GB2382811A

GB2382811A - A Two-Layered Container

Info

Publication number: GB2382811A
Application number: GB0129036A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew C Boardman
Original assignee: Redbridge Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Redbridge Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2001-12-04
Filing date: 2001-12-04
Publication date: 2003-06-11
Also published as: AU2002343095A1; WO2003047986A1; GB0129036D0

Abstract

A container comprising an inner tray (2) and an outer tray (1), both of which trays have respective bases (11,6) the outer tray (1) including support means (3) in each corner spaced above the base of the outer tray (1), whereby, in use, the inner tray (2) is placed within the outer tray (1) supported on said support means (3) so that the base (11) of the inner tray (2) is spaced from the base of the outer tray (1), whereby goods may be placed on the base of both said inner and outer trays.

Description

Container The invention relates to a container for produce.

The transport of produce from harvest or production facility to consumer supply outlet normally requires transport of the produce in containers of prescribed dimension, which normally carry two layers of produce; and of prescribed strength, such that the containers are capable of being stacked above one another during transport and storage. In addition, the produce is preferably labelled before delivery, a process which lends itself to automation, and so the containers should allow for this. Current containers involve the manual removal of the produce from the container for individual labelling and are labour intensive and impact on both time and quality assurance.

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a container comprising two rectangular trays, an inner and an outer tray, both of which have respective bases, the outer tray having support means at each corner spaced above the base of the outer tray, the inner tray, in use, being supported within the outer tray on said support means so that the base of the inner tray is spaced from the base of the outer tray, whereby goods may be supported on the bases of both said inner and outer trays.

Means are provided to prevent relative lateral movement of the inner and outer trays with respect to each other.

Where the trays are non-square, handle means may be provided at the ends of the outer tray, providing a natural means for lifting the outer and inner trays together, and on the sides of the inner tray; this discourages attempts to lift the two trays via the inner tray and thereby separate the trays unless specifically required, e. g. for labelling.

The end or side walls of the inner and outer trays may include a lowered section to provide convenient access for apparatus such as a labelling machine to label products within the respective trays.

Means may be provided in each corner of the trays to transmit load from the top of the container to the bottom of the container whereby a plurality of containers may be stacked above one another, said means comprising a multiple layer of material extending from the top of the container to the bottom of the container. The multiple layer of the lower part of said means is provided by said outer tray, and the multiple layer of the upper part of said means is provided by both said inner and outer trays A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inner tray, Figure 2 is a perspective view of an outer tray, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a container comprising an inner tray nested in an outer tray, and Figure 4 is an alternative embodiment of an outer tray Figures 1,2 and 3 show a container 15 comprising two trays, which may be of folded and/or stapled and/or glued corrugated cardboard or plastic board, an inner tray 2 and an outer tray 1 which have respective bases 11, 6. The trays are rectangular and nonsquare, and we define the opposite ends as being disposed at those edges of the tray spaced furthest from each other and we define the opposite sides as being disposed at the edges of the tray spaced closest to each other. The outer tray 1 has support means at each comer spaced above the base 6 of the outer tray 1. The support means or ledge may be provided by the upper edge 21 of a piece of cardboard or plastic board packing The inner tray 2 is supported within the outer tray 1 on the upper edge 21 of said support means 3 so that the base 11 of the inner tray 2 is spaced from the base 6 of the outer tray 1, whereby produce or goods may be placed on the bases of both said inner and outer trays. The outer tray 1 is provided with towers 4 at each corner and

the inner tray 2 is provided with towers 20 at each comer, such that when the inner tray 2 is supported within the outer tray 1, the towers 4 of the outer tray I generally engage the towers 20 of the inner tray 2, and by this means prevent relative lateral movement of the inner and outer trays with respect to each other. The towers 4,20 extend along the sides 17,19 and ends 16,18 of the trays 1,2 until they meet the cut away portions 7,8, 9,12.

Handle means may be provided on the outer and inner trays and may comprise openings in the sides or ends of the said trays provided by removing, or folding back portions of the material of the said sides or said ends. It is more natural to pick up a rectangular non-square tray using handles on the ends rather than on the sides.

Openings 5 may be provided on the ends 16 of the outer tray 1, providing a natural means for lifting the outer 1 and inner 2 trays of the container 15 together. In addition, openings 10 may be provided on the sides 19 of the inner tray 2, to provide for the removal of the inner tray 2 when required e. g. for labelling, and in a position less natural for picking up such a shape to discourage the removal of the inner tray at any other time, in particular avoiding the inconvenience of inadvertently lifting an inner tray, possibly supporting a further container, to the detriment of the produce contained within. The openings 10 may also be designed and constructed, for example to accommodate only one or two fingers, such that their inadvertent use is further discouraged.

The end 16,18 or side 17,19 walls of the inner 2 and outer 1 trays include a lower or cutaway section 7,8, 9,12 to provide convenient access for apparatus such as a labelling machine to label products within the respective trays.

Means is provided at each comer of each tray to transmit load from the top of the container 15 to the bottom of the container 15 whereby a plurality of containers may be stacked above one another. Each comer of the outer tray comprises, in addition to the meeting of the relevant sides and edges defining the comer, the support means 3 or ledge, which may comprise an insert of corrugated cardboard or plastic board,

providing additional material at the comer of the outer tray I to the height of the insert or support means 3. When the inner tray 2 is supported within the outer tray 1 on said support means 3, the towers 20 of the inner tray 2 generally engage the towers 4 of the outer tray 1, providing additional material from the height of the insert or support means to the top of the container 15 and providing additional strength at each reinforced tower 14.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment in which the towers 4 extend along the sides 17 of the outer tray I with a cutaway 7 sufficient only to allow access to the handle means 10 of the inner tray 2 when nested within it.

The container described may be used as follows. Product, for example soft fruit, may be harvested directly into small containers or punnets, which may be placed on the base of the outer tray 1 of a container 15. When the outer tray 1 is full the inner tray

2 may be placed on the supporting means 3 of the outer tray 1 The supporting means 3 are disposed so as to allow the base 11 of the inner tray 2 to be spaced from the top of the punnets in the outer tray 1, allowing air to circulate. Further punnets may then be placed on the base of the inner tray 2. Inner tray 2, being required to support only one layer of produce, may be made of less or lighter material than outer tray 1, and thus provide less strength than outer tray 1, which must provide support for both its own layer of produce and the loaded inner tray 2 (and further containers stacked above). A second outer tray 1 may then be mounted on the first container and the process repeated.

The container 15 may be transported to a labelling facility where the inner tray 2 may be removed, using the handle means 10 provided on the sides 19, and the punnets may be automatically labelled by a machine which gains access to the punnets in the inner tray through the cutaways 12 on the sides 19 or the cutaways 9 on the ends 18. The punnets in the outer tray 1 may also be automatically labelled by a machine, which gains access to the punnets in the outer tray through the cutaways 7 on the sides 17 or cutaways 8 on the ends 16. The inner tray 2 is then replaced within the outer tray 1

resting on the upper edge 21 of the support means 3 and the container 15 thus constituted may then be stacked with other containers in layers on transport means, such as a lorry, until the lorry is full. The reinforced towers 14 at each corner of the container 15 provide the means to transmit load from the top of the container 15 to the bottom of the container 15, thus allowing a plurality of containers to be stacked above one another during transport without damaging the contents of any of the containers.

Each container 15 may include means, in one embodiment comprising indentations on the outside lower edges 13 of the outer tray 1, which are accommodated by the top of each container 15, such that movement of any stacked container relative to any other container in the stack is discouraged, for example during transport.

On arrival at the supermarket the containers 15 may be removed from the transport means.

Operatives at the supermarket may lift each container 15 using the handle means 5 provided on the ends 16 of the outer tray 1.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing example. The support means 3 may comprise an insert of cardboard, plastic board or polystyrene, or it may comprise material from the outer tray 1, for example part or all of the material from the cutaway portions of the sides and/or ends of the outer tray may be folded into the tray or otherwise form said support means. The handle means 5,10 may comprise openings on the sides or ends of the inner and outer trays, or alternatively may comprise protruding portions on the said sides or ends of the said trays, or separate portions which may comprise, for example, plastic or string attachments, which may be attached, permanently or temporarily, to the said sides or ends of the said trays The means for transmission of load from the top of the container to the bottom of the container may be provided by the reinforced towers 14 at each corner of the container, and may additionally be provided by additional support means, comprising either an

insert, or material intrinsic to the tray, disposed to provide additional strength for example along the sides or ends of the outer tray.

Claims

Claims.

1. A container comprising an inner (2) tray and an outer (1) tray, both of which trays have respective bases (11,6), the outer tray (1) including support means (3) in each comer spaced above the base (6) of the outer tray (1), whereby, in use, the inner tray (2) is placed within the outer tray (1) supported on said support means (3) so that the base (11) of the inner tray (2) is spaced from the base (6) of the outer tray (1), whereby goods may be placed on the base of both said inner and outer trays

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein handle means (5,10) is provided on the ends (16) of the outer tray (1) and on the sides (19) of the inner tray (2),

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end (16,18) and/or side (19,17) walls of the inner and outer trays include a lower section (7,8, 9,12) to provide access.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein means is provided in each corner of the container to transmit load from the top of the container to the bottom of the container whereby a plurality of containers may be stacked above one another, said load transmitting means comprising a multiple layer of material extending from the top of the container to the bottom of the container, the multiple layers of the lower part of said means (3) being provided by said outer tray (1), and the multiple layers of the upper part of said means (14), being provided by said inner (2) and said outer (1) trays.