MXPA98009790A - Nestable display crate for bottle carriers - Google Patents

Abstract

A nestable display crate (10) for bottle carriers having a floor (16) and a wall structure with that is designed to reveal the labels on the bottle carriers. The wall structure is of double thickness and comprises a lower wall portion (12) adjacent the floor (16) and a plurality of integrally formed contoured upper wall portions (14) extending upward from the lower wall portion. The wall structure is hollow throughout allowing the contoured upper wall portions (14) to be received within the lower wall (12) portion of a crate nested thereabove. The contoured upper wall portions (14) are tapered to be smaller in cross section at the top and larger near the lower wall portion to enable easy nesting and to avoid nested crates from becoming wedged together due to interference.

Description

DISPOSABLE BASKET FOR BOTTLE CARRIERS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of applications with Serial No. 08 / 423,347, filed on April 18, 1995 and with Serial No. (TBA), filed on May 15, 1997. , which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an anidable display basket for transporting and storing bottle carriers, more specifically, the present invention relates to baskets that combine nesting capacity and high strength with high visibility for multiple bottle packages. The bottles, particularly those for soft drinks and other beverages, are commonly transported and stored during the stages of distribution of the same in baskets or trays. The term "basket" or "tray" used in the present includes boxes, trays and similar containers having a floor and a side wall structure. These baskets are configured in a general way to stack one on top of the other when they are filled with bottles, and are nested together when they do not contain bottles. Plastic baskets provide some advantages such as storage space conservation, easy, efficient handling and recycling capacity.

In order to minimize the storage space of baskets when nesting and to reduce costs and weight, many baskets are currently manufactured with a surface peripheral wall structure. These are generally called "shallow" baskets in which the bottles bear most of the load of the baskets stacked on top. Baskets that have a higher peripheral wall, approximately the same height as the bottles, are generally called "deep" baskets in which the same baskets carry most of the load of the baskets stacked on top. Shallow baskets are generally less expensive and lighter than deep baskets. Therefore, shallow baskets are used more generally. Generally, it would be convenient to design shallow baskets with a wall structure that provides a lateral support for the bottles, while allowing the bottles to be visible with a lateral structure that provides lateral support for the bottles, allowing in turn the bottles are visible. A known example of a shallow basket for individual serving bottles is disclosed in commonly assigned US Patent No. 5,060,819, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The basket of bottles of the '819 patent has a side wall structure with adjacent vertical panels some of which alternate and elevate in such a way that their bottom surfaces are separated on the floor. The upper and lower edges of the side wall thus have a wavy configuration so that the trays can be stacked together. Baskets for individual ration bottles are commonly stacked one on top of the other. One way to handle loaded baskets is to stack the boxes on platforms that could be loaded and moved by means of forklift vehicles. One technique for connecting loaded baskets together is called cross stacking, and is commonly used to improve the stability of a basket stack for transportation and display purposes by retail merchants. One aspect of a basket design is to provide structural features that facilitate the handling of loaded and stacked cross baskets to improve the stability of stacked baskets, by providing maximum visibility of the bottles or the bottle carrier, especially in an installation a small scale. One of the problems associated with the nested baskets mentioned above, particularly those for individual ration bottles, has been the lack of resistance when used in some facilities. The '819 patent tray, for example, has a sidewall that could not withstand rough handling over time. Consequently, there is a requirement for reusable nestable baskets that meet the requirement of strength and rigidity to withstand continuous or rough handling. Another problem experienced with the nested baskets previously described has been the somewhat limited visibility of the bottle or container labels. Although the side wall of the tray in the '819 patent allows some of the labels on the bottle to be displayed, the wall somehow obstructs the view of the containers. The problem of obscured visibility has been more marked when the bottles are grouped in a carton or grouped basket since the current baskets were not designed to show the labels in the transport boxes or in a shrink wrap. There is a requirement for an anidable display basket that has improved structural strength and provides visibility to bottle carriers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is the main purpose of the present invention to provide a shallow display basket for bottle holders or multiple packages that are nestable with other similar baskets when they are empty to maintain space, and that are stackable and apiiables in cross with other similar baskets when loaded with bottles, in order to store, display and transport the multiple packages.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an anasa basket of shallow depth having sufficient structural strength to withstand rough and continuous handling. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a rugged, shallow resistant basket that also provides maximum visibility of the bottle carriers for display purposes. Also, another purpose of the present invention is to provide a shallow basket, which makes the use of space more efficient when it is loaded and stacked or when it is empty and nested. When it is loaded and stacked, the present invention also has structural features that securely collect the tops of bottles of different sizes. In order to achieve these objectives, a novel, shallow, anidabie display basket for bottle carriers is hereby provided. The preferred configuration is for four six-unit bottle carriers. It is understood that although the preferred embodiment of the present invention is configured to retain a six-unit bottle carrier. This basket is formed by the integral molding of two basic plastic components, a floor and wall structure that extends from the floor and around the periphery of the floor. The wall structure comprises a double-thick wall with a lower wall portion adjacent to the floor and a plurality of upper wall portions molded and integrally formed and extending upwardly from the lower wall portion. The wall structure is hollow throughout it to allow the contoured upper wall portions to fit within the lower wall portion of the basket nested at the top. The contoured portions of the upper wall are inclined to be smaller in cross section at the top and larger near the portion of the lower wall to allow easy nesting and to prevent nested baskets from wedging each other due to interference. The contoured upper wall portions are preferably positioned along the opposite side walls of the basket and the end walls. The upper wall portions along the side walls are positioned so that they are between the carriers of six-unit bottles when the basket is loaded, and the space between the upper wall portions is a window that allows the carriers of bottles is visible. The end walls of the basket comprise integrally molded handles that are configured to allow the palm to be held up or down. The basket of the present invention combines the advantages of a stackable basket with sufficient strength achieved by its double wall construction with maximum unobstructed visibility of the bottle carriers.

The floor preferably has an open mesh design that not only allows undesirable liquids to drain out of the basket, but also requires less material and is therefore lighter than a closed floor design. The floor also has carrier areas for bottle carriers preferably in a placement. The floor of the basket has an external or lower surface that is configured to accommodate the upper parts of the bottles in a similar basket underneath them. The lower floor surface preferably has upwardly recessed receiving areas positioned to receive the tops of the bottles contained in a similar basket underneath them. The bottle top reception areas help hold bottles vertically upright which improves the stability of loaded and stacked baskets. These and other features and advantages of the invention may be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of a basket according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the basket of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation view of a side wall of the basket of Fig 1; Fig 4 is an elevation view of an end wall of the basket of Fig 1; Fig 5 is a top plan view of the basket of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the basket of Fig. 1; Fig 7 is a side elevation view of the basket of Fig 1 shown loaded with six-unit bottle carriers; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the basket taken along line 8-8 of Fig 5; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the basket taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 5; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the basket taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 5; Fig 11 is a cross-sectional view of the basket taken along line 11-11 of Fig 5; Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the basket taken along line 12-12 of Fig. 5; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY Referring to Figures 1 and 2, basket 10 of the preferred embodiment comprises a wall structure with a lower wall portion 12, an upper wall portion 14 and a floor 16. The basket 10 is preferably rectangular and the structure of wall comprises side walls and extreme walls. Although a rectangular basket is shown and described, the present invention is not limited thereto and may comprise side walls and end walls of equal length resulting in a square basket. The wall structure is double thickness and defines the periphery of the basket 10 with opposite side walls and opposite end walls. The lower wall portion 12 includes a plurality of interior panels 18 that are connected to the floor 16, and an exterior surface 20 that forms an uninterrupted web along each of the side walls. The upper wall portion 14 comprises a plurality of trapezoidal or rectangle-shaped side wall teeth 22 which resemble separate engaging teeth along the side wall, Fig. 3. Two end wall teeth 24 on each of the end walls provide the supports for a handle 26, Fig. 4. The outer surfaces of the lower wall portion and the teeth of the upper wall portion are integral and include a contoured step 28 to which the teeth are directed inward and extend over the lower wall portion. The step 28 is integral with the upper surfaces 30 of the lower wall portion that are positioned between the teeth. The step 28 and the top surfaces 30 form a shoulder that generally defines the portion of a basket that will be visible when the baskets are stacked together. In the end walls, the handle 26 is supported on the teeth 24 and protrudes slightly outwardly so that the outer surface of the handle 26 is flush with the bottom wall portion. As can be better seen in Figs. 1 and 8-11, the interior surfaces of the wall structure include interior toothed paneled panels 32 which are connected to interior bottom panels 18 of the lower wall portions. The inner toothed panels 32 provide upper side supports for bottle carriers, and the inner lower panels 18 provide lower side supports for the bottle carriers. The inner lower panels 18 are positioned along the periphery of the floor and alternate with cutouts 34 that reduce the amount of material that makes the basket lighter. Since the interior panels 18 are connected to the floor, the free edges of the floor extend through the cutouts 34 between the panels 18. Seeing from inside the basket, those panels are placed in an alternate zigzag way. The surfaces of these panels are flat to hold the flat cardboard walls of the carriers loaded with bottles. The outer surface of the lower wall portion 12 has a central flat label portion 36 that can be used for molding information, logos, warnings and the like. The teeth 22 and 24 are provided with internal ribs 23 and 25 respectively which bear against corresponding upper teeth portions in a similar basket when the baskets are stacked together. Those stacking supports ensure that the weight of a stacked basket column is supported by sufficiently strong elements of the basket to provide stability and ensure that the wall structures are not corroded by repeated use. Those internal ribs 23 and 25 are integrally formed in the hollow spaces within the teeth 22 and 24. The ribs 23 and 25 are shown in Fig. 6 and in cross section in Figs. 8 and 9. The ribs 23 and 25 are preferably located on the upper part of the teeth 22 and 24, and hidden from the view of the inner and outer surfaces of the teeth. Fig. 6 illustrates better how the ribs 23 expand inside the teeth 22 and 24 by connecting their inner and outer surfaces. In the preferred embodiment of the basket 10, the teeth 22 along the side walls are specifically configured to provide openings that make the labels of the carriers of cardboard bottles visible. This is best seen in Fig. 7 which illustrates the cardboard carriers C loaded with the bottles B having a label L on their long sides. The labels L are visible through the openings defined between the teeth 22 due to the configuration of the teeth 22. This visibility is important in a small-scale facility for identification and aesthetic purposes. For maximum exposure of the labels while providing sufficient support for the carriers, the center tooth is slightly larger to hold portions of both carriers. The handles 26 on the end walls of the basket 10 are integrally molded with the lower wall portion although they extend upwardly so that the upper portions of the handles are flush with the upper portions of the end wall teeth 24. The cutouts relatively large handle 38 are provided outwardly so that the handles 26 are of a bar-like construction as there is full clearance above and below the handles for a user's hands to hold the basket either in the positions with the palm up or down. Also, since the handles are spaced slightly outwardly from the end wall teeth 24, more space is provided between the carriers of bottles loaded in the basket and the handles. In handling a loaded basket, the palm-up position refers to the position of a user's hands when the fingers are inserted under the handle 26 from the outside of the basket so that the palms generally face upwardly. and inward. The palm-down position refers to the position of a user's hands when the fingers are inserted under the handle 26 from the inside of the basket so that the backs of the hands are confronted with each other and the palms usually face down and diagonal or out. The height of the handles 26 and their length, ensure that a user's hands have sufficient free space to hold the handle either in the positions with the palm up or down. By providing the user with the option to operate the basket at any position of the hand, it helps to alleviate fatigue and avoids injuries to the wrist of the hand since a natural restraint movement can be used. The importance of this feature can be appreciated when the basket is loaded with bottles. The handles in previous baskets or trays could have been too restrictive for the hands of some users, and may have required strange and damaging hand / wrist positions, particularly when lifting and handling heavy loaded baskets. The profile views of the basket, Figs. 3 and 4 show that the exterior of the lower wall portion 12 is preferably not flush with the lower floor surface so that the lower floor surface is left exposed in some manner in profile. Leaving the lower wall portion 12 slightly more aite than the lower floor surface facilitates handling by allowing the carts to slide easily under the basket, and prevents the outer lower wall portion from corroding and jamming on the part. top of the bottle in columns of stacked baskets. The basket of the present invention combines the characteristics of nesting capacity, resistance and visibility. In the construction of the basket, many design parameters can be determined in order to improve the aforementioned characteristics without unduly sacrificing any of them. Visibility is important to allow the attractive display of the carriers, and the present invention provides maximum visibility for its size without sacrificing resistance and nesting. The 16th floor preferably has a grid-like configuration having a pattern of open spaces as best seen in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. The floor comprises a system of longitudinal and lateral braces similar to grid that crosses the floor in perpendicular relation between them and that connects the circular grid elements. A plurality of circular grid elements define the locations of the bottle tops in a basket loaded and stacked below them, and the curved grid members that generally encircle the circular elements to define the location of the upper part of the bottle . The interstitial circular members are also provided between the upper bottle areas. The open floor design provides a light basket, and is practical to allow any liquid to drain through the 16th floor. The floor is usually piano and open so as not to interfere with the bottle carriers.

The floor 16 has an upper surface 40 that is generally flat and includes a plurality of support areas for holding the bottle carriers therein. Placed along the adjacent inner panels of side walls and end walls 18 are solid floor surfaces 42 which ensure a strong connection between the wall structure and the floor. The support areas are placed in rows and columns to define an arrangement in this way. In the preferred embodiment, the basket 10 is designed to hold four six-unit bottle carriers in the cardboard carriers. The support areas are configured so that the bottles in one location are retained in a relatively close relationship to avoid shock of the bottles during handling. Excessive movement of the bottles is avoided to ensure that the bottles remain in an upright position in order to more advantageously support the loading of the bottles stacked or traversed thereon. The floor 16 has a lower surface 44 that has distinctive structural characteristics. The bottom floor surface 44 is configured to allow stacking and stacking through the loaded baskets. The stacking is done by rotating a top basket 90 degrees around a vertical axis and descending on a basket or lower baskets. During boarding and handling the baskets can be moved by machines and it is advantageous to use baskets that can be stacked or traversed stably. Additionally, when baskets are used to display the containers in a small-scale facility, the retailer may wish to cross the baskets for reasons of space or display. The lower floor surface 44 has a plurality of bottle top location areas defined by curved grid elements 46, which are best seen in Figs. 2 and 6. The positions of curved grid elements 46 are determined to provide a scale within which the tops of the bottles in a basket loaded below them can remain and still provide secure stacking or traversing. The lower portions of the curved lattice elements 46 extend slightly downwardly from the lower part of the remainder of the lower floor surface. The reception areas help to maintain the bottles in vertically upright positions to sustain the load of the bottles stacked or traversed thereon. From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention that fall within the scope of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that such variations do not deviate from the spirit of the invention as long as it is considered within the scope of the invention as limited exclusively by the claims appended hereto.

Claims (5)

1. It is a low-depth anidabie display basket for bottle holders of six units comprising: a floor to hold the bottle carriers; and a double-walled wall structure having end walls and side walls extending around the periphery of the floor and comprising a lower wall portion including a solid outer surface along the side walls and supporting surfaces. of the interior bottle carrier connected to the floor, a top wall portion comprising spacer tooth members extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion and defining display openings between the tooth members along the side walls, wherein the display apertures are dimensioned to reveal the labels on the bottle holders to display the bottle holders in a loaded basket and a sleeve bar integrally molded with the tooth members along the end walls and portion thereof. lower wall, the handle bar configured for complete free space above and below dich a handle bar and sufficient clearance between the handle bar and the bottle carriers loaded in said basket to allow a user to hold the handle bar in a palm-up or palm-down position.

2. The basket of claim 1, comprising inner tooth panels provided on the inner side of the tooth members, the tooth panels being flat to provide lateral support for the carriers of bottles loaded in said basket.

3. The basket of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the lower wall portion includes an alternate arrangement of interior panels connected to the floor and cutouts. The basket of claim 1, wherein the tooth members extend above and inwardly from the lower wall portion to form a shoulder between them. The basket of claim 1, further comprising nesting ribs provided within at least one of the tooth members for abutment against an upper surface of a corresponding tooth member in a basket nested thereunder.