Ribbed Plastic Pallet Structure for High-Rack Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pallets designed for high rack storage areas require additional metal parts for stiffness, which increases material and production costs, and there is a need for a cost-effective plastic pallet solution that maintains structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A plastic pallet design featuring alternating grooves and ribs in the pallet body, along with protruding support feet and a circumferential rim, enhances rigidity without the need for metal reinforcements, allowing for injection-molded production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal parts are added to achieve necessary stiffness for high rack storage, then structural rigidity is improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the plastic pallet body by introducing grooves and ribs with specific dimensions and arrangements. The grooves have depths and widths that create structural reinforcement, while the ribs extend between grooves to provide additional stiffness. This geometric optimization allows the plastic material to achieve the required rigidity for high rack storage without adding metal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite-like structure within the monolithic plastic body by forming grooves and ribs that create alternating dense and cavity regions. This internal structural composition provides enhanced rigidity and strength-to-weight ratio, enabling the plastic pallet to meet the structural requirements previously achievable only with metal-reinforced designs.
2Strength
If skids are added underneath support feet to achieve necessary stiffness, then structural rigidity is improved, but device complexity and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the pallet body and support feet into a single integrated plastic structure. The support feet are directly formed as integral parts of the pallet body, eliminating the need for separate skids and additional assembly steps. This unification reduces production complexity and manufacturing time while maintaining the necessary structural rigidity through the optimized groove and rib configuration.
3Strength
If additional reinforcing elements are added to plastic pallets, then structural stiffness is improved, but material cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating material in specific regions where structural reinforcement is needed. The grooves and ribs create localized dense structures at critical stress points, while other regions maintain lower material density. This selective material distribution provides maximum stiffness with minimum weight, avoiding the need for uniform material thickening that would increase overall pallet weight.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure refers to a pallet made of plastics that includes a pallet body and a plurality of support feet, the pallet body having a length (l), a width (w) and a height (h1), the height (h1) extending between an imaginary lower plane (p2) and an imaginary upper plane (p1), wherein the pallet body comprises several body parts being arranged alternately in the upper plane (p1) and the lower plane (p2) along the direction of the width (w), thereby forming grooves extending in the direction of the length (l), wherein at least in one of the grooves several ribs extending in direction of the width (w) are arranged.