US20190016516A1 - Tray for stacking layers of structural bottles - Google Patents
Tray for stacking layers of structural bottles Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20190016516A1 US20190016516A1 US16/037,848 US201816037848A US2019016516A1 US 20190016516 A1 US20190016516 A1 US 20190016516A1 US 201816037848 A US201816037848 A US 201816037848A US 2019016516 A1 US2019016516 A1 US 2019016516A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- tray
- well
- bottles
- structural
- interlock structure
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
- B65D71/70—Trays provided with projections or recesses in order to assemble multiple articles, e.g. intermediate elements for stacking
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/34—Trays or like shallow containers
- B65D1/36—Trays or like shallow containers with moulded compartments or partitions
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
- B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
- B65D81/05—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
- B65D81/127—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using rigid or semi-rigid sheets of shock-absorbing material
- B65D81/133—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using rigid or semi-rigid sheets of shock-absorbing material of a shape specially adapted to accommodate contents, e.g. trays
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D19/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D19/0004—Rigid pallets without side walls
- B65D19/0006—Rigid pallets without side walls the load supporting surface being made of a single element
- B65D19/003—Rigid pallets without side walls the load supporting surface being made of a single element forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces
- B65D19/0032—Rigid pallets without side walls the load supporting surface being made of a single element forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces the base surface being made of a single element
- B65D19/0036—Rigid pallets without side walls the load supporting surface being made of a single element forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces the base surface being made of a single element forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces
- B65D19/004—Rigid pallets without side walls the load supporting surface being made of a single element forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces the base surface being made of a single element forming discontinuous or non-planar contact surfaces and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
- B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
- B65D21/04—Open-ended containers shaped to be nested when empty and to be superposed when full
- B65D21/043—Identical stackable containers specially adapted for nesting after rotation around a vertical axis
- B65D21/046—Identical stackable containers specially adapted for nesting after rotation around a vertical axis about 90°
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2519/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
- B65D2519/00004—Details relating to pallets
- B65D2519/00736—Details
- B65D2519/00935—Details with special means for nesting or stacking
- B65D2519/00955—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable
- B65D2519/00965—Details with special means for nesting or stacking stackable when loaded
Definitions
- the present invention provides a stackable tray for supporting an array of structural bottles for containing liquids such as water, milk, juice. Also disclosed are stacked arrangements of trays and structural bottles.
- Plastic jugs are commonly used to ship liquids such as milk, water, and juice.
- the jugs are thermoformed from a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE).
- PET polyethylene terephthalate
- ULDPE ultra-low density polyethylene
- the jugs can be stored in cube-shaped milk crates where an upstanding wall defines a central chamber closed at the bottom by a wall and open at the top.
- the central chamber is typically divided into four or more sub-chambers by upstanding walls, each sub-chamber dimensioned for receiving a jug.
- Jugs can also be placed on a two-sided, generally rectangular or square flat tray.
- a top surface of the tray has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows each for receiving a jug bottom.
- the opposite surface of the tray has a plurality of wells for receiving a top portion of a milk jug.
- a tray can be placed between adjacent layers of jugs to form a stacked arrangement.
- the jugs form part of the supporting structure of a stacked arrangement.
- U.S. Pat. No. 9,809,366 discloses a stackable tray for jugs having a first surface for supporting a bottom of jugs in jug receiving cells. On an opposed surface, a collar extends downwardly for receiving a top portion of a jug and having at least one notch sized to receive a portion of a handle of a jug located beneath each jug. Two or more notches are provided to receive jugs with their handles in more than one orientation.
- the present invention provides a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles.
- the tray has an upper surface and an opposed lower surface.
- the upper surface has a plurality of wells and the lower surface has a plurality of pockets, the wells and pockets are disposed in an array of columns and rows.
- An annular seating surface of a well is segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well.
- the concave surface has a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment.
- the radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles.
- a first rotational interlock structure extends outward from the concave surface along one of the segments.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a top of a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bottom of a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stacked arrangement of two layers of jugs separated by a tray of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a pocket having two notches for receiving a jug handle in two different orientations.
- FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment of a pocket with a single notch for receiving a jug handle in a single orientation.
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a top surface of an alternate embodiment of a tray of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a single well of the tray of FIG. 6 for receiving a bottom of a Dura-LiteTM milk jug sold by the Consolidated Container Company.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the tray of FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a single pocket for receiving a top portion of a Dura-LiteTM milk jug.
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a top surface of an alternate embodiment of a tray of the present invention for use with a Mid-America milk jug of Mid-America Machining, Inc.
- FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a single well of the tray of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the tray of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a single pocket for receiving a top portion of a Mid-America milk jug.
- FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a milk jug known as the Dura-LiteTM bottle sold by the Consolidated Container Company.
- FIG. 15 is a top view of a Mid-America milk jug from U.S. Design Pat. No. D733,566.
- FIG. 16 is a bottom view of a Mid-America milk jug from U.S. Design Pat. No. D733,566.
- FIGS. 1-13 show three principal embodiments of a tray 10 for stacking layers of structural bottles 12 .
- Structural bottles are those used to contain, ship and dispense liquids and can stand on their own.
- the terms “structural bottles” is meant to include bottles, jars, jugs, flasks and the like.
- FIGS. 1-3 show a first embodiment of a tray 10 of a web of material having an upper surface 14 and an opposed lower surface 16 .
- the upper surface 14 has a plurality of wells 18 disposed in an array of columns and rows and each well 18 is shaped and dimensioned for receiving a bottom portion 20 of the bottles 12 .
- the tray has four columns and five rows, i.e., 4 ⁇ 5, for a total of 20 wells.
- the tray could have a different number of rows and columns without departing from the present invention.
- the number of columns can equal the number or rows or have a different number less or more than the number of rows.
- the lower surface 16 of the tray 10 has a plurality of pockets 22 disposed in an array of columns and rows and each pocket 22 is shaped for engaging a top portion 24 of a bottle 12 .
- Each pocket 22 has a complementary shape to a corresponding well 18 .
- each well 18 has an annular seating surface 30 circumjacent a generally cylindrical post 32 and separated therefrom by an annular recess 34 .
- the annular seating surface 30 has a segmented wall having eight segments 36 to define a generally octagonal upstanding wall.
- Each segment 36 has a generally concave surface beginning from a top 38 to a bottom 40 , the surface having a vertical portion 42 that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment 44 providing a horizontal support.
- the cylindrical post 32 has a flat upper surface 46 that is essentially coplanar with the radial segment 44 so that these surfaces cooperate to support a bottom 20 of a bottle 12 .
- the wells 18 are shaped and sized to accommodate the bottoms 20 of bottles 12 and to provide vertical and lateral support to the bottles 12 .
- each pocket 22 has an axially extending wall 48 that corresponds to the annular recess 34 and has eight segments 50 corresponding to the eight segments 36 of the upstanding wall.
- An interior surface 52 of the pocket 22 tapers radially inwardly from a top 54 to an intermediate portion 56 where it connects to an axially extending portion 58 that terminates in a radial flange 60 that corresponds to the radial segment 44 .
- FIG. 4 shows two segments of the wall 48 having a portion removed to form a recess 62 for receiving a handle 92 of a bottle 12 .
- FIG. 5 shows the wall 48 having a single recess 62 for receiving a handle of a bottle.
- FIG. 3 shows a stacked arrangement 70 having two bottles 12 and a tray 10 , for example.
- a first bottle 12 has its bottom surface 20 inside a well 18 and a second bottle 12 , is positioned in the corresponding pocket below the first bottle.
- the tray 10 transfers weight from the first bottle to the second bottle. Any of the trays disclosed herein can be used to form a stacked arrangement.
- FIGS. 6-9 show a second embodiment of the tray 100 for use with a bottle 12 , such as a milk jug 80 shown in FIG. 14 .
- This milk jug 80 is sold by the Consolidated Container Company under the tradename Dura-LiteTM.
- the Dura-LiteTM milk jug 80 has two sets of grooves 82 extending along a sidewall of the bottle from a bottom surface 88 to an intermediate portion of the jug 90 .
- the tray 100 has a rotational lock structure 81 to prevent the rotation of a milk jug 80 within the well.
- the rotational lock structure 81 can be located on one or more segments 36 of the annular seating surface 30 , and more preferably on the vertical portion 42 of the annular seat 30 . As shown in FIGS.
- the rotational lock structure 81 has four vertical ribs 84 located in the vertical portion 42 of the annular seat 30 on one or two segments 36 of the annular seat.
- the tray 100 has four corner wells 86 and each has two sets of four vertical ribs 84 while all the remaining wells 18 have a single set of four vertical ribs 84 . While four ribs are shown, it is contemplated having from 1 rib to 10 ribs.
- the vertical ribs 84 are dimensioned to fit within the grooves 82 to provide resistance to rotation of the milk jug 80 within the well 18 .
- FIG. 9 shows the bottom surface of the tray 100 with each pocket 22 having a single recess 62 for receiving a handle of a bottle 92 .
- FIGS. 10-13 show a third embodiment of a tray 200 for use with milk jugs 12 sold by Mid-America.
- the Mid-America milk jug is shown in a top and bottom view respectively in FIGS. 15 and 16 .
- FIGS. 10-11 show that each of the wells 18 have a central post 202 that, instead of being cylindrical, has a generally square base 204 and a generally circular top 206 and a tapering surface 208 connecting the base 204 to the top 206 .
- two of the segments 210 of the axially extending wall 48 have a rectangular notch 212 dimensioned to receive edges 214 of the Mid-America bottle to serve as the rotational lock structure 81 .
- the two notches 212 are spaced about 90° from one another about an axis extending through the central post 202 .
- FIG. 13 shows the recesses 62 for receiving the handle 92 of the bottle is spaced about 120° from each of the notches 212 .
- the trays described herein can be made from any suitable material such as plastic, wood, paperboard, metal, and composite materials.
- the tray is made from a polymeric material formed from monomers of olefins, amides, esters, ethers, sulfones, acrylates, into homopolymers, copolymers, terpolymers, block copolymers, and the like.
- the tray can have a shape of polygonal, circular, oval or other.
- the tray is rectangular or square.
- the tray is fabricated from high molecular weight polyethylene.
- the tray can be formed through manufacturing techniques such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding and the like.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Stackable Containers (AREA)
- Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
Abstract
The present invention provides a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles. The tray has an upper surface and an opposed lower surface. The upper surface has a plurality of wells and the lower surface has a plurality of pockets, the pockets and wells are disposed in a corresponding array of columns and rows. An annular seating surface of a well is segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well. The concave surface has a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment. The radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles. A first rotational interlock structure extends outward from the concave surface along one of the segments.
Description
- The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/533,532 filed Jul. 17, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated in its entirety herein by reference and made a part hereof.
- N/A
- The present invention provides a stackable tray for supporting an array of structural bottles for containing liquids such as water, milk, juice. Also disclosed are stacked arrangements of trays and structural bottles.
- Plastic jugs are commonly used to ship liquids such as milk, water, and juice. Typically the jugs are thermoformed from a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE). The jugs can be stored in cube-shaped milk crates where an upstanding wall defines a central chamber closed at the bottom by a wall and open at the top. The central chamber is typically divided into four or more sub-chambers by upstanding walls, each sub-chamber dimensioned for receiving a jug. Jugs can also be placed on a two-sided, generally rectangular or square flat tray. A top surface of the tray has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows each for receiving a jug bottom. The opposite surface of the tray has a plurality of wells for receiving a top portion of a milk jug. A tray can be placed between adjacent layers of jugs to form a stacked arrangement. Thus, the jugs form part of the supporting structure of a stacked arrangement.
- U.S. Pat. No. 9,809,366 discloses a stackable tray for jugs having a first surface for supporting a bottom of jugs in jug receiving cells. On an opposed surface, a collar extends downwardly for receiving a top portion of a jug and having at least one notch sized to receive a portion of a handle of a jug located beneath each jug. Two or more notches are provided to receive jugs with their handles in more than one orientation.
- The present invention provides a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles. The tray has an upper surface and an opposed lower surface. The upper surface has a plurality of wells and the lower surface has a plurality of pockets, the wells and pockets are disposed in an array of columns and rows. An annular seating surface of a well is segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well. The concave surface has a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment. The radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles. A first rotational interlock structure extends outward from the concave surface along one of the segments.
- To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a top of a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bottom of a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stacked arrangement of two layers of jugs separated by a tray of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a pocket having two notches for receiving a jug handle in two different orientations. -
FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment of a pocket with a single notch for receiving a jug handle in a single orientation. -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a top surface of an alternate embodiment of a tray of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a single well of the tray ofFIG. 6 for receiving a bottom of a Dura-Lite™ milk jug sold by the Consolidated Container Company. -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the tray ofFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a single pocket for receiving a top portion of a Dura-Lite™ milk jug. -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a top surface of an alternate embodiment of a tray of the present invention for use with a Mid-America milk jug of Mid-America Machining, Inc. -
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a single well of the tray ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the tray ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a single pocket for receiving a top portion of a Mid-America milk jug. -
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a milk jug known as the Dura-Lite™ bottle sold by the Consolidated Container Company. -
FIG. 15 is a top view of a Mid-America milk jug from U.S. Design Pat. No. D733,566. -
FIG. 16 is a bottom view of a Mid-America milk jug from U.S. Design Pat. No. D733,566. - While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.
-
FIGS. 1-13 show three principal embodiments of atray 10 for stacking layers ofstructural bottles 12. Structural bottles are those used to contain, ship and dispense liquids and can stand on their own. The terms “structural bottles” is meant to include bottles, jars, jugs, flasks and the like.FIGS. 1-3 show a first embodiment of atray 10 of a web of material having anupper surface 14 and an opposedlower surface 16. Theupper surface 14 has a plurality ofwells 18 disposed in an array of columns and rows and each well 18 is shaped and dimensioned for receiving abottom portion 20 of thebottles 12. As shown, the tray has four columns and five rows, i.e., 4×5, for a total of 20 wells. The tray could have a different number of rows and columns without departing from the present invention. The number of columns can equal the number or rows or have a different number less or more than the number of rows. - The
lower surface 16 of thetray 10 has a plurality ofpockets 22 disposed in an array of columns and rows and eachpocket 22 is shaped for engaging atop portion 24 of abottle 12. Eachpocket 22 has a complementary shape to acorresponding well 18. - As best seen in
FIG. 1 , eachwell 18 has anannular seating surface 30 circumjacent a generallycylindrical post 32 and separated therefrom by anannular recess 34. Theannular seating surface 30 has a segmented wall having eightsegments 36 to define a generally octagonal upstanding wall. Eachsegment 36 has a generally concave surface beginning from a top 38 to a bottom 40, the surface having avertical portion 42 that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to aradial segment 44 providing a horizontal support. Thecylindrical post 32 has a flatupper surface 46 that is essentially coplanar with theradial segment 44 so that these surfaces cooperate to support a bottom 20 of abottle 12. Thewells 18 are shaped and sized to accommodate thebottoms 20 ofbottles 12 and to provide vertical and lateral support to thebottles 12. - As best seen in
FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 , eachpocket 22 has anaxially extending wall 48 that corresponds to theannular recess 34 and has eightsegments 50 corresponding to the eightsegments 36 of the upstanding wall. Aninterior surface 52 of thepocket 22 tapers radially inwardly from a top 54 to anintermediate portion 56 where it connects to anaxially extending portion 58 that terminates in aradial flange 60 that corresponds to theradial segment 44.FIG. 4 shows two segments of thewall 48 having a portion removed to form arecess 62 for receiving ahandle 92 of abottle 12. The tworecesses 62 are shown across from one another with three segments separating them, but a different number of separating segments could be provided without departing from the present invention.FIG. 5 shows thewall 48 having asingle recess 62 for receiving a handle of a bottle. -
FIG. 3 shows astacked arrangement 70 having twobottles 12 and atray 10, for example. Afirst bottle 12 has itsbottom surface 20 inside a well 18 and asecond bottle 12, is positioned in the corresponding pocket below the first bottle. Thetray 10 transfers weight from the first bottle to the second bottle. Any of the trays disclosed herein can be used to form a stacked arrangement. -
FIGS. 6-9 show a second embodiment of thetray 100 for use with abottle 12, such as amilk jug 80 shown inFIG. 14 . Thismilk jug 80 is sold by the Consolidated Container Company under the tradename Dura-Lite™. The Dura-Lite™ milk jug 80 has two sets ofgrooves 82 extending along a sidewall of the bottle from abottom surface 88 to an intermediate portion of the jug 90. Thetray 100 has arotational lock structure 81 to prevent the rotation of amilk jug 80 within the well. Therotational lock structure 81 can be located on one ormore segments 36 of theannular seating surface 30, and more preferably on thevertical portion 42 of theannular seat 30. As shown inFIGS. 6 and 7 , in one example embodiment, therotational lock structure 81 has fourvertical ribs 84 located in thevertical portion 42 of theannular seat 30 on one or twosegments 36 of the annular seat. Thetray 100 has fourcorner wells 86 and each has two sets of fourvertical ribs 84 while all the remainingwells 18 have a single set of fourvertical ribs 84. While four ribs are shown, it is contemplated having from 1 rib to 10 ribs. Thevertical ribs 84 are dimensioned to fit within thegrooves 82 to provide resistance to rotation of themilk jug 80 within thewell 18.FIG. 9 shows the bottom surface of thetray 100 with eachpocket 22 having asingle recess 62 for receiving a handle of abottle 92. -
FIGS. 10-13 show a third embodiment of atray 200 for use withmilk jugs 12 sold by Mid-America. The Mid-America milk jug is shown in a top and bottom view respectively inFIGS. 15 and 16 .FIGS. 10-11 show that each of thewells 18 have acentral post 202 that, instead of being cylindrical, has a generallysquare base 204 and a generally circular top 206 and atapering surface 208 connecting the base 204 to the top 206. Additionally, two of thesegments 210 of theaxially extending wall 48 have arectangular notch 212 dimensioned to receiveedges 214 of the Mid-America bottle to serve as therotational lock structure 81. The twonotches 212 are spaced about 90° from one another about an axis extending through thecentral post 202.FIG. 13 shows therecesses 62 for receiving thehandle 92 of the bottle is spaced about 120° from each of thenotches 212. - The trays described herein can be made from any suitable material such as plastic, wood, paperboard, metal, and composite materials. In a more preferred embodiment, the tray is made from a polymeric material formed from monomers of olefins, amides, esters, ethers, sulfones, acrylates, into homopolymers, copolymers, terpolymers, block copolymers, and the like. The tray can have a shape of polygonal, circular, oval or other. Preferably, the tray is rectangular or square. In one preferred form of the invention, the tray is fabricated from high molecular weight polyethylene. The tray can be formed through manufacturing techniques such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding and the like.
- Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be protected otherwise than as specifically described.
Claims (20)
1. A tray for stacking layers of structural bottles comprising:
a web of material having an upper surface and an opposed lower surface, the upper surface has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows, the lower surface has a plurality of pockets disposed in an array of columns and rows, each pocket having a complementary shape to a corresponding well, each well has an annular seating surface circumjacent a cylindrical post and separated therefrom by an annular recess, the annular seating surface being segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well, the concave surface having a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment, the radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles, and a first rotational interlock structure extending outward from the concave surface along one of the segments.
2. The tray of claim 1 wherein the first rotational interlock structure is a rib.
3. The tray of claim 2 wherein the first rotational interlock structure has more than one rib.
4. The tray of claim 3 wherein the rib extends axially of the tray.
5. The tray of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical post has a flat upper surface essentially coplanar with the seating surface.
6. The tray of claim 1 further comprising a corner well having a second rotational interlock structure spaced from the first rotational interlock structure.
7. The tray of claim 6 further comprising a recess in one of the pockets for receiving a handle of one of the structural bottles.
8. The tray of claim 1 wherein the rotational lock structure comprises a generally rectangular notch in one of the segments.
9. A tray for stacking layers of structural bottles comprising:
a web of material having an upper surface and an opposed lower surface, the upper surface has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows, the lower surface has a plurality of pockets disposed in an array of columns and rows, each pocket having a complementary shape to a corresponding well, each well has an annular seating surface circumjacent a post and separated therefrom by an annular recess, the annular seating surface being segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well, the concave surface having a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment, the radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles, and a first rectangular shaped notch in one of the segments for receiving an edge of one of the structural bottles.
10. The tray of claim 9 further comprising a second rectangular shaped notch in one of the segments and spaced from the first rectangular shaped notch by an angle of rotation about an axis through the well.
11. The tray of claim 10 wherein the angle of rotation is about 90°.
12. The tray of claim 11 wherein the post has a generally square base, a generally round top, and a surface connecting the base to the top.
13. The tray of claim 12 wherein the post has a generally flat upper surface generally coplanar with the seating surface.
14. A stacking arrangement for structural bottles comprising:
a tray of a web of material having an upper surface and an opposed lower surface, the upper surface has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows, the lower surface has a plurality of pockets disposed in an array of columns and rows, each pocket having a complementary shape to a corresponding well, each well has an annular seating surface circumjacent a cylindrical post and separated therefrom by an annular recess, the annular seating surface being segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well, the concave surface having a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment, the radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles, and a first rotational interlock structure extending outward from the concave surface along one of the segments; and
a structural bottle having a bottom surface, a sidewall and a handle, the bottom surface in the well and the first rotational interlock structure engaging a portion of the bottle to resist rotation about an axis of the well.
15. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 wherein the first rotational interlock structure is a rib.
16. The stacking arrangement of claim 15 wherein the first rotational interlock structure has more than one rib.
17. The stacking arrangement of claim 16 wherein the rib extends axially of the tray.
18. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 wherein the cylindrical post has a flat upper surface essentially coplanar with the seating surface.
19. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 further comprising a corner well having a second rotational interlock structure spaced from the first rotational interlock structure.
20. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 wherein the rotational interlock structure comprises a generally rectangular notch in one of the segments.
Priority Applications (1)
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US16/037,848 US20190016516A1 (en) | 2017-07-17 | 2018-07-17 | Tray for stacking layers of structural bottles |
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US201762533532P | 2017-07-17 | 2017-07-17 | |
US16/037,848 US20190016516A1 (en) | 2017-07-17 | 2018-07-17 | Tray for stacking layers of structural bottles |
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US20190016516A1 true US20190016516A1 (en) | 2019-01-17 |
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US16/037,848 Abandoned US20190016516A1 (en) | 2017-07-17 | 2018-07-17 | Tray for stacking layers of structural bottles |
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USD998467S1 (en) * | 2020-02-10 | 2023-09-12 | Columbia Insurance Company | Divider |
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