MXPA95001147A - System of container or container for bananas or plants, method to produce a banana container and method to vent and store the produ - Google Patents
System of container or container for bananas or plants, method to produce a banana container and method to vent and store the produInfo
- Publication number
- MXPA95001147A MXPA95001147A MXPA/A/1995/001147A MX9501147A MXPA95001147A MX PA95001147 A MXPA95001147 A MX PA95001147A MX 9501147 A MX9501147 A MX 9501147A MX PA95001147 A MXPA95001147 A MX PA95001147A
- Authority
- MX
- Mexico
- Prior art keywords
- bananas
- container
- bunches
- bag
- row
- Prior art date
Links
- 241000234295 Musa Species 0.000 title claims description 262
- 235000021015 bananas Nutrition 0.000 title claims description 242
- 235000018290 Musa x paradisiaca Nutrition 0.000 title claims description 22
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- 238000009423 ventilation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 97
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 8
- 208000008313 Contusions Diseases 0.000 description 7
- 235000013399 edible fruits Nutrition 0.000 description 7
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for ventilating and storing a plurality of stacked product boxes, the product is contained in an inner container disposed within each of the boxes, the boxes have a substantially rigid construction and have at least one opening ventilation, each of the inner containers has an upper portion and a lower portion, each of the inner containers is enclosed in the upper portion and the upper portion of each of the inner containers has attached thereto a means for opening the container interior, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) opening the inner containers using the opening means, without opening the boxes, and without unstacking the boxes, in order to thereby provide increased ventilation to the product inside the inner container through the at least one ventilation opening b) store the product inside the container
Description
"SYSTEM OF CONTAINER OR CONTAINER FOR BANANAS OR BANANAS, METHOD TO PRODUCE A BANANA CONTAINER AND METHOD TO VENT AND STORE THE PRODUCT"
Inventors: GUSTAVO RAUDALUS, Honduran, domiciled in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; RAÚL FERNANDEZ, Argentine, domiciled at 217-1150 La Uruca, San José, Costa Rica; FRANKLIN SANABRIA, Costa Rican, domiciled at 217-1150 La Uruca, San José, Costa Rica; RODRIGO BARSALLO, Panamanian, domiciled at 217-1150 La Uruca, San José, Costa Rica; SOLOMON CHONG, Honduran, domiciled in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; ELMER HOWELL, Costa Rican, domiciled in Condominio Norsal La Virgen, 150 Mts. Este from Autos Matra, La Uruca, San Jose, Costa Rica; FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ, Costa Rican, domiciled in Condominio Norsal La Virgen, 150 Mts. Este from Autos Matra, La Uruca, San Jose, Costa Rica; RANDALL PETERSON, Costa Rican, domiciled in Condominio Norsal La Virgen, 150 Mts. This from Autos Matra, La Uruca, San Jose, Costa Rica and DANIEL MULLOCK, North American, domiciled at 2678 Royalwoods Court, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244, E.U.A.
Causaire: CHIQUITA BRANDS, INC., Delaware State Corporation, E.U.A. domiciled at 250 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, E.U.A.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION *
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved container system for products, particularly perishable products such as bananas or bananas, an improved method for producing a container of bunches of bananas or bananas, and a method of ventilating and storing the product. More particularly, the present invention provides a container system and the method employing a closed internal container, the
which can be easily opened to provide greater ventilation to the product, an external container of an optionally improved design, and means for opening the inner container without the need to access the
* external container. In addition, a method is provided
novelty to insert bunches of bananas or bananas into a container.
Description of Related Art? Many products must be shipped from one point to another before being sold to consumers, and they are usually stored for a period of time in one or both places. During shipment and storage, however, ventilation, heating and / or cooling must often be provided to the products for several reasons. Perishable products such as fruits, for example, can receive ventilation and cooling to maintain their freshness. Without such ventilation or temperature control means, these products can arrive at their final destination in a damaged or damaged condition. Thus, it is usually not sufficient to pack only those perishable goods in closed containers. The methods of transport in previous closed containers for perishable products such as
• fruits and vegetables often used containers or that have several means of ventilation. For example, most fruits are shipped to retailers from the place where they grow in corrugated boxes that have a plurality of ventilation openings. These corrugated boxes not only provide means for ventilating and controlling the temperature of the fruit, but they are also lightweight and relatively inexpensive to produce. A disadvantage of these corrugated containers, however, is that they generally can not be reused. In this way, a reduction in the quantity of 5 materials used in its manufacture is of great value. Many products such as fruits and vegetables also have ventilation and temperature parameters that must vary during shipment and
__ storage. Thus, at certain points during mft the shipping and / or storage periods, it may be necessary to increase ventilation or increase or decrease the temperature of the products to ensure optimum freshness. A product for which this is particularly true are bananas or bananas. The
bananas are typically packaged in the form of bunches (or bundles) of bananas in corrugated containers (ie, boxes) in the plantation where they are harvested in a very green immature state. Those cardboard boxes are then placed inside shipping containers
large ones, which in turn are placed in refrigerated frames. During shipment, the pulp temperature of bananas is maintained at a temperature between 13.33 ° and 15.00 ° C (56 ° and 59 ° F). Once the ship has docked, the bananas are transferred to trucks or refrigerated highways, and transported to a warehouse or similar. Again, the temperature of the pulp is maintained between 13.33 ° and 15.00 ° C (56 ° and 59 ° F) to delay the ripening of the bananas, thus prolonging the shelf life of the bananas. To maintain this temperature range it is necessary to provide ventilation means inside the cardboard or corrugated boxes. This is typically achieved by providing a plurality of ventilation openings
--T around the surface of the boxes. In this way cold air can circulate inside the boxes, thus maintaining the proper temperature of the pulp. Once the bananas have reached the warehouse, the boxes are placed in ripening chambers where the temperature of the pulp is allowed to rise to approximately 15.55 to 16.66 ° C (60 to 62 ° F). Gaseous ethylene is also circulated around and inside
* containers by means of ventilation openings. The combination of temperature increase and gaseous ethylene will accelerate the ripening process, reducing the time necessary for bananas to fully ripen. Once this process has been completed, however, it is desirable to remove the ethylene ^. gaseous and decrease the temperature of bananas to slow ripening. Since the ripening process within the bananas itself releases ethylene gas, and since the ripening process will continue
even at temperatures below 15.55 ° C (60 ° F), it is critical that sufficient ventilation be provided to reduce the temperature of the pulp and remove the ethylene.
Thus, once the bananas are removed from the ripening chambers and transported to the retailer, it is usually necessary to take steps to ensure that greater ventilation can be provided to the bananas. If the gaseous ethylene is not removed from the bananas or the temperature does not decrease sufficiently, the bananas will continue to mature at a speed
accelerated, thus shortening its shelf life. In this way, the containers and packaging used for the bananas must be able to take into account the j? variable ventilation and temperature controls required during boarding passes and
storage. Other products, including other fruits and vegetables, require similar handling, and may have different needs during the shipping and storage processes. Thus, there is a need for a container system for products, as well as a method for packaging, shipping and storing those products, which ensures proper loading and storage conditions. Although many of the containers and methods used in the past meet the needs of retail producers, those containers and methods usually require a considerable amount of handling. Additionally, there is always a need for containers and packaging methods that improve the life of
• shelf, appearance and freshness of perishable products such as fruits and vegetables.
Brief description of the invention.
An object of the present invention is to provide a container system for shipping and storing products. Another object of the present invention is
• provide a container system for boarding and
product storage, where internal and external containers are provided, and where the inner container can be opened, without having access to the inside of the outer container or removing the container from a pile of containers, to provide greater ventilation in the products. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container system for 5 perishable products, wherein the system comprises internal and external containers, and wherein the internal container comprises a flexible bag that can be easily opened without opening the outer container. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a container system for the shipment and storage of bananas or bananas, wherein the container system comprises a rigid outer container having a plurality of ventilation openings and a central opening in its interior. lid, and an inner bag having a plurality of vertically alignable ventilation openings with the vent openings on the outer container, and wherein the inner bag can be opened to provide greater ventilation in
* the bananas. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a container of products such as fruits and vegetables. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a container of perishable products, comprising the steps of inserting an inner bag into an outer container, placing the perishable products inside the inner bag, and closing the inner bag, in wherein the internal bag 5 can later be opened without access to the inside of the outer container or removing the container from a pile, thereby increasing ventilation to the perishable products. A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a container of bunches of bananas, where four rows of bunches are inserted into the container, with the two upper rows in a crown configuration, thereby reducing the amount of bruising and marking during
the boarding. The additional objects, advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will also be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the
below or can be understood with the practice of the invention. The above objects can be achieved, according to one aspect of the present invention, by providing a container system for shipping and storage of the product, comprising, in combination: (a) a substantially rigid outer container having at least a ventilation opening; 5 (b) a lockable inner container positioned within the outer container for receiving the product, the inner container having a lower portion and an upper portion; and (c) means attached to the upper portion of the inner container K for opening the inner container to provide greater ventilation to the product. • The inner container preferably comprises a flexible bag having a sealed bottom as its lower portion, an upper lid adjacent to the upper portion, and a perforation extending at least a portion of the bag and wherein the opening means opens the bag by cutting the bag in the hole. The perforation is preferably positioned between the upper and lower portions of the bag, or adjacent the upper portion, and preferably substantially across the entire width of the bag. The opening means preferably comprises a cord secured to the bag, preferably between the upper portion of the opening and the perforation so that when the cord is pulled the bag will break in the piercing thereby opening the bag (removing the portion upper) and providing greater ventilation to the product through the ventilation opening in the outer container. The outer container may comprise a rectangular box having an upper part and at least one cord passage, and a central ventilation opening in the upper part, wherein the cord extends through at least one passage of the cord and from inside the box. The cord can be secured to the bag by tying the cord around the circumference of the bag, thereby substantially closing and sealing also the upper portion of the bag. In addition, the passage of
The cord can be a slot for the hand to hold the outer container, where the cord extends through this slot for the hand. The outer container s can optionally have two such slots for the
^^ hand, and the cord can extend outward from both
slots for the hand. The bag itself may have a plurality of ventilation openings positioned adjacent to the lower portion of the bag. The bag can also be placed inside the outer container so that the upper portion of the bag is placed f directly below the central opening in the upper part of the outer container, so that if the upper portion of the bag is removed, the product will be exposed to the environment through the central opening 5. The above objects can also be achieved by providing a method of packaging, shipping and storing the product, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an internal and an external container for providing a product in the first place, the outer container is of a construction substantially rigid, and has at least one vent opening, and wherein the inner container has an upper portion, a lower portion and an open end adjacent to the upper portion. (b) place the inner container inside the outer container; S (c) place the product inside the inner container; 0 (d) providing means attached to the upper portion to open the inner container; (e) closing the inner container so that the internal container is substantially sealed in the upper portion so as to transport the product; (f) ship the transported product to a second place; 5 (g) opening the inner container using the opening means, to provide greater ventilation to the product inside the inner container through at least one ventilation opening; and (h) store the product transported in
___? closed containers in the second place.
The inner container may comprise a flexible bag having a perforation between the upper and lower portions, so that the steps of
aperture cut the bag in the perforation, preferably removing the upper portion of the bag, thereby providing greater ventilation. The media
The opening can comprise a cord fixed to the upper portion of the bag so that the opening passage 0 comprises pulling the cord to remove the upper portion of the bag. The outer container is preferably a rectangular box having an upper part and a central ventilation opening in the upper part and the upper portion of the bag can thus be placed directly below the central ventilation opening before the opening passage so that the opening passage exposes the product to the environment through the central opening. A portion of the cord 5 is also preferably placed on the outside of the outer container so that the opening passage can be effected without having access to the interior of the outer container. The objects set forth above can also be achieved by providing a method of ventilation and storage of a plurality of stacked boxes of product, the product contained in an internal container placed within each of the boxes, the boxes are of a substantially rigid construction and have at least one ventilation opening; each of the internal containers have an upper portion, and a lower portion; each of the internal containers z ^ k closed in the upper portion; and the upper portion of each internal container has attached thereto means 0 to open the inner container; comprising the steps of: (a) opening the internal containers using the opening means without opening the boxes, and without de-stacking the boxes, to provide greater ventilation to the product inside the internal containers of at least one ventilation opening; (b) store the transported product in closed containers. The above objects can also be achieved by providing a method for producing a banana bunch container comprising the steps of: (a) providing internal and external containers for the product, the outer container is of a substantially rigid construction and has at least one opening of ventilation, and the inner container has an upper portion and a lower portion; (b) placing the inner container inside the outer container; (c) place bunches of bananas inside the inner container; (d) closing the inner container in the upper ^ portion; and (e) providing means for opening the inner container, the opening means attached to the inner container and operable from the outside of the outer container. The outer container may comprise a flexible bag having an area of weakness, such as a perforation, between the upper and lower portions, ^^ so that the opening means may be employed to open the bag in the area of weakness. These objectives can also be achieved by providing a method for producing a banana bunch container comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of bunches of bananas, each of the bunches comprising a plurality of bananas connected together, each of x bunches of bananas has a tip portion and a crown portion; (b) provide an external container for the bananas, the outer container is of a rectangular construction having first and second
parallel side walls, first and second parallel end walls, and an interior bottom; (c) placing a first row of bunches of bananas in the outer container on top of the inner bottom, so that the bananas in the first row are
placed parallel to the end walls; (d) place a second row of bunches of bananas in the outer container so that a portion of each bunch of bananas from the second row is placed? over a portion of the bananas from the first row; (e) place a third row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the portion
of each bunch of bananas of the third row is placed between the second row of bunches of bananas and the second side wall; and (f) placing a fourth row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the portion
Rush of each bunch of bananas from the fourth row is placed between the first row of bunches of bananas and the first side wall. Various types of cushions or cushions can be used in this method to further protect the
clusters of bananas, including: a tunnel damper, optionally used in a flexible bag; one or more cushions between layers; ^ Dual tip damping pads; dual side wall cushion pads; 0 or any combination of the above. These damping pads can also be employed in the inverted crown packing method of the prior art.
t. In most container systems and
^^ the methods described above, the product may be a fresh product (ie fruits and vegetables), such as bananas (preferably in the form of bunches, or
bunches of bananas).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Although the specification concludes with
In particular, claims and claims in a different manner the present invention, it is believed that it will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings that the
accompany, in which:
Figure 1 is a side plan view of the inner bag of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a prior art container used to ship products such as fresh fruits and vegetables;
# Figure 3 is a perspective view of the external container of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the container system of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the external container has not been closed; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a container system of one embodiment of the present invention, after the inner bag has been opened. Figure 6 is a sectional view of the prior art packing configuration for bunches of bananas. Figure 7 is a sectional view of a packaging method of the method of the present invention. ^ Figure 8 is a top plan view of
. one embodiment of the packaging configuration of the present invention. Figure 9 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the packaging method of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the packaging method of the present invention. Figure 11 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the packaging method of the present invention. Figure 12 is a side plan view of the tunnel cushion bag used in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the packaging method of the present invention. tt Figure 14 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the packaging method of the present invention. Figure 15 is a side view of a bunch of bananas.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the invention up to now,
* examples of which are illustrated in the drawings that the
accompany, where similar numbers indicate the same elements through the views. Figure 2 describes a prior art container commonly used to ship fresh vegetables and fruits such as bananas or bananas.
Is the container of Figure 2 generally comprising a base portion 10 and an upper portion 11, and commonly referred to as a semi-insulated, full assembly (HSC) container. The upper portion 11 and the base portion 10 are approximately equal in depth, and the upper portion 11 slides in a connected manner on the base portion 10 to complete the container. Alignable vent openings 12 are provided on the periphery of both container portions, as well as alignible hand slots 13 for holding the container. The hand slots 13 also provide ventilation to the interior of the container. The upper and lower portions each have flaps that are folded over and joined together to close each portion. When those skirts are folded upward, however, a central vent opening will be provided in both the upper portion 11 and the lower portion 10. The upper portion 11, for example, has upper skirts 7, which are folded upwards. in the manner shown to define the central vent opening 7a through which the product within the container will be visible. When perishable products such as bananas are shipped the container of Figure 2, # usually an inner plastic wrap should be used to protect the bananas. This internal wrapper is typically a tube made of thin plastic, and has a series of ventilation slots 5 provided around the entire surface of the tube. The plastic tube is typically placed in the base portion 10, and the open ends of the tube are hung over the side walls of the base portion 10. In this way, the bananas can then be laminated into the tube contained in the portion base 10. Once the bananas have been loaded into the plastic tube and the base portion 10, the ends of the tube are simply placed on top of the bananas in a loose fashion. The inner plastic tube 50 is shown in Figure 10. In this way, ventilation to the bananas can be provided through the ventilation slots, including circulation.
, j * Gaseous ethylene necessary to start the maturation process. A disadvantage of the container of Figure 2 when used with the plastic tube referred to above, is that once the bananas arrive at the retail establishment, it is difficult to provide the necessary cooling and ventilation. what is needed to slow down the ripening process. Bananas will produce a considerable amount of heat and ethylene as they mature. If the bananas are not cooled again to a temperature of about 14.44 ° C (58 ° F), and if the gaseous ethylene is not allowed to escape from the container, the bananas will continue to mature at an accelerated rate, thereby reducing their life of shelf. To remove excess heat and ethylene -. produced by the ripening of the bananas, the retail seller must remove the upper portion 11, and open the inner plastic tube to expose the bananas. In this way, heat and ethylene will be allowed to escape. Obviously, however, this needs the removal of the containers from your orderly arrangement on
the pallets. The retailer must therefore reappen the banana containers one on top of the other, usually in a stacked form, so that the necessary ventilation is provided to the bananas. In
# Effect, the retail seller must frequently 0 stack the containers in a less compact arrangement than the one that was present when the containers were on the pallets, so that sufficient quantities of cold air could circulate around the bananas. Figure 3 describes an improved container 5 design, which offers numerous advantages over which ~ ¿is shown in Figure 2. The container 15 of the Figure
^ 3 is similar in construction to the base portion 10 of the prior art design shown in Figure 2. Like any common rectangular container (it is
say, a box), the rectangular container 15 comprises
4 vertical side walls and attached lower skirts 19. The lower skirts 19 are folded up and glued in the conventional manner for, so
- so much, form the container. The width of the skirts 19 z is such that the bottom of the container formed by the skirts 19 will not be a continuous surface. In other words, as is the usual case with containers where ventilation is important, a central opening will be provided in the bottom of the container 15 when the
flaps 19 are bent up and sealed together in a conventional manner (such as by gluing). The container 15 also has a plurality of ventilation openings 20 provided in its side walls, as well as ventilation openings 0 21 provided in the lower skirts 19. Any number of ventilation openings can be provided depending on the product that is shipped as well. than the container's resistance considerations. As was the case in the container of Figure 2, hand slots 22 were provided in the side walls of the container 15, and the slots serve the dual purpose of providing additional ventilation as well as means for holding the container. . Instead of a separately connected upper portion, as was the case in the container of Figure 2, the container 15 of Figure 3 has integral top skirts 15. Once the products to be shipped are loaded into the container 15, the upper flaps 16 are folded over in the conventional manner and glued or glued, in the same way that the upper flaps 7 vary over the upper portion 11 over the container of Figure 2. The upper flaps 16 are preferably of a width slightly shorter, however, than the upper skirts 7 in Figure 2. This provides a larger central vent opening, and therefore increases ventilation for the product. J The central vent opening is shown by Figure 5 as the area on top of the assembled container 0 through which the bananas 30 are visible. It has been found that an integral cap provides sufficient rigidity and strength, particularly when the insert to be described is employed.
The container in Figure 3 also results in
# significant cost savings, since less material will be used for the construction of the container (compared to the one in Figure 2). The shipping containers such as those of Figures 2 and 3 are often made of corrugated cardboard, and are generally disposed of after a single use. Thus, the use of the container design of Figure 2, even when the insert described below is employed,? B results in a significant reduction in the amount of waste material. In many cases, it may be necessary to reinforce the container 15. In this way, as best shown in Figure 3, inserts are preferably used.
support 24. The inserts 24 fit within the container 15 against the side walls and the end walls of the container. The obliquely angled corner portions 25 on the support inserts 24 provide additional support, since it will place
a stronger triangular structure in each corner of the container 15 when the inserts 24 are used. Optionally, a single support insert can be employed, which fits against all the interior side walls and the end walls, and the
corner portions can optionally be of a »right angle configuration. When ventilation openings 20 are provided in the side walls of the container 15, corresponding alignible ventilation openings 26 may be provided in the inserts 24 so that it will be maintained without preventing fluid communication to the interior of the container. In addition, alignible hand slots 27 are also provided in the support inserts 24 and secured
# that the hand slots 22 on the container 15 can serve their intended dual purpose as described above. As stated above, many products such as fruits and vegetables have varying ventilation and temperature requirements, and
The methods of the prior art had been unable to effectively deal with those requirements. The inner plastic wrap or tubes used in the
^ ^ rqUe of _.___.__, _, po_ ej_mp_o, ref ßl _esap__a_o and manual re-stacking by the retailer, and not
provides the most protective environment for bananas during shipment. To alleviate these problems, a novel internal container has been developed. Although this inner container is preferably used with the ived container design of Figure 3, it can be effectively used with numerous other container or box designs, including that of Figure 2. Figure 1 describes the inner container of the present invention. invention. The inner container 5 preferably coses a flexible bag 1 having an open end 2 and a sealed lower end 3, and is identical in this respect with a typical household waste bag. The bag 1 can be constructed of any of a number of materials, and preferably
T is made of flexible, substantially clear plastic, such as is typically used for plastic bags, however, bag 1 could also be manufactured from opaque material. It should be noted that the bag 1 described in Figures 4 and 5 simply opaque for clarity. The preferred material heretofore for bag 1 is linear low density polyethylene, which has small amounts of additional additives to ensure f that bag 1 can be easily opened and of adequate strength, while maintaining its low cost. The exact formula for the material of bag 1 is not critical, and different combinations of materials well known to those skilled in the art can be used with ease. Bag 1 differs from other plastic bags 5 in that bag 1 also has a perforation 5 £ located adjacent to upper portion 4 of the bag
"1. The upper portion 4 is defined as the area between the open end 2 and the perforation 5. As shown
- through Figure 1, the perforation 5 extends
substantially across the entire width of bag 1, but not in its entirety. This ensures that when the bag 1 is opened, for example, by rotating the bag through the air to allow air to enter the bag.
# open end 2, such opening of the bag will not cause the bag to tear in the perforation 5. In addition, a plurality of bags are usually manufactured on a roller, with individual bags separated by large perforations between the bags. In this way, a perforation 5 only partially extends to
across the width of the bag 1 so that when individual bags are removed from the roller, the roller will tear between the bags, instead of tearing apart an individual bag in the perforation 5. As will be understood, the perforation 5 can be replaced by
any kind of area of weakness. For example, bag 1 could be marked in the place where perforation 5 is now. Alternatively, the bag 1 could still be molded so that the area of weakness corresponds to a thin area in the bag 1.
In this way, the perforation 5 can be replaced by any area of adequate weakness. The bag 1 also has a plurality of ventilation openings 6 located adjacent to the
bottom end 3 in each corner of the bag. It should be noted that bag 1 is actually tubular in nature, and Figure 1 describes bag 1 in a flat form. The ventilation openings 6 are preferably arranged in a series of rows, with the
^ j openings in adjacent rows offset from each other to reinforce the bag 1. If the ventilation openings 6 are not deflected, the bag will most likely tear at the openings. Preferably, bag 1 has twenty apertures of
ventilation 6 located adjacent to each of the lower corners of the bag, or a total of eighteen such openings. The preferred placement of
? = ventilation openings 6 as shown in the Figure
1, will help to ensure that the openings are properly aligned with the different openings on the container 15 of Figure 3. The bag 1 of Figure 1 is designed to be used with an external container that generally comprises a box typically made of cardboard, such as that of Figures 2 and 3, and preferably that of Figure 3. To employ the flexible bag 1, the container of Figure 3 is first constructed by sealing the lower flaps 19 in their closed position, and placing preferably support inserts 24 within the container 15. The bag 1 is then opened in the typical manner in which a plastic bag could be opened (i.e., by forcing air towards the open end 2). The bag 1 is then inserted into the container 15 with the open end 2 of the bag 1 extending outwardly from the upper part of the container 15. The open end 2 is then hung around the outside of the side walls of the container 15. , thereby completely exposing the interior of the bag 1, which is placed in the container 15. The products to be packaged are placed inside the bag 1, which is placed inside the container 15. When the product is loaded is a
Fresh fruit such as bananas (in the form of bunches of bananas as shown in Figure 5), the product 0 is often loaded into the bag 1 and the container 15 in an orderly manner. For example, it is preferred that the bananas be loaded into the bag 1 into four layers or rows (as will be discussed in more detail below). The new packing method described further on ensures that bananas do not spread > = i around the side walls of the container 15, and r in this way ensures that the upper flaps 16 can be sealed in the manner described above. Once the product has been loaded inside
of the bag 1, which is placed in the container 15, the upper portion 4 of the bag 1 is manually cinched in the typical way used for plastic bags, as a consumer can do with a plastic garbage bag . After the top portion 4 of the
§ bag 1 has been manually cinched, there is a need to secure the upper portion cinched to seal the closed bag. This is achieved by providing the cord 8.
The cord 8 is preferably made of polypropylene cord, however it can be manufactured from any
of a number of materials including several fibers, and a polypropylene cord is preferred simply because of its strength and cost. Cord 8 is tied securely
^^ around the upper portion cinched 4 using any type of knot that can not be loosened when the
cord 8 pull. Thus, a simple square knot can be employed to secure the upper portion 4 of the bag 1 cinched with the cord 8. It is preferred that the cord 8 be knotted around the upper portion 4.
(that is, between the open end 2 and the perforation 5)
somewhat near the middle portion of the length of the loop, cord 8, and that the cord 8 is sufficiently long so that each end of the cord 8 can extend through each slot for the hand 22 of the container 15 as shown in Figure 4. In other words, when the cord 8 is knotted around the upper portion 4 of the bag 1, thereby sealing the closed bag 1, each end of the cord 8 should extend through the hand slots 22 located in the opposite side walls of the container 15. ^ W It is also preferred to provide a small slot 9 in the lower part of each hand slot 22 (as shown in Figure 3), and can also be provided a corresponding slot on the hand slot 27 of each insert 24 in the same place.
When the ends of the cord 8 extend outwardly from the slots for the hand 22, a portion of the cord 8 can be inserted into the slot 9 (and the corresponding slots on the inserts 24) to secure the cord 8 to the container 15. This will ensure that 0 the ends of the cord 8 remain outside the container 15 during transit. After the cord 8 has been placed in this manner, the upper flaps 16 of the container 15 can be folded over and secured in the manner described above, thus transporting the product in closed containers. Alternatively, the cord 8 may be secured to the upper flaps 16 by any suie means, such as a groove contained therein. For example, the production process of the container 15 can result in the formation of the hand slots in the upper skirts 16. Since those hand slots are not used in the upper skirt 16, they can only be partially formed, and in this way the cord 9 can be
# secured inside those partially formed hand slots. The product transported in closed containers can then be stacked on pallets in various patterns commonly used for shipping and / or storage. A further feature of the system of the present invention is that, since the cord 8 extends outwardly from each of the slots for the hand 22, the cord 8 will generally be accessible even when a plurality of the containers are placed close together on a pallet, since the majority of the stacking patterns commonly employed will ensure that at least one hand slot 22 of each container 15 is located near the periphery of the loaded pallet readily accessible without requiring the removal of containers from the pallet. the stage
, & As an additional alternative, the portion
^ top 4 of the bag 1 can be folded over to substantially seal the bag 1 in the upper portion 4, and the portions of the closed bag 1 can then be placed adjacent to, or extending out of, the slots for the hand 22. In this way, the bag 1 can be cut into the perforations 5 simply by shaking the portion of the bag. bag 1 which is placed close to, or extends out of the hand slots 22. ~ As described above, many products such as bananas require control of ventilation and / or temperature to ensure that the products arrive at their destination in a marketable condition. Many of those products also
require different amounts of ventilation during shipping. When products such as bananas have been packaged in the manner described above inside the sealed bag 1 placed inside the container 15,
# can continue to provide ventilation to bananas
through the ventilation openings 6 on the bag 1. When the preferred pattern for the ventilation openings 6 as shown in Figure 1 is used, at least a portion of the ventilation openings 6 will be substantially in vertical alignment with a 5 or more ventilation openings 20 and 21 on the # 15 container. This allows to cool or heat the air to be circulated between the bananas when necessary, and also allow the gaseous ethylene used for ripening between the bag 1 which contains the 5 bananas. Because the upper portion of the bag 1 seals, however, a "microclimate" is created within the bag 1. Although the ventilation openings 6 in the bag 1 allow air and ethylene to be circulated
# around bananas, the sealed nature of bag 1 in the upper portion 4 significantly limits the amount of moisture that is lost to the environment. The capacity of the container system and the method of the present invention to reduce the amount
loss of moisture from the inner container is significant for the shipment of products such as bananas, because significant moisture losses usually take place when they are used
# conventional packaging systems. For example, the 0 bananas are typically packaged in boxes of 18.2 kilograms (40 pounds). The weight of 18.2 kilograms (40 pounds), however, refers to the weight of bananas when they are delivered to the retail seller. Due to moisture losses during shipment, 5 should be packed approximately 18.88 to 19.11 s + kilograms (41.5 to 42.0 pounds) of bananas in each box before shipment. Since such a load of bananas will conventionally lose up to 0.91 kilograms (two pounds) of moisture, each box of bananas will arrive at 5 retail vendors weighing approximately 18.2 kilograms (40 pounds), as required. When the packaging system and the methods of the present invention are employed, however, moisture losses are reduced by approximately 0.228 kilograms (0.5 pounds) per box. Thus, the weight of the bananas packaged in the container system prior to shipping can be approximately 0.228 kilograms (0.5 pounds) less when the present invention is employed, compared to conventional packaging systems.
Additionally, since the number of boxes of full bananas that can be placed in the large shipping containers is limited by the total weight, they can
^^ Place boxes loaded with bananas inside each receptacle, since each box of bananas will weigh or approximately 0.228 kilograms (0.5 pounds) less when using the packaging system of the present invention. For the large shipping container typical for bananas, the packaging system and the methods of the present invention result in the ability to load approximately 28 more boxes of bananas into each shipping container. As also mentioned above, once the boxes arrive at the retailer retail, or at some other point over time, it may be necessary to significantly increase the amount of ventilation that can be provided to the product. This is particularly true for bananas, since, as mentioned above, the retail seller usually must
T increase ventilation to slow down the maturation process. At this point, the cord 8 plays a role. When the retail seller receives a shipment of boxes loaded with bananas, for example, the retailer simply pulls the
lanyard 8 and the upper portion 4 of the bag 1 is completely detached from the rest of the bag due to perforation 5. The portion 4 can then be pulled 3 • kt easily through the hand slot 22, stirring at both completely the upper portion 4 of the bag 1 of the banana box or other products. As shown by Figure 5, this will completely expose the interior of the bag 1 (in this case the loading of bananas 30) through the central opening provided in the upper part of the container 15. The remaining 5 portion of the bag 1 It is also visible in the Figure 5 through the central opening. Thus, there is no longer a need for the retail seller to open the boxes to provide additional ventilation to the bananas. Indeed, sufficient ventilation can be provided to the boxes while they are on the pallet, it will no longer be necessary for the retailer to unstack the boxes of bananas to increase ventilation due to the increased size of the opening of the central ventilation in the top of the
W container 15, thereby greatly reducing the amount of space needed to store the bananas and the work required by the retailer. Additionally, since the cord 8 is accessible without the need for the retail seller to have access to the
fifteen - . 15 - inside the container 15 (for example, either opening the container or reaching it through the central opening of the upper part of the container), there is no
Offer the need for the retail seller to remove the boxes from the pallet to open the inner container. From
In this mode, the inner container can be opened even when a plurality of boxes are stacked one on top of the other. The test of the packaging system and the methods of the present invention has also shown that the reduction in moisture loss and the capacity of the? Retail seller to provide more ventilation to the bananas will result in a noticeable improvement in the quality and appearance of the bananas. When bananas shipped in the conventional manner are placed side-by-side with those shipped using the container system and methods of the present invention, improvements in product quality are readily apparent to an inexperienced observer. Bananas - have a totally fresh appearance and exist
_and considerably less brown spots on the bananas. This, of course, will result in a greater acceptance of bananas by the consumer. The present also provides a novel method for packing bananas into the container
external (ie a method to produce a container of bunches of bananas). As mentioned above, for many years bananas had been packaged in
^ Rectangular external containers (boxes) in a four-layer pattern (ie rows). This method of packaging
is shown in Figure 6. Indeed, the boxes generally used to ship bananas are all of identical dimensions, and are sized to provide space just enough for the four-row packing pattern of Figure 6, at 5 where each row generally comprises 3-4 clusters of # bananas each. The bananas of each row are placed substantially perpendicular to the side walls of the box, and parallel to the end walls of the box. As mentioned above, a plastic tube is also typically employed, however the tube has been omitted from Figure 6 for clarity. The packing method of Figure 6 is easily carried out in the following manner. First it should be noticed
_ ^ that each cluster of bananas can be defined as? holder of a crown portion 51 and a portion of
52, as shown in Figure 15. When employed, the inner tube 50 is inserted into the box 15, in the manner previously described. The use of the inner tube 50 is described in Figure 10, however it should be pointed out that the packing pattern of Figure 10 is in accordance with the present invention. An optional tunnel damper 53 can then be inserted into the
^ Inner tube 50, or directly in box 15 if the inner tube is not used. Tunnel damper 53 0 can, for example, be a rectangular sheet of paper
Kraft, which has a length at least greater than the length of the first and second side walls 54 and
55, respectively. The tunnel damper should also have a width greater than the length of the final walls 57 and 58 of the box 15. The JL tunnel 53 cushion is positioned so that it extends longitudinally between the side walls of the box, and extend to the width of the inner bottom 56 and the lower side walls 54 and 55 of the box 15 (because its width is greater than the length of the end walls). The first and second rows 61 and 62, respectively, of bunches of bananas can then be inserted into the box 15, inside the inner tube when it is used, and on top of the tunnel cushion 53. If the inner tube 50 is used, it is preferred that the tunnel damper 53 is inserted into the box 15 before the insertion of the inner tube 50. In this way, the bananas will not come into direct contact with the tunnel damper 53, thereby reducing the marking amount of the bananas. After the insertion of the first row 61 and the second row 62, the tunnel cushion portion 53 extending upward from the side walls 54 and 55 can then be bent over the first and second rows of bananas, as shown in FIG. Figure 6. As best shown in Figure 6, row 61 is preferably positioned so that the crown portion of the banana bunches of the first row 61 are closer to the side wall 54 than the side wall 55. The second row 62 of the bunches of bananas is then inserted so that a portion of that bunch of bananas is placed on top of a portion of the bunches of bananas in the first row 61, as shown in Figure 6. bunches of 5 plantains will rest in the manner shown in Figure 6 due to the natural curvature of the plantains, provided that the bunches of the second row are oriented opposite those of the first row. In this way,
^ - As shown by Figure 6, the portion of
The crown of the bunches of bananas of the second row 62 will be adjacent to the tip portion of the banana bunches of the first row 61. This combination of the first and second rows 61 and 62 is preferably centered between the side walls 54. Y
55, and both rows extend between the final walls of the box 15. Due to the size of the boxes typically used in the shipment of bananas, each row will typically comprise between about 3 and about 4 bunches of bananas each, for 0 ensure that each row extends from the final wall to the final wall. After the tunnel damper 53 has been bent over the first and second rows of banana bunches, the third row 63 and the fourth row 64 of bunches of bananas are inserted into the box. Again -? when the inner tube 50 is used, the bananas of the third and fourth rows are preferably also inserted into the inner tube 50, to ensure that
• do not come in direct contact with the shock absorber
tunnel 53. The third row 63 of bunches of bananas is inserted into the container so that the crown portion of each bunch of bananas of the third row 63 will be placed between the second row 62 and the second wall.
- lateral 55. Similarly, the fourth row 64 of
The bunches of bananas are inserted so that the crown portion of the fourth row will be placed between the first row 61 and the first side wall 54. Unfortunately, however, due to the nature of this packaging method, not only the
Third and fourth row 63 and 64 will not be securely accommodated in box 15, they will also generally extend above the upper part of box 15.
• gt In the past this problem had been remedied by using a box as shown in Figure 2. Since 0 the upper portion 11 of the box design in Figure 2 could be mounted on the base portion 10, this could ensure that bunches of bananas from the third and fourth rows could be kept inside the box.
During boarding, bananas could tend to settle naturally due to vibrations, and X the upper portion 11 of the box could settle down. Obviously, however, this could cause friction between the bunches of bananas of the third and fourth rows of the interior surfaces of the upper portion 11 thereby increasing the amount of bruising and other damage to the bananas. In addition the crown portion of the bunches of bananas of the third and fourth 63 and 64 rows could tend to rub against the bananas of the second row 62 and the first row 61, thereby further increasing marking and bruising. Although the tunnel damper could help to alleviate this problem, as well as reducing other points of friction between bunches of bananas, a thicker tunnel damper might be necessary.
(typically 61 or 69 Lb./M.S.F when using a Kraft paper tunnel damper). Although this could help reduce the marking caused by the crown portions of the third and fourth rows, the thickness of the
? Tunnel damper itself could produce its own 0 marked on the fruit. In this way, although the tunnel damper could help reduce some of the damage to bananas this is certainly not an ideal solution. In light of the above problems, the 5 applicants have developed a novel packaging method, which previously had not been used in
# the packing of bananas. This novel packing method allows not only the prior art case designs of Figure 2 to be used, but also boxes such as that shown in Figure 5. Although the boxes may be of exactly the same dimensions as those used in the packing method of Figure 6, it is the novel packing method as shown in Figure 7,. It ensures a much more compact configuration for the O bananas in the box. As shown in Figure 7, the novel packaging method of the applicants essentially comprises placing the third row 63 and the fourth row 64 of bunches of bananas in a configuration of
"crown up". In this way the tip portion 5 of the third row 63 of the bunches of bananas will be placed between the second row 62 of the bunches of bananas and the second side wall 55. Pressing the bunches of bananas of the third row 63 slightly towards down during packing, the tip portion of the third row 63 will be arranged placed between the second row 62 and the second side wall 55. Due to the curvature of the bananas near the crown portion, such accommodation previously was not possible when the "crown down" configuration of Figure 6 was used. Similarly, the tip portion of the fourth row 64 of the banana clusters is placed in place.
# between the first row 61 and the side wall 54, as shown in Figure 7. By producing a container of bunches of bananas in this way (that is, a method of packaging bananas) the crown portions of the third row 63 and the fourth row 64 will no longer rub against the second row 62 and the first row 61. This, in turn, allows the use of a tunnel cushion, much thinner, and therefore smoother. For example, the Kraft paper used for the tunnel damper will reduce to one that has a resistance of 42 Lb./M.S.F. The use of a thinner tunnel and therefore softer, provides greater benefits since it will produce less friction, and therefore a lower marking of bananas will occur.
In addition, by using this novel packaging method, the bananas will not extend further above the upper portion of the box 15 after the date, even if a box of identical size is used in Figure 7 in FIG. comparison with Figure 6. It should be noted for clarity that the packaging method shown in Figure 6 is the configuration after the bananas have settled, and therefore the bananas in Figure 6 are not shown extending above the ____ top of box 15, even though this could formally be the case immediately after packing. In addition, since the plantains of Figure 7 are held in place, as described above, the bananas will not vibrate as close as in the previous method. This in turn results in a further bruising and marking of bananas, and also helps to alleviate the problem of neck damage f which can lead to the infiltration of latex around the crown portion of the bunches of bananas. Tests have clearly shown that consumers prefer bananas that have a minimal amount of marking and bruising, and little, if any, latex infiltration. The applicants' tests of the method of
novel packaging have shown remarkable results in this regard, and the reductions in bruising, marking, and latex infiltration have been measured quantitatively, and are significant. Although a novel packaging method can be used in the prior art case design of Figure 2, it is preferred to employ the novel case design of Figure 3. In addition, it is also preferred to use the tunnel damper 53 (as shown in FIG. described above) to offer greater protection. Indeed, FIG. 8 depicts a top plan view of a container of bunches of bananas produced according to an embodiment of the present invention. As will be noted in Figure 8, the bunches of bananas from the third row 63 and the fourth row 64 extend substantially perpendicularly from the side walls 54 and 55, and are placed substantially parallel to the end walls 57 and 58. As also shown in Figure 8, bananas are placed on top of the
^ ._ tunnel buffer 53, and therefore, bunches of the first row 61 and the first row 62 are not visible in Figure 8. Although the packing method of Figures 7 and 8 can be easily employed using The inner plastic tube described above, is preferred
use bag 1 (as described above) in conjuon with the novel packaging method. This is best shown by Figure 9, where a bag 1 having a bead as the opening means is used. Also as shown in Figure 9, it is preferred that the tunnel cushion 5 be placed inside the box 15, but not inside the bag 1. In this way, the bag 1 prevents the bunches of bananas from coming into contact directly with the tunnel damper 53, thus eliminating the possibility of friction between the tunnel damper 53 and the bunches of bananas.
While the novel packaging method has attempted to offer significant and significant reductions in fruit damage, applicants have also discovered that various types of cushioning pads can additionally be employed. Initially, it should be pointed out that the tunnel damper 53, although preferably made of Kraft paper, can also be made of numerous other materials such as foam pads. polyethylene and the like. As shown in Figure 7, a damping pad may be placed between layers 67 between the first row 61 and the second row 62. Preferably, a portion of the cushion pad is also placed between layers 67 between the tip portion of the bag. the first row of bunches of bananas 61 and the inner bottom 56 of the box 15.
The cushion between layers 67 will reduce
The amount of friction between the first row 61 and the second row 62 and also between the tip portion of 0 the first row 61 and the inner lower portion 56 of the box 15. This last feature offers benefits even when used the tunnel cushion 53 and the bag 1. The cushion pad between layers 67 is preferably rectangular in nature and has a length approximately equivalent to the length of the cushions.
^ side walls 54 and 55. The width of the cushion between layers should be chosen to ensure proper alignment of the pad 67 between the
first row 61 and second row 62, as described here. As also shown in Figure 7, first and second pads can also be provided.
^. damping tips 68 and 69, respectively. The tip pads 68 and 69 preferably have a length approximately equal to the length of the side walls 54 and 55. The first tip damping pad 68 is inserted in the manner shown in Figure 7, to form a vessel between
First row 61 and first side wall 54. The tip portion of the fourth row of banana bunches 64 can then be inserted into the passage formed by the first tip cushion pad 68, thereby providing protection
for both the fourth row 64 and the first row 61. The second tip damping pad 69 is inserted in an identical shape on the opposite side of the box 15 to also form a passage between the second row of the bunch of tea. bananas 62 and the second side wall 55. It should
Note that identical damping pads may also be employed with the prior art packing method of Figure 6, however, in that case
they could be referred to more appropriately as first and second crown cushion pads. In effect, the damping pad between layers 67 can be used similarly in the
^ _- packing method of the prior art of Figure 6,
~ L and it is considered that the present invention of the applicants includes such modality. As an alternative to the tip damping (or crown) pads, first and second wall damping pads can be used
sideways 70 and 71, as shown in Figure 14. The first and second side wall conditioning pads 70 and 71 are preferably of a fe? rectangular, they have a length approximately equal to the length of the side walls 54 and 55, and a
height approximately equal to the highest point along the interior of the side walls 54 and 55, with which the bananas of the fourth row 64 and the third row 63 come into contact. In other words, the first and second sidewall cushion pads 70 and 71 preferably extend at least
# about two thirds of the height of the box 15. Those sidewall conditioning pads will help ensure that the tip portion of the third row 63 and the fourth row 64 of bunches of bananas do not bruise or mark during shipment . If desired, identical final wall damping pads can also be provided, however
^ r would not normally be necessary. ' W As stated above, it is preferred that the tunnel damper 53 be placed outside the inner container used, whether this inner container is the bag 1 or the inner tube 50. If desired, however, a bag can be used.
tunnel damper 73 to allow the tunnel damper 53 to be inserted into the inner container. Tunnel shock absorber 73,
| t as best shown in Figure 12, is preferably slightly longer than the shock absorber.
tunnel 53, so that the tunnel damper 53 can be inserted into the bag 73. The bag 73 is preferably made of a flexible plastic material such as the type used for the bag 1. The bag 73 will isolate the buffer tunnel 53 of the most humid environment of the inner container, keeping at
• both the integrity of the tunnel damper 53. In addition, the bag 73 will also help to prevent damage to the fruit caused by direct contact with the tunnel cushion 53. When the bag 73 is used, the only difference between the modes Preferred described above is that the tunnel damper 53 contained within the bag 73 is inserted after the bag 1 or the inner tube 50 has been inserted into the outer container. In this form, the tunnel damper 53 contained within the bag 73 will be deposited, either, within the internal container that is employed. In this way, the rows of bunches of bananas will come directly into contact with bag 73, and will not
contact in the tunnel damper 53, as best shown in Figure 11. It should also be pointed out that the use of the bag 73 will allow to use either a smaller bag 1 or a shorter internal tube 50, as an internal container. Finally, damping pads may be employed between additional layers 74 and 75 as shown in Figure 14. The inter-layer damping pad 74 is preferably placed between the fourth row of bunches of bananas 64 and the first row of bunches of bananas. In addition, a
# portion of the inter-layer cushion pad 74 is preferably placed between the crown portion and the fourth row 64 and the tip portion of the second row 62. Similarly, the inter-layer cushion 75 is preferably placed between the third row of bunches of bananas 63 and the second row of bunches of bananas 62. As
A ^ further shows by Figure 14, the pads
GÜ of damping between layers 74 and 75 are preferably placed inside the bag 73 when this bag is used. If the bag 73 is not used, however, a tunnel cushion 53 is placed on the outside of the inner container, the cushion pads
between layers 74 and 75 nevertheless they can be placed in the place shown in Figure 14. In this last mode, therefore, the pads of
¡Buffing between layers 74 and 75 will directly come into contact with the rows of bunches of bananas. The 0 damping pads between layers 74 and 75 can be sized in the manner described for the pad or cushion 67. In all other cases described above using the different cushions cushion, it should be noted that these pads
• can be made from any of a number of materials. The preferred material so far, however, is polyethylene foam. It is also preferred so far that these polyethylene foam pads have a density of about 16.04 kilograms per cubic meter (one inch per cubic foot), and a thickness of about 0.79 mm (1/32").
^ Obviously, however, there is any number of
__ and materials from which such pads could be produced, and applicants' present invention is not limited solely to polyethylene foam. In addition, the different cushioning pads described above can be
combined in any number of ways. In this way, as shown in Figure 7, the first and second tip damping pads 60 and 69 can
It is to be used together with the cushion pad between layers 67, for example. Similarly, as shown in Figure 14, the first and second sidewall damping pads 70 and 71 can be used in conjunction with the damping pads between layers 74 and 75.
The above description of a preferred embodiment does not mean that it depletes the variations of the present invention that are possible, and has been presented solely for purposes of illustration and description.The obvious modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light For example, several alternative methods could be employed to tear open the inner container, such as tabs molded into the inner container itself.In addition, it is certainly within the scope of the present invention to use alternative means for Seal the inner container For example, a pull cord can be secured to the container, and sealing means used separately, In addition, several alternative materials could be used to manufacture the different components of the system and the method. the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims appended hereto. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.
Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is claimed as property:
F
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Claims (39)
1. A container system for product shipping and storage, characterized in that it comprises in combination: (a) a substantially rigid external container having at least one vent opening; (b) a lockable inner container within the outer container for receiving the product, the inner container having a lower portion and an upper portion; and (c) the means attached to the upper portion of the inner container to open the inner container to provide greater ventilation to the product.
2. The container system according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening means are positioned so that they are accessible from the outside of the outer container.
3. The container system according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner container comprises a flexible bag having an opening, adjacent to the upper portion of the upper portion, and a perforation extending near at least a portion of the bag. , and wherein the opening means opens the bag by breaking the bag in such a perforation.
4. The container system according to claim 3, characterized in that the opening means comprise a cord secured to the bag, so that when the cord is pulled the bag will break in the piercing thereby opening the bag and providing greater ventilation .
5. The container system according to claim 4, characterized in that the outer container comprises a rectangular box having an upper portion and at least one cord passage, and a central ventilation opening in the upper portion, and wherein the cord is extends through at least one cord passage from inside the box.
6. The container system according to claim 4, characterized in that the perforation is located between the upper and lower portions, and is positioned adjacent to the upper portion, wherein the perforation extends substantially across the entire width of the bag. , and also where the cord is secured to the bag between the perforation and the open top so that when the cord is pulled, the upper portion of the bag will be removed.
7. The container system according to claim 6, characterized in that the cord is secured to the bag by tying the cord around the circumference of the bag, thereby also closing the bag.
8. The container system according to claim 5, characterized in that the bag has a plurality of ventilation openings placed adjacent to the lower portion of the bag.
9. The container system according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one cord passage comprises a hand slot for holding the outer container, and wherein the cord extends through the slot for the hand.
10. The compliance container system • with claim 5, characterized in that the bag is placed inside the outer container so that the upper portion is placed directly below the central opening in the upper portion of the outer container, so that if the upper portion of the bag is removes, the product will be exposed to the environment through the central opening.
I 11. The container system according to claim 10, characterized in that the outer container has at least two cord passages defined by the hand slots, wherein each of the slots for the hand has a notch in its interior. 15 and where further the cord extending through each of the slots for the hand is secured in such notches.
12. A container system for shipping and storage of products, characterized in that it comprises in combination: (a) a substantially rigid rectangular external container having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a plurality of side walls, and a ventilation opening the top; (b) a lockable inner container comprising a flexible bag positioned within the outer container for receiving the product, the bag having a sealed lower portion, an upper portion, and a perforation between the upper and lower portions adjacent to the upper portion, wherein the perforation ^ extends across the width of the bag; Y ? (C) a cord attached to the upper portion of the inner container wherein the cord will remove the upper portion of the bag when the cord is pulled, thereby opening the bag and providing greater ventilation to the product through the opening of the bag. 15 ventilation.
13. The container system according to claim 12, characterized in that at least a portion of the cord is placed outside the external container.
14. The container system according to claim 12, characterized in that the cord is tied around the upper portion thereby joining not only the cord to the upper portion, but # also sealing the bag.
15. The container system according to claim 14, characterized in that the outer container has at least one cord passage through which a portion of the cord extends.
. 16. The container system according to claim 15, characterized in that the cord passage comprises a slot for the hand to hold the container.
17. A method of ventilation and storage 15 of a plurality of stacked boxes of product, the product contained in an internal container is placed inside each of the boxes, the boxes are of a substantially rigid construction and have at least one ventilation opening; 0 each of the internal containers have an upper portion, and a lower portion; each of the internal containers closed in its upper portion; and the upper portion of each inner container has • joined to the same means to open the inner container; characterized the method because it comprises the steps de- (a) open the internal container using the 5 opening means, without opening the boxes, and without unstacking the boxes, to provide greater ventilation to the product inside the internal containers through at least one ventilation opening; ^ (b) Store the product transported in closed containers.
18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that each of the internal containers comprises a flexible bag having a perforation between the upper and lower portions, and wherein the opening step breaks the bag in such a perforation.
19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the opening step removes a portion of each bag, thereby providing greater ventilation.
20. The method of compliance with • claim 19, characterized in that the opening means comprise a cord fixed to the upper portion of each of the bags, and wherein the opening step 5 comprises pulling such a cord to remove the upper portion of the bags.
21. The method of compliance with the -? claim 20, characterized in that each of the boxes has an upper portion and a central ventilation opening in such upper portion, and wherein the upper portion of each of the bags is placed below the central ventilation opening so that the opening passage exposes the product to the environment through the central opening, thereby providing greater ventilation.
22. The method of compliance with # claim 21, characterized in that at least one portion of each cord is placed outside the boxes so that the opening passage can be effected without having access to the interior of the boxes.
23. The method of compliance with # claim 22, characterized in that the product is a plurality of banana bunches.
24. A method for producing a container of bunches of bananas characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - & (a) provide internal and external containers And Vo for the product, the outer container is of substantially rigid construction and has at least one vent opening, and the inner container has an upper portion and a lower portion; (b) placing the inner container within the outer container; (c) place bunches of bananas inside the inner container; (d) closing the inner container in the upper portion; and 0 (e) providing means for opening the inner container, the opening means attached to the inner container operating from the outside of the outer container.
25. The method of compliance with # claim 24, characterized in that the inner container comprises a flexible bag having an area of weakness between the upper and lower portions, so that the opening means can be used to open the bag in the area of weakness.
26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that the opening means comprise a cord and wherein the closure of the internal container is achieved by securing the cord around the upper portion of the bag.
27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the outer container is a rectangular box having an upper portion and a ventilation opening in the upper portion fb, and wherein the bag is placed in the outer container so that the portion The top of the bag is placed under the central »ventilation opening.
28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that it further comprises the step of placing at least a portion of the cord outside the outer container.
29. A method for producing a container of bunches of bananas, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of bunches of bananas; (b) provide internal and external containers for banana bunches; the outer container is of a substantially rigid, rectangular construction, and has an upper ITT portion, and at least one ventilation opening in the upper portion; the inner container comprises a flexible bag having an upper portion, a sealed lower portion, and an end adjacent to the portion 15 upper, and a perforation between the upper and lower portions adjacent to the upper portion; (c) placing the bag inside the outer container J a so that the upper portion is placed below the ventilation opening; 0 (d) place the banana bunches inside the bag; (e) closing the bag by means of a cord tied around the periphery of the upper portion to substantially seal the upper portion of the bag to thereby transport the bananas in closed containers; and (f) place the cord so that the cord is # accessible from the outside of the outer container, so the bag can be broken in the perforation by pulling the cord to provide more ventilation to the bunches of 5 bananas through the ventilation opening.
30. In a method of producing a container of banana bunches of the type wherein the following steps are carried out: (a) providing a plurality of bunches of bananas, each of the bunches comprising a plurality of bananas connected together, each of the bunches of bananas have a tip portion and a crown portion; 15 (b) provide an external container of bananas, the outer container is of a rectangular construction having first and second side walls? parallel, first and second parallel end walls, and an interior bottom; 0 (c) insert a flexible inner container into the outer container before placing the bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the rows of bunches of bananas are placed inside the inner container and therefore will not come into contact with the inner surfaces of the outer container; (d) placing a first row of bunches of bananas in the outer container on top of the inner bottom, so that the bananas in the first row are placed parallel to the end walls; 5 (e) placing a second row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that a portion of each bunch of bananas in the second row is placed on top of a portion of the bananas in the first row; t (f) placing a third row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the crown portion of each cluster of bananas in the third row is placed between the second row of bunches of bananas and the second side wall; and (g) placing a fourth row of bunches of 15 bananas in the outer container, so that the crown portion of each bunch of bananas of the fourth row is placed between the first row of bunches of bananas and the first side wall; The improvement characterized in that it comprises the steps of providing at least one damping pad between layers, and placing at least one damping pad between layers between the first and second rows of bunches of bananas. 25
31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that at least one cushioning pad is placed between layers between the tip portion of the bunches of bananas of the first 5 row and the interior background.
32. In a method of producing a container of bunches of bananas of the type in which the # Next steps: ?? (a) providing a plurality of bunches of bananas, each of the bunches comprising a plurality of bananas connected together, each of the bunches of bananas having a tip portion and a crown portion; 15 (b) providing an external container of bananas, the outer container being of a rectangular construction having first and second parallel side walls, first and second parallel end walls, and an interior bottom; 20 (c) insert a flexible inner container into the outer container before placing the bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the rows of bunches of bananas are placed inside the inner container and therefore will not come into contact 25 with the inner surfaces of the outer container; (d) place a first row of bunches of • bananas in the external container on top of the inner bottom, so that the bananas in the first row are placed parallel to the end walls; 5 (e) placing a second row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that a portion of each bunch of bananas in the second row is placed on top of a portion of the bananas in the first row; f (f) placing a third row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the crown portion of each bunch of bananas in the third row is placed between the second row of bunches of bananas and the second side wall; and (g) placing a fourth row of bunches of 15 bananas in the outer container, so that the crown portion of each cluster of bananas of the fourth row is placed between the first row of bunches of bananas and the first side wall; the improvement characterized by the steps of providing: 20 (1) providing first and second crown damping pads; (2) Insert the first corona cushion pad into the outer container before placing the fourth row of bunches of bananas, so 25 that the first cushion cushion forms a step between the first row of bunches of bananas * and the first side wall; and (3) inserting the second crown cushion pad into the outer container before placing the third row of banana bunches so that the second crown cushion pad forms a passage between the second row of banana bunches and the second row side wall; wherein the crown portion of the third row of bunches of bananas is placed within the passage formed by the second cushion cushion of crown, thereby placing the second cushion cushion of crown between the third row of bunches 15 and the second lateral wall and between the third row of bunches and the second row of bunches of bananas; Y < Where the crown portion of the fourth row of banana bunches is placed within the step formed by
The first corona cushion pad is placed, thus placing the first cushion cushion of crown between the fourth row of bunches and the first side and between the fourth row of bunches and the first row of bunches of bananas. 25. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of providing at least one damping pad between layers, and placing at least one damping pad between layers between the first and second rows of clusters of bananas
34. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of providing first and second side wall damping pads, and placing the first and second side wall damping pads against the inner surface of the first and second wall l respectively, before placing the third and fourth rows of bunches of bananas, thereby placing the sidewall cushion pads between the third and fourth rows and the second and first k lateral walls, respectively.
35. In a method of producing a container of banana bunches of the type wherein the following steps are carried out: (a) providing a plurality of bunches of bananas, each of the bunches comprising a plurality of bananas connected together, each of bunches of g - k bananas have a tip portion and a crown portion; (b) provide an external container for the bananas, the external container is of a construction 5 rectangular having first and second parallel side walls, first and second parallel end walls, and an interior bottom; (c) Insert a flexible inner tube into the outer container before placing bunches of bananas 10 in the outer container, so that the rows of bunches of bananas are placed inside the inner tube and therefore will not come into contact with the inner surfaces of the outer container; (d) provide a tunnel shock absorber I5 has a length at least as great as the length of the side walls and a width greater than the length of the end walls; tk (e) place the tunnel cushion inside the external container before placing the bunches of bananas 20 in the outer container, so that the tunnel damper extends longitudinally between the end walls, and so that the tunnel damper extends widthwise through the interior bottom and upwardly of the side walls of the outer container; 25 (f) placing a first row of bunches of bananas in the outer container on top of the inner bottom and above the tunnel cushion, so that the bananas in the first row are placed parallel to the end walls; (g) placing a second row of bunches of 5 bananas in the outer container so that a portion of each bunch of bananas in the second row is placed on top of a portion of the bananas in the first row; (h) bending the tunnel damper over the first and second rows of banana bunches before placing the rear rows of bunches of bananas in the outer container, thereby placing the tunnel cushion between subsequent rows and the first and second rows; (i) placing a third row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the crown portion of each bunch of bananas in the third row is placed between the second row of bunches of bananas and the second side wall; and (j) placing a fourth row of bunches of bananas in the outer container, so that the crown portion of each bunch of bananas in the fourth row is placed between the first row of bunches of bananas and the first side wall; j the improvement characterized in that it comprises the steps of providing a flexible bag, and inserting the tunnel damper into the flexible bag before placing the tunnel damper into the outer container.
36. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of providing first and second side wall cushions, and placing the first and second side wall cushions. If second side wall cushion pads 10 against the inner surface of the first and second side walls, respectively, before placing the third and fourth rows of bunches of bananas, thereby placing the side wall cushions between the third and fourth rows and the second and 15 first side walls, respectively.
37. The method according to claim 36, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of: (a) providing first and second damping pads between layers; (b) placing the first cushion pad between layers between the first and fourth rows of bunches of bananas; and (c) placing the second pad of # damping between layers between the second and third rows of banana bunches.
38. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that the first and second inter-layer damping pads are inserted into the sack, before placing the first and second damping cushions between layers between the rows of banana clusters.
39. A method of packaging, shipping and storage of bananas, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (a) providing an internal and external container for the product in the first place, the outer container is of rectangular construction, substantially rigid, and has a upper portion, a plurality of side walls, and at least one ventilation opening in the upper portion, and wherein the inner container comprises a flexible bag having an upper portion, a sealed lower portion, an open end adjacent to the upper portion , and a perforation between the upper and lower portions adjacent to the upper portion, wherein the perforation extends substantially across the entire width of the bag; (b) placing the bag inside the outer container; (c) place the bananas inside the container interijo; (d) closing the bag by means of a cord tied around the periphery of the upper portion to substantially seal the upper portion of the bag in order to transport the bananas in closed containers; (e) ship the bananas transported in closed containers to a second place; (f) pull the cord to break the bag in the perforation thus removing the upper portion of the bag to provide more ventilation to the bananas 15 through the ventilation opening; and (g) store the bananas transported in closed containers in the second place. * In testimony of which I sign the present in this City of Mexico, D.F., on February 28, 1995.
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| MXPA95001147A true MXPA95001147A (en) | 2000-06-05 |
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