IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0780073
(2001-02-09)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
16 인용 특허 :
30 |
초록
▼
A light weight low depth nestable tray for containers comprising an open lattice floor structure and a wall structure that is contoured to reduce the amount of material used for the tray. The wall structure comprises a plurality of columns interconnecting the floor to a band that is generally spaced
A light weight low depth nestable tray for containers comprising an open lattice floor structure and a wall structure that is contoured to reduce the amount of material used for the tray. The wall structure comprises a plurality of columns interconnecting the floor to a band that is generally spaced above the floor and extends around the periphery. The band is contoured at a number of points along the periphery of the tray to reduce the number of columns as compared to the prior art trays which generally have columns at each of the corners and along the end walls and side walls. The reduction in the number of columns reduces the weight of the tray and therefore is more economical. The contour is V-shaped and the band actually connects directly to the floor at those points. The contoured wall structure provides a lighter tray that can be stacked, nested and handled in the same way as prior trays and while maintaining the structural integrity of the bulkier, heavier trays.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A low depth nestable tray for containers, said tray a floor structure with a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface, and a plurality of container support areas on the floor top surface, wherein the improvements comprise: a low depth wall structure comprising a plurality of
What is claimed is: 1. A low depth nestable tray for containers, said tray a floor structure with a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface, and a plurality of container support areas on the floor top surface, wherein the improvements comprise: a low depth wall structure comprising a plurality of columns arranged along the periphery of the floor structure, and further comprising a band having side and end portions spaced above the floor structure and connected to the floor structure by said columns to form a unitary construction, wherein said band is contoured downwardly to form a band corner portion that directly connects to the floor structure at each corner of said tray, and wherein an uppermost edge of the corresponding band corner portion is an uppermost surface of the wall structure at the corresponding band corner portion and wherein the upper edge of the band corner portion is below uppermost surfaces of the side and end portions. 2. The tray of claim 1, wherein each said band corner portion is formed whereby one said side portion of said band is contoured downwardly and one said end portion is contoured downwardly so as to converge together. 3. The tray of claim 2, further comprising a rib on an exterior surface of each said band corner portion, and platform formed at a top edge of each said band corner portion to support the rib of an above-nested tray. 4. The tray of claim 1, wherein said band is contoured downwardly at an angle of approximately 50째. 5. The tray of claim 1, wherein said band is also contoured downwardly along the side of said tray to form a band side detail that connects to the floor structure at the side of said tray. 6. A low depth nestable tray for containers, said tray having a floor structure with a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface, and a plurality of container support areas on the floor top surface, wherein the improvements comprise: a low depth wall structure comprising a plurality of columns arranged generally perpendicularly to the floor structure along the periphery of the floor structure, and further comprising a band having side and end portions spaced above the floor structure and connected to the floor structure by said columns to form a unitary construction, wherein said band includes parallel portions generally parallel to the floor structure and is contoured downwardly along the side portions between the parallel portions to form a band central portion that directly connects to the floor structure at the side portions of said tray. 7. The tray of claim 6, wherein said band central portion has a top edge for contacting and supporting a mating bottom edge of the band central portion of a like tray nested thereabove and wherein the top edge of the band central portion is the uppermost surface of the wall structure at the band central portion. 8. The tray of claim 6, wherein said band is contoured downwardly at an angle of approximately 50째 to form said band central portion. 9. The tray of claim 6, wherein the band also contours downwardly to form a band corner portion attached to the floor structure. 10. The tray of claim 9, further comprising a rib formed on an exterior surface of at least one band corner portion, and a platform formed at an upper edge of a corresponding band corner portion for supporting the rib of an adjacent above-nested tray, and wherein an uppermost edge of the corresponding band corner portion is an uppermost surface of the wall structure at the corresponding band corner portion and wherein the upper edge of the band corner portion is below uppermost surfaces of the side and end portions. 11. The tray of claim 6, wherein each column has an inner column surface which projects inward, and an outer column surface of an adjacent below-nested tray. 12. The tray of claim 6, wherein the band has a substantially planar inner surface. 13. A low depth nestable tray for container, having a floor structure with a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface, and a plurality of container support areas on the floor top surface, wherein the improvements comprise: a low depth wall structure comprising a plurality of columns arranged along the periphery of the floor structure, and further comprising a band having side and end portions spaced above the floor structure and connected to the floor structure by said columns to form a unitary construction, wherein said band is contoured downwardly along the side portions to form a band side detail that directly connects to the floor surface at the side portions of said tray, and wherein an uppermost edge of the band side detail is an uppermost surface of the wall structure at the band side detail and wherein the upper edge of the band side detail at each band side detail is below an uppermost surface of the side and end portions of the band. 14. The tray of claim 13, wherein one of the side portions of the band is contoured downwardly and one of the end portions of the band is contoured downwardly so as to converge together to define a band corner portion. 15. The tray of claim 14, wherein the band corner portion is integrally attached to the floor structure at each corner of the tray. 16. The tray of claim 13, wherein each column each column has an inner column surface which projects inward, and an outer column surface which is recessed inward to receive therein the inner column surface of an adjacent below-nested 17. The tray of claim 13, further comprising a rib formed on an exterior surface of at least one band corner portion, and a platform formed at an upper edge of a corresponding band corner portion for supporting a rib of an adjacent above-nested tray. 18. The tray of claim 13, wherein the band side detail is centrally disposed along the length of the side wall. 19. The tray of claim 1, wherein the band has a substantially planar inner surface. 20. The tray of claim 1, wherein each column has an inner column surface which projects inward, and an outer column surface which is recessed inward to receive therein the inner column surface of an adjacent below-nested tray. 21. The tray of claim 13 wherein said band side detail has a top edge for contacting and supporting a mating bottom edge of the band side detail of a like tray nested thereabove. 22. A low depth nestable tray for containers comprising: a floor structure with a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface, and a plurality of container support areas on the floor top surface; a low depth wall structure comprising a plurality of cloumns generally transvers to the floor structure and arranged along the periphyery of the floor structure, and further comprising a band having side and end portions spaced above the floor structure, the band connected to the floor structure by said columns, and wherein theband is contoured downwardly to form a band corner portion that directly connects to the floor structure at each corner of the tray, wherein a top surface of the band at the band corner portion is the uppermost surface of the tray at the band corner portion to contact and support a like tray nested thereabove. 23. The tray of claim 22 wherein parallel portions of the band, generally parallel to the floor structure, extend between at least two of the plurality of columns. 24. The tray of claim 22 wherein the top surface of the band is contoured downwardly to form the band corner portion. 25. The tray of claim 22, further comprising a rib on an exterior surface of each band corner portion, the top surface of each band corner portion positioned to contact and support the rib of the avove nested tray. 26. The tray of claim 22 wherein the band includes side parallel portions and end parallel portions generally perpendicular to the side parallel portions, and wherein each band corner portion is between one of the side parallel portions and one of the end parallel portions. 27. The tray of claim 26 wherein an uppermost surface of the wall structure at each of the band corner portions is disposed below the plane of the parallel portions. 28. The tray of claim 27 wherein an uppermost surface of the band is the uppermost surface of the tray at the parallel portions and at the band conrer portions.
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