Non-Flat Deck Pallet with Arched Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard pallets with flat decks are prone to sinking under heavy loads, especially when in a 'racking' position, which can be dangerous and inefficient for supporting flexible cargo like 'Big-Bag' products, and do not utilize materials effectively.
Innovation Solution
A materials-handling pallet with a non-flat deck, featuring a raised upper deck design that can be reinforced with additional elements and equipped with taut cables to prevent deck decline, and hollow stringers allowing for nesting, optimizing material usage and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flat deck is used for the pallet, then it is easy to load and unload goods, but it sinks under heavy loads especially in racking position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by raising the deck board from a flat surface to an arched or domed shape. This curved structure distributes loads more effectively across the stringers and prevents localized sinking, while still providing a functional surface for loading goods. The arch shape inherently resists downward forces better than a flat surface.
2Strength
If a non-flat raised deck is used, then the pallet is stronger and uses fewer raw materials, but it is unsuitable for loading flat bottom goods
Solution Approach 1:
The deck board is segmented into multiple raised sections or lobes rather than a single continuous arch. This segmentation creates multiple loading zones that can accommodate different cargo configurations, including flat-bottomed goods, while maintaining the structural advantages of raised forms in each segment.
3Ease of manufacture
If a flat deck is used, then loading is simple, but the pallet is dangerous when stored in racking position due to sinking tendency
Solution Approach 1:
The arched deck design provides inherent structural stability that prevents the sinking tendency problematic in flat decks during racking. The curved geometry distributes racking forces more evenly across the stringers, eliminating the dangerous localized stress concentrations that occur with flat decks under similar conditions.
4Strength
If solid stringers are used, then the pallet is strong, but nesting multiple pallets is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stringers are designed with hollow internal cavities that allow other pallets to be nested within them. This nesting capability enables space-efficient storage and transport of multiple pallets, while the hollow structure is compensated for by strategic reinforcement elements that maintain the required strength.
5Strength
If more raw material is used to prevent sinking, then the pallet is stronger, but the cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The raised arched deck design achieves superior load resistance with less material compared to a flat deck. The curved geometry provides inherent structural strength through its shape, distributing forces more efficiently and eliminating the need for excessive material thickness or additional reinforcement that would increase weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the deck from flat to arched, fundamentally altering how loads are distributed. This parameter change enables the use of thinner, lighter materials while maintaining or improving load-bearing capacity, as the arch shape provides structural strength independent of material quantity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a materials-handling pallet with a non-flat-deck, particularly for flexible cargo, which composed of any known pallet's construction, except that its upper deck is not flat. Moreover, the provided pallet can be reinforced by inserting or attaching reinforcing elements and can include a taut cable that prevents or reduces the declining of the upper deck when the pallet is loaded.