COMPOUNDABLE PALLET

The present utility model regards to a compoundable pallet. More specifically, comprises a pallet provided with base and feet in a conical frustum shape that favor the assembly and stacking, reducing weight and manufacturing costs.

The pallet is a loading unit, made of rigid material, over which the load is stacked in order to transport a great quantity of material in lumps.

The knowledge of logistics applied to physical distribution, to processes and to material and or product administration, acknowledges the pallet as an efficient alternative for the unitization, which favors load moving, transportation and storage.

Pallets have been used for almost a century now. During the years 1920 and 1940 its application was small but in face of the growth of industries that used forklifts in the United States, England and Germany, the application of pallets grew. In Brazil, the use of pallets has been accompanying industrial growth, primarily aiming improvements in customer assistance.

Since 1997 the developed countries have a wide range of pallet types and dimensions. It is estimated that the USA may have around 250 million pallets. Brazil, with a smaller industrial base, has around 1.5 million pallets, with a marked tendency in scale increase.

The surveys executed by pallet committee of the Associaςao Brasileira de Logistica (Brazilian Logistics Association) - ASLOG, has verified that Brazilian market offers pallets in prices ranging from the disposable ones, made of wood, to the aluminum captive pallets.

In Brazil, a little more than a decade ago, the pallets were made by small woodshops and even by large lumber-mills, depending on the

scale they were requested. The equipment used for its production was usually rudimentary, easily found. The production technology was subject to the application of technical standards and rules.

Over ninety percent of pallets in the market were made of wood, followed by alternatives as plastic, aluminum, rubber and steel.

Pallets can be graded as disposable and circulating.

Disposable pallets are made of wood or cardboard. Among wooden pallets there are those made of dry wood that, although keeping stable constructive, dimensional and weight characteristics, present high cost and require long time to be manufactured due to a number of factors, including climate.

Pallets made of green wood, although having lower cost due to characteristics of the material employed, present variable constructive and specific weight characteristics. Additionally, wooden pallets make use of metallic fastening means, which oxidize, and the wood provides favorable conditions for contamination, making difficult a complete sanitization, conditions that must be observed, especially in food-related applications.

Among the circulating pallets, even though readily manufactured and presenting constant specific weight, those made of plastic present volume and weight that will be summed up to the load, besides having complex assembly systems, which increase manufacturing costs.

Although they may be subject to recycling, the geographic dispersion turns this operation expensive and difficult to execute. When transporting goods, the pallets integrate a single load module, where its weight and volume become part of freight charges.

This way, for the logistics system, it is expected that resistant pallets, having lower weight and volume are made available.

Thus, technical literature shows pallets that, although favoring load stacking and transportation, leave the need for a resistant pallets, having lower weight and volume.

This way, public literature do not describes neither suggests a compoundable pallet, provided with fitting feet, being such pallet described and claimed in the present application.

Generally, the present utility model regards to a compoundable pallet, comprising a main flat plate, provided with through-holes, which have internal channels, where the contouring collar of a conical frustum shaped foot is inserted. Optionally, a second flat plate is fastened to the of conical frustum shaped feet through removable fastening means.

It is a characteristic of the utility model a compoundable pallet provided with conical frustum shaped feet that makes easier the assembly and stacking.

It is characteristic of the utility model a low cost pallet, having reduced specific weight, subject to be manufactured in several different dimensions and having a number of feet depending on the load to be supported. In order to better describe the characteristics of the compoundable pallet, the figures listed below are presented:

Figure 1 shows the pallet, being figure 1A an exploded view and figure 1 B a view in perspective.

Figure 2 shows pallet's conical frustum shaped foot in detail. Figure 3 shows the foot fastened to the body of the first flat plate.

Figure 4 shows the pallet with the second flat plate fastened to the feet vertex, being figure 4A an exploded view and figure 4B a view in perspective.

Figure 5 shows the foot fastened to both first and second flat plates.

Figure 6 shows a set of stacked pallets.

Figure 7 shows the means of fitting between conical frustum shaped feet in a set of stacked pallets.

Figure 8 shows a constructive variation for the conical frustum shaped foot.

The compoundable pallet, which is object of the present utility model, comprises a main flat plate (10), preferably square- or rectangular shaped, made of rigid material, said main plate (10) provided with through holes (11 ) where conical frustum shaped feet

(20) are inserted.

The conical frustum shaped feet (20) present the projection of a contouring collar (21 ) in its base, said collar (21 ) being fitted to the channel (11 1 ) arranged in the wall of through holes (11 ), with feet vertexes (20) laying against a supporting surface.

Optionally, as presented in figure 4 attached, second flat plates (30) are fastened to feet (20) vertexes (22) through removable fastening means (40), working as supporting means for stacking. The conical frustum shaped feet (20) allow for pallet stacking, where the feet (20) of a first pallet receives through the upper surface of main flat plate (10) the fitting of the feet (20) of the second pallet, and successively.

In a constructive variant, as presented in figure 8 attached, the conical frustum shaped feet (20) present the projection of a contouring collar (21 ) in its base, provided with a central recess (211 ) that allows for the fitting of through hole walls (11 ) and its fastening by thermal- melting.