Configurable rolling pallet tray system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10577150-B2
Application number	US-201816014283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2018
Priority date	Jul 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

Examples provides one or more rolling pallet trays capable of interlocking together to form a modular rolling platform. A rolling pallet tray includes a rectangular base member with a top surface, a bottom surface, and a set of four sides. The top surface may have a lip extending upward along at least a portion of the circumference of the top surface. A set of rollers are pivotally mounted to the bottom surface. A floor-lock brake may be activated to stop movement of at least one roller to lock the rolling pallet tray in place. A set of linking mechanisms is attached to one or more of the sides for linking the individual rolling pallet tray to one or more other rolling pallet trays in a variety of different configurations. The linked rolling pallet trays in the modular rolling pallet tray pivot together as a single unit for greater stability.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular rolling platform system for moving pallets comprising:
a plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays capable of interlocking together in a plurality of configurations, the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays comprising a first rolling pallet tray and a second rolling pallet tray capable of interlocking together in at least four different rolling platform configurations;
the first rolling pallet tray in the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays further comprising:
a rectangular base member, the rectangular base member comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and a set of four sides, the top surface comprising an area sufficient to accommodate a single pallet;
a lip extending upward along a circumference of at least a portion of the top surface;
a set of rollers pivotally mounted to the bottom surface of the rectangular base member;
a floor-lock brake associated with the bottom surface of the rectangular base member configured to stop movement of at least one roller in the set of rollers upon activation of the floor-lock brake;
a set of linking mechanisms attached to at least one side in the set of four sides, the set of linking mechanisms comprising a connector device on a first side in the set of four sides, the connector device configured to removably attach to a receiver device on a side of the second rolling pallet tray, the first rolling pallet tray pivoting together with the second rolling pallet tray as a single unit when the first rolling pallet tray is removably connected to the side of the second rolling pallet tray via the set of linking mechanisms; and
a first wireless brake controller device of the first rolling pallet tray, wherein the first floor-lock brake is activated remotely when the first wireless brake controller device receives a brake-activation signal from a beacon device, and wherein a second floor-lock brake associated with the second rolling pallet tray is activated when a second wireless brake controller device associated with the second rolling pallet tray receives the brake-activation signal.

2. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays comprises the first rolling pallet tray, the second rolling pallet tray, and a third rolling pallet tray, and wherein the set of linking mechanisms further comprises:
a first connector device attached to a first side in the set of four sides of the rectangular base member, the first connector removably attached to a first receiver device on a first side in a set of four sides of the second rolling pallet tray; and
at least one connector device attached to at least one side of the rectangular base member of the third pallet tray, the at least one connector device removably attached to at least one receiver device of a side of at least one other rolling pallet tray in the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays, the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays comprising the first rolling pallet tray, the second rolling pallet tray, and the third rolling platform tray is capable of interlocking together in thirty-six different rolling platform configurations.

3. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays comprises the first rolling pallet tray, the second rolling pallet tray, a third rolling pallet tray, and a fourth rolling pallet tray, each rolling pallet tray in the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays is removably connected to at least one other rolling pallet tray in the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays, and further comprising:
at least one connector device attached to at least one side in the set of four sides of the rectangular base member of the first pallet tray, the at least one connector device removably attached to at least one receiver device on a side of the second rolling pallet tray;
at least one connector device attached to at least one side in a set of four sides of a rectangular base member of the third pallet tray, the at least one connector device removably attached to at least one receiver device on a side of at least one other rolling pallet tray in the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays; and
at least one connector device attached to a side of the third pallet tray, the at least one connector device removably attached to at least one receiver device on a side of at least one other rolling pallet tray in the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays, wherein the plurality of configurable rolling pallet trays comprising the first rolling pallet tray, the second rolling pallet tray, the third rolling platform tray, and the fourth rolling pallet tray is capable of interlocking together in at least one-hundred sixty different rolling platform configurations.

4. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second connector device on a second side of the first rolling pallet tray removably connected to a second receiver device on a third rolling pallet tray; and
a third connector device on a third side of the first rolling pallet tray removably connecting the first rolling pallet tray to a third receiver device on a side of a fourth rolling pallet tray, wherein the first rolling pallet tray connected to the second rolling pallet tray, the third rolling pallet tray and the fourth rolling pallet tray forms a configurable rolling platform capable of moving four pallets simultaneously.

5. The modular rolling platform system of claim 4 , comprising:
a fourth connector device on a fourth side of the first rolling pallet tray removably connecting the first rolling pallet tray to a fourth receiver device on a side of a fifth rolling pallet tray, wherein the first rolling pallet tray connected to the second rolling pallet tray, the third rolling pallet tray, the fourth rolling pallet tray, and the fifth rolling pallet tray is a configurable rolling platform capable of moving five pallets simultaneously.

6. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a set of slots within the rectangular base member of the first rolling pallet tray configured to accommodate a set of rollers on the second pallet tray, wherein the first rolling pallet tray and the second rolling pallet tray are stackable when empty.

7. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , wherein the floor-lock brake of the first rolling pallet tray is deactivated remotely when the first wireless brake controller device receives a brake-release signal from a beacon device.

8. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , wherein the floor-lock brake further comprises:
a hinged leg associated with the bottom surface or a side in the set of four sides, wherein the hinged leg is folded down to stop movement of the first rolling pallet tray and wherein the hinged leg is folded up to resume rolling movement of the first rolling pallet tray.

9. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , wherein dimensions of the first rolling pallet tray are equivalent to the dimensions of the second rolling pallet tray, wherein the top surface of the first rolling pallet tray and a top surface of the second rolling pallet tray are substantially level when the first rolling pallet tray is attached to the second rolling pallet tray.

10. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , wherein the set of linking mechanisms comprises a spring-loaded pin and locking mechanism.

11. The modular rolling platform system of claim 1 , wherein the set of linking mechanisms comprises a tongue-in-groove linking mechanism.

12. A modular rolling platform for moving pallets comprising:

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Millhouse Andrew B

Classifications

• B62B2207/02

  rigidly · CPC title

• B62B5/0404

  automatic · CPC title

• B65D2519/00034

  Plastic · CPC title

• B62B5/0076

  Remotely controlled · CPC title

• B65D19/42 Primary

  Arrangements or applications of rollers or wheels · CPC title