Light weight plastic pallet

Abstract

The presently disclosed pallet is made of plastic, optionally recycled plastic, is low weight, and can handle weight up to more than 2.75 tons as a stacking load. The pallet has a unique design of ribs forming an upper deck and a lower deck to hold the required load. The upper deck and lower deck of the pallet are separated by a group of legs. Cross ribs are provided in each of the upper and lower decks and are oriented perpendicularly to reduce the weight of the pallet without significantly reducing its strength.

1 . A low weight plastic pallet comprising:
 perpendicularly oriented cross ribs comprising an upper pallet deck and a lower pallet deck; and   a group of legs separating the upper pallet deck and the lower pallet deck.   
     
     
         2 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the legs is parallel to the others and is perpendicular to the upper pallet deck and the lower pallet deck. 
     
     
         3 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the cross ribs include one or more holes, thereby reducing the weight of the cross ribs. 
     
     
         4 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 2  further comprising short-sided walls providing internal support and positioned parallel to the legs. 
     
     
         5 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 4 , wherein the group of legs comprises nine legs. 
     
     
         6 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 4 , wherein the pallet is configured in the shape of a rectangle having four corners and the group of legs further comprises four similarly sized and shaped corner legs positioned at the corners of the pallet. 
     
     
         7 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 6 , wherein the group of legs further comprises four middle legs, each positioned along a side of the pallet between two corners. 
     
     
         8 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 7 , wherein the middle legs are positioned to form gaps between the middle legs and the adjacent corner legs, the gaps extending from a side of the pallet to the opposite side of the pallet. 
     
     
         9 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 8 , wherein the group of legs further comprises a center leg positioned in the center of the pallet and connecting the upper pallet deck with the lower pallet deck. 
     
     
         10 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 9 , wherein the center leg comprises an inner surface of a surrounding wall enclosing a hollow area and comprises a number of alternately organized and angularly offset slopes and troughs to provide support with minimum weight. 
     
     
         11 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 9 , wherein the middle legs are centrally positioned along the sides of the pallet and are connected to the center leg and to adjacent corner legs by ribs. 
     
     
         12 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 9 , wherein the upper deck further comprises ribs forming square patterns, each square comprising diagonally oriented ribs intersecting in the middle of the diagonally oriented ribs. 
     
     
         13 . A low weight plastic pallet comprising:
 four corner legs, each having the same size and shape and positioned along corners of a rectangular pallet;   four middle legs, each centrally positioned along a side of the pallet; and   a center leg positioned in the center of the pallet and connecting an upper pallet deck with a lower pallet deck, wherein the center leg comprises a hollow area and a number of alternately organized and angularly offset slopes and troughs to provide support with minimum weight.   
     
     
         14 . The plastic pallet of  claim 13 , wherein the upper pallet deck and lower pallet deck further comprise perpendicularly oriented cross ribs, such that the weight of the pallet is reduced without substantially reducing its strength. 
     
     
         15 . The plastic pallet of  claim 14 , wherein the upper deck further comprises ribs forming square patterns, each square comprising diagonally oriented ribs intersecting in the middle of the diagonally oriented ribs. 
     
     
         16 . The plastic pallet of  claim 14 , wherein the pallet comprises an inner side, said ribs having U-shapes facing the inner side of the pallet. 
     
     
         17 . A low weight plastic pallet comprising:
 perpendicularly oriented cross ribs comprising an upper pallet deck and a lower pallet deck, wherein one or more ribs contain one or more holes;   four corner legs, each having the same size and shape and positioned along corners of a rectangular pallet;   four middle legs, each centrally positioned along a side of the pallet to form gaps between the middle legs and the adjacent corner legs, the gaps extending from a side of the pallet to the opposite side of the pallet; and   a center leg positioned in the center of the pallet and connecting an upper pallet deck with a lower pallet deck, the center leg comprising a hollow area and a number of alternately organized and angularly offset slopes and troughs to provide support with minimum weight.   
     
     
         18 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 17 , wherein the center leg is connected to all middle legs with ribs. 
     
     
         19 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 17  wherein the upper deck further comprises ribs forming square patterns, each square comprising diagonally oriented ribs intersecting in the middle of the diagonally oriented ribs. 
     
     
         20 . The low weight plastic pallet of  claim 17 , wherein the corner legs are connected to adjacent middle legs with a square-shaped rib component.