It is part of the present innovation a new constructive solution of the feet made of corrugated board, to be applied particularly to pallets made of corrugated or alveolar plane for moving goods.

Main feature of the current innovation is to provide for the realization of a universal foot for each pallet of the type mentioned, which foot consists of two or more corrugated board central elements, each being constituted by a series of fins bended and closed within a box or container, so that the fins of an element are arranged orthogonally with respect to the fines of the adjacent element, in order to form a compact foot structure which is compact.

In the last decades, the moving, storage and transportation of goods has undergone a remarkable transformation, with the introduction of the benches system of the same goods supported by a pallet and enclosed by appropriate straps or bandages made of polyethylene. This new technique, with the support of appropriate trucks for lifting and moving the pallets themselves, has reduced and optimized moving times, the number of people required for these operations and especially their fatigue and discomfort in arranging the delivery of goods already produced in any manufacturing field.

At the basis of this new technique of moving goods there is of course the adoption of a pallet of support of the goods to be stacked, said pallet having to be equipped with feet which keep lifted the plane thereof and allow the insertion of the fork-lifts of the trucks or lifting means of the bench, for its translation.

According to a consolidated technique, said pallets are made by assembling a series of wooden strips to be fixed with nails to at least two transoms made of wood, to which blocks or prisms made of wood having the function of foot are already fixed.

The widespread use of this technique for packaging goods of any kind, shape and size, as well as of variable weight, has resulted in the production of pallets of each structure and size, in order to allow the formation of benches suitable for all types of goods.

However, the user of the same goods has found himself having to dispose a large quantities of pallets which, because of their dimensional and structural diversity, as well as their overall dimensions and related transport costs, have been result no more recyclable or reusable, nor by the same user or by the original producer. Consequently, the same palette, after a relative single use for the moving of goods, are doomed to overcrowd the landfills, causing a big environmental problem for their disposal.

Moreover, even the production of pallets themselves is an ecological problem, given the large amount of timber which each pallet requires in its preparation and construction, with decreasing of woods and forests and the limitation of the environmental benefits which the presence of their trees provides to the humankind.

Another recurring problem in the use of traditional wooden pallets is given by the difficulty of eliminating moisture impregnating the planks from which they are obtained, with frequent deterioration of the carton packages which normally surround the goods to be moved and with consequent deterioration of the goods themselves.

To overcome these disadvantages, a recent technique has proposed the construction of pallets obtained by moulding of plastic material, which are made complete with plane, ribs and feet.

This technique has effectively overcome the problem of moisture of wood protecting the packages and goods but it has been shown however, is limited since the pallets made of plastic material may be available only in a few dimensions, depending on the dimensions of the creating dye, and thus they meet only a few and particular requirements of good moving, such as pharmaceuticals, but not for the totality of the goods to be handled. Furthermore, even for these plastic pallets, the problem of their disposal which, if anything, is further penalizing always remains

Recently, in particular for moving goods having a weigh not too high, an alternative technique has been proposed consisting of making a pallet with corrugated board plane and feet, which technique, allowing the bending of the pallet which has fulfilled its normal use of moving goods, considerably reduces the overall dimensions thereof and makes convenient its recovery, for the regeneration of the corrugated board and its subsequent use for a similar or different use. The reuse of the fibrous material at the base of the corrugated board allows a considerable reduction in the cutting of trees and thus a significant environmental advantage too, beyond greatly reducing the overall dimensions of warehouses of the goods users and landfills.

This same alternative technique of the board has been, however, shown lacking particularly on the strength of the support feet of the plane, resulting easily yielding in case of impacts or lateral stresses on the plane, but often even for their limited resistance to not so exceptional vertical loads, thus blocking the subsequent introduction of the fork-lifts for the lifting and translation of the plane itself.

For example, it is indicated the French patent N. 2,765,193 of year 1997, according to which a foot or a rib structure with foot made of corrugated board, to be applied to the bottom of the corrugated board plane, presents a conformation with closed surfaces, with ends internally housed by mutual dap joint, where these drawbacks are plain.

Similarly, other solutions of foot made of corrugated board based on the formation of a closed box structure with several vertical walls is proposed for example by the patent N. EP 0860368 of year 1998 or the patent EP N. 1558952 of year 2004 or the patent N. WO2005/090178 of year 2005 too. These and other similar solutions, while consolidating the use of corrugated board pallets, have little affected the overcoming the problems caused by poor carrying capacity of the foot of the pallet, especially in case of side impacts.

Main task of the subject matter of the present innovation is to achieve an universal foot made of corrugated board, to be validly applied to planes, made of corrugated board or alveolar structure, of pallets of any size, assuring the maximum resistance to lateral loads, particularly against impacts or irregular stresses.

Within this task, another important purpose of innovation is to maximize the strength of the foot to vertical loads, allowing using corrugated board pallets even to improve their overall carrying capacity, compared to the carrying capacity of the board pallets of the known type.

Another important purpose of the innovation is to further increase the use of corrugated board pallets, in replacement of those one made of wood and plastic material, in order to increase environmental advantages in the recovery of the board itself and thus to reduce landfill spaces and costs. These and other purposes are actually perfectly achieved by the present innovation, which involves the construction of an universal foot, made of corrugated board, for each pallet with corrugated board plane or alveolar structure, which foot is constituted by two or more corrugated board central elements, each central element being composed up of a plurality of bended fins in order to be housed, in a mutually orthogonal way, within a box which contains and closes them in compact manner.

A better understanding of the foot solution proposed, with the precautions required for its implementation, and a highlight of the achievement of the purposes specified, is hereinafter described and illustrated more in detail, according to an embodiment purely indicative and not limiting, with the aid of n. 6 schematic figures reproduced in n. 2 tables attached in which:

fig. 1 of table 1 is a vertical view of one of the central elements to be used in the implementation of the present invention;

fig. 2 of tale 1 is a top view of the same central element of fig. 1 ;

- fig. 3 of table 1 is a top view, similar to the view of fig. 2, of the same central element of fig. 1 , according to the section plane Ill-Ill;

fig. 4 of table 1 is a top view, similar to the view of fig. 3, the central element being depicted in a partially bent state;

fig. 5 of table 1 is a top view of the central element of fig. 4, as represented in its fully bent state;

fig. 6 of table 2 is a perspective view of a box structure, preferably made of corrugated board, having an inner space suitable to house in a compact way at least one pair of central elements bent as in fig. 5 which are arranged orthogonally each other.

In all the figures, the same parts are represented, or are intended to be represented, by the same reference number.

According to the proposed solution in the various attached figures, a central element (E) is obtained from a strip of corrugated board (10) which, by the interposition of punched cuts (21-22-23-24) with semi cuts (31-32- 33), allows the formation of a plurality of fins (11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18- etc.) which are connected each other and made folding in various ways related to and leaflets, as specified as follow.

In more detail, the corrugated board (10) is constituted by a central part (10a), which may consist of one or more layers of corrugated board, said central part (10a) being enclosed by a cover (10b) and a rear part (10c).

With reference to figs. 1 and 3, a series of three semi cuts (31-32-33) for its whole height (H), equidistant each other, is made on the cover (10b) and the intermediate part (10a) of the corrugated board (10), in order to divide it into four walls or panels (1-2-3-4) of equal length which is therefore equal to 1/4 of the length (L) of the board (10), said panels (1-2- 3-4) being in any case joined together by the rear part (10c).

With reference to figs. 1-2-3, "T" double cuts (21-22-23-24) are obtained on the middle line of each panel (1-2-3-4), which are arranged on both the sides of the length (L) of the board (10) to form, together with the staggered semi cuts (31-32-33), a series of eight fins or folding surfaces (11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18).

These double cuts (21-22-23-24), together with the cover (10b) and central part (10a), also engrave the rear part (10c) of the board (10), but only for about 2/3 of its height (H), leaving intact its middle part, both of the cover (10b) and the rear part (10c) and the central part (10a), as particularly seen in fig. 1.

With reference to fig. 4, it can be noted that the presence of the semi cuts (31-32-33) allows the folding of the board (10) only to its rear part (10c), whereas the presence of the cuts (21-22-23-24) is advantageously used to bend the single fins (11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18) towards their side of cover (10b), in order to shape the corrugated board (10) itself in an accordion surface which, with reference to fig. 5, can be fully packed and compacted to form a rectangular body (10') which represents the central element (E) to be used according to the innovation.

Of course, a central element (E'-E"-etc.) with an equal or different number of fins (11-12-13-etc), having an identical height (I), can be carried out using a board (10) having a length (L) which is multiple of the height (I) of each fin to be made, as well as of fins (11 -12-13-etc), with height (I) different from that one exemplified, can be obtained from the same board (10), arranging a different number of semi cuts (31-32-33-etc.) and double cuts (21-22-23-etc).

With reference to fig. 6, a compact rectangular body (10') or central element (Ε'), identical to the element (E) of fig. 5, presents a width (H) corresponding to the height (H) of the board (10) while its height (I) is equal for example to 1/8 of the length (L) of the strip of the initial board (10). The thickness (S) of the same compact body (10') is therefore equal to the thickness of the board (10) multiplied by the number of coils or fins (11-12-13-etc.) determined by the number of semi cuts (31-32-33) and the number of cuts (21-22-23-24) made on the board (10) itself. The upper surface of bending of the body (10') presents a central recess corresponding to the non-punched stretch of each fin (11-12-13-etc.) bent and intermediate with respect to the punched stretches (21-22-23-24).

The same fig. 6 is completed by the presence of a second compact body (10") or central element (E") and a box package. (40). Said second central element (E") presents a width (H1) which can be equal to or different from the width (H) of the element (Ε'), in relation to the depth (P) of the box (40), where said central elements (H'-H") must be tightly enclosed.

The same second element (E") presents then a different plurality of coils or fins, having to reach a total thickness which is equal to the width (H) of the first element (Ε'), as well as corresponding to the width (I ) of the box (40) itself in which it must be tightly housed.

Of course, in order to achieve said dimensions, the element (E") is made starting from an initial board (10) which has a development in length (L) and height (H) suitable to allow a different and proper number of semi cuts (31-32, etc.). and punched cuts (21-22-etc.) to determine a plurality of fins (11-12-etc.) of a compact body (10") which can contribute with the body (10') to the compact filling of the box (40), for its depth (P), its width (H1) and its height (Γ).

After all, the width (H1), height (Γ) and depth (P) of a box (40) are sized in relation to predictable union of two or more central elements (E'-E' -etc.), then to their compacted size (10'-10"-etc), in order to assure their compact housing within the box (40) itself.

According to a possible application, the fins (11-12-etc.) of each element (E'-E") may be advantageously joined together, for example with glue, in order to guarantee their constant firmness even before the insertion into the box (40).

According to the solution of fig. 6, a box (40) consists of a hollow rectangular body, having opposite closing heads (41) and side shoulders (42-43), on the front and the rear of the box (40), said closure heads (41) being able to be advantageously joined to the walls of the same box (40), for example with glue, after the insertion of the central elements (E'-E"). The same box (40) is then applied, for example with glue, on the lower surface of a corrugated or alveolar board, in order to form, together with other identical boxes (40), the system of feet which hold lifted from the ground said plane and allow the passage of the fork-lift of the moving trucks of the bench of goods loaded on the same plane.

On the basis of what up to now illustratively described and illustrated, it is clear that, through the compact insertion in the box (40) of the central elements (E'-E") and the closure of its heads (41-42-43), the same box (40) assures, in itself, a high resistance against every front or side thrust, both for the plane to which it is applied and therefore also for the bench of goods to be moved, according to one of the purposes specified.

Moreover, the vertical arrangement of the fins (11-12-13-etc.) of the central elements (It's-lt") in the feet (40) also maximizes the resistance to vertical loads on the plane, thus assuring the use of corrugated or alveolar board pallets for goods of relevant weight, according to another of the purposes specified.

Unlike existing wooden or plastic material pallets, the user of the goods received on a pallet made of board, of the type mentioned, can easily bend the same pallet unused in order to reduce it to the minimum overall dimensions and therefore to be able to address it to the collection and recycling of its cellulose fibres, eliminating large storage spaces, and, most of all, reducing the felling of trees or the use of chemicals, in order to produce new pallets, in an optimal ecological management of the moving system of goods, according to another of the purposes specified.

Of course, the constructive solution of the foot (40) can be carried out in other constructive types.

It is possible, for example, in an automated process of implementation thereof, to provide the replacement of the prefabricated box (40) with the formation in line of an element of wrapping and closure of the series of central elements (E'-E"), in order to achieve, however, a closed box element (40) with characteristics identical to those ones described so far. It is possible then, of course, to carry out feet (40) of pallets made of corrugated or alveolar board which are equipped with three or more central elements (E'-E"-etc), placing them perpendicular each other, inside boxes, containers or packages (40) having height (Γ), width (H1) and depth (P) which are referred to the desired number of fins (11-12-13- etc.) of each element (E1-E2-etc.) and their prefixed sizes, in order to assure, in any case, their compact union inside a box or wrapper (40), being clear that a greater number of central elements (E'-E"-etc.) and a greater number of fins (11 -12-13-etc.) for each central element (E'-E"- etc), with a greater surface of support of the foot of the plane, also leads to a growing resistance of the bench to vertical and transversal loads.