Patent Application
20240109686
The present disclosure is directed to the field of shipping and packaging, and more particularly to Modular Channel Panels which are used for separating and disjoining batch material with regard to when said material is placed within a shipping or packaging container.
The fruit processing industry frequently utilizes containers such as heavy wooden crates for their transportation and storage of fruit.
There are currently many in-process variables that cause yield fluctuation throughout a manufacturing day. One of the largest reasons for destroyed product, or scrap, is that the quality of the product itself has degraded to an unusable condition. When dealing with certain fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, peanuts, and tree nuts for example, harvested fresh food gets stored until packaged or further processed. A current method utilized to maintain food integrity and freshness throughout storage and transportation, up to thawing and processing is to freeze the food product.
One of the most common approaches utilizes stacking wooden bins, or crates, filled with raw fruit into a fan circulated freezer area. An unintended consequence of this stacking method is that the fruit packed on the walls of the exterior of the bins is frozen quickly, though the fruit in the center of the binned fruit mass maintains its heat and moisture, delaying freezing. This results in a lot of fruit scrap, which must be dispensed of, as the quality of this material is degraded due to the maintaining moisture, and only a percentage of the originally binned material can be saved.
Unfortunately, many fruit processors do not have a large amount of capital to invest in different methods of freezing. Additionally, an abundance of labor would be required to transport arriving material and restacking to a different container for freezing, then restacking the frozen material back into the original container, should a different storage container be desired.
Further, the cost required to create new containers with dividers is untenable for many small to mid-size companies.
What is needed, is a device and method therefore which can increase the consistency of freezing as to the center mass of material within a storage container, and further so that current containers can be utilized while decreasing load filling time of storage containers as to product.
The present disclosure is directed to a Modular Channel Panel for the rapid storage, separation, and filling of product within containers of which may be utilized in a shipping or freezing capacity.
The Modular Channel Panel of the present disclosure provides at least one panel, generally known herein as a durable panel comprised of a solid material structure such as plastic, metal, glass, silicone, bamboo, wood, or the like.
Said panel consists of a top wall, a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls, and an open slot located on or near the bottom wall. The panel will also have a first, or front, face, and a second face, otherwise known as a rear face. The open slot extends from the bottom wall upwardly towards the top wall, encompassing a portion of the panel itself, and is defined within a slot wall.
Upon the first, or front, face are a plurality of raised projections, each having a top end, a bottom end, and a plurality of side ends, with rounded, or curved, corners. The raised projections are extended away from the face wall at a distance known as the raised projection width. These raised projections are dispersed and positioned on the face in a pattern spaced out, such that between said projections, a lowered portion known as a channel is created. The particular width of the raised projections and the specifics of the deployed patterns are more impactful depending on the particularities of the use and the material contemplated. It is presently thought that the patterns of raised projections are stacked in such a way a channel exists in both the horizontal and the vertical, or the X-axis and the Y-axis. In such a fashion, a channel is presented surrounding each raised projection.
In a similar fashion, upon the second, or rear, face are a plurality of raised projections, each having a top end, a bottom end, and a plurality of side ends. These raised projections are also dispersed and positioned upon the second face in such a pattern where a channel, or channels are created near or surrounding the raised projections.
At the top wall of the Modular Channel Panel exists an angled V-Cut portion. This V-Cut may be at a 140-degree angle, more or less, such that the angled side walls of the V-Cut are recessed from the plane of the top wall. This recessed V-Cut will permit product to flow between the chambers, which are created by interlocking two or more Modular Channel Panels, so as to reduce fill times when loading a container with product.
There are multiple different shapes of raised projections which could be utilized within the scope of the present disclosure. Depending on the particular application, various shapes can be deployed. A square, a rectangle, a quadrilateral shape, or an abstract shape may be utilized to create a grid pattern, otherwise known as a crosshatch pattern. This will allow for an even distribution and uniform projection height, otherwise known as a projection plane, creating a dual linear channel both in the horizontal and the vertical axis. The dual linear channels prevents product from becoming compressed and ruined within different projection widths or heights while in transit.
A roundabout intersection is created within the intersection point of four projections, where a general circular portion is created upon the exposed face wall, absent any projection material. This roundabout is created within the meeting intersection of the projection rounded corners upon the edges of said projections, so as to help prevent debris and undersized material from entering and clogging the channels, while also allowing a substantial portion of air to flow unimpeded.
Additionally, within the roundabout portion is a roundabout redirection spire, known as a freestanding portion of material, projected outwardly within the center of the roundabout from the face. This creates a material portion, such that the product moving within the channels to maneuver around said spire in a circular path, similar to a traffic roundabout.
Within these channels, air can be naturally or artificially pushed therethrough, to allow a consistent amount of air to be passed to and through the core of the material located in the product mass. Further, material positioned therein can be washed and water can be quickly removed from the shipping container by way of the channels. Preferably, the previously mentioned raised projections have enough raised projection width to allow for the product to be positioned away from the face of the panel, either the front face or the rear face. Additionally, the raised projections are positioned apart enough such that a channel is created, while simultaneously positioned close enough to prevent product from entering the channels.
A second panel may be provided to create an interlocking panel shape to be utilized within a shipping container. A single panel could section the contents of a shipping container into two chambers, and the addition of a second panel may section the contents into four chambers.
As one with skill in the art of shipping and packaging would instantly recognize, a third panel may create six chambers, and so on. Should a third panel be utilized, it would necessitate that one of the panels comprises two open slots on the bottom end extending upwardly towards the top wall. This panel with two slots will then interact with the remaining two panels respectively. The number of additional panels is thus only limited by the number of slots contained within the primary panel itself.
As previously mentioned, product can be loaded within one chamber, and the V-Cut recessed portion allows for said product to overflow into the other chamber or chambers.
The slot of the Modular Channel Panel at the bottom wall is configured such that if a second panel were provided, the slot of the first panel would be received within the slot of the second panel, creating an interlocking panel shape, such as an ‘X’ shape, or a “+” shape. To create this shape, one of the two aforementioned panels would be inverted such that the bottom wall faces on the opposing end as to the opposing panel, and the slot is thus opened away from the ground. The opposing panel is then lifted and positioned over the slot such that the two slots are within the same vertical axis. The two slots are then adaptably received, creating the X or the Plus/Cross shape as desired. The bottom wall slot additionally comprises a lower angle V-Cut with the slot, similar to the top wall V-Cut.
In another aspect, a method of assembling a divider partition comprises a variety of steps. One will need to have a shipping container such as a box, or a crate. Next, the divider panels as previously described will be gathered, and adaptably received and mated by way of the open slots in each panel. It is also contemplated that the panels could be joined together by way of fasteners and plates, or other like means, either end to end or top to bottom to cover a larger container space. Whichever way the panels are joined, mated, or fastened together, the panels will create an interlocking panel shape, which is directly dependent upon the number of panels. After assembling the interlocking panels, the Modular Channel Panel will be placed within the shipping container, which creates a plurality of chambers. Once in place, material is added to the shipping container, and thus the chambers therein. The material can be of any type which is desired to be transported and moved.
Presently, it is thought this disclosure would work well with smaller perishable items such as fruit that are typically individually frozen for later transport. Some examples of such fruit would be cranberries, blueberries, cherries, plums, limes, lemons, gooseberries, boysenberries, strawberries, oranges, and raspberries. All fruit or vegetable or the like need not be listed to be encompassed herein and many other types of individually frozen foods are contemplated but listing would be too exhausting.
A person with ordinary skill in the art of packaging or shipping would instantly recognize the many areas with which the present disclosure would be useful, particularly with storing, transporting and uniformly freezing said material, if desired. Continuing, the shipping container complete with the Modular Channel Panel and material therein is brought within a fan circulated freezer room. Fan circulated freezer room is a term used herein as the area with which the material is to be frozen or prepped for transportation. The material may then sit for a period until ready to be transported to another location. Water may be sprayed upon the material to clean it, with the excess water draining out by way of the previously mentioned channels on the modular panels. Further, air may be pushed through the channels by way of air supply lines or the like in order to ensure debris and undersized material is moved out of the channels, and to encourage uniform air and temperature reaching the center masses of material.
It is presently understood and specifically contemplated that this disclosure will lend itself to be utilized as permanent fixtures within shipping crates. Shipping crates are generally thought of as open boxes, wherein they comprise a front end, a back end, plurality of side ends, and a bottom end. A top end may be provided in some circumstances but is generally removable or have the capacity to open and reveal the volume therein. Thus, the Modular Channel Panel, or Modular Channel Panels as the case may be, can be formed or otherwise attached within the shipping crate for permanence.
Alternatively, the Modular Channel Panel may be deployed as a temporary fixture within standard shipping crates or other packaging containers. In such a fashion, the Modular Channel Panel is removable and can be inserted or placed within said packaging container prior to receiving material therein. After the transportation, freezing, or at a time determined feasible by a human user, the Modular Channel Panel may be removed and the material can then meld, merge, or amalgamate together.
To assist with the removal of the Modular Channel Panel while material is present, a panel opening, or a multitude thereof, is contemplated. These panel openings act as handles to carry the panels and can be used as attachment points for a gripping device such as a human hand, or mechanically, such as by way of a forklift. Thus, it is presently thought that a circular handle hole, of which is reinforced, may be used. To assist with a forklift, a plurality of openings near the corners of the top end of the panel and a plurality of openings near the bottom end of the panel may be used, such that the panels can be quickly stacked and moved. In such a manner, the Modular Channel Panel, or Modular Channel Panels, within a shipping container surrounded by material can be more easily removed therefrom, as well as more easily stored and transported.
The Modular Channel Panels may be stored in unison by way of stacking. To assist with the stacking, upon each panel a plurality of indent buttons may be provided. These indent buttons are on one of the panel faces, and on the opposing face indent receivers are provided. The receivers are known as a recessed portion, wherein the indent buttons of the opposing face wall of another panel can mate. This allows for ease of stacking, and thus many panels can be moved with a single forklift by positioning the forks of the forklift through the panel forks openings.
These and various other features, advantages, modes, and objects of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and any appended drawings.
One or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which:
Before explaining one or more embodiments of the disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited in its application to the details or modes of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or previously disclosed illustrations. This invention is capable of multiple embodiments and modes, which can be practiced or carried out in many various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description, and should not be regarded as limiting, or used as an absolute.
Referring now to the drawings in detail,
Similarly, the bottom wall 40 has a lowered angle V-Cut 120, where the lower V-Cut side walls 116 create an angled portion. Within the lower angle V-Cut 120 is an open slot 60, extending from the bottom wall 40 upwardly to a point now as the slot wall 70, which defines the area of the open slot 60. As will be shown and appreciated later, the open slot 60 allows for mating of panels 20.
The raised projections 100 upon the panel 20 extend beyond the face wall 90, creating a raised projection width 130. The raised projections 100 are shown in a grid pattern, or a crosshatch pattern, of which creates both a uniform horizontal channel 155, as well as a uniform vertical channel 150. The raised projection width 130 may be increased or decreased, which in turn creates a deeper or shallower vertical channel 150 or horizontal channel 155, for ease of air to travel therethrough.
Near both the top wall 30 and the bottom wall 40 are a plurality of panel fork openings 80. These reinforced fork openings 80 allow for the ingress and egress of forklift forks for the ease of transportation. Additionally, the fork openings 80 may allow for placement and removal of panel 10 by hand or hook.
Also located near both the top wall 30 and the bottom wall 40 are a plurality of circular indent receivers 85. These indented portions coincide with the circular indent buttons 86 as shown in
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As defined herein, a channel is the portion between raised projections 100, which will allow for product, air, water, or the like to flow through and around the raised projections 100. However, preferably the channel is of such width, height, and depth such that debris and most of the material which may be contained within a shipping container 160 cannot ingress. Instead, air is allowed to travel along the channels for ease of freezing or circulation within the chambers.
As is appreciated by those with skill in the art, particularly the art of shipping or packaging, the farther the raised projections 100 are placed from each other, the wider the vertical channel 150 and horizontal channel 155 width shall become.
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Understandably, the present Modular Channel Panel 10 has been described above in terms of one or more preferred embodiments or models. It is recognized that various alternatives and modifications may be made to these embodiments and methods that are within the scope of the present invention. Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention. It is also to be understood that, although the foregoing description and drawings describe and illustrate in detail one or more preferred embodiments of the Modular Channel Panel 10, to those skilled in the art of which this invention relates, the present disclosure will suggest many modifications, models, and constructions, as well as widely differing embodiments and applications without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
