IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0208453
(2008-09-11)
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등록번호 |
US-8104775
(2012-01-31)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Hadar, Nir
- Feiner, Gideon
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Polymer Logistics (Israel) Ltd.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
4 |
초록
▼
A dolly or pallet equipped with an elastically suspended load-bearing surface so as to responsively move downwards as materials are loaded and move upwards as loads are removed thereby reducing variation in the height of the top of the stack. The elastic suspension elements are connected to suspensi
A dolly or pallet equipped with an elastically suspended load-bearing surface so as to responsively move downwards as materials are loaded and move upwards as loads are removed thereby reducing variation in the height of the top of the stack. The elastic suspension elements are connected to suspension support structures configured to fold into a compact folded position to facilitate storage and return transport and to unfold into a fully erected position at the time of use.
대표청구항
▼
1. A non-enclosed load-bearing structure for handling materials comprising: (a) a base structure,(b) a suspension support arrangement connected to said base structure, said suspension support arrangement being configured to provide a plurality of suspension locations, said suspension support arrange
1. A non-enclosed load-bearing structure for handling materials comprising: (a) a base structure,(b) a suspension support arrangement connected to said base structure, said suspension support arrangement being configured to provide a plurality of suspension locations, said suspension support arrangement being implemented as a folding entity deployable between an upright support-providing position and a folded position,(c) at least one load-bearing surface vertically displaceable relative to said support arrangement, and(d) a suspension arrangement including a plurality of elastic suspension elements, said elastic suspension elements being deployed so as to suspend said at least one load-bearing surface relative to said suspension locations such that, when said load-bearing surface is loaded with a load, said load-bearing surface assumes a lowered position and, when a part of the load is removed, said suspension arrangement raises said load-bearing surface towards a raised position, wherein said base structure, said suspension support arrangement, said at least one load-bearing surface and said suspension arrangement provide a non-enclosed load-bearing structure selected from the group comprising: a dolly; and a pallet. 2. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1 further comprising providing wheels disposed on said base structure so said load-bearing structure operatives as a dolly. 3. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1 further comprising a spacer arrangement fixedly attached to said base structure so said load-bearing structure operates as a pallet. 4. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1, wherein said suspension support arrangement is implemented as a detachable structure deployed by attachment to said base structure. 5. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1, wherein said folding entity includes at least one pair of folding support structures disposed on opposite sides of said base structure. 6. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pair of folding support structures are implemented outside a rectangle best approximating the usable area of said load-bearing surface so as to provide a maximum amount of said load-bearing surface as usable area. 7. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pair of folding support structures are implemented on the inside of a rectangle best approximating the usable surface of said load-bearing surfaces so as to enable adjacent arrangement of a plurality said load-bearing structures. 8. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pair of folding support structures disposed on opposite sides of said load-bearing structure are positioned so as to fold into non-overlapping folded positions. 9. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pair of folding support structures disposed on opposite sides of said load-bearing structure are positioned opposite each other and hinged so as to fold into non-overlapping folded positions. 10. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5 wherein said pair of folding support structures disposed on opposite sides of said load-bearing structure are positioned opposite each other wherein the pivot arrangement of a first of said folding support structures is disposed higher than the pivot arrangement of a second of said folding support structure so as to enable said pair of folding support structures to fold into an overlapping folded position. 11. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pair of folding support structures and said vertically displaceable, load-bearing surface are implemented so as to enable the folding of support structures while said load-bearing surfaces are in a raised position. 12. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pairs of support structures are implemented so as to extend around at least one corner of said load-bearing structure so as to isolate protruding corners of materials loaded on said load-bearing surface from items in the area surrounding said load-bearing structure. 13. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, further comprising a vertical partition disposed between two of said load-bearing surfaces suspended by said suspension arrangement so as to isolate materials loaded on a first of said load-bearing surfaces from materials loaded on a second of said load bearing surfaces. 14. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pair of support structures includes a stopper arrangement of stopper blocks, each of said stopper blocks being attached to each of said support structures so as to define a fully raised position. 15. The load bearing structures of claim 5, further comprising a connection arrangement including a series of engagement configurations disposed along the length of each of said elastic suspension elements and a complementary configuration is disposed in each of said support structures so that said elastic suspension elements may be selectively connected to said support structures. 16. The load bearing structure of claim 5, further including a connection arrangement including a series of engagement configurations disposed along the height of each of said support structures and a corresponding configuration disposed on each of said elastic suspension elements so that said elastic suspension elements may be selectively connected to said support structures. 17. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 5, wherein said pairs of support structures are implemented as elongated pairs of support structures including a plurality of vertical slots spaced-apart wherein said vertical slots are engaged by pins associated with said load-bearing surfaces so as to maintain a horizontal orientation of said load-bearing surface moving along said vertical slots and to define a fully raised position. 18. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1 wherein said at least one load-bearing surface includes a shelf spanning at least one horizontal dimension of said load-bearing surface. 19. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 18, wherein said shelf further includes said elastic suspension elements disposed such that the lower extremity of each said suspension elements are rigidly fixed to the underside of said shelf at point removed from the edge where said elastic suspension elements emerge from said shelf wherein said point of attachment is greater than the width of said shelf thereby providing elastic elongation along both the horizontal and the vertical lengths of said elastic suspension elements. 20. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1 wherein said at least one load-bearing surface includes catch structures configured to hold an adapted carry structure. 21. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1 wherein said at least one load-bearing surface is implemented as an adapted shelf separate from said load-bearing structure wherein each of two opposing edge surfaces of said adapted shelf possesses a shape complementary to said support structures so as to maintain a horizontal orientation of said adapted shelf while moving vertically along said pair of support structures. 22. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1 wherein said at least one load-bearing surface is implemented as a base of a container separate from said load-bearing structure bearing structure of claim 1, wherein said suspension arrangement further includes an adjustment mechanism disposed in said load-bearing surface, said adjustment mechanism being configured for adjusting an effective length of said elastic suspension elements. 23. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 22, wherein said adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust an effective length of said elastic suspension elements between an operative length wherein said at least one load-bearing surface is elastically biased towards a raised position and an operative length wherein said at least one load-bearing surface assumes said lowered position even in the absence of an applied load. 24. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 22, wherein said adjustment mechanism is configured to simultaneously adjust an effective length of all of said elastic suspension elements. 25. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 22, wherein said adjustment mechanism is configured to simultaneously adjust an effective length of all of said elastic suspension elements substantially equally. 26. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 22, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable drum associated with said at least one load-bearing surface, each of said elastic suspension elements being linked to said drum so that rotation of said drum effects simultaneous adjustment of an effective length of all of said elastic suspension elements. 27. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 26, wherein said adjustment mechanism further includes a handle accessible from an upper surface of said at least one load-bearing surface for manually rotating said drum. 28. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 26, wherein said adjustment mechanism further includes a locking arrangement for locking said drum in at least one position relative to said at least one load-bearing surface. 29. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 26, wherein said adjustment mechanism further includes a ratchet arrangement for allowing rotation of said drum to shorten an effective length of said elastic suspension elements and to inhibit rotation of said drum to lengthen an effective length of said elastic suspension elements. 30. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 29, wherein said adjustment mechanism further includes a ratchet override mechanism selectively operable to release said ratchet arrangement to allow rotation of said drum to lengthen an effective length of said elastic suspension elements. 31. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 1, wherein said plurality of elastic suspension elements includes redundant sets of said elastic suspension elements, said redundant sets being configured so that selective deployment of each of said sets defines a new load-to-displacement profile for said at least one load-bearing surface. 32. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 31, wherein said redundant sets of said elastic suspension elements include a plurality of subsets of said elastic suspension elements, each of said subsets being configured to provide identical load-to-displacement profiles when deployed. 33. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 32, wherein said plurality of subsets of said elastic suspension elements are configured to be concurrently deployable. 34. The non-enclosed load-bearing structure of claim 31, further comprising biasing units associated with each of said redundant sets of elastic suspension elements, said biasing units being configured to retract each of said elastic suspension elements underneath associated at least one load-bearing surface when said elastic suspension elements are in an non-deployed state. 35. The load bearing structure of claim 1, further comprising at least one roller blind for providing a display front, said roller blind being configured to unwind from a roller into an extended position spanning the height between said at least one load-bearing surface and said load-bearing structure as said at least one floor moves upwards and rewinds onto said roller as said at least one load-bearing surface moves downwards. 36. The load bearing structure of claim 1, wherein each of said elastic suspension elements is anchored at an anchoring location associated with said support arrangement in spaced relation to the corresponding one of said suspension locations such that a first portion of said elastic suspension element extends from said anchoring location to said suspension location and a second portion of said elastic suspension element extends from said suspension location to said load-bearing surface, both said first and second portions of said elastic suspension element being tensioned by application of a load to said load-bearing surface. 37. A non-enclosed load-bearing structure for handling materials comprising: (a) a base structure,(b) a suspension support arrangement implemented as a folding structure deployable between an upright support-providing position and a folded position,(c) at least one load bearing-surface vertically displaceable relative to said support arrangement,(d) a suspension arrangement including a plurality of elastic suspension elements, said elastic suspension elements being deployed so as to suspend said at least one load-bearing surface relative to said support arrangement such that, when said load-bearing surface is loaded with a load, said load-bearing surface assumes a lowered position and, when a part of the load is removed, said suspension arrangement raises said load-bearing surface towards a raised position, wherein said base structure, said suspension support arrangement, said at least one load-bearing surface and said suspension arrangement provide a non-enclosed load-bearing structure selected from the group comprising: a dolly; and a pallet.
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