The present invention relates to a device for carrying a load, which is intended particularly, though not exclusively, for use with a forklift truck provided with a roller fork, or any other form of a lifting device. It is known of a roller fork, such as known inter alia from the international patent application WO-A-02/100.760, that it can have a tapering outer end. Boxes, bags of particulate material and so on are normally placed on known devices and remain on the known devices during transport of these boxes and/or bags etc. Such devices are also known for instance as pallets. These have a fixed height and, because of the strength and rigidity thereof, have been accepted without problem in the past. Also accepted however has been the amount of space taken up by such pallets during use, while during transport or storage this space has thus been taken up in wasteful manner by the pallets . A device is known from WO-A-03/082.688 which can function as pallet. This has a base or support and a carrier and a connection between the base and the carrier. The connection is formed by foldable elements which should remain in an erect position once they have been placed in the erect position. Advantage is gained during transport of the pallets in a collapsed state to the location of first use. Such known devices do not save space during transport thereof with a load thereon, i.e. from the first location of use.

EP-A-O .515.578 similarly relates to a device which can also function as pallet, with unfolding legs which can be

deemed a base. The construction is comparable to that of a folding table.

The known devices, such as pallets, share the drawback that no space can be saved therewith, at least not during use with a load thereon during transport from the location of first use. In other words, once the known devices have been erected it is the intention that they remain erected, at least in the case of the disclosure according to WO-A- 03/082.688. Erection of the devices known herefrom takes place manually or with means other than an external insertion element, such as the forks of forklift trucks. In a device according to EP-A-O .515.878 it is not possible at all in a collapsed state thereof to insert forks in a thus formed pallet, whereby use is necessarily associated with an erected state of the device to enable forks of forklift trucks to be inserted at a later stage in or under such devices or pallets. During transport with a load thereon, the devices known from this publication will therefore always have to be folded-out or erected, and will therefore take up almost as much space as or more space than the conventional pallets without possibilities of movement of the carrier and the base relative to each other.

The present invention has for its object to obviate the above stated drawbacks of the prior art, for which purpose a device is provided as according to the independent claim 1.

With a device (or pallet) according to the present invention space can be saved during transport with a load on the device, and the minimal insertion openings can be enlarged by placing therein the tips of insertion elements, such as the forks of forklift trucks. Such forks can thus find a path into and under the devices according to the present invention. Space is therefore saved during transport with a load thereon, and also during transport of such

pallets to a location of first use where the load is placed on the devices.

The distance can thus be reduced to a minimum in set-down position of the device, while this device can as it were be folded open to provide access for parts or components forming part of a lifting device, such as the forks of a forklift truck. It is in any case thus ensured that an effective engagement of the deyice is possible with the forks, while it is also achieved that the device takes up the least possible space during transport.

In a preferred embodiment the coupling can define at least one of a minimum distance and a maximum distance between the base and the carrier. In practice, though not exclusively, the coupling will define both the minimum and the maximum distance. It is important however to ensure that in principle the assembly of the base, carrier and connection therebetween retains at all times a desired structural integrity to be able to fulfil the function of carrying a load, both during transport and during manipulation with a lifting device such as a forklift truck. The minimum distance between the base and the carrier preferably corresponds to the thickness of a part of a lifting device, such as a fork of a forklift truck, which can herein have a tapering form, so that the minimum distance can be minimized still further. This ensures that an opening of a device is available for the forks of a forklift truck, but that in other manner it is also possible according to the present invention to make space (temporarily) for engaging means, as alternative to forks, of a load-displacing lifting device. In an alternative preferred embodiment, which can also be an addition, the carrier has a substantially flat upper surface. A very stable surface can thus be provided for the boxes and/or bags of which the load consists.

Additionally or alternatively, the base can further comprise a plate-like element. Above all however the base must provide a stable contact with a ground surface when the device with a load for carrying thereon is set down by a lifting device on a ground surface. The base can however also comprise a number of supports, and an embodiment of a coupling according to the present invention can be realized therein. It is the main intention that the device, on the ground or in stacked situation and having the minimal opening or distance between the base and the carrier, can be engaged by a component or part of the lifting device. In an embodiment with a plate-like element as base, the plate-like base can comprise at least at one of the couplings a protrusion extending toward the carrier. A space can thus already be provided along the protrusions and between the base and the carrier for the purpose of inserting for instance the forks of a forklift truck. It is further possible for another coupling with a variable length or variable distance between the base and the carrier to be then arranged at the protrusions so that it is possible to provide passages between the base and the carrier which can be made large enough, as a result of the coupling with the variable distance between the base and the carrier, for receiving therein forks or other engaging means of diverse thickness. Alternatively or additionally, the coupling can further comprise a pivotable assembly. Various options can be envisaged herefor, wherein for instance connecting shafts can be used or a stack of hingedly connected plates comparable to mouse steps. In an exemplary embodiment with a shaft in the assembly, the shaft is preferably provided on one side with a pin-hole connection, the hole of which is elongate, and on the other side with a hinge or hinge connection. A variable distance between the base and the carrier can thus be

realized by sliding the pin in the elongate hole, which also imposes a boundary or limitation on this distance on the device as a result of the length of the shaft.

In yet another preferred embodiment the coupling can comprise a locking for the purpose of fixing, possibly only temporarily, a position of the base and the carrier relative to each other once this position has been taken up. It is thus possible to ensure that the forks of a forklift truck or any other engaging member of a lifting device can be inserted with certainty into the space between the base and the carrier with the locking in a fixing position. Only in a stacked or set-down situation of the device can the locking then be released or actively rendered inoperative so as to thus bring about the minimum thickness of the device, and to maximize the amount of space available for transport in for instance a truck in respect of and relative to the load for transporting.

Shown in the accompanying figures by way of non- limitative options are possible embodiments of a device according to the present invention. In these figures the same or similar parts, components and functional assemblies are designated with the same reference numerals, and in the drawing: figure 1 shows a perspective view of a stack of boxes or similar loads on devices according to the present invention in the form of pallets 1, in use together with a lifting device; figure 2 is a perspective top view of the pallet of fig. 1; figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the pallet according to fig. 2; figure 4 shows a perspective bottom view along arrow IV in fig. 2;

figure 5 is a perspective view of a pallet 1 with a load thereon in a situation lifted by a lifting device; figure 6 is a side view of a pallet 1 substantially along arrow VI in fig. 5; figure 7 is a side view of a pallet 1 substantially along arrow VII in fig. 5; figure 8 and figure 9 show respectively a perspective view and a side view of an alternative embodiment of a device according to the present invention; and figure 10 and figure 11 show respectively a perspective view and a side view of yet another alternative embodiment of a device according to the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a lifting device in the form of a forklift truck 2. Forklift truck 2 is equipped with roller forks 3 for taking up and setting down or stacking loads for transporting, which are carried by a pallet 1 as possible embodiment of a device according to the present invention. In stacked situation of pallets 1 each with a load 4 thereon the thickness of pallets 1 is minimized. On the other hand, pallets 1 still provide, even in the thus stacked situation, a sufficient opening for roller forks 3 of forklift truck 2 to continue to make possible picking up of a pallet 1 with a load 4 for transporting thereon. This will be further described below. Figures 2, 3 and 4 show a possible embodiment in various views of a device according to the present invention in the form of a pallet 1. The pallet 1 shown in fig. 2 comprises a carrier 7 and a base 8. Base 8 is shown more clearly in exploded view in fig. 3, and base 8 is also readily visible in the bottom view of fig. 4. It can be seen that base 8 comprises a number of protrusions or elevations 9. In the position of rest, i.e. in the position in which a load 4 is

situated on pallet 1, carrier 2 lies on and against these elevations 9.

Elevations 9 have a height such that openings 5 are formed between carrier 7 and base 8, into which openings the tip of a fork 3, particularly a roller fork, of a forklift truck 2 can just be inserted. This height can therefore be smaller than the normal thickness of such a fork, particularly when fork 3 has a tapering outer end.

Carrier 7 and base 8 are connected movably to each other by connecting elements 6 which form couplings and which in the exemplary embodiment drawn here consist of a shank 11 with a flange 12 on either side. Connecting elements 6 protrude through openings 10 formed in carrier 7 and base 8. In base 8 the openings 10 are situated at the position of elevations 9. The flanges 12 on either end of connecting elements 6 engage respectively under base 8 and above carrier 7. Owing to these connecting elements 6 the carrier 7 and base 8 can move relative to each other over a limited distance, the height of shank 11. As noted, the load 4 for transporting is accommodated on carrier 7. Pallet 1 can itself in turn be placed on a load 4, as also shown in fig. 1 and in fig. 7, in order to stack a number of loaded pallets 1 onto each other with interposing of the loads 4 to be transported. When pallet 1 with load 4 must be picked up, as shown in fig. 5 and in fig. 6, fork 3 of forklift truck 2 is placed in openings 5. The fork 3 itself can be provided with a layer of material with a low coefficient of friction when in contact with a material of pallet 1, such as a teflon covering. Conversely, and this is recommended, a fork 3 used for this purpose is a so-called roller fork as mentioned above. The fork is pressed into openings 5 and, due to the wedging action of the tip, carrier 7 will move upward relative to

base 8 (fig. 6) over a distance such that the whole thickness of fork 3 can be received between base 8 and carrier 7.

Pallet 1 with load 4 thereon can then be transported by the forklift truck. Base 8 herein hangs from carrier 7 by means of connecting elements 6, and carrier 7 in turn hangs on forks 3 (see fig. 5) .

Having arrived at its destination, pallet 1 is set down by the fork, wherein base 8 is placed on the ground or on a load 4 on another pallet 1. Fork 3 is then withdrawn from between base 8 and carrier 7, wherein carrier 7 drops back onto elevations 9 in base 8.

During further transport of pallets 1 with load 4, for instance using a truck or the like, pallet 1 according to the invention thus takes up only a very limited space. The above mentioned roller fork 3 in combination with this pallet 1 according to the invention has the great advantage that the relevant forks 3 can be pushed easily between base 8 and carrier 7 because the rollers of roller fork 3 move on either side with a rolling contact along the bottom side of carrier 7 and the top side of base 8.

It will be apparent that the placing of protrusions or elevations 9, the width of openings 5 and all such dimensions can be chosen in suitable manner in accordance with the intended application. The material of the pallet according to the invention can be for instance a suitable plastic, wherein in the choice of the specific material account can be taken of an optionally desired low coefficient of friction relative to steel, for instance of forks 3. Other materials such as pressed wood fibre, cardboard or the like can also be envisaged.

Fig. 8 and fig. 9 show another alternative embodiment of a device according to the present invention in the form of

pallet 13. Fig. 8 shows a perspective view and fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional view along the arrows IX-IX in fig. 8. In the embodiment shown here pallet 13 comprises a coupling between carrier 7 and base 8 in the form of a pin or shaft 14. Shaft 14 is connected by means of a hinge 15 to carrier 7 and an outer end 16 of shaft 14 located opposite hinge 15 is bent and protrudes into a slotted hole 17. It is thus possible for shaft 14 to be folded downward, whereby the position of carrier 7 shown with broken lines in fig. 9 can be brought about. It will be apparent that on the sides of pallet 13 shown in fig. 9 minimal openings 5 are available for the forks of a forklift truck, but that the height of pallet 13 in this situation with a folded-down carrier 7 is minimal and pallet 13 thus takes up as little space as possible. Sufficient space can however be created to insert the forks 3 of a forklift truck 2, wherein these latter can be provided in particularly favourable manner with a tapering outer end, such as shown for instance in detail in fig. 6 and indicated therein with reference numeral 18. Fig. 10 and 11 further show yet another embodiment of a device according to the present invention in the form of a pallet 18. This embodiment is manufactured from carton boards and board parts as will be described below.

Fig. 10 and 11 thus show a very inexpensive and easily manufactured embodiment of a device according to the present invention. Carrier 7 is a flat carton board, as is base 8. Carton board parts 19 are stacked at the corners of pallet 18 and are connected to carrier 7 and base 8 in the form of carton boards by means of adhesive tape 20, which is arranged in the manner shown particularly in fig. 11.

Fig. 11 shows a view corresponding particularly with fig. 6 of pallet 18 in a situation of use, wherein on the right- hand side in fig. 1 a fork 3 (not shown) of a forklift truck

2 is placed between carrier 7 and base 8 so that a greater distance is created therebetween. Space is thus created for insertion of the fork 3 (not shown here) , while pallet 18 still rests on the left-hand side on a load 4 positioned thereunder.

It will be apparent that many additional and alternative embodiments will occur to the skilled person after perusal of the foregoing description of several possible configurations within the scope of the present invention. All these alternative and additional embodiments must also be deemed as lying within the scope of the present invention, unless these additional and alternative embodiment depart from the definition according to the appended claims or from the spirit thereof. It is thus possible for the base and the carrier to be designed in suitable manner such that empty pallets 1 of the present type are nestable, so that they also take up very little space when transported empty. Another possibility is to make the carrier and the base of the pallet slidable relative to each other over a limited distance, wherein in the one sliding position the base and the carrier lie flat on each other and in the other sliding position the required intermediate spaces are defined for insertion of the forks of a forklift truck.

Connecting elements 6 can be embodied in any desired manner and serve only to hold together the carrier and the base. This is also shown from a comparison between the embodiments of figures 3 and 9, and figure 11. The connecting elements, or more generally couplings, can for instance also be realized by protrusions on the one plate which drop into recesses in the other plate.

All these variants are deemed to fall within the scope of the invention.