Stackable fractional plastic pallet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fractional plastic pallets lack the ability to be easily moved by pallet handling equipment while maintaining aesthetic acceptability and sufficient load-carrying capacity, especially when handling relatively heavy products.
Innovation Solution
A fractional plastic pallet design featuring a top deck with product support surface and underside, equipped with a pair of pallet support legs that include a center leg section and leg extensions. These legs are configured to engage with identical pallets when stacked, providing stability and allowing 4-way entry by pallet handling equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the pallet support legs are designed to engage with identical pallets when stacked, then the stackability and stability of the pallets are improved, but the device complexity increases due to the interlocking mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet support leg is divided into a center leg section and leg extensions, with the leg extensions providing the interlocking functionality. This segmentation allows the stacking mechanism to be integrated into the leg structure itself rather than requiring separate complex components, thus improving stackability while controlling device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pallet support leg combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: structural support, attachment to the top deck, and interlocking with stacked pallets. The leg extensions are merged with the center leg section to form a unified structure that provides both support and stacking capability, reducing overall device complexity.
2Strength
If the pallet support legs are configured to interlock with receiving areas, then the stability and load-carrying capacity are improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases due to precision requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking mechanism uses localized protrusions and corresponding receiving areas with specific patterns of spaced-apart features. These localized interlocking points concentrate the load-carrying function at specific locations rather than requiring uniform precision across the entire pallet structure, making manufacturing more feasible while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The pattern of spaced-apart protrusions and receiving areas serves multiple functions: providing structural interlocking for load-bearing, enabling stackability, and facilitating alignment during assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate precision-critical components, improving ease of manufacture while maintaining load-carrying capacity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A pallet includes a top deck that includes a product support surface and an opposing underside, and with the product support surface including a pair of pallet support leg receiving areas. A pair of pallet support legs is on the underside of the top deck and aligned with the pallet support leg receiving areas. Each pallet support leg including a center leg section having a first end adjacent the underside of the top deck and a second end opposite the first end, and a pair of leg extensions extending outwards from the second end of the center leg section. An underside of the center leg section and the pair of leg extensions are configured to engage one of the pallet support leg receiving areas of an identical pallet when stacked thereon.