 433 for forming the slits 431, 432, as well as creases, or fold lines 434, along which the blank can be folded to form the resulting leg element 430. Figure 1 lb shows the strip 803 from a side view, in various stages of the folding process. In the present example, the strip is folded along the fold lines 434 to form a roll or coil having a quadrangular cross section. The roll may be fixated by means of gluing, as will be described in the following. The resulting roll is shown in the perspective view in figure 11c, in which the leg element 430 has a shape conforming to a prism with rectangular bases. The upper base in figure 11c comprises the two slits 431, 432 for engagement with the legs 110, 120, 130 of the first layer 100 and / or the reinforcement element(s) 410 running along the legs 110, 120, 130, whereas the lower base may be arranged to touch the horizontal upper surface of the board elements 310, 320, 330 of the third layer 300. The side surface 435, which typically may be arranged to face away from the pallet 10, may be covered by one of the vertically oriented cover elements 313, 314 of the board elements 310, 320, 330 to provide a uniform surface facilitating optical recognition of the forklift entry point defined between two neighbouring leg elements 430 and to mitigate moisture ingress into the leg element 430 and / or the leg 110, 120, 130. It should be noted that the number of folds may vary. The 7 folds shown in figures I la and b are merely an example. In other examples, 6 or 4 folds may be used as well.

[0088] The forming of each of the above components, such as the legs, beams, board elements, leg elements, and reinforcing elements, typically include a sequence of steps or actions including one or more of creasing, folding, bending, gluing, cutting, gripping, and assembling. In the following, a few, illustrative examples of such actions are discussed. It will however be appreciated that the forming of the pallet according to the present invention may include additional or alternative forming techniques, and that the following description is merely to be understood as illustrating examples.

[0089] The folding typically includes folding the blank material along lines which may be pre-folded and / or creased. The folding may be performed by means of a central pressing element defining the fold line and side folding plates that apply force to bend or press together portions of the blank on opposite sides of the fold line. The fold line may be creased, which is understood as a process of producing longitudinal grooves or indentations on the surface of the blank to make folding and bending easier, more precise, and more stable. The resulting grooves may also be referred to as creasing lines. Typically, cardboard blanks are creased perpendicular to the flute direction to facilitate the folding. The position and orientation of the creasing lines depend, however, on the fold pattern that is used to form the desired shape. Hence, parallel as well as orthogonal creasing lines may be employed to form, for example, the board elements 310, 320, 330 and their winglets 311, 312, as discussed above in connection with figure 2. It is to be noted that the number of folds can vary depending on the design of the component to be formed, the thickness and foldability of the material forming the blank, and process parameters related to the equipment used for the folding. Hence, a blank may be folded one, two, or three times, or more. Further, the folding may be a Z-fold or a roll fold, such as for the leg element 430 in figures l la-c. Further, the blank may comprise a single sheet, such as a cardboard sheet formed of at least one corrugated layer and at least one liner sheet, or two or more sheets that are stacked and / or glued onto each other. A component, such as the beams or the reinforcing elements, may be formed by a single, folded blank or by attaching two or more folded blank to each other.

[0090] Each of the above forming steps may further include application of adhesive, or glue, to at least a part of the blank. The adhesive may be applied in points or strips by a dispenser before, during, or after the folding. It is to be pointed out that, according to embodiments of the invention, two different types of adhesives may be applied, i.e., a very rapid glue, also referred to as a ‘hot glue’ or a ‘hot-melt adhesive’, and a glue having a longer attaching time but a stronger action, also referred to as a ‘cold glue’. Examples of hot glue include thermoplastic adhesives such as polyurethanes, whereas examples of cold glue include dispersion adhesives. This allows workstations (described below) to operate at a relatively high speed, because the hot glue instantly maintains the blank parts in their glued position to afford time for the cold glue to set and form a relatively permanent bond. According to what is discussed above, the hot glue may be applied in places where a rapid gluing action is required during the machine operation, and the cold glue is applied where a long term and strong gluing action is required.

[0091] The hot glue may be provided as granulates to a dispenser comprising heating pipes and a nozzle for applying the glue melt to the blanks, whereas the cold glue may be dispensed directly on the blanks without any intermediate melting step.

[0092] Cutting blades or knifes may be used to form a sheet into a blank which, when folded, forms a component such as a leg, a beam, or board element. The cutting may hence involve removing parts of the sheet material to form cut-outs, as well as cutting lines in the sheet material to form, for example, the flaps or winglets 321 of the board elements 310, 320, 330. The blanks may be pre-formed, i.e., cut at a location separate from the workstation, and thus delivered pre-cut to the workstations. However, cutting may be performed in the workstations as well. In an example, the second reinforcing elements 420 in figure 3 may be formed by cutting a longer element, such as one similar to the first reinforcing element 410 into smaller pieces.

[0093] A gripping arm of a robot, or multiple robots, may be employed to handle, transport, orient, and assemble the blanks and work-in-product in and between different workstations. A gripping arm may, for instance, be used for forming the first layer 100 shown in figure 1. The gripping arm may apply vacuum to grip a blank that has been delivered to the workstation and transport the blank to a creasing sub-module of the workstation to produce fold lines. Warm and cold glue may be applied to form the legs, whereafter a gripping arm (the same as before or another one) moves the creased and glued blank to a forming table, where the top surface and the legs are formed. Similar actions may be performed by gripping arms at each workstation, as will be discussed in the examples illustrated in figures 12 and 13.

[0094] The intermediate products, such as the top surface with the supporting legs, the beams, and, if applicable, the board elements, the leg elements, and the reinforcing elements may be assembled into the resulting pallet in one of more assembly stations. The assembling process may include fitting the components into each other and, optionally, applying glue to ensure proper attachment. The assembly stations may be separate workstations or form sub-modules of other workstations. In some examples, the assembling may be performed along a transport line, and the assembly station(s) may thus form part of a transport station.

[0095] An apparatus, or production line, for producing a pallet 10 according to any of the above embodiments will now be described with reference to figure 12. It is to be noted that the exemplary apparatus may include any of the workstations and may be capable of performing any of the actions, described above.

[0096] Figure 12 schematically illustrates the layout of an apparatus 900 for producing a pallet 10, which may be similarly configured as any of the embodiments discussed with reference to figures 1 to 11. The depicted apparatus 900 comprises a plurality of workstations, or production modules, for performing various steps or phases of a method for producing the pallet 10. Each module may be arranged on a respective platform, such as a metal platform, facilitating transport and movement of the modules. The modules may be transported separately to the production site, where they can be connected during setup of the production line. As illustrated in the present figure, raw material may be supplied to various modules in the form of pre-cut blanks, which are formed into components which are transported, glued according to necessity, and assembled into a pallet 10.

[0097] The apparatus 900 comprises a first folding station 911 for folding a first blank 500 into the top surface and the first and second legs of the first layer of the pallet 10. As described above, the folding station 911 may comprise a vacuum gripper and a creasing sub-module (not shown). During operation, the vacuum gripper takes a first blank 500 and positions it in the creasing sub-module of the folding station, where creasing wheels form fold lines in the surface of the first blank 500. Before the first blank 500 proceeds to the first transport module 931, which may form a sub-module of the folding station 911 or be a separate workstation, hot and cold glue may be applied to allow the legs to be formed. In the transport module, a gripper arm positions the creased and glued first blank 500 on a forming table and forms the legs, such as the first, second and third legs 110, 120, 130 indicated in figure 5b. In the second folding station 912, a set of second blanks 601, 602 are creased, glued, and folded into the beam 210 shown in figure 6b. The primary blank 601 of the set of second blanks may be folded around the secondary blank 602 to further increase strength and stability of the component. The resulting beam may then be transported to the first assembly station 921 or stored in an intermediate stock for later assembly. In the first assembly station 921, the first layer 100 may be arranged upside down such that the top surface 105 faces downwards and the legs 110, 120, 130 extend upwards from the top surface 105. The beam 210 may then be attached to the legs 110, 120, 130, using the slits 111, 211 as discussed above to form joints in the points of intersection between the beam 210 and the legs 110, 120, 130. Glue may be added to strengthen the joints. It is to be noted that the first assembly station may be provided as a separate workstation, or as sub-module of the second folding station.

[0098] In some examples, a third folding station 913 may be provided for folding a set of third blanks 700 into board elements 310, such as the ones illustrated in figure 7b. Similar to the first and second folding stations 911, 912, the third folding station 913 may be provided with a pre-cut third blanks 700, which are folded and provided with glue before they are attached to the first layer 100, as shown in figure 2. The third folding 913 station may be combined with a second assembly station 922, which hence may form a sub-module of the third folding station 913. In the second assembly station 922, a set of third blanks 700 may be positioned on a vacuum holder, bent to form the clamping elements 311, 312, and pressed and glued to the first layer 100 of the intermediate product. The set of board elements 310, 320, 330 may be assembled by flipping the intermediate product up-side-down and arranging the set of board element 310, 320, 330, which are held by the vacuum holder, on top. Thereafter, the assembled pallet 10 may be output from the second assembly station 922 and stored in a stack with other pallets 10.

[0099] The apparatus 900 may further comprise one or more workstations for forming reinforcing elements, such as the ones shown in figures 3, 8b and 8c, as well as leg elements such as the ones shown in figures 9 and l la-c. In the present example, the apparatus 900 comprises a fourth folding station 914 for folding a set of fourth blanks 801 into a plurality of first reinforcing elements 410 and a fifth folding station 915 for folding and cutting a fifth blank into a plurality of second reinforcing elements 420. Each of the fourth and fifth folding stations 914, 915 may be arranged to supply the folded blanks 801, 802 to a respective assembly station, such as a third assembly station and a fourth assembly station. In the present example, however, the output from each of the fourth and fifth folding stations 914, 915 is fed to a common, third assembly station 923. The first and second reinforcing elements 410, 420 may be formed by creasing, gluing, bending, and folding the respective blanks 801, 802 into the elongated bar-shaped components shown in figure 3. The reinforcing elements 410, 420 may be attached to the legs 110, 120, 130 of the first layer 100 in the third assembly station 923, preferably prior to the beams and the board elements are attached. In the third assembly station 923, the first layer 100 may be arranged upside down such that the top surface 105 faces downwards and the legs 110, 120, 130 point upwards. The first reinforcing elements 410 may then be glued to the base of each leg, followed by the second reinforcing elements 420 being attached to the end portions of each leg.

[0100] Figure 13 schematically illustrates the layout of an apparatus 1000, which may be similarly configured as the apparatus 900 shown in figure 12. Hence, the depicted apparatus 1000 comprises a plurality of workstations, or production modules, for performing various steps of actions of a method for producing a pallet 10, which may be similarly configured as any of the embodiments discussed with reference to figures 1-11. In the following description of the apparatus, reference will be made to the layers and components shown in figures 9, lOa-b, and 1 la-c.

[0101] The apparatus 1000 comprises a first folding station 951 for folding a first blank 500 into the top surface 105 and the first and second legs of the first layer 100 of the pallet 10, a second folding station 952 for folding a set of second blanks 601, 602 into the first and second beams 210, 220, a third folding station 953 for folding a set of third blanks 700 into the first and second board elements 310, 320, and a fourth folding station 954 for folding a set of fourth blanks 803 into plurality of leg elements 430 or supports 430. As described above, one or more of the folding stations 951, 952, 953, 954 may comprise a vacuum gripper and a creasing sub-module (not shown). During operation, the vacuum gripper may grab a blank and position it in the creasing submodule, where creasing wheels form fold lines to facilitate folding. Furter, means for adding hot or cold glue may provided in a similar way as discussed above for the apparatus shown in figure 12. The first, second, and third folding stations 951, 952, 952 may be similarly configured as the folding stations for forming the first layer 100, the first and second beams 210, 220, and the first and second board elements 310, 320 in figure 12 and will therefore not be discussed in any greater detail in the following. The fourth folding station 954, however, may in the context of the present apparatus 1000 be understood as a station for folding a strip-shaped blank 803 into a roll, for example having a quadrangular cross section, forming a leg element 430 as shown in figure 11c. Thus, the fourth folding station 954 may comprise a creasing sub-module for forming the fold lines 434 showed in figure I la and gluing sub-module for adding hot or cold glue to the strip 803, and folding means for folding the strip as indicated in figure 1 lb.

[0102] A fifth folding station 955 for folding a set of fifth blanks 801 into a plurality of reinforcing elements 410 may also be provided. The fifth folding station 955 and the reinforcing elements 410 may be similarly configured as the fourth folding station 914 shown in figure 12 and the reinforcing elements 410 discussed in connection with, for example, figures 8a and b. Hence, the reinforcing elements 410 may positioned by the fourth assembly station 964 along the top surface 105 of the first layer 100 to increase the stability and load bearing capacity of the pallet 10. The reinforcing elements 410 may be formed as elongated bars running along the length of the first and second legs 110, 120 and may be attached to one or both sides of the legs 110, 120. As the reinforcement elements 410 add to the thickness of the legs 110, 120, the width of the first and second leg slits 431, 432 may be increased to accommodate the total thickness of the legs 110, 120 and the reinforcement element(s) 410.

[0103] The apparatus 1000 may further comprise a set of assembly stations, such as a first assembly station 961 for attaching the first and second beams 210, 220 to the first and second legs 110, 120, a second assembly station 962 for attaching the plurality of leg elements 430 to the first and second legs 110, 120, and a third assembly station 963 for attaching the first and second board elements 310, 320 to the plurality of leg elements 430. The first and second assembly stations 961, 962 may be similarly configured as the assembly stations 921, 922 for the beams 210, 220 and the board elements 310, 320 shown in figure 12 and will therefore not be discussed in further detail in the following. The third assembly station 923 may comprise one or more gripping arms arranged to position each of the leg elements 430 over the first and second legs 110, 120 of the first layer, such that the leg elements 430 extend between the underside of the top surface 105 of the first layer and the board elements 310, 320. Further, the third assembly station 923 may be arranged to fold the cover elements 313, 314 towards the side surface 435 of the leg elements 430, to which the cover elements 313, 314 may be attached (such as glued).

[0104] In summary, the apparatuses 900, 1000 shown in figures 12 and 13 comprises a plurality of modules, or workstations configured to perform a method in which raw material in the form of pre-cut blanks is processed into a pallet 10. Five of the modules in figures 12 and 13 are so-called folding stations for performing at least some of the actions required to form the various components of the pallet. The output of these modules is fed to transport modules and / or assembly stations for performing any remaining action necessary to form the components and assemble them into a pallet. It is to be noted, however, that the modules may be configured in various ways, and that the embodiments shown in figures 12 and 13 are merely examples. Actions and functions related to assembling may for example be included in part or in its entirety in the folding stations, and vice versa. This also applies to the transporting, which may be performed by conveyors and robotic arms arranged in any of the folding stations or assembly stations, or in separate modules such as the above-mentioned first transport module 931.

[0105] The operation of the workstations may be controlled by a set of production parameters, or recipes, describing how specific blanks should be processed (creased, glued, folded, assembled) to form a specific type of pallet. Each type of pallet may hence be associated with a specific set of parameters which can be stored for later use. In other words, the overall system can be programmed to form all different kinds of pallet, by varying the parameters of each of the workstations according to predefined settings.

[0106] EXAMPLE CLAUSES

[0107] A. A paperboard pallet, comprising: a first layer (100); and a second layer (200); wherein: the first layer comprises a planar top surface (105) of the pallet and at least a first leg (110) and a second leg (120), each leg extending along the top surface in a first direction (x) and extending vertically downwardly from the top surface; the second layer comprises at least a first beam (210) and a second beam (220), each beam having a length extending along the top surface in a second direction (y), generally orthogonal to the first direction, a height extending vertically downwardly from the top surface, and a lower edge, wherein the lower edges of the first and second beams are aligned to form the bottom portion of the pallet; and each of the first and second beams (210, 220) comprises a vertical slit (211) configured to interlock the respective beam with at least one of the first and second legs.

[0108] B. The pallet of clause A, wherein the first layer is formed of a folded first paperboard blank (500).

[0109] C. The pallet of clause A or B, wherein the first beam and the second beam are each formed of a set of folded second paperboard blanks (601, 602).

[0110] D. The pallet of any of clause A-C, wherein a top portion of each of the first and second beams is arranged to support the top surface from below.

[0111] E. The pallet of any of clause A-D, further comprising: a third layer (300) arranged below the second layer and comprising at least a first board element (310) and a second board element (320), each board element having a length extending along the first direction and a width extending along the second direction, wherein each of the first and second board elements comprises a first clamping element (311) formed by a first end portion of the board element and a second clamping element (312) formed by a second end portion of the board element, and wherein each of the first and second clamping elements extends upwardly vertically from the board element and clamps a corresponding end of a respective one of the first and second legs.

[0112] F. The pallet of any of clause A-E, further comprising a plurality of first reinforcing elements (410), each extending along the top surface and being attached to a respective one of the first and second legs.

[0113] G. The pallet of clause E, further comprising: a plurality of first reinforcing elements (410), each extending along the top surface and being attached to a respective one of the first and second legs; and a plurality of second reinforcing elements (420), wherein each second reinforcing element is clamped between one of the first and second clamping elements and a corresponding one of the first and second legs. H. The pallet of any of clause A-G, wherein each of the first and second beams comprises a cut-out (215) allowing forks of a forklift to be inserted into the pallet along the first direction.

[0114] I. The pallet of any of clause A-H, wherein each of the first and second legs comprises a cut-out (115) allowing forks of a forklift to be inserted into the pallet along the second direction.

[0115] J. An apparatus (900) for producing a pallet according to clause A, comprising: a first folding station (911) for folding a first blank (500) into the top surface and the first and second legs; a second folding station (912) for folding a set of second blanks (601, 602) into the first and second beams, wherein each of the second blanks comprises a cut-out forming the slit when folded; and a first assembly station (921) for attaching the first and second beams to the first and second legs.

[0116] K. The apparatus of clause J, wherein the first and second folding stations are structurally separate modules.

[0117] L. The apparatus of clause K, further comprising: a third folding station (913) for folding a set of third blanks (700) into at least a first board element and a second board element, wherein each of the first board element and the second board element comprises a first clamping element (311) formed by a first end portion of the board element and a second clamping element (312) formed by a second end portion of the board element, and wherein each of the first and second clamping elements extends upwardly vertically from the board element; and a second assembly station (922) for attaching the first and second board elements to the first and second legs such that a length of each board element extends along the first direction and a width extends along the second direction, and such that each of the first and second board elements and clamps a corresponding end of a respective one of the first and second legs.

[0118] M. The apparatus of any of clause J-L, further comprising: a fourth folding station (914) for folding a set of fourth blanks (801) into a plurality of first reinforcing elements (411, 412); and a third assembly station (923) configured to, for each of the first reinforcing elements, arrange the reinforcing element along the first direction and attaching the reinforcing element to one of the legs of the first layer.

[0119] N. The apparatus of clause M, further comprising: a fifth folding station (915) for folding and cutting a fifth blank (802) into a plurality of second reinforcing elements; and a fourth assembly station configured to, for each of the second reinforcing elements, attach the reinforcing element to one of the legs of the first layer, such that a portion of the first reinforcing element is arranged between the second reinforcing element and the top surface of the first layer.

[0120] The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the invention. Further embodiments of the invention are envisaged. For example, the number of legs, beams and board elements may differ from the examples shown in the drawings. Further, the apparatus may comprise a subset or the workstations described above, as well as one or more workstations of the same type. In some cases, one or more workstation of a particular type may be added to enable a parallel production of a component of the pallet. It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A paperboard pallet, comprising: a first layer comprising a planar top surface (105) of the pallet and at least a first leg (110) and a second leg (120), each leg extending along the top surface in a first direction (x) and extending vertically downwardly from the top surface; a second layer comprising at least a first beam (210) and a second beam (220), each beam having a length extending along the top surface in a second direction (y), generally orthogonal to the first direction, a height extending vertically downwardly from the top surface, and a lower edge, wherein the lower edges of the first and second beams are aligned to form the bottom portion of the pallet, and wherein each of the first and second beams (210, 220) comprises a vertical beam slit (211) configured to interlock the respective beam with at least one of the first and second legs; a third layer (300) arranged below the second layer and comprising at least a first board element (310) and a second board element (320), each board element comprising a length extending along the first direction, a first cover element (313) formed by a first end portion of the board element, and a second cover element (314) formed by a second end portion of the board element, wherein each of the first and second cover elements extends upwardly vertically from the board element; and a plurality of leg elements (430), each leg element extending vertically between the top surface and a respective one of the first and second board elements and in the first direction between one of the first cover element and the first beam, and the second cover element and the second beam.

2. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is formed of a folded first paperboard blank (500).

3. The pallet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first beam and the second beam are each formed of a set of folded second paperboard blanks (601, 602).

4. The pallet according to claim 3, wherein the set of folded second paperboard blanks comprises a primary blank (601) folded around a reinforcing blank (602).

5. The pallet according to claim 4, wherein each of the first and second beams comprises a beam cut-out (215) allowing forks of a forklift to be inserted into the pallet along the first direction.

6. The pallet according to claim 5, wherein each beam cut-out is formed by a respective blank cut-out in the primary blank, and wherein the blank cut-out further forms a winglet (617) foldable to reinforce the beam cut-out.

7. The pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a top portion of each of the first and second beams is arranged to support the top surface from below.

8. The pallet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the plurality of leg elements comprises a first leg slit (431) and a second leg slit (432) configured to receive at least one of the first and second legs of the first layer.

9. The pallet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the plurality of leg elements is formed of a folded paperboard strip (803) comprising a plurality of cut-outs forming the first and second leg slits when folded.

10. The pallet according to claim 7, wherein the paperboard strip is folded into a prism.

11. The pallet according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of first reinforcing elements (410), each extending along the top surface and being attached to a respective one of the first and second legs.

12. An apparatus (1000) for producing a pallet (10) according to claim 1, comprising:a first folding station (951) for folding a first blank (500) into the top surface (105) and the first and second legs (110, 120); a second folding station (952) for folding a set of second blanks (601, 602) into the first and second beams (210, 220); a third folding station (953) for folding a set of third blanks (700) into the first and second board elements (310, 320); a fourth folding station (954) for folding a set of fourth blanks (803) into plurality of leg elements (430); a first assembly station (961) for attaching the first and second beams to the first and second legs; a second assembly station (962) for attaching the plurality of leg elements to the first and second legs; and a third assembly station (963) for attaching the first and second board elements to the plurality of leg elements.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the fourth folding station is configured to fold each of the set of fourth blanks into a roll.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the second assembly station is configured to position each of the leg elements at a respective end portion of the first and second legs.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the third assembly station is configured to attach the first and second cover element to a side surface of the respective leg elements.

16. The apparatus according to any of claims 12-15, further comprising: a fifth folding station (955) for folding a set of fifth blanks (801) into a plurality of reinforcing elements (410); and a fourth assembly station (964) for arranging the reinforcing elements to extend along the top surface and attaching them to a respective one of the first and second legs.

17. The apparatus according to any of claims 12-16, wherein at least two of the first folding station, second folding station, third folding station, and fourth folding station are structurally separate modules, and / or wherein at least two of the first assembly station, second assembly station, and third assembly station are structurally separate modules.

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