palette

Abstract

The present invention provides a pallet into which support members that receive the support columns of the pallet supporter can be selectively inserted from multiple different directions. [Solution] The pallet 1 is made of synthetic resin and comprises an upper deck portion 2 formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, a lower deck portion 3 formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and a beam portion 4 connecting the upper deck portion 2 and the lower deck portion 3. Mounting portions 5 are provided at the corners of the pallet 1 to which support members 8 that receive the support columns of a pallet supporter that supports the pallet 1 located above are detachably attached. The mounting portion 5 has an insertion opening 51 into which the insertion portion of the support member 8 into the pallet 1 is inserted, and an insertion passage 52 extending inward from the insertion opening 51. The mounting portion 5 has at least two insertion passages 521, 522 as the insertion passage 52, which extend in different directions in plan view and into which the insertion portion can be selectively inserted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pallet, and more particularly to a pallet including an upper deck portion, a lower deck portion, and a girder portion.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a pallet P having a bottom board portion, a deck board portion, a central girder portion and side girder portions interposed between the bottom board portion and the deck board portion, and a fork of a forklift can be inserted between the central girder portion and the side girder portions (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] A pallet supporter having four legs, which is composed of a pair of downward U-shaped pipe-made support frames, can be attached to this pallet. The pallet supporter is attached to the pallet via a supporter support fitting.

[0004] The pallet supporter support fitting has a U-shaped attachment portion and a cylindrical portion. The U-shaped attachment portion is composed of an intermediate piece, and outer side pieces and inner side pieces continuously provided at both ends thereof. The cylindrical portion is fixed to the outer surface of the outer side piece of the U-shaped attachment portion by brazing or the like, and the lower end of the leg portion of the pallet supporter is inserted into and removed from this cylindrical portion.

[0005] Vertically long openings are formed in the front end surface and the rear end surface of the side girder portion of the pallet. The side girder portion is separated into an outer portion and an inner portion with the opening as a boundary, and a block portion capable of externally fitting the U-shaped attachment portion of the pallet supporter support fitting is formed by the outer portion thereof.

[0006] When attaching the pallet supporter support fitting to the pallet, first, with the U-shaped attachment portion of the support fitting facing the front end surface of the block portion, the pallet supporter support fitting is pushed in. Then, the inner side piece is inserted into the opening, the outer side piece and the inner side piece are externally fitted to both sides of the block portion, and the engaging convex portion at the tip of the outer side piece engages with the engaging step portion of the block portion.

Prior Art Documents

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-26281 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In the pallet disclosed in Patent Document 1, only one opening is formed in one side beam, and the pallet support bracket can only be attached to the pallet from one direction in one side beam. Therefore, depending on the direction in which the pallet is transported by the forklift, the pallet support bracket was prone to detaching from the pallet.

[0009] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its object is to provide a pallet into which support members that receive the support columns of the pallet supporter can be selectively inserted from multiple different directions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention is a pallet made of synthetic resin, comprising an upper deck portion formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, a lower deck portion formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and a beam portion connecting the upper deck portion and the lower deck portion. Mounting portions are provided at the corners of the pallet to which support members that receive the support columns of a pallet supporter that supports the pallet located above are detachably attached. The mounting portion has an insertion opening into which the insertion portion of the support member into the pallet is inserted, and an insertion passage extending inward from the insertion opening. The mounting portion has at least two insertion passages that extend in different directions in plan view, allowing the insertion portion to be selectively inserted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the pallet according to the present invention, the support members that receive the support columns of the pallet supporter can be selectively inserted from multiple different directions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pallet according to one embodiment, seen from above. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the same pallet. [Figure 3] Figure 3(a) is a side view of the long side of the pallet shown above. Figure 3(b) is a side view of the short side of the pallet shown above. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is an enlarged view of the portion near the corner beam in the horizontal cross-section of the pallet shown above. Figure 4(b) is a plan view of the main part of Figure 4(a). [Figure 5] Figure 5(a) is a plan view of the vicinity of the corner beam in a horizontal cross-section of the pallet shown above with the support members attached. Figure 5(b) is a plan view of the vicinity of the corner beam in a horizontal cross-section of the pallet shown above with the support members attached. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] This invention relates to a pallet. The pallet according to the present invention will be described below based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0014] A palette according to one embodiment will be described based on Figures 1 to 5.

[0015] (Overall composition of the palette) As shown in Figure 1, the pallet 1 is a synthetic resin pallet formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, comprising an upper deck section 2, a lower deck section 3, and a girder section 4. The pallet 1 is integrally molded by injection molding of synthetic resin. That is, the upper deck section 2 and the girder section 4 are integrally connected, and the lower deck section 3 and the girder section 4 are integrally connected. In the following description, the side where the upper deck section 2 is located will be referred to as the upper side, and the side where the lower deck section 3 is located will be referred to as the lower side.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper deck portion 2 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. Similarly, the lower deck portion 3 is also formed in a rectangular shape in bottom view (plan view). The upper deck portion 2 and the lower deck portion 3 are formed in rectangular shapes having the same outer shape and the same size in plan view, and are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction so that their outlines overlap in plan view.

[0017] (Upper deck portion) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper deck portion 2 has a girder upper portion 21, an upper crossbar portion 22, and an upper crossbar intermediate portion 23. The upper deck portion 2 is formed by connecting a rib 24 along one side of the upper deck portion 2 having a rectangular shape (square shape) in plan view and a rib 25 orthogonal thereto. The girder upper portion 21 is located above the girder portion 4. The upper deck portion 2 has, as the girder upper portion 21, a corner girder upper portion 211, an intermediate girder upper portion 212, and a central girder upper portion 213.

[0018] The corner girder upper portion 211 is respectively located at the four corners of the upper deck portion 2 in plan view. The corner girder upper portion 211 has a part of the above-described rib 24 and rib 25, and is formed in a mesh shape having a through-hole that penetrates vertically and is surrounded by the rib 24 and rib 2�. The corner girder upper portion 211 is located above the corner girder 41 described later and is integrally formed with the corner girder 41.

[0019] The intermediate girder upper portion 212 is respectively located at the intermediate portions of the four sides of the upper deck portion 2. The intermediate girder upper portion 212 has a part of the above-described rib 24 and rib 25, and is formed in a mesh shape having a through-hole that penetrates vertically and is surrounded by the rib 24 and rib 25. The intermediate girder upper portion 212 is located above the intermediate girder 42 described later and is integrally formed with the intermediate girder 42.

[0020] The central girder upper portion 213 is located at the central portion of the upper deck portion 2. The central girder upper portion 213 has a part of the above-described rib 24 and rib 25, and is formed in a mesh shape having a through-hole that penetrates vertically and is surrounded by the rib 24 and rib 25. The central girder upper portion 213 is located above the central girder 43 described later and is integrally formed with the central girder 43.

[0021] The upper crossbar part 22 is located between the two upper digit parts 21 and connects the two upper digit parts 21. The upper surface deck part 2 has, as the upper crossbar part 22, an end upper crossbar part 221 and an inner upper crossbar part 222.

[0022] The end upper crossbar part 221 is located between the corner upper digit part 211 and the middle upper digit part 212 and connects the corner upper digit part 211 and the middle upper digit part 212. Eight end upper crossbar parts 221 are provided, two each on the four sides of the upper surface deck part 2. The end upper crossbar part 221 is formed in a mesh shape having ribs 24 and 25 similar to those of the corner upper digit part 211 and through-holes.

[0023] The inner upper crossbar part 222 is located between the middle upper digit part 212 and the central upper digit part 213 and connects the middle upper digit part 212 and the central upper digit part 213. Four inner upper crossbar parts 222 are provided in a cross shape at a 90-degree pitch from the central upper digit part 213. The inner upper crossbar part 222 is formed in a mesh shape having ribs 24 and 25 similar to those of the corner upper digit part 211 and through-holes.

[0024] The part between upper crossbars 23 is located in the part surrounded by the upper crossbar part 22 on four sides and is connected to the upper crossbar part 22 respectively. Four parts between upper crossbars 23 are provided in total. The part between upper crossbars 23 is formed in a mesh shape having ribs 24 and 25 similar to those of the corner upper digit part 211 and through-holes.

[0025] The upper surfaces of the upper digit part 21, the upper crossbar part 22, and the part between upper crossbars 23 of the upper surface deck part 2 are located on the same plane.

[0026] (Lower surface deck part) As shown in Figures 1, 3(a), and 3(b), the lower deck section 3 has a girder lower section 31, a lower rail section 32, and a lower rail intersection section 33 (see Figure 4(a)). The lower deck section 3 is formed by connecting a rib 34 along one side of the rectangular (square) lower deck section 3 in plan view with a rib 35 perpendicular to it. The girder lower section 31 is located below the girder section 4. The lower deck section 3 has a corner girder lower section 311, an intermediate girder lower section 312, and a central girder lower section (not shown). In this embodiment, the pallet 1 is vertically symmetrical, that is, it is vertically symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the vertical center of the pallet 1 as the reference plane. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pallet 1 is formed point-symmetrically in plan view. Therefore, the upper deck section 2 and the lower deck section 3 are formed in the same shape with their tops and bottoms reversed. Regarding the configurations of the lower deck section 3, some of the components of the lower deck section 3 are omitted from the illustration in order to correspond to the configurations of the upper deck section 2.

[0027] The lower corner girders 311 are located at each of the four corners of the lower deck section 3 in a plan view. The lower corner girders 311 have parts of the ribs 34 and 35 described above, and are formed in a mesh-like manner with through-holes that penetrate vertically, surrounded by the ribs 34 and 35. The lower corner girders 311 are located above the corner girders 41 and are formed integrally with the corner girders 41.

[0028] The lower part 312 of the intermediate girder is located in the middle of each of the four sides of the lower deck section 3. The lower part 312 of the intermediate girder has a portion of the ribs 34 and 35 described above, and is formed in a mesh-like manner with through-holes that penetrate vertically, surrounded by the ribs 34 and 35. The lower part 312 of the intermediate girder is located above the intermediate girder 42 and is formed integrally with the intermediate girder 42.

[0029] The lower part of the central girder is located in the center of the lower deck section 3. The lower part of the central girder has some of the ribs 34 and ribs 35 described above, and is formed in a mesh-like manner with through-holes that penetrate vertically, surrounded by these ribs 34 and ribs 35. The lower part of the central girder is located above the central girder 43 and is formed integrally with the central girder 43.

[0030] The lower corner girders 311, the lower intermediate girders 312, and the lower central girders have the same shape as the upper corner girders 211, the upper intermediate girders 212, and the upper central girders 213 of the upper deck section 2, but with the top and bottom reversed.

[0031] The lower rail section 32 is located between the two lower girder sections 31 and connects the two lower girder sections 31. The lower deck section 3 has an end lower rail section 321 and an inner lower rail section (not shown) as the lower rail section 32.

[0032] The end rails 321 are located between the lower corner girders 311 and the lower intermediate girders 312, connecting the two. Eight end rails 321 are provided, two on each of the four sides of the lower deck section 3. The end rails 321 are formed in a mesh-like manner, having ribs 34 and ribs 35 and through openings, similar to the lower corner girders 311.

[0033] The inner lower rail section is located between the lower part of the intermediate girder 312 and the lower part of the central girder, connecting the lower part of the intermediate girder 312 and the lower part of the central girder. A total of four inner lower rail sections are provided in a cross shape at 90-degree intervals from the lower part of the central girder. The inner lower rail section is formed in a mesh-like manner with ribs 34 and ribs 35 and through openings, similar to the lower part of the corner girder 311.

[0034] The lower end rail 321 and the inner lower rail have the same shape as the upper end rail 221 and the inner upper rail 222 of the upper deck section 2, but inverted vertically.

[0035] The lower rail section 33 is located in the area where all four sides are surrounded by the lower rail section 32, and is connected to the lower rail section 32 on each side. A total of four lower rail sections 33 are provided. The lower rail section 33 is formed in a mesh-like manner, having ribs 34 and ribs 35 and through openings, similar to the lower part of the corner beam 311.

[0036] The lower rail section 33 has the same shape as the upper rail section 23 of the upper deck section 2, but inverted vertically.

[0037] The lower surfaces of the girder lower section 31, the lower rail section 32, and the lower rail section 33 of the lower deck section 3 are located on the same plane.

[0038] (digit part) The girder section 4 is located between the upper deck section 2 and the lower deck section 3, connecting the upper deck section 2 and the lower deck section 3. The pallet 1 has a corner girder 41, an intermediate girder 42, and a central girder 43 as the girder section 4.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4(a), the girder section 4 (corner girder 41, intermediate girder 42, and central girder 43) has a cylindrical section 40 that extends in the vertical direction. The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical section 40 of the corner girder 41 is generally rectangular (particularly square). In addition, within the cylindrical section 40 of the corner girder 41, a rib 44 is formed along one side of the upper deck section 2 in a plan view, and a rib 45 is formed that is perpendicular to it.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1, 3(a), and 3(b), the corner girders 41 connect each corner of the upper deck section 2 to each corner of the lower deck section 3. Specifically, the upper part 211 of the corner girders on the upper deck section 2 and the lower part 311 of the corner girders on the lower deck section 3, located below the upper part 211, are connected by the corner girders 41. A total of four corner girders 41 are provided.

[0041] The intermediate girders 42 connect the intermediate sections of each side of the upper deck section 2 and the intermediate sections of each side of the lower deck section 3, respectively. Specifically, the upper part 212 of the intermediate girder on the upper deck section 2 and the lower part 312 of the intermediate girder on the lower deck section 3, which are located below the upper part 212, are connected by the intermediate girders 42. A total of four intermediate girders 42 are provided. The shape of the cylindrical section 40 of the intermediate girder 42 in the horizontal cross-section is generally rectangular (particularly square).

[0042] The central girder 43 connects the central part of the upper deck section 2 and the central part of the lower deck section 3, respectively. Specifically, the upper part 213 of the central girder on the upper deck section 2 and the lower part of the central girder on the lower deck section 3 are connected by the central girder 43. The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical section 40 of the central girder 43 is generally rectangular (particularly square).

[0043] The cylindrical portion 40 of the girder section 4 (corner girder 41, intermediate girder 42, and central girder 43) extends upward and becomes integrated with a part of the upper deck section 2, and extends downward and becomes integrated with a part of the lower deck section 3. In other words, the cylindrical portion 40 is continuous from the upper end to the lower end of the pallet 1, and the upper deck section 2, girder section 4, and lower deck section 3 are integrated.

[0044] When the lower girders 31 and lower rails 32 of the lower deck section 3 are placed on a horizontal surface, the upper girders 21, upper rails 22 and upper rail sections 23 of the upper deck section 2 are located on the same horizontal plane. In other words, the thickness of the pallet 1 (i.e., the vertical length between the upper and lower surfaces) is formed to be constant.

[0045] (Fork insertion opening) Pallet 1 has fork slots 10. The fork slots 10 are formed between the upper deck portion 2 and the lower deck portion 3, and between the corner beam 41 and the intermediate beam 42. There are a total of eight fork slots 10, two on each of the four sides of pallet 1. Specifically, the fork slots 10 are the portions enclosed by the upper end rail portion 221 on the upper side, the lower end rail portion 321 on the lower side, and the corner beam 41 and intermediate beam 42 on the sides.

[0046] The fork insertion opening 10 opens to the side, and the forks (not shown) of a forklift are inserted into it. The forks are inserted through the fork insertion opening 10 formed on one side of the pallet 1, and the tips of the forks protrude slightly from the fork insertion opening 10 formed on the side opposite to the side of the pallet 1, but the tips of the forks do not necessarily have to protrude from the fork insertion opening 10. The series of spaces into which the forks can be inserted constitutes the fork insertion space 11. That is, the fork insertion space 11 is composed of a series of spaces that sequentially extend from the space between the upper end rail 221 and the lower end rail 321 (fork insertion opening 10), between the upper rail section 23 and the lower rail section 33, between the inner upper rail section 222 and the inner lower rail section, between the upper rail section 23, the lower deck section 3 and the lower rail section 33, and between the upper end rail section 221 and the lower end rail section 321 (fork insertion opening 10). The fork insertion spaces 11 are arranged in pairs, two across one side of the pallet 1 and the opposite side, and two across the side adjacent to one side of the pallet 1 and the opposite side, for a total of four forks arranged in a grid pattern in plan view. The pallet 1 is a so-called four-way fork insertion pallet.

[0047] The upper deck portion 2 of the pallet 1 has a girder upper portion 21, an upper rail portion 22, and an upper rail intervening portion 23. No large openings are formed in the upper deck portion 2, and the load is placed on the upper surface of the upper deck portion 2.

[0048] Furthermore, the pallet 1 can be used by inverting it so that the lower deck portion 3 is on the upper side and the upper deck portion 2 is on the lower side. In other words, in this embodiment, the pallet 1 is formed as a pallet for double-sided use.

[0049] (Pallet supporter, support member) Pallet supports are detachably attached to pallet 1. When stacking multiple pallets 1 on which cargo is placed, the pallet support is attached to the lower pallet 1 to support the upper pallet 1. The pallet support attached to pallet 1 is conventionally known, and known pallet support can be used as appropriate. The pallet support has a support column whose lower end protrudes downward, and is constructed, for example, by fixing a pair of downward-facing U-shaped members so as to intersect in an X shape in a plan view. In this embodiment, the pallet support has four support columns, and each support column is located at a position corresponding to a corner of pallet 1 in a plan view. The number of support columns of the pallet support is not limited. The support columns are attached to pallet 1 via support members 8.

[0050] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the support member 8 is a member that receives the support column of the pallet supporter. The support member 8 is detachably attached to the pallet 1. The support member 8 has a pallet mounting portion 81 that is attached to the pallet 1 and a support portion 82 that supports the support column of the pallet supporter. The pallet mounting portion 81 is a U-shaped portion having a pair of projecting pieces 811 and 813 that are spaced apart and project in one direction, and a base end piece 812 that is located at the base end of the projecting pieces 811 and 813 and connects them. The support portion 82 is a bottomed cylindrical portion with a bottom at its lower end and is connected to the outer surface of the base end piece 812.

[0051] Of the pallet mounting portion 81, the protruding pieces 811 and 813 are the parts that are inserted into the pallet 1. Although both the protruding pieces 811 and 813 are parts that are inserted into the pallet 1, they are not inserted into the pallet 1 simultaneously; only one of them is inserted into the pallet 1 at a time.

[0052] (Mounting part) As shown in Figure 4(a), mounting portions 5 are provided at the corners of the pallet 1 to which support members 8 are detachably attached. The corners of the pallet 1 are the parts where the upper part 211 of the corner beam is located in a plan view, and there are four such corners on a single pallet 1. Each corner refers to the part consisting of the continuous upper part 211 of the corner beam, the corner beam 41, and the lower part 311 of the corner beam.

[0053] The mounting portion 5 has an insertion opening 51 into which the insertion portion (protruding piece 811 or protruding piece 813) of the support member 8 into the pallet 1 is inserted. Specifically, the mounting portion 5 has a first insertion opening 511 and a second insertion opening 512 on two adjacent sides of the pallet 1, flanking the mounting portion 5. The first insertion opening 511 is formed on one side (outer surface) of one corner (corner beam 41) of the pallet 1. The second insertion opening 512 is formed on another side adjacent to and perpendicular to the side of the corner where the first insertion opening 511 is formed.

[0054] The mounting portion 5 has an insertion passage 52 extending inward from the insertion opening 51. As the insertion passage 52, there are at least two insertion passages 521 and 522 that extend in different directions in a plan view, allowing the mounting portion to be selectively inserted. More specifically, the mounting portion 5 has a first insertion passage 521 as an insertion passage 52 extending from the first insertion opening 511, and a second insertion passage 522 as an insertion passage 52 extending from the second insertion opening 512. The first insertion passage 521 extends inward perpendicular to the side surface of the corner where the first insertion opening 511 is formed. The second insertion passage 522 extends inward perpendicular to the side surface of the corner where the second insertion opening 512 is formed. The first insertion passage 521 and the second insertion passage 522 intersect. As shown in Figures 4(a), 5(a), and 5(b), the first insertion passage 521 and the second insertion passage 522 intersect in a cross shape in a plan view.

[0055] The attachment of the support member 8 to the pallet 1 will now be described. As shown in Figure 5(a), when the support portion 82 is positioned to be in contact with the long side surface (the lower end surface in Figure 5(a)), the protruding piece 813 is inserted into the first insertion opening 511 formed on the long side surface, and the protruding piece 811 is aligned with the short side surface (the right end surface in Figure 5(a)). The tip of the protruding piece 813 is moved toward the back of the first insertion passage 521, and the base end piece 812 comes into contact with the surface of the cylindrical portion 461 (the long side surface), completing the attachment of the support member 8 to the pallet 1.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(b), when the support portion 82 is positioned to be in contact with one side of the short side, the protruding piece 811 is inserted into the second insertion opening 512 formed on the side of the short side, and the protruding piece 813 is positioned along the side of the long side. The tip of the protruding piece 811 is moved toward the back of the second insertion passage 522, and the base end piece 812 comes into contact with the surface (side of the short side) of the cylindrical portion 461, completing the attachment of the support member 8 to the pallet 1.

[0057] With this configuration, if the support member 8 is mounted in the state shown in Figure 5(a) (or Figure 5(b)), the support member 8 is likely to detach from the pallet 1 due to the direction of transport of the pallet 1 by the forklift. However, by mounting the support member 8 in the state shown in Figure 5(b) (or Figure 5(a)), the support member 8 is less likely to detach from the pallet 1.

[0058] Furthermore, because the first insertion passage 521 and the second insertion passage 522 intersect in a cross shape in a plan view, the area over which the insertion passage 52 is formed can be limited compared to a case where the first insertion passage 521 and the second insertion passage 522 do not intersect in a plan view, thereby suppressing a decrease in the rigidity and strength of the pallet 1.

[0059] The corner (corner girder 41) has a cylindrical portion 461 surrounded by two sides and a first insertion passage 521 and a second insertion passage 522. The cylindrical portion 461 is an annular portion formed by the parts that make up the two sides of the corner girder 41, the part that faces the first insertion passage 521, the part that faces the second insertion passage 522, and the part that connects them. As shown in Figure 4(b), the length L1 of the cylindrical portion 461 along the side where the first insertion opening 511 is formed in the horizontal direction is the same as the length L2 of the cylindrical portion 461 along the side where the second insertion opening 512 is formed. In this embodiment, the shape of the cylindrical portion 461 in plan view is square. Note that the term "square" includes a strictly square, but it does not have to be a strictly square as long as it can be considered equivalent to a square in use. For example, as in this embodiment, a rounded shape such as a chamfer may be formed on some corners. This allows the support member 8 to be handled in the same way whether it is attached from the side where the first insertion opening 511 is formed or from the side where the second insertion opening 512 is formed. Note that it is not a mandatory requirement that lengths L1 and L2 be the same; lengths L1 and L2 may be different.

[0060] The cylindrical portion 461 is formed at the corner of the corner girder 41. The cylindrical portion 461 is formed at the corner where the corner girder 41 is divided by the first insertion passage 521 and then by the second insertion passage 522. In this way, the corner of the corner girder 41 divided by the first insertion passage 521 and then by the second insertion passage 522 tends to have low rigidity and strength, but by forming the cylindrical portion 461, the reduction in rigidity and strength of this part of the pallet 1 can be suppressed. In particular, since the support member 8 is attached to the corner of the corner girder 41 (cylindrical portion 461) and the load from the pallet supporter (the load of the upper pallet 1) is applied thereto, reinforcing this part is effective.

[0061] The cylindrical portion 461 has only one space 47 inside. This makes it easier to remove the mold that constitutes the space 47 when molding the cylindrical portion 461 in the resin molding of the pallet 1.

[0062] The cylindrical portion 461 is provided with low ribs 48 that protrude inward from the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 461 and have a vertical length shorter than the vertical length of the cylindrical portion 461. If ribs with a vertical length equal to the vertical length of the cylindrical portion 461 were provided inside the cylindrical portion 461, the mold constituting the space 47 would become elongated and difficult to remove from the space 47, and forcibly removing it could damage the pallet 1. However, by providing the low ribs 48, it is possible to make it easier to remove the mold constituting the space 47 and to improve the rigidity and strength of the cylindrical portion 461.

[0063] Furthermore, in the portion where the first insertion passage 521 and the second insertion passage 522 intersect in a cross shape in a plan view, cylindrical portions 461 to 464, including cylindrical portion 461, are formed in the four regions divided by the first insertion passage 521 and the second insertion passage 522. In the horizontal direction, the length L3 of cylindrical portion 464 along the side surface where the first insertion opening 511 is formed (the cylindrical portion located diagonally opposite to cylindrical portion 461) and the length L4 of cylindrical portion 464 along the side surface where the first insertion opening 511 is formed may be the same or different.

[0064] Furthermore, it is preferable that the horizontal length L5 (width) of the insertion opening 51 (first insertion opening 511 and second insertion opening 512) and the insertion passage 52 (first insertion passage 521 and second insertion passage 522) is half or less of the length L1 or length L2 of the cylindrical portion 461.

[0065] The thickness of the walls of the cylindrical sections 461 to 463 is preferably the same as or greater than the thickness of the ribs 44 and 45. This makes it less likely for the cylindrical sections 461 to 463 to be damaged when the support member 8 collides with the walls of the cylindrical sections 461 to 463 during installation.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 5 has an insertion opening 51 on at least one of two adjacent sides of the pallet 1, and a fork insertion opening 10 on at least the other of the two adjacent sides. If the insertion piece 51 and the fork insertion opening 10 are formed on the same side, when attempting to insert a fork into the fork insertion opening 10, the fork may not be inserted into the fork insertion opening 10 and may come into contact with the support member 8 or pallet supporter, potentially causing the support member 8 or pallet supporter to detach from or be damaged by the pallet 1. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the insertion piece 51 and the fork insertion opening 10 are formed on different sides, when attempting to insert a fork into the fork insertion opening 10, the fork may not be inserted into the fork insertion opening 10 and may come into contact with the support member 8 or pallet supporter, which could cause the support member 8 or pallet supporter to detach from or be damaged by the pallet 1.

[0067] (modified version) Next, a modified example of the above-described embodiment will be explained.

[0068] The pallet 1 does not necessarily have to be formed with the upper deck section 2, lower deck section 3, and beam section 4 as a single unit; it may be a welded pallet formed by welding the parts together after they have been molded separately.

[0069] Pallet 1 does not have to be a double-sided pallet 1. In this case, an opening is formed in the lower deck portion 3 in the portion corresponding to the lower rail portion 33.

[0070] The upper deck section 2 and the lower deck section 3 do not need to be formed into a strict rectangle in plan view.

[0071] In the embodiment described above, the pallet 1 was a so-called four-way pallet with eight fork insertion slots 10, two on each of the four sides of the pallet 1. However, it may also be a so-called two-way pallet with four fork insertion slots 10, two on each of two opposing sides of the pallet 1.

[0072] Pallet 1 does not have to be formed symmetrically in the vertical direction. Also, pallet 1 does not have to be formed point-symmetrically in a plan view, and the upper deck portion 2 and the lower deck portion 3 do not have to be formed in the same shape with their vertical orientation reversed.

[0073] The insertion opening 51 may be formed not at the corner of the pallet 1, but closer to the center of one side of the pallet 1 (including between the two fork insertion spaces 11).

[0074] (summary) As is clear from the embodiments and their variations described above, the pallet (1) of the first embodiment is a synthetic resin pallet (1) comprising an upper deck portion (2) formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, a lower deck portion (3) formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and a beam portion (4) connecting the upper deck portion (2) and the lower deck portion (3). Mounting portions (5) are provided at the corners of the pallet (1) to which support members (8) that receive the support columns of a pallet supporter that supports the pallet (1) located above are detachably attached. The mounting portion (5) has an insertion opening (51) into which the insertion portion (projecting piece (811) or projection piece (813)) of the support member (8) is inserted, and an insertion passage (52) extending inward from the insertion opening (51). The mounting portion (5) has at least two insertion passages (521, 522) as the insertion passage (52), which extend in different directions in plan view and into which the insertion portion can be selectively inserted.

[0075] According to the first embodiment, depending on the direction in which the pallet (1) is transported by the forklift, the support member (8) can be inserted by selecting the insertion opening (51) and insertion path (52) that are less likely to fall off the pallet (1), thereby making it less likely for the support member (8) to detach from the pallet (1).

[0076] A second embodiment can be realized by combining it with the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the mounting portion (5) has a first insertion opening (511) and a second insertion opening (512) on two sides of the pallet (1) adjacent to the mounting portion (5), respectively. A first insertion passage (521) extending from the first insertion opening (511) and a second insertion passage (522) extending from the second insertion opening (512) intersect.

[0077] According to the second embodiment, the area over which the insertion passage (52) is formed in the pallet (1) can be kept from being too wide, thereby suppressing a decrease in the rigidity and strength of the pallet (1).

[0078] A third embodiment can be realized by combining it with the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, the girder portion (4) comprises a cylindrical portion (461) surrounded by two sides and a first insertion passage (521) and a second insertion passage (522).

[0079] According to the third embodiment, the reduction in rigidity and strength of this part of the pallet (1) can be suppressed.

[0080] A fourth embodiment can be realized by combining it with the third embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the cylindrical portion (461) has only one space (47) inside.

[0081] According to the fourth aspect, when molding the cylindrical portion (461) in the resin molding of the pallet (1), the mold constituting the space (47) can be easily removed from the space (47).

[0082] A fifth embodiment can be realized by combining it with the third or fourth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the cylindrical portion (461) is provided with low ribs (48) that protrude inward from the inner surface of the cylindrical portion (461) and have a vertical length shorter than the vertical length of the cylindrical portion (461).

[0083] According to the fifth embodiment, the mold constituting the space (47) can be easily removed, and the rigidity and strength of the cylindrical portion (461) can be improved.

[0084] A sixth embodiment can be realized by combining it with the first embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, the mounting portion (5) has an insertion opening (51) on at least one of two adjacent sides of the pallet (1) and a fork insertion opening (10) on at least the other of the two adjacent sides into which the forks of a forklift are inserted.

[0085] According to the sixth embodiment, when attempting to insert the fork into the fork insertion opening (10), the fork is prevented from coming into contact with the support member (8) or pallet supporter without being inserted into the fork insertion opening (10), thus preventing the support member (8) or pallet supporter from coming off or being damaged from the pallet (1). [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1 Palette 10 Fork insertion slots 2. Top deck section 3. Lower deck section 4 digit part 461 Cylindrical part 47 Space 48 Low Rib 5 Mounting part 51 Insertion opening 511 First insertion port 512 Second insertion port 52 Insertion path 521 First insertion passage 522 Second insertion route 8. Support Member

Claims

1. The top deck section is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, The lower deck section is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, A synthetic resin pallet comprising a beam section connecting the upper deck section and the lower deck section, A mounting portion is provided at the corner of the pallet, to which a support member that receives a support column of a pallet supporter that supports the pallet located above is detachably attached. The mounting portion has an insertion opening into which the insertion portion of the support member into the pallet is inserted, and an insertion passage extending inward from the insertion opening. The pallet is characterized in that the mounting portion has at least two insertion passages that extend in different directions in a plan view and into which the insertion portion can be selectively inserted.

2. The mounting portion has a first insertion opening and a second insertion opening on two adjacent sides of the pallet, with the mounting portion in between. The pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that a first insertion path extending from the first insertion opening intersects with a second insertion path extending from the second insertion opening.

3. The pallet according to claim 2, characterized in that the girder portion comprises a cylindrical portion surrounded by the two sides, the first insertion passage, and the second insertion passage.

4. The pallet according to claim 3, characterized in that the cylindrical portion has only one space inside.

5. The pallet according to claim 3, characterized in that the cylindrical portion is provided with low ribs that protrude inward from the inner surface of the cylindrical portion and have a vertical length shorter than the vertical length of the cylindrical portion.

6. The aforementioned mounting portion is The pallet has the insertion opening on at least one of two adjacent sides, The pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the two adjacent sides has a fork insertion opening into which the forks of a forklift are inserted.

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