Plastic pallet

Abstract

A nestable plastic pallet that can be stacked to have a reduced stack height. The pallet includes a single wall of homogeneous material that defines a substantially flat load-supporting surface. The load-supporting surface has perimeter edges, and the pallet has an underside opposite the load-supporting surface. Perimeter edges of the pallet have raised lips, which project from the load-supporting surface. The perimeter edges also have downwardly-extending lips formed which project from the underside at the perimeter edges. The underside of the pallet has raised ribs, which project from the underside and extend between and up to the downwardly-extending lips. The raised ribs and the downwardly-extending lips allow the pallet to be edge rackable. Legs projecting from the underside of the pallet support the pallet on a surface.

1 . A pallet, comprising: 
 a single wall of homogeneous material defining a substantially flat load-supporting surface having perimeter edges and an underside opposite said load-supporting surface; raised ribs formed by an increased material thickness of said wall and projecting from said underside and extending between and up to said edges; and deflections in said single wall forming legs projecting from said underside.    
   
   
       2 . The pallet according to  claim 1 , further comprising raised lips formed by an increased material thickness of said wall and projecting from said load-supporting surface at said four edges.  
   
   
       3 . The pallet according to  claim 2 , wherein said perimeter edges include two opposite substantially parallel longitudinal edges and two other substantially parallel opposite edges, and said opposite longitudinal edges are longer than said other two opposite edges.  
   
   
       4 . The pallet according to  claim 3 , wherein said legs are only seven legs including four corner legs, a center leg at a center of the pallet and two side legs at a middle of said longitudinal sides.  
   
   
       5 . The pallet according to  claim 4 , wherein said legs are cored out from said load-supporting surface.  
   
   
       6 . The pallet according to  claim 5 , wherein said legs have holes formed therein for allowing fluid drainage.  
   
   
       7 . The pallet according to  claim 5  wherein said legs are formed with draft angles a for producing and stacking the pallets.  
   
   
       8 . The pallet according to  claim 3 , wherein said raised ribs include longitudinal raised ribs extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal edges and radial raised ribs radiating from a center of the pallet.  
   
   
       9 . The pallet according to  claim 3 , further comprising downwardly-extending lips formed by an increased material thickness of said wall and projecting from said underside at said four edges, said material thickness of said downwardly-extending lips being less than said material thickness of said raised ribs, and said raised ribs having a lead in angle β blending into said downwardly-extending lips.  
   
   
       10 . The pallet according to  claim 9 , wherein said raised ribs include longitudinal raised ribs extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal edges and radial raised ribs radiating from a center of the pallet.  
   
   
       11 . The pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein said load-supporting surface has a surface texture.  
   
   
       12 . A pallet, comprising: 
 a single wall of homogeneous material defining a substantially flat load-supporting surface having perimeter edges and an underside opposite said load-supporting surface;    raised lips formed by an increased material thickness of said wall and projecting from said load-supporting surface at said perimeter edges;    downwardly-extending lips formed by an increased material thickness of said wall and projecting from said underside at said perimeter edges;    raised ribs formed by an increased material thickness of said wall and projecting from said underside and extending between and up to said downwardly-extending lips; and    deflections in said single wall forming legs projecting from said underside.