IE45386B1 - Trays and the like - Google Patents

Description

The Invention concerns trays and the like, and has ·' particular, though not exclusive reference to such structures formed from sheet materials such as hardboard by a bending operation or .operations.

. Rigid or substantially rigid re-usable trays or boxes for use for horticultural and like purposes, for the storage and transportation of fruit, or for- the transportation and display of bakery products are known, such structures, hereinafter referred to as trays of the kind described, usually being fabricated . from an appropriate number of individual elements permanently assembled together in an appropriate relative disposition.

Whilst such trays are eminently suitable when in use in their intended context, ths manufacture and assembly thereof may well be a time-consuming, and hence expensive . operation and, if the assembly is undertaken by the manufacturer rather than a user to whom the trays are delivered in knock-down form, the space requirement, and hence cost, for delivery is appreciable, bearing in mind that the required stacking characteristic of the trays when in . use precludes the nesting of such trays to give a lesser space requirement for delivery purposes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tray for use in the various contexts as aforesaid which is capable of being stacked with other like trays when . required in use yet which can be nested with such trays to give a reduced volume requirement for storage or transportation when not in use.

According to the present invention there is proposed - 2 3 S 3 8 6 a cr«y of the kind described comprising a base, upstanding walls at oppos/.d sagas of such base, a respective tongue extending from at least two such upstanding walls, each such tongue lying in or substantially in the plane of the wall from which extends,· and at least one aperture adjacent to the periphery ?f the base at each of two opposed edges thereof, the walls .being of constant thickness throughout substantially the full e.-v.enc i: the peripheral direction of the base and the s< :d aper'r-irs-. being adapted and arranged to receive respective •tongues of a;, underlying tray of a stack of trays, the tray b-ning fabricated from a semi-rigid material of a sufficient -:.ini lity to allotv of a flexing of the walls and/or the .•.cngrec extending therefrom for selective engagement of such a..-.pms with respective correspondingly positioned apertures in the base of an overlying tray or for nesting with such tray ι..-f ar- overlying tray.

Preferably th ; semi-rigid material comprises hardboard - ..: cormerciaily : .triable quality, and upstanding walls are provided about the whole of the periphery of the base. bc'.cr li:-g it a preferred feature the apertures are provided i’-’. the base i.i the region of the junction between a ifcll o->c such base. •fhe invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic dra·--;. .-,:? tll-isirating ons embodiment thereof, and in which:ΐ„4. 1 is a perspective view of a tray according to a . · EfioUisu-r of the invention; and ?iga. 2 and 3 are corresponding sectional views of a plurality of superimposed trays of a second embodiment of the inventicn ir. their stacked and nested modes, respectively. 45383 Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, a tray 11 for use in the storage and transportation of, for example, tomatoes comprises a generally rectangular base 12, upstanding walls 13,14 at the lateral and longitudinal edges respectively of such base, a respective tongue 13a extending upwardly from each of the opposed lateral walls 13, and a respective aperture 16 in the base 12 adjacent to the foot of the said opposed lateral walls .

The tray is of integral construction, and is fabricated from a commercially available hardboard by a bending process of the kind disclosed in our Patent Specification No. 45387.

The ends of the lateral walls 13 have integral tabs 13b which lie generally at 30° to the walls from which they extend, such tabs 13b lying inwardly of the adjacent longitudinal walls 14, whilst the longitudinal and lateral walls are of constant and equal thickness, being the thickness of the hardboard, throughout substantially the full extent thereof as considered in the peripheral direction of the base 12, and being only of other than this thickness in the region of the tabs.

Each aperture 16 is in alignment with a related tongue 13a and is so dimensioned as to receive a like tongue into free engagement therewith.

The tray is formed to tha shape shown in Fig. 1 by bending from a flat sheet of an appropriate profile, the blank having a circular hole therein, as illustrated at 17 in the erected tray of Fig. 1, at locations to correspond to the corners of the base, and the line defining the ends 14a of the longitudinal walls and the lower edges 13b' of the tabs in the flat condition of the blank, breaking into such hole 17. 3 8 6 The method by which the blank is bent to constitute the tray as shown in the drawing is disclosed in greater detail in our Patent Specification aforesaid.

In use, the tray as shown is free standing, and is of sufficient rigidity to contain and to protect articles placed in spaced disposition therein. 7f the tray 11 is to receive another like tray 21 into stacked relationship therewith, see now Fig. 2, then such other tray 22 is superimposed thereon and the upstanding .-opgss.f, i3a of ί.ή- lower tray 11 are engaged with respective ones of tne apertures 26, the upper tray 21 being supported on the upper edges of the walls 13, 14 of the lower tray 11 and being located relative to such lower tray by coepetation between the tongues 13a and apertures 26. Interengagement of the tongues 13a and apertures 26 may require that the tongues 13a, and the walls 13 from which they extend, be displaced slightly inwardly of the total fray structure, the resilience of the material allowing of such displacement end serving to load the tongue outwardly and into contact with the inner surface of the adjacent wa'l of the upper tray.

If, on the other hand, the tray is to be arranged in r.eited relationship with other trays, see now Fig. 3, then the tong re (and wall) is displaced outwardly to lie outwardly of and in contact with the outer surface of the superimposed tray, the longitudinal walls of the lower tray bsirr bent outwardly slightly to accommodate the corresponding walls cf the next higher tray.

If desired, the tabs of the embodiment of Fig. 1 can be securad to the adjacent longitudinal walls, as by - 5 5 5 3 8 6 glueing or stapling, in which case the greater part of the deformation is in the tongue, and such tongue may hot lie in close contact with the inner face of the wall of the next higher tray. Nesting will be facilitated, in the case . of a tray having rigid corners, if the walls diverge slightly outwardly of the tray.

The stacking and the nesting of trays constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 2 and 3, there being no tabs in the embodiment . shown.

The invention is not restricted to the exact features of the embodiment disclosed, since alternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the art.

Thus, for example, upstanding walls may be provided 15. at two opposed edges only of the base, and the apertures be provided adjacent those edges or adjacent another pair of opposed edges, if preferred.

In another arrangement, the apertures, whilst being provided adjacent to the edges of the base, are provided . in the upstanding walls, the tongues being shaped, or not, as preferred, for engagement with such apertures.

The tray will preferably be produced from a hardboard material, with the wide side thereof at the outer face of the structure, However, like advantages to those arising from . the tray as herein proposed will be presented by a tray moulded to shape from a synthetic plastics material, and the invention is to be considered to extend to such materials.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A tray of the kind described comprising a base, upstanding walls at opposed edges of such base, a respective tongue extending from at least two such upstanding walls, each such tongue lying in or substantially in the plane of the wall from which it extends, 5. and at least one aperture adjacent to the periphery of the base at each of two opposed edges thereof, the walls being of constant thickness throughout substantially the full extent thereof in the peripheral direction of the base and the said apertures being adapts and arranged to receive respective tongues of an underlying tray of 10. a stack of trays, the tray being fabricated from a semi-rigid material of a sufficient flexibility to allow of a flexing of the walls and/or the tongues extending therefrom for selective engagement of such tongues with respective correspondingly positioned apertures in the base of an overlying tray or 1, for the nesting with such tray of an overlying-tray.

2. A tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid material comprises hazdboard of a commercially available quality. .

3. A tray as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein upstanding 20 walls are provided at each edge of the base.

4. A tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein upstanding walls are provided about the whole of the periphery of the base.

5. A tray as claimed in claim 4, wherein adjacent walls are connected toqether at the corner regions of the tray. 25.

6. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the walls are inclined upwardly and outwardly relative to the base.

7. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, - 7 45386 ι ·· wherein the apertures are provided in the base in the region of the junction between a wall and such base.

8. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a respective tongue is provided for each of two 5. opposed upstanding walls.

9. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tongues are shaped to provide an aperture engaging portion disposed substantially in the plane of the wall from which the tongue extends.

10. 10. A tray of the kind described substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.