Bakery tray having an adjustable merchandising window

Abstract

An open top bakery tray that is stackable and nestable on trays of like design. The tray has a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls. One of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials and the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed to allow free access to the tray and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window to preclude the inadvertent displacement of merchandise from the tray.

Description

This application claims benefit of provisional patent application No. 60/696,093, filed Jul. 1, 2005, entitled BASKET HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE MERCHANDISING WINDOW.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to containers and more particularly to bakery trays or baskets which can be nested or stacked.

Background of the Invention

Containers of the nesting and stacking type are well known in the bakery art. In the bakery industry, bake goods come in different heights and sizes such as hamburger buns, loaves of bread and cakes. It is therefore desirable to provide a stackable tray that accommodates the varying sizes of the baked goods. A number of multi-level stacking trays have been developed and at least some of the prior art trays include a merchandising window in one or more sides of the tray to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials. While convenient, such windows allow the possibility of merchandise being inadvertently displaced from the tray. The windows also significantly reduce the strength of the tray and allow excessive deflection of the sides defining the windows, which deflection can lead to product damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved bakery tray.

More specifically this invention relates to the provision of a bakery tray having a merchandising window which may be selectively opened or closed to facilitate loading and unloading of merchandise into the tray and preclude inadvertent discharge of merchandise from the tray.

The bakery tray of the invention is stackable and nestable on trays of like design and has a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls.

According to the invention, one of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials in the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window. This arrangement allows the provision of a merchandising window while yet preserving the strength and integrity of the tray to reduce tray deflection and potential product damage.

In one embodiment of the invention, the gate is mounted for sliding movement between its open and closed positions.

In another embodiment of the invention, the gate is mounted for pivotal movement between its open and closed positions.

According to a further feature of the invention, the sidewalls have upper edges that are spaced below upper edges of the end walls and the merchandising window is defined in one of the sidewalls.

According to a further feature of the invention, the merchandising window is defined in each sidewall and a gate is provided in association with each window.

According to a further feature of the invention, the window extends across only a portion of the one sidewall and leaves a solid portion of the one sidewall adjacent the window and the gate is mounted for sliding movement between an open position in which it is received in a slideway defined by the solid wall portion and a closed position in which it extends from the slideway across the window.

According to a further feature of the invention, the window extends across a major portion of the one wall and opens upwardly and the gate is pivotal along a lower edge thereof to a lower edge of the window and pivots upwardly as it moves from its open to its closed position.

According to a further feature of the invention, another merchandising window is provided in the other sidewall extending across only a portion of the other sidewall and leaving a solid wall portion of the other sidewall adjacent the other window.

According to a further feature of the invention, the window in the one sidewall is positioned in opposition to the solid wall portion of the other sidewall and the window in the other sidewall is position in opposition to the solid wall portion of the one sidewall.

According to a further feature of the invention, each gate comprises a bar and each slideway opens at an outboard end thereof in a respective end wall to allow insertion of the bar into the slideway.

Other applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. I is a top perspective view of a multi-level tray having a slidably merchandising window;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a multi-level tray having a pivotally adjustable merchandising window;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a front wall of the multi-level tray taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the front wall of the multi-level tray taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application or uses.

Referring to the drawings, a multi-level tray 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Tray 10 is open topped and has a generally rectangular configuration. Tray 10 has four vertical sides and a lower, generally planar bottom wall 20 interconnected with and extending between the four vertical sides. The four vertical sides include a front sidewall 12 extending upwardly from a side edge of the bottom wall 20, a left end wall 14 extending upwardly from an end edge of the bottom wall 20, a back or rear sidewall 16 extending upwardly from a side edge of the bottom 20, and a right end wall 18 extending upwardly from an end edge of the bottom wall 20. Sides 14 and 18 are mirror images of each other. Likewise, sidewalls 12 and 16 have the same configuration.

Tray 10 preferably has a unitary construction and can be molded from any of a variety of known plastic materials. Bottom wall 20 may be a solid floor or preferably perforated or cross-hatched (not shown) to provide ventilation between the layers of goods and/or materials being transported in the tray. Front and rear sidewalls 12 and 16 have lower heights than end walls 14 and 18. That is, the upper edges of the sidewalls 12 and 16 are spaced below the upper edges of end walls 14 and 18.

Specifically, front sidewall 12 includes small full height portions 12a proximate the corners 30 and 32 of the sidewall, vertical steps 26 at the inboard edges of each wall portion 12a, a first vertical step 28 joined to a step 26 by a long lower edge 12b, a second vertical step 28 joined to the other step 26 by a short upper edge 12c, and a lower edge 48 extending between steps 28 and coacting with the steps to form a merchandising window 46.

A rectangular notch 36 is provided in each wall portion 12a and a continuous rail 38 extends along the upper edge 14a, 18a of the end walls 14 and 18. Rails 38 provide a means for guiding two similarly configured trays into a stacked position when the two trays are oriented at either 0 or 180° relative to one another. Horizontal surfaces 12b and 12c engage a lower edge 44 of front and back sidewalls 12 and 16 when two similarly configured trays are stacked 90° relative to one another.

Multiple similarly configured trays may be stacked one on top of the other. The stacking height between successive trays 10 is dependant on the stacking orientation of the trays relative to one another. Multiple stacking heights allows differently sized goods and/or materials to be stored while utilizing the most space saving configuration of the tray. Two similarly configured trays can be positioned in an upper stacking height so as to achieve the maximum storage volume by orienting the baskets at either 0 or 180° relative to one another. The baskets can be positioned in the first level stacking height by engaging a lower edge of the left and right sidewalls 14 and 18 with rail 38 extending along the upper longitudinal edge of each sidewall. Likewise, two similarly configured trays may also be orientated 90° relative to one another to achieve a second level stacking height. In this position, bottom edge 44 of front and rear walls 12 and 16 rest on horizontal surfaces 12b and 12c of the front and rear walls.

As noted, edge 48 and steps 28 together define a merchandising window 46 in sidewall 12. Merchandising window 46 facilitates removal of materials from tray 10 as well as enhancing viewing and/or inspecting of products stored in the tray. To reduce the chance of material inadvertently being displaced from the tray through the merchandising window, tray 10 employs a sliding gate 52 that can be selectively positioned across the merchandising window so as to act as a barrier. As shown in FIG. 1, gate 52 may be alternately disposed between an open and closed position. For example, gate 52 associated with rear wall 16 is shown disposed in a closed position so as to operate as a barrier to prevent material from passing through the merchandising window. Conversely, gate 52 associated with front wall 12 is shown disposed in an open position wherein the gate is horizontally displaced so as to be substantially disposed within front wall 12 thereby enabling unimpeded access to the interior of the tray through the merchandising window.

Gate 52 has a generally elongated bar shape with the longitudinal axis of the gate being positioned generally parallel to a horizontal plane of the tray. Gate 52 preferably has a thickness that is less than a thickness “T” of front sidewall 12. Gate 52 is preferably perforated or cross-hatched to provide ventilation and to enable at least partial viewing of the contents of the tray. Gate 52 includes a finger pocket 54 recessed in an end 56 of the gate. Finger pocket 54 is preferably accessible from outside the basket and provides a means for actuating gate 52 between the open and closed positions.

Tray 10 includes an elongated slideway or slide pocket 58 adapted for slidably receiving each gate 52. At least a portion of each slideway 58 consists of a generally “C” shaped channel 60 as shown in FIG. 3. The open side of the channel 60 is preferably oriented to face outward from the basket so as to allow gate 52 to be visible from outside the basket when in the closed position. Slideway 58 is preferably sized to be slightly larger than gate 52 to allow generally unimpeded movement of gate 52 within slideway 58.

An interior wall 62 of front sidewall 12 defines a rear edge of slideway 58. A transverse wall 64 extending between an interior wall 66 of front wall 12 and interior wall 62 defines an upper edge of slideway 58. A second transverse wall 68 extending between exterior walls 66 and interior walls 62 and positioned below transverse wall 64 defines a lower edge at slideway 58. Slideway 58 can be accessed from merchandising window 46 through a rectangular shaped aperture 70 provided in upstanding step 28 of front and rear walls 12 and 16. Aperture 70 preferably has the same general cross-sectional shape as gate 52.

A second aperture 72 for receiving an end 74 at gate 52 is provided in step 28 opposite aperture 70. When placed in the closed position end 74 of gate 52 can be engaged with aperture 72 to prevent the end of the gate from deflecting laterally when subjected to a predetermined load.

An aperture 75 is provided in each end wall 14/18 for assembling gates 52 to tray 10. Apertures 75 communicate with and provide access to slideways 58 and enable gates 52 to be slid into slideways 58 from outside the tray.

Note that the merchandising windows 46 are each offset with respect to the center of the respective sidewall and the merchandising window 46 in front sidewall 12 is staggered with respect to the merchandising window 46 in rear sidewall 16 so that the merchandising window 46 in the front sidewall is opposite the solid portion 16b of rear sidewall 16 and the merchandising window 46 in the rear sidewall is opposite the solid wall portion 12b of the front sidewall.

Referring to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of an adjustable merchandising window gate 76 is shown. A Gate 76 is positioned in each of the front and rear walls 12/16 of the tray within a merchandising window 85. Each merchandising window 85 extends across a major portion of the respective wall and opens upwardly. Each gate 76 has a generally elongate shape with the longitudinal axis of the gate being positioned generally parallel to the horizontal plane of the tray. Each gate 76 is preferably perforated or cross-hatched to provide ventilation and to enable at least partial viewing of the contents of the tray. A lower edge 78 of each gate 76 is hingedly mounted in the respective merchandising window 85 by a pair of pins 84 extending laterally outwardly from the opposite longitudinal ends 80 and 82 of gate. Pins 84 are engaged with a pair of corresponding notches 86 provided in front sidewall 12 and positioned along an outer periphery of merchandising window 85. Pins 84 are preferably sized larger than corresponding notch 86 so as to produce a slight interference between the pin and notch so as to maintain engagement between the pin and notch. Hingeably attaching gate 76 to tray 10 allows the gate to be selectively pivoted between the open and closed positions. For example, gate 76 associated with back sidewall 16 is shown disposed in the closed position whereas gate 76 associated with the front sidewall 12 is shown disposed in the open position.

Each gate 76 also includes a pair of tabs 86 extending laterally from longitudinal ends 80 and 82 of the gate. A corresponding pair of notches 88 a are provided in front and rear sidewalls 12 and 16. Each of the notches 88 is positioned on opposite sides of merchandising window 85. Tabs 84 are engageable with notches 88 for releasable retaining gate 76 in the closed position. Notches 88 and corresponding tabs 84 are sized so as to produce a slight interference fit when the tabs are engaged with their respective notch.

The tray of the present invention is advantageous over previous tray designs having a merchandising window in that it precludes inadvertent displacement of merchandise from the tray. Further, the present invention allows the provision of a merchandising window while yet preserving the strength and integrity of the tray to reduce tray deflection and potential product damage. Further, the present invention also allows merchandising from both sides of the basket. This feature may be advantageous when stacking multiple baskets in opposite directions such as when consecutive baskets are oriented 180° relative to one another.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.

Claims

1. An open top bakery tray that is stackable and nestable on trays of a like design, the tray having a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls, characterized in that:

one of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials; and

the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window.

2. A tray according to claim 1 wherein the gate is mounted for sliding movement between its open and closed positions.

3. A tray according to claim 1 wherein the gate is mounted for pivotal movement between its open and closed positions.

4. A tray according to claim 1 wherein:

the sidewalls have upper edges that are spaced below upper edges of the end walls; and

the merchandising window is defined in one of the sidewalls.

5. A tray according to claim 4 wherein a merchandising window is defined in each sidewall and a gate is provided in association with each window.

6. A tray according to claim 4 wherein:

the window extends across only a portion of the one sidewall and leaves a solid portion of the one sidewall adjacent the window; and

the gate is mounted for sliding movement between an open position in which it is received in a slideway defined by the solid wall portion and a closed position in which it extends from the slideway across the window.

7. A tray according to claim 3 wherein:

the window extends across a major portion of the one wall and opens upwardly; and

the gate is pivotal along a lower edge thereof to a lower edge of the window and pivots upwardly as it moves from its open to its closed position.

8. An open top bakery tray that is stackble and nestable on trays of a like design, the tray having a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls, characterized in that:

the sidewalls have upper edges that are spaced below upper edges of the end walls;

one of the sidewalls is cut away to define a merchandising window opening in the upper sidewall edge to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials; and

the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window.

9. A tray according to claim 8 wherein the gate is mounted for sliding movement between its open and closed positions.

10. A tray according to claim 8 wherein the gate is mounted for pivotal movement between its open and closed positions.

11. A tray according to claim 8 wherein a merchandising window is defined in each sidewall and a gate is provided in association with each window.

12. A tray according to claim 8 wherein:

the window extends across only a portion of the one sidewall and leaves a solid portion of the one sidewall adjacent the window; and

the gate is mounted for sliding movement between an open position in which it is received in a slideway defined by the solid wall portion and a closed position in which it extends from the slideway across the window.

13. A tray according to claim 12 wherein another merchandising window is provided in the other sidewall extending across only a portion of the other sidewall and leaving a solid wall portion of the other sidewall adjacent the other window.

14. A tray according to claim 13 wherein the window in the one sidewall is positioned in opposition to the solid wall portion of the other sidewall and the window in the other sidewall is positioned in opposition to the solid wall portion of the one sidewall.

15. An open top bakery tray that is stackable and nestable on trays of a like design, the tray having a generally rectangular configuration and including:

a planar bottom wall having opposite end edges and opposite side edges;

end walls extending upwardly from the opposite end edges of the bottom wall and defining upper edges;

sidewalls extending upwardly from the opposite side edges of the bottom wall and defining upper edges that are spaced below the upper edges of the end walls;

a merchandising window in each sidewall opening in the upper sidewall edge to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials; and

a gate for each window moveable between an open position in which the respective window is unobstructed and a closed position in which the gate extends across the respective window.

16. A tray according to claim 15 wherein each gate is mounted for sliding movement between its open and closed positions.

17. A tray according to claim 15 wherein each gate is mounted for pivotal movement between its open and closed positions.

18. A tray according to claim 16 wherein:

each window extends across only a portion of the respective sidewall and leaves a solid portion of the respective sidewall adjacent the window; and

each gate is mounted for sliding movement between an open position in which is received in a slideway defined by the solid wall portion of the respective sidewall and a closed position in which it extends from the slideway across a respective window.

19. A tray according to claim 17 wherein:

each window extends across a major portion of the respective sidewall and opens upwardly; and

each gate is pivotal along a lower edge thereof to a lower edge of the respective window and pivots upwardly as it moves from its open to its closed position.

20. A tray according to claim 18 wherein each gate comprises a bar and each slideway opens at an outboard end thereof in a respective end wall to allow insertion of the gate into the slideway.