Patent ID: 7699172
Filing Date: 2010-04-20
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
1. A delivery tray comprising: a generally rectangular bottom; and front, back, and side walls integral with or fixed to the bottom and having uppermost and lowermost configuration and dimensions such that the delivery tray is stackable with a like tray having uppermost and lowermost configuration and dimensions mating with the lowermost and uppermost configuration and dimensions, respectively, of the delivery tray, wherein: each side wall is provided with an upper and a lower profile; each profile comprises an undulating series of peaks and valleys, the peaks of the lower profile being vertically inverse to the peaks of the upper profile for most of the length of the lower profile, and the valleys of the lower profile being vertically inverse to the valleys of the upper profile for most of the length of the lower profile; the sequence of peaks and valleys in the series of each profile is asymmetric from the front wall to the back wall; and a portion of each side wall serves as a sliding surface for an overlying tray during stacking; wherein, in a first stacking engagement of the delivery tray with a like tray, the peaks of the upper profile of the delivery tray mate with and engage the valleys of the lower profile of the like tray, and the valleys of the upper profile of the delivery tray mate with and engage the peaks of the lower profile of the like tray; wherein, in a second stacking engagement of the delivery tray with a like tray, the peaks of the upper profile of the delivery tray abut the peaks of the lower profile of the like tray; a lesser spacing thereby being provided between the bottoms of the delivery tray and the like tray in the first engagement, and a greater spacing thereby being provided between the bottoms of the delivery tray and the like tray in the second engagement; wherein the uppermost surfaces of the side walls are provided with uppermost projecting single tongues positioned on the same vertical plane as the single tongue of a single product height tray of like size, and the lowermost surfaces of the side walls are provided with lowermost fitting grooves mating with, and, in the stacking engagements, engaging the uppermost projecting tongues of a like tray stacked underneath, thereby facilitating stacking of the delivery tray with the like tray or with a similar stacked single-product-height tray lacking the profiles but having counterpart uppermost projecting tongues and lowermost fitting grooves, in either orientation of the upper tray in the stack relative to the orientation of the lower tray in the stack, the tongues maintaining engagement with the grooves in both the first stacking engagement and the second stacking engagement, the tongues serving as the sliding surface; and wherein stop means are provided to lock the delivery tray and the like tray or the similar stacked single-product tray in a selected one of the first stacking engagement or the second stacking engagement.