Patent Application
20100089930
The present invention relates generally to perishables shipping boxes, such as for transporting fresh flowers and the like to different markets.
Many kinds of perishables shipping boxes, packages, containers and the like (the terms being used interchangeably throughout the specification and claims) are known and used in the industry. There are many problems encountered in shipment of perishables, such as cut flowers, foliage, fruits and other agricultural produce (the terms being used interchangeably throughout the specification and claims), so that the goods arrive at their destination in fresh condition after transportation and handling. For example, the perishables must be securely held during shipment to avoid damage thereto. Concerns regarding temperature and aeration (air flow or ventilation) are just some of the many other problems.
The present invention seeks to provide a novel perishables shipping box for holding and transporting perishables, as is described more in detail hereinbelow.
There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a perishables shipping box including a plurality of panels constructed of a foamed material joined with a fabric material, the panels including a cover, four side panels and a bottom panel attached to one another to form a box, wherein for two of the side panels the foamed material has at least one open window and the fabric material is porous including a multiplicity of vent holes such that air flows through the vent holes and the at least one window.
The foamed and fabric materials may be made of identical plastic materials. For example, the foamed and fabric materials may be made of polypropylene. The foamed and fabric materials may be fully recyclable materials.
The foamed material may be constructed of an array of strengthening ribs.
The two side panels with the at least one open window and the vent holes may be parallel to each other.
The fabric material may be joined to just one side or both sides of the foamed material.
The flat weft threads of the fabric material twists upon forced entry of chilled air through the vent holes and twists back upon termination of forced entry of chilled air through the vent holes.
The perishables shipping box may include a securing element that cooperates with a ratchet mechanism mounted on side panels of the box for securing perishables in the box. The securing element may include an elongate bar with a pair of resilient, pivoting clamps at ends of the bar, each of the clamps pivoting about a pivot pin and including a tooth and a release handle, wherein the tooth catches with the ratchet mechanism.
There is also provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a method for shipping perishables in a shipping box including placing perishables in a box that includes a plurality of panels constructed of a foamed material joined with a fabric material, the panels including a cover, four side panels and a bottom panel attached to one another to form the box, wherein for two of the side panels the foamed material has at least one open window and the fabric material may be porous including a multiplicity of vent holes such that air flows through the vent holes and the at least one window.
The method may further include modularly attaching one of the boxes with another of the boxes, and/or modularly attaching additional panels to the box to increase a size of the box.
The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
Reference is now made to
Perishables shipping box 10 includes a plurality of panels 12 constructed of a foamed material 14 joined with a fabric material 16. For example, the foamed material may be foamed molded polypropylene (PP) and the fabric material may be woven or non-woven PP fabric. The foamed material provides carrying strength for bearing the weight of the box and its contents, whereas the fabric material provides tensile strength to provide stiffness and pulling strength. It is noted that the foamed material and the fabric material can be the same material, e.g., PP, or can be different materials, e.g., foamed polyethylene or polyurethane and PP fabric.
The term “joined” encompasses any method for attaching the foamed material and fabric together, such as but not limited to, in-molding, ultrasonic welding, thermal bonding, adhesive bonding and others. The combination of materials provides a significant reduction in weight over prior art cardboard or carton boxes. Thus, one of the advantages of the present invention over the prior art is significant savings in air freight and handling costs, which are calculated as a function of weight, without compromising on the strength of the box.
Another advantage is the box 10 can be produced from fully recyclable materials, thereby enhancing the “green” factor. The construction can also prevent heating from direct sunlight, when a sun reflecting fabric is used. The box 10 can be re-used many times, thereby reducing costs to the grower per use. The boxes can be conveniently and easily stacked for handling in pallets, thereby providing significant savings in handling, storage and transportation.
It is noted that in the art of packing and transporting perishables, the perishables are generally cooled to prolong shelf-life. Rapid cooling of perishables is typically used, which involves either forced-air cooling or vacuum cooling or a combination of both. Hot air given off by the perishables is drawn out of the box and fresh, chilled air is introduced into the box. In the prior art, the exchange of hot and cold air flows through holes in the cardboard. In the present invention, the flow is through vent holes 24.
An advantage of the present invention over the prior art is that the flat weft threads of the fabric material 16 tend to twist (that is, the diameter of the vent holes increases) upon forced entry of chilled air (thereby enabling rapid entry of the chilled air), but twist back afterwards (that is, after termination of forced air flow) to make the porosity of the vent holes 24 smaller than the holes of the prior art. The result is that for rapid cooling the total area available for chilled air flow through vent holes 24 is the same as or greater than the area of the holes of the prior art (thereby achieving a rapid time for cooling), but the area is significantly less than the prior art (thereby achieving a longer time for cooling loss) during storage and transportation, thereby prolonging shelf-life.
The end panel 20 may include a handle 26, which may be molded as a continuous unitary piece extending from ribs 18. As seen more in detail in
Reference is now made to
The locking closure may include a latch 37 that moves (e.g., slides) across an edge or surface of the cover (denoted by numeral 39). The locking closure with the cover does not warp or bend under the effects of temperature or stress. Latch 37 has an L-shaped groove 41 formed therein. Latch 37 has an unlocked position and a locked position, which may be indicated by indicia on the latch (e.g., by arrows and pictures of a lock that is either locked or unlocked, as shown in
A variety of fabrics may be used, such as but not limited to, reflecting material, closely-spaced or loosely-spaced warp and weft threads (to control the amount of air circulation), fire-resistant, moisture resistant and many more. Different colors may be used for grade marking or distinguishing between different perishables. Advertising may be easily printed on or molded into the panels.
Reference is now made to
The securing element 40 includes an elongate bar 44 with a pair of resilient, pivoting clamps 46 at ends of the bar 44 (
Reference is now made to
Additional aspects of the invention include the possibility of adding a lining (joined by any of the above methods) to the exterior of the box to give additional strength and improved insulation without a significant increase in the weight of the box. The use of securing elements 40 may allow the box to be used without a lid, thereby achieving additional weight and costs savings. The modularity of the box enables joining two or three (or more) boxes together side by side, creating a double or triple (or more) box. The assembly can be joined to a special leg attachments, and may serve as a pallet for bulk height saving.
The scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.
