Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02751182 2011-08-31
NESTABLE CONTAINER
BACKGROUND
Nestable trays with pivotable support arms are well known. Generally, the
trays are
nestable within one another when empty for efficient storage and shipping. A
pair of supports
or bails can be pivoted to a position over the floor of the tray so that a
similar tray can be
supported thereon. In this manner trays can be stacked when there are goods
stored in the
trays.
Some trays having supports that are movable to more than one height, so that
the trays
can be stacked more efficiently when they are only partially full. In some of
these multi-
height trays, the supports are only supported on a single thickness wall,
which may not be
sufficient under a stack of fully-loaded trays.
SUMMARY
A tray according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a base
wall and
a plurality of walls extending upward from the base. Supports are pivotable
between a nesting
position, where an identical container can be nested in the container, and a
stack position,
where a container can be stacked on the container. The supports are supported
on multiple
points on each side wall of the trays, so that the load is distributed more
evenly.
In another, optional feature, at least one support has a support bar and
projection
defining a first support recess between the projection and the support bar.
One of the corner
edges adjacent the elongated recess of an identical container receivable in
the first support
recess on the support bar when the identical container is stacked on the
container
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tray according to one embodiment of the
present
invention with the supports in the nesting or home position.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the supports of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view of the support of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a front view of the support of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a side view, partially broken away of the tray of Figure 1.
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Figure 6 is a perspective view of the tray of Figure 1 with the supports in a
high stack
position.
Figure 7 is a side view, partially broken away, of the tray of Figure 6 with
an identical
tray stacked thereon.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the tray of Figure 1 with the supports in a
mid-stack
position.
Figure 9 is a side view, partially broken away, of the tray of Figure 8 with
an identical
tray stacked thereon.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the tray of Figure 1 with the supports in a
low stack
position.
Figure 11 is a side view, partially broken away, of the tray of Figure 10 with
an
identical tray stacked thereon.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the tray of Figure 1 with an identical tray
nested
therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A nestable container 10 according to one embodiment is shown in Figure 1. The
container 10 generally includes a base wall 12, opposed side walls 14 and
opposed end walls
16. A support 18 (or bail) is pivotably and slidably mounted to the side walls
14 adjacent each
end wall 16. The side walls 14 and end walls 16 each include an upper wall
portion 20 and a
lower wall portion 22. The upper wall portions 20 of the side walls 14 each
include an outer
wall portion 24 and an inner wall portion 25, spaced inwardly from the outer
wall portion 24.
The outer wall portion 24 is spaced outwardly of the lower wall portion 22 to
form a lip along
the periphery of the container 10.
An upper support surface 40 is formed in the inner wall portion 25 adjacent
each end
wall 16. A lower support surface 42 is formed below and outward of the upper
support
surface 40. A middle support surface 41 is formed between the upper support
surface 40 and
the lower support surface 42.
The support 18 is pivotable and slidable among a plurality of positions,
including the
home/nest position shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 12, in the home or
nest position,
an identical container 10' can be nested fully in the container 10 (i.e. the
lower wall portion of
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the upper container is fully or nearly fully received within the side walls 14
and end walls 16
of the lower container 10).
The support 18 is shown in more detail in Figures 2-4. As shown, the support
18
includes a support bar 26 connected at each end to one end of a support arm
28. The opposite
end of each support arm 28 includes a pivot pin 30 protruding outwardly and a
first projecting
portion 32 projecting laterally relative to the support arm 28 and the support
bar 26. A second
projecting portion 33 proximate the pivot pin 30 projects generally in the
same direction as the
first projecting portion 32, although to a lesser distance. A recess 34 is
defined between the
first projection portion 32 and the second projection portion 33. The support
bar 26 has an
elongated dovetail projection 36 extending substantially along the length of
the support bar
26, but not completely to the arms 28. The dovetail projection 36 is oriented
with the narrow
end against the support bar 26, giving the support bar 26 a keyhole shaped
cross-section.
As shown in Figure 5, each pivot pin 30 is slidably and pivotably received in
an
elongated opening 48 slanted downwardly inwardly in the outer wall portion 24.
In Figure 5,
the support 18 is shown in the nest or "home" position. In the home position,
the support bar
26 is received on lower outer support surfaces 44, outward of the lower
portion 22 of the end
wall 16 and outward of the base wall 12 (Figure 1), such that the lower
portion 22 of the side
walls 14 and end walls 16 of an identical container 10 could be nested in the
container 10. In
this position, the hinge pins 30 are slid to a mid-position in the opening 48.
In Figures 6 and 7, the support 18 is pivoted and slid to a high stack
position.
Referring to Figure 7, the first projecting portion 32 is supported on a
secondary support
surface 43 on the side wall 14. The support bar 26 is supported on the upper
support surface
40, which rotates the dovetail projection 36 toward the interior and downward
of the container
10 (approximately 7 or 8 o'clock). The support bar 26 is received partially in
a lower channel
50' in an underside of the base 12', generally toward an interior side of the
channel 50. An
edge of the channel 50' is received in the recess between the dovetail
projection 36 and the
support bar 26 thereby further improving the support of the upper container
10'. In this
position, the base 12' of the upper container 10' is at a maximum distance
from the base 12 of
the lower container 10, thus providing the most volume for goods within the
container 10.
The weight of the upper container 10' and its contents is distributed by the
support 18 to both
the upper support surfaces 40 and the secondary support surface 43, as well as
to the outer
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wall portion 24 below the pivot pin 30 and the elongated opening 48. The
second support
surface 43 is inward of the support bar 26, and the pivot pin 30 is outward of
the support bar
26, providing triangulated distribution of the load on the support bar 26.
Referring to Figure 7, a rear secondary support surface 52 is defined on a
projection
formed between the outer wall portion 24 and the inner wall portion 25 below
the elongated
opening 48.
In Figures 8 and 9, the supports 18 are moved to a mid-stack position.
Referring to
Figure 9, the support bars 26 are supported on the middle support surfaces 41,
while the
tapered projections 36 are rotated downward. The rear secondary support
surface 52 is
received in the recess 34 of the support 18 between the first projecting
portion 32 and the
second projecting portion 33. Thus, the load from the upper container 10' is
distributed to the
middle support surfaces 41 and from the second projecting portion 33 to the
rear secondary
support surface 52, as well as the outer wall portion 24 below the pivot pin
30 and the
elongated opening 48.
Again, the support bar 26 is received in the channel 50' of the upper
container 10',
although positioned in the middle of the channel 50'. In the mid stack
position, the volume for
storage in the lower container 10 is reduced, so that medium size items (or a
medium number
of items) can be shipped or stored in containers 10 efficiently.
In Figures 10 and 11, the supports 18 are moved to a low stack position.
Referring to
Figure 11, the support bars 26 are supported on the lower support surfaces 42,
while the pivot
pins 30 are supported by the lower edges of the openings 48 in the outer wall
portions 24.
Although the support only contacts two support surfaces on the lower container
10, rather than
three as in the high stack position and the mid stack position, the support
bar 26 is at the
bottom of the opening formed in the inner wall portion 25 while the pivot pin
30 is at the
bottom of the elongated opening 48 in the outer wall portion 24, which
improves the strength.
Again, the support bar 26 is partially received in the channel 50' of the
upper container
10', although toward an exterior edge of the channel 50'. The exterior edge of
the channel 50'
of the upper container 10' is received in the recess between the support bar
26 and the dovetail
projection 36, thus improving stability. In the low stack position, the volume
for storage in
the lower container 10 is reduced, so that smaller items (or fewer items) can
be shipped or
stored in containers 10 efficiently.
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In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence,
exemplary
configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred
embodiment of the
invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced
otherwise than as
specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or
scope.
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