US3086646A

US3086646A - Fruit and vegetable container

Info

Publication number: US3086646A
Application number: US78636A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert L Meyers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-12-27
Filing date: 1960-12-27
Publication date: 1963-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-23

Description

April 9 3 R. L. MEYERS 3,086,646

' FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONTAINER Filed Dec. 27, 1960 INVENTOR Robe/'2 A. Meyer:

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,086,646 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 7 3,086,646 FRUIT Alfl) VEGETABLE CONTAINER Robert L. Meyers, 1966 James, St. Paul, Minn. Filed Dec. 27, 1969, Ser. No. 78,636 1 Claim. (Cl. 20645.33)

This invention relates to an improvement in fruit and vegetable container and deals particularly with a simple and effective container for supporting a series of tomatoes or other such products.

With the advent of supermarkets and other self service stores, it has been necessary to unitize and package many products which were previously sold in bulk. For example, it has become common practice to package a series of tomatoes and similar products in a suitable tray and to overwrap them or to provide a transparent window so that the product may be readily used. As a result, much of the spoilage of fruit due to handling by the customers is obviated. It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a package of this type.

Large producers having a constant or semi-constant output of packages of a predetermined size or shape can employ an overwrapping machine for overwrapping the trays of product with a transparent film. However, this apparatus is expensive to purchase and expensive to operate and is not economical where smaller volumes are concerned or where the size of the product varies. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container which may be used by such producers so that the cost will not be excessive.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an elongated tray or similar container into which the fruit or vegetables may be placed. In order to protect the contents, a three-sided cover is provided which tucks into the walls of the tray and which extends throughout the length of the tray and which may be manually applied at a considerable rate of speed.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a cover which may be of paperboard or similar material having two end portions connected by longitudinally extending straps. The straps form partial side walls for the tray. A window of cellophane or other transparent film is attached between the straps and between the ends of the cover forming a window overlying the major portion of the length of the tray and through which the contents of the tray may be observed.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a cover of a type described in which the ends of the cover are provided with downwardly projecting gears which extend inwardly of the Walls of the tray and between these walls and the product, thus holding the cover effectively in position.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claim.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tray in readiness for sale.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the cover forming a part of the package.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of .the blank from which the tray cover is formed.

Attractive trays such as the tray A have been produced of thin molded plastic at a sufiiciently inexpensive price to be used in the packaging of vegetables and the like. These trays include opposed side walls such as 7, a bottom wall, a portion of the bottom wall being indicated at 8, and spaced end walls 9 which extend somewhat above the level of the side walls 7. All of the walls are formed of thin strips of plastic material designed to provide a necessary support for the contents, while at the same time employing a minimum of molding powder.

The end walls 12 extend upwardly to the approximate level of the tomatoes B or other product being contained.

The cover C is formed as best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The cover includes a pair of end panel portions 10 which are foldably connected along aligned fold lines 11 to side walls which are indicated in general by the numeral 12. The cover panels 10 are also connected along aligned fold lines 13 which are parallel to the fold lines 11 and which foldably connect the top panels 10 to the side walls which are indicated in general by the numeral 14. The space between the end walls 10 is cut away to provide a generally rectangular aperture 15, the aperture 15 extending between the inner opposed edges of the top panels 10 and between the upper edges 16 of the side Walls 12. The upper edges of the side walls 12 are notched as indicated at 17, so that the upper edges 16 are somewhat below the level of the

fold lines

11 and 13.

A generally rectangular sheet 19 of cellophane or other transparent film is adhered to a surface of the cover to close the rectangular aperture 15. When the cover is folded as indicated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the side walls 12 and 14 are in opposed generally parallel relation and the cellophane sheet extends across the top of the package and downwardly along the upper portion of the sides thereof.

The side walls 12 are provided with outwardly projecting cars 20 and the side walls 14 are provided with similar outwardly projecting ears 21. The distance between the edges 22 of the ears 20, and the edges 23 and the fold lines 13 is substantially equal to the height of the end walls 9 of the tray A. Thus the side walls may extend substantially to the bottom wall 8 of the tray when the cover is fully inserted.

As indicated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the panels 10 overlie portions of the end tomatoes B of the series but the intermediate tomatoes are exposed through the transparent film 19. Due to the fact that the side walls and bottom walls of the tray are preferably formed of strips of material, virtually all of the product is visible from the bottom of the tray, and most of it is from the sides thereof.

In operation, the tomatoes B are merely placed in the tray in proper relation. The cover B is then folded from the fiat form illustrated in FIGURE 3 to the channel shaped for-m illustrated in FIGURE 1 and the ends of the tray are forced down inwardly of the side walls 7 of the tray and outwardly of the product. While the tray has been described as being useful in conjunction with the packaging of tomatoes, it is obvious that the tray is equally well suited to provide a package of other goods such as various types of fruit, or even products such as cookies and the like which do not require complete wrapping.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in fruit and vegetable container, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

A package for fruit, vegetables and the like comprising a tray having a generally rectangular bottom, side and end walls connected to the edges of said bottom and extending upwardly therefrom, and an open top, the end walls extending above the level of the side walls, the side and end walls having openings therethrough through which the contents of the tray may be viewed, a cover used in conjunction with said tray, said cover including a generally rectangular top panel, and cover side walls .4 hinged to opposite sides of said top panel to extend doWnplay of the tray contents, said cover side Walls being foldwardly therefrom, said top panel and cover side Walls able between the end Walls of said tray and inwardly of fitting between said end Walls, said top panel having a th t id ll central aperture therethrough extending the major portion of the length thereof, a film of transparent material 5 References Cited thefile of this patent closing said aperture and being marginally connected to UNITED STATES PATENTS said cover side walls and to the ends of said top panel, the center portions of said cover side walls being notched 2,09 7,690 Femgr'en 1937 along the lower edges thereof throughout the major por- 2,287,495 Moyfirs June 231 1942 tion of the height of the tray side walls to provide a dis- 10 2,59 5,678 Levkofl May 1952