Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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EGG CONTAINER WITH STACK-SPACING SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE APPLICATION
The present application relates to containers for
receiving frangible objects such as eggs, and to structural
components of such containers for allowing the stacking of
such containers in an opened position.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
Egg containers of all kinds have been developed for
the transportation and sale of frangible items such as eggs.
W As eggs are relatively fragile, the egg containers must
protect the eggs from the various manipulations involved from
the packaging of the eggs to the consumer's refrigerator.
One significant improvement in egg containers is the
use of thermoformed plastics as material for the egg
IS containers.
Thermoformed plastics are typically transparent,
which allows the eggs to be visible, and are relatively
inexpensive to produce.
As they can inspect the eggs by
seeing through the material of the egg container, the
consumers do not need to open the egg container, as is the
20 case with cardboard egg containers, for instance. In the case
of cardboard boxes, it may occur that the boxes are not closed
properly after inspection.
This may cause the breakage of
eggs if the improperly closed egg container is subsequently
manipulated by another consumer.
25 One of the advantages with containers of
thermoformed plastics pertains to the stacking of the
containers in an open position.
Containers in the open
position may be nested one into the other to form stacks
requiring a relatively small volume when compared to stacks of
30 closed containers.
However, the separation of containers
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nested one into the other is often performed by automated
equipment.
Accordingly, containers must have components to
ensure that stacks of open containers are upright. Moreover,
an equidistant spacing between a plurality of open containers
nested one into the other facilitates their separation by the
automated equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION
It is therefore an aim of the present disclosure to
provide a container for frangible items addressing issues
M associated with the prior art.
Therefore, in accordance with the present
application, there is provided a container for receiving
frangible items comprising: a sheet of polymer formed into: a
base portion having a plurality of item-receiving cavities for
supporting frangible items; at least one cover portion having
at least one item-covering concavity for covering the
frangible items, the cover portion having a generally flat top
wall and peripheral walls concurrently defining the at least
one item covering concavity; a first hinge between the base
portion and the cover portion for rotating the cover portion
onto the base portion to hold the frangible items captive in
the item-receiving cavities; at least one abutment spacer
formed at an edge between the peripheral walls and the top
wall, the at least one abutment spacer comprising an abutment
surface projecting into the concavity from one of the
peripheral walls, and support walls relating the abutment
surface to the top wall, with at least one of the support
walls being in an acute angle relation with the top wall; at
least one alignment channel in at least one of the peripheral
walls defining an alignment protrusion through the sheet of
polymer, the alignment channel/protrusion being oriented
vertically for guiding the nesting of an upper one of the
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cover portion descending into a lower one of the cover
portion, by the alignment protrusion of the upper one received
in the alignment channel of the lower one, when a stack of the
containers in an opened state is formed, whereby a spacing
between nested containers is defined by the abutment spacers
of the upper one seated on the abutment spacers of the lower
one.
Further in accordance with the present application,
there is provided a container for receiving frangible items
M comprising:
a sheet of polymer formed into: a base portion
having a plurality of item-receiving cavities for supporting
frangible items, with a post centered between each set of four
of the item-receiving cavities, the post projecting upwardly
from the base portion to support a structural component of the
cover portion when the container is closed; at least one cover
portion having at least one item covering concavity for
covering the frangible items, and a structural component
extending into the concavity for contacting the post when the
container is closed; a first hinge between the base portion
and the cover portion for rotating the cover portion onto the
base portion to hold the frangible items captive in the item-
receiving cavities; spacers formed between at least one of the
posts and the four item-receiving cavities surrounding the
post, the spacers each defining a subcavity on one side of the
sheet of polymer and a bump on the other side of the sheet of
polymer, the spacers having a wider central portion for
narrower ends along a vertical axis of the container, such
that the nesting of an upper one of the base portion
descending into a lower one of the base portion results in the
spacers of the upper one seated on the spacers of the lower
one when a stack of the containers in an opened state is
formed, whereby a spacing between nested containers is defined
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by the spacers of the upper one seated on the spacers of the
lower one.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a two-fold
egg container;
Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a three-
fold egg container;
Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a three-told egg
container with a stack-spacing system in accordance with an
M embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmented view of a top cover
portion of the egg container of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of two of the top cover
portions of Fig. 4, nested one into the other, with the stack-
spacing system; and
Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of an
abutment spacer of the stack-spacing system.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings and more particularly to
Fig. 1, a container for frangible items is generally shown at
10, and is referred to as an egg container.
The egg
containers described hereinafter are preferably made of
transparent or translucent plastics, for instance, using a
thermoforming process or other molding process.
In one
embodiment, the egg containers are formed from a single, flat
sheet of plastic.
Other materials and/or processes may be
used as well.
The containers described hereinafter may be
used to contain eggs or any other frangible items (e.g.,
tomatoes), in any suitable number (e.g., 6, 12, 18, 24).
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The egg container 10 of Fig. 1 is a two-fold egg
container, as it has two portions hinged to one another. The
egg container 10 has a base portion 11 having a plurality of
egg-receiving cavities 12 (e.g., 6, 12, 18, 24, or any other
suitable number), with each cavity 12 supporting an egg. A
top cover portion 13 is hinged to the base portion 11 by hinge
14, in a longitudinal dimension of the egg container 10. The
top cover portion 13 presents a flat top surface part of a top
wall as in Fig. 1, with or without strengthening components
(e.g., arches, posts).
Although not shown, mating connectors
or any other suitable type of connectors are provided on the
periphery of the base portion 11 and top cover portion 13 for
Interlocking them when the egg container 10 is closed.
Referring to Fig. 2, a three-fold egg container is
generally illustrated at 10'.
The egg container 10' is
similar to the egg container 10 of Fig. 1, but has an
intermediate cover portion 15. The intermediate cover portion
15 is hinged to the base portion 11 by hinge 16, in a
longitudinal dimension of the egg container 10'.
The hinges
14 and 16 are preferably on opposite edges of the base portion
11.
The intermediate cover portion 15 typically has egg
cavities 17 to cover a top portion of the eggs supported by
the egg-receiving cavities 12.
Although not shown, mating
connectors or any other suitable type of connector are
provided on the periphery of the top cover portion 13 and the
intermediate cover portion 15 for interlocking them when the
egg container 10' is closed.
The egg containers 10/10' of Figs. 1 and 2 may have
peripheral flanges 20-22, that lie one against the other when
the egg containers 10/10' is closed.
The flanges 20-22
provide structural stability to stacks of closed containers,
by spreading the weight between base portion 11, top cover
portion 13 and intermediate cover portion 15, if applicable.
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In order to close the egg container 10', the
intermediate cover portion 15 is firstly hinged into contact
with the base portion 11, as illustrated by arrow A. The top
cover portion 13 is then hinged onto the intermediate cover
portion 15, as illustrated by arrow B.
The egg containers of the present disclosure may
contain any suitable number of item-receiving cavities.
One
suitable material for the egg containers of the present
application is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET has many
W advantages, as this material can be transparent or opaque and
can be produced at high volume and at low cost.
Wall
thicknesses of PET cases in a contemplated embodiment are
0.0175 inch in thickness, but other thicknesses as low as
0.012 to as high as 0.022 inch are also contemplated.
However, this thickness may vary, for instance, once the sheet
is formed into the egg container 10/10'.
Referring concurrently to Figs. 3 and 4, a stack-
spacing system is shown in the top cover portion 13, for the
stacking of top cover portions 13.
The stack-spacing system
is present in a top cover portion of the type having a top
wall 30 that is generally flat and horizontal when the egg
container 10/10' is open or closed and rests on a horizontal
surface.
In Figs. 3 and 4, the top wall 30 is illustrated as
defining a single flat surface, but may alternatively be
separated into multiple surfaces, or may be disrupted with
ribs or other protuberances projecting into the top cover
portion 13.
Peripheral walls 31 are provided between the top
wall 30 and the peripheral flange 22. The peripheral walls 31
are concurrently tapered from the peripheral flange 22 to the
top wall 30 for nesting of top cover portions 13 one into
another. An inner concavity 32 of the top cover portion 13 is
defined concurrently by the top wall 30 and the peripheral
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walls 31, and covers a top portion of frangible items received
in the egg-receiving cavities 12 (Fig. 1 and 2).
Components of the stack-spacing system are now
described. The components are described with reference to the
inner concavity 32.
Due to the thin-wall nature of the
material used in the containers 10/10', these components
projecting into the inner concavity 32 are indentations from
an exterior of the top cover portion 13.
Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 6, abutment spacers 40
M are provided in the inner concavity 32. In an embodiment, the
abutment spacers 40 are at the intersection of the top wall 30
and the peripheral walls 31. Each of the abutment spacers 40
has an abutment surface 41 and support walls 42. The abutment
surface 41 may be generally horizontal when the egg container
10/10' is closed or opened, whereas the support walls 42 are
slanted.
As best seen in Fig. 6, the support walls 42 taper
toward the top wall 30, thereby defining an acute angle
relation with the top wall 30, whether connected to the top
wall 30 or distanced from the top wall 30.
Therefore, the
abutment spacers 40 are said to be negative spacers (i.e.,
negative stops). Accordingly, when the top cover portions 13
are nested one into the other, a top one of the abutment
spacers 40 is seated on a bottom one of the abutment spacers
40.
More specifically, an edge between the top wall 30 and
the support wall 42 for the top one is seated on the abutment
surface 41 of bottom one. The height of the support walls 42
is selected as a function of a desired spacing between top
cover portions 13.
More specifically, the height of the
vertical surfaces 42 is selected as a function of the desired
spacing between nested top cover portions 13, which spacing is
for instance equal to the spacing between base portions 11
when nested one into the other.
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The abutment spacers 40 may be positioned at any
point along the edge between the top wall 30 and the
peripheral walls 31, or in the peripheral walls 31.
In one
embodiment, the abutment spacers 40 are positioned at the edge
that is farthest from the base portion 13.
In placing the
abutment spacers 40, a positioning of a label should be taken
into consideration, as labels covering the full width of the
top wall 30 are commonly used for identification, labeling
and/or marketing purposes.
As shown in Fig. 3, the
W positioning of the abutment spacers 40 at corners of the top
cover portion 13 provides little interference for a wide label
positioned therein.
The stack-spacing system of the top cover portion 13
also features a plurality of alignment channels 50 defined in
the peripheral walls 31, which channels 50 may be from an
interior or an exterior of the top cover portion 13, with a
corresponding alignment protrusion formed on the other of the
interior or exterior of the top cover portion 13, due to the
fact that the container 10/10' is formed from a sheet.
The
alignment channels 50 are in the peripheral walls 31 so as to
ensure that the abutment spacers 40 are vertically aligned
when the top cover portions 13 are brought one into the other.
This reduces the risk that the abutment spacers 40 of nested
top cover portions 13 lock one into the other.
As seen in Fig. 3, the alignment channels 50 may
have a tapering shape by way of edges 51 tapering from the
peripheral flange 22 to the top wall 30.
Accordingly, when
one alignment channel 50 is lowered toward another alignment
channel 50, the tapering edges 51 result in mating engagement
and gradual alignment of the channels 50 one into the other.
The tapering shape of the channels 50 also facilitates the
denesting of a top cover portion 13 from another by pivoting
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movement about the base portion 11. The edges 51 may also be
parallel to one another.
Referring to Fig. 5, the alignment channels 50
define a projecting portion such as a projecting edge 52,
projecting toward an exterior of the peripheral walls 31. The
projecting edges 52 are generally horizontal. The projecting
edges 52 are used to ensure that the alignment channels 50 fit
one into the other despite the presence of a label 60. More
specifically, the projecting edge 52 of the top cover portion
M 13 nested into another will push the material of the label 60
into the alignment channel 50 of the bottom top cover portion
13.
Alternatively, any shape of projection may be used.
Although the projecting edges 52 are shown projecting toward
the exterior as part of the channels 51, the projecting edges
IS or portion 52 may extend into the concavity 32 if used with
channels defined from an exterior of the egg container 10/10'.
Referring to Fig. 3, tear-shaped post spacers 70 are
provided at central posts between four egg-receiving cavities
12. The
spacers 70 define the spacing between base portions
20 11 nested one into the other and intermediate cover portion 15
nested into the other, if applicable. The tear-shaped spacers
70 are at four corners of the central posts, as the central
posts are the main structural members inside the egg
containers 10/10', and thus bear a substantial part of the
25 weight of closed egg containers stacked thereon. The spacers
70 may be in the egg-receiving cavities 12, on the post, or at
the intersection between cavities 12 and post. The tear shape
of the spacers 70 is suited for spacers 70 to sit one on
another, with the wide central section and narrower ends,
30 along a vertical axis of the container 10/10'. In Fig. 3, the
spacers 70 are in the form of a subcavity with respect to an
interior of the container 10/10', and thus result in a bump
from an exterior of the container 10/10', due to the generally
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uniform thickness of the sheet.
However, the bump may be
inward of the container 10/10' while the subcavity is outward
of the container 10/10'.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
containers 10/10' are provided with all of the abutment
spacers 40, the alignment channels 50 (and corresponding
protrusions), and the post spacers 70.
Although the egg
containers 10/10' need not have all these components
simultaneously, the stacking of open containers 10/10'
M featuring all of these components is efficient. The abutment
spacers 40 and the post spacers 70 are concurrently sized so
as to cause a uniform spacing between cover portions 13 and
base portions 11, such that stacks of open containers 10/10'
are substantially upright.
