Cardboard Pallet Reinforcing Insert with Multilayer Wavy Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cardboard pallets lack sufficient strength and durability to handle heavy loads and mechanical strain, often resulting in structural damage and point distortion, while also being less efficient in weight reduction compared to wooden pallets.
Innovation Solution
A cardboard pallet design featuring an upper and lower plate with legs and side walls made from multilayer glued cardboard, incorporating a reinforcing insert with alternating wavy and flat cardboard layers, and additional patches arranged at varying angles to distribute mechanical stress and enhance structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If cardboard material is used to replace wood in pallet construction, then weight is reduced, but strength and durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multilayer cardboard construction with alternating flat and wavy layers to create a composite material structure. The wavy layers provide compression resistance while flat layers provide tension resistance, creating a lightweight yet strong pallet that maintains structural integrity under load without the weight of traditional wooden pallets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different cardboard layer configurations to different parts of the pallet structure. The reinforcing insert uses varying wave heights and layer orientations at critical stress points (legs and plate connections) to provide localized strength enhancement where needed most, while maintaining overall lightweight construction.
2Weight of moving object
If cardboard material is used to replace wood in pallet construction, then weight is reduced, but durability under mechanical strain deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The alternating flat and wavy cardboard layers create a composite structure where each layer type compensates for the weaknesses of the other. The wavy layers resist compression forces while flat layers resist tension, providing durable performance under varied mechanical strain conditions while keeping the pallet lightweight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies the wave height parameter of the cardboard layers, with some wavy layers having heights greater than 5mm to provide enhanced compression resistance at critical locations. This parameter variation optimizes the durability-to-weight ratio by concentrating structural reinforcement where mechanical strain is highest.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple cardboard structure is used, then manufacturing is easier, but structural integrity under heavy loads is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet is divided into distinct functional components: upper plate, lower plate, legs with side walls, and a reinforcing insert with multilayer blocks. Each segment is manufactured separately with optimized cardboard layering, then assembled together. This segmentation allows for specialized strength enhancement in critical areas while maintaining overall manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing insert consists of multilayer cardboard blocks with alternating flat and wavy layers, creating a composite material that provides enhanced structural integrity. This composite construction maintains relative manufacturing simplicity while significantly improving the pallet's ability to withstand heavy loads compared to simple single-layer cardboard structures.
4Ease of manufacture
If uniform cardboard layers are used in reinforcing insert, then manufacturing is simpler, but stress distribution is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing insert employs wavy layers with varying heights (some greater than 5mm) and non-parallel flat layers at different orientations. This local variation in layer quality optimizes stress distribution across different regions of the pallet, with higher wave heights providing enhanced compression resistance at critical load-bearing points while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides improved strength and durability, allowing the pallet to maintain its form under heavy loads and mechanical strain with reduced surface damage, while maintaining a lightweight structure, effectively replacing traditional wooden pallets.
Implementation Method 1
each leg is attached at least to the lower plate and is formed of vertical side walls and at least one multilayer block of glued cardboard between them
Implementation Method 2
The reinforcing insert has glued filling elements arranged one on top of the other, perpendicular to the upper plate and lower plate, the filling elements being respectively a two layer cardboard consisting alternately of a wavy layer and a flat layer
Implementation Method 3
at least one multilayer block of glued cardboard between them
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Cardboard pallet (1) including an upper plate (2), a lower plate (3) and legs (4), where each leg (4) is fixed at least to the lower plate (3) and is made up of vertical side walls (5) and at least one multilayer block (6) of glued cardboard between them. Between the upper plate (2) and the lower plate (3) there is at least one reinforcing insert (7) made of cardboard. The distance between the upper plate (2) and the lower plate (3) is at least 8 mm. The reinforcement insert (7) has glued together in a patch (11) filling elements (8) positioned one on top of the other, perpendicular to the upper plate (2) and the lower plate (3), where the filling elements (8) are respectively a double-layered cardboard alternating from a wavy layer (9) and a flat layer (10), or a three-layer cardboard consisting alternately of a flat layer (10), a wavy layer (9) and a flat layer (10), where the height of the wavy layer (9) is bigger than 5mm. Within one reinforcing insert (7) there is a patch (11) that has wavy layers (9) of varying height and/or a reinforcing insert (7) that has at least two multilayer patches (11), wherein the flat layers (10) of each cardboard patch (11) are perpendicular to the lower plate (3) and the upper plate (2) are simultaneously non-parallel to the flat layers (10) of the cardboard of the adjacent patch (11), and the patch has a width of 100 mm at most.