US3674168A - Cupped trays made from a thin sheet of plastics material for round or pear-shaped fruits or horticultural products - Google Patents

Cupped trays made from a thin sheet of plastics material for round or pear-shaped fruits or horticultural products Download PDF

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Publication number
US3674168A
US3674168A US53264A US3674168DA US3674168A US 3674168 A US3674168 A US 3674168A US 53264 A US53264 A US 53264A US 3674168D A US3674168D A US 3674168DA US 3674168 A US3674168 A US 3674168A
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United States
Prior art keywords
recess
tray
fruit
anchoring elements
walls
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Expired - Lifetime
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US53264A
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English (en)
Inventor
Pietro Padovani
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ISAP SpA
I P SpA SA
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ISAP SpA
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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
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/30—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure
    • B65D85/34—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure for fruit, e.g. apples, oranges or tomatoes

Definitions

  • This element is located in the region of the midheight of the fruit concerned and the lower part of the bulge is [56] References cued deformed outwardly by the fruit when inserted. The element UNITED STATES PATENTS then holds the fruit against the recess bottom.
  • This invention relates to cupped trays made from a thin sheet of plastics material. Such trays are used in particular to receive round or pear-shaped fruits or other horticultural products. Fruits carried by such trays are then packed into boxes for transport, the trays serving to separate adjacent layers.
  • peaches for example, there are different classes, each one has a minimum and a maximum measure expressed in millimeters: 81/74; 74/68; 68/62; 62/56 etcetera.
  • the invention aims to provide trays with cavities capable of holding and tightening satisfactorily fruits of the same class, no matter if they are of the minimum, medium or maximum diameter.
  • the tray object of the invention, has some cavities in which the lateral walls have anchoring elements for the fruits to the bottom of the tray.
  • anchoring elements which are of different height and projection towards the median vertical axis of the cavities, are made in such a way that the distance between them and the median vertical axis of the cavity is shorter than the radius of the fruit which has to be anchored, while the distance between the anchoring elements and the plane passing on the bottom of the cavities is greater than the length of the radius of the fruit which has to be received in the cavity.
  • the invention eliminates the inconveniences described above, because for a single class of fruits it permits the use of only one tray, because its cavities can tighten satisfactorily all the fruits of the same class no matter if they are of maximum, medium, or minimum diameter within that class; this makes manual packaging much faster, and avoids the need for visual selection. It surrnounts many of the difficulties which, up to now, have been a hinderance to the achievement of a satisfactory mechanical packing of the trays.
  • the invention provides a tray made from a thin sheet of plastics material and for receiving fniits within a predetermined size range, the said tray comprising a plurality of recesses each defined by lateral walls extending upwardly from a bottom portion which is integral with the walls, the bottom portion and the walls being formed wholly from the said sheet of plastics material, characterized in that each recess has anchoring elements for the fniit located at a distance (measured in a plane parallel to the bottom of the recess and spaced a distance equal to the radius of the median size of fruit above said plane) from the central vertical axis of the recess that is less than the maximum radius of the minimum size of fruit in the aforesaid predetermined size range, the said anchoring elements being each formed by an inwardly extending bulge of the material of the said lateral walls.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view of several cavities of a known and conventional form of fruit tray
  • FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a cavity taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;
  • FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are the same sections as in FIG. 2 showing fruits of different diameter inserted in the cavities;
  • FIG. 6 is a top view similar to FIG. 1 of the cavities of a tray constructed according to the invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a vertical section of a cavity taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;
  • FIGS. 7a, 7b are the same sections as in FIG. 7 according to two modifications of the invention.
  • FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are the same sections as in FIG. 7 showing inserted fruits, respectively of maximum, medium, and minimum diameter of the same class;
  • FIG. 11 is a top view of three cavities of a second kind of tray of which the cavities have been designed in accordance with the invention.
  • FIG. 12 is a section of a cavity on the line 12-12 of FIG. 1 1;
  • FIG. 13 is a median vertical section of a cavity taken along the line 13-13 of FIG. 1 1;
  • FIG. 14 is a top view of three cavities like the ones in FIG. 1 l, but which are made according to a further embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 15 is a median vertical section of a cavity taken along the line 15-15 in FIG. 14;
  • FIG. 16 is a top view of three cavities of a third type of tray, representing another embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 17 is a median vertical section of a cavity taken along the line 17-17 in FIG. 16;
  • FIG. 18 is a top view of three cavities of a fourth type of tray, such cavities being designed to realize the advantages of the invention.
  • FIGS. 19 and 20 are vertical median sections of a cavity taken along lines 19-19 and 20-20 respectively in FIG. 18;
  • FIG. 21 is a top view of several cavities of a tray, similar to the ones illustrated in FIGS. 18, 19, and 20, with a particular disposition of the elements making up the invention;
  • FIG. 22 is a median vertical section of a cavity taken along the line 22-22 of FIG. 21;
  • FIG. 22a is a median vertical section of a cavity taken along the line 22a-22a in FIG. 21;
  • FIG. 23 is a top view of several cavities of a packing tray for pears, designed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
  • FIG. 23a is a vertical median section of a cavity taken along the line 23a-23a in FIG. 23;
  • FIG. 23b is a vertical section of two cavities taken along the line 23b-23b in FIG. 23.
  • the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same numerical references.
  • the cavities are defined by a flat circular bottom 25, and a lateral wall 26 of frustro-conical shape diverging towards the top.
  • the lateral walls 26, over the edge of the near cavity are connected one to the other by means of hollow prongs which have the shape of a triangular frustro-pyramid, which are capped with dome-structures 27.
  • the bottom portion 25, the lateral wall 26 and the prongs, which are extensions of the walls 26 towards the top, can be furnished, wholly or partially, with ribs and/or grooves and/or rulings, which are well known for their structure and their functionality.
  • the fruits 29' and 29 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, are not gripped by the lateral walls of the cavities.
  • the cavities and the fruits have dimensions corresponding to the ones in FIGS. 1-5 respectively.
  • the lateral walls 26 have anchoring elements constituted by inwardly extending bulges or projections 30 and 31 having a generally conical shape merging with the wall 26 towards the top of the bulge 30 or 31.
  • Such projections which serve as efi'ective anchoring elements for the fruits, are spheroidally shaped as seen in plan view, e.g. FIG. 6 tapered.
  • the upper parts of the bulges 30 and 31 form anchoring elements 32 and 33. These can be reinforced with respect to the remaining parts of the cavity by means of the well known techniques of moulding of their sheets of plastics material.
  • the anchoring elements 32 and 33 see FIGS. 9 and 10 serve to grip the fruits 29' and 29" respectively at the level of the horizontal plane passing approximately through the center of the fruits. They apply a light pressure on the fruits so that the fruits are effectively anchored to the bottom 25 of the cavities.
  • the anchoring elements 32 and 33 have respectively longer and shorter spacing than the radius of the fruits 29' and 29" from the median vertical axis of the cavity. Observing the drawings it is easily understood that the fruits 29' and 29 are anchored to the bottom 25 according to planes which are lying below and parallel to the one passing through the top of the dome-shaped projections 27.
  • the bulges 30 and the anchoring elements 32 co-operate with parts 31 and 33 in securing the anchoring of the fruits 29".
  • the fruit 29 is placed in the recess just as is done in FIG. 3.
  • the projections 30 and 31 and the elements 32 and 33 shown in their normal positions with an empty recess, do not interfere with said gripping because the fruit 29, during its insertion in the cavity, bends the elements 32-33 towards the exterior of the cavity.
  • Such elements when so bent, take up a steady position, and do not exert any force from the bottom towards the top of the fruit.
  • the bottom 25' in the zones adjacent the projections 30 and 31, is slightly bent upwardly because the bending towards the exterior of the bulges 30 and 31, due to the inserted fruits, causes a pulling action on the bottom 25.
  • Such peripheral lifting of the bottom 25 can be avoided, if desired almost completely, by connecting the anchoring elements 32 and 33to the bottom of the cavity, without altering the circular shape of it, or by fomiing the bottom with initially non-circular shape.
  • the invention is not altered in its esence if the projections 32 and 33, instead of having spheroidal form, are shaped as seen in plan like a trapezium 32' and 33, see FIGS. 7a and 7b, in which said elements are connected with the bottom 25' by means offrustro-pyramidal structures 30 and 31'v and cylindrical structures 30" and 31" respectively.
  • the invention is applicable also to those trays, similar to the ones described above, whose cavities are surrounded and separated by three frustro-conical or frustro-pyramidal prongs, instead of six, these three prongs being connected to each-other in a well known way.
  • the tray shown in FIGS. 11-13 has recesses of the known hexagonal type.
  • the lateral wall 26 changes its conical form near its upper end, to assume a flat or straight-line appearance near a seam 34 which connects one recess zone to the next.
  • the seam 34 is in the form of a hexagon and it is cut by depressions 28' which form saddles to allow extraction of the fruits.
  • the projections 30 and 31 are not different from the ones described in reference to the previous figures except for 31 which are necessarily very steep and almost vertical.
  • the anchoring elements 32 and 33 are, as already described, of spheroidal-tapered type and they work like the ones in FIG. 6-10.
  • the cavities in FIGS. 14 and 15 are substantially the same as the ones in FIG.
  • FIGS. 16 and 17 are of hexagonaP type, and they differ from the ones illustrated in FIG. 14 because the bottom 25" has a hexagonal and not circular shape. Also there are three saddles 28" in alternate vertices of the hex-- agon.
  • Six projections 35 and the associated anchoring elements 36 are located at the center of the sides of the hexagon and they have the same characteristics as the ones described with reference to FIG. 14.
  • the cavities in FIGS. 18 20 are of inverted frustro-conical type, in which the lateral wall 26 has portions of different heights.
  • Each cavity has three saddles 38 for the extraction of the fruits, which are located at a certain height from the bottom 25. This height is chosen to be less than the radius of the smallest fruit of the class for which the cavity is intended.
  • Between two of the saddles 38 of a cavity the upper part of the lateral wall 26,. forms a ridge 37 which extends without lowering between two saddles 38.
  • the upper part of the wall 26 forms ridges 37' which are lower than the ridge 37, but at a height from the bottom of the cavity which is slightly greater than the radius of the largest fruit belonging to the class which the cavity is made for.
  • the projections 35 of the lateral wall 26 and the anchoring elements 36 are three in this form of the invention, and they are placed in peripheral correspondence with the ridges 37 of each cavity.
  • the limited number of anchoring elements and their position according to the present invention are particularly advantageous for classes of fruits of small dimensions, for example peaches and pluns.
  • peaches and apples is recommended the fonn of tray shown in FIGS. 2l22a.
  • the anchoring elements with connections to the bottoms of the recesses are offset in one recess relative to the other so that any rigidity of the structure or interference is avoided.
  • FIGS. 21 and 22 it is noted that the projections 35 project towards the interior of the recess more than the projections 35' alternating with them.
  • each recess has a flat circular bottom 40 from which extends a generally conical lateral wall 41, diverging towards the top and forming sectors of wall which extend to different heights.
  • the lateral wall sectors in correspondence with the recesses where the body of the pear will be housed, have a small divergence from the vertical, and the lateral wall sectors, where the neck of the pear will be housed, have a high divergence. These wall sectors form a saddle 42 apt to hold the neck of the pear.
  • the lateral wall sector which is diametrally opposite to the saddle 42 has the maximum height to form the ridge 43.
  • the ridges 43 merge into grooves 44 which are curved towards the bottom and made round at 44 near the ridge 43 of the next recess.
  • the projections 45' and 47' and the anchoring elements 46 and 48 exercise the same gripping action on the neck of the pears as the parts 46, 48.
  • the structural dimensions have to be appropriate to the radius of the necks of the pears.
  • the invention is advantageously applicable to those pearcontainers (not illustrated) whose cavities are delimited by cusps or frustro-pyramidal or frustro-conical projections in which at least one of the cusps which surround a cavity has a lower height than the one of the others, so that it can act as a support for the neck of the pear, which then assumes an almost horizontal position.
  • a fruit tray made from a thin sheet of plastics material, the said tray comprising a plurality of recesses each defined by lateral walls extending upwardly from a bottom portion which is integral with the walls, the bottom portion and the walls being formed wholly from the said sheet of plastics material, each recess having anchoring elements formed by inwardly extending bulges of the material of the lateral walls of the recess, wherein each anchoring element has a fruit engaging surface facing inwardly of said recess, the upper part of the fruit engaging surface of at least one anchoring element being at a different distance from the bottom plane of the recess to the corresponding part of an adjacent anchoring element, and wherein the distance of each said part from the central vertical axis of the recess is less than its distance from the bottom plane of the recess.
  • a fruit tray made from a thin sheet of plastics material
  • the said tray comprising a plurality of pear shaped recesses each defined by lateral walls extending upwardly from a bottom portion which is integral with the walls, the bottom portion and the walls being formed wholly from said sheet of plastics material, each recess having anchoring elements formed by inwardly extending bulges of the material of the lateral walls of the recess, wherein the narrower part of said recess has at least two anchoring elements extending transversely of the longitudinal central plane of the narrower part of the recess, each of said anchoring elements having a fruit engaging surface facing inwardly of said narrower part of said recess, the upper part of the fruit engaging surface of at least one of said two anchoring elements in the narrower part of said recess being at a distance from the bottom part of said narrower part of said recess which is greater than the distance of the other of said two anchoring elements from the bottom part of the narrower part of said recess, each said distance being measured in a vertical plane which is perpendicular to said longitudinal central plane.

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US53264A 1969-07-11 1970-07-08 Cupped trays made from a thin sheet of plastics material for round or pear-shaped fruits or horticultural products Expired - Lifetime US3674168A (en)

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IT6125469 1969-07-11

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US (1) US3674168A (fr)
BE (1) BE753310A (fr)
DE (1) DE2034356C3 (fr)
FR (1) FR2056216A5 (fr)
NL (1) NL161726C (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3934723A (en) * 1974-11-18 1976-01-27 Alan P. McGregor Light bulb container
US4193531A (en) * 1977-03-08 1980-03-18 Marc Saby Packing for eggs
GB2205305A (en) * 1987-06-02 1988-12-07 Omni Pac U K Limited A cover with pockets defined by generally conical formations
US6036020A (en) * 1999-03-05 2000-03-14 Distler; Las Dinner tray
US6419089B1 (en) * 1997-08-15 2002-07-16 Brodrene Hartmann A/S Egg tray
US20120043337A1 (en) * 2009-02-12 2012-02-23 Novacart S.P.A. Method for manufacturing a container of paper material, particularly for foodstuffs
US20200018535A1 (en) * 2018-07-12 2020-01-16 Carlos Leal Flexible tray and method of transporting and storing manufactured ice shapes

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DK166870B1 (da) * 1990-02-06 1993-07-26 Hartmann As Brdr Pakning af fibermasse eller andet eftergiveligt materiale, til skroebelige genstande, isaer aeg

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3049259A (en) * 1960-06-29 1962-08-14 Mazzi Angelo Cupped tray for holding fruits and the like
US3074582A (en) * 1956-10-31 1963-01-22 Italiana Nestpack Comp Fruit-packing trays
US3171562A (en) * 1961-09-25 1965-03-02 Pantasote Company Multiple-compartment tray
US3185370A (en) * 1959-10-05 1965-05-25 Diamond Int Corp Molded pulp egg carton
US3306484A (en) * 1963-12-05 1967-02-28 I S A P S P A Tray made of thin sheeting with cavities to receive fruit or round objects
US3326443A (en) * 1965-07-19 1967-06-20 Dow Chemical Co Egg carton
FR1508237A (fr) * 1966-11-21 1968-01-05 Isap Spa Plateau en feuille mince de matière plastique comportant des cavités alvéolaires particulièrement adaptées pour recevoir des poires ou similaires
US3410437A (en) * 1967-06-26 1968-11-12 Martelli Guido Trays or the like for packing and carrying fruit or like articles of like articles ofrounded shape

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3074582A (en) * 1956-10-31 1963-01-22 Italiana Nestpack Comp Fruit-packing trays
US3185370A (en) * 1959-10-05 1965-05-25 Diamond Int Corp Molded pulp egg carton
US3049259A (en) * 1960-06-29 1962-08-14 Mazzi Angelo Cupped tray for holding fruits and the like
US3171562A (en) * 1961-09-25 1965-03-02 Pantasote Company Multiple-compartment tray
US3306484A (en) * 1963-12-05 1967-02-28 I S A P S P A Tray made of thin sheeting with cavities to receive fruit or round objects
US3326443A (en) * 1965-07-19 1967-06-20 Dow Chemical Co Egg carton
FR1508237A (fr) * 1966-11-21 1968-01-05 Isap Spa Plateau en feuille mince de matière plastique comportant des cavités alvéolaires particulièrement adaptées pour recevoir des poires ou similaires
US3410437A (en) * 1967-06-26 1968-11-12 Martelli Guido Trays or the like for packing and carrying fruit or like articles of like articles ofrounded shape

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3934723A (en) * 1974-11-18 1976-01-27 Alan P. McGregor Light bulb container
US4193531A (en) * 1977-03-08 1980-03-18 Marc Saby Packing for eggs
GB2205305A (en) * 1987-06-02 1988-12-07 Omni Pac U K Limited A cover with pockets defined by generally conical formations
US6419089B1 (en) * 1997-08-15 2002-07-16 Brodrene Hartmann A/S Egg tray
US6036020A (en) * 1999-03-05 2000-03-14 Distler; Las Dinner tray
US20120043337A1 (en) * 2009-02-12 2012-02-23 Novacart S.P.A. Method for manufacturing a container of paper material, particularly for foodstuffs
US8733621B2 (en) * 2009-02-12 2014-05-27 Novacart S.P.A. Method for manufacturing a container of paper material, particularly for foodstuffs
US20200018535A1 (en) * 2018-07-12 2020-01-16 Carlos Leal Flexible tray and method of transporting and storing manufactured ice shapes
US11085687B2 (en) * 2018-07-12 2021-08-10 Carlos Leal Flexible tray and method of transporting and storing manufactured ice shapes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL161726B (nl) 1979-10-15
DE2034356C3 (de) 1978-03-16
NL7010240A (fr) 1971-01-13
NL161726C (nl) 1980-03-17
BE753310A (fr) 1970-12-16
DE2034356B2 (de) 1977-07-21
FR2056216A5 (fr) 1971-05-14
DE2034356A1 (de) 1971-01-14

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