Tray Type Patents (Class 206/557)
  • Patent number: 5651462
    Abstract: A rigid reclosable package comprises a rigid tray and a flexible cover. The tray includes a bottom, side walls and a flange extending from upper portions of the sides walls and around the periphery of the tray. The flange has a tray opening edge on which a first closure profile is attached. A second closure profile is attached to the flexible cover opposite the first closure profile. The first and second opposing closure profiles are adapted to releasably engage each other. The cover is permanently attached to the flange except along the tray opening edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.
    Inventors: Steven H. Simonsen, Richard G. Custer
  • Patent number: 5624031
    Abstract: A tray-type package for receiving a series of articles is constructed from a blank which enables the user to vary the size of the horizontal surface on which the articles are placed. The blank includes a bottom panel and a series of side walls which are interconnected with the bottom panel via connection structure which defines a series of fold locations, and the user selects the appropriate fold location according to the size of articles being packaged such that, when a predetermined number of articles are placed on the tray, the outer articles are in close proximity to, or engage, the tray side walls. When the tray side walls are folded at the different fold positions, the position of the adjacent side wall ends varies, and retainer structure is interposed between the side wall ends which accommodates such variation and which secures the side walls together. The retainer structure is an extension section formed on one of the side walls which overlaps the other side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Green Bay Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Fowler, Charles E. Wood
  • Patent number: 5619608
    Abstract: An enclosure assembly for optical fibre splices or other optical fibre components comprises a plurality of trays disposed in a stack with the trays inclined at a common angle to a longitudinal axis of the stack. Each tray is of generally elliptical shape in plan and is pivotally mounted, adjacent one end of its major axis, to an upright support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Bowthorpe PLC
    Inventors: Raymond C. Foss, Andrew S. Cammack
  • Patent number: 5588587
    Abstract: A package for either conventional oven or microwave heating of refrigerated or frozen foodstuffs includes an outer paperboard container and an inner food carrying tray or dish. The bottom of the plastic tray rests on the container bottom. The dish is flanged, the flange provided with one or more ears extending downwardly and sandwiched between container side walls. The dish flange is polygonal, having one or more edges abutting respective one or more interior walls of the container. A portion of the top cover of the container is removed by ripping along tear lines. The tear or ripping lines yield four triangular corner sections on the remaining, unripped container top cover, these sections overlying portions of the tray flange. This arrangement prevents the tray from being removed from the container through the top cover access opening defined upon ripping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: International Paper
    Inventors: David E. Stier, Katherine S. Liquori
  • Patent number: 5582296
    Abstract: A stackable tray comprising a body formed of rigid plastics material and consisting of a bottom wall integrally formed with opposite side walls and opposite front and rear walls; the front wall, at least, defines an access area to allow removal of articles from the bottom wall when the tray is in a superposed stacked relationship with similarly constructed trays; the front wall has an upper edge defining an enclosed tubular section extending from side wall to side wall to reinforce the tray when in a stacked relationship with similarly constructed trays and to counteract sagging of the bottom wall due to weight of articles placed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: IPL Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice Beauchamp, Michel Lanoue
  • Patent number: 5573116
    Abstract: A tool tray for organizing and carrying sockets comprises a bottom wall; first and second side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall; first and second end walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall; first and second handles secured respectively to the first and second end walls and disposed above the bottom wall; a plurality of rails disposed on the bottom wall; and a plurality of clips secured to each of the rails, the clips for removably securing the sockets. The first and second handles each includes a member for permitting a user to securely carry the tray with one hand. Convex shaped flanges are provided on the bottom surface of the bottom wall. A blank for forming the tool tray is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Inventor: Paul D. Zink
  • Patent number: 5520282
    Abstract: A novel manufacturing technique for strengthening integrally molded handles on a membranous or thin-film article against tearing, by integrally molding the peripheries of the handles and adjacent rim regions of the article in a mold which provides a three-dimensional curvilinear pre-bias against the stress-pattern engendered by lifting of masses carried by the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Devon Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: James P. Williams, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5511674
    Abstract: An accessory tray for use in supporting surgical pads, the accessory tray adapted for connection to a surgical stand wherein the accessory tray comprises a support section having an outer surface for receiving the surgical pads, a connection section extending from the support section, the connection section including an attachment means for removably connecting the support section to the surgical stand wherein the support section is disposed at an acute angle in relation to the surgical stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Inventors: William E. Boyd, Lynn D. Boyd
  • Patent number: 5507390
    Abstract: A pile up tray includes a base piece shaped as a cask, cast to be a bottom of the tray in which a rising double marginal flange is provided and to which at least one other piece is jointed. The other piece forms at least part of the side walls of the tray. The cask is placed inside of the piece or pieces that form the side walls of the tray, overhanding with respect to the lower edge of the pieces that form the side walls of the tray, so that during the piling of a number of trays up, the bottom part of each tray is placed into a mouth of the lower tray. The side walls of the tray can be provided with folding flanges which fold towards the inside of the tray and are fixed to the side walls by glue, to provide the tray with more resistance to compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Videcart, S.A.
    Inventor: Fatima M. Vila
  • Patent number: 5503858
    Abstract: A molded plastic overwrap tray is disclosed having a base and sidewalls. The upper edges of the sidewalls define an upper surface of the tray. The base and sidewalls define a food retaining chamber. Adjacent sidewalls of the tray are connected to one another through a corner reinforcing rib extending from the base to the upper edges of the associated sidewalls. The reinforcing rib defines a channel in communication with the food retaining chamber to provide finger access to food positioned in the food retaining chamber to facilitate removal thereof. Each of the corner ribs provides reinforcement to resist deflection of the upper edges of the sidewalls, whereby an overwrap on the tray is supported by the upper surface of the tray to minimize sagging of the overwrap and prevent the overwrap from coming into contact with food in the food retaining chamber. In another embodiment, a center post is provided having its upper end substantially level with the upper surface of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignee: Tekni-Plex Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel W. Reskow
  • Patent number: 5423449
    Abstract: A package particularly useful for either conventional oven or microwave heating of refrigerated or frozen foodstuffs includes a lower paperboard tray, an upper frangible paperboard cover, and an intermediate compartmentalized plastic food tray. The bottom of the plastic tray food compartments rest on the tray bottom. The plastic tray side edges are clamped between laterally extending side flanges on the lower tray and edges of the top cover. The top cover is removed by ripping along tear lines. After consumption of the food, the plastic tray is readily removed to thereby facilitate separation for recycling. The package construction also facilitates the use of relatively thin plastic for forming the compartmentalized plastic tray because the weight of the foodstuffs in the plastic tray components is partially borne by the lower tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventors: Robert L. Gordon, Kurt D. Jensen, Paul D. Roosa
  • Patent number: 5410838
    Abstract: A tree stand container for holding water for a cut tree which is mounted on a tree base of horizontal support members. The container has a plurality of integrally connected container segments extending radially from a central portion. The container segments have a generally horizontal bottom surface and side walls extending generally vertically from the bottom surface. The side walls of the container segments are coextensive with, and define, the exterior side walls of the container. The container forms a top opening to receive a tree base and to maintain the base and the lower end of a cut tree in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Inventors: Phyllis C. O'Leary, Michael F. O'Leary
  • Patent number: 5393539
    Abstract: A molded plastic overwrap tray is disclosed having a base and first and second sets of opposed sidewalls. The base and sidewalls define a food retaining chamber. The upper edges of the sidewalls define an upper plane of the tray. The upper edges of one set of opposed sidewalls have first and second pairs of opposed indentations for receiving the respective opposed ends of a pair of spaced-apart support bars. The support bars have an upper surface defining a plane substantially parallel to the upper plane of the tray, whereby an overwrap on the tray is supported by the upper surface of the support bars to minimize sagging of the overwrap and prevent the overwrap from coming in contact with food in the food retaining chamber. The support bars also assist in maintaining the engaged opposed upper edges substantially parallel to one another to reduce distortion and breakage of the tray when the overwrap is tightly stretched thereover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Tekni-Plex Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel W. Reskow
  • Patent number: 5390798
    Abstract: The present tray has a base with an imaginary center line running from front to back and evenly distanced from the left and right sides. There is a first orifice through the top of the base biased to one side of the center line. This orifice is adapted to receive a beverage vessel and includes a cutout running from the side of the base to the first orifice to permit lateral insertion of a beverage vessel into the first orifice. There is a second orifice through the top of the base which is circular in shape and biased toward one side of the center line opposite the first orifice. The second orifice is adapted to receive a food plate. There is a first notch located on the top of the base on the front of the base near the center line. This notch is adapted to receive an area between a thumb and a first finger of a user. There is a second notch which is similar and located on the top of the base on the back of the base near the center line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: G'-Ka International, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerard Yanuzzi
  • Patent number: 5387022
    Abstract: A package assembly for containing a plurality of product portions has a protective shell and a product portion support element which is covered by the shell and which has a stem which extends through the shell for being gripped. The support element has a base having spaced-apart shaped plate portions which extend from a central base portion which form a planar base surface. The stem is connected to and extends perpendicularly from a centrally disposed portion of the base surface. The covering shell has a sidewall portion which extends from an edge which circumscribes a shell base opening configured in an outline shape of the shaped plates for being positioned adjacent the plates for encompassing food product portions positioned on the plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventor: Caroline Soumah
  • Patent number: 5361895
    Abstract: A tray is provided for the shipping and display of a row of articles, the tray when configured for shipping being adapted to receive a particular number of such objects and when configured for display being adapted to receive a different number of such objects, the difference in configuration involving an end portion of the tray which is movable between a first position constituting an elongation of the main portion of the tray and a second position closing an end of that main portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: WFR Ribbon, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Wilson, Beverly A. Bahnken
  • Patent number: 5353930
    Abstract: A vacuum-formed storage tray for autoclaving medical and dental instruments includes a base panel surrounded by a plurality of integrally joined sidewalls so as to create an interior storage area. The base panel defines a plurality of sterilant apertures. The base panel and sidewalls are created by a vacuum-forming operation which concurrently creates by vacuum forming a plurality of aperture bosses. The vacuum-formed aperture bosses are closed as formed and must be subjected to a post-forming machining operation to cut off the closed end of each aperture boss. Once the closed ends are cut off, the closed aperture bosses become open sterilant apertures. The creation of a plurality of sterilant apertures by a vacuum-forming operation can replace any drilling operations for sterilant holes and economically allows greater variety as to the style and shape of apertures which can be formed in the base panel of the storage tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Carr Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernie B. Berry, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5342673
    Abstract: A flexible, air permeable, high temperature resistant, bacteria-impermeable packaging material is described. The packaging material is preferably made of nonwoven polyester layers on either side of and bonded to a microporous membrane. One nonwoven is bonded to the membrane with a thermoplastic adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Jane Bowman, Ed Daniel, Bob Henn, Jennifer Levy, Neville Vakharia
  • Patent number: 5323910
    Abstract: A party plate comprising a first portion having a top surface for holding food and a bottom surface for resting on the forearm of a user; a second portion attached to said first portion having a beverage container support; an aperture in the second portion for receiving a thumb of a user; and an edge on the second portion for providing a non-fatiguing grip for the fingers of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Inventor: Pieter A. van de Graaf, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5308670
    Abstract: The invention comprises a vinyl pad with raised sides. The pad is placed beneath a parked vehicle in a garage, maintenance, or storage area to catch melting snow, water, sand, salts, solvents, oils, mud and dirt falling off the vehicle and containing the material on the pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Inventor: Steven S. Saylor
  • Patent number: 5294000
    Abstract: The present invention is a tray for supporting food plates and beverage vessels. It comprises a substantially flat base structure with an orifice through the top of the base which is circular in shape and located to one end of the tray. This orifice is adapted to receive a beverage vessel. There is a second orifice through the top of the base which is circular in shape located at the opposite end of the tray from the first orifice. The second orifice is adapted to receive a food plate. There is a first notch located at the front of the base, adapted to receive an area between a thumb and a first finger when being held with the thumb on top and fingers on the bottom of the base. There is another notch located to the back of the base, adapted to receive an area between a thumb and a first finger when being held with the thumb on top and fingers on the bottom of the base. In a preferred embodiment, the second orifice has a surrounding recess tapered to receive an outer rim of a plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Assignee: G'KA! International, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerard Yanuzzi
  • Patent number: 5287973
    Abstract: A banana carrier, particularly a banana carrier is provided for transporting bananas on a plurality of trays from the picking fields to the packing area. The banana carrier is particularly adapted to be hung in rolling fashion on a cableway network arranged in the picking fields. The trays are arranged in stacked spaced apart fashion on the banana carrier. Each tray provides quarter panel sloped surfaces, circumscribed by drainage troughs which communicate to a drainage hole located in a central portion of each tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: Bankier Companies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack D. Bankier
  • Patent number: 5265756
    Abstract: A packaging tray formed of expanded polystyrene foam sheet material, having thick, curvilinearly interrupted perimeter edges. The edges are at least 10% thicker than the cross-sectional thickness of the major portions of the associated side walls of the tray. The perimeter edges are curvilinearly interrupted at at least two regular intervals along each side wall. The walls of the tray form corners which rise from the margins of the bottom panel of the tray at angles which can be greater than the angles at which the side walls rise from the bottom panel margins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: Dolco Packaging Corp.
    Inventors: Carl J. Meier, Richard L. Ramirez
  • Patent number: 5265729
    Abstract: An adjustable dispensing and exhibiting tray for adjustably handling articles of different dimension includes an integrally formed base member having a forwardly downwardly inclined base panel with closely transversely spaced longitudinal ribs delineating longitudinal sockets. Partition panels separably engage pre-selected channels to delineate passageways for slidably accommodating articles of corresponding widths. A transverse socket along the base panel front edge engages the bottom border of an upwardly directed stop defining panel. The base member includes side walls with pin engageable notches to facilitate the inclined mounting of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: Thomson-Leeds Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn Carlin
  • Patent number: 5259528
    Abstract: A stackable combination party tray for food, drink, utensils and napkins has a flat rectangular platform with two or more recessed food compartments, surrounded by an upturned peripheral retaining lip, one recessed compartment for holding a plurality of sizes of beverage containers, one recessed compartment for holding utensils and one recessed compartment for holding a napkin. These three compartments are each of the same depth and have flat bottom surfaces to provide three points of support for permitting the tray to be supported on a support surface. The beverage container compartment extends a distance below the bottom surface of the rectangular platform a distance sufficient to allow a person's hand to grip the tray. Thus, one's tray and drink can be held in one hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Inventors: Michael A. Pace, Mark Girovich
  • Patent number: 5253800
    Abstract: A one piece pizza tray blank having a generally planar member and a pair of sidewalls capable of being folded upward therefrom. Each of the sidewalls has a pair of opposing extensions capable of being folded inward therefrom along vertical extension fold lines. Each of the extensions has a foot extending downward therefrom in the direction of the planar member. The feet are designed to lockingly engage with slots and pressure tabs in the corner regions of the planar member for lockingly engaging the sidewalls and extensions in a vertical position. The feet also act as supports to prevent the planar member holding a pizza from contacting a counter or table top upon which it may be placed. This pizza tray may be slid inside of an appropriate bag for pizza transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: Arvco Container Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen L. France
  • Patent number: 5234159
    Abstract: A package of the type having a container with a bottom surface, a peripheral wall, and a peripheral lip includes a seal secured to the peripheral lip and a cover positioned to overlie the seal and the peripheral lip. The cover includes two oppositely disposed side flaps oriented to extend away from the peripheral lip toward the bottom surface, and two bottom flaps each secured to a respective one of the two side flaps and to the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Conagra, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew W. Lorence, Brian D. Hopkins, James E. Grace
  • Patent number: 5209370
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lap tray 10 particularly suited to be used by a person who has a lap belt 32 strapped around the lower torso. The lap tray 10 includes a flat panel 12 having an opening 26 in the panel adapted to receive a cup. A guard member 22 attached by a hinge 24 to the panel 12 may be folded inward towards the panel during storage, and unfolded outward towards the user during use. The underside 22a of the unfolded guard 22 rest against the user's lower torso with the tray 10 on the user's lap, and a clip 30 on the underside 22a of the guard 22 is attached to the lap belt 32 worn by the user. The perimeter of the panel 12 and the opening 26 are raised to provide walls sections 18 through 21 and wall section 28, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Inventors: Ralph E. Pickett, Barton A. Hornstein
  • Patent number: 5201439
    Abstract: Apparatus for holding and transporting paint includes a front, a bottom, side walls and a back wall. A top element is connected to the side walls and the back wall and is in registry with a portion of the bottom and spaced therefrom to define a receptacle for paint when the apparatus is positioned with the front disposed upwardly relative to the rear wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Inventor: Scott Davies
  • Patent number: 5187766
    Abstract: A division rack comprises one or more distributor housings, with each distributor housing having a cassette holder mounted for pivotable movement between a first position received in the housing and a second position extending horizontally out of the housing. Each cassette holder comprises a channel-shaped member having a plurality of guide webs forming compartments for receiving cassettes or cassette blocks, which guide webs extend obliquely relative to the axis of the holder so that the cassettes are stored in an oblique position when the holder is in its first, vertical position. The incoming cables to each of the cassettes are clamped in the housing and extend over an upper end of each of the holders to the individual cassettes or cassette blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Lothar Finzel, Thomas Ruckgaber
  • Patent number: 5176274
    Abstract: A leg supported tray and more specifically, a combination serving tray, book holder and game board that is supported from the legs of the person using the tray with the tray including an upstanding peripheral edge to retain articles on the tray and a pair of downwardly opening, generally semicircular leg engaging support members connected to the tray by a pivotal connection which can be locked in adjustable angular position. In a modified form of the invention, the leg engaging support members are each provided with a leg encircling strap that is adjustable in length by utilizing hook and loop pile fastening devices available under the trademark "VELCRO".
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Inventor: James H. Jenkins
  • Patent number: 5176259
    Abstract: A rigid utility surface tray (10) with two flexible strap fasteners (12a), (12b) and a fixed fastener (14). The utility tray is supported by and secured to two horizontal structural supports, such as open chair arms. The flexible strap fasteners (12a), (12b) secure utility tray (10) by encircling horizontal structural supports and fastening to the fixed fastener (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Inventor: Karsten Andersen
  • Patent number: 5138689
    Abstract: A distribution arrangement for optical fibre comprising a branched coupling array (1) and a plurality of splice organizers (2) for storing splices associated with connections to the coupling array. Each fibre connected to the array passses through a manifold block (8) that is provided with a plurality of capillaries extending to the splice organizers. Fibres from other parts of the network also pass through the manifold and into the capillaries for conduction to the splice organizers where they are connected to a respective fibre from the coupling array. Preferably the array (1) has alternative winding routes for fibre tails extending from individual couplers within the array to facilitate multiple splice attempts. A preferred splice organizer comprises an enclosure into which coiled fibre loops are introduced and permitted to expand so that they are retained by the resilience of the fibre itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: British Telecommunications
    Inventors: Clifford E. Merlo, Robert A. Freeman, Peter L. J. Frost
  • Patent number: 5134918
    Abstract: A pencil box made in the shape of a mobile telephone, comprising an upper shell separated from a bottom shell by a transverse partition board, a big sliding box at one side below said partition board for holding pencils, two small sliding boxes at one end above said partition board, a small sliding box and a sliding pencil holder at an opposite end above said partition board, a movable pencil sharpener in said upper shell at the top, a music IC on said partition board controlled to produce sounds by music playing keys on said upper shell, a brake control assembly on said partition board to retain said sliding boxes and said sliding pencil holder and said pencil sharpener in place, spring means controlled by control keys on said upper shell to automatically respectively push said sliding boxes, said sliding pencil holder and said pencil sharpener out of said upper or bottom shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Inventor: Yun-Chih Chang
  • Patent number: 5131066
    Abstract: An arrangement for storing e.g. optical fibers and/or optical fiber splices within a splice closure comprises a generally circular tray (1) or preferably a plurality of such trays (1) in a stack, the tray or trays being mounted at an angle inclined to the longitudinal axis of the splice closure. The trays are supported on respective fingers (12) which can be flexed to pivot themselves and their trays away from a tray which it is desired to remove, so that the desired tray can be slipped out of the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Bowthorpe-Hellerman Limited
    Inventor: Raymond C. Foss
  • Patent number: 5127082
    Abstract: A patch panel for optical fibers includes a tray for supporting coiled portions of the fibers, a plurality of transversely spaced apart tabs, spaced backwardly from the front end of the tray and extending perpendicularly upwardly from the tray and a plurality of modular connector assemblies each slidably mounted on said tray between respective pairs of adjacent tabs. The modular connector assemblies each include a modular connector yoke for mounting optical fiber connectors on the tray. The tray includes tracks for slidably mounting the tray in a rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: The Siemon Company
    Inventors: Randall J. Below, Howard Reynolds, Vasantrai Vachhani
  • Patent number: 5099996
    Abstract: A tray for use with fan-folded paper fed to a printer or other paper processor at high speeds. The tray is adapted to be removably mounted on the open top of a paper carton to allow paper to be fed out of the carton along a predetermined path. The paper has a support plate which is adjacent to an opening defining the path of the paper out of the carton, and a support plate is positioned to allow the fan-folded paper to be returned in stacked relationship on the support plate without operator attention. The paper collected on the tray can be removed by hand at any time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Greg M. Shepherd
    Inventor: Owen Vallis
  • Patent number: 5097957
    Abstract: The apparatus sets forth a tray organization that is usable wherein first and second rigid base members are hingedly mounted relative to one another with plural pairs of apertures mounted on each top surface of each base plate to receive plural pairs of support rods wherein the support rods are joined at their upper ends by a spanning U-shaped cap member. The rods and cap members are separable and are receivable within recesses formed within each base plate to secure the rods and cap members within the base plates during periods of non-use during transport and storage of the organization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Inventors: William F. Adams, Jr., Joseph A. Hughes
  • Patent number: 5085879
    Abstract: A lobster packaging and display unit that is preferably made of molded plastic material and free of any sharp edge or corner and comprises at least one and preferably two trays, each shaped and sized to receive and conform to a lobster and to display this lobster to best advantage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Inventor: Gabriel Elbaz
  • Patent number: 5084251
    Abstract: An instrument sterilization cassette, into which instruments to be sterilized may be placed on an internal support rack structure, has a housing defined by an open-topped base portion to which a lid portion is pivotally secured. Spaced series of flow openings are formed through the top and bottom side walls of the lid and base portions and permit a vertical throughflow of sterilizing fluid through the cassette, and across the instruments supported therein, when the lid portion is closed. An external latch structure is operative to releasably hold the lid portion closed, and is secured to perforated upper and lower plates slidably supported on the inner side surfaces of the top and bottom side walls of the cassette. By pulling the latch structure outwardly from the housing, the plate members are slidably moved in the same direction and their openings are moved into registry with the top and bottom side wall flow openings to permit a throughflow of sterilizing fluid through the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Inventor: Akatheputhethu C. Thomas
  • Patent number: 5076438
    Abstract: The present serving tray is formed with an underside having a recess therein which is contoured to the shape of a human hand. When the serving tray is used, the server's hand fits comfortably and securely within this contoured recess, thereby obtaining greater control over the serving tray than is possible with serving trays currently in use. The recess of the present serving tray is preferably contoured to conform to the shape, size and preferred position of a particular server's hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Inventor: Michael D. Aronson
  • Patent number: 5062531
    Abstract: A medicine caddy or medicine tray includes a body having a number of medicine container holding recesses defined on the top side of the body. The recesses have inner diameters of different sizes. The body is composed of a light weight and inexpensive material, preferably a plastic. One of the recesses is a corner recess. This corner recess is provided for implacement of the index finger. While the thumb and second finger pinch the corner of the body, the tray can thus be carried. One or more concentric rings are removably provided to accommodate different-sized medicine containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1991
    Inventor: Walter G. Coy
  • Patent number: 5062674
    Abstract: A hand table for carrying a plate and a cup includes an upper support and a lower support. The upper support has a generally circular plate support and a cup or glass receiving opening. The lower support is coupled to the upper support and has a generally inverted U-shaped handle portion with a bight and depending legs. A pair of foot members extend outwardly from the legs of the handle portion for supporting the upper and lower supports on a surface, such as a table. A cup support extends from one of the foot members to a position directly below the cup opening in the upper support, to underly a cup or glass bottom. A carrying rack for supporting plates and cups includes a platform portion, a base portion coupled to the platform portion, a plurality of cup supports coupled to the platform portion, and a plurality of hand table releasably coupled to the platform portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1991
    Inventor: Charles Magee
  • Patent number: 5060800
    Abstract: A container comprises a man-made material film which is shaped to define at least one sealed compartment, a plane top around the compartment or compartments and continuous external walls which surround the compartment or compartments. These walls have a height at least equal to that of the compartment or compartments. The man-made material film is backed by at least one bonded-on layer of cardboard over substantially all the inside surface of each wall and of the top. The man-made material film is in a single piece which constitutes an uninterrupted outside wall all around the container and a plane top and which forms at least one compartment inside the volume determined by the outside wall of the container and by the top. The cardboard part constitutes in a single piece a top with at least one opening in it and side walls with adjacent edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1991
    Assignee: Societe Parisienne d'Impression et de Cartonnage (SPIC)
    Inventors: Jean A. Bodet, Pierre-Denis Kuhlmann
  • Patent number: 5046607
    Abstract: Pack container, especially tray, made of foldable material for receiving articles.Trays are flat upwardly open containers which consist essentially of a bottom wall (12) and of low side walls (longitudinal rims 13, 14; transverse rims 15, 16) extending all round. They serve for receiving generally cuboid articles, especially (small) packs (11). Such trays (10) are increasingly also used for the display of sales articles directly for the ultimate consumer (shop trays).To make it possible to load a tray (10) with packs (11) simply and without constraint, in such a way that the bottom wall (12) of the tray is covered with packs (11) completely, the tray can be enlarged in terms of the useful base surface and, after loading, be reduced to the "normal size". For this purpose, the bottom wall (12) is subdivided into two part bottoms (21, 22) moveable telescopically relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH)
    Inventor: Heinz Focke
  • Patent number: 5042652
    Abstract: A package of the type having a tray with recessed compartments for receiving food products or the like, the tray being covered by a thin flexible and preferably transparent film which seals the products in their respective compartments. The outer enclosure is formed by a stiff collar which completely encircles the tray with the sides of the collar turned downwardly and inwardly to provide frictional and resilient engagement of the collar with the sides of the tray. The collar also includes a stiff support flap which enables it to stand on end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation
    Inventor: Paul E. Grindrod
  • Patent number: 5040328
    Abstract: A mushroom tray comprising a tray portion having opposing sidewalls, opposing end walls and a substantially flat bottom sheet having a parallity of channels formed therein and extending therealong, corrosion-resistant I-beams positioned within the channels for strengthening and stiffening the bottom sheet, and a parallity of clips for securing the I-beams to the underside of the bottom sheet. In a preferred embodiment, the trays include downwardly projecting legs which are shaped enable the trays to be stacked vertically. Also in the preferred embodiment, the trays are made of a polyolefin and the I-beams are made of aluminum. The end walls also preferably include I-beams for re-enforcement; the I-beams are totally enclosed in the end wall structure to minimize exposure to a corrosive atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Inventor: Gerald L. Coon
  • Patent number: 5024498
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switch box for producing freely selectable optical connections between the LWGs of incoming optical cables and the LWGs of outgoing optical cables by means of optical shunting lines. The production of any connection is made possible in an ordered and certain way in an arrangement in which LWG groups of the incoming optical cables are connected to a first group of adjacent termination units, LWG groups of the outgoing optical cables are connected to a second group of adjacent termination units, the individual LWGs of the incoming and of the outgoing cables are connected to optical plug connector elements provided on the terminal units, the shunting lines are connected on both sides to mating connector elements, and excessive lengths of the shunting lines not required for producing a connection are stored in storage elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corp.
    Inventors: Johann A. Becker, Peter G. Deusser, Olaf W. R. Holzmann
  • Patent number: 5018624
    Abstract: A traylike member is provided for use with a removable cover to form a container in which is accommodated a product. The traylike member includes a surface which subtends and supportingly engages the product. A marginal section extends from the periphery of the surface and is spaced outwardly from the product when the latter is engaging the surface. The surface is provided with a plurality of relatively spaced locating elements which are independently adjustable between operative and inoperative modes. When in an operative mode, the locating elements project upwardly from the surface and coact with one another to restrain relative lateral movement of the supported product with respect to the surface. When in the inoperative mode, the locating elements assume non-upwardly projecting positions relative to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Packaging Corporation of America
    Inventors: Theodore R. Arneson, Robert F. Hitchcock, Julie D. N. Williams
  • Patent number: 5018623
    Abstract: A molded plastic overwrap tray is disclosed having a base and sidewalls. The sidewalls are outwardly bowed and connected to one another through integrally formed radius corners. A thick, wide bead is integrally formed to the sidewalls adjacent the open end tray to form a lip for the tray. A plurality of reinforcing ribs also are integrally formed in the corner or junctures connecting the sidewalls to the base. The tray is adapted to be sealed with a tightly stretched overwrap film which exerts compressive forces to provide the tray with relatively straight or slightly bowed upper side edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Tekni-Plex Inc.
    Inventor: John Hrenyo