Lightweight interlocking container
A lightweight interlocking container includes a tray and a lid. The tray includes a base, two side panels connected along one edge to the base, and two end panels connected along one edge to the base and along one edge to each of the side panels. The lid is configured to engage the tray. The tray and the lid each include at least one of protrusions and recesses configured to restrict lateral movement of the lid of the container relative to the tray of another substantially identical container.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/560,276, entitled “Lightweight Interlocking Container,” which was filed on Apr. 8, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to a light weight container, and more particularly, to a lightweight container having interlocking capabilities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe postal service receives millions of pieces of mail every day. This mail is then sorted and transported to the various destinations. Generally, the sorting process involves placing mail with the same general destinations into trays. The trays may be placed on pallets, which are loaded on trucks or other vehicles for transportation to the appropriate destinations. The pallets, on which the trays are placed and transported, may be lightweight and flexible enough that column-stacked trays are unstable when lifted by a fork truck.
Historically, the stability of a pallet loaded with trays has been established by stretch wrapping or strapping the columns of stacked trays to the pallet. However, stretch-wrapping or strapping the trays to the pallets increases the time and labor associated with the transporting process. In addition, the materials required to stretch-wrap or strap the trays to the pallet increase the material cost associated with the transporting process.
It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a lightweight tray with interlocking capabilities that minimizes or eliminates the need for binding a load of column-stacked trays to a pallet before loading and transporting of the load.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a container having a tray and a lid. The tray includes a base, two side panels connected along one edge to the base, and two end panels connected along one edge to the base and along one edge to each of the side panels. The lid is configured to engage the tray. The tray and the lid each include at least one of protrusions and recesses configured to restrict lateral movement of the lid of the container relative to the tray of another substantially identical container.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method of stacking containers. The method includes positioning a first layer of containers, each having a tray and a lid. The lid includes one of protrusions and recesses. The method further includes positioning a second layer of containers on top of the first layer of containers, each of the second layer of containers having a tray and a lid. The tray of the second layer of containers includes the other of protrusions and recesses. The other of protrusions and recesses of the second layer of containers engage the one of protrusions and recesses of the first layer of containers to restrict lateral movement of the second layer of containers relative to the first layer of containers.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description, which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Detailed Description
Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
As illustrated in
Base 16 may be a planar rectangular-shaped part having a length direction and a width direction. It is also contemplated that base 16 may have a shape other than rectangular such as, for example, square or any other shape known in the art.
Base 16 may include one or more channels 24. Channels 24 may be linearly disposed on a bottom surface 28 of base 16 in the width direction. Channels 24 may extend through base 16 and result in projections from a top surface 30 of base 16, as depicted in
Base 16 may also include one or more positioning recesses 26. The positioning recesses 26 may be disposed in bottom surface 28 of base 16. Recesses 26 may extend through base 16 and result in projections from top surface 30 of base 16, as depicted in
Base 16 may include one or more protrusions 35 extending from either end of base 16. The pattern of protrusions extending from one end of base 16 may be different from the pattern of protrusions extending from the opposite end of base 16. The different patterns of protrusions 35 may facilitate nesting of one tray 14 within another substantially identical tray 14 when the two trays 14 are aligned, and stacking of the trays 14 when oriented 180 degrees from each other. It is contemplated that a different number of protrusions 35 than depicted in
As illustrated in
Each of side panels 18 may include vertical corrugations 40 longitudinally extended in the width direction. Each of corrugations 40 may extend through both an inner surface 41 and outer surface 43 of each side panel 18 (referring to
Each of end panels 20 may include a corrugated section 36. Corrugated section 36 may include two sets of corrugations 40a and 40b longitudinally extended in the width direction. Each of corrugations 40 may extend through both an inner surface 42 and an outer surface 44 of each end panel 20 (referring to
Each of end panels 20 may also include one or more nesting stops 38. Nesting stops 38 may be protrusions extending outward from an outer surface of end panels 20. Nesting stops 38 may be configured to abut curved rim 22 of a second container when tray 14 is inserted into the second container to thereby limit an engagement depth of tray 14 within the second container. It is contemplated that a greater or lesser number of nesting stops 38 may be included and that nesting stops 38 may alternately be disposed on side panels 18. It is also contemplated that another means for limiting the engagement depth of tray 14 within the second container may be implemented. These other means for limiting the engagement depth may include, for example, a stop protruding from bottom surface 28 of base 16, a stop protruding from top surface 30 of base 16, a rim disposed on an outer periphery of tray 14, or others as known in the art.
As illustrated in
As described above and illustrated in
As illustrated in
Main portion 60 may be a planar rectangular-shaped part having a length direction and a width direction. It is also contemplated that main portion 60 may have another shape such as, for example, square, circular, or any other shape known in the art. Main portion 60 may include one or more channels 64 and one or more positioning projections 66.
Channels 64 may be linearly disposed on a top surface 68 of main portion 60 in the width direction, aligned with channels 24 in base 16 of tray 14. Channels 64 may extend through base 16 and result in projections from a bottom surface 70 of main portion 60. It is contemplated that channels 64 may only extend a fraction of a distance through main portion 60. It is also contemplated that there may be a greater or lesser number of channels 64 than those depicted in
Projections 66 may include multiple projections disposed in main portion 60 of lid 12. Projections 66 may have a circular, square, L-shaped, rectangular, or any other appropriate cross-section known in the art. Projections 66 may be configured to be received within recesses 26 of tray 14 to restrict motion of container 10 relative to another substantially identical container 10, when containers 10 are stacked one on top of the other. As described above, it is contemplated that base 16 may alternately have projections. In this situation, projections 66 in the lid may be absent and recesses included. Alternately, both tray 14 and lid 12 may include projections that interact to restrict motion of one container 10 relative to another container 10, when containers 10 are stacked one on top of another
Projections 66 in lid 12 may be disposed in rows 32 and columns 34 after a predetermined pattern. As illustrated in
Peripheral portion 62 may have a substantially constant cross-section and an inner surface 72 configured to mate against angled portion 56 of curved rim 22. Alternately, peripheral portion 62 may have a variable cross-section.
The disclosed container 10 may provide a lightweight sturdy support structure and environmental protection for its contents. Tray 14 of container 10 may be nestable, stackable, and interlockable with other substantially identical trays 14. In addition, container 10 may reduce or eliminate the need to stretch-wrap or strap containers 10 to a pallet 74 before handling or loading of pallet 74, may provide for secure placement of individual container retention straps, may provide for snap-in placement of a label, and may prevent binding of one container 10 relative to another when nested. As a result, container 10 and a method of stacking and interlocking trays 14 may reduce the material cost, time, and labor typically associated with handling, loading, and transporting of conventional containers.
As described above, tray 14 may be nested and stacked within a second identical tray 14 when lid 12 is removed from the lower tray 14. Nesting is the loading of a portion of one tray 14 inside of another to either reduce the space displaced the trays 14 or to make empty containers 10 easier to transport. Tray 14 of one container 10 may be nested within the tray 14 of another container 10 in a first orientation where the longitudinal directions of the two containers 10 are aligned, and may be blocked from nesting by protrusions 35 in a second orientation that is rotated 180° relative to the first orientation. When blocked from nesting, the two containers 10 may be stacked one on top of the other, with the base of the upper container 10 retained within rim 22 of the lower container to limit relative movement between the two containers without closing the lid 12 of the lower container. It is contemplated that container 10 may alternately be nestable in both the first and second orientations.
The engagement depth that a first container 10 is nested within a second container 10 may be limited to minimize the likelihood of separation difficulty. As also described above, nesting stops 38 may be provided on the first container 10 that are configured to engage curved rim 22 of the second container 10, within which the first container 10 is nested to limit engagement depth. In this manner, containers 10 may be nested without the associated risk of binding relative to each other that hinders separation.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Different layers of containers 10 stacked on the same pallet 74 may have different patterns. For example, a first layer may be stacked after pattern A and a second layer stacked after pattern B. Alternately, a first layer may be stacked after pattern A and a second layer stacked after pattern C. In addition, a first layer may be stacked after pattern B and a second pattern stacked after pattern C. Further, a first and a second layer may be stacked after only pattern A, only pattern B, or only pattern C. It is also contemplated that the pattern of one layer may be rotated a number of different ways relative to a second layer.
Other embodiments of the disclosed container will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. For example, the containers may be a different shape, they may have different interlocking mechanisms, and there may be multiple shapes and sizes of containers configured to stack, interlock, and nest within each other. It is also contemplated that other patterns of layering containers may be implemented, that all of the patterns within a pallet load may have the same pattern, that all patterns with the same pallet load may have different patterns, or that the patterns may involve containers of different sizes and shapes. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. A container comprising:
- a tray having: a base; two side panels, each connected along one edge to the base; and two end panels, each connected along one edge to the base and along one edge to each of the two side panels; and
- a lid configured to engage the tray,
- wherein the tray and the lid each include at least one of protrusions and recesses configured to restrict lateral movement of the lid of the container relative to the tray of another substantially identical container.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid includes protrusions and the tray includes recesses, the recesses configured to receive the protrusions.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the side panels and the end panels includes at least one outer corrugated surface.
4. The container of claim 3, wherein the outer corrugated surface includes longitudinal corrugations angled relative to an edge of the at least one of the side panels and the end panels.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein the side and end panels of the tray, when assembled taper from a distal surface inward toward the base, the tray being configured to nest within another identical tray.
6. The container of claim 5, further including nesting stops, configured to limit engagement of the tray of the container with the tray of another substantially identical container when nesting.
7. The container of claim 5, wherein the tray is nestable in a first orientation relative to the other substantially identical tray and blocked from nesting in a second orientation, the second orientation being generally 180° rotated from the first orientation.
8. The container of claim 1, further including a curved rim disposed along an upper outer periphery of the tray.
9. The container of claim 8, wherein the curved rim includes a handle portion.
10. The container of claim 9, wherein the handle portion forms a bar.
11. The container of claim 8, wherein the handle portion is accessible from a top and a bottom direction relative to the base of the tray.
12. The container of claim 8, wherein the curved rim is formed along the entire upper outer periphery of the tray.
13. The container of claim 1, further including a label holder.
14. The container of claim 13, wherein the label holder includes a recessed portion and retaining portions configured for snap-in retention of a label.
15. The container of claim 1, wherein the base includes one of protrusions and recesses and the lid includes the other of protrusions and recesses, the protrusions and recesses each having a pattern.
16. The container of claim 15, wherein the pattern of the protrusions is identical to the pattern of the recesses.
17. The container of claim 15, wherein the pattern includes multiple columns and multiple rows of protrusions.
18. The container of claim 17, wherein a spacing between the rows is equal to the spacing between the columns.
19. The container of claim 1, wherein the protrusions and recesses have at least one of a round, square, triangular, L-shaped, or rectangular cross-section.
20. The container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tray and the lid include at least one strap retention channel.
21. The container of claim 1, wherein a length of the base is longer than a width of the base.
22. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is made from a polyolefin material.
23. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid and the tray are made from at least one of a thermo-forming and a molding process.
24. A method of stacking containers, comprising:
- positioning a first layer of containers having a tray and a lid, the lid of the first layer of containers having one of protrusions and recesses;
- positioning a second layer of containers on top of the first layer of containers, each of the second layer of containers having a tray and a lid, the tray of the second layer of containers having the other of protrusions and recesses,
- wherein the other of protrusions and recesses of the second layer of containers engage the one of protrusions and recesses of the first layer of containers to restrict lateral movement of the second layer of containers relative to the first layer of containers.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein all of the containers of at least one of the first and second layers are longitudinally positioned in a single direction.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein at least one of the first and second layers include three rows of positioned containers, two rows being longitudinally aligned in a first direction and one row being longitudinally aligned in a second direction different from the first.
27. A container comprising:
- a tray having: a base; two side panels, each connected along one edge to the base; and two end panels, each connected along one edge to the base and along one edge to each of the two side panels; and
- a lid configured to engage the tray,
- wherein the tray and the lid each include a means for restricting movement of the lid of the container relative to the tray of another substantially identical container.
28. The container of claim 27, further including a means for strengthening the tray.
29. The container of claim 28, wherein the means for strengthening includes longitudinal corrugations angled relative to an edge of the at least one of the side panels and the end panels.
30. The container of claim 27, wherein the side and end panels of the tray taper from a distal surface inward toward the base, the tray configured to nest within another substantially identical tray.
31. The container of claim 30, further including a means for limiting engagement of the tray of the container with the tray of another substantially identical container when nesting.
32. The container of claim 27, further including a means for grasping the container.
33. The container of claim 32, wherein the means for grasping is accessible from a top and a bottom direction relative to the base of the tray.
34. The container of claim 27, further including a means for holding a label.
35. The container of claim 34, wherein the means for holding is configured for snap-in placement of the label.
36. The container of claim 27, further including a means for positioning straps around the container.
37. The container of claim 27, wherein the means for restricting has a pattern.
38. The container of claim 37, wherein the means for restricting includes a first means for restricting movement included in the tray and a second means for restricting movement included in the lid, the first means for restricting having a pattern identical to a pattern of the second means for restricting.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 30, 2004
Publication Date: Oct 13, 2005
Applicant:
Inventor: Donald Close (Fairfax, VA)
Application Number: 10/953,271