U.S. patent application number 15/237360 was filed with the patent office on 2018-02-15 for blank for a produce tray, produce tray and method of erecting a produce tray.
The applicant listed for this patent is Visy R & D Pty Ltd. Invention is credited to Jason Ross.
Application Number | 20180044100 15/237360 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61160843 |
Filed Date | 2018-02-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180044100 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ross; Jason |
February 15, 2018 |
BLANK FOR A PRODUCE TRAY, PRODUCE TRAY AND METHOD OF ERECTING A
PRODUCE TRAY
Abstract
The present invention relates to a blank for a produce tray, a
produce tray and a method of erecting a produce tray.
Inventors: |
Ross; Jason; (Brisbane,
AU) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Visy R & D Pty Ltd |
Southbank |
|
AU |
|
|
Family ID: |
61160843 |
Appl. No.: |
15/237360 |
Filed: |
August 15, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/28 20130101; B65D
5/4608 20130101; B65D 85/34 20130101; B65D 5/4295 20130101; B65D
5/0025 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/34 20060101
B65D085/34; B65D 5/42 20060101 B65D005/42; B65D 5/468 20060101
B65D005/468; B65D 5/28 20060101 B65D005/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 10, 2016 |
AU |
2016213769 |
Claims
1. A blank for an open top produce tray, the blank having a base
portion that corresponds to a base of the tray when erected and
side and end portions which can be folded to form respective side
and end walls of the tray, wherein the side walls are formed of two
parts foldable relative to each other so as to lie one inside of
the other in the erected tray, wherein one of the parts of the side
portions is formed with a flap which is foldable from the blank so
as to lie in the erected tray between the two parts with a
lowermost edge in contact with the base to form a three layered
side wall, and wherein the fold of the flap constitutes an upper
edge of the side wall along the length of the flap with the upper
edge thus formed and being below the parts of the side wall on
sides of the flap.
2. A blank according to claim 1, wherein the flap is formed by a
cut line made in the blank, the cut line defining three sides of
the flap and a fold line between opposite sides of the flap.
3. A blank according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, once folded,
the flap provides a side ventilation opening.
4. A blank according to claim 1 any preceding claim, further
including ventilation apertures formed on a crease line between the
base and end portions.
5. A blank according to claim 4, wherein two ventilation apertures
are formed, the ventilation apertures being spaced apart at
approximately one quarter and three quarters of the length of the
end portion.
6. A blank according to claim 1 any preceding claim, wherein the
side portions are formed with extensions that, when folded, are
secured to the end portions.
7. A blank according to claim 1 any preceding claim, wherein the
end portion is formed with an aperture engagable by a user for
lifting the tray.
8. A blank according to claim 1 any preceding claim, wherein the
end portion is recessed at an upper end thereof to form a
ventilation opening.
9. A produce tray erected from a blank according to claim 1 any
preceding claim.
10. A produce tray containing bananas, wherein when a series of
like trays are stacked, a lowered side edge of the produce tray
provides a substantial aperture to allow passage of air into an
interior of the stacked trays.
11. A method of erecting a produce tray, including the steps of:
providing a blank according to claim 1; folding the flap from the
blank and folding the two parts of the side portion to form a three
layered side wall; folding end portions of the blank to form end
walls; and securing the end walls to the side walls to form the
produce tray.
12. A method according to claim 10, further including the step of
applying an adhesive to the blank prior to folding the side or end
portions
13. A method according to claim 11, where the adhesive is applied
to the side portions only.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Australian Patent
Application No. 2016213769, filed Aug. 10, 2016, which is hereby
incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a blank for a produce tray,
a produce tray and a method of erecting a produce tray.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Produce trays are used for transportation and storage of
produce and it is important that they have sufficient strength to
support the produce to prevent the tray collapsing or sagging and
damaging the produce during transportation or storage, particularly
when stacked and as the trays can be used in high humidity
environments. Also, it is desirable for produce trays that are
convenient to handle and to maintain their integrity when manually
handled.
[0004] It is also important that produce trays allow for
ventilation so that the produce in the tray can be cooled when
placed in a refrigerated environment, and also to allow heat
generated from the ripening process to escape to prevent
undesirable acceleration of the ripening process. This is
particularly a problem as produce trays of this type are commonly
stacked into columns once full. If ventilation of a produce tray
can be improved, cooling requirements can be reduced, potentially
saving energy and equipment costs. Although it is desirable to
provide improved ventilation, it is commonly accepted that
providing ventilation reduces the structural integrity of the tray
and therefor there the need to provide adequate ventilation must be
balanced against the strength requirements of the tray when
designing a produce tray. As such, it is desirable to provide a
produce tray which is stronger than previous trays yet provides
increased ventilation.
[0005] Numerous advances in the field of produce cooling have been
made by the present applicant, such as those disclosed in
WO2014/085845 also to the present applicant. The present disclosure
has been made in view of these advances.
[0006] Examples of the invention seek to solve, or at least
ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of previous produce
trays.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a
blank for an open top produce tray, the blank having a base portion
that corresponds to a base of the tray when erected and side and
end portions which can be folded to form respective side and end
walls of the tray, wherein the side walls are formed of two parts
foldable relative to each other so as to lie one inside of the
other in the erected tray, wherein one of the parts of the side
portions is formed with a flap which is foldable from the blank so
as to lie in the erected tray between the two parts with a
lowermost edge in contact with the base to form a three layered
side wall, and wherein the fold of the flap constitutes an upper
edge of the side wall along the length of the flap with the upper
edge thus formed and being below the parts of the side wall on
sides of the flap.
[0008] According to a preferred embodiment, the flap is formed by a
cut line made in the blank, the cut line defining three sides of
the flap and a fold line between opposite sides of the flap.
Preferably, once folded, the flap provides a side ventilation
opening.
[0009] The blank can further include ventilation apertures formed
on a crease line between the base and end portions. Preferably, two
ventilation apertures are formed, the ventilation apertures being
spaced apart at approximately one quarter and three quarters of the
length of the end portion. The side portions can be formed with
extensions that, when folded, are secured to the end portions. The
end portion can be formed with an aperture engagable by a user for
lifting the tray. The end portion can be recessed at an upper end
thereof to form a ventilation opening.
[0010] According to the present invention, there is also provided a
produce tray erected from a blank according to any preceding
claim.
[0011] According to the present invention, there is also provided a
produce tray containing bananas, wherein when a series of like
trays are stacked, a lowered side edge of the produce tray provides
a substantial aperture to allow passage of air into an interior of
the stacked trays.
[0012] According to the present invention, there is also provided a
method of erecting a produce tray, including the steps of: [0013]
providing a blank of the above described type; [0014] folding the
flap from the blank and folding the two parts of the side portion
to form a three layered side wall; [0015] folding end portions of
the blank to form end walls; and [0016] securing the end walls to
the side walls to form the produce tray.
[0017] The method can further include the step of applying an
adhesive to the blank prior to folding the side or end portions.
The adhesive can be applied to the side portions only.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be further
described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to
the accompanying drawings in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of one embodiment of the
invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a produce tray erected from
the blank;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blank showing cut and
fold lines;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank showing locations which
adhesives are applied to the blank; and
[0023] FIG. 5 is a chart showing a comparison between the cooling
rate of produce in a standard produce tray and produce in a produce
tray of an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a blank 10
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
blank 10 is erectable to form an open top produce tray 12, as
illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0025] The blank 10 has a base portion 14a that corresponds to a
base 14b of the tray 12 when erected. The blank 10 also has side
portions 16a and end portions 18a which can be folded to form
respective side walls 16b and end walls 18b of the tray 12. Each of
the side walls 16b are formed of two parts 20, 22 which are
foldable relative to each other so as to lie one inside of the
other in the erected tray 12. In this regard, parts 20 and 22 are
foldable along crease line 21 extending between them.
[0026] One of parts 20, 22 is formed with a flap 24 which is
foldable from the blank 10 so as to lie in the erected tray 12
between the two parts 20, 22 with a lowermost edge 26 in contact
with the base 14b to form a three layered side wall. By the
lowermost edge 26 contacting the base 14b of the tray 12, the side
walls 16b of the tray 12 may be strengthened to prevent sagging of
the tray 12 when loaded, which can be a particular problem in high
humidity environments.
[0027] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the fold 28 of the flap 24
constitutes an upper edge of the side wall 16b along the length of
the flap 24 with the upper edge thus formed and being below the
parts 30 of the side wall 16b on sides of the flap 24.
[0028] The flap 24 is formed by a cut line 32 made in the blank 10.
The cut line 32 defines three sides of the flap 24 with a fold line
28 extending between portions of the cut line 32 that form opposite
sides of the flap 24. Although flap 24 is formed by having fold
line 28 on part 22, it will be appreciated that an alternative
configuration may also be possible in which fold line 28 is formed
on part 20.
[0029] Once folded, the flap 24 provides a side ventilation opening
that assists with cooling of produce in the tray 12 and allows heat
to escape. By providing flap 24 to strengthen side wall 16b, good
strength properties can be obtained while improving ventilation of
the tray 12, thereby potentially reducing the cooling energy
required to cool the produce.
[0030] The tray also includes ventilation apertures 34 formed on a
crease line 36 between the base portion 14a and the end portions
18a. By providing apertures on the crease line, they open into the
base 14b and end walls 18b to allow both horizontal and vertical
ventilation. In the illustrated embodiment, two ventilation
apertures 34 are formed, with the ventilation apertures 34 being
spaced apart at approximately one quarter and three quarters of the
length of the end wall 18b. It will be appreciated that the size
and location of the apertures may be varied to achieve the desired
cooling performance.
[0031] The end portion 18 is formed with an aperture 38 engagable
by a user for lifting the formed tray 12. Although shown as being
generally triangular, aperture 38 may also be generally
rectangular. The end portion 18a is also recessed at an upper end
thereof to form a further ventilation opening. In this regard,
recess 40 is formed in an outermost portion of the end portion 18a
so as to form an end wall 18b which is recessed at an upper portion
thereof. Aperture 38 and recess 40 both contribute to providing
ventilation of air through the tray 12.
[0032] So as to provide structural integrity to the tray 12, the
side portions are formed with extensions 42 that, when folded, are
secured to the end walls 18b to maintain the tray 12 in an erected
state. The extensions 42 may be secured to the end walls 18b in a
number of methods, such a interlocking tabs for example, however,
in a preferred form an adhesive is applied to the blank 10 so as to
maintain the tray 12 in its erected state.
[0033] In use, the tray 12 is erected by providing a blank 10 of
the above described type. Flap 24 is folded from the blank 10 and
the two parts 20, 22 are folded to form a three layered side wall.
End portions of the blank 10 are folded to form end walls 18b and
the end walls 18b are secured to the side walls 16b to form the
produce tray 12. To facilitate assembly, FIG. 3 illustrates cut
lines 48 and fold lines 50 of the blank 10.
[0034] In a preferred form, the method includes the step of
applying an adhesive to the blank 10 prior to folding the side
portions 16a or end portions 18a. Preferably, the adhesive is
applied to the side portions only 16a and FIG. 4 illustrates the
locations at which glue is applied. Indicated in straight lines 44
are the locations at which glue is to be applied to an upper
surface of the blank 10 and indicated in broken lines 46 are the
locations at which glue is to be applied to a lower surface of the
blank 10. The straight lines 44 and broken lines 46 are merely
illustrated on the same surface for convenience.
[0035] It will be appreciated that the method steps may be
performed in an alternative order, for example the end walls 18b
may be formed prior to the side walls 16a.
[0036] In use, the tray 12 will be filled with produce, preferably
at a packing plant. In one example, the tray 12 is used to pack
bananas though it may be used for many other fruits. The lowered
side edge 28 of the tray 12 not only provides a substantial
aperture to allow passage of air into an interior of the stacked
trays, but when packing provides a lowered surface to reduce
interference with the hands and wrists of a user, potentially
making the tray 12 safer, more convenient and easier to use.
[0037] FIG. 5 and Table 1 illustrates the cooling effectiveness of
the tray 12 as obtained in an experiment conducted by the
Applicant.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Cooling rate comparison Typical Commercially
15 kg 1 Piece Banana Available 15 kg 1 Piece tray of preferred
Duration (hrs) Banana tray embodiment 0 20.32 20.30 0.25 19.50
18.97 0.5 18.02 16.85 0.75 16.53 14.83 1 15.17 13.06 1.25 13.94
11.54 1.5 12.82 10.23 1.75 11.80 9.10 2 10.88 8.12 2.25 10.05 7.28
2.5 9.30 6.55 2.75 8.61 5.93 3 7.99 5.39 3.25 7.43 4.92 3.5 6.92
4.52 3.75 6.46 4.17 4 6.04 3.87 4.25 5.66 3.62 4.5 5.32 3.39 4.75
5.01 3.20 5 4.73 3.04 5.25 4.47 2.89 5.5 4.24 2.77 5.75 4.03 2.66 6
3.84 2.57 6.25 3.67 2.49 6.5 3.51 2.43 6.75 3.37 2.37 7 3.24 2.32
7.25 3.12 2.27 7.5 3.02 2.24 7.75 2.92 2.20 8 2.84 2.18 8.25 2.76
2.15 8.5 2.69 2.13 8.75 2.62 2.11 9 2.56 2.10 9.25 2.51 2.08 9.5
2.46 2.07 9.75 2.42 2.06 10 2.38 2.05 10.25 2.35 2.05 10.5 2.31
2.04 10.75 2.28 2.03 11 2.26 2.03 11.25 2.23 2.03 11.5 2.21 2.02
11.75 2.19 2.02 12 2.17 2.02 12.25 2.16 2.01 12.5 2.14 2.01 12.75
2.13 2.01 13 2.12 2.01 13.25 2.11 2.01 13.5 2.10 2.01 13.75 2.09
2.01 14 2.08 2.01 14.25 2.07 2.00 14.5 2.06 2.00 14.75 2.06 2.00 15
2.05 2.00 15.25 2.05 2.00 15.5 2.04 2.00 15.75 2.04 2.00 16 2.04
2.00 16.25 2.03 2.00
[0038] In this experiment, both a typical commercially available 15
kg 1 piece banana tray and a 15 kg banana tray constructed in
accordance with the described embodiment were subjected to forced
air cooling while monitoring the temperature of objects within the
tray. The tray constructed in accordance with the described
embodiment had a ventilation area of 19.3% on the long side panel
and 11.6% on the short end panel.
[0039] The temperature of the items within the trays was monitored
during the cooling assessment and data collected to compare the
cooling rates of the trays. FIG. 5 is a graphical representation of
the data collected to compare the cooling rates of the trays. It
can be seen that the tray 12 cooled at a faster rate than the
conventional tray, which is believed to be due to improved
ventilation of the tray 10 which allows improved ventilation though
a stack of like trays 12.
[0040] The embodiments have been described by way of example only
and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention
disclosed.
REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST
[0041] 10 Blank [0042] 12 Produce tray [0043] 14a Base portion of
blank [0044] 14b Base of tray [0045] 16a Side portions of blank
[0046] 16b Side wall of tray [0047] 18a End portions of blank
[0048] 18b End wall of tray [0049] 20 First or outer part of side
portion 16a [0050] 21 Crease line between first and second parts
20, 22 [0051] 22 Second or inner part of side portion 16a [0052] 24
Flap [0053] 26 Lowermost edge [0054] 28 Fold [0055] 30 Side parts
of side wall 16b [0056] 32 Cut line of flap 24 [0057] 34
Ventilation apertures [0058] 36 Crease line for end wall 18b [0059]
38 Handle aperture [0060] 40 Recess [0061] 42 Extension [0062] 44
Glue locations on upper surface [0063] 46 Glue locations on lower
surface [0064] 48 Blank cut lines [0065] 50 Blank fold lines
* * * * *