Stackable Pallet With Interconnected Support Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pallets lack sufficient support and reinforcement, leading to product damage during transportation and requiring significant storage space due to their fragility and inability to stack.
Innovation Solution
A stackable and reinforced pallet system made from sustainable materials, featuring a base tray with upward walls, an insert recessed within the tray, a post secured within the tray perimeter, and a support assembly interconnected without adhesives, allowing for easy assembly and multi-tiered stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional pallets are made with simple open-sided trays, then they are easy to manufacture and transport, but they lack sufficient support and reinforcement causing product damage during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet is divided into multiple functional components: base tray, insert, posts, and support assembly. Each component serves a specific purpose - the base tray provides the foundation, the insert reinforces the central area, the posts provide vertical support, and the support assembly distributes loads. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular assembly without adhesives.
Solution Approach 2:
The pallet system combines multiple material forms and structural elements - the base tray and insert use board materials with specific thicknesses, the posts provide rigid vertical support, and the support assembly uses interconnected panels. This composite approach creates a unified structure that provides both strength and support while remaining manufacturable from common materials.
2Device complexity
If conventional pallets lack reinforcement, then they require less material and are simpler to manufacture, but they are fragile and unable to stack on top of one another requiring significant storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet structure is designed with pre-positioned reinforcement elements - the insert is disposed on the central portion of the base tray before final assembly, and the posts are secured within the perimeter to extend upward. The support assembly is pre-configured with interconnected panels that will distribute loads when stacked. This preliminary structuring enables stacking capability without requiring complex post-assembly operations or adhesives.
Solution Approach 2:
The pallet design adds vertical dimension through the posts that extend upward from the base tray, creating a three-dimensional structure. The support assembly further utilizes vertical spacing and horizontal panel distribution to create a multi-layered reinforcement system. This dimensional approach enables stacking by providing both vertical support and horizontal load distribution across multiple levels.
3Strength
If the support assembly is secured with adhesives, then the structure would be more rigid and stable, but the manufacturing process would be more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The support assembly is designed to be self-securing through its interconnections with the insert and base tray structure. The assembly method relies on mechanical interlocking and structural integration rather than external adhesives. The insert provides a mounting surface, the posts provide vertical anchoring, and the support panels interconnect to distribute loads, creating a self-reinforcing structure that achieves rigidity without adhesive bonding.
Data Source
AI summary
A pallet comprising: (a) a base tray having one or more walls extending upward from the tray to create a perimeter around a central portion of the base tray; (b) an insert disposed on the central portion of the tray within the perimeter of the base tray, the insert being recessed from a terminal edge of the one or more walls; (c) a post secured within the perimeter of the tray and extend away from the base tray; and (d) a support assembly secured to the insert and positioned along the central portion of the base tray free of contact with the one or more walls, wherein the support includes a pair of support panels that are interconnected and secured to the insert free of an adhesive.