Patent attributes
A pallet comprises a deck having an upper support surface; a plurality of support members depending from the deck; pallet stacking structure for retaining a second pallet stacked on the pallet, and tray retaining and stacking structure for retaining a tray on the pallet. The pallet stacking structure includes a plurality of first recessed regions formed in the upper support surface for receiving support members of a second pallet stacked on the first pallet. The tray retaining and stacking structure includes a plurality of second recessed regions formed in the upper support surface of the pallet for receiving the legs of a tray when the tray is supported on the pallet. The second recessed regions are formed within the outer boundaries of the first recessed regions and are deeper than the first recessed regions. The depths of the second recessed regions are slightly less than a length of the tray legs such that the bottoms of the tray legs touch the floors of the second recessed regions to transfer the weight of the trays downwardly through the tray legs and to the pallet rather than through the upper support surfaces of the tray.