U.S. patent application number 13/154555 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-07 for receptacle for produce.
This patent application is currently assigned to Multisteps Pty Ltd. Invention is credited to John Lam.
Application Number | 20120138501 13/154555 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45218007 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120138501 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lam; John |
June 7, 2012 |
Receptacle for Produce
Abstract
The present invention relates to a receptacle for produce. The
receptacle includes a side wall and a label area for a label
including a code. The label area is substantially flat and located
on the side wall. The label is adapted to be adhered to the label
area. The wall is disposed at a selected acute angle to the
vertical so as to facilitate reading of the code by a code
reader.
Inventors: |
Lam; John; (Cherrybrook,
AU) |
Assignee: |
Multisteps Pty Ltd
Homebush West
AU
|
Family ID: |
45218007 |
Appl. No.: |
13/154555 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/459.5 ;
53/415 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2203/02 20130101;
B65D 1/34 20130101; B65D 2203/06 20130101; B65D 25/205
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/459.5 ;
53/415 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00; B65B 61/00 20060101 B65B061/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 7, 2010 |
AU |
2010 902479 |
Claims
1. A receptacle for produce, the receptacle including: a side wall;
and a label area for a label including a code, the label area being
substantially flat and located on the side wall, the label being
adapted to be adhered to the label area; wherein the wall is
disposed at a selected acute angle to the vertical so as to
facilitate reading of the code by a code reader.
2. A receptacle of claim 1, wherein the selected angle is greater
than 4 degrees.
3. A receptacle of claim 1, wherein the selected angle is
substantially 6 degrees to the vertical.
4. A receptacle of claim 1, wherein the label is adhered to the
label area by an adhesive such as glue.
5. A receptacle and label combination for produce having: a side
wall; a label area being substantially flat and located on the side
wall, the label being affixed to the label area; wherein the wall
is disposed at a selected acute angle to the vertical so as to
facilitate reading of the code by a code reader.
6. A method of labelling a receptacle having a side wall with a
flat label area for a label, the method including the steps of:
providing the side wall at a selected acute angle to the vertical;
and affixing the label to the label area.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention broadly relates to a receptacle. The
invention particularly relates to a receptacle having a label with
a bar code.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Produce is commonly packaged and sold in a receptacle with
slanting side walls which define an open mouth. Once the receptacle
is filled up with produce such as mushrooms, the open mouth is
typically sealed with cling wrap, instead of a lid, to cover an
uneven surface formed by the uppermost layer of the produce.
[0003] It is common practice to provide information about the
produce and a bar code on a label for attachment to the receptacle.
In light of the impracticality of adhering the label onto the
uneven surface, previous attempts have been made to adhere the
label to the bottom surface or a side wall of the receptacle.
[0004] Adhering the label to the bottom surface has the
disadvantage that the information about the produce cannot be
readily seen when receptacles are stacked on top of one another.
Adhering the label to a side wall has the disadvantage that reading
of the bar code by a code reader quite often fails due to the angle
at which the wall is disposed.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
receptacle which is capable of facilitating effective reading of
the bar code by the bar code reader or which will at least provide
a useful alternative.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention there is
provided a receptacle for produce, the receptacle including:
[0007] a side wall; and
[0008] a label area for a label including a code, the label area
being substantially flat and located on the side wall, the label
being adapted to be adhered to the label area;
[0009] wherein the wall is disposed at a selected acute angle to
the vertical so as to facilitate reading of the code by a code
reader.
[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention there
is provided a receptacle and label combination for produce
having:
[0011] a side wall;
[0012] a label area being substantially flat and located on the
side wall, the label being affixed to the label area;
[0013] wherein the wall is disposed at a selected acute angle to
the vertical so as to facilitate reading of the code by a code
reader.
[0014] Preferably the selected angle is greater than 4 degrees.
Most preferably the selected angle is substantially 6 degrees to
the vertical.
[0015] Preferably, the label is adhered to the label area by an
adhesive such as glue.
[0016] According to a further aspect of the present invention there
is provided a method of labelling a receptacle having a side wall
with a flat label area for a label, the method including the steps
of:
[0017] providing the side wall at a selected acute angle to the
vertical; and
[0018] affixing the label to the label area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The invention may be better understood from the following
non-limiting description of the present invention, in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a receptacle in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a side view of the receptacle of FIG. 1 showing a
side wall;
[0022] FIG. 3 is an end view of the receptacle of FIG. 1 showing
another side wall; and
[0023] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a receptacle in accordance with
another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] It will be appreciated that the receptacle of the present
invention is most suitable for containing produce such as mushrooms
which are typically packed in the receptacle for sale. It should
however be understood that the receptacle may be used to contain
other products and be used in combination with a complementary
lid.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a receptacle 10 for produce
includes four side walls 12, 14, 16 and 18 and a base 20. The four
side walls 12, 14, 16 and 18 in combination define an open mouth 22
(FIG. 2).
[0026] Turning to FIG. 3, the side wall 12 includes a label area 24
for a label 26. It should be appreciated that the label area 24 may
be provided on any one or more of the other walls 14, 16 and 18.
The label 26 has a bar code 28 and other information detailing, for
example, the source, brand, weight and price of the produce. The
label area 24 is substantially flat and located on the side wall
12.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the label 26 is made of polyethylene
terephthalate PET (also known as APET) and is adhered to the label
area 24 by an adhesive such as glue.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, the wall 12 is disposed at an acute
angle indicated by a to the vertical so as to facilitate
disengagement of the receptacle 10 from a mould in the
manufacturing process. The acute angle a is 6 degrees in the
present embodiment but may be anything greater than 4 degrees so as
to facilitate effective reading of the bar code 28 by a code reader
(not shown) which includes a scanner head which may be fixed at a
counter or movable.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the receptacle 32
of the present invention has a differently configured base 34. The
angle between the slanting label bearing side wall and the vertical
remains the same as that in the above embodiment.
[0030] Now that preferred embodiments of the present invention have
been described in some detail, it will be apparent to a person
skilled in the art that the receptacle of the present invention may
offer at least the following advantages:
[0031] 1. it enables easy disengagement of the receptacle from the
mould in the manufacturing process;
[0032] 2. it facilitates effective scanning of the bar code on the
receptacle; and
[0033] 3. it allows display of the label in a location visible to
consumers when the receptacle is stacked on a shelf.
[0034] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention
described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications
other than those specifically described. All such variations and
modifications are to be considered within the scope and spirit of
the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from
the foregoing description.
* * * * *