Asymmetric Pallet Block Orientation for Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reducing the size of packaging materials and pallets for higher loading efficiency and cost reduction poses challenges in absorbing transit impacts and maintaining load stability, particularly when casters are placed directly above blocks, leading to potential damage and load shifting issues during transportation and stacking.
Innovation Solution
A pallet design featuring a top plate with blocks at its corners positioned along the short sides, allowing casters to be placed away from the blocks to absorb vertical vibrations and prevent tilting, while cutouts in the blocks facilitate fork insertion and reduce the risk of shearing and bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pallet size is reduced for higher loading efficiency and cost reduction, then the loading efficiency and cost are improved, but the ability to absorb transit impact deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the blocks have different dimensions in different directions. Specifically, the blocks have a longer dimension along the short side direction of the top plate and a shorter dimension along the long side direction, creating asymmetric local properties that optimize both space utilization and impact absorption at different locations of the pallet structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by orienting the blocks such that their longer sides are disposed along the short sides of the top plate rather than symmetrically aligned with the long sides. This asymmetric arrangement allows the pallet to maintain adequate impact absorption capability while achieving compact dimensions for higher loading efficiency.
2Volume of moving object
If the blocks are made smaller for size reduction, then the pallet size is reduced, but the load bearing amount deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses this contradiction by creating blocks with non-uniform dimensions - longer in the short side direction and shorter in the long side direction. This local quality variation allows the blocks to provide sufficient load bearing capacity in the critical short side direction while keeping the overall pallet size compact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dimensional parameters of the blocks by orienting them with their longer sides along the short sides of the top plate. This parameter change optimizes the load bearing capacity-to-size ratio, enabling the pallet to maintain strength while achieving size reduction for better loading efficiency.
3Device complexity
If casters are placed directly above blocks to support the product, then the structural simplicity is improved, but the product damage risk increases due to inability to absorb vertical vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses local quality by creating blocks with asymmetric dimensions - longer in the short side direction and shorter in the long side direction. This local variation in block properties provides enhanced vibration absorption capability at the caster support locations while maintaining overall structural simplicity of the pallet design.
Data Source
AI summary
A pallet includes: a top plate that has a rectangular shape and that is to be loaded with a load object; multiple blocks that are disposed at a multiple locations including four corners of the top plate and that support the top plate from below; and a bottom plate that is disposed such that the multiple blocks are placed on the bottom plate. The top plate has a long side and a short side. Blocks included in the multiple blocks and disposed at the corners of the top plate each has a long side and a short side. The long side of each of the blocks included in the multiple blocks and disposed at the corners of the top plate is disposed along the short side of the top plate.