Abstract:
A base for shipping or storing an appliance or other article comprises a frame, the frame comprising rails, at least one rail comprising two outer upright walls, at least two intermediate walls between the outer walls, webs joining the bottom of each outer wall to the bottom of the adjacent intermediate wall, and at least one web joining together the intermediate walls.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a shipping base for articles including household appliances and the like.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Household appliances, such as washing machines, dryers and the like, need to be delivered from the factory, to the store and to the customer in an undamaged condition. Such appliances are typically large, bulky and/or heavy. The exterior of such appliances commonly consists of a skin of metal panels that, for reasons of weight and economy, are not particularly robust. Also, such appliances often have exposed operable parts or connectors. The positioning of these elements and/or their proximity to the outer periphery of the appliance may place them at risk of damage during shipment and delivery. Delivery of a damaged or inoperable appliance can have a significant effect on customer satisfaction with a brand or a retailer. Even superficial damage to the exterior panels can easily render the appliance unacceptable to the customer and ultimately saleable only at an extremely reduced price. It is therefore desirable to provide for the support and protection of the appliance during shipping and delivery so as to avoid structural and cosmetic damage.  
         [0003]     Appliances are sometimes shipped mounted on a base or pallet, which supports the bottom end and which is often slightly larger than the appliance itself. The base is designed to be handled mechanically, such as by a forklift, hand truck or the like. The base serves to protect the appliance by providing a relatively rigid and stable support or engagement surface. When being moved, the lifting mechanism will engage the base, typically without engaging the appliance itself.  
         [0004]     One example of a prior shipping base, which was proposed for use with large appliances, is shown in published U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0057342, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This shipping base comprises a rectangular frame of molded plastic. The sides or rails of the frame comprise upright walls. Each pair of adjacent walls is joined by a horizontal web. The webs are alternately at the top and bottom. The exposed walls at the sides of the rails, facing outwards and facing into the open interior of the frame, are solid. The other walls are of lattice construction, for light weight and economy of material.  
         [0005]     Terms such as “top,” “bottom” and “horizontal” as used in this specification refer to the relative position of the features in use of the base, resting on a horizontal support with an appliance or other article mounted on it. The “upright” walls are then typically a few degrees off vertical, for ease of molding.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     One embodiment of the invention provides a base for shipping or storing an article, the base comprising a frame, the frame comprising rails, at least one rail comprising two outer upright walls, with respect to a normal orientation of the base in use, at least two intermediate walls between the outer walls, webs joining the bottom of each outer wall to the bottom of the adjacent intermediate wall, and at least one web joining together the intermediate walls.  
         [0007]     The outer walls may be solid. Some or all of the intermediate walls may be of trussed or other open construction. The at least one rail may have exactly four walls, with the tops of the two intermediate walls being joined by a single horizontal web, so that the rail as a whole has a roughly W-shaped cross-section.  
         [0008]     Another embodiment of the invention provides a shipping base comprising a frame with at least one rail having longitudinal walls connected by webs alternately at the top and the bottom, wherein at least two bottom webs are solid and are joined along the length of the rail directly to solid walls.  
         [0009]     A further embodiment of the invention provides a base comprising rails meeting at corners. At least one rail comprises a first solid side wall. A first solid bottom web is joined to the first solid side wall along the bottom edge of the first solid side wall and a first side of the first solid bottom web. A first internal wall is joined to the first solid bottom web along the bottom edge of the first internal wall and a second side of the first solid bottom web. A top web is joined to the first internal wall along the top edge of the first internal wall and a first side of the top web. A second internal wall is joined to the first top web along the top edge of the second internal wall and a second side of the top web. A second solid bottom web is joined to the second internal wall along the bottom edge of the second internal wall and a first side of the second solid bottom web. A second solid side wall is joined to the second solid bottom web along the bottom edge of the second solid side wall and a second side of the second solid bottom web.  
         [0010]     The face of the base that is upwards in the normal orientation in use may be provided with formations to engage, support, and/or retain an appliance or other article on the base. For example, the base may be provided with sockets to receive feet of such an appliance, or with supports for lower edges of a frame or bodywork of such an appliance. Examples of such supports are shown in above-mentioned patent application no. 2003/0057342 in the form of projecting ribs  100 . Examples of such sockets are shown in above-mentioned patent application no. 2003/0057342 in the form of sockets  14  and  120 .  
         [0011]     Another embodiment of the invention provides a combination of a base according to the invention and an appliance or other article mounted on the base.  
         [0012]     The basic aspects of the present invention may be combined in a number of forms. The preferred aspects of the various constructions may be used in conjunction with one another or used alone. The various features provide certain advantages over the prior art. These advantages will be described herein and will be understood by those skilled in the art upon reviewing the description and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms of the invention which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric top view of one embodiment of a shipping base according to the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows an isometric bottom view of the shipping base shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic section along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a base according to the invention, with an appliance mounted on it, supported on a conveyor device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     Referring to the accompanying drawings, where like numerals identify like elements, there is shown one form of a shipping base according to the present invention, which is identified generally by reference numeral  20 . The shipping base  20  is preferably injection molded from a plastic material, such as polypropylene. The specific polymer, filler or reinforcement material can be varied to meet the specific requirements of the application.  
         [0019]     Throughout this specification, terms such as “top”, “bottom,” and “vertical” are used in the interest of clarity with reference to an orientation of the base in a typical use with an appliance positioned there-above. It is not required that the base be provided below the appliance or that the base be maintained exactly in this orientation. Variation of the structures may be defined whereby portions of base are oriented vertically or at some angle with respect to horizontal. Also, when separated from the appliance, the base may be stored and transported in any convenient orientation.  
         [0020]     The shipping base  20  as illustrated is in the general form of a rectangular frame, with front and rear rails  22 ,  24  and two side rails  26 ,  28 . Referring especially to  FIG. 3 , each of the front and rear rails  22 ,  24  comprises an outer side wall  30 , an inner side wall  32 , a first intermediate wall  34 , and a second intermediate wall  36 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the walls  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36  are generally upright in the typical in-use orientation, but are a few degrees off vertical to facilitate separation of the base from a mold. The tops of the two intermediate walls  34 ,  36  are joined by a top web  40 . The bottom of the outer wall  30  is joined to the bottom of the first intermediate wall  34  by a first bottom web  42 . The bottom of the inner wall  32  is joined to the bottom of the second intermediate wall  36  by a second bottom web  44 .  
         [0021]     As is best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the outer and inner walls  30 ,  32  and the bottom webs  42 ,  44  are solid. The intermediate walls  34 ,  36  and the top web  40  are of lattice or truss construction, consisting of distinct bars with large spaces between them. Compared with a solid wall or web of the same thickness, the truss construction is lighter, and is not proportionately weaker.  
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , when an appliance or other article  50  is mounted on the shipping base  20 , the weight of the appliance is commonly transferred to the base by feet  52  at each corner of the appliance, as symbolized by the downward-pointing arrows in  FIG. 4 . The feet  52  of the article  50  may fit into sockets  48  in the shipping base  20 . In automatic handling of the shipping base  20  and the article  50 , the base may be transferred sideways off one support, symbolized by a conveyor  54 , and onto another support, symbolized by a conveyor  56 . There may be a substantial gap between the parts of the two supports that actually support the base  20 . Thus, immediately before the second support  56  starts to support the leading edge of the base  20 , the base may overhang the first support  54  substantially.  
         [0023]     In this condition, the weight of the article  50  on the base  20  may be supported in large part by the end of the part of the first support  54  that actually supports the base  20 , under the base  20  between the feet  52 . The contact force that supports the base at this point is symbolized in  FIG. 4  by the upward-pointing arrow  58 . The distribution of the forces  52 ,  56  results in a considerable bending moment on the base  20 , tending to bend its center upwards. This places the upper parts of the front and rear rails  22 ,  24  in tension, and the lower parts in compression. The tensile and compressive stresses can be considerable.  
         [0024]     The forces in the opposite direction are much less, because the feet  52  are typically much closer to the outside of the base  20  than to the middle. Thus, even if the base  20  is supported at its extreme edges, the distance between the points of support and the points of loading by the weight force  52  is small, so the bending moments generated are small.  
         [0025]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the present embodiment the truss walls and web  40 ,  42 ,  44  of each of the front and rear rails  22 ,  24  comprise longitudinal bars  60  along the angles between the top web  40  and the intermediate walls  42 ,  44 . These longitudinal bars  60  carry the tension loads along the upper part of the rails  22 ,  24 . Cross bars  62  between the two longitudinal bars  60  define with the longitudinal bars the top web  40 . Upright bars  64  between each longitudinal bar  60  and the bottom webs  42 ,  44 , and diagonal bars  66  between the top of one upright bar  64  and the bottom of the next upright bar define with the longitudinal bars the intermediate walls  34 ,  36 .  
         [0026]     As may be seen in  FIG. 1 , the top web  40  is raised above the level of the side rails  26 ,  28 , and the longitudinal bars  60  slope downwards at each end to merge into the corner areas of the base  20 , which are at the level of the side rails. This extra height increases the bending strength and stiffness of the truss. The solid inner and outer walls  32 ,  30  are raised to the level of the top web  40 , and protect the truss against impacts.  
         [0027]     The bottom webs  42 ,  44  are joined along their outer edges to the solid inner and outer walls  32 ,  30 . This forms, in effect, a solid L-section member along the bottom corners of the rail  22 ,  24 , which is a structure highly resistant to bending and buckling in the regions most subject to compressive stress. The weight and material of the rails  22 ,  24  is thus concentrated where it is needed.  
         [0028]     The embodiment shown in the drawings is intended for use in conditions where the sort of bending moments shown in  FIG. 4  are applied only to the front and rear rails  22 ,  24 , and the side rails  26 ,  28  are lower than the front and rear rails. Depending on the intended use of a specific base  20 , the trusses  40 ,  42 ,  44  could be formed in the front and rear rails, or in all four rails. If the trusses  40 ,  42 ,  44  are formed in all four rails, the corner regions may also be deepened so that they rise to the height of the top webs  40 , rather than the longitudinal bars  60  being angled down to the corners.  
         [0029]     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. For example, although the base has been shown with rectangular wells or sockets  48  at all four corners, some appliances have adjustable feet at two or all four corners. A base intended for use with such an appliance may be provided with sockets, such as those shown in above-mentioned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0057342, or with other appropriate formations, at two or all four corners.  
         [0030]     Also, depending on the location of the feet of the particular appliance, some or all of the sockets may be positioned away from the corners of the base, or along the front, back or sides.  
         [0031]     The outer edges of any or all of the rails  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  may be recessed downwards as described in above-mentioned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0057342. In some cases, lowering of the outer edge may be required along only some edges, for example, it may not be required at the rear of the appliance. Thus, any combination of raised and lowered surfaces may be provided on the edges. Other variations are contemplated and will be understood by those in the art.