U.S. patent application number 12/626663 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-26 for container for frangible items.
Invention is credited to Germain Archambault, Francois Blanchette.
Application Number | 20110120898 12/626663 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44061307 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110120898 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Archambault; Germain ; et
al. |
May 26, 2011 |
CONTAINER FOR FRANGIBLE ITEMS
Abstract
A container comprises a sheet of polymer formed into a base
portion. The base portion has cavities for receiving frangible
items. An intermediate cover portion has cavities for covering the
frangible items. A first hinge rotates the intermediate cover
portion onto the base portion to hold the frangible items captive.
A top cover portion has at least one concavity. A second hinge
rotates the top cover portion onto the intermediate cover portion
to hold the base, intermediate and the top cover portions closed
together. Flanges define peripheries of the base, intermediate and
top cover portions. The intermediate peripheral flange has a
cut-out at each corner of the intermediate cover portion defining a
cut-out edge that is non-parallel to the longitudinal edges of the
base portion, and has a dimension greater than a corresponding
lateral flange portion of the top peripheral flange in a
longitudinal dimension of the container.
Inventors: |
Archambault; Germain;
(Saint-Hubert, CA) ; Blanchette; Francois;
(Mirabel, CA) |
Family ID: |
44061307 |
Appl. No.: |
12/626663 |
Filed: |
November 26, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/521.1 ;
206/521 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/521.1 ;
206/521 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/02 20060101
B65D081/02; B65D 85/00 20060101 B65D085/00 |
Claims
1. A container for receiving frangible items comprising: a sheet of
polymer formed/cut into: a base portion having item receiving
cavities for supporting frangible items, and a base peripheral
flange defining a periphery of the base portion; an intermediate
cover portion having item covering cavities for covering the
frangible items in the item receiving cavities, the intermediate
cover portion having an intermediate peripheral flange defining a
periphery of the intermediate cover portion; a first hinge between
a first longitudinal edge of the base portion and the intermediate
cover portion for rotating the intermediate cover portion onto the
base portion to hold the frangible items captive in sets of the
item receiving cavities and item covering cavities; a top cover
portion having at least one concavity and a top peripheral flange
defining a periphery of the top cover portion; a second hinge
between a second longitudinal edge of the base portion, and the top
cover portion for rotating the top cover portion onto the
intermediate cover portion to hold the base portion, the
intermediate cover portion and the top cover portion closed
together; a cut-out in the intermediate peripheral flange at each
corner of the intermediate cover portion away from the first hinge,
each said cut-out defining a cut-out edge being non-parallel to the
longitudinal edges and having a dimension greater than a
corresponding lateral flange portion of the top peripheral flange
in a longitudinal dimension of the container; and strengthening
protrusions in each said corner, inward of the intermediate
peripheral flange and adjacent to a respective cut-out.
2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cut-out edges
are straight edges.
3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cut-out edges
are at an angle ranging between 10 degrees and 80 degrees from the
respective lateral edges of the intermediate peripheral
flanges.
4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the cut-out edges
are at an angle of 45 degrees from the respective lateral edges of
the intermediate peripheral flanges.
5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the intersections of
the cutout edges with a remainder of the intermediate peripheral
flange are rounded.
6. (canceled)
7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sheet of polymer
is die-cut to define the cut-outs.
8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the frangible items
are eggs, and each of the sets of egg receiving cavities and egg
covering cavities receives one egg.
9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the strengthening
protrusions are arched protrusions.
Description
FIELD OF THE APPLICATION
[0001] The present application relates to containers for receiving
frangible objects such as eggs, and to structural components of
such containers.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
[0002] Egg containers of all kinds have been developed for the
transportation and sale of eggs. As eggs are relatively fragile,
the egg containers must protect the eggs from the various
manipulations involved from the packaging of the eggs to the
consumer's refrigerator.
[0003] One significant improvement in egg containers is the use of
thermoformed plastics as material for the egg containers.
Thermoformed plastics are typically transparent, which allows the
eggs to be visible, and are relatively inexpensive to produce. As
they can inspect the eggs by seeing through the material of the egg
container, the consumers do not need to open the egg container, as
is the case with cardboard egg containers, for instance. In the
case of cardboard boxes, it may occur that the boxes are not closed
properly after inspection. This may cause the breakage of eggs if
the improperly closed egg container is subsequently manipulated by
another consumer.
SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION
[0004] It is therefore an aim of the present disclosure to provide
a novel egg container.
[0005] Therefore, in accordance with the present application, there
is provided a container for receiving frangible items comprising: a
sheet of polymer formed/cut into a base portion having item
receiving cavities for supporting frangible items, and a base
peripheral flange defining a periphery of the base portion; an
intermediate cover portion having item covering cavities for
covering the frangible items in the item receiving cavities, the
intermediate cover portion having an intermediate peripheral flange
defining a periphery of the intermediate cover portion; a first
hinge between a first longitudinal edge of the base portion and the
intermediate cover portion for rotating the intermediate cover
portion onto the base portion to hold the frangible items captive
in sets of the item receiving cavities and item covering cavities;
a top cover portion having at least one concavity and a top
peripheral flange defining a periphery of the top cover portion; a
second hinge between a second longitudinal edge of the base
portion, and the top cover portion for rotating the top cover
portion onto the intermediate cover portion to hold the base
portion, the intermediate cover portion and the top cover portion
closed together; and a cut-out in the intermediate peripheral
flange at each corner of the intermediate cover portion away from
the first hinge, each said cut-out defining a cut-out edge being
non-parallel to the longitudinal edges and having a dimension
greater than a corresponding lateral flange portion of the top
peripheral flange in a longitudinal dimension of the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a two-fold egg
container;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a three-fold egg
container;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the three-fold egg container of
FIG. 2, with a closing cut-out in accordance with a first
embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0009] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the closing cut-out of FIG.
3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1,
an egg container is generally shown at 10. The egg containers
described hereinafter are preferably made of transparent or
translucent plastics, for instance using a thermoforming process or
other molding process. Other materials and/or processes may be used
as well. The containers described hereinafter may be used to
contain eggs or any other frangible items (e.g., tomatoes).
[0011] The egg container 10 of FIG. 1 is a two-fold egg container,
as it has two portions hinged to one another. The egg container 10
has a base portion 11 having a plurality of egg-receiving cavities
12 (e.g., six, twelve, eighteen, twenty-four, or any other suitable
number), with each cavity 12 supporting an egg. A top cover portion
13 is hinged to the base portion 11 by hinge 14, in a longitudinal
dimension of the egg container 10. The top cover portion 13 may or
may not have egg cavities to cover a top portion of the eggs
supported by the egg-receiving cavities 12. Alternatively, the top
cover portion 13 may present a flat top surface as in FIG. 1, with
or without strengthening components (e.g., arches, posts). Although
not shown, mating connectors or any other suitable type of
connectors are provided on the periphery of the base portion 11 and
top cover portion 13 for interlocking them when the egg container
10 is closed.
[0012] Referring to FIG. 2, a three-fold egg container is generally
illustrated at 10'. The egg container 10' is similar to the egg
container 10 of FIG. 1, but has an intermediate cover portion 15.
The intermediate cover portion is hinged to the base portion 11 by
hinge 16, in a longitudinal dimension of the egg container 10'. The
hinges 14 and 16 are preferably on opposite edges of the base
portion 11. The intermediate cover portion 15 typically has egg
cavities 17 to cover a top portion of the eggs supported by the
egg-receiving cavities 12. Although not shown, mating connectors or
any other suitable type of connectors are provided on the periphery
of the top cover portion 13 and the intermediate cover portion 15
for interlocking them when the egg container 10' is closed.
[0013] In order to close the egg container 10', the intermediate
cover portion 15 is firstly hinged into contact with the base
container 12, as illustrated by arrow A. The top cover portion 13
is then hinged onto the intermediate cover portion 15, as
illustrated by arrow B.
[0014] If the hinging movement along arrow B is performed before
the movement along arrow A is completed, the top cover portion 13
may impede the movement of the intermediate cover portion 15.
Referring to FIG. 2, outer corners 21 of the peripheral flange 20
of the intermediate cover portion 15 may get caught lateral
portions of the peripheral flange 22 of the top cover portion
13.
[0015] Therefore, according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the three-fold
container 10' comprises closing cut-outs 23 in the corners 21. The
cut-outs 23 may have a straight cut-out edge extending between an
intersection 25 with a longitudinal edge 26 of the peripheral
flange 20 and an intersection 27 with a lateral edge 28 of the
peripheral flange 20. However, the intersections 25 and 27 are
preferably slightly rounded, so as not to bear pointy edges. In the
illustrated embodiment, the straight edge 24 is at 45 degrees of
both the longitudinal edge 26 and the lateral edge 28. The angle
between the straight edge 24 and the lateral edge 28 must be
between 10 and 80 degrees.
[0016] An arched protrusion 29 may be provided in the corners 21
having a cut-out 23. The arched protrusion 29 extends from a main
flat surface of the intermediate cover portion 15 to the planar
surface of the peripheral flange 20. The arched protrusions 29
strengthen the corners 21 of the flange 20. The arched protrusion
29 may be a frustoconical segment (FIG. 4), and may be used as a
bumper for stacking purposes. In such as case, the arched
protrusion is a positive angle, as shown in FIG. 4.
[0017] The edge 24 may have outlines other than a straight one. The
edge 24 may have more than one straight segment, or may have
arcuate portions. However, as shown concurrently in FIGS. 3 and 4,
the intersections 25 of the cut-outs 23 with the longitudinal edge
26 must be at a distance X from the lateral edge 28 that is at
least equal to the width W of the peripheral flange 22. In this
manner, if the cut-outs 23 contact the lateral flange portion of
the peripheral flange 22, the peripheral flange 22 and the edge 24
will slide with respect to one another, as a result of the
non-planar relation between the edge 24 and the peripheral flange
22. The inter-section 25 is inside the flange 22.
[0018] In manufacturing the egg container 10' with the cut-outs 23,
it is considered to die-cut the egg container 10' when in an
unfolded flat and open condition, thereby defining the outline of
the egg container 10'. The egg container 10' may be molded with the
cut-outs 23 as an alternative.
[0019] The egg containers 10 and 10' may have one of more of the
elements described above. Although the egg containers 10 and 10'
are preferably made of a transparent thermoplastic that is molded
(e.g., vacuum molded, thermoformed), it is considered to provide
some of the above-referred embodiments in other materials.
[0020] The egg containers of the present disclosure may contain any
suitable number of egg receiving cavities. One suitable material
for the egg containers of the present application is polyethylene
terephthalate (PET). PET has many advantages, as this material can
be transparent or opaque and can be produced at high volume and at
low cost. Wall thicknesses of PET cases in a contemplated
embodiment are of 0.0175 inch in thickness, but other thicknesses
as low as 0.014 to as high as 0.022 inch are also contemplated.
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