Claims
- 1. A highly flexible package useful in bulk handling, storage, and shipping of eggs or like articles comprising a generally curved undulating body member having a peripheral outer edge defining the horizontal outline of said package, said body member including a plurality of downwardly deposed cells with eggs or like articles therein, said cells grouped around a plurality of upwardly tapering support posts having transverse top walls, said cells being defined by side walls which flare upwardly and outwardly from transverse bottom walls, said side walls which are adjacent to one another interconnecting and converging into saddle formation, said posts extending above a plane defining the lowest most point of the upper surface of said saddle formations, said saddle formations curving upwardly to interconnect and converge into said posts adjacent the transverse top walls thereof and having inverted, substantially V-shaped, relatively thin cross sections which are laterally disposed and circumferentially spaced at 90.degree. intervals around said posts, said peripheral outer edge comprising opposing substantially continuous flanges interconnecting with and directed downwardly and outwardly from the top of said posts adjacent the peripheral outer edge and transverse opposing substantially continuous flanges interconnecting with and directed upwardly and outwardly from the bottom of said cells adjacent the peripheral outer edge and having indented handle grip areas, said flanges providing strength for said peripheral outer edge without impeding the horizontal flexibility of said body member, said body member having a high flexibility attributable to the structural design thereof which deforms with a compound curvature and tends to separate adjacent eggs or like articles during rough handling, said high flexibility of said body member being defined by flexibility matrix ratios Q, R, Q' and R' wherein Q and R represent a degree of structural design flexibility along the sides of said body member having said indented handle grip areas, and Q' and R' represent a degree of structural design flexibility along the opposite sides of said body member, said flexibility matrix ratios have values of from about 0.5, 0.2, 0.6 and 0.3 or greater for Q, R, Q' and R', respectively.
- 2. The package of claim 1 wherein Q and R represent a degree of structural design along the sides of said body member having a row of six cells and Q' and R' represent a degree of structural design flexibility along the sides of said body member having a row of five cells.
- 3. A highly flexible egg filler flat for use in bulk handling, storage, and shipping eggs or like articles comprising a generally curved undulating body member having a peripheral outer edge defining the horizontal outline of said egg filler flat, said body member including a plurality of downwardly deposed cells grouped around a plurality of upwardly tapering support posts having transverse top walls, said cells being defined by side walls which flare upwardly and outwardly from transverse bottom walls, said side walls which are adjacent to one another interconnecting and converging into saddle formations, said posts extending above a plane defining the lowest most point of the upper surface of said saddle formations, said saddle formations curving upwardly to interconnect and converge into said posts adjacent the transverse top walls thereof and having inverted, substantially V-shaped, relatively thin cross sections which are laterally disposed and circumferentially spaced at 90.degree. intervals around said posts, said peripheral outer edge comprising opposing substantially continuous flanges interconnecting with and directed downwardly and outwardly from the top of said posts adjacent the peripheral outer edge and transverse opposing substantially continuous flanges interconnecting with and directed upwardly and outwardly from the bottom of said cells adjacent the peripheral outer edge and having indented handle grip areas, said flanges providing strength for said peripheral outer edge without impeding the horizontal flexibility of said body member, said egg filler flat having a high flexibility attributable to the structural design thereof, said high flexibility of said egg filler flat being defined by flexibility matrix ratios Q, R, Q' and R' wherein Q and R represents a degree of structural design flexibility along the sides of said egg filler flat having said intended handle grip areas, and Q' and R' represents a degree of structural design flexibility along the opposite sides of said egg filler flat, said flexibility matrix ratios having values of from about 0.5, 0.2, 0.6 and 0.3 or greater for Q, R, Q' and R', respectively.
- 4. The egg filler flat of claim 3 wherein Q and R represents a degree of design flexibility along the sides of said egg filler flat having a row of six cells and Q' and R' represents a degree of design flexibility along the sides of said egg filler flat having a row of five cells.
- 5. The egg filler flat of claim 4 wherein said body member conforms to a hyperbolic paraboloid shape when loaded with eggs or like articles and supported at said handle grip areas.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 101,884, filed Dec. 28, 1970, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
101884 |
Dec 1970 |
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