Runner pallet

Abstract

A plastic pallet having a deck and underside with numerous runners having arched members in the base of orifices in the runners. The pallet preferably has a corresponding concave entry in the underside of the deck forming the top of each orifice. The concave entries are substantially equidistant from the arched top portion of the base member. The pallet may include reinforcement bars that are C-shaped with lips on each end, wherein plastic forms around the edges of the lips. The pallet may have a center runner along a center of the underside of the pallet with two side runners each forming a passageway with the center runner so that all four sides of the pallet are accessible through orifices or passageways. The leading edge of the runner may be slightly angled upwardly to improve conveyability. The pallet may have ribs extending from the deck and underdeck channels, which may be reinforced, oriented at approximately right angles from the ribs. The pallet is preferably made of rotationally molded polyethylene with strict tolerances.

1 . A plastic pallet comprising a deck and an underside with a plurality of runners, the runners having a substantially flat bottom portion, a plurality of orifices, and a member at a base of each orifice including a section of the substantially flat bottom portion, wherein a top portion of the member is arched.  
   
   
       2 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the underside has concave entries forming peaks of the plurality of orifices, the concave entries are substantially equidistant from the arched top portion of the member.  
   
   
       3 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the top portion of the member arches with respect to its longitudinal axis with narrower edges than a center of the member, further comprising a reinforcement bar in the center of the member.  
   
   
       4 . The pallet of  claim 3  wherein the reinforcement bar is C-shaped with lips on each end, wherein plastic is formed around edges of the lips.  
   
   
       5 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the pallet is formed with an outer surface of a unitary, continuous wall of plastic.  
   
   
       6 . The pallet of  claim 1  having runners on each side of the pallet and a center runner along a middle of the underside of the pallet.  
   
   
       7 . The pallet of  claim 6  wherein the runners form passageways with a first side runner and the center runner forming a first passageway, and a second side runner and the center runner forming a second passageway so that all four sides of the pallet are accessible through orifices or passageways.  
   
   
       8 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein a leading edge of the runner is slightly angled upwardly.  
   
   
       9 . The pallet of  claim 8  wherein the leading edge is inclined approximately 3 millimeters above the substantially flat bottom portion.  
   
   
       10 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the pallet is made of rotationally molded polyethylene.  
   
   
       11 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the runners have deflection along a length of the runners that is less than two millimeters under a load of 1400 kg.  
   
   
       12 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the deck is 25-30 millimeters thick.  
   
   
       13 . The pallet of  claim 1  further comprising ribs extending from a top surface of the deck and underdeck channels on the underside, wherein the underdeck channels are oriented at approximately right angles from the ribs.  
   
   
       14 . The pallet of  claim 13  wherein the underdeck channels are between 30 and 50 millimeters wide with fusion points at both sides of the channels.  
   
   
       15 . A plastic pallet comprising a deck and an underside with a plurality of runners, the runners having a substantially flat bottom portion, a plurality of orifices between legs, and a member at a base of each orifice including a section of the substantially flat bottom portion, wherein a top portion of the member is arched, the underside having concave entries forming peaks of the plurality of orifices, the concave entries are substantially equidistant from the arched top portion of the member, wherein the member arches with respect to its longitudinal axis with narrower edges than a center of the member with an embedded reinforcement bar in the center of the member.  
   
   
       16 . The pallet of  claim 15  having a runner on each side of the pallet and a center runner along a center of the underside of the pallet.  
   
   
       17 . The pallet of  claim 16  wherein the runners form passageways with a first side runner and the center runner forming a first passageway, and a second side runner and the center runner forming a second passageway so that all four sides of the pallet are accessible through orifices or passageways.  
   
   
       18 . The pallet of  claim 15  wherein the runners have deflection along a length of the runners that is less than two millimeters.  
   
   
       19 . The pallet of  claim 15  wherein the deck is 25-30 millimeters thick.  
   
   
       20 . The pallet of  claim 15  further comprising ribs extending from a top surface of the deck and underdeck channels on the underside at a bottom side of the deck, wherein the underdeck channels are oriented at approximately right angles from the ribs.  
   
   
       21 . The pallet of  claim 20  wherein the underdeck channels are between 30 and 50 millimeters wide with fusion points at both sides of the channels.