Claims:We Claim:

1. A composite pallet 100, comprising:
a metal plate 101;
a base ring 110, wherein the base ring 110 comprises a polygonal frame 102 and a diamond-shaped frame 103;
wherein the polygonal frame 102 is disposed circumferentially below the metal plate 101; wherein the diamond-shaped frame 103 extends beneath the metal plate 101, wherein the polygonal frame 102 and the diamond-shaped frame 103 comprises a plurality of metal elements;
wherein the two opposite ends of each metal element of the diamond-shaped frame 103 are bent at a predefined angle and welded to adjacent sides of the polygonal frame 102, respectively;
wherein the metal elements of the diamond-shaped frame 103 are diagonally connected in a manner to distribute equal load on all locations of the base ring 110 and to support the metal pan 101 centrally and diagonally, wherein the diamond-shaped frame 103 further comprises one or more additional metal elements 109 transversally placed in the center of the diamond-shaped frame 103, wherein one or more of the plurality of metal elements of the diamond-shaped frame 103 comprises one or more dimples 106 in order to withstand the composite pallet 100 under static or dynamic loading conditions.

2. The composite pallet of claim 1 further comprises a plurality of blocks 104, wherein each block 104 is placed at bottom of the metal plate 101, and wherein each block 104 is attached to the metal plate 101, wherein the blocks 104 are placed on all four corners and on each side of circumference of the at least one metal plate 101.

3. The composite pallet of claim 1, wherein the metal plate 101, the base ring 110 and each metal element is made of Cold Rolled Close Annealed (CRCA) steel.

4. The composite pallet of claim 1, wherein the metal plate 101 is configured with stiffening grooves 107, reinforced on circumference by a hollow supporting collar.

5. The composite pallet of claim 4, wherein the metal plate 101 further comprises one or more collecting channels 108.

6. The composite pallet of claim 2, wherein each block 104 is made of a plastic or steel.

7. The composite pallet of claim 2, wherein the blocks 104 are welded or fastened to the metal plate 101.

8. The composite pallet of claim 2, wherein the blocks 104 are welded to the metal plate 101 using a welding technique selected from a group comprising arc welding, CO2, argon welding and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding.

9. The composite pallet of claim 7, wherein the blocks are fastened using either self-threading screws or long bolts.

10. The composite pallet of claim 1, wherein the base ring 110 has a rectangular configuration.

11. The composite pallet of claim 1, wherein each metal element of the diamond-shaped frame 103 is welded to the polygonal frame 102 using a welding technique selected from a group comprising arc welding, CO2, argon welding and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding.

12. The composite pallet of claim 1, wherein blocks 104 and the base ring 110 are welded together using a welding technique selected from a group comprising arc welding, CO2, argon welding and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding.

13. The composite pallet of claim 1, wherein the one or more dimple 106 can be located either on top or bottom of the metal element.
, Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:
COMPOSITE PALLET

APPLICANT:
GENEX SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.
An Indian Entity having address:
1,2,3, 'C' Wing, 2nd floor,
Tex Centre, Chandivali road,
Andheri (East),
Mumbai – 400072, Maharashtra, India

The following specification describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY
The present application does not claim priority from any other patent application.

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention in general relates to a field of material handling equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to a pallet used for transportation of materials/goods.

BACKGROUND
Various industrial products/goods are transported from one location to other. The goods/products may be in form of solid, liquid, gas or any other. The goods/products are transported using suitable material handling equipment. The material handling equipment includes pallets, drums, containers, boxes, paper packaging and the like. The pallets are used for transportation of liquids, usually a flat pallet, on which barrels/containers filled with the liquids are placed. The containers are made of plastic or metal. The liquids that are transported may be chemical substances that are toxic, hazardous, viscous, expensive and explosive.

One or more containers are placed on each pallet, depending on the size and material of the containers that can be placed over the pallet. Each pallet is subjected to undergo static and dynamic loading conditions during the transportation of the containers. Many cases of accidents have been reported wherein the pallets fail during the transportation while most of the accidents were serious, some were fatal. These accidents should be prevented by implementing proper work practices such as minimizing handling, using proper equipment and procedure that isolates workers/site personnel from hazardous substances in order to minimize the risks.
In the existing art, a frame at bottom side of the pallet is provided wherein the frame is connected via nut/screw arrangement. The frame is subjected to vibrations and temperature variations during transportation. These mechanical and thermal stresses can lead to the pallet deformation. The frame of the pallet further does not withstand fire temperatures, thus leading to severe accidents. There is a need of an alternative pallet having structure that may withstand, even in fire temperatures, at least the frame of the pallet with a sufficient strength.
SUMMARY
Before the present apparatuses along with components related thereto are described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular apparatuses, and their arrangement as described, as there can be multiple possible embodiments which are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosure but may still be practicable within the scope of the invention. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the subject matter nor is it intended for use in detecting or limiting the scope of the subject matter.

In one embodiment, a composite pallet is described. The composite pallet may comprise a metal plate and a base ring. The base ring may comprise of a polygonal frame and a diamond-shaped frame. The polygonal frame may be disposed circumferentially below the metal plate. The diamond-shaped frame may extend beneath the metal plate. The polygonal frame and the diamond-shaped frame may comprise a plurality of metal elements. The two opposite ends of each metal element of the diamond-shaped frame may be bent at a predefined angle and welded to adjacent sides of the polygonal frame, respectively. The metal elements of the diamond-shaped frame may be diagonally connected in a manner to distribute equal load on all locations of the base ring and to support the metal pan centrally and diagonally. The diamond-shaped frame may further comprise one or more additional metal elements transversally placed in the center of the diamond-shaped frame. The one or more of the plurality of metal elements of the diamond-shaped frame may comprise one or more dimple 106 in order to withstand the composite pallet 100 under static or dynamic loading conditions.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the invention is to withstand the composite pallet, comprising one or more dimples in a base ring, under static or dynamic loading conditions.

Yet another object of the invention is welding of the blocks to the metal pan in order to withstand the composite pallet in fire situations wherein the pallet is subjected to high temperatures.

Yet another object of the invention is to reduce sagging of the composite pallet by employing a welding technique for welding of the metal plate, the base ring and the blocks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying Figures. In the Figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the Figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer like features and components.

Figure 1a illustrates bottom view of a composite pallet 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 1b and 1c illustrates an exploded view of composite pallet 100, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.

It must also be noted that, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the exemplary methods are now described. The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure, which may be embodied in various forms.

Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.

The present disclosure describes a composite pallet. The composite pallet may be used for storage and transportation of Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC). The IBC may usually carry hazardous liquid filling materials. In one embodiment, the hazardous liquid filling materials may be placed in a plastic container. The composite pallet may further comprise a frame in order to support the plastic container. The frame may be fastened to the upper outer rim of the pallet.

Figure 1a, 1b and 1c illustrates a composite pallet 100, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The composite pallet 100 may comprise a metal plate 101 and a base ring 110. The base ring 110 may comprise of a polygonal frame 102 and a diamond-shaped frame 103.The metal plate 101 may be a flat plate or a metal pan. The metal plate 101 may have a rectangular configuration. The metal plate 101 may be configured with stiffening grooves 107. The stiffening grooves 107 may prevent the metal plate 101 from the sudden shocks or impact caused by placing Intermediate Bulk container (IBC). The metal plate 101 may be reinforced on circumference by a hollow supporting collar. In one embodiment, the metal plate 101 may further comprise one or more collecting channels 108. The collecting channel 108 may facilitate the spill/dirt over the metal plate 101 to drain towards one of the side of the metal plate 101. The draining phenomena may enable easy cleaning of the metal plate 101.

The composite pallet 100 may further comprise a plurality of blocks 104. Each block 104 may be made up of plastic or steel. Each block 104 may be placed between the metal plate 101 and the metal-tube base ring 102. Each block 104 may be attached to the metal plate 101 via welding or fastening means (not shown). The blocks 104 may be placed between the metal plate 101 and the base ring 110. The blocks 104 may be fastened by either self-threading screws or long bolts. The blocks 104 may be welded to the metal plate 101. A welding technique may be selected from a group comprising arc welding, CO2, argon welding and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding. The blocks 104 may be placed on all four corners and on each side of circumference of the at least one metal plate 101.The height of each block 104 may be equal in order to facilitate uniform contact with ground. One of the blocks may be a bowl-shaped block 105. The bowl-shaped block 105 may be placed between the metal plate 101 and the base ring 110. The bowl-shaped block 105 may facilitate easy replacement/refilling of materials in container which may be placed over the metal plate 101 of the pallet 100.
The base ring 110 may be disposed circumferentially below the metal plate 101. The base ring 110 may be of rectangular configuration. The base ring 110 may be made of hollow tubular elements. The shape of the tubular elements may be selected from round, elliptical, square, rectangular, and the like. The base ring 110 may be placed below the blocks 104 and the metal plate 101. In one embodiment, the base ring 110 may be spaced apart from the metal plate 101 via the plurality of blocks 104. The base ring 110 may be connected, via welding or fastening means, to the blocks 104. A welding technique may be selected from a group comprising arc welding, CO2, argon welding and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding. The base ring 110 may be fastened by either the self-threading screws or the long bolts. The gap between the base ring 110 and the metal plate 101 may facilitate an entry of fork of forklift to lift/handle the pallet 100.

Further, the diamond-shaped frame 103 may extend beneath the metal plate 101. The diamond-shaped frame 103 may comprise a plurality of metal elements. The two opposite ends of each metal element of the diamond-shaped frame 103 may be bent at a predefined angle (preferably 90 degrees) and may be welded to adjacent sides of the polygonal frame 102, respectively. Each metal element may be welded to the polygonal frame 102 using a welding technique selected from a group comprising arc welding, CO2, argon welding and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding. The metal plate 101, the base ring 110 and each metal element may be made of Cold Rolled Close Annealed (CRCA) steel. Each metal element of the diamond-shaped frame 103 may further comprise one or more dimples 106 in order to withstand the composite pallet 100 under static or dynamic loading conditions. The one or more dimples 106 may be located either on top or bottom of each metal element. Further, the one or more dimple 106 may be located near one or more weld points, as shown. The one or more dimples 106 may be impressed parallel to lateral axis of the metal element. It must be noted herein that the one or more dimples 106 may prevent and/or protect the pallet 100 from impact/damage both in static and/or dynamic conditions. The metal elements that extend in a diamond-shaped manner with respect to one another may be downwardly angled at their ends. The metal elements may be connected to the polygonal frame 102.The bent ends of metal elements of the diagonal shaped frame 103 may be plugged into each block 104, placed on each side of circumference of the at least one metal plate 101. One or more additional metal elements 109 may be placed transversally in the centre of the diamond-shaped frame 103.The transversally placed metal elements 109 may provide flexural rigidity to the metal plate 101. The additional metal elements 109 may further comprise one or more dimples 106. The metal elements of the diagonal shaped frame 103 may be diagonally connected in a manner to distribute equal load on all locations of the base ring 110 and to support the metal pan 101 centrally and diagonally. The forks of the forklift may take an additional support of the diamond shaped frame 103 in order to lift the pallet from one place to another.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the proposed composite pallet (with diamond-shaped frame) along with various other pallets (e.g. GNX-CP and Mauser pallets) in the art were tested under various different conditions. The tests were specifically conducted to perform sagging analysis for different time intervals. The IBCs are placed on the composite pallet. The IBCs are filled with 1000 litres of water. The IBCs are stacked one over the other in 1+1 configuration. The results of the same at predefined time interval are summarized in a table below.

Sr. Position Of Sagging Sagging After 1+1 (After 4 hrs.)
No. Mauser Diamond Frame Top 17/03/17 Diamond Frame Bottom 17/03/17

1 Front Left mm 6.7 4.8 5.1
2 Front Center mm 19.5 16.0 16.5
3 Front Right mm 8.0 4.2 3.2
4 Middle Left mm 15.5 8.6 10.1
5 Middle Center mm 19.3 12.1 12.5
6 Middle Right mm 15.2 9.2 7.5
7 Rear Left mm 6.6 5.9 6.9
8 Rear Center mm 22.3 18.1 18.0
9 Rear Right mm 7.6 5.7 6.2

As depicted in above table, the overall sagging in the proposed diamond-shaped frame pallet 100 is lowest among the other pallets. The sagging in the proposed diamond-shaped frame pallet 100 is lowest because of using of welding means instead of fastening means. The lowest sagging further results in more clearance (enabling easy access of the forks of the forklifts) for handling of the pallet 100.

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the composite pallet described above may be utilized in multiple applications including but not limited to:
• Logistics/Transportation of liquid/solid materials.
• Storage of materials.
• Material handling, etc.

The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs or the description and drawings, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.