U.S. patent application number 11/754166 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-12 for basket having improved sidewall structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to PACKAGING PLUS LLC. Invention is credited to Richard L. Bontrager, Randall Glenn Strange.
Application Number | 20080135556 11/754166 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39496759 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080135556 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bontrager; Richard L. ; et
al. |
June 12, 2008 |
BASKET HAVING IMPROVED SIDEWALL STRUCTURE
Abstract
A basket for holding goods comprises a base, a flange, and a
sidewall extending from the base to the flange, the sidewall
including a plurality of faces. Any two of the faces is joined by a
structure having an arcuate shape curving into the basket, the
arcuate shape extending from the base to the flange. The arcuate
shape provides rigidity to the sidewall, protecting goods within
the basket.
Inventors: |
Bontrager; Richard L.;
(Ripon, CA) ; Strange; Randall Glenn; (Manteca,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FLIESLER MEYER LLP
650 CALIFORNIA STREET, 14TH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94108
US
|
Assignee: |
PACKAGING PLUS LLC
Fremont
CA
|
Family ID: |
39496759 |
Appl. No.: |
11/754166 |
Filed: |
May 25, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60868911 |
Dec 6, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/260 ;
220/200; 220/326; 220/367.1; 220/675; 220/839 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00222
20130101; B65D 43/021 20130101; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D
2543/00194 20130101; B65D 2543/00805 20130101; B65D 2543/0062
20130101; B65D 2543/00759 20130101; B65D 1/34 20130101; B65D
2543/00361 20130101; B65D 2543/00453 20130101; B65D 25/2888
20130101; B65D 25/30 20130101; B65D 2543/00694 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/260 ;
220/200; 220/326; 220/367.1; 220/675; 220/839 |
International
Class: |
B65D 1/26 20060101
B65D001/26; B65D 1/38 20060101 B65D001/38; B65D 1/42 20060101
B65D001/42 |
Claims
1. A basket for holding goods comprising: a base; a flange; and a
sidewall extending from the base to the flange, the sidewall
including a plurality of faces; wherein two of the faces are joined
by a structure having an arcuate shape curving into the basket, the
arcuate shape extending from the base to the flange.
2. The basket of claim 1, wherein the arcuate shape comprises in
series: a first arc connected with a first face and having a first
radius of curvature; a second arc having a second radius of
curvature; and a third arc connected with a second face and having
a third radius of curvature.
3. The basket of claim 2, wherein the first radius of curvature,
the second radius of curvature, and the third radius of curvature
are substantially the same.
4. The basket of claim 2, wherein the first radius of curvature and
third radius of curvature are substantially the same.
5. The basket of claim 1, further comprising a lid.
6. The basket of claim 5, wherein the lid is connected to the
flange by a hinge.
7. The basket of claim 5, wherein the base and the lid include a
plurality of perforations.
8. The basket of claim 5, further comprising: a catch protruding
from the flange and obstructing the lid when the lid is mated with
the flange; and a latch associated with the lid and adapted to
deflect the catch as the lid is brought toward the flange; wherein
when the lid contacts the flange, a spring force of the catch
causes the catch to return to an undeflected position capturing the
latch.
9. The basket of claim 8, wherein the sidewall includes four faces
and the lid is connected to the flange by a hinge; and further
comprising: a first latch at a first position along the flange
opposite the hinge; a second latch at a second position along the
flange opposite the hinge; a first catch at a first position along
the lid opposite the hinge; and a second catch at a second position
along the lid opposite the hinge; wherein the first latch is
adapted to mate with the first catch; wherein the second latch is
adapted to mate with the second catch.
10. The basket of claim 9, wherein the base and the lid include a
plurality of perforations.
11. The basket of claim 9, wherein each of the faces is connected
with an adjacent face by a structure having an arcuate shape.
12. The basket of claim 1, wherein the plurality of faces are
substantially flat.
13. The basket of claim 5, wherein one of the lid and the flange
includes an indentation sufficiently sized to permit receipt of a
finger.
14. The basket of claim 5, wherein the lid and the flange include
indentations aligned with one another so that when the lid is
seated on the flange, the aligned indentations permit receipt of a
finger so that the seated lid can be urged away from the
flange.
15. A basket for produce comprising: a base; a flange; a sidewall
extending from the base to the flange, the sidewall including four
faces; wherein each of the faces is joined with adjacent faces by a
structure having an arcuate shape curving into the basket, the
arcuate shape extending from the base to the flange; and a lid
connected to the flange by a hinge.
16. The basket of claim 15, wherein the base and the lid include a
plurality of perforations.
17. The basket of claim 15, further comprising: a catch protruding
from the flange and obstructing the lid when the lid is mated with
the flange; and a latch associated with the lid and adapted to
deflect the catch as the lid is brought toward the flange; wherein
when the lid contacts the flange, a spring force of the catch
causes the catch to return to an undeflected position capturing the
latch.
18. The basket of claim 15, further comprising: a first latch at a
first position along the flange opposite the hinge; a second latch
at a second position along the flange opposite the hinge; a first
catch at a first position along the lid opposite the hinge; and a
second catch at a second position along the lid opposite the hinge;
wherein the first latch is adapted to mate with the first catch;
wherein the second latch is adapted to mate with the second
catch.
19. The basket of claim 15, wherein one of the lid and the flange
includes an indentation sufficiently sized to permit receipt of a
finger.
20. The basket of claim 15, wherein the lid and the flange include
indentations aligned with one another so that when the lid is
seated on the flange, the aligned indentations permit receipt of a
finger so that the seated lid can be urged away from the flange.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application claims priority to the following U.S.
Provisional Patent Application:
[0002] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/868,911, entitled
"Basket Having Improved Sidewall Structure," Attorney Docket No.
PPLUS-01000US0, filed Dec. 6, 2006.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] This invention relates generally to packaging, and more
particularly to packaging for fragile and/or perishable goods.
BACKGROUND
[0004] Plastic berry baskets are ubiquitous in grocery stores and
produce markets and can be found by consumers in a variety of
shapes and sizes. For example, raspberries and blackberries and the
like are sold in clear polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) clamshell
containers holding anywhere from a half-pint to a quart or more of
fruit. Despite availability in myriad shapes and sizes, such
plastic berry baskets commonly incorporate strengthening structures
along the faces of the sidewalls to provide rigidity for protecting
the basket from collapse when stacked. This can be particularly
important where the contents are easily damaged, such as the case
with produce.
[0005] Unfortunately, strengthening structures increase
manufacturing costs by increasing a total surface area of the
basket (and consequently increasing the amount of plastic used to
make the basket). Further, the additional edges of such structures
are known to damage fruit. There is a need for baskets that can be
produced at less cost while reducing damage occurring to produce
while in the basket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1: FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a
basket in accordance with methods and systems for holding goods in
accordance with the present invention; FIG. 1B is a cross-section
of a corner of the basket of FIG. 1A having an arcuate shape.
[0007] FIG. 2: FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of a basket in accordance with methods and systems for
holding goods in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2B is
a cross-section of a corner of the basket of FIG. 2A having an
arcuate shape; FIG. 2C is a perspective view of a body of the
basket; FIG. 2D is a perspective view of a lid mated with the body
of FIG. 2C; FIG. 2E is a cross-section of perspective view of FIG.
2D, showing the body capturing the lid to produce a desirably
secure fit between the lid and the body.
[0008] FIG. 3: FIG. 3 is a perspective view of still another
embodiment of a basket in accordance with methods and systems for
holding goods in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an embodiment of a basket in
accordance with the present invention is shown. The basket 100
includes a body 104 defined at least partially by a base 108 and a
sidewall 106 extending from the base 108 to a flange 114. The base
108 can be concave, flat, or alternatively can have some other
shape relative to a plane on which the basket can rest, depending
on a desired contact surface area, a desired flow of air along the
base, etc. Optionally the base 108 can include one or more
perforations, the one or more perforations permitting drainage,
ventilation, ornamentation, or some other purpose. As shown, the
base 108 has a substantially rectangular footprint across the plane
on which it rests. The sidewall 106 extending from the base 108
consequently has four faces. Alternatively, in other embodiments
the footprint of the base 108 can be some other shape, such as
square or triangular for example.
[0010] As shown in FIG. 1A, the sidewall 106 includes a compound
draft from the flange 114 to the base 108. The draft is compound
because a portion 112 of the draft connected with the base 108
increases in angle. One or both angles of the compound draft can be
varied to suit manufacturing or to selectively adjust a volume of
the basket. A sharper draft decreases basket volume, but can aid in
manufacturing by easing ejection of the body from a mold. In other
embodiments, the sidewall 106 can include a simple draft from the
flange to the base. In still other embodiments, the sidewall 106
need not include a draft from the flange to the base, or can
include a compound draft including more than two angles. In still
further embodiments, one face of the sidewall 106 can include no
draft, or a draft having a different angle when compared with that
of another face of the sidewall 106. One of ordinary skill in the
art will appreciate the myriad different shapes including or
excluding drafts with which the sidewall 106 extending from the
base 108 to the flange 114 can be formed. Embodiments of baskets in
accordance with the present invention are intended to be applied to
all such shapes without necessary differentiation.
[0011] Baskets in accordance with the prior art commonly
incorporate ribs integrally formed within the faces of sidewalk of
the basket. Ribs can improve rigidity of the basket to help prevent
damage to goods held within, and to resist collapse of the body of
the basket. Such baskets can be referred to as semi-smooth-walled
baskets. Inclusion of ribs increases an amount of material required
to manufacture a basket and further increases a number of
contactable edges with which fragile goods such as produce can be
damaged. Alternatively, baskets in accordance with the prior art
can include smooth sidewalls which are generally featureless. Use
of smooth sidewalls reduces the number of contactable edges, but
can result in a sidewall having less rigidity (where the sidewall
thickness is constant compared with a sidewall having ribs). Such
smooth-walled baskets commonly seek to increase sidewall strength
by increasing a thickness of the sidewalls. Increasing sidewall
thickness likewise results in an increase in an amount of material
required to manufacture a basket.
[0012] Embodiments of baskets in accordance with the present
invention can comprise corners 110, one or more of which has an
arcuate shape extending substantially along the length of the
corner from the base 108 to the flange 114 of the basket. The
arcuate shape of the one or more corners 110 can provide structural
strength to faces of the sidewalls 106 connected with the one or
more corners 110, resisting and or limiting sidewall 106 collapses
that can result in damage to goods held within the basket 100. The
arcuate shape of the one or more corners 110 can optionally reduce
or eliminate a need for ribs or other reinforcing structures
integrally formed with one or more of the faces of the sidewall
106, thereby reducing the resulting surface area of the sidewall
106. A reduction of the amount of surface area of the sidewall 106
can reduce the amount of material used to form the basket 100.
Further, embodiment of baskets in accordance with the present
invention can include sidewalls 100 having reduced thickness when
compared to baskets of the prior art that provide reinforcement
through increased sidewall thickness. A reduction in thickness of
the faces of the sidewalls 100 can result in a further reduction in
materials and cost over such baskets of the prior art.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 1B, the arcuate shape connects one face of
the sidewall 106 to an adjacent face of the sidewall 106,
supplanting a corner 110 formed by at an intersection of the faces
of the sidewall 106. The arcuate shape of the corner 110 can
provide rigidity by providing a structural shape that distributes
stress across the arc of the structure. Such a shape eliminates a
concentration of stress at a corner 110, thereby improving a
response to force applied to the sidewall 106. The arcuate shape of
the corner 110 can reduce a cross-sectional area of the body 114,
but can result in a reduction in sidewall thickness and/or surface
area of one or more faces of the sidewall 106 to reduce an amount
of material used to form the body 114. A length and width of the
sidewall 106, or alternatively a draft of the sidewall 106 can be
increased to accommodate a lost volume attributable to the arcuate
shape of the one or more corners 110. The arcuate shape of FIG. 1B
further includes no sharp edges, reducing a risk of damage to
delicate goods stored in the basket 100. Angles .alpha. and .beta.
formed by the radii of curvature r1-r3 relative to the intersecting
axes of the faces of the sidewalls need not necessarily be the
same, thus the arcuate shape need not be symmetrical. In a
preferred embodiment, the radii of curvature r1-r3 for the three
arcs formed by the arcuate shape are substantially the same.
However, in other embodiments, the radii of curvature for the three
arcs formed by the arcuate shape need not be the same, or may vary
along the length of the corner 110 from the base 108 to the flange
114.
[0014] The embodiment of FIG. 1A further includes one or more
finger holes 116 arranged along a portion of the flange 114
opposite a hinge with which the basket 100 is connected. The one or
more finger holes 116 allow a finger to be positioned between the
lid and the flange 114, easing separation of the lid from the body
104. As shown, the flange 114 includes two finger holes 116
arranged symmetrically along a portion of the flange 114 that is
opposite of a hinge. The finger holes 114 form a smooth indention
within the flange 114, allowing easy insertion of a finger of a
consumer. By including the finger holes 116, the lid can be secured
to the flange 114 such that a required force to separate the lid
from the flange 114 is optionally increased over a basket excluding
finger holes. Separation can be accomplished by pushing a finger
with increasing diameter into a finger hole 116 or inserting a
finger and pulling the lid away from the body 104 while restricting
movement of the body 110, rather than grasping both the flange 114
(or body 104) and the lid and applying a pulling force. A consumer
that uses a basket of the prior art that lacks such a feature
typically grasps both the flange and the lid, one or both of which
can be difficult to grasp between fingers and are subject to
slippage owing to the low friction nature of plastics with which
baskets are formed. Providing one or more finger holes 116 reduces
the frictional properties of the material as a measure of the ease
of opening the basket. Still further, the basket 100 can include
one or more side finger holes 118 arranged along a portion of the
flange 114 adjacent to the hinge with which the basket is
connected. As above, the one or more side finger holes 118 can ease
separation of the body 104 from the lid.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 2A, an alternative embodiment of a basket
200 in accordance with the present invention is shown having a body
204 including a perforated base 208 from which a sidewall 206
extends to a flange 214. The sidewall 206 includes a simple draft
from the flange 214 to the base 208. The sidewall 206 has four
corners 210 connecting four faces of the sidewall 206, each corner
210 having an arcuate shape, the arcuate shape of the corner
improving a structural integrity of the sidewall 206 between the
base 208 and the flange 214 by allowing stress to be distributed
across the arcuate shape of the corner 210. As can be seen, the
sidewall 206 further includes two ribs 207 formed in each face of
the sidewall 206. The ribs 207 can increase a resistance to
collapse of the face on which it is formed. Thus, embodiments of
baskets in accordance with the present invention can optionally
include ribs or other structural features formed in the base and/or
sidewalls of the basket.
[0016] As can be seen in FIG. 2B, the arcuate shape of the corner
210 of the basket 200 connects one face of the sidewall 206 to an
adjacent face of the sidewall 206, supplanting a corner 210 formed
by at an intersection of the faces of the sidewall 206. As above,
the arcuate shape of the corner 210 can provide rigidity by
providing a structural shape that distributes stress across the arc
of the structure. Such a shape eliminates a concentration of stress
at a corner 210, thereby improving a response to force applied to
the sidewall 106. As shown, angles .alpha. and .beta. formed by the
radii of curvature R1-R3 relative to the intersecting axes of the
faces of the sidewalls The arcuate shape of FIG. 2B includes a
first radius of curvature R1 forming an arc extending inward of the
basket that is approximately twice the second and third radii of
curvature R2,R3.
[0017] The basket 200 further includes a single finger hole 216
formed opposite a hinge 230 connected between the body 204 and the
lid 202. The basket 200 also includes a finger hole 218 formed in
the flange 214 adjacent to the hinge 230. As can be seen in FIGS.
2D and 2E, the lid 202 can include complementary structures 216,219
to partition a required or desired height of the finger hole
216,218 between the flange 214 of the body 204 and the lid 202. In
still other embodiments, one or more finger holes can be formed
within the lid 202 exclusively, rather than in the flange 214 of
the body 204, or partially within the flange 214 of the body
204.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 2C through 2E, embodiments of baskets in
accordance with the present invention can further comprise a catch
220 integrally formed with the flange 214 for receiving a
complementary structure (also referred to herein as a latch) 240 of
the lid 202. The latch 240 of the lid 202 can include a slope so
that as the lid 202 is urged toward the flange 214, the latch 240
contacts the catch 220 and is deflected inward so that the latch
240 accommodates the portion 224 of the catch 220 extending toward
the lid 202. As the lid 202 approaches a seated position, a spring
force of the latch 240 causes the latch 240 to extend back outward
so that the latch 240 extends into a keep 226 of the catch 220 when
the latch 240 is seated on a rim 228 of the catch 220. To open the
basket, the user can apply a force to the catch 220, causing the
catch 220 to pivot at a point of connection between the flange 214
and the sidewall 206. The latch 240 is separated from the keep 226,
allowing the lid 202 to be pivoted away from the body 204 at the
hinge 230.
[0019] The embodiment shown includes two catches 220 on corners
associated with a face opposite the hinge 230. In other
embodiments, a lid need not be connected with the body by a hinge,
by alternatively can be completely separatable from the body. In
such embodiments, it may be desired that all four corners include a
catch 220, to resist undesired movement of the lid relative to the
body.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 3, a still further embodiment of a basket
in accordance with the present invention is shown. The basket 300
has a body 304 that resembles the body 204 of the basket of FIG.
2A, but does not include rib structures arranged along the face of
the sidewall 306. As mentioned above, use of arcuate shaped corners
310 that extend from the base 308 to the flange 314. Optionally the
base 108 can include one or more perforations, the one or more
perforations permitting drainage, ventilation, ornamentation, or
some other purpose and can increase a resistance of the sidewall
306 to collapse. Thus, it can be desired that faces of the sidewall
306 be approximately featureless to reduce a number of edges with
which sensitive goods can come in contact. The base 308 can include
a plurality of perforations 335, the perforations 335 permitting
drainage, ventilation, ornamentation, or some other purpose.
Further, a plurality of perforations 337 are shown on the lid 302,
which is flexibly connected with the body 304 at a hinge 330. In
other embodiments, perforations can be included in one or more of
the faces of the sidewalls in addition to, or in substitution of
perforations in the base and the lid. The basket also includes
finger holes 316,318 and a latch 340 and catch 320 feature
substantially similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2A.
[0021] The foregoing description of the present invention has been
presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise
forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent
to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments were chosen
and described in order to best explain the principles of the
invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others
skilled in the art to understand the invention for various
embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the
particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the
invention be defined by the following claims and their
equivalents.
* * * * *