Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Industrial platform – Knockdown or setup
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2001-05-22
Chen, Jose V. (Department: 3636)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Industrial platform
Knockdown or setup
C100S055000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234087
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pallets in general, and to pallets intended to be delivered to points of retail sale in particular.
Many retail sales establishments receive smaller articles, such as boxes cans, and bottles mounted on pallets. Pallets used in combination with the forklift have produced substantial economies in the movement of goods by providing many different goods with a similar interface, allowing mechanization and unitization of goods.
In the New Economy, substantial reductions in the cost of replenishment of inventory have been achieved by large retailers by cooperating with suppliers to determine and even supply inventories necessary to meet fluctuating demands for goods. By pushing the responsibility for maintaining inventory back to the supplier of a good, and maintaining regional warehouses stocked by suppliers who are supplied with near realtime information on in-store purchases, the costs of the so-called “middle man” has been largely eliminated.
The pressure to reduce the cost of supplying goods continues to drive a search for improvements in distribution and retailing. One approach often employed by discount retailers is to stock and sell retail products directly off pallets, thus eliminating or reducing the cost of stocking goods to shelves. This technique of selling retail directly from pallets is being used on a selected basis by larger grocery stores and other mainline retailers.
Often when a retailer requires less than a full pallet load of goods, it is necessary to break down the full pallet into fractional pallet loads by unloading the larger pallet. This transfer is costly in time and manpower, and contributes to the cost of the goods.
What is needed is a pallet systems which facilitates this trend of reduced distribution cost and broadens the class of retailers who can take advantage of the new economies of distribution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The modular pallet system of this invention has two or more pallets, each of which has four legs and which is capable of standing on its own as an independent unit. However, the pallets are formed to dimensions which are a fraction of conventional pallet sizes, such that one pallet alone serves as a quarter of a standard dimensioned pallet, while two pallets combined serve as a half of a standard dimensioned pallet. Each pallet has tabs and slots on the perimeter edges, with the result that two or more of the small pallets can be assembled into a standard size pallet. The pallets may be produced as single sheet thermoformed or twin sheet thermoformed parts, or could be injection molded or structural foam molded. The pallets are connected together in an interference fit and do not require any loose connectors or tools to assemble.
An adapter may be attached in a snap fit beneath four joined pallets to facilitate interaction between the combined pallets and conventional racks and conveyors, and to facilitate stacking.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet which may be combined with other pallets to form a larger compound pallet which combines into a single unit load.
It is another object of the present invention to provide smaller pallets which may be connected together into standard size pallets without the use of tools.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a pallet of dimensions one quarter a standard pallet, which can be combined into a half-size or full size pallet with other identical pallets.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modular pallet which may be brought together with an adapter to allow use of the combined assembly with conventional racks and conveyors, and to permit stacking.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Alltrista Corporation
Chen José V.
Lathrop & Clark LLP
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