초록 ▼

A pallet for transporting and/or storing goods, wherein the pallet includes a body and protective elements removably coupled to the body to prevent damage to the body. In one form, the protective elements are coupled to the body by releasable coupling means to facilitate removal of the protective el

A pallet for transporting and/or storing goods, wherein the pallet includes a body and protective elements removably coupled to the body to prevent damage to the body. In one form, the protective elements are coupled to the body by releasable coupling means to facilitate removal of the protective elements and replacement of the protective elements with other, like, protective elements. The body may have openings for receiving a fork of a lifting device to allow lifting of the pallet by the lifting device, and the protective elements may be located at specific locations of the body to abut the lifting device during insertion of the fork in the openings and/or lifting of the pallet by the lifting device.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A pallet for transporting and/or storing goods, the pallet comprising: a body and a plurality of protective elements removably coupled to the body to prevent damage to the body,the protective elements being fitted and coupled to the body by a releasable coupling to facilitate removal of the prote

1. A pallet for transporting and/or storing goods, the pallet comprising: a body and a plurality of protective elements removably coupled to the body to prevent damage to the body,the protective elements being fitted and coupled to the body by a releasable coupling to facilitate removal of the protective elements and replacement of damaged protective elements with fresh protective elements,the body having openings for receiving a fork of a lifting device to allow lifting of the pallet by the lifting device,the protective elements being arranged on the body to abut the lifting device during insertion of the fork in the openings and/or lifting of the pallet by the lifting device,a separate one of the protective elements being located with each separate opening,said releasable coupling being provided by resilience in each protective element in combination with the protective element being in the form of an elongated member having a cross-section adapted to enable the protective element to be resiliently clipped onto the body by pushing the element onto the body, said resilience allowing elastic deformation of the element during pushing of the element onto the body whereby the element interlocks with the body, andthe body being recessed at locations where the protective elements are coupled thereby accommodating the thickness of the protective elements such that the protective elements fit substantially flush with a surrounding surface of the pallet to thereby minimize protrusion of the elements beyond existing extremities of the body such that removal of each protective element from the body requires slitting the protective element along its length to thereby release tension in the protective element and thus release compressive attachment forces with respect to the pallet body. 2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each protective element is in the form of an elongated member having a constant cross-section along the length of the elongated member. 3. A pallet as claimed in claim 2, wherein each protective element has a C-shaped cross-section. 4. A pallet as claimed in claim 2, wherein each protective element is in the form of a straight bar. 5. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each protective element has a rounded profile to deflect tine tips of the fork of the lifting device into the respective opening. 6. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, whereby the releasable coupling in the form of resilience in each protective element allows the element to be installed on the body in a fully automated repair setup by pushing the element laterally onto the body. 7. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective elements are arranged on the body to abut the lifting device when the fork is fully inserted in the openings. 8. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the protective elements is located above the respective opening. 9. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilience in the protective elements is overcome in both coupling and decoupling the protective elements to/from the body. 10. A pallet as claimed in claim 9, wherein the releasable coupling is provided by the protective elements being resiliently deformable, and the protective elements are deformed in both coupling and decoupling the protective elements to/from the body. 11. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pallet has two openings along each edge to allow insertion of the fork into any edge of the pallet. 12. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pallet is generally rectangular. 13. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is made of high impact composite. 14. A pallet as claimed in claim 13, wherein the body is made of reinforced thermoplastic, and the protective elements are made of metal or high impact thermoplastic. 15. A pallet as claimed in claim 13, wherein the body and the protective elements are made of the same thermoplastic, e.g. PET, PP, HDPE or similar. 16. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the protective elements has interlocking formations which interlock with corresponding interlocking formations of the body. 17. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is in the form of an assembly including a lower portion and an upper portion. 18. A pallet as claimed in claim 17, wherein the lower portion and upper portion are assembled once and remain assembled until recycling at the end of the life of the pallet. 19. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the protective elements are engaged to the body by hydraulic force whereby said protective elements are pressed in the horizontal plane of the pallet onto the body. 20. A pallet for transporting and/or storing goods, the pallet comprising: a body and a plurality of protective elements removably coupled to the body to prevent damage to the body,the protective elements being fitted and coupled to the body by a releasable coupling to facilitate removal of the protective elements and replacement of damaged protective elements with fresh protective elements,the body having openings for receiving a fork of a lifting device to allow lifting of the pallet by the lifting device,the protective elements being arranged on the body to abut the lifting device during insertion of the fork in the openings and/or lifting of the pallet by the lifting device,a separate one of the protective elements being located with each separate opening,said releasable coupling being provided by resilience in each protective element in combination with the protective element being in the form of an elongated member having a cross-section adapted to enable the protective element to be resiliently clipped onto the body by pushing the element onto the body, said resilience allowing elastic deformation of the element during pushing of the element onto the body whereby the element interlocks with the body, andthe body being recessed at locations where the protective elements are coupled thereby accommodating the thickness of the protective elements such that the protective elements fit substantially flush with a surrounding surface of the pallet to thereby minimize protrusion of the elements beyond existing extremities of the body. 21. A method of using a pallet as defined in claim 1, including: fitting the pallet with resilient protective elements in the form of replaceable bumpers by pressing the protective elements onto the pallet in a resilient clip-fit;using the pallet to transport and/or store goods;automatically electronically scanning the condition of the bumpers to determine whether each of the bumpers is ready to be replaced; andfor each of the bumpers deemed ready to be replaced, automatically removing the bumper by slitting the bumper along its length to release tension in the bumper thereby releasing compressive attachment forces and fitting a replacement bumper in its place onto the pallet by pressing the replacement bumper into a resilient clip-fit engagement with the pallet.