Produce containers and interchangeable, high-density packing system using same
A system for shipping produce including a shipping tray adapted to house a variety of different sized produce shipping containers. The produce shipping containers are sized such that when the tray is stocked with each size container only it can be filled and all of its space utilized. A produce shipping container which minimizes interior edges. A produce shipping container which enhances visibility through the top of the container through to the produce contained therein.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to containers, and more specifically to produce containers and a system of packing using produce containers.
2. Description of Related Art
Today, many produce products are both harvested and packaged in the field. These produce products include, but are not limited to, berries, grapes, tomatoes, mushrooms, and other fruits and vegetables. In many market areas, theses produce items undergo post-harvest cooling in order to prolong their shelf life.
The harvested produce is often packed directly into the ventilated containers that will be purchased by the end consumer. The containers are typically thin walled clear or semi-clear plastic and are referred to as clamshells. This may be because often the lid of the container is formed integrally to the main volume of the container and the open container gives a visual suggestion of an open clamshell. The clamshells are closed after they have been filled with the just harvested produce.
The clamshells are also adapted to facilitate the initial cooling of the produce. To this end, the clamshells have openings in various locations which allow for forced air cooling to flow through the closed clamshell and cool the produce. The clamshells are also typically placed into trays, typically made of cardboard. The trays may also have openings in various locations to facilitate the cooling air flow through the clamshells.
Typically, the clamshells are placed into trays, and then the trays are placed onto pallets. The trays are usually placed onto the pallets in a particular configuration, and then another layer of trays is placed upon the lower layer of trays in the same configuration, and so on, resulting in many layers of trays on a single pallet. Post harvest cooling typically occurs while containers are in trays, and many trays are on a pallet. The entire pallet is placed into a cooling apparatus and cooling air is forced through the trays, and thus through the containers, and across the produce.
Currently, there are a variety of sizes of trays that may be used for different types of produce, with the different trays adapted to hold differing numbers of different size clamshells, depending upon the produce type and the intended market. However, many large retailers are adapted to having the same size tray regardless of the type of produce, and regardless of the size of clamshell which is containing the produce, in order to more efficiently handle the large quantity of produce moving through their facilities.
What is called for is a system that allows for a number of interchangeable clamshell sizes with a single tray geometry. What is also called for is a system that utilizes this interchangeability while also maximizing the packing factor for produce on a pallet.
Another issue with produce packed into clamshell containers is raised with the softer produce, such as strawberries. The produce may bruise in areas where there are sharp interior corners, such as around internal stiffening features. Further, as the produce is displayed in the market in the closed clamshell container, it is desirable that the consumer be able to see through the lid to the maximum extent possible in order to gain confidence in the quality of the produce within.
What is called for is a produce clamshell container with a minimum of internal features that may bruise the produce. What is also called for is a produce clamshell container which allows for maximum viewing of the produce through the top of the clamshell container.
SUMMARYA system for shipping produce including a shipping tray adapted to house a variety of different sized produce shipping containers. The produce shipping containers are sized such that when the tray is stocked with each size container only it can be filled and all of its space utilized. A produce shipping container which minimizes interior edges. A produce shipping container which enhances visibility through the top of the container through to the produce contained therein.
A plurality of front vents 50 and side vents 73 are formed along the top/bottom interface when the container 102 is closed. A portion of the vent is due to a recess in the top 41, and a portion of the vent 50 is due to a recess in the bottom. The vents provide venting along the long direction of the substantially rectangular container 102. A plurality of hinge vents 46 are seen in the hinge 78 that hinges the top 41 to the bottom 40. The front vents 50, combined with the hinge vents 46 that run along the long direction of the container on the back side of the container, allow for a significant cross-directional flow that can be accommodated along the short direction of the container 102. Thus, the long direction of the large produce carrying container 102 may be placed cross-wise to the cooling flow of a cooler into which the containers are ultimately placed and achieve significant cooling in a commercially appropriate time period.
In some embodiments, all four corners 43 of the lid are shaped with external fillets which minimize intrusion of any potentially damaging shape or edge into the area where the produce is contained. A pair of corner button locks, 44, 45 and a center button lock 48, 49 adapted to be pushed together and form a gripping seal with sufficient pressure, which may easily be delivered by the fingers of a user. The button locks may also be unsealed with similar pressure. The bottom 40 of the container 102 has a main well 42 adapted to receive produce as it is harvested. The top 41 is then folded over and the harvested fruit is now contained in the container where it will typically remain during cooling, transport, and sale. The top 41 has a raised internal portion 70 which allows the produce within to be stacked higher than the upper edge of the bottom 40. The raised internal portion 70 may have a sidewall 75.
A medium-sized produce container 111 is seen in
In some embodiments of the present invention, as seen in
In the circumstance of the large produce carrying containers 102, the large produce carrying containers 102 may be adapted as 4 pound strawberry packaging. At one time, a 4 pound strawberry package may have seemed large for the retail market, but with the advent of stores geared towards selling larger quantities of foodstuffs and other house goods, this larger size of packaging has become called for. Prior to this invention, a large produce carrying container would be delivered in a shipping tray adapted to carry two such produce carrying containers, and the tray would be of a different size. As seen in
The vent openings 104 in the shipping trays 101 may be the predominant entry and exit points for cooling air flow for the shipping trays. As seen, the large produce carrying containers 102 have a short side 130 and a large side 131. The vent openings 104 are on the short sides 130. The long direction of the large produce carrying container is adapted to just fit into the short direction of the shipping tray. The flow through the large produce carrying containers is thus predominantly across its short direction.
The shipping tray 101 has alignment tabs 103 along the upper edges of its sides which are adapted to fit up into mating slots along the bottom edge of the sides of the shipping tray placed above it in a stack. Typically, these shipping trays will be used in a six down configuration, wherein they will be laid on a pallet in a 2 by 3 configuration, which is illustrated in
As seen in
One can see in
Claims
1. A system for shipping produce comprising:
- a shipping tray adapted to carry a plurality of produce carrying container combinations, said shipping tray comprising a bottom and a plurality of walls extending from said bottom and forming an interior area, said plurality of produce carrying container combinations including:
- a first size of produce carrying container, wherein a first number of said first size of produce carrying container substantially fills said interior area;
- a second size of produce carrying container, wherein a second number of said second size of produce carrying container substantially fills said interior area; and
- a third size of produce carrying container, wherein a third number of said third size of produce carrying container substantially fills said interior area.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first number is 3.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein said second number is 4.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein said third number is 6.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said shipping tray is substantially rectangular, and wherein said shipping tray comprises a long direction and a short direction. top 316. Thus, when the bottom 315 and the top 316 of the produce carrying container 310 are locked together in the closed position with the use of corner button locks 311, the produce storage area is not impacted by an interior radius as seen in FIG. 13. The button lock 311 placed exterior to the exterior radius 312 improves the visual aspect of the packaging, as well as reducing one possibility of for bruising or damage to produce. The rear corner 313 is also seen with exterior radius near the hinge 314.
- As evident from the above description, a wide variety of embodiments may be configured from the description given herein and additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is, therefore, not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures from such details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant's general invention.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first size of produce container is substantially rectangular, and wherein said first size of produce container comprises a long direction and a short direction.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein said long direction of said first size of produce container is adapted to fit within said short direction of said shipping tray.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein said shipping tray further comprises inlet vents along its short direction.
9. The system of claims 8 wherein said first size of produce container has vents along both of its long sides, said vents substantially aligned with said inlet vents.
10. A system for shipping produce, said system comprising:
- a shipping tray, said shipping tray comprising; a bottom; and a plurality of walls from said bottom and forming an interior area; and
- three produce shipping containers, said produce shipping containers substantially filling said interior area.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein said shipping tray has a rectangular bottom, said rectangular bottom having a long direction and a short direction, and wherein said produce shipping containers are substantially rectangular, said produce shipping containers having a long direction and a short direction.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein said shipping tray is sized such that the long direction of the produce shipping containers fit within the short direction of the shipping tray.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the long direction of the produce shipping containers substantially fill the short direction of the shipping tray.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein said three produce shipping containers fit within the long direction of the shipping tray.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein said shipping tray has notches in its walls along its short direction.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein said produce shipping containers have vents along their long direction.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein said vents align with said notches at least in part.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein said vents align with said notches in substantial part.
19. A produce carrying container comprising:
- a bottom well, said bottom well substantially rectangular;
- a top, said top comprising a raised internal portion, said top bendably attached to said bottom well along a first edge, said top adapted to be folded over said bottom well into a closed position; and
- a set of corner button locks, said corner button locks adapted to fasten said top to said bottom well in said closed position, said corner button locks located in the corners away from said first edge;
- wherein said raised internal portion of said top comprises exterior radii in all corners.
20. The produce carrying container of claim 19 wherein said corner button locks do not protrude into said raised internal portion of said top.
21. The produce carrying container of claim 20 wherein said raised internal portion further comprises a sidewall, wherein there are no protrusion into said sidewall.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 8, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 11, 2008
Inventor: David Franz Baum (Watsonville, CA)
Application Number: 11/715,709
International Classification: B65D 21/02 (20060101);