Pallet shelf system and method of storing goods on a pallet shelf system

1. A method of forming a stack of support frames on a standard pallet for transport comprising at least two longitudinal fork pockets, each support frame for use in a pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks, and comprising at least two upright support posts, lower pallet base units comprising respective protrusions matching a respective fork pocket in size and shape, and an upper pallet base unit, wherein a standard pallet comprises at least two longitudinal fork pockets and two respective outer pallet legs, the support frame comprising a lower pallet base unit and an upper pallet base unit arranged in parallel, and at least two upright support posts arranged in parallel and connecting the lower and upper base units for forming the support frame; wherein:

the lower pallet base unit comprises a lower rear piece and a plurality of respective first protrusions perpendicularly attached on one side of the first rear piece, the plurality of respective first protrusions matched in number and in size for fitting into a respective longitudinal openings of the at least two longitudinal fork pockets of an aforementioned standard pallet;

the upper pallet base unit comprises an upper rear piece and a plurality of second protrusions perpendicularly attached on one side of the upper rear piece, the upper rear piece and the plurality of second protrusions thereby forming an upper pallet-supporting coplanar surface; and wherein at least two respective second protrusions of the plurality of second protrusions are positioned such that a respective second protrusion can support one of an aforementioned standard pallet's two respective outer pallet legs; and

wherein the method comprises:

in a first step, a first support frame is placed under the standard pallet by inserting the protrusions of the lower base unit into the respective longitudinal fork pockets of said pallet;

in a next and second step, a next support frame is placed with a lowest bottom surface of said next support frame's upper pallet base unit on top of said first support frame's upper pallet base unit's pallet supporting coplanar surface and on top of the standard pallet, in such a way that said next support frame's support posts are closely positioned or touches said first support frame's support posts over a significant part of the lengths (h 1 ) of said support posts;

in a third step, repeating said second step until a predetermined stack height is obtained and a first partial stack is established, whereupon in a fourth step said second and third steps are repeated, thereby establishing at least one further partial stack until the stacking on said standard pallet is terminated with a single support frame.

2. A method of forming a stack of support frames according to claim 1 , wherein said respective partial stacks individually comprise up to six support frames in each respective partial stack.

3. A support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks, a standard pallet comprising at least two longitudinal fork pockets and two respective outer pallet legs; the support frame comprising a lower pallet base unit and an upper pallet base unit arranged in parallel, and at least two upright support posts arranged in parallel and connecting the lower and upper base units for forming the support frame; wherein:

the lower pallet base unit comprises a lower rear piece and a plurality of respective first protrusions perpendicularly attached on one side of the first rear piece, the plurality of respective first protrusions matched in number and in size for fitting into a respective longitudinal openings of the at least two longitudinal fork pockets of an aforementioned standard pallet;

the upper pallet base unit comprises an upper rear piece and a plurality of second protrusions perpendicularly attached on one side of the upper rear piece, the upper rear piece and the plurality of second protrusions thereby forming an upper pallet-supporting coplanar surface; and wherein at least two respective second protrusions of the plurality of second protrusions are positioned such that a respective second protrusion can support one of an aforementioned standard pallet's two respective outer pallet legs.

4. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the upper rear piece and the at least two respective second protrusions of the plurality of second protrusions are combined with a front piece to form a rectangular frame.

5. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of second protrusions comprises at least a further second protrusion for support for one or more middle pallet legs of an aforementioned standard pallet.

6. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the upper pallet base unit further comprises further second protrusions located in parallel to and between the at least two respective second protrusions positioned for supporting an aforementioned standard pallet's two respective outer pallet legs.

7. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 6 , wherein a respective further second protrusion is located such a distance from a respective second protrusion positioned for supporting an aforementioned standard pallets respective two outer pallet legs that the respective further second protrusion is beneath a respective fork pocket of an aforementioned standard pallet when supported by the upper pallet base unit.

8. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the upper pallet base unit further comprises stopping means for preventing movement of an aforementioned standard pallet when supported by the upper pallet base unit.

9. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 8 , wherein the stopping means comprises at least one spike or barb arranged on the upper pallet-supporting coplanar surface.

10. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the upper pallet base unit further comprises one or more pallet guides comprising an inclined guiding surface.

11. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the upper pallet base unit further comprises respective connecting sections for connecting the upper pallet base unit to a respective upright support post via a respective connecting section.

12. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 11 , wherein lengths z 1 , z 2 , z 3 , and z 4 can be defined such that a stack formed of at least two support frames is self-locking and stable during transport, which lengths are adjusted in pairs (z 1 ,z 2 ) and (z 3 ,z 4 ) such that z 2 and z 3 are larger by less than 5 mm than their pairwise matching respective lengths z 1 or z 4 , wherein z 1 is the width of a respective connecting section of the upper pallet base unit, z 2 is the distance from a respective connecting section of the upper pallet base unit to a respective first barb or spike on the upper pallet base unit, z 3 is the length of a respective connecting section of the upper pallet base unit measured from the upper pallet-supporting coplanar surface to a lower defining surface having substantially the same width as a respective connecting section, and z 4 is the distance a respective lower pallet base unit's protrusion's lower contact surface towards the floor or pallet to the lower rear piece's termination by an upper surface.

13. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the upper pallet base unit further comprises slanting beams connecting the upper pallet base unit to the upright support posts by the connecting section.

14. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the upper pallet base unit is cast as a single unit.

15. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein a respective first protrusion on the lower pallet base unit is constructed as a closed structure, a partially open structure, or a partially open structure comprising feet.

16. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the lower rear piece comprises stabilizing beams for connecting the lower rear piece to the upright support posts.

17. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the support frame is assembled from not more than six individually manufactured basic construction parts, comprising two support posts, upper pallet base unit, lower rear piece, and two respective first protrusions.

18. The support frame for a standard pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks according to claim 3 , wherein the support frame further comprises an extender for supporting a third pallet deck, the extender comprising an upper pallet base unit and at least two extender posts, each extender post comprising a connector for engaging a respective receiver element on an underlying pallet deck.

19. A pallet shelf system having at least two pallet decks, said system comprising at least two standard pallets, each standard pallet comprising at least two fork pockets for receiving the forks of a forklift; and at least two support frames according to claim 3 ; wherein said pallet shelf system is formed by inserting respective protrusions of said lower base units of said two support frames into matching respective fork pockets on a lower pallet thereby forming a first pallet deck; and subsequently forming said pallet shelf system comprising at least two pallet decks by placing an upper pallet on top of said upper pallet base units, such that said upper pallet base units support said upper pallet's outer pallet legs, thereby forming a second pallet deck.