Modular shipping and display pallet
A modular pallet assembly including a plurality of stackable shelves, each shelf having a plurality of vertical supports and at least one divider extending between adjacent vertical supports, the adjacent vertical supports being selectively spaced for receiving a desired product. The vertical supports include a plurality of locking grooves and the dividers include a locking hook on each opposing end, such that each locking hook engages a corresponding locking groove on the adjacent vertical supports and thereby defines a predetermined pallet configuration.
The present invention is directed to a pallet, more particularly to a pallet for use during both shipping and display of a product, and still more particularly, to a modular pallet having movable dividers which allow for packaging of a plurality of predetermined product sizes.
BACKGROUNDPackaging cartons, pallets, containers, and the like, are well known in the art which allow for products to be palletized at the manufacturing facility, shipped to a retailer, and then displayed for purchase at the point of sale while still within the original packaging pallet. Over the years, retailers have recognized the advantages of having an attractive free-standing display for merchandizing a product, while at the same time reducing the labor required to unload the products and arrange the same on store shelves. The advantages achieved apply to many different types of products, each of which are unique in shape and size.
Even within a single product line, various sizes of products need to be accommodated. By way of example, within the toy industry, board games are generally provided in a paperboard box have four sides, a top, and a bottom. The dimensions of the box, however, may be a long, short rectangle, a short, tall rectangle, or a square of any dimension, for instance. Thus, for each differently shaped game box, a specific pallet configuration was required in order to package, ship and display the game. Accordingly, special tooling was required for each desired pallet configuration,
While shipping and display pallets, i.e., merchandizing pallets, have enjoyed increasing commercial success, the requirement for customized tooling substantially increases the pallet costs and the volume of inventory that must be maintained. Accordingly, there exists a need in the marketplace for a merchandizing pallet which is able to accommodate a plurality of product dimensions.
SUMMARYThese and other objects are met by a modular pallet assembly comprising a plurality of stackable shelves, each said shelf including a plurality of vertical supports and at least one divider extending between adjacent said vertical supports. In a preferred embodiment, said adjacent vertical supports are selectively spaced for receiving a desired product. The vertical supports include a plurality of locking grooves and the dividers include a locking hook on each opposing end such that the locking hooks engage corresponding locking grooves on the adjacent vertical supports and thereby define a predetermined pallet configuration. In a preferred embodiment, the vertical supports further include a lower slot and the dividers further include a lower tab, the lower tab engaging the lower slot to further secure engagement of the dividers with the vertical supports.
According to a further embodiment, a pallet for shipping and displaying a product comprises a bottom skirt, at least one lateral shelf disposed within the bottom skirt, a plurality of vertical supports disposed within each of the lateral shelves, and at least one divider disposed between adjacent vertical supports. Each of the vertical supports includes a plurality of upper locking grooves and each divider includes an upper locking hook extending from an upper edge on each end thereof, thus, the upper locking hook engages one of the upper locking grooves on adjacent vertical supports to thereby removably lock together the dividers and the vertical supports in a desired configuration. Still further preferred, each of the vertical supports includes a lower slot and each of the dividers includes a lower tab, wherein the lower tab is dimensioned for insertion into the lower slot.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of assembling a modular pallet comprising forming a lateral shelf; forming a plurality of vertical supports; positioning said plurality of vertical supports within the lateral shelf with a desired distance between adjacent said vertical supports to receive a predetermined product; and inserting at least one divider between adjacent vertical supports to as to maintain the desired distance. According to a preferred method, inserting the at least one divider includes aligning a locking hook on the divider with a locking groove on the vertical support such that the locking hook engages a wall of the locking groove.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:
Referring to
Referring to
In order to provide an attractive display, modular pallet 10 preferably includes a top finishing panel 28 disposed over the uppermost shelf and finishing end panels 30 on the opposing sides of the pallet 10. The end panels 30 and/or the top panel 28 may include colorful, eye-catching graphics to enhance consumer attention.
While the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, this is by way of illustration for purposes of disclosure rather than to confine the invention to any specific arrangement as there are various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, substitutions, omissions and departures which may be made in the particular embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A pallet for shipping and displaying a product, said pallet comprising:
- a bottom skirt;
- at least one lateral shelf disposed within the bottom skirt;
- a plurality of vertical supports disposed within each said lateral shelf;
- at least one divider disposed between adjacent said vertical supports;
- wherein each of said vertical supports includes a plurality of upper locking grooves;
- wherein each said divider includes an upper locking hook extending from an upper edge on each end thereof, said upper locking hook engaging one of said upper locking grooves on adjacent said vertical supports to thereby removably lock together said dividers and said vertical supports in a desired configuration.
2. The pallet of claim 1, wherein each said vertical support further includes a lower slot and each said divider further includes a lower tab, said lower tab being dimensioned for insertion into said lower slot.
3. The pallet of claim 1, wherein said vertical support includes opposing side walls and an upper surface, said locking groove extending across said upper surface from one of said opposing side walls to the other of said opposing side walls.
4. The pallet of claim 1, wherein said vertical support includes opposing side walls and an upper surface, said locking groove defining a first groove and a second groove, said first groove extending partly across said upper surface and said second groove extending partly across said upper surface such that a portion of said upper surface remains intact between said first groove and said second groove.
5. The pallet of claim 1, further comprising a top finish panel.
6. The pallet of claim 1, further comprising finishing end panels disposed on each end surface of the pallet.
7. The pallet of claim 1, further comprising top reinforcing supports extending between adjacent said vertical supports, said top supports lying parallel to said lateral shelf.
8. A modular pallet assembly comprising:
- a plurality of stackable shelves, each said shelf including a plurality of vertical supports and at least one divider extending between adjacent said vertical supports, said adjacent vertical supports being selectively spaced for receiving a desired product;
- wherein said vertical supports include a plurality of locking grooves and said dividers include a locking hook on each opposing end, each said locking hook engaging corresponding said locking grooves on the adjacent said vertical supports to thereby define a predetermined pallet configuration.
9. The modular pallet assembly of claim 8, wherein said vertical supports further include a lower slot and said dividers further include a lower tab, said lower tab engaging said lower slot.
10. The modular pallet assembly of claim 8, wherein each said shelf defines a predetermined shelf width and shelf depth, at least one of said vertical supports having a depth substantially equal to said shelf depth.
11. The modular pallet assembly of claim 8, wherein each said shelf defines a predetermined shelf width and shelf depth, at least one of said vertical supports having a depth substantially less than said shelf depth.
12. A method of assembling a modular pallet, said method comprising:
- forming a lateral shelf;
- forming a plurality of vertical supports;
- positioning said plurality of vertical supports within the lateral shelf with a desired distance between adjacent said vertical supports to receive a predetermined product; and
- inserting at least one divider between adjacent vertical supports to as to maintain the desired distance.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein inserting the at least one divider includes aligning a locking hook on the divider with a locking groove on the vertical support such that the locking hook engages a wall of the locking groove.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising forming a pallet skirt and positioning the lateral shelf within the skirt.
15. The method of claim 12 further comprising, after loading the predetermined product within the lateral shelf, positioning a top support between adjacent vertical supports.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising, after loading the predetermined product within the lateral shelf, forming at least one additional shelf and stacking the at least one additional shelf on the lateral shelf.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 8, 2007
Publication Date: Aug 14, 2008
Applicant: TimBar Packaging & Display (Hanover, PA)
Inventors: Carol Scollon (Oneida, NY), Jessica Allen (Chittenango, NY), Mark Durgee (Whitesboro, NY), Rob Stirling (Williamsville, NY)
Application Number: 11/703,742
International Classification: A47F 5/10 (20060101);