The present invention relates to a tray for shipping and displaying goods, particularly bread and other bakery items.
Bread loaves and other bakery items are typically shipped in trays having one or more diverse designs. One type of tray may be of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,163. This tray has two opposed higher profile side walls, and also two opposed generally lower profile side walls from which the bread may be retrieved. This tray includes bail members for allowing the trays to nest together when empty, and also to allow the trays to stack in one or two positions to accommodate the height of the product inside. Still another prior art tray is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,902 which discloses a multi-level bakery tray which utilizes a feet and pocket system in order to allow similar trays to nest and stack together in various orientations. While such trays are certainly functional, they may unduly limit a user's access to the product stored and transported on the trays.
A tray for bakery items includes a floor and first and second pairs of side walls extending around a periphery of the floor. One or more side walls includes a relatively large continuous opening therein capable of retrieving bakery items stored in the tray through the at least one pair of side walls, the opening extending generally from a relatively thin upper edge to the periphery of the floor. The floor includes a handle recess around its outer edge for providing lifting access to a user.
In one embodiment, a bail member is pivotably attached to the upper edge along at least one of the first and second pairs of side walls. The bail member is rotatable between a stack orientation wherein a like tray may be nested upon the bail member, and a nest orientation in which the tray may be nested within a like tray. The bail member includes a stop portion extending from its lateral edge for maintaining the bail member in the stack orientation. The tray has corner portions defined by an inner portion projecting into the tray, its corresponding outer recess, wherein when in the nest orientation, the outer recess of an upper tray receives the inner portion of a lower tray. The inner portion of the tray corner includes an upper surface upon which rests a lateral stop portion of a bail arm for maintaining the tray in the stack orientation.
In another embodiment, at least one of the sidewalls is pivotably attached to the floor and is movable between an upright position and a collapsed position. The other side walls adjacent the at least one movable side wall each includes a lateral edge having a rounded corner portion.
Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
A tray 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in the perspective view of
Floor 12 also includes a drag rail 31 on its under surface which is offset slightly inwardly from the floor edges 13, 15, 17, 19.
In use, tray 10 allows full access to the contents inside. As shown in
As further shown in the stack orientation of
In order to maximize the size of openings 24 in the walls, the walls have a relatively thin upper edge 30 extending across a central portion of its corresponding side or end wall. While it may be formed of many different materials, including plastic or metal, the upper edge for greater strength may also be formed of metal, such as steel rod, which is bent and held in place within each corresponding side wall, which may be molded-in or applied in a post-molding process, as appropriate.
In the drawings, the upper edge 30 of tray 10 is a metal ring 35 around the upper perimeter thereof that attaches to corner portions 32, 34, 36, and 38. The ring is mounted to the comers of tray 10 by a retaining tab 41. Attached to the ring 35 along each side of the tray is a bail member 44, shown as a planar flap 45. The bail member 44 is pivotable about the ring through approximately 270° of travel. As shown in the nest orientation of
Bail members 44 also include a stop member 46 extending from their outboard lateral edges, as shown in
In
Tray 10 is also able to slide upon a similar tray to achieve the stacked position of
A tray 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in the perspective view of
Along its side edges 113, 115, floor 112 includes a low profile central projection 121 extending upwardly into opening 124 and on either side of the projection 121, the floor edge 113, 115 is generally coplanar with the upper surface of floor 112. The end edges 117,119 of the floor 112 include a similar central projection 123, bordered on either side by a slightly raised lip 127. Floor 112 also includes a drag rail 131 on its under surface which is offset inwardly from the side and end edges 113, 115, 117, 119.
When in the assembled position of
As further shown in
As shown in
In order to maximize the size of openings 124 in the walls, the walls have a relatively thin upper edge 130 extending across a central portion of its corresponding side or end wall. In end walls 114, 118, the upper edge 130 extends between its lateral rounded corner portions 132, 134, 136 and 138. The upper edge 130 may be integrally formed of plastic, but for greater strength may also be formed of metal, such as steel rod, which is bent and held in place within each corresponding side wall, which may be molded-in or applied in a post-molding process, as appropriate.
When assembled as in
Trays 10, 110 will preferably be formed via injection molding or other suitable process from a suitable plastic material, such as HDPE, but may also be formed of any number of materials such as polypropylene or polycarbonate for example.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2005/024286 | 7/7/2005 | WO | 00 | 10/17/2007 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/014593 | 2/9/2006 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3149748 | Hare et al. | Sep 1964 | A |
5494163 | Apps | Feb 1996 | A |
5495945 | Apps et al. | Mar 1996 | A |
6253948 | Ficker | Jul 2001 | B1 |
6581771 | McDade | Jun 2003 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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1 200 498 | Jul 1970 | GB |
1 439 064 | Jun 1976 | GB |
WO 9749613 | Dec 1997 | WO |
WO 0206128 | Jan 2002 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20080164175 A1 | Jul 2008 | US |