Nestable Pallet With Offset Feet Eliminates Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sleeve pack containers require inefficient orientation changes for compact stacking, leading to increased manufacturing costs and material usage due to differing base and lid designs.
Innovation Solution
A nestable pallet system where the base and lid are identical in design and structure, with offset feet allowing for nesting without 180-degree rotation, and a thin material frame with a structural sheet for added rigidity, reducing material costs and preventing binding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional sleeve packs use different base and lid designs for nesting, then nesting capability is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase due to complex assemblies
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet is designed as a universal component that serves dual functions as both base and lid. The identical design allows the same pallet to be used in both positions, eliminating the need for different base and lid assemblies and reducing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The base and lid are merged into a single identical pallet design. This consolidation reduces the number of different components needed, simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs associated with producing and managing different base and lid assemblies
2Productivity
If sleeve packs require 180-degree rotation for proper stacking orientation, then compact nesting is achieved, but handling time increases due to rotation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet incorporates asymmetric offset corner feet that create a specific nesting geometry. This asymmetric design allows the pallet to nest properly only in a specific orientation, eliminating the need for 180-degree rotations and ensuring correct stacking alignment
Solution Approach 2:
The offset corner feet are pre-configured during manufacturing to automatically guide proper stacking orientation. The asymmetric geometry is built-in beforehand, so no additional orientation adjustment is needed during handling - the pallet simply needs to be placed in the correct position to achieve nesting
3Strength
If pallet material thickness is increased for strength and rigidity, then load support capability is improved, but material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet uses a composite construction combining a thin-walled molded plastic frame with a separate structural sheet. This composite approach provides the necessary strength and rigidity without requiring the entire pallet to be made from thick material, reducing overall material consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The pallet frame is constructed from thin-walled molded plastic that provides sufficient flexibility and strength when combined with the structural sheet. The thin-walled design reduces material usage compared to thick-walled constructions while maintaining adequate load-bearing capacity through the composite structure
4Ease of manufacture
If identical pallets are used for base and lid, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but nesting capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The identical pallets incorporate asymmetric offset corner feet that create complementary nesting surfaces. Although the pallets are identical, the asymmetric geometry ensures proper nesting alignment when one pallet is placed on another, maintaining nesting capability while using identical components
Solution Approach 2:
The offset corner feet create localized nesting surfaces with specific geometric properties. These localized asymmetric features enable proper nesting alignment without requiring the entire pallet to have different dimensions or properties, allowing identical pallets to nest effectively
Data Source
AI summary
A nestable pallet includes a first frame, at least one corner foot extending away from the frame, and at least one off-set corner foot extending away from the frame. The at least one corner foot being complementary with the at least one off-set corner foot, such that the pallet is nestable with a substantially identical pallet in a first nesting configuration and a second nesting configuration. In a preferred embodiment, the first frame includes a structural sheet fixed to the frame.