PALLET

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]The present disclosure relates to a pallet.

BACKGROUND

[0002]Pallets used by forklifts for moving articles or the like are known. Patent Document 1 describes a pallet in which a plurality of girders is arranged between a front surface portion and a back surface portion to connect the front surface portion and the back surface portion. #-shaped fork insertion holes are defined between adjacent girders. Furthermore, grid-shaped crosspieces are formed above the portions where the fork insertion holes intersect vertically and horizontally.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

Patent Documents

SUMMARY

Technical Problem

[0004]However, when a fork is inserted into a fork insertion hole, a front end of the fork may tilt upwards. When the front end of the fork tilts upwards, claws formed at the front end of the fork may be caught on the grid-shaped crosspieces in the fork insertion hole. As a result, the durability of the pallet may be reduced.

Solution to Problem

[0005]In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a pallet including: a top deck portion having a rectangular shape in a plan view; a bottom deck portion having a rectangular shape in the plan view and arranged to be spaced apart from the top deck portion in an up down direction; and a plurality of girder portions connecting the top deck portion and the bottom deck portion, two first fork insertion holes which extend in a first direction and along a side of the top deck portion and the bottom deck portion are formed between the plurality of girder portions, the top deck portion comprises upper ribs over the two first fork insertion holes, and configured for connecting the plurality of girder portions, the upper ribs includes first upper ribs extending in the first direction, the top deck portion at an intermediate position of the first fork insertion holes in the first direction is not formed with the upper ribs and comprises openings penetrating in the up down direction, and end portions of the first upper ribs at sides adjacent to the openings are formed with inclined portions which are inclined upward from a lower surface side of the top deck portion toward the openings of the top deck portion.

[0006]The top deck portion of the pallet is formed with upper ribs over the first fork insertion holes for connecting the girder portions and openings penetrating in the vertical direction. When inserting a fork into the fork insertion hole, when the front end of the fork tilts upward, the claws of the fork may enter the openings. As a result, the claws of the fork may catch on the upper ribs on the inner side of the openings and press the upper rib.

[0007]In this aspect, the first upper ribs extending in the first direction, which is the direction in which the first fork insertion holes extend, are formed with inclined portions at end portions at sides adjacent to the openings, the inclined portions are inclined upward from the lower surface side of the top deck portion toward the openings. Therefore, when inserting the fork into the first fork insertion holes, the front end of the fork is easily guided downward along the inclined portions. Even if the front end of the fork tilts upward, catching on the end portions of the first upper ribs is suppressed. The durability of the pallet is improved.

[0008]In the above configuration, it is preferable that a dimension in the up down direction of the inclined portion is at least half of a dimension in the up down direction of the first upper rib where the inclined portion is formed. According to the above configuration, the fork is more easily guided downward along the inclined portion. The durability of the pallet is further improved.

[0009]In the above configuration, it is preferable that the plurality of girder portions comprises corner girders respectively connecting corner portions of the top deck portion and corner portions of the bottom deck portion, intermediate girders respectively connecting intermediate portions of sides of the top deck portion and intermediate portions of sides of the bottom deck portion, and a central girder connecting a central portion of the top deck portion and a central portion of the bottom deck portion, the bottom deck portion comprises corner girder lower portions located below the corner girders, intermediate girder lower portions located below the intermediate girders, a central girder lower portion located below the central girder, lower outer connecting crosspiece portions connecting the corner girder lower portions and the intermediate girder lower portions, and lower inner connecting crosspiece portions connecting the intermediate girder lower portions and the central girder lower portion, two second fork insertion holes extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction are formed between the girder portions, the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions are formed in the first fork insertion holes, and the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions are not formed in the second fork insertion holes.

[0010]According to the above configuration, since the first fork insertion holes and the second fork insertion holes intersecting each other are formed, the convenience of the pallet is improved. Further, since the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions are not formed in the second fork insertion holes, insertion of a large fork is possible. On the other hand, since the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions are formed in the first fork insertion holes, the strength of the pallet is improved. Both strength and convenience can be achieved.

[0011]In the above configuration, it is preferable that the openings are formed in portions of the bottom deck portion where the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions are formed. According to the above configuration, the pallet can be easily integrally molded by injection molding.

[0012]In the above configuration, it is preferable that the top deck portion comprises corner girder upper portions located over the corner girders, intermediate girder upper portions located over the intermediate girders, a central girder upper portion located over the central girder, upper outer connecting crosspiece portions connecting the corner girder upper portions and the intermediate girder upper portions, and upper inner connecting crosspiece portions connecting the intermediate girder upper portions and the central girder upper portion, and end portions of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions and the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions in the second fork insertion holes at sides adjacent to the first fork insertion holes are formed with inclined surfaces which are inclined upward from the lower surface of the top deck portion toward the first fork insertion holes.

[0013]According to the above configuration, when inserting the fork into the second fork insertion holes, catching of the tip of the fork on the end portions of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions and the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions is suppressed. Further, the tip of the fork is easily guided downward along the inclined surfaces. The durability of the pallet is improved.

[0014]In the above configuration, it is preferable that the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions are formed with protrusions projecting upward from an upper surface of the top deck portion and extending upward along the sides of the top deck portion,, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs are provided on the outsides of the protrusions and on the inner sides of the outer edges of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions.

[0015]According to the above configuration, when an article is placed on the upper surface of the top deck portion, movement of the article is restricted by the protrusions. Displacement of the article placed on the pallet can be suppressed. Further, when a plurality of pallets is stacked, displacement of the pallets relative to each other can be suppressed. The strength of the protrusions is improved by the reinforcing ribs formed on the outside of the protrusions. Displacement of articles and displacement of pallets relative to each other can be suitably suppressed.

[0016]In the above configuration, it is preferable that the first upper ribs are multiple, and among the multiple first upper ribs which are formed over one of the two first fork insertion holes which extend in parallel, an interval between adjacent first upper ribs at a side farther from the other first fork insertion hole is narrower than an interval between the adjacent first upper ribs at a side closer to the other first fork insertion hole.

[0017]When two fork insertion holes are arranged side by side, a load is more likely to be applied to the portion located on the outer side than the portion located on the inner side of the pallet above the fork insertion holes. According to the above configuration, in the plurality of first upper ribs formed above the first fork insertion holes, the interval between adjacent first upper ribs in the portion located outside the pallet is narrower than the interval between the adjacent first upper ribs in the portion located inside. Since the first upper ribs are formed more densely in the portion located on the outer side of the pallet, the strength in the portion located on the outer side is improved.

[0018]In the above configuration, it is preferable that a dimension in the up down direction of the top deck portion at the first fork insertion holes is different to a dimension in the up down direction of the top deck portion at the second fork insertion holes. According to the above configuration, the weight of the pallet can be reduced, and the strength can be improved to suppress deformation.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0019]According to the present disclosure, catching of the fork on the internal structure of the fork insertion holes of the pallet is suppressed, and the durability of the pallet is improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a pallet according to an embodiment according to the present disclosure, viewed from above.

[0021]FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the pallet, viewed from below.

[0022]FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional perspective view of the pallet, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

[0023]FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of a top deck portion of the pallet.

[0024]FIG. 5 illustrates a partially enlarged bottom view of the pallet.

[0025]FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional perspective view of the pallet, taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1.

[0026]FIG. 7 illustrates a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the pallet, taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1.

[0027]FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pallet, taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 1.

[0028]FIG. 9 illustrate a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the pallet, taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 1.

[0029]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of protrusions of the pallet.

[0030]FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of a bottom deck portion of the pallet, viewed from below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031]A pallet P which is an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The pallet P of the present embodiment is an integrally formed pallet made of synthetic resin. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pallet P includes a top deck portion 10 and a bottom deck portion 30, each of which appears a square shape in a plan view, and a plurality of girder portions 50. The bottom deck portion 30 is arranged to be spaced apart from the top deck portion 10 in an upper and down direction. The girder portions 50 connect the top deck portion 10 and the bottom deck portion 30. Hereinafter, the upper and down direction of the pallet P is defined in the state where the bottom deck portion 30 is facing downwards. Additionally, a direction along one side of the pallet P is defined as a first direction, and a direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction.

[0032]A plurality of fork insertion holes 60 is formed between the top deck portion 10 and the bottom deck portion 30 and between the girder portions 50. The pallet P of the present embodiment is a four-way pallet which includes four fork insertion holes 60. The four fork insertion holes include two first fork insertion holes 61 extending in the first direction and two second fork insertion holes 62 extending in the second direction. The two first fork insertion holes 61 extend parallel to each other. The two second fork insertion holes 62 extend parallel to each other.

Regarding the Girder Portions 50

[0033]As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the girder portions 50 include four corner girders 51, four intermediate girders 52, and one central girder 53. The corner girders 51 connect each corner of the upper deck portion 10 and each corner of the lower deck portion 30, respectively. The intermediate girders 52 connect a middle portion of each side of the top deck portion 10 and a middle portion of each side of the bottom deck portion 30, respectively. The central girder 53 connects a central portion of the top deck portion 10 and a central portion of the bottom deck portion 30.

[0034]The corner girder 51 is a cylindrical body surrounded by a first inner wall 51a extending in the first direction, a first outer wall 51c extending in the first direction, a second inner wall 51b extending in the second direction and a second outer wall 51d extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 51e is formed in an internal space of the corner girder 51 for reinforcement.

[0035]The intermediate girder 52 is a cylindrical body surrounded by two first side walls 52a extending in the first direction and two second side walls 52b extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 52c is formed in an internal space of the intermediate girder 52 for reinforcement.

[0036]The central girder 53 is a cylindrical body surrounded by two first side walls 53a extending in the first direction and two second side walls 53b extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 53c is formed in an internal space of the central girder 53 for reinforcement.

[0037]According to the two corner girders 51 and the intermediate girder 52 arranged in the first direction, the first inner wall 51a of each corner girder 51 and the first side wall 52a at an inner side of the intermediate girder 52 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the first direction. Additionally, the first outer wall 51c of each corner girder 51 and the first side wall 52a at an outer side of the intermediate girder 52 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the first direction and configured along an outer edge of the pallet P. According to the two intermediate girders 52 and the central girder 53 arranged in the first direction, the first side wall 52a of each intermediate girder 52 and the first side wall 53a of the central girder 53 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the first direction.

[0038]According to the two corner girders 51 and the intermediate girder 52 arranged in the second direction, the second inner wall 51b of each corner girder 51 and the second side wall 52b inside the intermediate girder 52 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the second direction. Additionally, the second outer wall 51d of each corner girder 51 and the second side wall 52b of the outer side of the intermediate girder 52 are located on a same imaginary straight line extending in the second direction and along the outer edge of the pallet P. According to the two intermediate girders 52 and the central girder 53 arranged in the second direction, the second side wall 52b of each intermediate girder 52 and the second side wall 53b of the central girder 53 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the second direction.

Regarding the Top Deck Portion 10

[0039]As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the top deck portion 10 includes four corner girder upper portions 11, four intermediate girder upper portions 12, one central girder upper portion 13, eight upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14, four upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15, and four upper intersecting crosspiece portions 16.

[0040]As shown in FIG. 4, the corner girder upper portions 11 are located at four corners of the pallet P and over the corner girders 51, respectively. The corner girder upper portion 11 is a cylindrical body surrounded by a first inner wall 11a extending in the first direction, a first outer wall 11c extending in the first direction, a second inner wall 11b extending in the second direction, and a second outer wall 11d extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 11e is formed in an internal space of the corner girder upper portion 11 for reinforcement.

[0041]The first inner wall 11a, the first outer wall 11c, the second inner wall 11b, and the second outer wall 11d of the corner girder upper portion 11 are integrally formed with and are flush with the first inner wall 51a, the first outer wall 51c, the second inner wall 51b, and the second outer wall 51d of the corner girder 51, respectively.

[0042]The intermediate girder upper portion 12 is located at an intermediate portion of each side of the pallet P and located over the intermediate girder 52. The intermediate girder upper portion 12 is a cylindrical body surrounded by two first side walls 12a extending in the first direction and two second side walls 12b extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 12c is formed in an internal space of the intermediate girder upper portion 12 for reinforcement.

[0043]The first side walls 12a and the second side walls 12b of the intermediate girder upper portion 12 are integrally formed with and are flush with the first side walls 52a and the second side walls 52b of the intermediate girder 52, respectively. The central girder upper portion 13 is a central portion of the pallet P and located above the central girder 53. The central girder upper portion 13 is a cylindrical body surrounded by two first side walls 13a extending in the first direction and two second side walls 13b extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 13c is formed in an internal space of the central girder upper portion 13 for reinforcement.

[0044]The first side walls 13a and the second side walls 13b of the central girder upper portion 13 are integrally formed with and are flush with the first side walls 53a and the second side walls 53b of the central girder 53, respectively. For the above reason, similar to the positional relationship of the girder portions 50, according to the two corner girder upper portions 11 and the intermediate girder upper portion 12 arranged in the first direction, the first inner wall 11a of each corner girder upper portion 11 and the first side wall 12a of the inner side of the intermediate girder upper portion 12 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the first direction. Additionally, according to the two intermediate girder upper portions 12 and the central girder upper portion 13 arranged in the first direction, the first side wall 12a of each intermediate girder upper portion 12 and the first side wall 13a of the central girder upper portion 13 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the first direction.

[0045]According to the two corner girder upper portions 11 and the intermediate girder upper portion 12 arranged in the second direction, the second inner wall 11b of each corner girder upper portion 11 and the second side wall 12b of the inner side of the intermediate girder upper portion 12 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the second direction. Additionally, according to the two intermediate girder upper portions 12 and the central girder upper portion 13 arranged in the second direction, the second side wall 12b of each intermediate girder upper portion 12 and the second side wall 13b of the central girder upper portion 13 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the second direction.

[0046]As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 connect the corner girder upper portions 11 and the intermediate girder upper portions 12. The upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 connect the intermediate girder upper portions 12 and the central girder upper portion 13. The upper intersecting crosspiece portions 16 are located over portions where the fork insertion holes 61 and the fork insertion holes 62 intersect.

[0047]As shown in FIG. 4, in the top deck portion 10, a plurality of upper ribs 20 is formed at positions where the first fork insertion holes 61 and the second fork insertion holes 62 are formed. The upper ribs 20 include first upper ribs 21 extending in the first direction and second upper ribs 22 extending in the second direction. The upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14, the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15, and the upper intersecting crosspiece portions 16 are configured by the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22.

[0048]As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 8, the first upper ribs 21 are formed at boundary portions between the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and the upper crossing crosspiece portions 16 which are arranged in the second direction. The first upper ribs 21 are integrally formed on the same straight line with the first inner wall 11a of the corner girder upper portion 11 extending in the first direction and the first side wall 12a of the intermediate girder upper portion 12. Therefore, according to the corner girder upper portion 11 and the intermediate girder upper portion 12 arranged in the first direction, the first inner wall 11a and the first side wall 12a function as the first upper ribs 21.

[0049]Further, the first upper ribs 21 are formed at boundary portions between the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 and the upper intersecting crosspiece portions 16 arranged in the second direction. The first upper ribs 21 are integrally formed along the same straight line with the first side wall 12a of the intermediate girder upper portion 12 extending in the first direction and the first side wall 13a of the central girder upper portion 13. Therefore, according to the intermediate girder upper portion 12 and the central girder upper portion 13 arranged in the first direction, the first side wall 12a and the first side wall 13a function as the first upper ribs 21.

[0050]As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the pallet P of the present embodiment, three first upper ribs 21 are provided over the first fork insertion hole 61 between the first inner wall 11a of the corner girder upper portions 11 and the first side wall 12a of the intermediate girder upper portions 12 which are arranged in the second direction. Further, another first upper rib 21 located along the same straight line with the first inner wall 11a of the corner girder upper portions 11 and the first side wall 12a of the intermediate girder upper portions 12 is formed at a boundary portion between the upper outer connecting crosspiece portion 14 and the upper crossing crosspiece portion 16 which are arranged in the second direction. Furthermore, another first upper rib 21 located along the same straight line with the first side wall 12a of the intermediate girder upper portions 12 and the first side wall 13a of the central girder upper portion 13 is formed a boundary portion between the upper inner connecting crosspiece portion 15 and the upper crossing crosspiece portion 16 which are arranged in the second direction. That is, five first upper ribs 21 are formed in the first fork insertion hole 61 of the pallet P of the present embodiment.

[0051]As shown in FIG. 5, among the intervals between the five first upper ribs 21 in the first fork insertion hole 61, the interval at the outer side of the pallet P is narrower than at the inner side of the pallet P. Specifically, among the five first upper ribs 21 formed in one of the two first fork insertion holes 61, the interval formed at a side farther from the other first fork insertion hole 61 is narrower than that at a side closer to the other first fork insertion hole 61. In the pallet P of the present embodiment, among the four intervals formed among the five first upper ribs 21, the interval at the side closer to the central girder upper portion 13 is the widest, and the other three intervals are equal.

[0052]As shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 8, a dimension in the up down direction of the top deck portion 10 varies depending on portions. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, at positions over the first fork insertion holes 61, the dimension in the up down direction L1 of the top deck portion 10 (the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22) is relatively small. That is, among the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14, upper crossing crosspiece portions 16, and upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 which are arranged in the first direction, the dimension in the up down direction L1 of the top deck portion 10 (the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22) is relatively small.

[0053]On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, among the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 which are arranged in the second direction, the dimension in the up down direction L2 of the top deck portion 10 (the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22) is relatively large.

[0054]In the pallet P of the present embodiment, the dimensions at the up down direction L1 of the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22 are all the same. Further, the dimensions at the up down direction L2 of the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22 are all the same.

[0055]The upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15, whose dimension in the up down direction L1 is relatively large, are formed at positions corresponding to a lower outer connecting crosspiece portion 34 and a lower inner connecting crosspiece portion 35 of the bottom deck portion 30 which will be described later.

[0056]Additionally, the dimensions at the up down direction of the bottom deck portion 30 are all the same. The dimension in the up down direction of the bottom deck portion 30 corresponds to the dimension in the up down direction of first lower ribs 41 and second lower ribs 42 of lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 which will be described later. The dimension in the up down direction L1 of the top deck portion 10 is larger than the dimension in the up down direction of the bottom deck portion 30. This is because the effect of the top deck portion 10 on the bending strength of the pallet P is larger than that of the bottom deck portion 30.

[0057]The dimension in the up down direction L2 of the top deck portion 10 is preferably at least ½ of a thickness of the pallet P, and more preferably at least ⅗. A dimension in the second direction of the first fork insertion holes 61 is smaller than a dimension in the first direction of the second fork insertion holes 62. Therefore, even if the dimension in the up down direction L1 of the top deck portion 10 at positions over the first fork insertion holes 61 is relatively small, a decrease in the strength of the pallet P can be suppressed.

[0058]As shown in FIG. 4, upper openings 17 penetrating in the up down direction are formed in the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 of the top deck portion 10 which are located at intermediate positions of the first fork insertion holes 61 in the first direction. The upper openings 17 are regions where the upper ribs 20 are not formed. Portions of the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 other than the upper openings 17 constitute upper rib forming regions 15a which are formed by the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22.

[0059]The upper openings 17 are formed in the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 located over the first fork insertion holes 61 among the four upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 of the top deck portion 10. The upper openings 17 correspond to positions where lower rib forming regions 35a and 35b of the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are formed in the bottom deck portion 30 will be described later (see FIGS. 2, 4, and 11).

[0060]As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, inclined portions 23 which are inclined upward from a lower surface side of the top deck portion 10 toward the upper openings 17 are formed at end portions of the first upper ribs 21 on the upper opening 17 side. The inclined portions 23 are formed on an upper portion of the first fork insertion holes 61. That is, formed on three first upper ribs 21 which are over the first fork insertion holes 61, and located between the corner girder upper portions 11 and the intermediate girder upper portions 12 arranged in the second direction and between the intermediate girder upper portions 12 and the central girder upper portion 13 arranged in the second direction.

[0061]Additionally, as shown in FIG. 6, inclined portions 23 which are inclined upward from the lower surface side of the top deck portion 10 toward an outer edge of the pallet P are formed at end portions of the first upper ribs 21 on the outer edge side of the pallet P.

[0062]As shown in FIG. 7, lower ends of the inclined portions 23 are located at the lower surfaces of the first upper ribs 21. Furthermore, upper ends of the inclined portions 23 are located adjacent to upper surfaces of the first upper ribs 21. The dimension in the up down direction H2 of the inclined portions 23 is at least half of the dimension in the up down direction H1 of the first upper ribs 21 at which the inclined portions 23 are formed.

[0063]The inclined portions 23 are formed over the entire area between the adjacent second upper ribs 22. Furthermore, the size and shape of the three inclined portions 23 arranged in the second direction are same. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, inclined surfaces 24 are formed at lower end portions of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 at the first fork insertion hole 61 side and in the second fork insertion holes 62, the inclined surfaces 24 are formed by C-chamfering. Accordingly, the boundary portions between the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and upper crossing crosspiece portions 16 which are arranged in the second direction, that is on the first upper ribs 21 which are located along the same straight line with the first inner wall 11a of the corner girder upper portions 11 and the first side wall 12a of the intermediate girder upper portions 12, are formed with the inclined surfaces 24. Further, the boundary portions between the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 and upper crossing crosspiece portions 16 which are arranged in the second direction, that is on the first upper ribs 21 which are located along the same straight line with the first side wall 12a of the intermediate girder upper portions 12 and the first side wall 13a of the central girder upper portion 13, are formed with the inclined surfaces 24.

[0064]As shown in FIG. 10, the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22 formed on outer edges of the eight upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 are formed with protrusions 18 projecting upward from the upper surface of the top deck portion 10. The protrusions 18 are formed along the sides of the pallet P over the entire width of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14.

[0065]A plurality of reinforcing ribs 19 is provided on an outside of the protrusion 18. In the pallet P of the present embodiment, four reinforcing ribs 19 are formed on one protrusion 18. The reinforcing ribs 19 are formed in a triangular shape in a side view. The reinforcing ribs 19 are formed at inner sides of outer edges of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14.

Regarding the Bottom Deck Portion 30

[0066]As shown in FIG. 11, the bottom deck portion 30 includes four corner girder lower portions 31, four intermediate girder lower portions 32, one central girder lower portion 33, four lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34, and two lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35.

[0067]The corner girder lower portions 31 are located at the four corners of the pallet P and below the corner girders 51. The corner girder lower portion 31 is a cylindrical body surrounded by a first inner wall 31a extending in the first direction, a first outer wall 31c extending in the first direction, a second inner wall 31b extending in the second direction, and the second outer wall 31d extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 31e is formed in an internal space of the corner girder lower portion 31 for reinforcement.

[0068]The first inner wall 31a, the first outer wall 31c, the second inner wall 31b, and the second outer wall 31d of the corner girder lower portion 31 are integrally formed with and be flush with the first inner wall 51a, the first outer wall 51c, the second inner wall 51b, and the second outer wall 51d of the corner girder 51, respectively.

[0069]The intermediate girder lower portion 32 is located at an intermediate portion of each side of the pallet P and below each of the intermediate girders 52. The intermediate girder lower portion 32 is a cylindrical body surrounded by two first side walls 32a extending in the first direction and two second side walls 32b extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 32c is formed in an internal space of the intermediate girder lower portion 32 for reinforcement.

[0070]The first side wall 32a and the second side wall 32b of the intermediate girder lower portion 32 are integrally formed with and be flush with the first side wall 52a and the second side wall 52b of the intermediate girder 52, respectively. The central girder lower portion 33 is located at the central portion of the pallet P and below the central girder 53. The central girder lower portion 33 is a cylindrical body surrounded by two first side walls 33a extending in the first direction and two second side walls 33b extending in the second direction. A plurality of ribs 33c is formed in an internal space of the central girder lower portion 33 for reinforcement.

[0071]The first side wall 33a and the second side wall 33b of the central girder lower portion 33 are integrally formed with and be flush with the first side wall 53a and the second side wall 53b of the central girder 53, respectively. For the above reason, similar to the positional relationship of the girder portions 50, according to the two corner girder lower portions 31 and the intermediate girder lower portion 32 which are arranged in the first direction, the first inner wall 31a of each corner girder lower portion 31 and the first side wall 32a at the inner side of the intermediate girder lower portion 32 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the first direction. Further, according to the two intermediate girder lower portions 32 and the central girder lower portion 33 which are arranged in the first direction, the first side wall 32a of each intermediate girder lower portion 32 and the first side wall 33a of the central girder lower portion 33 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the first direction.

[0072]According to the two corner girder lower portions 31 and the intermediate girder lower portion 32 which are arranged in the second direction, the second inner wall 31b of each corner girder lower portion 31 and the second side wall 32b of the inner side of the intermediate girder lower portion 32 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the second direction. Further, according to the two intermediate girder lower portions 32 and the central girder lower portion 33 arranged in the second direction, the second side wall 32b of each intermediate girder lower portion 32 and the second side wall 33b of the central girder lower portion 33 are located along a same imaginary straight line extending in the second direction.

[0073]As shown in FIGS. 2 and 11, the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 connect the corner girder lower portions 31 and the intermediate girder lower portions 32 which are arranged in the second direction. The lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 connect the intermediate girder lower portions 32 and the central girder lower portion 33 which are arranged in the second direction.

[0074]As shown in FIG. 11, in the bottom deck portion 30, a plurality of lower ribs 40 is formed at positions where the first fork insertion holes 61 are formed. The lower ribs 40 include first lower ribs 41 extending in the first direction and second lower ribs 42 extending in the second direction. The lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are formed by the first lower ribs 41 and the second lower ribs 42.

[0075]The lower ribs 40 are not formed at positions where the second fork insertion holes 62 are formed. That is, in the bottom deck portion 30, the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are formed in the first fork insertion holes 61 and not formed in the second fork insertion holes 62. The lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are formed at the positions corresponding to regions of the top deck portion 10 (the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22) where the dimension in the up down direction L1 is relatively small.

[0076]The lower inner connecting crosspiece portion 35 includes two lower rib forming regions 35a and 35b formed by the first lower ribs 41 and the second lower ribs 42. The lower rib forming regions 35a and 35b are formed at end portions of the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 which are adjacent to the second fork insertion holes 62 side. There are no the first lower ribs 41 and the second lower ribs 42 formed between the lower rib forming regions 35a and 35b, and a lower opening 36 penetrating in the up down direction is formed between the lower rib forming regions 35a and 35b. The lower opening 36 corresponds to a position of the top deck portion 10 where the upper rib forming region 15a is formed (see FIGS. 4 and 11).

[0077]Among the lower ribs 40 constituting the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34, the lower ribs 40 located at an outer edge side of the pallet P are located inside the outer edge of the pallet P. That is, the lower ribs 40 located at the outer edge side of the pallet P are located inside the first outer wall 31c and the second outer wall 31d of the corner girder lower portions 31, and the outer first side wall 32a and the outer second side wall 32b of the intermediate girder lower portions 32.

Function of the Pallet P

[0078]The pallet P of the present embodiment includes the top deck portion 10, the bottom deck portion 30, and the plurality of girder portions 50. The first fork insertion holes 61 extending in the first direction and the second fork insertion holes 62 extending in the second direction are formed between the plurality of girder portions 50. The pallet P is the four-way pallet including the first fork insertion holes 61 and the second fork insertion holes 62 perpendicular to each other. For example, the upper surface of the top deck portion 10, which has a square shape in the plan view, serves as a placement surface for articles to be moved, transported, etc., by a forklift. When moving the articles or the like, a fork of the forklift may be inserted into either the first fork insertion holes 61 or the second fork insertion holes 62 and lifted with the articles placed on the upper surface of the top deck portion 10.

[0079]The protrusions 18 projecting upwards are formed on the upper surface of the top deck portion 10. The protrusions 18 are formed along the sides of the pallet P over the entire width of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14. Movements of the articles placed on the upper surface of the top deck portion 10 are restricted by the protrusions 18. The protrusions 18 suppress displacements of the placed articles.

[0080]In the bottom deck portion 30, among the lower ribs 40 constituting the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34, the lower ribs 40 which are located at the outer edge side of the pallet P are located at an inner side of the outer edge of the pallet P. Further, the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are not formed at positions where the second fork insertion holes 62 are formed. When a plurality of pallets P is stacked and stored, the protrusions 18 of the pallet P which is placed at a lower stage are positioned at outer sides of the lower ribs 40 on the outer edge side and in the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 of the pallet P which is located at an upper stage. The protrusions 18 are configured to suppress the displacements of the pallets P in the stacked state.

[0081]The protrusions 18 are reinforced by the reinforcing ribs 19 which are formed on the outsides of the protrusions 18 and the inner sides of the outer edges of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14. However, when inserting the fork into the fork insertion holes 60 of the pallet P, the front end of the fork may tilt upwards. In case that the front end of the fork tilts upwards, the claws at the front end of the fork impact the upper ribs 20 formed in the fork insertion holes 60. In particular, in case that the upper openings 17 are formed, the claws of the fork may enter the upper openings 17. As a result, the claws of the fork may impact the upper ribs 20 at the inner side of the upper opening 17 and catch on the upper ribs 20.

[0082]In this aspect, in the first fork insertion hole 61 of the pallet P of the present embodiment, the end portion of the first upper rib 21 at the upper opening 17 side is formed with the inclined portion 23, and the inclined portion 23 is inclined upward from the lower surface side of the top deck portion 10 toward the upper opening 17. Further, the end portion of the first upper rib 21 at the outer edge side of the pallet P is formed with the inclined portion 23, and the inclined portion 23 is inclined upward from the lower surface side of the top deck portion 10 toward the outer edge of the pallet P.

[0083]By forming the inclined portions 23, when the front end of the fork tilts upwards, the front end of the fork is prevented from getting caught on the end portions of the first upper ribs 21. Further, the front end of the fork inserted into the first fork insertion holes 61 is easily guided downward along the inclined portion 23 at the end portions of the first upper ribs 21 extending in the same direction with the first fork insertion holes 61. The fork guided along the inclined portion 23 can smoothly insert into the first fork insertion holes 61.

[0084]In the second fork insertion hole 62, the end portions of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portion 14 and the upper inner connecting crosspiece portion 15 of the top deck portion 10 at the first fork insertion hole 61 side are formed with the inclined surfaces 24, and the inclined surfaces 24 are inclined upward from the lower surface of the top deck portion 10 toward the first fork insertion hole 61. The inclined surfaces 24 are formed on the first upper ribs 21 at the boundary portions between the upper outer connecting crosspiece portion 14 and the upper crossing crosspiece portion 16 and between the upper inner connecting crosspiece portion 15 and the upper crossing crosspiece portion 16. That is, the inclined surfaces 24 are formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the second fork insertion holes 62 and to be inclined along the second fork insertion holes 62.

[0085]By forming the inclined surfaces 24, when the front end of the fork tilts upward, the front end of the fork inserted into the second fork insertion holes 62 is prevented from catching on the first upper ribs 21 at the boundary portions between the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and the upper crossing crosspiece portions 16. Similarly, it is prevented from catching on the first upper ribs 21 at the boundary portions between the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 and the upper crossing crosspiece portions 16. Further, the front end of the fork inserted into the second fork insertion holes 62 is easily guided downward along the inclined surfaces 24 at the first upper ribs 21 at the boundary portions between the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and the upper crossing crosspiece portions 16. Similarly, it is easily guided downward along the inclined surfaces 24 at the first upper ribs 21 at the boundary portions between the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 and the upper crossing crosspiece portions 16. The fork guided along the inclined surfaces 24 can smoothly insert into the second fork insertion hole 62.

[0086]The plurality of first upper ribs 21 is formed over the two first fork insertion holes 61. Among the plurality of first upper ribs 21 formed over one first fork insertion hole 61, the interval between the adjacent first upper ribs 21 is narrower at the side farther from the other first fork insertion hole 61 than at the side closer to the other first fork insertion hole 61. That is, the interval between adjacent first upper ribs 21 is denser at the outer side of the pallet P than at the inner side of the pallet P.

[0087]When inserting the fork into the fork insertion holes 60 to lift the pallet P, the fork is more stable when being positioned closer to the outer side of the pallet P in the fork insertion holes 60. Therefore, it is easy to design that the fork is arranged at the upper outer side of the fork insertion holes 60. In this aspect, since the first upper ribs 21 are formed more densely at the outer side of the pallet P, the portion contacted by the front end of the fork is reinforced. The first upper ribs 21 improve the strength and durability of the pallet P.

[0088]In the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14 and the upper inner connecting crosspiece portions 15 where the first fork insertion holes 61 are formed, the dimension in the up down direction L1 of the top deck portion 10 (the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22) is relatively small. The lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are formed in the bottom deck portion 30 at the positions corresponding to regions of the top deck portion 10 where the dimension in the up down direction L1 is relatively small. The pallet P is reinforced by the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35.

[0089]On the other hand, the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are not formed at the positions where the second fork insertion holes 62 are formed. At the positions of the top deck portion 10 corresponding to the positions where the lower outer connecting crosspiece portions 34 and the lower inner connecting crosspiece portions 35 are not formed, the dimension in the up down direction L2 of the top deck portion 10 (the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22) is relatively large. The pallet P is reinforced by the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22, and deformation thereof is suppressed.

[0113]The above embodiment can be modified as follows. Note that the above embodiment and the following modified examples can be applied in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.

[0121]The protrusions 18 may not be formed. Further, the protrusions 18 may be formed only at the positions of the first fork insertion holes 61, and not at the positions of the second fork insertion holes 62.

[0122]The protrusions 18 may not be formed on the first upper ribs 21 and the second upper ribs 22 of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14. For example, the protrusions 18 may be formed on the first outer wall 11c or the second outer wall 11d of the corner girder upper portions 11. Alternatively, the protrusions 18 may be formed on the first side wall 12a or the second side wall 12b formed on the outer edge of the intermediate girder upper portions 12.

[0123]The protrusions 18 may not be formed over the entire width of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14. The protrusions 18 may be formed over the entire outer edge of the pallet P. The reinforcing ribs 19 may not be formed.

[0124]The shape and the number of the reinforcing ribs 19 are not limited to those of the above embodiment. The reinforcing ribs 19 may be formed to extend outward beyond the outer edges of the upper outer connecting crosspiece portions 14.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS