CA2459700A1 - Baked goods carrier - Google Patents
Baked goods carrier Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2459700A1 CA2459700A1 CA 2459700 CA2459700A CA2459700A1 CA 2459700 A1 CA2459700 A1 CA 2459700A1 CA 2459700 CA2459700 CA 2459700 CA 2459700 A CA2459700 A CA 2459700A CA 2459700 A1 CA2459700 A1 CA 2459700A1
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tray
- carrier
- baked goods
- floor structure
- bails
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
- B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
- B65D21/0209—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position
- B65D21/0226—Containers with movable parts adapted to be placed in alternative positions for stacking the containers at different levels, i.e. without nesting of the containers
Abstract
A baked goods carrier with improved access for automated bread loading has bails with upper legs having a primary axis and an upper extremity with a first bent portion that extends away from the primary axis and a second bent portion that extends back to the primary axis. A longitudinal axis of a horizontal handle member is maintained by the second bent portion in a substantially perpendicular relation to the primary axis.
The horizontal handle member and the second bent portion are positioned within the peripheral walls of the tray when the bails are in the upright position. Confining channels are provided in the floor structure of the tray to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member. Limiting shoulders depend from the floor structure to engage the second bent portion and prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member.
The horizontal handle member and the second bent portion are positioned within the peripheral walls of the tray when the bails are in the upright position. Confining channels are provided in the floor structure of the tray to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member. Limiting shoulders depend from the floor structure to engage the second bent portion and prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member.
Description
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Baked Goods Carrier FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a baked goods carrier and, in particular, a baked goods carrier that can be used in conjunction with automated baked goods handling equipment and, in particular, automated bread handling equipment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1n order to reduce labour costs, bakeries are becoming increasingly automated.
Bakeries are, therefore, switching to bread caxriers that are capable of being loaded with automated bread handling equipment. At the same time, in an attempt to reduce their labour costs, retail outlets are selling bread directly from the bread carriers they receive from the bakeries. The bread in the bread earners is not touched by human hands, until the customer of the retail store places the bread into his or her shopping cart.
United States Patent 4,270,678 (Drader 1981) discloses a bread carrier which is in wide use across North America. Unfortunately, the handle configuration of the Drader 1981 patent is not ideally suited for use with automated bakery equipment; as the handle protrudes 2 0 into the loading space. Bread being loaded by automated bread handling equipment sometimes strikes the handle and goes askew.
Adapting the Drader 1981 patent for use with automated bread loading equipment has proven to be a challenge. A straight handle that assumes a vertical orientation was tried.
2 5 When stacked, it did not provide a secure interlock with bread carriers above and below it in the stack. A straight handle with upward protruding interlocks was tried.
Problems were encountered in sliding the carrier trays onto and off of the stack. It worked, but was inferior in that aspect of the Drader 1981 patent. Tray efficiency is expressed as a percentage of the inside tray area as it relates to the outside tray area. The Drader 1981 has a tray efficiency 3 0 of approximately 95%, which is among the best, if not the best, in the industry. Some modifications to make the Drader 1981 bread earner suitable for use with automated bread handling equipment had to be rejected as they drastically reduce tray efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is a baked goods carrier that is suited for use with automated baked goods loading equipment.
According to the present invention there is provided an improvement in the Drader 1981 bread carrier. The Drader 1981 bread carrier included a rectangular tray having a floor structure with peripheral walls including spaced upstanding side walls and spaced upstanding end walls. A pair of bails were pivotally connected to the side walls and extended along the oppositely disposed end walls. Each of the bails were movable between an upright position and a folded position. Each of the bails included a pair of spaced generally L-shaped leg members having upper and lower legs connected by a heel. The lower leg of each leg member was pivotally connected to the tray at a point spaced inwardly from the end wall such that the heel of the leg member, when the bail was in the upright position, was nested in a corner of the tray. When the bails were in the folded position, the heel of the leg member protruded above the upper edges of the side and end walls. The bail included a horizontal handle member interconnecting the upper legs of the pair of leg members. First engagement means were provided in the floor structure of the tray which was adapted to receive the upwardly protruding heels of the leg members of a second carrier stacked below in a folded 2 0 position, whereby the peripheral walls of one carrier rest upon the peripheral walls of the other. Locking means were provided for releasably locking the bails in the upright position.
Second engagement means were provided in the floor structure of the tray, which were adapted to engage the bail of a second carrier stacked below in an upright position to fix the uppermost carrier relative to the carrier below.
As will hereinafter be further described the improvement includes each upper leg of the L-shaped leg members having a primary axis and an upper extremity with a first bent portion that extends away from the primary axis and a second bent portion that extends back to the primary axis. The horizontal handle member is connected to the second bent portion. A
3 0 longitudinal axis of the horizontal handle member is maintained by the second bent portion in a substantially perpendicular relation to the primary axis of the upper leg.
The horizontal handle member and the second bent portion are positioned within the peripheral walls of the tray when the bails are in the upright position. The second engagement means includes confining channels in the floor structure of the tray beneath the end walls that are adapted to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray. The second engagement means further includes limiting shoulders depending from the floor structure beneath the end walls that are adapted to engage the second bent portion to prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying earner and the flaor structure of the tray.
With the baked goods carrier, as described above, when the leg members are in an upright orientation, the horizontal handle members are positioned perpendicular to the primary axis of the upper legs. This places them out of the way for automated bread loading equipment. When the baked goods earners are placed in a stack, the horizontal handle member is confined in a confining channel which underlies the floor structure.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the baked goods earner, as described above, a number of alternative interlocks were rejected as not being compatible with the Drader 1981 bread carriers. Even more beneficial results may be obtained, if the interlock can also be used with the many existing Drader 1981 bread carriers already owned by bakeries and retailers. The second engagement of the baked goods carrier 2 0 described above can be made compatible with existing inventories of Drader 1981 bread earners by including secondary confining channels spaced inwardly on the floor structure from and positioned in parallel spaced relation to the confining channels.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the baked goods 2 5 carrier, as described above, the floor structure of many baked goods carriers consist of a grid having a plurality of openings. This grid often provides frictional resistance to the proper movement of bread on the floor structure. Even more beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained when the grid has a flat smooth surface with a first set of parallel bars extending perpendicularly between the side walls and a second set of parallel bars extending 3 0 perpendicularly between the end walls. The bread is supported by, and tends to move along, the parallel bars.
_v~~ _,.. ~~~~,~~.xr~~~,~ ~ .~, ~~, .AZ. ~.Q.,~~~ ~~
Baked Goods Carrier FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a baked goods carrier and, in particular, a baked goods carrier that can be used in conjunction with automated baked goods handling equipment and, in particular, automated bread handling equipment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1n order to reduce labour costs, bakeries are becoming increasingly automated.
Bakeries are, therefore, switching to bread caxriers that are capable of being loaded with automated bread handling equipment. At the same time, in an attempt to reduce their labour costs, retail outlets are selling bread directly from the bread carriers they receive from the bakeries. The bread in the bread earners is not touched by human hands, until the customer of the retail store places the bread into his or her shopping cart.
United States Patent 4,270,678 (Drader 1981) discloses a bread carrier which is in wide use across North America. Unfortunately, the handle configuration of the Drader 1981 patent is not ideally suited for use with automated bakery equipment; as the handle protrudes 2 0 into the loading space. Bread being loaded by automated bread handling equipment sometimes strikes the handle and goes askew.
Adapting the Drader 1981 patent for use with automated bread loading equipment has proven to be a challenge. A straight handle that assumes a vertical orientation was tried.
2 5 When stacked, it did not provide a secure interlock with bread carriers above and below it in the stack. A straight handle with upward protruding interlocks was tried.
Problems were encountered in sliding the carrier trays onto and off of the stack. It worked, but was inferior in that aspect of the Drader 1981 patent. Tray efficiency is expressed as a percentage of the inside tray area as it relates to the outside tray area. The Drader 1981 has a tray efficiency 3 0 of approximately 95%, which is among the best, if not the best, in the industry. Some modifications to make the Drader 1981 bread earner suitable for use with automated bread handling equipment had to be rejected as they drastically reduce tray efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is a baked goods carrier that is suited for use with automated baked goods loading equipment.
According to the present invention there is provided an improvement in the Drader 1981 bread carrier. The Drader 1981 bread carrier included a rectangular tray having a floor structure with peripheral walls including spaced upstanding side walls and spaced upstanding end walls. A pair of bails were pivotally connected to the side walls and extended along the oppositely disposed end walls. Each of the bails were movable between an upright position and a folded position. Each of the bails included a pair of spaced generally L-shaped leg members having upper and lower legs connected by a heel. The lower leg of each leg member was pivotally connected to the tray at a point spaced inwardly from the end wall such that the heel of the leg member, when the bail was in the upright position, was nested in a corner of the tray. When the bails were in the folded position, the heel of the leg member protruded above the upper edges of the side and end walls. The bail included a horizontal handle member interconnecting the upper legs of the pair of leg members. First engagement means were provided in the floor structure of the tray which was adapted to receive the upwardly protruding heels of the leg members of a second carrier stacked below in a folded 2 0 position, whereby the peripheral walls of one carrier rest upon the peripheral walls of the other. Locking means were provided for releasably locking the bails in the upright position.
Second engagement means were provided in the floor structure of the tray, which were adapted to engage the bail of a second carrier stacked below in an upright position to fix the uppermost carrier relative to the carrier below.
As will hereinafter be further described the improvement includes each upper leg of the L-shaped leg members having a primary axis and an upper extremity with a first bent portion that extends away from the primary axis and a second bent portion that extends back to the primary axis. The horizontal handle member is connected to the second bent portion. A
3 0 longitudinal axis of the horizontal handle member is maintained by the second bent portion in a substantially perpendicular relation to the primary axis of the upper leg.
The horizontal handle member and the second bent portion are positioned within the peripheral walls of the tray when the bails are in the upright position. The second engagement means includes confining channels in the floor structure of the tray beneath the end walls that are adapted to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray. The second engagement means further includes limiting shoulders depending from the floor structure beneath the end walls that are adapted to engage the second bent portion to prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying earner and the flaor structure of the tray.
With the baked goods carrier, as described above, when the leg members are in an upright orientation, the horizontal handle members are positioned perpendicular to the primary axis of the upper legs. This places them out of the way for automated bread loading equipment. When the baked goods earners are placed in a stack, the horizontal handle member is confined in a confining channel which underlies the floor structure.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the baked goods earner, as described above, a number of alternative interlocks were rejected as not being compatible with the Drader 1981 bread carriers. Even more beneficial results may be obtained, if the interlock can also be used with the many existing Drader 1981 bread carriers already owned by bakeries and retailers. The second engagement of the baked goods carrier 2 0 described above can be made compatible with existing inventories of Drader 1981 bread earners by including secondary confining channels spaced inwardly on the floor structure from and positioned in parallel spaced relation to the confining channels.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the baked goods 2 5 carrier, as described above, the floor structure of many baked goods carriers consist of a grid having a plurality of openings. This grid often provides frictional resistance to the proper movement of bread on the floor structure. Even more beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained when the grid has a flat smooth surface with a first set of parallel bars extending perpendicularly between the side walls and a second set of parallel bars extending 3 0 perpendicularly between the end walls. The bread is supported by, and tends to move along, the parallel bars.
_v~~ _,.. ~~~~,~~.xr~~~,~ ~ .~, ~~, .AZ. ~.Q.,~~~ ~~
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the baked goods earner, as described above, when there is a stack of the Drader 198 i bread carriers, the bottom bread carrier in the stack must bear the weight. When under load, the floor structure of the bottom bread carrier tends to bow and the L-shaped leg members exert an outward force upon the end walls. When a bread earner fails, such failure tends to occur in the end walls near the corners. Even more beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained by placing an angular brace inside the tray which is connected to both the floor structure and the end wall.
The angular brace provides additional rigidity to the floor structure to reduce bowing and reinforces the end walls.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the baked goods carrier, as described above, a low side wall profile is desirable in the retail environment so that a customer can easily reach into the baked goods carrier to remove a loaf of bread. A tray is used with L-shaped members; terminating in an outwardly directed horizontal portion which is journalled through the side wall to pivotally connect the bail to the tray. It is difficult to provide a low side wall profile, while still maintaining sufficient side wall strength to pivotally mount the bail. Even more beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained when a side wall reinforcing strip is provided. It is preferred that the side wall reinforcing strip be embedded in the side wall and extend for most of the length of the side wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the 2 5 invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a baked goods earner constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with bails in an upright position.
FIGURE 2 is a bottom perspective view of the baked goods earner illustrated in FIGURE 1.
3 0 FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the baked goods earner illustrated in FIGURE
1.
FIGURE 4 is an end elevation view of the baked goods earner illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE
1.
FIGURE 6 is a side perspective view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE 1, shown in ghost lines with super-imposed side wall reinforcing strip detail.
The angular brace provides additional rigidity to the floor structure to reduce bowing and reinforces the end walls.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of the baked goods carrier, as described above, a low side wall profile is desirable in the retail environment so that a customer can easily reach into the baked goods carrier to remove a loaf of bread. A tray is used with L-shaped members; terminating in an outwardly directed horizontal portion which is journalled through the side wall to pivotally connect the bail to the tray. It is difficult to provide a low side wall profile, while still maintaining sufficient side wall strength to pivotally mount the bail. Even more beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained when a side wall reinforcing strip is provided. It is preferred that the side wall reinforcing strip be embedded in the side wall and extend for most of the length of the side wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the 2 5 invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a baked goods earner constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with bails in an upright position.
FIGURE 2 is a bottom perspective view of the baked goods earner illustrated in FIGURE 1.
3 0 FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the baked goods earner illustrated in FIGURE
1.
FIGURE 4 is an end elevation view of the baked goods earner illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE
1.
FIGURE 6 is a side perspective view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE 1, shown in ghost lines with super-imposed side wall reinforcing strip detail.
5 FIGURE 7 is a detailed tap perspective view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE 1, with stop and locking detail.
FIGURE 8 is a detailed bottom perspective view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE 1, with bail confining channel detail.
FIGURE 9 is a detailed top perspective view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE 1, with the bails in a folded position.
FIGURE 10 is a bottom perspective view of an alternative embodiment of baked goods carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with a planar bottom.
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of stacked baked goods carriers constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with bails in an upright position.
FIGURE 12 is a side elevation view of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 11.
FIGURE 13 is an end elevation view of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 11.
2 0 FIGURE 14 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 15 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an alternative embodiment of stacked baked goods carriers having secondary confining channels to make them compatible for use with Drader 1981 bread carriers.
2 5 FIGURE 16 is a side elevation view of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 1, with bails in a folded position.
FIGURE 17 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of the stacked baked goods earners illustrated in FIGURE 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF T)EIE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a baked goods earner generally identified by reference ..., ,.z a m~.a ,. _. ,~.HA;I"tP,R , .,, s.,m .:~regg e~K'.~'T<,,a~~"-rKytp?.yK ,~. x',.:?,...,heac~.:'a..ma~,-w'A ~t.~M~ai~':~.'r,~,ieuøyM- Qazrnas-....w......,v-.....-_._-,.........,_,.~ a wuw< a . ~,fnma~mw.~.nmvy..~... . ..
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~~-~v numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 17.
Baked goods carrier 10 is designed to be used with other baked goods carriers in a stack, as is illustrated in FIGURES 11 through 17. Where stacks of baked goods carriers are illustrated, identical components will be identified by the same reference numerals. However, in order to avoid confi~sion, the baked goods carrier which interacts with baked goods carrier will be identified as baked goods carrier 10' and the interacting components of baked goods carrier 10' will also be distinguished with a ""' designation.
10 Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Baked goods carrier 10 is a modified version of the Drader 1981 patent and, as such, has a number of similar aspects. Referring to FIGURE 1, baked goods carrier 10 includes a rectangular tray 12, preferably made from polymer plastic, having a floor structure i4 with peripheral walls, generally indicated by reference numeral 16. Peripheral walls 16 include spaced upstanding side walls 18 and spaced upstanding end walls 20.
A pair of bails 22, preferably made of metal, are pivotally connected to side walls 18 and extend along the oppositely disposed end walls 20. Each of bails 22 being movable between an upright position illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 8 and a folded position 2 0 illustrated in FIGURE 9. Each of bails 22 include a pair of spaced generally L-shaped leg members 24. Referring to FIGURE 7, L-shaped leg members 24 have upper legs 26 and lower legs 28 connected by a heel 30. Lower leg 28 of each leg member 24 is pivotally connected to tray at a point spaced inwardly from end wall 20. The preferred way of doing this is to have lower leg 28 terminate in an outwardly directed horizontal portion 29 which is 2 5 journalled in an aperture 31. Referring to FIGURE 6, aperture 31 extends through side wall 18. With horizontal portion 29 positioned in aperture 31, bail 22 is pivotally connected to tray 12. Referring to FIGURE 7, a limiting member 33 is provided to prevent horizontal portion 29 from being withdrawn from aperture 31 by accident. When bail 22 is in the upright position heel 30 of leg member 24 is nested in a corner 32 of tray 12. Corner 32 is, 3 0 preferably, has a radiused curvature which conforms to the curvature of heel 30 and provides additional support. Referring to FIGURE 9, when bail 22 is in the folded position, heel 30 protrudes above upper edges 34 of side walls 18 and end walls 20. Referring to FIGURE 7, bail 22 further includes a horizontal handle member 36 interconnecting upper legs 26 of pair of leg members 24. Referring to FIGURE 17, openings 38 in floor structure 14 of tray 12 serve as first engagement means. Openings 38 are adapted to receive upwardly protruding heels 30' of leg members 24' of a second carrier 10' stacked below in a folded position. In this stacked configuration peripheral walls 16 of carrier 10 rest upon peripheral walls 16'of the carrier 10'. Referring to FIGURE 7, stops 40 projecting outwardly from side walls 18 adjacent to each of end walls 20, serve as locking means for releasably locking bails 22 in the upright position. Each of stops 40 is in the form of an inclined plane with a drop off.
Referring to FIGURE 1, the release mechanism for releasing the locking means is a cross piece 42 positioned between upper legs 26 of bail 22. Referring to FIGURE 7, cross piece 42 is grasped and pulled upwardly toward horizontal handle member 36 to draw legs inwardly and out of engagement with stops.
Referring to FIGURE 7, one improvement to baked goods carrier 10 is an angular brace 21 positioned inside tray 12 and connected to both floor structure 14 and end wall 20.
Angular brace 21 provides additional rigidity to floor structure 14 to reduce bowing and serves to reinforce end wall 20.
Referring to FIGURE 12, another improvement to baked goods carrier 10 lies in the 2 0 second engagement means. This engagement permit floor structure 14 of tray 12 to engage bail 22' of a second carrier 10' stacked below, when bail 22' is in an upright position. This second engagement means fixes uppermost Garner 10 relative to carrier 10' below. Referring to FIGURE 14, each upper leg 26 of L-shaped leg members 24 has a primary axis 44 and an upper extremity 46. Upper extremity 46 has a first bent portion 48 that extends away from 2 5 primary axis 44 and a second bent portion 50 that extends back to primary axis 44.
Horizontal handle member 36 is connected to second bent portion 50. Referring to FIGURE
13, a longitudinal axis 52 of horizontal handle member 36 is maintained by second bent portion SO in a substantially perpendicular relation to primary axis 44 of upper leg 26.
Referring to FIGURE 12, horizontal handle member 36 and second bent portion 50 are being 3 0 positioned within peripheral walls 16 of tray 12 when bails 22 are in the upright position.
Referring to FIGURE 8, confining channels 54 are provided in floor structure 14 of tray 12 beneath end walls 20. Referring to FIGURE 12, confining channels 54 are adapted to prevent ". m .._ r~-mx ca..,.._W .Maf,~"A7,N0.L~Ya xl.hY'~''FAB'~"'"~T:
:?3~m..",~~~klr,~'.,ttmYiWtG.1'bWr..'.xi~ .~a.w.s-~-sm..m.w.:....,..,-.,_r.._._ ~.......~._~..."~, ~.~e~w~mn.<.~.,. r,~wm~n.mmn~w cTasraeaWw~,mnem orsztac,~sv'z:%~'.:.tIP~N»,~crTaa471~:;aezwrw. . ,._ .
relative movement transverse to axis 52' of horizontal handle member 36' of baked goods carrier 10' and the floor structure 14 of baked goods carrier 10. It prevents movement as indicated by arrows 56. Referring to FIGURES 12 and 13, limiting shoulders 58 depend from floor structure 14 beneath end walls 20 and are adapted to engage second bent portion 50 to prevent relative movement along axis 52' of horizontal handle member 36' of baked goods carrier 10' and floor structure 14 of tray 12. Referring to FIGURE 15, in order to engage with Drader 1981 baked goods earners, secondary confining channels 60 may, optionally, be positioned in parallel spaced relation to confining channels 54. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2, confining channels are created by a floor structure which has depending topographical features. Refernng to FIGURE 10, there is illustrated how the same confining channels can be created in an embodiment that has a planar bottom.
Referring to FIGURE 5, another improvement to baked goods carrier 10 consists of a floor structure 14 which includes a grid, generally indicated by reference numeral 62, having a plurality of rectangular openings 64. Grid 62 has a flat smooth surface with a first set of parallel bars 66 extending perpendicularly between side walls 18 and a second set of parallel bars 68 extending perpendicularly between end walls 20. Bread is supported by parallel bars 66 and 68. When movement occurs, bread tends to move in ane of the directions indicated by parallel bars 66 and 68, depending upon the direction from which force is applied.
Referring to FIGURE 6, another improvement to baked goods carrier 10 is a side wall reinforcing strip 70 which enhances the weight bearing ability of side wall 18. Side wall reinforcing strip 70 is embedded in side wall 18 and extends for most of the length of side 2 5 wall 18. Aperture 31 extends through side wall reinforcing strip 70. 'This means that side wall reinforcing strip 70 provides support for outwardly directed horizontal portion 29 of L-shaped leg member 24 which is journalled in aperture 31.
Operation:
3 0 The operation of baked goods carrier 10 will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 17. A bakery will select a version of baked goods earner 10 which meets its needs. For example, for some types of conveyors used by the automated baking goods handling equipment, a version of baked goods earner 10 having a planar bottom, such as is illustrated in FIGURE lU, is preferable as the bottom must rest on the conveyor. For bakeries that have a large inventory of the Drader 1981 trays still in use, a version of baked goods carrier 10 having a secondary confining channel 60, is preferable to enable baked goods carrier 10 to engage both other baked goods carriers 10 and the Drader 1981 bread carriers. When not in use, baked goods carriers 10 are stacked as shown in FIGURE 16.
Referring to FIGURE 17, heel 30' on L-shaped leg 24'of lowermost baked goods carrier 10' extends through an opening 38 in floor structure 14 of uppermost baked goods carrier 10 to provide stability to the stack. When baked goods earners 10 are to be used to hold baking goods, such as bread, bails 22 are moved into the upright orientation illustrated in FIGURE
1. Referring to FIGURE 7, upper legs 26 of L-shaped legs members 24 of bails 22 ride up the inclined plane slope of stop 40 until they reach the drop off which locks upper legs 26 in the upright position. Baked goods carrier is then handled by the automated baked goods handling equipment (not shown). Referring to FIGURE 14, the configuration of upper extremity 46 of bail 22, with first bent portion 48 extending away from primary axis 44 and a second bent portion 50 extending back to primary axis 44, keeps horizontal handle member 36 within the confines of tray 12, while providing unfettered access from above as illustrated in FIGURE
5. Second bent portion 50 also plays a role when baked goods carriers 10 are positioned in a stack, as will hereinafter be further described. Second bent portion 50 is also maintained 2 0 within the confines of tray 12. Refernng to FIGURE 5, baked goods, such as bread, are supported by parallel bars 66 and 68 of floor structure 14. The baked goods move in response to forces exerted by the automated baked goods handling equipment. When movement occurs, the baked goods tend to move in one of the directions indicated by parallel bars 66 and 68, depending upon the direction from which force is applied. This provides greater 2 5 control in an automated loading environment. The loaded baked goods carriers 10 are then stacked in the fashion illustrated in FIGURES 11 through 13. Referring to FIGURE 12, in order to stack baked goods earners 10, horizontal handle member 36' of lowermost baked goods carrier 10' is inserted into confining channel 54 of uppermost baked goods carrier 10.
This prevents or at least severely limits the movement depicted by arrows 56.
At the same 3 0 time second bent portion 50 engages limiting shoulders 58. This prevents movement along axis 52 of horizontal handle member 36, as best illustrated in :FIGURE 13.
Referring to FIGURE 6, bails 22 are pivotally mounted to tray 12 outwardly directed horizontal portion 29 of L-shaped leg member 24 which is journalled in aperture 31. When weight is applied through bails 22, side wall reinforcing strip 70 provides support for side wall 18. L-shaped leg members 24 tend to exert an outward force upon end walls 20. This force also tends to bow floor structure 14. Referring to FIGURE 7, this force is resisted by angular brace 21.
5 Referring to FIGURE 12, side wall 18 has a low profile which enables baked goods in tray 12 to be easily accessed by a retail customer. Referring to FIGURE 7, when baked goods carrier 10 is empty, a force is exerted upwardly on cross-member 42 to pull L-shaped leg members 24 inward to clear stop 40. This enables bails 22 to be returned to a folded position, so that baked goods carrier 10 can be stacked, as illustrated in FIGURE 1G.
Baked goods carrier 10 had its origins as a bread carrier and is now used to handle a variety of baked goods, including but not limited to bread. This title, however, is not intended to be unduly limiting. Customers have used the Drader 1981 bread carriers with meats and other goods. There is little doubt that when baked goods carrier 10 becomes commercially available, that customers will use baked goods carrier 10 with meats and a variety of other goods too numerous to mention.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not 2 0 excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the 2 5 illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
FIGURE 8 is a detailed bottom perspective view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE 1, with bail confining channel detail.
FIGURE 9 is a detailed top perspective view of the baked goods carrier illustrated in FIGURE 1, with the bails in a folded position.
FIGURE 10 is a bottom perspective view of an alternative embodiment of baked goods carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with a planar bottom.
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of stacked baked goods carriers constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with bails in an upright position.
FIGURE 12 is a side elevation view of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 11.
FIGURE 13 is an end elevation view of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 11.
2 0 FIGURE 14 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 15 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of an alternative embodiment of stacked baked goods carriers having secondary confining channels to make them compatible for use with Drader 1981 bread carriers.
2 5 FIGURE 16 is a side elevation view of the stacked baked goods carriers illustrated in FIGURE 1, with bails in a folded position.
FIGURE 17 is a detailed side elevation view, in section, of the stacked baked goods earners illustrated in FIGURE 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF T)EIE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a baked goods earner generally identified by reference ..., ,.z a m~.a ,. _. ,~.HA;I"tP,R , .,, s.,m .:~regg e~K'.~'T<,,a~~"-rKytp?.yK ,~. x',.:?,...,heac~.:'a..ma~,-w'A ~t.~M~ai~':~.'r,~,ieuøyM- Qazrnas-....w......,v-.....-_._-,.........,_,.~ a wuw< a . ~,fnma~mw.~.nmvy..~... . ..
e-.aa,fi-" rnwn ~~~,.,...w,-..,.....,..~,..,...
~~-~v numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 17.
Baked goods carrier 10 is designed to be used with other baked goods carriers in a stack, as is illustrated in FIGURES 11 through 17. Where stacks of baked goods carriers are illustrated, identical components will be identified by the same reference numerals. However, in order to avoid confi~sion, the baked goods carrier which interacts with baked goods carrier will be identified as baked goods carrier 10' and the interacting components of baked goods carrier 10' will also be distinguished with a ""' designation.
10 Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Baked goods carrier 10 is a modified version of the Drader 1981 patent and, as such, has a number of similar aspects. Referring to FIGURE 1, baked goods carrier 10 includes a rectangular tray 12, preferably made from polymer plastic, having a floor structure i4 with peripheral walls, generally indicated by reference numeral 16. Peripheral walls 16 include spaced upstanding side walls 18 and spaced upstanding end walls 20.
A pair of bails 22, preferably made of metal, are pivotally connected to side walls 18 and extend along the oppositely disposed end walls 20. Each of bails 22 being movable between an upright position illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 8 and a folded position 2 0 illustrated in FIGURE 9. Each of bails 22 include a pair of spaced generally L-shaped leg members 24. Referring to FIGURE 7, L-shaped leg members 24 have upper legs 26 and lower legs 28 connected by a heel 30. Lower leg 28 of each leg member 24 is pivotally connected to tray at a point spaced inwardly from end wall 20. The preferred way of doing this is to have lower leg 28 terminate in an outwardly directed horizontal portion 29 which is 2 5 journalled in an aperture 31. Referring to FIGURE 6, aperture 31 extends through side wall 18. With horizontal portion 29 positioned in aperture 31, bail 22 is pivotally connected to tray 12. Referring to FIGURE 7, a limiting member 33 is provided to prevent horizontal portion 29 from being withdrawn from aperture 31 by accident. When bail 22 is in the upright position heel 30 of leg member 24 is nested in a corner 32 of tray 12. Corner 32 is, 3 0 preferably, has a radiused curvature which conforms to the curvature of heel 30 and provides additional support. Referring to FIGURE 9, when bail 22 is in the folded position, heel 30 protrudes above upper edges 34 of side walls 18 and end walls 20. Referring to FIGURE 7, bail 22 further includes a horizontal handle member 36 interconnecting upper legs 26 of pair of leg members 24. Referring to FIGURE 17, openings 38 in floor structure 14 of tray 12 serve as first engagement means. Openings 38 are adapted to receive upwardly protruding heels 30' of leg members 24' of a second carrier 10' stacked below in a folded position. In this stacked configuration peripheral walls 16 of carrier 10 rest upon peripheral walls 16'of the carrier 10'. Referring to FIGURE 7, stops 40 projecting outwardly from side walls 18 adjacent to each of end walls 20, serve as locking means for releasably locking bails 22 in the upright position. Each of stops 40 is in the form of an inclined plane with a drop off.
Referring to FIGURE 1, the release mechanism for releasing the locking means is a cross piece 42 positioned between upper legs 26 of bail 22. Referring to FIGURE 7, cross piece 42 is grasped and pulled upwardly toward horizontal handle member 36 to draw legs inwardly and out of engagement with stops.
Referring to FIGURE 7, one improvement to baked goods carrier 10 is an angular brace 21 positioned inside tray 12 and connected to both floor structure 14 and end wall 20.
Angular brace 21 provides additional rigidity to floor structure 14 to reduce bowing and serves to reinforce end wall 20.
Referring to FIGURE 12, another improvement to baked goods carrier 10 lies in the 2 0 second engagement means. This engagement permit floor structure 14 of tray 12 to engage bail 22' of a second carrier 10' stacked below, when bail 22' is in an upright position. This second engagement means fixes uppermost Garner 10 relative to carrier 10' below. Referring to FIGURE 14, each upper leg 26 of L-shaped leg members 24 has a primary axis 44 and an upper extremity 46. Upper extremity 46 has a first bent portion 48 that extends away from 2 5 primary axis 44 and a second bent portion 50 that extends back to primary axis 44.
Horizontal handle member 36 is connected to second bent portion 50. Referring to FIGURE
13, a longitudinal axis 52 of horizontal handle member 36 is maintained by second bent portion SO in a substantially perpendicular relation to primary axis 44 of upper leg 26.
Referring to FIGURE 12, horizontal handle member 36 and second bent portion 50 are being 3 0 positioned within peripheral walls 16 of tray 12 when bails 22 are in the upright position.
Referring to FIGURE 8, confining channels 54 are provided in floor structure 14 of tray 12 beneath end walls 20. Referring to FIGURE 12, confining channels 54 are adapted to prevent ". m .._ r~-mx ca..,.._W .Maf,~"A7,N0.L~Ya xl.hY'~''FAB'~"'"~T:
:?3~m..",~~~klr,~'.,ttmYiWtG.1'bWr..'.xi~ .~a.w.s-~-sm..m.w.:....,..,-.,_r.._._ ~.......~._~..."~, ~.~e~w~mn.<.~.,. r,~wm~n.mmn~w cTasraeaWw~,mnem orsztac,~sv'z:%~'.:.tIP~N»,~crTaa471~:;aezwrw. . ,._ .
relative movement transverse to axis 52' of horizontal handle member 36' of baked goods carrier 10' and the floor structure 14 of baked goods carrier 10. It prevents movement as indicated by arrows 56. Referring to FIGURES 12 and 13, limiting shoulders 58 depend from floor structure 14 beneath end walls 20 and are adapted to engage second bent portion 50 to prevent relative movement along axis 52' of horizontal handle member 36' of baked goods carrier 10' and floor structure 14 of tray 12. Referring to FIGURE 15, in order to engage with Drader 1981 baked goods earners, secondary confining channels 60 may, optionally, be positioned in parallel spaced relation to confining channels 54. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2, confining channels are created by a floor structure which has depending topographical features. Refernng to FIGURE 10, there is illustrated how the same confining channels can be created in an embodiment that has a planar bottom.
Referring to FIGURE 5, another improvement to baked goods carrier 10 consists of a floor structure 14 which includes a grid, generally indicated by reference numeral 62, having a plurality of rectangular openings 64. Grid 62 has a flat smooth surface with a first set of parallel bars 66 extending perpendicularly between side walls 18 and a second set of parallel bars 68 extending perpendicularly between end walls 20. Bread is supported by parallel bars 66 and 68. When movement occurs, bread tends to move in ane of the directions indicated by parallel bars 66 and 68, depending upon the direction from which force is applied.
Referring to FIGURE 6, another improvement to baked goods carrier 10 is a side wall reinforcing strip 70 which enhances the weight bearing ability of side wall 18. Side wall reinforcing strip 70 is embedded in side wall 18 and extends for most of the length of side 2 5 wall 18. Aperture 31 extends through side wall reinforcing strip 70. 'This means that side wall reinforcing strip 70 provides support for outwardly directed horizontal portion 29 of L-shaped leg member 24 which is journalled in aperture 31.
Operation:
3 0 The operation of baked goods carrier 10 will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 17. A bakery will select a version of baked goods earner 10 which meets its needs. For example, for some types of conveyors used by the automated baking goods handling equipment, a version of baked goods earner 10 having a planar bottom, such as is illustrated in FIGURE lU, is preferable as the bottom must rest on the conveyor. For bakeries that have a large inventory of the Drader 1981 trays still in use, a version of baked goods carrier 10 having a secondary confining channel 60, is preferable to enable baked goods carrier 10 to engage both other baked goods carriers 10 and the Drader 1981 bread carriers. When not in use, baked goods carriers 10 are stacked as shown in FIGURE 16.
Referring to FIGURE 17, heel 30' on L-shaped leg 24'of lowermost baked goods carrier 10' extends through an opening 38 in floor structure 14 of uppermost baked goods carrier 10 to provide stability to the stack. When baked goods earners 10 are to be used to hold baking goods, such as bread, bails 22 are moved into the upright orientation illustrated in FIGURE
1. Referring to FIGURE 7, upper legs 26 of L-shaped legs members 24 of bails 22 ride up the inclined plane slope of stop 40 until they reach the drop off which locks upper legs 26 in the upright position. Baked goods carrier is then handled by the automated baked goods handling equipment (not shown). Referring to FIGURE 14, the configuration of upper extremity 46 of bail 22, with first bent portion 48 extending away from primary axis 44 and a second bent portion 50 extending back to primary axis 44, keeps horizontal handle member 36 within the confines of tray 12, while providing unfettered access from above as illustrated in FIGURE
5. Second bent portion 50 also plays a role when baked goods carriers 10 are positioned in a stack, as will hereinafter be further described. Second bent portion 50 is also maintained 2 0 within the confines of tray 12. Refernng to FIGURE 5, baked goods, such as bread, are supported by parallel bars 66 and 68 of floor structure 14. The baked goods move in response to forces exerted by the automated baked goods handling equipment. When movement occurs, the baked goods tend to move in one of the directions indicated by parallel bars 66 and 68, depending upon the direction from which force is applied. This provides greater 2 5 control in an automated loading environment. The loaded baked goods carriers 10 are then stacked in the fashion illustrated in FIGURES 11 through 13. Referring to FIGURE 12, in order to stack baked goods earners 10, horizontal handle member 36' of lowermost baked goods carrier 10' is inserted into confining channel 54 of uppermost baked goods carrier 10.
This prevents or at least severely limits the movement depicted by arrows 56.
At the same 3 0 time second bent portion 50 engages limiting shoulders 58. This prevents movement along axis 52 of horizontal handle member 36, as best illustrated in :FIGURE 13.
Referring to FIGURE 6, bails 22 are pivotally mounted to tray 12 outwardly directed horizontal portion 29 of L-shaped leg member 24 which is journalled in aperture 31. When weight is applied through bails 22, side wall reinforcing strip 70 provides support for side wall 18. L-shaped leg members 24 tend to exert an outward force upon end walls 20. This force also tends to bow floor structure 14. Referring to FIGURE 7, this force is resisted by angular brace 21.
5 Referring to FIGURE 12, side wall 18 has a low profile which enables baked goods in tray 12 to be easily accessed by a retail customer. Referring to FIGURE 7, when baked goods carrier 10 is empty, a force is exerted upwardly on cross-member 42 to pull L-shaped leg members 24 inward to clear stop 40. This enables bails 22 to be returned to a folded position, so that baked goods carrier 10 can be stacked, as illustrated in FIGURE 1G.
Baked goods carrier 10 had its origins as a bread carrier and is now used to handle a variety of baked goods, including but not limited to bread. This title, however, is not intended to be unduly limiting. Customers have used the Drader 1981 bread carriers with meats and other goods. There is little doubt that when baked goods carrier 10 becomes commercially available, that customers will use baked goods carrier 10 with meats and a variety of other goods too numerous to mention.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not 2 0 excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the 2 5 illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the Claims.
Claims (19)
1. An improvement in a baked goods carrier which includes a rectangular tray having a floor structure with peripheral walls including spaced upstanding side walls and spaced upstanding end walls, a pair of bails pivotally connected to the side walls and extending along the oppositely disposed end walls, each of the bails being movable between an upright position and a folded position, each of the bails including a pair of spaced generally L-shaped leg members having upper and lower legs connected by a heel, the lower leg of each leg member being pivotally connected to the tray at a point spaced inwardly from the end wall such that the heel of the leg member, when the bail is in the upright position, is nested in a corner of the tray and, when the bails are in the folded position, protrudes above the upper edges of the side and end walls, the bail further including a horizontal handle member interconnecting the upper legs of the pair of leg members, first engagement means in the floor structure of the tray which are adapted to receive the upwardly protruding heels of the leg members of a second carrier stacked below in a folded position, whereby the peripheral walls of one carrier rest upon the peripheral walls of the other, locking means for releasably locking the bails in the upright position, second engagement means in the floor structure of the tray which are adapted to engage the bail of a second carrier stacked below in an upright position to fix the uppermost carrier relative to the carrier below, the improvement comprising:
each upper leg of the L-shaped leg members having a primary axis and an upper extremity with a first bent portion that extends away from the primary axis and a second bent portion that extends back to the primary axis, the horizontal handle member being connected to the second bent portion and maintained by the second bent portion with a longitudinal axis of the horizontal handle member in a substantially perpendicular relation to the primary axis of the upper leg, the horizontal handle member and the second bent portion being positioned within the peripheral walls of the tray when the bails are in the upright position;
the second engagement means including confining channels in the floor structure of the tray beneath the end walls that are adapted to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray, the second engagement means further including limiting shoulders depending from the floor structure beneath the end walls that are adapted to engage the second bent portion to prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray.
each upper leg of the L-shaped leg members having a primary axis and an upper extremity with a first bent portion that extends away from the primary axis and a second bent portion that extends back to the primary axis, the horizontal handle member being connected to the second bent portion and maintained by the second bent portion with a longitudinal axis of the horizontal handle member in a substantially perpendicular relation to the primary axis of the upper leg, the horizontal handle member and the second bent portion being positioned within the peripheral walls of the tray when the bails are in the upright position;
the second engagement means including confining channels in the floor structure of the tray beneath the end walls that are adapted to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray, the second engagement means further including limiting shoulders depending from the floor structure beneath the end walls that are adapted to engage the second bent portion to prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray.
2. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 1, wherein the second engagement means includes secondary confining channels positioned in parallel spaced relation to the confining channels.
3. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 1, wherein the floor structure consists of a grid having a plurality of openings, the grid has a flat smooth surface with a first set of parallel bars extending perpendicularly between the side walls and a second set of parallel bars extending perpendicularly between the end walls, such that the bread is supported by, and tends to move along, the parallel bars.
4. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 1, wherein the lower leg of each of the L-shaped members terminates in an outwardly directed horizontal portion which is journalled through the side wall to pivotally connect the bail to the tray.
5. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 1, wherein the locking means are stops projecting outwardly from the side walls adjacent to each of the end walls.
6. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 5, wherein the release mechanism for the locking means is a cross piece positioned between the upper legs of the bail, which is grasped and pulled upwardly to draw the legs inwardly and out of engagement with the stops.
7. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 1, wherein an .angular brace is positioned inside the tray and is connected to both the floor structure and the end wall, thereby providing additional rigidity to the floor structure to reduce bowing and reinforcement of the end wall.
8. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 4, wherein a side wall reinforcing strip is provided to enhance the weight bearing ability of the side wall.
9. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 8, wherein the side wall reinforcing strip is embedded in the side wall and extends for most of the length of the side wall.
10. An improvement in a baked goods carrier which includes a rectangular tray having a floor structure with peripheral walls including spaced upstanding side walls and spaced upstanding end walls, a pair of bails pivotally connected to the side walls and extending along the oppositely disposed end walls, each of the bails being movable between an upright position and a folded position, each of the bails including a pair of spaced generally L-shaped leg members having upper and lower legs connected by a heel, the lower leg of each leg member being pivotally connected to the tray at a point spaced inwardly from the end wall such that the heel of the leg member, when the bail is in the upright position, is nested in a corner of the tray and, when the bails are in the folded position; protrudes above the upper edges of the side and end walls, the bail further including a horizontal handle member interconnecting the upper legs of the pair of leg members, first engagement means in the floor structure of the tray which are adapted to receive the upwardly protruding heels of the leg members of a second carrier stacked below in a folded position, whereby the peripheral walls of one carrier rest upon the peripheral walls of the other, locking means for releasably locking the bails in the upright position, second engagement means in the floor structure of the tray which are adapted to engage the bail of a second carrier stacked below in an upright position to fix the uppermost carrier relative to the carrier below, the improvement comprising:
an angular brace is positioned inside the tray and is connected to both the floor structure and the end wall, thereby providing additional rigidity to the floor structure to reduce bowing and reinforcement of the end wall.
an angular brace is positioned inside the tray and is connected to both the floor structure and the end wall, thereby providing additional rigidity to the floor structure to reduce bowing and reinforcement of the end wall.
11. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 10, wherein each upper leg of the L-shaped leg members has a primary axis and an upper extremity with a first bent portion that extends away from the primary axis and a second bent portion that extends back to the primary axis, the horizontal handle member being connected to the second bent portion and maintained by the second bent portion with a longitudinal axis of the horizontal handle member in a substantially perpendicular relation to the primacy axis of the upper leg, the horizontal handle member and the second bent portion being positioned within the peripheral walls of the tray when the bails are in the upright position;
the second engagement means including confining channels in the floor structure of the tray beneath the end walls, the confining channels being adapted to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray, the second engagement means further including limiting shoulders depending from the floor structure beneath the end walls that are adapted to engage the second bent portion to prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray.
the second engagement means including confining channels in the floor structure of the tray beneath the end walls, the confining channels being adapted to prevent relative movement transverse to the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray, the second engagement means further including limiting shoulders depending from the floor structure beneath the end walls that are adapted to engage the second bent portion to prevent relative movement along the axis of the horizontal handle member of an underlying carrier and the floor structure of the tray.
12. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 11, wherein the second engagement means includes secondary confining channels positioned in parallel spaced relation to the confining channels.
13. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 10, wherein the floor structure consists of a grid having a plurality of openings, the grid has a flat smooth surface with a first set of parallel bars extending perpendicularly between the side walls and a second set of parallel bars extending perpendicularly between the end walls, such that the bread is supported by, and tends to move along, the parallel bars.
14. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 11, wherein the lower leg of each of the L-shaped members terminates in an outwardly directed horizontal portion which is journalled through the side wall to pivotally connect the bail to the tray.
15. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 10, wherein the locking means are stops projecting outwardly from the side walls adjacent to each of the end walls.
16. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 10, wherein the release mechanism for the locking means is a cross piece positioned between the upper legs of the bail, which is grasped and pulled upwardly to draw the legs inwardly and out of engagement with the stops.
17. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 10, wherein a side wall reinforcing strip is provided to enhance the weight bearing ability of the side wall.
18. The baked goods carrier as defined in Claim 17, wherein the side wall reinforcing strip is embedded in the side wall and extends for most of the length of the side wall.
19. An improvement in a baked goods carrier which includes a rectangular tray having a floor structure with peripheral walls including spaced upstanding side walls and spaced upstanding end walls, a pair of bails pivotally connected to the side walls and extending along the oppositely disposed end walls, each of the bails being movable between an upright position and a folded position, each of the bails including a pair of spaced generally L-shaped leg members having upper and lower legs connected by a heel, the lower leg of each leg member being pivotally connected to the tray at a point spaced inwardly from the end wall such that the heel of the leg member, when the bail is in the upright position, is nested in a corner of the tray and, when the bails are in the folded position, protrudes above the upper edges of the side and end walls, the bail further including a horizontal handle member interconnecting the upper legs of the pair of leg members, first engagement means in the floor structure of the tray which are adapted to receive the upwardly protruding heels of the leg members of a second carrier stacked below in a folded position, whereby the peripheral walls of one carrier rest upon the peripheral walls of the other, locking means for releasably locking the bails in the upright position, second engagement means in the floor structure of the tray which are adapted to engage the bail of a second carrier stacked below in an upright position to fix the uppermost carrier relative to the carrier below, the improvement comprising:
the lower leg of each of the L-shaped members terminating in an outwardly directed horizontal portion which is journalled through the side wall to pivotally connect the bail to the tray, a side wall reinforcing strip being provided to enhance the weight bearing ability of the side wall, the side wall reinforcing strip being embedded in the side wall and extending for most of the length of the side wall.
the lower leg of each of the L-shaped members terminating in an outwardly directed horizontal portion which is journalled through the side wall to pivotally connect the bail to the tray, a side wall reinforcing strip being provided to enhance the weight bearing ability of the side wall, the side wall reinforcing strip being embedded in the side wall and extending for most of the length of the side wall.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2459700 CA2459700A1 (en) | 2004-03-04 | 2004-03-04 | Baked goods carrier |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2459700 CA2459700A1 (en) | 2004-03-04 | 2004-03-04 | Baked goods carrier |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2459700A1 true CA2459700A1 (en) | 2005-09-04 |
Family
ID=34976930
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2459700 Abandoned CA2459700A1 (en) | 2004-03-04 | 2004-03-04 | Baked goods carrier |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2459700A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN111392183A (en) * | 2020-03-06 | 2020-07-10 | 厦门奇达电子有限公司 | 3C sheet intelligent bearing material frame and 3C sheet transportation method |
-
2004
- 2004-03-04 CA CA 2459700 patent/CA2459700A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN111392183A (en) * | 2020-03-06 | 2020-07-10 | 厦门奇达电子有限公司 | 3C sheet intelligent bearing material frame and 3C sheet transportation method |
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