Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02776643 2012-05-11
COLLAPSIBLE ZA-TE
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial
No.
61/485,116 filed May 11, 2011.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Crates for produce may include a base having a pair of opposed side
walls and a
pair of opposed end walls extending upward therefrom. The side walls and end
walls may be
pivotably connected to the base, such that they can be collapsed onto the base
when the crate is
empty.
[0003] A clamshell container is a known plastic container often used for
shipping and
selling fruit, such as strawberries, or other items that require
refrigeration. The clamshell
container includes an upper portion hingeably connected to a lower portion,
such as by a living
hinge. The upper portion includes a rim portion extending around a periphery
of a lid portion. A
plurality of upper ventilation openings are formed through tapered side walls
and an upper wall
of the lid portion. The lower portion includes a rim portion extending around
a periphery of a
base. A plurality of lower ventilation openings are formed through tapered
side walls and a
lower wall of the base. A plurality of connectors connect the rim portion of
the upper portion to
the rim portion of the lower portion. The connectors also space the upper
portion from the lower
portion to provide additional ventilation.
SUMMARY
[0004] A crate includes a base, a pair of opposed side walls extending upward
from the
base and a pair of opposed end walls extending upward from the base. The base
includes a
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plurality of container support areas each defined by a rectangular perimeter
defined by a plurality
of vents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Figure 1 is a perspective view of one example crate according to the
present
invention.
[0006] Figure 2 is a side view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0007] Figure 3 is an end view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0008] Figure 4 is a top view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0009] Figure 5 is a bottom view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0010] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a clamshell container.
[0011] Figure 7 is an end view of the container of Figure 6.
[0012] Figure 8 is a side view of the container of Figure 6.
[0013] Figure 9 is a top view of the container of Figure 6.
[0014] Figure 10 is a bottom view of the container of Figure 6.
[0015] Figure 11 is a perspective view of a plurality of the containers of
Figure 6 in the
crate of Figure 1.
[0016] Figure 12 is a side view of the crate and containers of Figure 11.
[0017] Figure 13 is a wireframe side view of the crate and containers of
Figure 11.
[0018] Figure 14 is an end view of the crate and containers of Figure 11.
[0019] Figure 15 is a wireframe end view of the crate and containers of Figure
11.
[0020] Figure 16 is a top view of the crate and containers of Figure 11.
[0021] Figure 17 is a bottom wireframe view of the crate and containers of
Figure 11.
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[0022] Figure 18 is a top view of the crate and containers of Figure 11 cross-
stacked on
identical crate and containers.
[0023] Figure 19 is a bottom view of the stack of Figure 18.
[0024] Figure 20 is a wireframe bottom view of the stack of Figure 18.
[0025] Figure 21 is a perspective view of the crates and containers of Figure
18 arranged
end-to-side.
[0026] Figure 22 shows the crates of Figure 21 without the containers.
[0027] Figure 23 is an end view of the crates of Figure 22 without the
containers.
[0028] Figure 24 is a wireframe end view of the crates of Figure 23.
[0029] Figure 25 is an end view of the crates of Figure 21 with the
containers.
[0030] Figure 26 is a wireframe end view of the crates of Figure 25.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] A crate 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is
shown in
Figure 1. The crate 10 includes a base 12, a pair of opposed side walls 14 and
a pair of opposed
end walls 16. The side walls 14 and end walls 16 are collapsible onto the base
12. The end
walls 16 may include handles 18. Latches 20 selectively connect the side walls
14 to the end
walls 16 to maintain the walls in the upright, use position.
[0032] The base 12 includes an upper panel 22 having a plurality of openings
or vents 24
formed therein.
[0033] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the side walls 14 each include a lower
panel portion
26 on an inner surface of the side wall 14, an outer panel portion 28 at an
outer surface of the
side wall 14 and above the lower panel portion 26, and an upper panel portion
30 at an inner
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surface of the side wall 14 and above the outer panel portion 28. A plurality
of ribs 32 extend
outward from the lower panel portion 26 and upper panel portion 30 and inward
from the outer
panel portion 28.
[0034] Vertically-oriented vents 27 are formed in the lower panel portion 26.
Horizontally-oriented vents 29 are formed in the outer panel portion 28.
Horizontally-oriented
vents 31 are formed in the upper panel portion 30. Horizontally-oriented lower
vents 34 are
formed in the lower panel portion 26 below the vertically-oriented vents 27.
[0035] The base 12 includes a plurality of spaced-apart upstanding side
portions 40
defining lower openings 38. The side wall 14 is pivotably connected to the
upstanding side
portions 40.
[0036] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the end walls 16 each include a lower
panel portion
46 on an inner surface of the end wall 16, an outer panel portion 48 at an
outer surface of the end
wall 16 and above the lower panel portion 46, and an upper panel portion 50 at
an inner surface
of the end wall 16 and above the outer panel portion 48. A plurality of ribs
52 extend outward
from the lower panel portion 46 and upper panel portion 50 and inward from the
outer panel
portion 48.
[0037] Vertically-oriented vents 47 are formed in the lower panel portion 46.
Horizontally-oriented vents 49 are formed in the outer panel portion 48.
Horizontally-oriented
vents 51 are formed in the upper panel portion 50.
[0038] Figure 4 is a top view of the crate 10. The base 12 includes a
plurality of vents
24. The vents 24 include a plurality of rows of vents 56 in which the rows
extend parallel to the
side walls 14 (in this example, there are six rows of vents 56). The vents 56
are elongated in a
direction parallel to the end walls 16. The vents 24 further include a
plurality of columns of vents
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58, wherein the columns extend parallel to the end walls 16 (in this example,
there are six
columns of vents 58) and the vents 58 are elongated generally parallel to the
side walls 14. The
vents 24 further include three columns of offset vents 62 (the vents 62
elongated in a direction
generally parallel to the side walls 14) between the first and second columns
of vents 58, the
third and fourth columns of vents 58 and fifth and sixth columns of vents 58.
Vents 60 are
formed between the second and third columns of vents 58 and fourth and fifth
columns of vents
58. The arrangement of vents can also be viewed as a 3x3 array of container
support surfaces,
each having a rectangular perimeter of elongated vents that are oriented
perpendicular to the
perimeter. Figure 5 is a bottom view of the crate 10.
[00391 The spacing and arrangement of the vents 24 in the base 12 is further
explained
with reference to clamshell containers 100 shown in Figures 6-10. The
clamshell container 100
is a known plastic container often used for shipping and selling fruit, such
as strawberries, or
other items that require refrigeration. The clamshell container 100 includes
an upper portion 102
and a lower portion 104. The upper portion 102 includes a rim portion 106
extending around a
periphery of a lid portion 108. A plurality of upper ventilation openings 110
are formed through
tapered side walls and an upper wall of the lid portion 108. The lower portion
104 includes a rim
portion 112 extending around a periphery of a base 114. A plurality of lower
ventilation
openings 116 are formed through tapered side walls and a lower wall of the
base 114. A
plurality of connectors 118 connect the rim portion 106 of the upper portion
102 to the rim
portion 112 of the lower portion 104. The connectors 118 also space the upper
portion 102 from
the lower portion 104 to provide additional ventilation.
[00401 As shown in Figure 11, a plurality of clamshell containers 100 can be
placed in
the crate 10 (in this example, nine). Figure 12 is a side view of the crate 10
and containers 100
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of Figure 11. Figure 13 is a wireframe view of Figure 12. Referring to Figures
12 and 13, the
lower ventilation openings 116 of the containers 100 align with the lower
openings 38 and lower
vents 34 of the crate 10. The vents 29 in the outer panel portion 28 of the
crate 10 align with the
gap between the upper portion 102 and the lower portion 104 of the container
100. The vents 31
in the upper panel portion 30 of the crate 10 align with the upper ventilation
openings 110 of the
containers 100.
[0041] Figure 14 is an end view of the crate 10 and containers 100 of Figure
11. Figure
15 is a wireframe view of Figure 14. Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the vents
49 in the outer
panel portion 48 of the crate 10 align with the gap between the upper portion
102 and the lower
portion 104 of the container 100. The vents 51 in the upper panel portion 50
of the crate 10 align
with the upper ventilation openings 110 of the containers 100.
[0042] Figure 16 is a top view of the crate 10 and containers 100 of Figure
11. Figure 17
is a bottom wireframe view of the crate 10 and containers 100 of Figure 16.
The lower
ventilation openings 116 along the long wall of the container 100 align with
the rows of vents 56.
The lower ventilation openings 116 along the short wall of the container 100
align with the
columns of vents 58. Some of the vents 58 align between containers 100, as do
some of the
offset vents 62 and vents 60. Each of the containers 100 is received on a
container support
surface defined by the perimeter of elongated vents, such that the elongated
lower ventilation
openings 116 of the container 100 are aligned with the elongated vents along
the perimeter of
each container support surface.
[0043] The alignment of vents on the crate 10 and containers 100 provides
improved
flow of cold air into the containers 100 when the crate 10 and containers 100
are placed in
refrigeration.
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[00441 The crate 10 can stack on an identical crate 10 either in an aligned
orientation (not
shown) or in a cross-stacked orientation, as shown in Figure 18 (as part of a
cross-stacked stack
of crates 10, in a known arrangement). As shown, the upper crate 10 is rotated
ninety degrees
relative to the lower crate 10, so that two thirds of the crates 10 overlap
(if the crate's 10 width is
two-thirds of its length). Figure 19 is a bottom view of the crates 10 of
Figure 18. As shown, in
the cross-stacked orientation, the vents 56 of the upper crate 10 align with
the vents 58 of the
lower tray 10, and vice versa. The offset vents 62 also align with vents 56.
This would also
mean that the vents in the base 12 of the upper crate 10 are aligned with the
upper ventilation
openings 110 of the containers 100 (just as the vents in the base 12 aligned
with the lower
ventilation openings 116 of the containers 100, because the upper ventilation
openings 110 are
aligned with the lower ventilation openings 116).
[00451 Figure 21 shows the crates 10 and containers 100 aligned with the end
wall 16 of
one crate 110 adjacent one edge of a side wall 14 of the other crate 10. This
is part of a lower
layer of crates 10, where another layer would be stacked thereon, as in
Figures 18 and 19. As
shown in Figure 24, the vents 29, 49 align, the vents 31, 51 align and the
vents 27, 47 align.
[00461 The crate 10 is thus designed to provide good ventilation when cross
stacked with
identical crates. Also, the crate 10 and the containers 100 in combination
provide improved
ventilation. This permits more rapid, even cooling of the produce (e.g.
strawberries) in the
containers 100.
[00471 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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