Patent ID: 7779763

Claim:
A pallet for the movement of goods, comprising: an upper deck forming a loading part with a loading surface; a frame section generally corresponding to the size of the loading surface and, at least at its corners, has spacers which point to the upper deck and have a material-fit connection to the upper deck; and wherein the upper deck includes an upper side forming said loading surface, an underside facing downwardly toward said frame section, the upper side of the upper deck having a planar surface with a plurality of transverse openings extending through the upper deck to provide air circulation through the pallet to allow for the release of heat and combustible gases in the case of a fire and to allow for water distribution through the pallet, and the underside of the upper deck forming a planar surface extending from one side of the upper deck to the other side of the upper deck, the planar surface of the underside having a plurality of recesses formed therein, said recesses extending into said planar surface from the underside but terminating before the loading surface of the upper deck, each recess having an outer perimeter, the openings being aligned in the recesses inwardly of the outer perimeters of the recesses wherein the openings are recessed in said planar surface of the underside of the upper deck in said recesses, and wherein the surfaces of the recesses surrounding the openings form channels in fluid communication with the openings for directing the flow of gas that flows across the planar surface to and through the openings to provide ventilation through the pallet.