GB2203408A

GB2203408A - Egg trays

Info

Publication number: GB2203408A
Application number: GB08706973A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Samuel Gillies Telford
Original assignee: BOXMORE Ltd
Current assignee: BOXMORE Ltd
Priority date: 1987-03-24
Filing date: 1987-03-24
Publication date: 1988-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-24
Also published as: GB2203408B; GB8706973D0

Abstract

An egg tray in which eggs are located in pockets (10) has projections (11) around the pockets (10) for spacing adjacent trays in a stack. Each of said projections (11) has four discrete egg supporting faces, one directed to each of four surrounding pockets (10), each of said egg supporting faces having a generally dished portion (21) centrally thereof and a generally flat portion (22) adjacent the bottom (20) of the pocket (10). <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN EGG TRAYS This invention relates to egg trays of the type in which eggs are located between two superimposed trays having mutually opposed pockets adapted to position the eggs, and having mutually opposed projections around the pockets adapted to abut one another so as to space the opposed pockets by the required amount to prevent crushing, said projections being hollow so that a substantially complimentary arrangement of pockets and projections is provided on each face of the tray to facilitate stacking of the trays (hereinafter referred to simply as "an egg tray of the type aforesaid").

Such egg trays may be utilised for transferring eggs from a laying environment prior to sorting with regard to size. During recent years the proportion of large eggs being produced has increased and the standard egg trays presently being used have not been able to accommodate all such eggs without some being broken during transportation to a sorting destination.

It is an object of the invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage and also to provide an egg tray which can also accommodate small size eggs safely.

According to the invention there is provided an egg tray of the type aforesaid wherein each of said projections has inter alia four discrete egg supporting faces, one directed to each of four surrounding pockets, each of said egg supporting faces being angled to diverge from an upper tray spacing or tray supporting surface to a respective lower pocket surface, each of said egg supporting surfaces of each of said projections having a generally dished portion centrally thereof and a generally flat portion adjacent said lower pocket surface.

With an arrangement as defined in the next preceding paragraph large size eggs are supported and accommodated in any pocket by the dished portions of the egg supporting surfaces surrounding such pocket whereas smaller size eggs are prevented from engagement with the lower pocket surface by the flat portions of the egg supporting surfaces surrounding such pocket.

The foregoing and further features of the invention may be more readily understood from the following description pf a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example, with.reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an egg tray, and Fig. 2 is a line diagonal sectional view of one pocket of the tray, on enlarged scale, in accordance with the invention.

Firstly-with respect to Fig. 1 of the drawing the egg tray is of the type aforesaid and, as is usual, is made of moulded pulp. Pockets 10 and projections 11 are arranged in alternate parallel rows each pocket 10 being located centrally between four equi-spaced projections 11 and each projection 11 (except those on the outer perimeter) thus being located centrally of four pockets 10. Each pocket 10 and each projection 11 (except those in two opposed sides of the perimeter) is of substantially frusto-conical shape, each projection 11 having a flat top to provide an abutment surface. Each pocket 10 terminates at its top in four peripherally interspaced ledges and the projections 11 are interconnected by ridges 13 located above the ledges 12 (except at the two opposed sides aforementioned where there are no ridges above the ledges).

There are, for example, six projections 11 in each file 14 and seven in each rank 15, that is, one more projection in a rank 15 than in a file 14. However, the end projection of each rank 15 are cut vertically substantially through their centres and adjacent half-projections are connected by a web 16 to form a pair of opposed side walls.

At the ends of the file 14 of projections as indicated by the numeral 17, the tray project outwards a short distance and the edge at its end portion 18 to form a grip for the fingers for lifting the tray.

The width between the side walls and the width between the grip edges are substantially equal so that a square tray is formed.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawing there is shown a line diagonal sectional view of one pocket of the tray of Fig. l,dn enlarged scale. Each projection 11 has a horizontal tray supporting surface 19 and the pocket has a lower horizontal surface 20.

The egg supporting surfaces of each projection 11 comprise a generally dished portion 21 adjacent surfaces 19 for accommodating large eggs and a flat surface 22 adjacent surface 20 for preventing small eggs from contacting lower pocket surface 20.

With the arrangement shown an egg tray can accommodate a large proportion of large size eggs and can also accommodate small size eggs with a minimum of breakages.

Claims

ClAIMS

1. An egg tray in which eggs are located between two superimposed trays having mutually opposed pockets adapted to position the eggs, and having mutually opposed projections around the pockets adapted to abut one another so as to space the opposed pockets by the required amount to prevent crushing, said projections being hollow so that a substantially complimentary arrangement of pockets and projections is provided on each face of the tray to facilitate stacking of the trays and wherein each of said projections has inter alia four discrete egg supporting faces, one directed to each of four surrounding pockets, each of said egg supporting faces being angled to diverge from an upper tray spacing or tray supporting surface to a respective lower pocket surface, each of said egg supporting surfaces of each of said projections having a generally dished portion centrally thereof and a generally flat portion adjacent said lower pocket surface.

2. An egg tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.