초록 ▼

A tray for storing and transporting a plurality of cylindrically-shaped articles, such as beverage containers, in a stable, upright position is provided. The tray is comprised of a bottom member and four walls extending upwardly therefrom and interconnected to form an enclosure for receiving the art

A tray for storing and transporting a plurality of cylindrically-shaped articles, such as beverage containers, in a stable, upright position is provided. The tray is comprised of a bottom member and four walls extending upwardly therefrom and interconnected to form an enclosure for receiving the articles. Each of the four walls has cooperating pairs of structural members extending inwardly therefrom to define respective recessed regions therebetween. Each of the cooperating pairs of structural members contacts a corresponding one of the articles at respective positions on the curved surfaces thereof so that a predetermined portion of each article is received within the corresponding recessed region and a portion of the curved surface of the article is in contact with the corresponding wall within the recessed region. At leasts a portion of each wall is angled outwardly with respect to a vertical axis to provide a predetermined draft angle to facilitate the loading of articles into the tray and to allow a plurality of trays to be nested together. The tray is preferably comprised of a lightweight plastic material formed by a conventional thermoforming process to provide a cost effective, returnable storage and transport tray.

대표청구항 ▼

A tray for storing a plurality of substantially cylindrically-shaped articles in a substantially upright position, said tray comprising: a bottom member, a pair of oppositely positioned first and second side walls extending longitudinally along said tray and a pair of oppositely positioned first and

A tray for storing a plurality of substantially cylindrically-shaped articles in a substantially upright position, said tray comprising: a bottom member, a pair of oppositely positioned first and second side walls extending longitudinally along said tray and a pair of oppositely positioned first and second end walls extending transversely across said tray, interconnected to provide an enclosure for receiving said articles; a first set of rib members extending vertically at least partially along the height of the first side wall, transversely across said bottom member and vertically at least partially along the height of the second side wall; second and third sets of rib members extending vertically at least partially along the heights of the respective first and second end walls and partially inwardly along said bottom member and terminating at respective intersections on said bottom member with respective ones of said first set of rib members which are closest to the respective first and second end walls; and each of the rib members in the first, second and third sets of rib members for cooperating with at least one other rib member in the same set of rib members to define a corresponding recessed region between each cooperating pair of rib members, the rib members of each cooperating pair for contacting a corresponding one of said articles at respective positions on the curved surface thereof so that a predetermined portion of the article is received within the corresponding recessed region, thereby retaining the articles in a substantially upright position within the tray.