Foldable Paper Pallet With Central Stiffening Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current paper pallets fail to meet requirements for bending and distributed load-bearing capacity, automated strapping, and durability due to complex structures and sensitivity to water and humidity, limiting their use in high-load cargo storage and shipping.
Innovation Solution
A pallet design utilizing a foldable sheet material, preferably corrugated paper, with a central stiffening element that provides transverse and longitudinal stiffening, allowing for adjustable loading capacity and improved resistance to bending loads, enabling automated strapping and multiple reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If pallets are made from foldable paper material to reduce weight and environmental impact, then weight and environmental friendliness are improved, but bending load bearing capacity and durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet is divided into multiple functional components: a base made of foldable paper material, separate foot elements with through-openings for forklift access, and a central stiffening element. This segmentation allows the paper base to remain lightweight while the added structural elements provide the necessary strength and stiffness without significantly increasing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines foldable paper material with additional structural elements (foot elements, central stiffening element) to create a composite structure. The paper material provides lightness and environmental benefits, while the integrated structural elements contribute bending strength and load-bearing capacity, resolving the contradiction between weight and strength.
2Strength
If complex structures are used in paper pallets to improve load bearing capacity, then strength is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet structure is segmented into modular components (base, foot elements, central stiffening element) that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. This modular approach achieves the necessary load-bearing capacity through simple geometric forms rather than complex monolithic structures, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a vertical dimension to the pallet structure by incorporating foot elements with through-openings and a central stiffening element that extend through the base thickness. This three-dimensional configuration provides structural strength and forklift access without requiring complex planar patterns, simplifying the overall design while achieving the desired load-bearing capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If foot elements are weakened by cuts for interconnection to provide shape-fitting connection, then ease of assembly is improved, but load bearing capacity in the lower zone deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The foot elements are designed as separate modular components that connect to the base through simple insertion into through-openings. This segmentation allows the foot elements to maintain their full structural integrity and load-bearing capacity in the lower zone, as the connection method does not require weakening cuts that would compromise strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The central stiffening element acts as an intermediary component that reinforces the connection between the foot elements and the base. It provides additional structural support in the lower zone where load bearing is critical, while the foot elements themselves maintain simple insertion connections for ease of assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A pallet comprising a cover element (12) having a load bearing surface and a bottom surface being opposite the load bearing surface (11), and foot elements (10), each having a foot surface (15) being parallel with the bottom surface, and side walls (17) connecting the foot surface (15) and the bottom surface, the foot elements (10) being connected to the bottom surface (13), wherein the side walls (17) facing to each other of adjacent foot elements (10) being parallel with each other. The pallet further comprising a central stiffening element being supported against the side walls (17) facing to each other of adjacent foot elements (10) and being abutted against the bottom surface of the cover element (12), and the cover element (12) and the foot elements (10) being made from foldable sheet material.