|Publication number||US7472799 B2|
|Application number||US 11/207,258|
|Publication date||Jan 6, 2009|
|Filing date||Aug 18, 2005|
|Priority date||Jan 24, 1996|
|Also published as||US6962263, US20030077363, US20060027578, WO2004048214A1|
|Publication number||11207258, 207258, US 7472799 B2, US 7472799B2, US-B2-7472799, US7472799 B2, US7472799B2|
|Inventors||Anthony Cadiente, William K. Sambrailo, Mark Sambrailo|
|Original Assignee||Sambrailo Packaging Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (80), Non-Patent Citations (5), Referenced by (23), Classifications (35), Legal Events (2)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This is a Divisional application of prior U.S. application Ser. No. 10/302,059, entitled “PRODUCE PACKAGING SYSTEM HAVING PRODUCE CONTAINERS WITH DOUBLE-ARCHED BOTTOM VENTILATION CHANNELS, filed on Nov. 21, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,263, which is incorporated herein by reference and from which priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 is claimed.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/017,893, filed Dec. 12, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,788, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/590,631, filed Jun. 8, 2000 now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/060,453 filed Apr. 14, 1998 and allowed as U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,676, issued on Jun. 13, 2000, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/591,000, filed Jan. 24, 1996 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,890 on Apr. 14, 1998, and claims priority from application Ser. No. 10/017,893, filed Dec. 12, 2001.
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for the improved packing, cooling, storage, and shipping of produce. More particularly, the present invention teaches produce containers with ventilation slots and ventilation channels that are loaded into an improved shipping tray. More particularly still, the present invention enables the flow of cooling air to flow through and underneath the produce containers in more than one direction relative to the container system in order to facilitate improved cooling.
Many produce products are harvested and packed in the field into containers, which are ultimately purchased by the end consumer. Examples of such produce items include, but are not limited to, strawberries, raspberries, other berries, tomatoes, grapes, mushrooms, radishes and broccoli florets. Many of these produce items require substantial post-harvest cooling in order to enable shipping over long distances and to prolong shelf life.
In use, a grower's harvesting crew harvests produce items of the type previously discussed directly from the plant in the field into the container. The containers are then loaded into trays, which contain a specific number of individual containers and the trays, when filled, are loaded onto pallets. The most common pallet used in the produce industry in the United States is the forty by forty-eight inch (40″×48″) wooden pallet, and the vast majority of produce handling, storage and shipping equipment is designed around pallets of this size.
After the pallets have been filled and loaded in the field, they are transported to shippers who perform a variety of post-harvest processes to enhance the marketability of the produce itself. For many types of produce, including berries, a significant packing evolution is the post-harvest cooling of the packed fruit. Indeed, berry shippers are often referred to as “coolers”. The process of cooling berries typically includes injecting a stream of cooling air into one side of a tray and thence through the individual baskets inside the tray and around the berries stored therein. As the air cools the berries, it picks up heat therefrom which is exhausted from apertures on the opposite side of the tray.
A difficulty with such systems is that while they cool the fruit near the outside edges of the trays relatively well, they are less effective at cooling the fruit in the centers of the trays. This problem is exacerbated by placing many trays on a pallet, and then many pallets in a refrigerated transport compartment. The pallet and tray stacking can inhibit the cooling airflow to the extent that the innermost fruit remains relatively warm compared to the cooler outer fruit. This can lead to spoilage in some of the fruit. In order to reduce spoilage, conventional approaches use excessive cooling temperatures to cool the produce. This is relatively effective at cooling the innermost fruit, but is an expensive solution due to higher cooling costs. Additionally, an undesirable consequence of such excess cooling is that the outermost fruit can freeze or nearly freeze resulting in unacceptable product damage. Thus there is a need for a packaging system that can achieve more efficient cooling airflow through the trays and baskets thereby facilitating more even and efficient cooling of produce.
Packages for use by berry coolers have undergone a systematic process of evolution to improve the storing and cooling of the fruit while reducing packaging costs. While early berry packaging products included the use of folded wood or chipboard containers, a common package for the marketing of strawberries for instance, is a one-pound vacuum formed plastic basket developed in conjunction with Michigan State University. This one piece package, hereinafter referred to for brevity as a “Michigan basket”, includes a basket body formed with an integral hinged lid which, after the basket is filled with fruit, is folded over and locked in place with respect to the basket body. The lid is retained in position by means of a detent, which engages an edge flange of the basket body. Disposed at or near the substantially flat bottom of the basket body is a plurality of apertures, typically elongate slots, to provide airflow through the body of the packed fruit in the basket. This airflow continues through a similar series of apertures formed in the lid. In the case of the strawberry package, typically, eight (8) sixteen ounce (16 oz) baskets are loaded into a formed and folded corrugated cardboard tray.
The tray developed for use with the Michigan basket has one or more openings along either of its short ends to enable airflow through the tray. From the previous discussion on berry cooling, it will be appreciated that in the typically formed strawberry package system in current use, the two individual baskets within the tray which are immediately adjacent to the air intake apertures formed in the ends of the tray receive substantially more cooling from air inflow than do the two packages at the discharge end of the tray. To overcome this deficiency in air flow, berry coolers are currently required to utilize substantial amounts of cooling energy to ensure that fruit packed at the discharge side of the tray receives sufficient cooling to prolong its shelf life, while precluding the freezing of berries at the intake side of the tray.
The previously discussed problem is due to the fact that the one-pound strawberry baskets, and the trays which now contain them, were developed separately. Specifically, the design of the previously discussed one-pound strawberry basket was finalized prior to the design of the tray, which ultimately receives eight of these baskets therein. The previously discussed one pound strawberry containers in current use measure approximately four and three quarter inches by seven and one quarter inches (4¾″×7¼″) and are three and one half inches (3 W) tall with the top secured. As a result, the commonly used eight basket tray measures approximately fifteen and one-half inches by nineteen and three quarters inches (15 W′×19%″). This tray size is to some extent mandated by the size of the baskets it contains. While no great difficulty was likely encountered in forming a tray to fit a given number of the baskets, the area or “footprint” of the resultant tray was not given sufficient consideration in the design of the baskets. This has given rise to a significant inefficiency of packaging.
Because the current eight—one pound strawberry trays, and the baskets shipped therein are not fitted together properly, the package does not fully utilize the surface area of a forty by forty eight inch pallet, therefore shipping of those pallets is not optimized. Specifically, using current basket technology, a layer of strawberries comprises six (6) trays per layer on the pallet. With eight (8) one pound baskets per tray, this means that forty eight pounds of fruit can be packed per layer on a standard 40 inch by 48 inch pallet. Because there is no way with current use packages to completely fill the pallet with trays, a significant portion of the pallet remains unused. This of course forms a further inefficiency of shipping.
Another problem with current use plastic produce baskets is that they are usually formed with vertical stiffening ribs. This is done to maximize the resistance of the relatively thin basket to deformation. These ribs also provide salient intrusions into the body of the basket. Where a pulpy fruit, such as berries, are packed in the basket, handling shock to the packed fruit, combined with the fruit's own weight turns these intrusions into sites where significant bruising of the packed fruit occurs. This loss of fruit quality results in higher costs to the shipper, transporter, retailer and consumer alike.
The previous discussion has centered on the specific case of the one pound whole strawberry container preferred by consumers. It should be noted, however, that while strawberries comprise the bulk of all U.S. berry consumption, other berry crops also enjoy a significant position in the marketplace. Each of these berry crops has, to a certain extent, given rise to preferred packaging embodiments. By way of illustration but not limitation, while strawberries are typically sold in eight ounce or one-pound containers, blueberries are typically sold by volume, specifically, consumers tend to prefer the one pint package of blueberries. Raspberries, on the other hand, are typically marketed in small five or six ounce trays.
The trays into which each of these differing types of berry baskets are ultimately installed have not been designed with a view to integrating them with other berry or indeed other produce crops. This presents a problem to the small-to-medium sized grocery establishment, which may not order berries in multiple pallet lots but may prefer, for various reasons, to mix quantities of berries on one pallet. Because the trays used in the several aspects of the berry industry are not integrated one with another this capability is, at present, not realized. Accordingly, smaller lots of berries as commonly shipped to small-to-medium sized grocers must typically be sold at a premium cost in order to compensate the grower, shipper and transporter for the packing and shipping inefficiencies occasioned by the lack of packaging design cohesion.
Another problem with the previously discussed Michigan basket is the latch, which retains the lid in the closed position with respect to the body. The Michigan basket uses a single detent formed in the lip of the lid to engage the edge of the basket body lip. This latch arrangement has proven troublesome in that it is difficult to quickly and securely close in the field while being prone to unwanted opening during packing, shipping and while on the grocer's shelves.
Other workers in the packaging arts have attempted to solve the previously discussed latch deficiencies by means of forming snap fasteners in the edge material of the plastic baskets, which they produce. The results obtained by this design are mixed. While the snap fasteners may be slightly more secure than the previously discussed edge latch, they are at least as difficult to align properly by pickers in the field as the Michigan basket latch.
The trays currently available for use with Michigan baskets designed for one pound strawberry packing are not generally well suited for the baskets in that the baskets are allowed considerable freedom of movement within the trays. This results in an increased incidence of shifting of the baskets within the trays, which causes an increase in bruising of the fruit stored in the baskets.
Another problem not contemplated by the prior art is that different quantities, types, and external forms of produce require different cooling airflow regimes. Some combinations of fruit types and quantities benefit from the relatively laminar flow provided by the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,890. Further research has shown that some combinations of produce quantity and type benefit from a relatively turbulent air flow through the basket during the cooling process.
Finally, while the inventions taught and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,738,890, 6,074,676, and 6,074,854, incorporated herein by reference, provide hitherto unmatched cooling for produce items, they require that the containers all be aligned alike with respect to the flow of cooling air. See for instance FIG. 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,854. Where the containers in one layer on a pallet are aligned perpendicular to one another, the flow of cooling air is interrupted. One example of such pallet loading is “5-down” or “10-down”, an example of the former being shown at FIG. 8 herewith.
What is clearly needed is an improved berry packing system, which will significantly reduce the cooling time and cooling expense for the fruit contained in the baskets. Moreover, an effective cooling system is needed that facilitates efficient airflow through the trays and baskets of the system in order to maximize air transfer rates. Such a system should result in more uniform cooling in all the fruit in a tray. To make such an improved system feasible, it must interface with commonly used and preferred materials handling apparatus, specifically the previously discussed forty by forty eight inch pallets in current use in the grocery industry. Moreover, where a different pallet size has been adopted as standard, for instance in another country, what is further needed is a system which can be scaled to effect the advantages hereof in that pallet system.
The baskets of such a system should be capable of being formed in the preferred size or quantity configuration preferred by the end consumer, while simultaneously maximizing their footprint on existing pallet technology. The baskets should be formed to minimize bruising and other damage to the fruit packed therein. Furthermore, such a system should provide for the mixing of lots of different types, quantities and sizes of produce on a single pallet without substantial losses of packaging efficiency occasioned by differing types of misaligned trays.
The basket should possess a lid latch capable of being quickly and securely fastened in the field. The same lid should be capable of being repeatedly opened and closed during packing, while on the grocer's shelves and ultimately by the end consumer. Moreover, the basket should be configured to reduce the chances that a basket crushes produce contained therein as a result of improperly closing a basket.
The packaging system should enable the packaging of one layer, or a plurality of layers of filled baskets therein.
The several components of the packaging system should be capable of providing cooling airflow regimes relatively optimal for the type and quantity of produce to be stored in the baskets.
Finally, the system should enable the placement of trays substantially perpendicular with one another while still enabling the previously discussed cooling advantages.
If possible, the system should be formed utilizing existing equipment and machinery from materials of the same or lesser cost than currently available fruit packages.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, produce packaging systems are disclosed. Implementations of the present invention include, without limitation, packaging systems such as the Mixim™, MiximPlus™, Mixim5D™ or Mixim 10D™ packaging systems, each available from Sambrailo Packaging or Plexiform Inc., both of Watsonville, Calif., which system comprises an improved produce packing system which matches trays with baskets to significantly reduce cooling time and expense for the fruit contained in the baskets.
Embodiments of the invention include a system for packaging produce. The system includes a plurality of specifically constructed baskets loaded into an associated tray. The baskets each comprise a basket body with a lid. The baskets also include ventilation slots arranged to facilitate the flow of cooling air through the baskets in at least two transverse directions. Further, the baskets include ventilation channels arranged to facilitate the flow of cooling air underneath the baskets in at least two transverse directions. The associated tray is suitably configured to hold the baskets in a manner that enables the flow of the cooling air through and underneath the baskets in at least two transverse directions. In order to accomplish this, the tray includes upper cooling vents arranged to align with the ventilation slots in the baskets. Also, the tray includes lower cooling vents arranged to align with ventilation channels of the baskets. This enables cooling air to flow through the tray, and baskets contained therein, in two (or more) transverse directions.
In another embodiment, the invention discloses a produce container capable of facilitating cooling airflows both underneath and through the container. Moreover, the container facilitates the flow of the cooling air in at least two transversely oriented directions. The containers include a produce basket having a basket body and a lid for covering the basket body. Each basket also includes a plurality of ventilation slots and a plurality of ventilation channels that are formed in the basket to facilitate the flow of cooling air through the baskets and underneath the baskets.
Embodiments of the invention also include trays incorporating the principles of the invention. For example, one tray in accordance with the principles of the invention contains a plurality of produce baskets, with the baskets including a plurality of ventilation slots and a plurality of ventilation channels. The tray is configured to hold the baskets so that flows of cooling air pass through and underneath the baskets in at least two transverse directions. In one implementation, the tray includes upper cooling vents arranged so that the upper cooling vents align with ventilation slots of baskets loaded into the tray. The tray also includes lower cooling vents arranged to align with ventilation channels of the baskets loaded into the tray.
In another embodiment, a basket includes a basket body and lid. The basket includes a latch for securing the lid to the basket body. Additionally, the basket includes a hinge for attaching the lid to the basket body so that, when closed, the hinge applies tension at the hinge to prevent the lid from extending beyond an outside edge of the basket body and thereby prevents the latch from improperly securing the lid to the basket body.
These and other aspects of the present invention are described in greater detail in the detailed description of the invention set forth herein below.
The following detailed description will be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
It is to be understood that, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. Also, it is understood that the depictions in the Figures are not necessarily to scale.
The present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and specific features thereof. The embodiments set forth herein below are to be taken as illustrative rather than limiting. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Having reference to
Additionally, the basket body 10 includes another concavity formed in the bottom portion of the basket body 10. This concavity defines a second ventilation channel 13 b. The second ventilation channel 13 b is arranged transversely with respect to the first ventilation channel 13 a. In the depicted embodiment, the second ventilation channel 13 b extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the first ventilation channel 13 a. As a result, the second ventilation channel 13 b enables a portion of the second cooling airflow (passing in the direction indicated by the associated dashed arrow 50) to pass another cooling airflow underneath the basket 1 to enhance cooling. Thus, two transversely directed airflows can pass underneath the basket 1 to greatly enhance cooling effectiveness. This is especially so in view of the fact that portions of the first cooling airflow and second cooling airflow pass through a first ventilation slot 5 a and a second ventilation slot 5 b, respectively.
While this first preferred embodiment is a vacuum formed plastic structure, the principles of the present invention are equally applicable to alternative materials and manufacturing technologies. In the depicted embodiment, the basket is formed of a PET material such as Copolyester 9921, available from Eastman Kodak. Alternative materials include, but are not limited to, various polymeric and monomeric plastics including, but not limited to, styrenes, polyethylenes (including HDPE and LPDE), polyesters, and polyurethanes; metals and foils thereof; paper products including chipboard, pressboard, and flakeboard; wood and combinations of the foregoing. Alternative manufacturing technologies include, but are again not limited to, thermocasting; casting, including die-casting; thermosetting; extrusion; sintering; lamination; the use of built-up structures and other processes well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
With continuing reference to
With reference to
The upper and lower vent apertures, 22 and 21 are clearly shown in
With continued reference to
While the preceding discussion regarding a first preferred embodiment has centered on a one piece basket incorporating the basket body and lid joined by a hinge, it will be immediately apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the principles of the present invention may with equal facility be embodied in a two piece implementation utilizing a separate body and lid. This embodiment is specifically contemplated by the teachings of the present invention.
While the previously discussed latch configuration has been shown to be particularly effective, the principles of the present invention specifically contemplate alternative latching methodologies. These include, but are specifically not limited to, edge catches, button catches, snaps, hook-and-loop closures, and other closure methodologies well-known to those having ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, the term “latch” as used herein may further comprise alternative lid closure methodologies known to those having ordinary skill in the art including shrink-wrap banding the lid to the body, and the use of elastic bands or adhesive tapes to perform this latching function. One basket formed utilizing such an alternative closure methodology is shown having reference to
Also shown in
Additionally, when trays 3 (and also other embodiments, e.g., 2) are stacked together (e.g., on a pallet), lateral vent slots 26 are formed between each pair of trays 3. These lateral vent slots 26 can provide additional airflow inside trays 3. These improvements in basket ventilation combine to ensure that all berries in the tray receive significantly greater cooling ventilation than any previous fruit cooling and packaging system. As a result, the cooling energy requirements for such systems are greatly reduced. Indeed, preliminary testing indicates that the improved cooling afforded by the ventilation arrangement of the present invention may cut cooling costs for some strawberry packing operations by as much as 25%. Additionally, by implementing a bi-directional cooling regime (e.g. applying a first cooling flow 40 and a second cooling flow 50), such trays 3 with appropriately loaded baskets 1 exhibit very high cooling flow through the trays 3 (and baskets 1).
Cooling flows on the order of 1.0 c.f.m. (cubic feet per minute) or greater through the trays are difficult to obtain with existing technologies. Such cooling flows are highly desirable. One illustration of the advantages of the embodiments of the present invention is that cooling flows in the range of about 1.5 c.p.m. to about 2.6 c.p.m. can be obtained. This is especially true with respect to the tray 2 embodiment of
Having reference now to
The preceding discussion of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention has focused on one specific berry package design. It will be immediately obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that the principles set forth herein are also applicable to a wide range of produce package sizes and utilizations. By way of illustration but not limitation, the present invention specifically contemplates the forming of 1 pint and ½ pint (also referred to as 8 oz. or 250 g.) berry baskets, as well as baskets configured to receive therein specific produce shapes, types and counts. An example of the latter is the “long stem pack” used in the berry industry for shipping specific package counts of large, premium berries. Furthermore, while the discussion of the principles set forth herein has centered on packages for the berry industry, it is recognized that these principles may be applied with equal facility to the packaging of a broad range of materials including other foodstuffs or any item, which would benefit from the advantages set forth herein. Such applications are specifically contemplated. These principles include the use of a family of trays, having fixed “footprints” or lengths and widths, but with whose heights are varied to accommodate baskets having different heights and/or counts per tray. By maintaining the footprint at a constant value, the advantages of minimizing lateral movement between individual trays and between layers of trays are attained because the trays of one layer interlock with the layer of trays above or below it. This is true even where adjacent tray layers contain significantly differing sizes of baskets, holding the same or different produce items.
Where the tray is designed to receive one pound strawberry baskets as previously discussed, the height of the tray is approximately 3¾ inches. Where other berries, or indeed other produce products are shipped, the length and width of the tray do not change, but remain at the previously defined optimal size. Changes in tray volume necessary to accommodate differing numbers and volumes of baskets are accommodated by altering the height of the tray. In similar fashion, baskets designed for use in the present system are sized to fit within the previously discussed tray. In this manner, baskets suitable for substantially any size basket designed for consumer use, as well as many baskets sized for the food service industry, may be accommodated by the present invention. This presents the previously described advantage of enabling the shipment of a mixed pallet of differing produce by loading trays optimized for each type of produce onto separate, compatible layers.
Moreover, tray embodiments can be constructed to receive a plurality of layers of filled baskets 1. For example, with reference to
The tray embodiments can be formed of cut and folded corrugated cardboard formed in a manner well known to those of skill in the art. One such corrugated cardboard is Georgia-Pacific USP120-33sm1-USP120, although any number of packaging materials well known to those of ordinary skill in the art could, with equal facility, be used. Such alternative materials include, but are not limited to, various cardboards, pressboards, flakeboards, fiberboards, plastics, metals and metal foils. In some embodiments, it may further be advantageous to incorporate a gluing, adhesive or fastening step in fabrication of the tray, again in accordance with generally accepted practices in container design and fabrication.
Because of the smaller size of the trays of the present invention, a lighter grade of corrugated board can be used for their manufacture than are trays required to support the greater weight and greater area of the Michigan baskets previously described. This lighter weight not only minimizes shipping costs, but can significantly reduce packaging costs for the shipper, again lowering consumer costs. While the tray of a first preferred embodiment is formed of corrugated cardboard, the principles of the present invention may with equal facility be implemented on a variety of alternative tray materials. Such alternative materials include, but are not limited to, various polymeric and monomeric plastics again including, but not limited to, styrenes, polyethylenes including HDPE and LPDE, polyesters and polyurethanes; metals and foils thereof; paper products including chipboard, pressboard, and flakeboard; wood; wire; and combinations of the foregoing.
Each of the embodiments shown in
The present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments and features thereof. However, it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the appended claims. In particular, the use of alternative basket forming technologies, tray forming technologies, basket and tray materials and specifications, basket shapes and sizes to conform to differing produce requirements, and vent configurations are all contemplated by the principles of the present invention.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US1800346||May 21, 1928||Apr 14, 1931||Gardner Denver Co||Fluid-operated tool|
|US1953765||Apr 5, 1930||Apr 3, 1934||James E Mccluney||Hydrator|
|US2652335||Dec 20, 1949||Sep 15, 1953||American Viscose Corp||Package|
|US2660529||Oct 26, 1945||Nov 24, 1953||Frank A L Bloom||Consumer package for fresh fruits or the like|
|US2684907||Jun 5, 1951||Jul 27, 1954||Brunsing Rex L||Method of shipping lettuce and of preparing lettuce and the like for shipment|
|US2739734||Sep 18, 1953||Mar 27, 1956||Marcus W Pugh||Container for preserving food|
|US2936094||May 7, 1958||May 10, 1960||Everlast Inc||Battery box|
|US3037658||Dec 23, 1959||Jun 5, 1962||United Steel & Wire Co||Shipping package|
|US3042247||Nov 17, 1958||Jul 3, 1962||Louis Bonnet||Prefabricated packing-cases for dates and others|
|US3253762||Mar 23, 1964||May 31, 1966||Illinois Tool Works||Trays, containers and the like|
|US3613938||May 14, 1970||Oct 19, 1971||Int Paper Co||Vented package|
|US3651977||Sep 15, 1970||Mar 28, 1972||Visual Container Corp||Containers that are compactly nestable when empty and stackable in spaced relation when full|
|US3741815||Jan 25, 1972||Jun 26, 1973||Peterson Prod San Mateo Inc||Railroad signal battery box|
|US3794090||Jul 14, 1972||Feb 26, 1974||Mobil Oil Corp||Covered container for serving food|
|US3912118||Mar 22, 1973||Oct 14, 1975||Bird Stanford W||Container lid|
|US3937389||Oct 9, 1973||Feb 10, 1976||Harold Wind||Disposable food container|
|US4206845||Nov 27, 1978||Jun 10, 1980||Dart Industries Inc.||Food container|
|US4390113||Mar 1, 1982||Jun 28, 1983||Bird Stanford W||Container lid having vent means|
|US4478344||Jan 28, 1983||Oct 23, 1984||Houston Rehrig||Hand carrying basket|
|US4529088||Jun 22, 1984||Jul 16, 1985||Paul Quong||Shipping-and-storage container for produce|
|US4570818||Jun 8, 1984||Feb 18, 1986||Placon Corporation||Reclosable container with label bridge|
|US4597503||Dec 18, 1984||Jul 1, 1986||Scepter Manufacturing Co. Ltd.||Unitary molded citrus crate|
|US4618069||Sep 14, 1984||Oct 21, 1986||Paul Quong||Shipping-and-storage container|
|US4664281||Mar 10, 1986||May 12, 1987||Killark Electric Manufacturing Co.||Explosion proof enclosure|
|US4704510||Jan 29, 1986||Nov 3, 1987||Fukuyama Pearl Shiko Kabushiki Kaisha||Containers for food service|
|US4741452||May 2, 1985||May 3, 1988||Ekco Products, Inc.||Domed container with interlocking resilient flanges|
|US4767008||Nov 2, 1987||Aug 30, 1988||Warnecke Armand E||Injection monitor appliance|
|US4771934||Apr 6, 1987||Sep 20, 1988||Inline Plastics Corp.||Food tray with lid locking mechanism|
|US4819822||Dec 30, 1987||Apr 11, 1989||Spectrum International, Inc.||Pilfer resistant beverage case|
|US4844263||Feb 19, 1988||Jul 4, 1989||Hercules, Incorporated||Food container|
|US4859822||May 19, 1988||Aug 22, 1989||Mobil Oil Corporation||Microwaveable container|
|US4883195||Nov 2, 1988||Nov 28, 1989||Restaurant Technology, Inc.||Pizza container|
|US4974738||Jul 10, 1989||Dec 4, 1990||Packaging Corporation Of America||Container with interchangeable components|
|US5069344||Mar 15, 1991||Dec 3, 1991||Plexiform, Incorporated||Berry basket and cover|
|US5076459||Jun 4, 1990||Dec 31, 1991||Plexiform, Incorporated||Berry basket and cover|
|US5191994||Jun 10, 1992||Mar 9, 1993||Stauble Alfred G||Water bottle crate|
|US5265749||Apr 1, 1993||Nov 30, 1993||Marketing Congress, Inc.||Container|
|US5339973||May 14, 1992||Aug 23, 1994||Genpak Corp.||Latch for a container|
|US5423453||Aug 18, 1994||Jun 13, 1995||Mobil Oil Corporation||Microwaveable container|
|US5456379||Oct 3, 1994||Oct 10, 1995||Krupa; Calvin S.||Blueberry container|
|US5465901||Dec 1, 1994||Nov 14, 1995||Paine, Jr.; Derrick||Basket for produce|
|US5515993||Dec 12, 1994||May 14, 1996||Tenneco Plastics Company||Hinged semi-rigid container having wall stiffening means|
|US5686127||Jun 6, 1995||Nov 11, 1997||W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn.||Dual web package having improved gaseous exchange|
|US5738890||Jan 24, 1996||Apr 14, 1998||Plexiform Company||Method and container for the improved packing and cooling of produce|
|US5803303||Apr 7, 1998||Sep 8, 1998||Timm; Rickey||Vented foot held waste basket|
|US5833116||Mar 18, 1997||Nov 10, 1998||Groupe Guillin (S.A.)||Angular fastening device|
|US5855277||Jul 7, 1997||Jan 5, 1999||Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc.||Nestable display crate for bottles with handle feature|
|US5947321||Jan 9, 1998||Sep 7, 1999||Tenneco Packaging Inc.||Vented food container|
|US6007854||Apr 14, 1998||Dec 28, 1999||Plexiform Company||Tray for the improved packing and cooling of produce|
|US6074676||Apr 14, 1998||Jun 13, 2000||Plexiform Company||Basket for the improved packing and cooling of produce|
|US6257401||May 14, 1999||Jul 10, 2001||Pactiv Corporation||Vented container with handles and embossment|
|US6644494||Sep 14, 2001||Nov 11, 2003||Pactiv Corporation||Smoothwall hinged containers|
|US6962263||Nov 21, 2002||Nov 8, 2005||Sambrailo Packaging, Inc.||Produce packaging system having produce containers with double-arched ventilation channels|
|US20030198714||Dec 12, 2001||Oct 23, 2003||Anthony Cadiente||Method and apparatus for packing and bi-directional cooling of produce|
|USD256097||Jun 10, 1977||Jul 29, 1980||Owens-Illinois, Inc.||Packaging container for food or the like|
|USD276216||Dec 18, 1981||Nov 6, 1984||Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation||Stackable packaging container|
|USD315100||Aug 22, 1988||Mar 5, 1991||Amoco Corporation||Package and the like|
|USD339744||Jun 10, 1992||Sep 28, 1993||Solo Cup Company||Food container|
|USD343576||Nov 20, 1992||Jan 25, 1994||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Berry box|
|USD345894||Feb 2, 1993||Apr 12, 1994||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Tray for baked goods|
|USD348608||Feb 22, 1993||Jul 12, 1994||Food container|
|USD354436||Oct 12, 1993||Jan 17, 1995||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Food package with hinged lid|
|USD361035||Jun 13, 1994||Aug 8, 1995||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Berry box|
|USD361036||Oct 25, 1993||Aug 8, 1995||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Berry box|
|USD363022||Oct 27, 1994||Oct 10, 1995||Container for herbs|
|USD363879||Oct 3, 1994||Nov 7, 1995||Blueberry container|
|USD376314||Sep 18, 1995||Dec 10, 1996||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Food container|
|USD378192||Oct 16, 1995||Feb 25, 1997||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Stackable berry container with hinged lid|
|USD379300||Jun 30, 1995||May 20, 1997||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Fruit container|
|USD380381||Feb 13, 1996||Jul 1, 1997||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Fruit container|
|USD382795||Jul 19, 1996||Aug 26, 1997||Tenneco Packaging||Plastic food container|
|USD385784||Feb 13, 1996||Nov 4, 1997||Ultra Pac, Inc.||Fruit container|
|USD393204||Jul 19, 1996||Apr 7, 1998||Tenneco Packaging Inc.||Plastic food container|
|USD409485||Dec 5, 1997||May 11, 1999||Creative Forming, Inc.||Berry box|
|USD448288||Aug 10, 2000||Sep 25, 2001||S. C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc.||Container|
|DE857860C||Aug 12, 1950||Dec 1, 1952||Robert Schneider K G||Behaelter zum Aufbewahren von Waren aller Art|
|GB1074164A||Title not available|
|GB2160510A||Title not available|
|GB2200340A||Title not available|
|WO2000020286A1||Oct 4, 1999||Apr 13, 2000||Pnc Pragmatic Network Creation Ets.||Flat blank for a stackable market box|
|1||International Search Report and Written Opinion from Corresponding PCT application No. PCT/US06/26170, Jul. 24, 2007, 6 pages.|
|2||International Search Report, dated Apr. 20, 2004.|
|3||International Search Report, dated Jun. 23, 2005.|
|4||International Search Report, dated Mar. 12, 2003.|
|5||U.S. Appl. No. 11/177,107, filed Jul. 7, 2005.|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US7703628 *||Sep 13, 2006||Apr 27, 2010||Sambrailo Packaging, Inc.||Produce packaging system enabling improved drainage for hydrocooling|
|US7980414||Mar 5, 2010||Jul 19, 2011||Sambrailo Packaging, Inc.||Produce packaging system enabling improved drainage for hydrocooling|
|US8490809||Jun 10, 2011||Jul 23, 2013||Sambrailo Packaging, Inc.||Produce packaging system enabling improved drainage for hydrocooling|
|US8844764||Feb 9, 2010||Sep 30, 2014||Progressive International Corporation||Baked goods carrier|
|US8944270||Sep 17, 2010||Feb 3, 2015||Natural Selection Foods, Llc||Container with improved tamper evident structure|
|US9174769 *||Jul 6, 2012||Nov 3, 2015||United Comb + Novelty Corporation||Ventilated laundry basket|
|US20060289550 *||Aug 4, 2005||Dec 28, 2006||Corrado Guardigli||Container for the packaging of products, in particular for fruit and vegetable products|
|US20070009632 *||Sep 13, 2006||Jan 11, 2007||Sambrailo Packaging Inc.||Produce packaging system enabling improved drainage for hydrocooling|
|US20100155267 *||Mar 5, 2010||Jun 24, 2010||Sambrailo Packaging, Inc.||Produce packaging system enabling improved drainage for hydrocooling|
|US20100200583 *||Feb 9, 2010||Aug 12, 2010||Progressive International Corporation||Baked goods carrier|
|US20100320210 *||Mar 5, 2010||Dec 23, 2010||Anchor Packaging, Inc.||Food container having improved ventilation|
|US20110233077 *||Sep 29, 2011||Sambrailo Packaging, Inc.||Produce packaging system enabling improved drainage for hydrocooling|
|US20120285951 *||Nov 15, 2012||Cavalcante Mauricio D||Collapsible crate|
|USD730726||Nov 27, 2013||Jun 2, 2015||Peninsula Packaging, Llc||Container|
|USD738205||Apr 8, 2014||Sep 8, 2015||Peninsula Packaging, Llc||Container|
|USD741705||Feb 3, 2015||Oct 27, 2015||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|USD741706||Feb 3, 2015||Oct 27, 2015||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|USD741707||Feb 3, 2015||Oct 27, 2015||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|USD742218||Mar 20, 2014||Nov 3, 2015||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|USD743784||Jun 11, 2014||Nov 24, 2015||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|USD746131||Feb 3, 2015||Dec 29, 2015||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|USD746675||Feb 3, 2015||Jan 5, 2016||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|USD747962||Feb 3, 2015||Jan 26, 2016||Peninsula Packaging Company, Llc||Container|
|U.S. Classification||220/366.1, 220/608, 220/913|
|International Classification||B65D77/04, B65D81/18, B65D85/34, B65D21/02, B65D1/22, B65D81/26, B65D51/16, B65D51/04, B65D43/22, C12C1/027, B65D43/16|
|Cooperative Classification||Y10S220/913, B65D21/0212, B65D81/18, B65D1/22, B65D2251/105, B65D85/34, B65D81/263, B65D2251/1016, B65D2205/00, B65D2205/02, B65D2577/043, B65D77/0453, B65D43/22, B65D43/162|
|European Classification||B65D81/18, B65D21/02E3, B65D1/22, B65D77/04D1, B65D81/26D, B65D43/16B, B65D43/22|
|Sep 6, 2011||CC||Certificate of correction|
|Jul 6, 2012||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4