TRAY AND DOLLY
A container includes a card holder having a flap portion for retaining a card against the exterior of one wall of the container. The card holder is snap-fit to the wall and pivotable relative to the wall. The flap portion is biased against the wall in order to retain the card. A complementary dolly includes a deck having recesses for receiving the casters of a similar dolly stacked thereon. The recesses automatically align rotatable casters as they are inserted.
The present invention relates generally to a stackable and nestable tray.
There are known containers that are nestable when oriented alike and stackable when oriented 180 degrees relative to one another. Opposing walls of the containers are complementary, such that walls of a lower container will support a similar container stacked thereon in the 180 degree orientation.
One such container includes a holder for a card on the exterior of one end wall. The holder includes a small, flexible, clear plastic flap secured to the wall by rivets only at the lower end. The flap can be bent downward to insert (or remove) a card that identifies the contents of the container. Automated handling equipment bends the card holder flap to remove and replace the cards. Over time, the flap eventually breaks after repeated flexing.
Some containers include a complementary dolly for transporting a stack of loaded containers or empty containers. The dolly has two fixed casters and two casters that pivot about a vertical axis. The upper surface of the dolly includes recesses for receiving the casters of a similar dolly, such that they can be stacked when not in use. However, because two of the casters are rotatable, the user often has to rotate the rotatable casters to align them with the recesses on the dolly below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a container having an improved card holder that is more durable and can withstand repeated use without fatigue. The card holder in one embodiment includes a flap for holding the card. The flap is connected to the container by a hinge. The hinge includes a hinge pin and a hinge receiver that permit the card holder to pivot, rather than bend. Flexible arms bias the sheet toward the closed position to retain the card.
A complementary dolly is also provided with recesses on its upper surface for automatically rotating the rotatable casters of a similar dolly stacked thereon to ensure proper alignment.
Although the card holder and the dolly are both disclosed in the context of a 180 degree stack/nest container, both the card holder and the dolly could be used with other types of containers and both could be used with or without one another.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
The container 10 includes a card holder 20 connected by a hinge 22 at its lower end to the end wall 16. In
The card holder 20 is shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The card holder 20 is more durable than the previous card holder, even after being opened and closed many times. Additionally, if the card holder 20 does break, it is easily replaced, unlike the previous card holder.
A container 110 and a card holder 120 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As shown in
Referring to
In use, the card holder 120 is pulled outward away from the end wall 116 so that a card 50 (
As shown in
Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
Claims
1. A container comprising:
- a floor;
- a first wall extending upward from the floor; and
- a card holder snap-fit to the first wall and pivotable relative to the first wall, the card holder including a flap portion.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein the flap portion is clear.
3. The container of claim 1 wherein the card holder is a clear plastic.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein a similar container can be nested therein when oriented similarly and can be stacked thereon when oriented 180 degrees relative thereto.
5. The container of claim 1 wherein the card holder is pivotably secured to the first wall by a hinge, the hinge including a hinge pin snap-fit into a hinge receiver.
6. The container of claim 5 wherein the hinge pin is integrally molded with the card holder.
7. The container of claim 6 wherein the hinge receiver is formed in the first wall.
8. The container of claim 7 wherein the first wall includes at least one arm forming the hinge receiver.
9. The container of claim 1 wherein the card holder includes at least one integrally molded connector received in a slot in the first wall.
10. The container of claim 9 wherein the slot in the first wall is a vertical slot opening downward.
11. The container of claim 10 wherein the connector snap-fits past the floor to connect the card holder to the container.
12. The container of claim 1 further including a card with indicia between the card holder and the first wall.
13. The container of claim 1 further including second, third and fourth walls extending upward from the floor to define an interior compartment of the container with the first wall.
14. A dolly comprising:
- a deck having a plurality of recesses formed in an upper surface thereof, the recesses each including two curved portions partially separated by tapered dividers; and
- a plurality of casters extending downward from the deck, each aligned with one of the plurality of recesses.
15. The dolly of claim 14 wherein the casters are rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the deck.
16. The dolly of claim 14 wherein the plurality of casters include two casters rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the deck and two fixed casters.
17. The dolly of claim 14 further including a plurality of locators protruding upwardly from a periphery of the deck.
18. The dolly of claim 14 further including a substantially closed peripheral portion about the periphery of the underside of the deck.
19. The dolly of claim 18 wherein the deck includes an upper panel down from which a plurality of ribs extend, the peripheral portion corresponding to an upper periphery extending around the periphery of the upper panel, the upper periphery being primarily open, with ribs extending therethrough.
20. The dolly of claim 19 further including a plurality of locators protruding upward from the upper periphery of the deck, the locators opening downwardly.
21. A container comprising:
- a floor;
- a plurality of walls extending upward from the floor to define an interior compartment, the plurality of walls including a first wall, the first wall including an integrally molded hinge receiver; and
- a card holder including a flap portion and an integrally molded hinge pin snap-fit into the hinge receiver.
22. The container of claim 21 wherein the flap portion is clear.
23. The container of claim 21 further including a card having indicia thereon, the card retained between the flap portion and the first wall, the indicia readable through the flap portion.
24. The container of claim 21 wherein the hinge pin is connected to the flap portion by a flexible arch, the arch biasing the flap portion toward the first wall.
Type: Application
Filed: May 29, 2007
Publication Date: Dec 4, 2008
Inventor: Ryan C. Meers (Los Angeles, CA)
Application Number: 11/754,458
International Classification: B65D 69/00 (20060101);