FR2994420A1 - Protection cover for protecting products placed on pallet during transport of products on vehicle, has rectangular opening part provided in front of bottom, where opening forms parallelepiped space between one of side walls and bottom - Google Patents

Abstract

The cover (101) has flexible rectangular sealed walls e.g. four side walls (102), and a flexible wall forming a bottom (103), and a rectangular opening part (106) provided in front of the bottom, where the opening part forms a parallelepiped space between the walls. One of the sealed walls is a polyurethane film or a PVC film. The opening part has a section slightly greater than that of a pallet. The side walls and the bottom have thickness ranging between 150 microns and 1 mm, and are assembled along edges (104, 108) by thermal or ultrasounds or high frequency welding or by bonding. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a thermal protection system for products placed on a pallet (2) a method for protecting products placed on a pallet during transport.

Description

The subject of the present invention is a device and a method for the protection of products, in particular during their transport, in particular of palletized products. Stored or transported products are often paletized, i.e. these products are arranged on a pallet. This is so for products to be stored in a given temperature range, for example products to be kept cold or hot, at a temperature different from that of the storage medium. The same goes for products that must be kept away from moisture, rain or snow. Such products must be stored and sometimes transferred, especially by plane; it must then be possible to ensure that their storage conditions are as desired, for example that their temperature remains within the desired range, especially during the transfer. The object of the invention is to propose a device making it possible to ensure that a palletised product, in particular during a transport, is maintained under certain conditions of conservation, for example substantially constant temperature conditions, independently of a temperature at which other products must be kept in the same vehicle. According to a first object of the invention, there is provided a protective cover for a loading of products arranged on a pallet, characterized in that it comprises flexible side walls, preferably four side walls, a flexible wall forming a bottom and an opening facing said bottom, forming between its walls a preferably substantially parallelepipedal space. Advantageously, the walls of the cover are waterproof; at least some of them may be a polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride film.

According to a second object of the invention, there is provided a thermal protection system for products arranged on a pallet, characterized in that it comprises a cover according to the invention and a transport case, comprising: a useful interior volume , intended to house a pallet and its loading of products; thermally insulating walls, in particular a bottom, opposite side walls, a rear wall, a front wall and an upper wall, the front wall forming a door; and, cells for disposing therein at least one eutectic block along one of the thermally insulating walls. The box may comprise an envelope, preferably a cardboard envelope, the thermally insulating walls being mounted, preferably nested and / or glued together, inside the envelope, and the cover being placed between the envelope and the envelopes. thermally insulating walls. The casing advantageously comprises at least one leaf which, when it is open, completely frees the front of the box, including the front edges of the walls, and which, when folded down, covers the front wall by pressing against it. the front edges. Preferably, the envelope comprises two leaves and links to hold the leaves together and pressed against the front wall.

Advantageously, the box comprises means for securing the pallet with the box, preferably with the bottom of the box, for example straps, preferably fixed to the bottom.

The front wall of the box can be completely removable so that when it is removed, it completely releases the passage between the thermally insulating side walls, bottom and top, and when in place, it bears against the front ends of these thermally insulating walls, preferably via a foam seal.

Preferably, the cells are formed between a perforated partition and a respective associated thermally insulating wall, spacers being arranged to maintain a spacing between the partition and the thermally insulating wall. Advantageously, the cells are arranged to allow frontal insertion of the blocks. The body may include a base provided for the passage of a fork of a pallet truck, including a forklift.

The bottom of the box can be covered with a rigid plate, to support the pallet. According to a third object of the invention, there is provided a method for protecting products arranged on a pallet, in particular during a transport, characterized in that it comprises the provision and then the introduction of a cover according to the invention. According to a fourth subject of the invention, there is provided a method for protecting products placed on a pallet, in particular during a transport, characterized in that it comprises the supply and then the installation of a system of protection according to the invention.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a box according to the invention; open, and containing a pallet to be transported in said box; and, Figure 2 illustrates a cover according to the invention, used in combination with the body. Figure 1 illustrates a box 1 according to the invention for transporting a pallet 2 and its load 3, particularly by air. The load 3 includes products to be stored near a given ideal temperature. The body 1 has the role of maintaining the load 3 substantially at this temperature, during transport. The body 1 has a substantially parallelepipedal external shape; resting on means 4 ground support.

The body 1 further comprises: an outer envelope 6; thermally insulating walls 7, internally doubling the envelope; and, cells 8, provided to receive eutectic blocks 9. The envelope 6 is made of a thin material, for example a cardboard or a plywood. It is of substantially parallelepipedal shape, its front side opens entirely by two leaves, designed to close in a contiguous manner, the other sides being entirely continuous between them. Thus, the doors 11 being closed, the envelope 6 forms a fully enclosed interior space. The insulating walls 7 are arranged against the inner faces of the envelope 6, so that when the body 1 is closed, the insulating walls form a complete and continuous insulation inside the envelope 6. The walls 7 comprise a bottom wall 7A, arranged horizontally, two side walls 7B, resting on the bottom wall 7A, an upper wall 7C resting on the side walls 7B, a rear wall and a front wall 7D.

Each of the walls 7 is formed of a substantially rectangular panel, their thicknesses E7 are substantially constant and identical to each other. In Figure 1, the front wall 7D is only partially represented by its upper left and upper right angles, to make visible the contents of the box 1. The rear wall is not visible because pressed against the back of the envelope 6 and hidden by the contents thereof. To facilitate the mounting of the walls 7 in the casing, the rear edges of the bottom wall 7A, the side walls 7B and the upper wall 7C abut against the back wall and keep it pressed against the casing 6. edges of the bottom wall 7A, the side walls 7B and the upper wall 7C are recessed from the front edges 13 of the casing 6; the withdrawal El2 is substantially equal to the thickness E7 of the front wall 7D, so that when the leaves 11 are closed, they keep the front wall pressed against the front edges 12 of the other walls 7A-7C. Preferably, a foam seal, not shown in the figure, ensures thermal sealing between the front wall 7D and the front edges 12 of the other walls 7A-7C. Advantageously, although it is not shown in the figure, the bottom wall comprises a substantially rigid plate, preferably plywood, which covers its insulating material, so that it offers a resistance to the depression of the load which There rests, that is to say the pallet 2.30 -6 The cells 8 are arranged along the side walls. They are formed between a perforated partition 16 and a respective wall 7. Spacers 17 are arranged between the partition 16 and the wall 7. The spacers 17 provide a spacing E8 between the partition 16 and the respective wall 7. The spacing E8 is substantially equal to the thickness E9 of a block 9. In the illustrated example, cells 8 are arranged vertically along the side walls 7B; the spacers form shelves therein for sliding a respective block 9. In the figure, the load 3 is drawn partially torn off, in order to reveal at least part of the partition 16 which equips the left side wall 7B. Other cells are disposed under the upper wall 7C. The corresponding partition is placed in abutment on the partitions 16 of the side walls.

Straps 20 are fixed to the partition 7A of the bottom of the body 1; they serve to secure the transport pallet 2 and its load 3 with the body 1. Links 21 are provided on each of the leaves 11 to keep them closed between them.

The support means 4 are provided to resume the load and ensure the rigidity of the bottom of the box, while the elevating. In the example shown, the support means comprise three pads extending from front to back so that they release between them two passages 24 for the fork of a pallet truck, including a forklift, for the moving the crate and loading or unloading it in a transport vehicle. A useful volume of the box is defined between the partitions 16 and the bottom 7A, and between the rear and front walls 7D. The front wall 7D is a removable door 7D, so that when it is deposited, it leaves completely free front access to the useful space, to deposit the pallet 2 and its load 3, and the cells to slide the eutectic blocks. The eutectic blocks make it possible to maintain the temperature in the usable space, in particular through the days of the perforated walls 16. Eutectic blocks can advantageously be slid under the load 3, between the beams of the pallet 2.

We will now describe a cover 101 according to the invention with reference to Figure 2. The cover 101 is provided to surround the products 3 arranged on the pallet 2. In the example shown, the cover 101 is substantially parallelepiped shape and comprises five substantially rectangular 102,103 flexible walls; four side walls 102 and a bottom 103. As shown in the figure, the bottom is intended to be arranged substantially horizontal, the side walls extending downwardly each from a respective edge 104 of the bottom 103. The lower edges 105 of the walls together form a substantially rectangular opening 106. Advantageously the cover 101 may be provided for: a EUR-EPAL type pallet of 102 x 80 centimeters; or, an American type pallet of 48 x 40 inches; or preferably, a specific pallet of 152 x 120 centimeters, so that the section of the opening is preferably provided slightly greater than the size of the chosen pallet.

In the illustrated example of the catch means 107 are provided above the bottom to facilitate the introduction of the cover on the palletized products for example using a forklift. These engagement means are not mandatory. Preferably, the walls are watertight. They may be polyvinyl chloride, or preferably polyurethane, preferably of a thickness between 150 microns and 1 millimeter. They can be in sheet or canvas. The walls can be transparent, which is advantageous to see the contents of the cover. In the illustrated example the walls are shown assembled together along their vertical edges. This assembly can be wholly or partly made by welding, for example thermal or by ultrasound or high frequencies, or by gluing. The walls can be made of one or more pieces, for example two or five pieces. Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described.

Thus, the envelope advantageously comprises a coating provided to protect the body from the weather, including rain and snow. It may not be useful to use a waterproof house.

Alternatively instead of being provided to wrap the products on the pallet, the seal cover may be provided to wrap the sealed walls, so that the cover is between the insulating walls and the envelope.

Instead of the walls of the cover being continuous and welded together, a slot can be provided to facilitate the fitting of the cover. This slot may comprise means for closing it in a sealed manner, for example a zipper.

In addition, cavities may be provided against the back wall and the front wall, the first being able to be put in place before the crate is loaded and the second during closing.

A package according to the invention is particularly advantageous since it makes it possible to transport palletised products without having to unload them from their pallet, and it also makes it possible to keep these products in a temperature range or at a chosen temperature, independently the temperature at which other products transported simultaneously must be kept.

The cover can be used independently of the body, when palletised products do not require specific thermal protection.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Protective cover (101) for loading products (3) arranged on a pallet (2), characterized in that it comprises flexible side walls (102-103), preferably four side walls (102), a wall flexible forming bottom (103) and an opening (106) vis-à-vis said bottom, forming between the walls a space preferably substantially parallelepiped. 2. Cover according to protection, characterized in that the walls are waterproof. 3. Cover according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at least one of the walls is a polyurethane film. 4. Cover according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one of the walls is a polyvinyl chloride film. 20 5. Cover according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the opening (106) has a section preferably slightly greater than that of a chosen pallet, preferably a pallet of 120 centimeters by 152 centimeters. 25 6. Cover according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the walls (102,103) have a thickness between 150 microns and 1 millimeter. 30 7. Cover according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the walls (102,103) are assembled together along their edges (104,108), preferably by thermal welding or by ultrasound or high frequencies, or by collage.-11- 8. Cover according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises gripping means (107) for its implementation, carried by the bottom (103). 9. Thermal protection system for products (3) arranged on a pallet (2), characterized in that it comprises a cover according to one of claims 1 to 8 and a transport case (1), comprising: a useful internal volume, intended to house a pallet (2) and its loading (3) of products; thermally insulating walls (7), in particular a bottom (7A), opposite side walls (7B), a rear wall, a front wall (7D) and an upper wall (7C), said front wall forming a door; and cells (8) for disposing therein at least one eutectic block (9) along one of said walls (7B, 7C). 10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that the box comprises means (20) for securing the pallet (2) with the body (1), preferably with the bottom (7A) of the body (1). 11. System according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the body comprises a base provided for the passage of a fork of a pallet truck, including a forklift. 12. System according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the body comprises an envelope (6), preferably 30 cardboard, thermally insulating walls (7) being mounted inside said envelope, and the cover (101) being disposed between said envelope and said thermally insulating walls. 13. A method for protecting products (3) arranged on a pallet (2), in particular during transport, characterized in that it comprises supplying and then putting in place a cover according to one of claims 1 at 8. 14. A method for protecting products (3) arranged on a pallet (2), in particular during transport, characterized in that it comprises supplying and then putting in place a protection system according to one of Claims 9 to 12.