초록 ▼

A shipping tray for bottles or other such fragile vessels suitably containing liquids therein employs a two-sided configuration with bottle receiving cradles and top and bottom stop members to prevent the bottle from sliding out of the tray. Shock absorbing members are provided about the perimeter o

A shipping tray for bottles or other such fragile vessels suitably containing liquids therein employs a two-sided configuration with bottle receiving cradles and top and bottom stop members to prevent the bottle from sliding out of the tray. Shock absorbing members are provided about the perimeter of the tray, as well as a perimeter groove. Indentations at spaced locations on the tray perimeter function as shock absorbing spring members, and further allow displaced air to escape as the tray is lowered into a close fitting carton. The indentations further provide grip access to enable easy removal of a tray from within a close fitting carton. Both sides of a tray are functional, such that a series of trays may be packed with bottles with the trays in top side up or bottom side up configurations. A stack of trays nest together when not in use, for compact storage. When configured to receive wine bottles, the tray accepts multiple bottle shapes therein with adequate protection to each bottle style. The tray includes depressable stop members, which may be removed or depressed out of the plane of the bottle, to provide a longer bottle receiving portion. Multiple bottle configurations are thereby accommodated.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wine bottle shipping tray for receiving and protecting a wine bottle during shipping in a carton comprising:a first bottle receiving portion on a first side of said shipping tray for receiving a wine bottle therein;wherein said first bottle receiving portion includes a first shoulder abutting m

1. A wine bottle shipping tray for receiving and protecting a wine bottle during shipping in a carton comprising:a first bottle receiving portion on a first side of said shipping tray for receiving a wine bottle therein;wherein said first bottle receiving portion includes a first shoulder abutting member for abutting against a shoulder portion of the wine bottle, said shoulder abutting member comprising first and second concave up shoulder cradle members in spaced relation to one another for receiving first and second portions of the bottle shoulder, a gap being defined between a lower region of said first shoulder cradle member and a lower region of said second shoulder cradle member and a saddle member defined in the gap between said first and second shoulder cradle members for urging a second wine bottle out of a first plane of the shipping tray as said second bottle moves in a direction across said saddle member. 2. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1 wherein said first plane is defined relative to a second side of said shipping tray. 3. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1 wherein said first bottle receiving portion is located on a first side of the tray and wherein said tray includes a second side comprising:a second bottle receiving portion oriented to receive a wine bottle therein in a non-coplanar relation relative to a bottle received in said first bottle receiving portion. 4. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 3 wherein said second bottle receiving portion is aligned to receive a bottle with a neck portion of a bottle as received by said second bottle receiving portion being oriented substantially 180 degrees out of phase relative to a neck portion of a bottle as received by said first bottle receiving portion. 5. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1 further comprising a perimeter stiffener portion extending along at least a portion of the perimeter of the tray. 6. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 5 further comprising flexing means positioned adjacent at least portions of the perimeter for flexing under shock for absorbing said shock while maintaining the integrity of the perimeter portion. 7. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1 wherein said first bottle receiving portion comprises at least one arcuate rib member defining a concavity for receiving the bottle therein. 8. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 7 wherein said rib member has a well formed therein extending away from a first plane of the shipping tray in a direction away from the bottle, said well defining a bottle top stop member on a second face of the tray. 9. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 8 wherein said well further defines a support foot at the second side of said tray for providing support to said tray relative to a planar surface. 10. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 7 wherein said rib member has a valley formed adjacent thereto, said valley defining a rib portion on the second side of the tray. 11. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1 further comprising at least one progressively failing shock absorber positioned between a perimeter of the tray and said first stop means. 12. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1 wherein said tray comprises molded fiber. 13. A shipping protection arrangement employing at least two wine bottle shipping trays according to claim 3 comprising:a first one of said at least two wine bottle shipping trays positioned with one of said first or second sides adjacent a wine bottle in either said first or second wine bottle receiving portion of said first tray; anda second one of said at least two wine bottle shipping trays positioned with one of said first or second sides adjacent the wine bottle in either said first or second wine bottle receiving portion of said second tray. 14. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1 further comprising at least one anti-nesting member for preve nting excessive nesting of the shipping tray relative to a second shipping tray. 15. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 3 wherein said saddle member comprises a hump member which corresponds to a region of change of inflection in said saddle member. 16. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1, wherein said saddle member comprises a concave down saddle member. 17. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 1, further comprising a variable position stop for enabling adjustment of the location of a bottle stop point and wherein said variable position stop comprises a removable member, which is adapted to be deformed so as to be out of an engaging position with a bottle bottom wall. 18. A wine bottle shipping tray for receiving and protecting wine bottles during shipping in a carton comprising:a first concave up shoulder cradle member;a second concave up shoulder cradle member, said first and second should cradle members being in spaced relation to one another for receiving first and second portions of a shoulder portion of a first wine bottle, a trough being defined between a lower region of said first shoulder cradle member and a lower region of said second shoulder cradle member; anda concave down saddle member defined in the trough between said first and second shoulder cradle members for urging a second wine bottle out of a first plane of the shipping tray as said bottle moves in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the wine bottle. 19. A wine bottle shipping tray for receiving and protecting wine bottles during shipping comprising:a bottle shoulder receiving cradle having left and right side curved bottle shoulder receiving portions for receiving and cradling a first wine bottle therein, a spaced region between said left and right side portions defining an absence of said bottle receiving shoulder portions;a bottle shoulder engaging member positioned in the spaced region having a portion for contacting a shoulder portion of a second wine bottle. 20. A wine bottle shipping tray according to claim 19, wherein said bottle shoulder engaging portion is curved with an opposite concavity of said bottle shoulder receiving cradle. 21. A bottle shipping protector having a first and second faces at opposite sides thereof, for engaging and protecting plural bottles during shipping, comprising:at least one arcuate cradle member for receiving a bottle body portion therein at a first face of said shipping protector;a hollow member formed in said arcuate cradle member, extending away from said cradle member in a direction away from said first face, wherein said hollow member thereby defines a bottle top stop member at said second face, said bottle top stop member providing a surface against which a top face of a bottle will engage to inhibit movement of the bottle in a lateral direction beyond said stop member. 22. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 21, wherein said bottle shipping protector is formed of molded fiber. 23. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 21, wherein said hollow member is formed as a tapered well in said cradle member. 24. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 21, wherein said hollow member further operates as a foot member relative to said second face. 25. A bottle shipping protector having a first and second faces at opposite sides thereof, for engaging and protecting plural bottles during shipping, comprising:at least one bottle receiving member for receiving a bottle body portion therein at a first face of said shipping protector;a hollow well member formed in said shipping protector relative to the first face thereof and extending in a direction away from said first face toward said second face, wherein said hollow well member defines a bottle top stop member at said second face, said bottle top stop member providing a surface against which a top face of a bottle will engage to inhibit movement of the bottle in a lateral direction beyond said stop member. 26. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 25, wherein said bottle shipping protector is formed of molded fiber. 27. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 25, wherein said hollow well member is formed in said at least one bottle receiving member. 28. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 25, wherein said hollow well member further operates as a foot member relative to said second face. 29. A bottle shipping protector having an upper and lower face, for engaging and protecting plural bottles during shipping, comprising:a bottle receiving portion defined relative to the upper face for receiving a bottle body portion of a first bottle therein;a bottle receiving portion defined relative to the lower face for receiving a bottle body portion of a second bottle therein;a downwardly extending well portion formed relative to said upper face defining a stop member relative to said lower face, said bottle top stop member providing a surface against which a topmost portion of the second bottle will engage to inhibit movement of the second bottle beyond said surface in a lateral direction relative to the length of the bottle. 30. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 29, wherein said bottle shipping protector is formed of molded fiber. 31. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 29, wherein said well member is formed as a hollow in said bottle receiving portion. 32. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 29, wherein said well member further operates as a foot member relative to said lower face. 33. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 29, wherein said bottle receiving portion comprises:a bottle end receiving portion for cooperating with the bottom end of said first bottle;a bottle central receiving portion for cooperating with a central region of a body of said first bottle;a bottle shoulder receiving portion for cooperating with a shoulder region of said first bottle; anda bottle top receiving portion for cooperating with a top region of said first bottle. 34. A bottle shipping protector according to 33 , further comprising a channel member extending beyond an end of said bottle top cradle in a direction away from said bottle receiving portion. 35. A bottle shipping protector according to claim 29, wherein said bottle receiving portion comprises:a bottle top cradle for cooperating with a top region of said first bottle; anda channel extending beyond an end of said bottle top cradle in a direction away from said bottle receiving portion.