Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
;
a
COLLAPSIBLE CRATE
BACKGROUND
100011 In the case-ready meat, seafood and poultry industries, fluids may leak
from
packages during transit. The leaked fluids may contaminate other products, the
trucks and other
equipment carrying the packages.
SUMMARY
[0002] A collapsible crate includes a base having opposed side edges and
opposed end
edges. The side edges are longer than the end edges. A pair of opposed side
walls are pivotably
connected to the side edges of the base and movable between an upright
position and a collapsed
position on the base. Each of the pair of opposed side walls includes a handle
opening therethrough.
A pair of opposed end walls are pivotably connected to the end edges of the
base and movable
between an upright position and a collapsed position on the base.
[0003] The base may further include opposing upstanding side flanges along the
side edges
of the base and upstanding end flanges along the end edges of the base. The
side walls may be
pivotably connected to the upstanding side flanges and the end walls may be
pivotably connected
to the upstanding end flanges. In the disclosed embodiment, the upstanding end
flanges are taller
than the upstanding side flanges.
[0004] The base may include a center channel between a pair of support
platforms. An
upper portion of at least one of the pair of opposed side walls may be
receivable in the center
channel when moved to the collapsed position.
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[0005] The side walls may each include a panel member recessed outward of an
upper
frame. The upper frame may be received in the center channel when the first
side wall is in the
collapsed position.
[0006] The base may include a drag rail projecting downward at a periphery of
the base.
The drag rail may define channels on an upper surface of the base adjacent the
side edges and the
end edges. There may be interruptions in a center of the drag rail along side
edges of the base
below the side edges.
[0007] The collapsible crate may be a small collapsible crate relative to a
large collapsible
crate. The small collapsible crate may be stacked on the large collapsible
crate. The large
collapsible crate may include a large base, a pair of long walls pivotably
connected to the large
base, and a pair of short walls pivotably connected to the large base. Handle
openings are formed
through the short walls of the large collapsible crate. The small collapsible
crate can be stacked on
the large collapsible crate with the end edges of the base of the small
collapsible crate supported
on the long walls of the large collapsible crate and one of the side edges of
the base of the small
collapsible crate supported on one of the short walls of the large collapsible
crate.
[0008] A second small collapsible crate identical to the small collapsible
crate may be
stacked on the large collapsible crate with the end edges of the base of the
second small collapsible
crate supported on the long walls of the large collapsible crate and one of
the side edges of the
base of the second small collapsible crate supported on the other of the short
walls of the large
collapsible crate. The end walls of the small crate may not have handle
openings therethrough, to
reduce ventilation of the small crate.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible crate according to a
first embodiment.
[0010] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the base of the collapsible crate of
Figure 1.
[0011] Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the base of Figure 2.
[0012] Figure 4 is a top view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0013] Figure 5 is a bottom view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0014] Figure 6 is a side view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0015] Figure 7 is an end view of the crate of Figure 1.
[0016] Figure 8 shows the crate of Figure 1 in a collapsed position.
[0017] Figure 9 is a section view of the collapsed crate of Figure 8.
[0018] Figure 10 shows a collapsible crate according to a second embodiment
with an
alternative base.
[0019] Figure 11 is a section view of the crate of Figure 1 with an identical
crate stacked
thereon.
[0020] Figure 12 shows two layers of ten crates each in an arrangement that
would be
placed on a standard size pallet.
[0021] Figure 13 shows the crates of Figure 1 in a collapsed position stacked
on a second
crate having a base that is twice the size of the crate.
[0022] Figure 14 is a top view of the crates of Figure 13.
[0023] Figure 15 is a side view of the crates of Figure 13.
[0024] Figure 16 shows the crates of Figure 13, both in an upright, use
position stacked.
[0025] Figure 17 is a side view of the crates of Figure 16.
[0026] Figure 18 is a top view of the crates of Figure 16.
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[0027] Figure 19 is an end view of the crates of Figure 16.
[0028] Figure 20 shows two of the crates of Figure 1 stacked on the larger
second crate.
[0029] Figure 21 is a side view of the crates of Figure 20.
[0030] Figure 22 is a top view of the crates of Figure 20.
[0031] Figure 23 is an end view of the crates of Figure 20.
[0032] Figure 24 is a perspective view of two of the crates of Figure 1 in a
collapsed
position stacked on the larger, second crate in a collapsed position.
100331 Figure 25 is a side view of the cates of Figure 24.
[0034] Figure 26 is a top view of the crates of Figure 24.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] A collapsible crate 10 according to one embodiment is shown in Figure
1. In Figure
1, the crate 10 is in an upright, assembled position. The crate 10 includes a
base 12. A pair of side
walls 14 are pivotably connected to side upstanding flanges 18 projecting
upward from side edges
of the base 12 and formed integrally with the rest of the base 12. A pair of
end walls 16 are
pivotably connected to end upstanding flanges 20 projecting upward from end
edges of the base
12 and formed integrally with the rest of the base 12. The end walls 16 are
selectively latched to
the side walls 14 by latches 24. In this embodiment, the side walls 14 are
longer (i.e. distance
between the end walls 16) than the end walls 16 (i.e. distance between the
side walls 14).
[0036] Each of the side walls 14 includes an upper frame member 26 and a lower
frame
member 27. A substantially planar panel member 28 extends from the upper frame
member 26 to
the lower frame member 27. The panel member 28 is recessed toward the exterior
of the crate 10
relative to the upper frame member 26 and the lower frame member 27. The side
walls 14 each
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include a handle opening 30 formed through the panel member 28 just below the
upper frame
member 26. Each side wall 14 and end wall 16 is injection molded as a single
plastic part.
[0037] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the base 12 of Figure 1 with the side
walls 14 and
end walls 16 removed. The base 12 is an integrally formed single piece of
plastic. The base 12
includes a pair of support platforms 32 extending parallel to the side walls
14. The support
platforms 32 are spaced from one another. A center ridge 34 is positioned
between the support
platforms 32 leaving channels 36. The center ridge 34 and the channels 36 are
parallel to the side
walls 14. The support platforms 32 and center ridge 34 are spaced inward from
the side walls 14
leaving channels 40 and spaced inward from the end walls 16 leaving channels
38.
[0038] Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the base 12. On the underside
of the base
12, the support platforms 32 and center ridge 34 are recesses. A drag rail 42
projects downwardly
from a periphery of the remainder of the base 12. Interruptions 43 in the drag
rail 42 are formed in
the center of each side edge of the base 12.
[0039] Figure 4 is a top view of the crate 10. Figure 5 is a bottom view of
the crate 10.
[0040] Figure 6 is a side view of the crate 10. Figure 7 is an end view of the
crate 10.
[0041] Figure 8 shows the crate 10 in a collapsed position. As is known, after
releasing the
latches 24, the side walls 14 are then collapsed onto the base 12. The end
walls 16 are then
collapsed onto the side walls 14 and the base 12. The end upstanding flanges
20 are taller than the
side upstanding flanges 18.
[0042] Figure 9 is a section view of the collapsed crate 10 of Figure 8. As
shown, the side
walls 14 partially overlap when collapsed. One of the side walls 14 is in
direct contact with the
base 12. The upper frame member 26 is received in the opposite channel 36 (on
the opposite side
of the center ridge 34 of that side wall 14). The center ridge 34 is received
adjacent the panel
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member 28 just below the upper frame member 26. The lower frame member 27 is
partially
received in the channel 40. The alignment of the upper frame member 26 with
channel 36, the
lower frame member 27 with the channel 40, and the center ridge 34 with the
panel member 28 all
help reduce the height of the collapsed crate 10.
[0043] Note that in Figure 9 the section is taken through the interruptions 43
in the drag
rail 42, but that the channels 40 extend downward into the drag rail 42. The
channels 38 (Figure
2) also extend downward into the drag rail 42. If the other side wall 14 (on
the left in Figure 9)
were folded down first, the image of Figure 9 would be the mirror image. The
channels 40 are
deeper than the channels 36. The channels 38 (Figure 2) are also deeper than
the channels 36.
[0044] Figure 10 shows a collapsible crate 10a according to a second
embodiment with an
alternative base 12a. The base 12a includes a large channel 36a between the
support platforms 32a,
without a center ridge 34a. The crate 10a is otherwise identical and again,
the upper frame member
26 of the side wall 14 is received in the large channel 36a.
[0045] Figure 11 is a section view of the crate 10 with an identical crate 10
stacked thereon.
As shown, the drag rail 42 of the upper crate 10 is received snugly between
the upper frame
members 26 of the lower crate 10. The center ridge 34 is slightly shorter than
the support platforms
32. Figure 12 shows two layers of ten crates 10 each in an arrangement that
would be placed on a
standard size pallet.
[0046] Figures 13-15 show one of the crates 10 in a collapsed position stacked
on a large
crate 50 having a base that is twice the size of the crate 10 (which is
relatively a "small crate"),
such that two small crates 10 could be stacked on each large crate 50 (Figures
20-23).
[0047] Figures 16-19 show the small crate 10 in an upright, use position
stacked on the
large collapsible crate 50. The large collapsible crate 50 includes a large
base 52, a pair of long
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walls 54 pivotably connected to the large base 52, and a pair of short walls
56 pivotably connected
to the large base 52. Handle openings 60 are formed through the short walls 56
of the large
collapsible crate 50. The opposed side edges of the small crate 10 are
approximately the same
length as the opposed short edges of the large crate 50. The opposed long
edges of the large crate
50 are approximately twice the length of the end edges of the small crate 10.
[0048] The small collapsible crate 10 can be stacked on the large collapsible
crate 50 with
the end edges of the base 12 of the small collapsible crate 10 supported on
the long walls 54 of the
large collapsible crate 50 and one of the side edges of the base 12 of the
small collapsible crate 10
supported on one of the short walls 56 of the large collapsible crate 50. The
drag rail 42 of the
crate 10 is received between the long walls 54 of the large collapsible crate
50 and inward of the
proximate short wall 56.
[0049] As shown in Figures 20-23, two of the small crates 10 can be stacked on
the large
crate 50 with the end edges of the bases 12 of the small collapsible crates 10
supported on the long
walls 54 of the large collapsible crate 50 and one of the side edges of the
base 12 of each of the
small collapsible crates 10 supported on a different one of the short walls 56
of the large collapsible
crate 50. The drag rails 42 of the crates 10 are received between the long
walls 54 of the large
collapsible crate 50 and inward of the respective proximate short wall 56.
[0050] The handle openings 30 of the crates 10 are on the same sides as the
handle
openings (in the short walls or end walls) of the second crate 50. To reduce
ventilation through the
small crates 10, there are no handle openings through the end walls 16.
[0051] In Figures 24-26, the two small crates 10 are collapsed on stored on
top of the
collapsed large crate 50.
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[0052] In the case-ready meat, seafood and poultry industries, it is desirable
to contain
fluids that may leak from packages during transit. In order to achieve maximum
fluid retention,
the base 12 of the collapsible crate 10 has multiple channels 36, 38, 40 along
both the length and
width of the crate 10. The perimeter drag rail 42 also promotes fluid drainage
and retention, as the
channels 38, 40 extend partially into the drag rail 42 (increasing the volume
of the channels 38,
40). There are no openings through the base 12.
[0053] The perimeter drag rail 42 also serves additional purposes aside from
fluid
retention. The size and location of the drag rail 42 allows the crates to
interlock when column
stacked, either erected or collapsed, and also assist in transferring the load
when slide stacking
crates. The crates 10 can also be cross stacked and the interruptions 43 in
the length of the drag
rail 42 assist in interlocking the crates when cross stacked.
[0054] 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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