palette

Abstract

To provide a pallet made small-sized in a manner enabling functions thereof to be enhanced more than when simply made small-sized.SOLUTION: A pallet 1 has a top plate 11 and blocks 12. The top plate 11 comprises long sides 111 and short sides 112. The block 12 arranged in each corner of the top plate 11 has long sides 121 and short sides 122. The long side 121 of the block 12 is arranged along the short side 112 of the top plate 11. The block 12 is located at a distance d1 from a caster 21 toward the short side 112. Ones arranged respectively at the corners of the top plate 11 of the pallet 1, of the blocks 12 are each in a shape extending from the corner 113 of the top plate 11 to a position at a distance d2 from the caster 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pallet. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art When transporting heavy products, the products are usually placed on wooden pallets and the pallets are transported using a forklift or hand lift.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a pallet using stringer girders, with a device for mitigating vertical shock to the pallet top plate.

[0004] Moreover, Patent Document 2 discloses a paper pallet having a girder with a cross-sectional shape in which the upper surface is wide and the lower surface is narrow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-34780 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 7-507029 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In recent years, there has been a demand to minimize packaging materials and to downsize packaging boxes and pallets in order to improve loading efficiency and reduce costs. When packaging boxes and pallets are made smaller, the support parts such as casters that support the product are placed directly on the blocks that support the top plate of the pallet, and there is a risk that the product will be damaged because it cannot absorb the shock during logistics. In addition, when the blocks are made smaller to reduce the size, the amount of block engagement is reduced, which raises concerns about the load falling over and makes stacking difficult.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a pallet which has improved functionality compared to a pallet which is simply made smaller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] First aspect The invention relates to A rectangular top plate on which the load is placed, A plurality of blocks are arranged at a plurality of locations including the four corners of the top plate, and support the top plate from below; a lower plate arranged to rest on the plurality of blocks; The top plate has a long side and a short side, Among the plurality of blocks, a block arranged at a corner of the tabletop has a long side and a short side, The pallet is characterized in that the long side of a block among the plurality of blocks that is located at a corner of the top plate is arranged along the short side of the top plate.

[0009] Second aspect The invention according to the present invention is characterized in that the upper surface of a block arranged at a corner of the tabletop among the plurality of blocks has a notched shape on a side away from the short side of the tabletop so that the width of the upper surface that contacts the tabletop in a direction along the long side of the tabletop is narrowed. First aspect It is a palette as described in.

[0010] Third aspect The invention relates to The load to be placed on the top plate is a load having support parts for supporting the load at the four corners of the lower part of the load, The block arranged at the corner of the tabletop is arranged at a position closer to the short side of the tabletop than the support part of the load placed on the tabletop that is closest to the corner. First or second aspect It is a palette as described in.

[0011] Fourth aspect The invention according to the present invention is characterized in that the block arranged at the corner of the tabletop has a shape that extends to a position farther from the corner in the short side direction of the tabletop than the support part of the load placed on the tabletop that is closest to the corner. Third aspectA pallet as described in

[0012] Fifth aspect The invention according to the present invention is characterized in that the two blocks arranged on both ends of the long side of the tabletop are arranged with a gap between them that allows the forks of a forklift or handlift to be inserted. First to fourth aspects Any of 1. Aspect A pallet as described in

[0013] Sixth aspect The invention according to the present invention is characterized in that the two blocks arranged at both ends of the short side of the tabletop are arranged so close together that it is impossible to insert the forks of a forklift or handlift between the two blocks. Fifth aspect It is a palette as described in. Effect of the Invention

[0014] 1st, 3rd, and 4th aspects With this pallet, shocks during logistics are absorbed by the elastic deformation of the top plate, compared to when, for example, blocks with square top and bottom surfaces are used.

[0015] Second aspect According to the pallet of the present invention, the tabletop can be elastically deformed more effectively than when a block not having a cut-out shape is used.

[0016] Fifth aspect According to the pallet, this improves performance as a pallet compared to a pallet that has simply been made smaller so that the forks cannot be inserted.

[0017] According to the pallet of claim 6, a smaller pallet can be constructed while maintaining the function of inserting a fork from the long side for transportation, compared to a pallet that allows forks to be inserted from the short side as well. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the background leading to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] This figure shows one of the problems associated with miniaturization. [Diagram 3] This is a plan view and an enlarged portion of a pallet, showing another problem associated with miniaturization and its solution. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a pallet according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A is a front view seen from the long side 111 of the top plate, showing two pallets loaded with products stacked on top of each other, and FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged view of the same. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the area of ​​the cutout portion of the block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0020] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the background leading to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 1(A) is a comparative example to be compared with the embodiment described later. In FIG. 1(A), a product 2, indicated by a dashed line, is placed on a wooden pallet 1. Casters 21 (see FIG. 2) are attached to the four corners of the lower part of the product 2, and the casters 21 are placed directly on the pallet 1. A cushioning material 3 such as polystyrene foam is placed around the product 2, and the product 2 and the cushioning material 3 are covered with a packaging box 4. In the case of FIG. 1(A), since the cushioning material 3 is placed, a large packaging box 4 capable of containing not only the product 2 but also the cushioning material 3 is required. Accordingly, a pallet 1 having a size capable of carrying the large packaging box 4 is required. In the example shown in FIG. 1(A), a pallet 1 having a size of 833 mm x 720 mm is used. This pallet 1 has a rectangular top plate 11 that extends over the entire surface of the pallet 1, a block 12 that supports the top plate 11 from below, and a lower plate 13 arranged so that the block 12 can be placed on it. The blocks 12 are arranged at a plurality of locations including the four corners of the rectangular top plate 11.

[0022] In recent years, miniaturization of packaging materials has been considered.

[0023] FIG. 1(B) is a diagram showing an image of a miniaturized version.

[0024] Fig. 1(B) shows a packaging box 4 that is smaller in size than that shown in Fig. 1(A) and a pallet 1 on which the packaging box 4 is placed. In comparison with Fig. 1(A), the packaging box 4 shown in Fig. 1(B) does not require cushioning material 3 and contains only products 2. Accordingly, the pallet 1 has also been made smaller. In the example shown in Fig. 1(B), the dimensions are 770 mm x 686 mm.

[0025] However, it is not enough to simply make Pallet 1 smaller; the miniaturization process creates several issues.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates one of the challenges associated with miniaturization.

[0027] Figure 2(A) shows an image of a pallet simply being made smaller. If the packaging box 4 is made smaller by, for example, eliminating the cushioning material 3 (see Figure 1(A)), or if the packaging box is omitted, the pallet 1 on which the miniaturized product 2 is placed can also be made smaller accordingly. However, even if the pallet 1 is made smaller, the product 2 is not made smaller, so the casters 21 attached to the product 2 end up being placed near the corners of the pallet 1. For this reason, if the pallet 1 is simply made smaller, there is a risk that the casters 21 of the product 2 will overlap with or be placed near the blocks 12 of the pallet 1, as shown in Figure 2(A).

[0028] The pallet 1 has casters 21 placed on the top plate 11 at a position that does not overlap with the blocks 12, and absorbs shocks during logistics by utilizing the flexure of the top plate 11. For this reason, if the casters 21 are placed at a position that overlaps with the blocks 12 as shown in Figure 2(A), the shocks during logistics are directly transmitted to the products 2, which may cause the adjustment of the products 2 to be disturbed or result in damage.

[0029] FIG. 2(B) shows an image of the size of the pallet 1 being made smaller, and the dimensions of the block 12 being further reduced to prevent the casters 21 from being placed in a position overlapping with the block 12. Even in this case, when only vertical vibrations are considered, the vibrations are absorbed by the deflection of the top plate 11. However, if the block 12 is small, there is a risk that the block 12 will fall over when a horizontal force is applied to the top plate 11, causing the top plate 11 to shift sideways relative to the bottom plate 13, damaging the pallet 1. Stacking the products 2 vertically on the pallet 1 as shown in FIG. 5(A) is also difficult because there is a risk that the products 2 on the upper level will fall.

[0030] Figure 3 shows a plan view of a pallet and its enlarged portion, illustrating another problem associated with miniaturization and its solution. Figure 3 also shows casters 21 attached to the bottom of the product.

[0031] Here, Fig. 3(A-1) is a pallet as a comparative example also shown in Fig. 1(A), Fig. 3(A-2) is an enlarged view of the circle R1 portion shown in Fig. 3(A-1). Fig. 3(B-1) is a pallet in the middle stage leading to a pallet as one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3(B-2) is an enlarged view of the circle R2 portion shown in Fig. 3(B-1). Furthermore, Fig. 3(C-1) is a pallet as one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3(C-2) is an enlarged view of the circle R3 portion shown in Fig. 3(C-1).

[0032] The top plate 11 of the pallet 1 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 3(A-1) has a long side 111 of 833 mm and a short side 112 of 720 mm. The block 12 has a rectangular shape with a long side 121 along the long side 111 of the top plate 11 and a short side 122 along the short side 112 of the top plate 11. Here, it is assumed that the forks of a hand lift or forklift (not shown, hereinafter represented by a hand lift) are inserted under the top plate 11 to lift up and transport the product together with the pallet 1. The width dimension W of the fork of this hand lift is W=555 mm, as shown in FIG. 3(C). In the case of the pallet 1 of FIG. 3(A), the gap between the blocks 12 at both ends on the long side 111 side of the top plate 11 is 613 mm, and the gap between the blocks 12 at both ends on the short side 112 side of the top plate 11 is 580 mm. Therefore, the fork of a hand lift with a width dimension W=555 mm can be inserted from either the long side 111 or the short side 112. In the case of the comparative example shown in Fig. 3(A-1), the caster 21 is placed at a suitable distance from the block 12, as shown in Fig. 3(A-2).

[0033] The pallet 1 shown in FIG. 3(B-1) is a pallet 1 shown in FIG. 3(A-1) that has been downsized to match the dimensions of the pallet of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3(C-1). In the pallet 1 shown in FIG. 3(B-1), the gap between the blocks 12 at both ends on the long side 111 side of the top plate 11 is 560 mm, and the gap between the blocks 12 at both ends on the short side 112 side of the top plate 11 is 546 mm. In the case of the pallet 1 shown in FIG. 3(B), it is impossible to insert a fork of a hand lift with a width dimension W=555 mm from the short side 112 side. Also, although the dimensions are mathematically such that it can be inserted from the long side 111 side, the margin is too small, making it practically difficult to insert. Therefore, in the case of the pallet 1 shown in FIG. 3(B), which has been simply downsized, it is difficult to transport the products placed on the pallet 1 together with the pallet 1.

[0034] In the case of the pallet 1 shown in Figure 3(B-1), the caster 21 is placed immediately adjacent to the block 12 as shown in Figure 3(B-2). If we ignore the viewpoint of absorbing vibrations of the product 2, it is preferable that the caster 21 overlaps the block 12, but in this case, it is not possible to absorb the vertical vibrations of the mounted product by utilizing the deflection of the top plate 11. Even if the caster 21 is removed from the block 12, if it is placed immediately adjacent to the block 12, there is a risk that the edge of the block 12 will shear the top plate 11.

[0035] The pallet 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 3(C-1) has a top plate 11 with a long side 111 of 770 mm and a short side 112 of 686 mm, the same as the pallet 1 of FIG. 3(B-1). However, in the case of the pallet 1 shown in FIG. 3(C), the block 12 is arranged with its long side 121 aligned along the short side 112 of the top plate 11. Also, the dimension of the short side 122 of the block 12 is narrowed so that the gap between the blocks 12 at both ends of the long side 111 side of the top plate 11 is 670 mm. And, the dimension of the long side 121 of the block 12 is widened as much as necessary, eliminating the risk of the block 12 falling over and the difficulty of stacking in the direction of the short side, as described with reference to FIG. 2(B). Also, in the case of the pallet 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 3(C-1), the caster 21 is placed at a position moderately distant from the block 12, as shown in FIG. 3(C-2).

[0036] However, with the pallet 1 shown in Figure 3(C), it is not possible to insert a fork from the short side 112 of the top plate 11. By making it possible to insert a fork from the long side 111 of the top plate 11, it is possible to achieve both compactness of the pallet 1 and ease of handling of cargo.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the pallet of this embodiment.

[0038] Fig. 4(A) shows a plan view similar to Fig. 3(C). In this plan view, as in Fig. 3, the top plate 11 of the pallet 1 is shown in solid lines, and the blocks 12 are shown in dashed lines. Fig. 4(A) also shows casters 21 attached to the bottom of the product 2 (see Fig. 1(A)). The product placed on the pallet 1 of this embodiment corresponds to an example of a load as referred to in the present invention, and the casters 21 attached to the four corners of the bottom of the product correspond to an example of a support as referred to in the present invention.

[0039] Also, Fig. 4(B) is an enlarged view of the circle R4 shown in Fig. 4(A), and Fig. 4(C) is a side view of the same part as Fig. 4(B). Figs. 4(B) and (C) also show the top plate 11 and block 12 of the pallet 1. Furthermore, Fig. 4(B) also shows the casters 21 attached to the bottom of the product.

[0040] Here, the product mounted on the top plate 11 is a product equipped with casters 21 that support the product at the four corners of the bottom of the product. The blocks 12 arranged at the corners of the top plate 11 of this pallet 1 are arranged in a position closer to the short side 112 of the top plate 11 than the caster 21 closest to that corner. In other words, the blocks 12 are located a distance d1 closer to the short side 112 than the casters 21. In this way, the pallet 1 places the casters 21 on the top plate 11 at positions that do not overlap with the blocks 12, and utilizes the flexure of the top plate 11 to absorb vertical vibrations of the mounted product.

[0041] Furthermore, the block 12 arranged at the corner of the top plate 11 of this pallet 1 has a shape that extends in the direction of the short side 112 of the top plate 11 to a position farther away from the corner than the caster 21 closest to that corner of the product mounted on the top plate 11. In other words, the block 12 has a shape that extends from the corner 113 of the top plate 11 to a position that is a distance d2 away from the caster 21 in the direction in which the short side 112 of the top plate 11 extends. In this embodiment, by giving the block 12 a shape that extends in the short side direction to an extent that satisfies this, it is possible to both insert a fork and eliminate the risk of the block 12 falling over and the difficulty of stacking.

[0042] Furthermore, in the case of the pallet 1 of the embodiment shown here, at least the blocks 12 arranged at the corners of the top plate 11 have a cut-out shape on the side away from the short side 112 of the top plate 11 so that the width S of the top surface 123 of the block 12 that contacts the top plate 11 in the direction along the long side 111 of the top plate 11 is narrower than the overall width T of the block 12. In the example shown in Fig. 3(C), the block 12 has a cut-out portion 124 that is cut out in a tapered shape.

[0043] As a result, caster 21 is more appropriately spaced from the contact portion with top plate 11 of block 1 compared to when notched portion 124 is formed, and more effective use is made of the deflection of top plate 11 to absorb shock during logistics. However, if caster 21 is too far away from the contact portion with top plate 11 of block 1, then top plate 11 may deflect too much and crack, so it is preferable to determine the dimensions of top plate 11 and block 12 so that caster 21 is located at a position that is appropriately spaced from the contact portion with top plate 11 of block 1, that is, at a position that improves collapse and stacking and prevents damage to top plate 11 due to shear or deflection of top plate 11.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a front view (A) of a pallet with products placed thereon stacked in two tiers as viewed from the long side 111 of the top plate, and a partially enlarged view (B) of the same. FIG. 5(B) is an enlarged view of the circle R5 shown in FIG. 5(A). The block 12 shown in FIG. 5 has a shape in which the side away from the short side 112 of the top plate 11 is cut out so that the width S of the upper surface 123 of the block 12 that contacts the top plate 11 in the direction along the long side 111 of the top plate 11 is narrower than the overall width T of the block 12. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the block 12 has a cutout portion 124 formed in a stepped shape with one step lowered. In this way, the shape of the cutout portion 124 may be any shape as long as the width S of the cutout portion that contacts the top plate 11 is narrower than the overall width T, and the specific shape of the cutout is not important. In this way, by forming the cutout portion 122 on the side facing the top plate 11, vertical vibrations are absorbed, while by contacting the lower plate 13 with the entire width T of the block 12, the risk of the block 12 falling over and the difficulty of stacking are eliminated.

[0045] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the region of the cutout portion of the block, where Fig. 6(A) is a partially enlarged view corresponding to Fig. 4(B) in the above embodiment, and Fig. 6(B) is a partially enlarged view of a modified example thereof.

[0046] The cutout portion 124 shown in Fig. 6(A) is formed over the entire length of the block 12 in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the short side 112 of the tabletop 11). In contrast, the cutout portion 124 shown in Fig. 6(B) is formed in a part of the block 12 including the area overlapping with the caster 21 in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the short side 112 of the tabletop 11). The cutout portion 124 may be formed over the entire length as shown in Fig. 6(A), but even if the cutout portion 124 is formed in a partial area, such as by forming only the area overlapping with the caster 21 as shown in Fig. 6(B), it is effective in appropriately separating the caster 21 from the contact portion between the block 1 and the tabletop 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 palette 2 Products 3 Cushioning material 4 Packaging box 11 Tabletop 111 Long side 112 Short side 113 Corner 12 blocks 121 Long side 122 Short side 123 Top surface 124 Cutout 13 Lower plate 21 Caster

Claims

1. A rectangular top plate on which the load is placed, A plurality of blocks are arranged at a plurality of locations including the four corners of the top plate, and support the top plate from below; a lower plate arranged to rest on the plurality of blocks; The top plate has a long side and a short side, Among the plurality of blocks, a block arranged at a corner of the tabletop has a long side and a short side, A long side of a block located at a corner of the tabletop among the plurality of blocks is arranged along a short side of the tabletop, A pallet is characterized in that a block of the plurality of blocks located at a corner of the top plate has a cut-out shape only on the side away from the short side of the top plate and on the side away from the long side of the top plate, so that the width of the block that contacts the top plate in the direction along the long side of the top plate is narrowed in a portion of the top surface away from the long side of the top plate.

2. The load to be placed on the top plate is a load having support parts for supporting the load at the four corners of the lower part of the load, A pallet as described in claim 1, characterized in that the block arranged at the corner of the top plate is arranged at a position closer to the short side of the top plate than the support portion of the load mounted on the top plate that is closest to the corner.

3. A pallet as described in claim 2, characterized in that the block arranged at the corner of the top plate has a shape that extends in the short side direction of the top plate to a position farther from the corner than the support portion of the load loaded on the top plate that is closest to the corner.

4. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two blocks arranged at both ends of the long side of the top plate are arranged with a gap between them that allows the forks of a forklift or hand lift to be inserted between the two blocks.

5. A pallet as described in claim 4, characterized in that the two blocks arranged at both ends of the short side of the top plate are arranged so close together that it is impossible to insert the forks of a forklift or hand lift between the two blocks.

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