Modular Plastic Pallet Assembly for Replaceable Load-Bearing Legs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing plastic pallets are integrally molded, leading to high production costs, limited versatility, and reduced service life due to deformation and low bearing capacity, with partial damage rendering the entire pallet unusable.

Innovation Solution

An assembled plastic pallet design featuring detachable components, including a panel and support legs with metal reinforcement, allowing for customizable assembly and replacement of damaged parts, and incorporating stress relief features to enhance structural strength and prevent oxidation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If plastic pallets are integrally molded by injection molding, then the pallet structure is simple and manufacturing process is unified, but the production cost is high and service life is reduced due to low bearing capacity and deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepallet structureVSAvoidbearing capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pallet is divided into multiple independent components: panel, support legs, reinforcement pieces, and connection pieces. Each component can be manufactured separately and assembled together, allowing for optimized design of each part while maintaining overall structural integrity and high bearing capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pallet combines plastic materials (for panels and support legs) with metal reinforcement pieces. This composite structure leverages the corrosion resistance and light weight of plastic while incorporating the high strength of metal reinforcements to significantly improve bearing capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If plastic pallets are integrally molded, then production requires large machines and multiple sets of large molds, but this increases production cost and reduces manufacturing flexibility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing processVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Dividing the pallet into separate components enables each part to be manufactured using smaller, more affordable molding equipment. This eliminates the need for large injection molding machines and multiple large molds, reducing both capital investment and per-unit production costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The standardized connection structures (connection pieces with positioning grooves and protrusions) enable the same components to be used across different pallet configurations. This universality reduces the number of unique molds needed and allows for easier production scaling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Weight of moving object

If the pallet is made entirely of plastic, then the pallet is lightweight and corrosion resistant, but it deforms easily and has low bearing capacity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepallet weightVSAvoidbearing capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

Metal reinforcement pieces are strategically placed at critical locations ( corners and center of panels, and at support leg positions) rather than throughout the entire structure. This localized reinforcement maintains the overall light weight while providing maximum strength where most needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If a pallet foot is partially damaged, then only a small portion is affected, but the whole pallet can't be used properly, reducing service life

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice lifeVSAvoidreplacement capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The detachable design allows damaged components to be easily replaced without discarding the entire pallet. Healthy components can be recovered and reused, significantly extending the overall service life of the pallet system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS12420981B2Assembled plastic pallet

Publication Date: 2025.09.23 GUANGZHOU TESHUAI METAL & PLASTIC PROD CO LTD

AI summary

An assembled plastic pallet is provided in the disclosure, which includes a panel and a plurality of support legs detachably arranged at a lower side of the panel. A metal reinforcement is embedded in the panel, each of the plurality of support legs is in a cuboid, four sides of each of the plurality of support legs is recessed inward to form a first groove, four sides of each of the plurality of support legs is formed with a reinforcing rib, and the reinforcing rib is smoothly transitioned to a bottom of the first groove with an arc. An assembled plastic pallet provided in this disclosure can be freely assembled as required and has high bearing capacity.