Ventilated, adjustable size, open top receptacle

Abstract

An open top receptacle formed of two identical molded segments, each of which includes one side wall formed with projecting plates, one side wall formed with internal tunnels and a bottom formed with both projecting plates and internal tunnels, is disclosed. The segments in juxtaposed relation engage with each other to provide a telescopic fit permitting variation of the receptacle size.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The widespread use of domestic food freezers, such as the popular chest freezer, has given rise to a variety of freezer sizes requiring baskets of various lengths which often are not interchangeable with freezers of different manufacturers. As an expedient, a standard basket of a length, which will fit in a small sized freezer and having adjustable handles which may be extended to support the basket in a larger sized freezer, has been proposed. However, this results in an inefficient usage of the freezer volume since the basket can contain only the volume determined by its standard size.

Telescoping baskets and other receptacles have, of course, been employed for various usages, but the particular environment in which the present invention is to be employed presents problems not normally encountered by a general purpose telescoping receptacle. For example, the basket requires sufficient strength to withstand considerable loading stress anywhere within its confines and to be ventilated substantially uniformly at its sides, ends and bottom. Furthermore, since it is to be formed of molded plastic parts it should, for purposes of economy, be made with a minimum of molding dies; be easily assembled or disassembled; and be capable of nesting for convenience for storage and shipping. In addition, a plastic material having the necessary strength and nonfracturing characteristic at low temperatures is relatively expensive, and in order to reduce cost the design of basket should employ as little material as is practical.

It is these and other disadvantages found in conventional freezer baskets which it is a purpose of the present invention to overcome.

SUMMARY

The invention comprises a receptacle formed of two identical segments, preferably of molded plastic which when fitted together in telescopic sliding relation provides an adjustable size article resistant to bending stresses. Each segment has an end wall, one side wall having projecting plates, another side wall having internal tunnels, and a bottom having both projecting plates and internal tunnels. Apertures for weight saving and for ventilating purposes are located in the segments at positions which do not materially detract from the strength of the assembled article.

Among the objects of the invention are the provision of an improved adjustable size, open-top receptacle formed of two identical segments telescopically fitted together; the provision of a basket segment having sloping side walls and a sloping end wall adapted for nesting with other segments; the provision of a two segment receptacle having reinforced handles on the end walls; and the provision of a two segment receptacle whose bottom and walls are provided with apertures for ventilation when the receptacle and contents are disposed in a closed freezer.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds and when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a freezer showing a basket positioned therein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the basket segments in disassembled relation.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of one of the basket segments with portions broken away.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the segment of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a conventional chest freezer having the usual breaker strip 10 mounted around the peripheral inner recesses of its upper walls is provided with a hinged lid 11 carrying the usual seal 12. The receptacle herein referred to as a basket is supported by its handles, one of which is shown at 13, resting on the breaker strip and may be shifted laterally without interference with the usual temperature control knob 14 provided within the freezer.

As seen in FIG. 2, the basket comprises two identical segments telescopically fitted together thus providing handles 13 and 13A for support upon that breaker strip. As a significant feature, the basket is formed of a plastic material characterized by its low coefficient of expansion, its strength, and its resistance to breakage at cold temperatures. A suitable material, for example, is the product known as Cycolac available from Marbon Division of Borg-Warner Corporation. By means of a single die employing known injection molding techniques the segments, as more fully seen in FIGS. 3 to 5, are manufactured seriatim and the basket may then be assembled at the point of sale. Since all segments are the same size and are nestable, efficient shipping and storage prior to basket assembly is possible.

A suitable segment construction for a basket supporting a loading of about 35 pounds includes a slanted end wall 20 having, for example, an upper array of apertures 21 spaced from the top of the wall by an upper imperforate rib 22. Another array of apertures 23 spaced from the bottom of the end wall by an imperforate rib 24 and from the array of upper apertures by a relatively wide central rib 25 also is provided, and through these apertures ambient air can circulate when the loaded basket is disposed within the closed freezer. The handle 20 extends a suitable distance above the top edge of the end wall and includes laterally spaced uprights 26 separated by relatively large openings 27. On the inner surfaces these uprights preferably are reinforced by thicker sections 28 which terminate in the plane of the upper edge of laterally projecting portion 29 of the handle. The lower surface of this offset portion will rest on the freezer breaker strip.

Considering now FIG. 3, one side wall 30 of the segment is integrally joined to the end wall and is inclined downwardly to its junction with the bottom, later to be described, the distal end of this side wall terminating in a vertical plane with spaced flat plate portions 31, 32 and 33 projecting therefrom. An upper array of apertures 34 spaced from the top of the side wall by an upper imperforate rib 35 and another array of apertures 36 spaced from the bottom of the side wall by a lower imperforate rib 37, and with the arrays of apertures being spaced from each other by a relatively wide central rib 38 provide for ventilation and strength of the described side wall.

Significantly, the other side wall 40 (FIGS. 4 and 5) while also being provided with apertures is moreover provided with longitudinal tunnels 41, 42 and 43 into which the respective projecting flat plates 31A, 32A, and 33A of the companion segment of the basket are received upon assembly of the basket. These tunnel sides preferably are reinforced longitudinally with thicker central sections of material as seen at 44 to 49. The wall 40, moreover, is provided with arrays of upper and lower apertures 50 and 51 similar to the apertures of the companion side wall 30.

The bottom 60 of the segment is integrally joined to the end and side walls and preferably is flat. The distal end of the bottom terminates in the same plane as one of the side walls, here shown as wall 40, but not necessarily in the plane of the distal ends of both side walls. A plurality of flat plate portions 61, 62 and 63 grouped to one side of the central axis of the bottom portion, and which preferably are of the same length as the plates extending from side wall 30, project forwardly in the plane of the bottom portion. To the other side of the central axis a plurality of tunnels 64, 65, 66 adapted to receive the plates 61A, 62A and 63A of the companion segment are provided. For efficient ventilation the bottom portion at its junction with the end and side walls is provided with arrays 67, 68 and 69 of small apertures. In addition spaced arrays 70 to 74 of apertures are formed in the bottom portion. If desired for additional reinforcement one or more of the tunnels may be formed with heavier sections as seen at 75, 76 and the corresponding portions of one or more bottom rib sections lying between arrays of apertures may have heavier sections as seen at 77, 78. As will be understood, in its broader aspects the invention is adaptable to baskets which are to rest on the bottom of a freezer and the portions 76, 78, as well as any other elements (not shown) depending from the bottom of the basket may serve to support the basket while permitting adequate ventilation through the basket bottom.

Having thus described a preferred form of segment, various advantages will now be apparent. Upon assembly of the two segments a strong basket is provided since the stress caused by the weight of the basket contents is resisted by the relatively large widths of the side plates but which plates, however, are relatively thin in order to save construction material. Moreover, use of a central plate 32 of greater width than its companion plates arranges the greatest bending moments upon the plates intermediate the top and bottom regions of the basket and above the lower and below the upper arrays of apertures in the ends and side walls of the assembled basket. Since the central side plates thus support a major part of the loading (aided by the smaller side plates 31, 33) the bottom plates 61 and 63 may be made thinner than would otherwise be required.

The length of the plates and tunnels is such as to provide for extension of the basket to accomodate it to a variety of sizes of freezers. For example, a plate and tunnel length of about 6 or more inches will permit a variation of length of basket of about 4 or more inches without difficulty, it being understood that the several plates of the bottom and sides serve to prevent the contents of the extended basket from being dropped, and with the spacing between such plates providing additional ventilation for the extended basket.

Having thus described preferred forms of the coordinated segments of the improved basket by means of which the invention may be practiced, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable size open-top basket having two substantially identical molded segments telescopically fitted together, each of said segments comprising an end wall, bottom member joined to said end wall and having an array of tunnel portions extending toward said end wall and an array of plate portions projecting from the distal end of the bottom member, the entire array of tunnels being spaced laterally from the array of plates and with the number of plates being equal to the number of tunnels, first and second side walls integrally joined to each of the adjacent edges of the end wall and of the bottom member, said first side wall having an array of tunnels projecting toward said end wall and said second side wall having an array of plates projecting from its distal end, whereby upon arranging of one basket segment in juxtaposition to the other segment the projecting plates of one segment will engage with a telescopic sliding fit into the corresponding tunnels of the other segment permitting variation of the size of the basket while avoiding collapse of the basket under substantial loading by the contents of the basket.

2. A basket as defined in claim 1 wherein said end and said side walls slope downwardly from the top edge thereof to provide nesting of unassembled segments and wherein said end wall includes a handle disposed thereabove and integrally joined thereto, said handle projecting outward from said end wall.

3. A basket as defined in claim 2 wherein said handle comprises a portion adapted to rest upon a support and joined to said end wall by spaced uprights reinforced in their central vertical regions with a thicker section of material.

4. A basket as defined in claim 1 wherein said second side wall includes an array of three plates and said first side wall includes an array of three tunnels, the central plate and central tunnel having a greater width dimension than the companion plates and tunnels.

5. A basket as defined in claim 4 wherein the first side wall is reinforced longitudinally along at least one of its tunnel portions by a thicker section of material.

6. A basket as defined in claim 1 including an upper array of apertures in each of the end wall and side walls of said segment adjacent the upper edges of the walls and a lower array of apertures in each of the end wall and side walls adjacent said bottom member, said arrays of apertures being spaced vertically from each other to leave supporting ribs of structural material.

7. A basket as defined in claim 3 including a plurality of arrays of apertures in said bottom member spaced laterally from each other, said array of bottom apertures having supporting ribs of structural material therebetween and with the tunnels of the bottom member being formed in the ribs located to one side of the longitudinal axis of the bottom member.

8. A basket as defined in claim 7 wherein the bottom member is reinforced longitudinally along at least one of its tunnel portions by a thicker section of material.