Abstract:
A container includes a card holder having a flap portion for retaining a card against the exterior of one wall of the container. The card holder is snap-fit to the wall and pivotable relative to the wall. The flap portion is biased against the wall in order to retain the card. A complementary dolly includes a deck having recesses for receiving the casters of a similar dolly stacked thereon. The recesses automatically align rotatable casters as they are inserted.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a stackable and nestable tray. 
         [0002]    There are known containers that are nestable when oriented alike and stackable when oriented 180 degrees relative to one another. Opposing walls of the containers are complementary, such that walls of a lower container will support a similar container stacked thereon in the 180 degree orientation. 
         [0003]    One such container includes a holder for a card on the exterior of one end wall. The holder includes a small, flexible, clear plastic flap secured to the wall by rivets only at the lower end. The flap can be bent downward to insert (or remove) a card that identifies the contents of the container. Automated handling equipment bends the card holder flap to remove and replace the cards. Over time, the flap eventually breaks after repeated flexing. 
         [0004]    Some containers include a complementary dolly for transporting a stack of loaded containers or empty containers. The dolly has two fixed casters and two casters that pivot about a vertical axis. The upper surface of the dolly includes recesses for receiving the casters of a similar dolly, such that they can be stacked when not in use. However, because two of the casters are rotatable, the user often has to rotate the rotatable casters to align them with the recesses on the dolly below. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a container having an improved card holder that is more durable and can withstand repeated use without fatigue. The card holder in one embodiment includes a flap for holding the card. The flap is connected to the container by a hinge. The hinge includes a hinge pin and a hinge receiver that permit the card holder to pivot, rather than bend. Flexible arms bias the sheet toward the closed position to retain the card. 
         [0006]    A complementary dolly is also provided with recesses on its upper surface for automatically rotating the rotatable casters of a similar dolly stacked thereon to ensure proper alignment. 
         [0007]    Although the card holder and the dolly are both disclosed in the context of a 180 degree stack/nest container, both the card holder and the dolly could be used with other types of containers and both could be used with or without one another. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with the card holder in the closed position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view the container of  FIG. 1 , with the card holder in the open position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective interior view of the card holder of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective exterior view of the card holder of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the card holder of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective exterior view of the container of  FIG. 1  without the card holder. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective interior view of the container of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective exterior view of the container of  FIG. 1 , with the card holder in the closed position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a section view through the end wall of the container of  FIG. 1 , with the card holder in the closed position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a section view through the end wall of the container of  FIG. 1 , with the card holder in the closed position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a section view through the end wall of the container of  FIG. 1 , with the card holder in the open position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is an upper perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a lower perspective view of the container of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a lower perspective view of the container of  FIG. 12 , without the card holder. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is an enlarged bottom view of the end wall of the container of  FIG. 14 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  is a perspective interior view the container of  FIG. 14 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the interior surface of the card holder of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 18  is a bottom view of the card holder of  FIG. 17 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 19  is a side view of the card holder of  FIG. 17 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 20  is an enlarged bottom view of the end wall of the container of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 21  is a section view through the center of the end wall of  FIG. 20 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 22  is an alternate section view through the end wall of  FIG. 20 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 23  is a perspective view of a dolly that can be used to carry a plurality of the containers of  FIGS. 1-11  and/or  FIGS. 12-22 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 24  is a top perspective view of the dolly of  FIG. 23   
           [0033]      FIG. 25  illustrates the alignment of casters from a dolly stacked on the dolly of  FIG. 23 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 26  is a bottom perspective view of the dolly of  FIG. 23 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0035]      FIGS. 1-11  illustrate a container  10  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The container  10  includes a base  12 , a pair of opposed side walls including side wall  14 , and a pair of opposed end walls including end wall  16 . In order to provide the 180 degree stacking and nesting functionality, the side walls and end walls include alternating inward and outward offset portions  18 . The offset portions  18  on the opposed side walls and opposed end walls are arranged such that a like container will nest in the container  10  if rotationally aligned and will stack on the container if rotated 180 degrees relative to the container  10 . 
         [0036]    The container  10  includes a card holder  20  connected by a hinge  22  at its lower end to the end wall  16 . In  FIG. 1 , the card holder  20  is shown in the closed position with a card  50  retained between the card holder  20  and the end wall  16 . The card  50  includes indicia  52  of the contents of the container  10 . The indicia  52  may be text and/or computer readable indicia, such as a barcode. The card holder  20  is clear plastic so that the indicia  52  is readable through the card holder  20 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the card holder  20  can be pivoted about the hinge  22  to an open position so that a card can be inserted or removed from behind the card holder  20 . 
         [0037]    The card holder  20  is shown in  FIGS. 3-5 . The card holder  20  includes a flap  26  connected to a hinge pin  28  by a plurality of tabs  30 . The tabs  30  extend at an obtuse angle from the flap portion  26  and are spaced apart by openings  34  and arches  32 . 
         [0038]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show the container  10  without the card holder  20 . Cantilevered arms  40  form hinge receivers between recesses  42 . Each of the recesses  42  is defined by a corresponding arch  32  protruding into the interior of the container  10 . Each of the arches  32  includes a center opening  44 . 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , the card holder  20  is attached to the container  10  by snapping the hinge pin  28  under the hinge receivers formed by the arms  40  on the container  10  ( FIG. 9 ). The arches  32  of the card holder  20  are received in the openings  44  of the recesses  42  on the container  10  ( FIG. 10 ). 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIG. 11 , in use the card holder  20  is pulled to the open position (shown) so that a card  50  with information printed or stored thereon can be inserted behind the flap  26 . When the card holder  20  is pivoted outward, the arches  32  of the card holder  20  are compressed, such that the arches  32  bias the flap  26  back toward the closed position when the flap  26  is released. The card  50  can then be read through the flap  26 . Note that the flap  26  itself need not be flexible. 
         [0041]    The card holder  20  is more durable than the previous card holder, even after being opened and closed many times. Additionally, if the card holder  20  does break, it is easily replaced, unlike the previous card holder. 
         [0042]    A container  110  and a card holder  120  according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 12-22 . Referring to  FIG. 12 , the container  110  includes side walls  114  and end walls  116 ,  117 . The container  110  includes offset portions  118  such that the container  110  includes the 180 degree stack/nest feature as does the previous embodiment. The card holder  120  is clear plastic so that the indicia  52  on the card  50  is readable through the card holder  120 . 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 13 , the end wall  116  includes a plurality of vertical slots  150  to which the card holder  120  is attached. The container  110  includes a base cover  112  providing a smooth lowermost surface. 
         [0044]      FIGS. 14-16  show the container  110  without the card holder  120  and without the base cover  1   12 . The container  110  includes base wall  113  having a plurality of cross ribs  115  to which the base cover  112  ( FIG. 13 ) can be secured. The vertical slots  150  in the end wall  116  open downward and are contiguous with openings  152  through the base wall  1   13 . 
         [0045]      FIGS. 17-19  show the card holder  120 . The card holder  120  is molded of a clear plastic and includes a flap  126  integrally molded with connectors  156 . Each connector  156  includes a rib  158  connecting a flange  156  to the flap  126 . Each flange  156  includes an enlarged base  168 . The flap  126  includes a portion of increased thickness  170  around each connector  156  to increase strength and to make the flap  126  fit tightly against the tub end wall surface. 
         [0046]    Referring to  FIGS. 20-22 , the card holder  120  is connected to the container  110  by sliding the connectors  156  into the openings  152 . The ribs  158  slide into the vertical slots  150  until the enlarged base  168  of each connector  156  snaps past the base wall  113  ( FIG. 22 ). 
         [0047]    In use, the card holder  120  is pulled outward away from the end wall  116  so that a card  50  ( FIG. 12 ) can be inserted. 
         [0048]      FIG. 23  is a perspective view of a dolly  80  that can be used to carry a plurality of the containers  10 ,  110  of  FIGS. 1-22 . The dolly  80  includes a deck  82  having a generally continuous center upper wall  83  and plurality of protruding locators  84  located around the periphery of the deck  82  and in the center of the deck  82 . The locators  84  around the periphery are spaced apart by open, ribbed areas  85 . The upper surface of the deck  82  further includes a plurality of recesses  86  each aligned with casters  88 ,  89  on the lower side of the deck  82 , such that the casters  88 ,  89  of a similar dolly stacked thereon would be received in the recesses  86  as will be explained below. The casters  88  each freely rotate about an axis perpendicular to the deck  82 . The casters  89  are fixed in a fixed orientation relative to the axis perpendicular to the deck  82 . The dolly  80  could alternatively have four rotatable casters  88 . As shown in  FIG. 20 , the recesses  86  each include a pair of curved or spherical segments  90  separated by tapered dividers  92 . 
         [0049]    As shown in  FIG. 25 , when a similar dolly (only the casters  88 ′,  89 ′ are shown) is stacked on the dolly  80 , the rotational positions of the rotatable casters  88  will be re-aligned by the tapered dividers  92  into the recesses  86 . The fixed casters  89 ′ on the dolly will be received in the recesses  86  between the tapered divides  92 . Thus the dollies can be stacked without regard for orientation of the casters  88 ,  89 , which direction the dolly is oriented and whether the dolly has four rotatable casters  88 ′ or two. 
         [0050]      FIG. 26  is a bottom perspective view of the dolly  80 . As shown, the bottom of each of the locators  84  is open. However, the open, ribbed areas  85  ( FIG. 24 ) are open so that most of the peripheral portions  93  of the bottom of the deck  82  can be substantially closed (other than small drainage holes). The closed peripheral portions  93  of the bottom of the deck  82  facilitates handling by automated handling equipment. The closed peripheral portions  93  correspond to the open, ribbed areas  85  ( FIG. 23 ) on the upper side of the deck  82 . The closed locators  84  on the top of the deck  82  ( FIG. 23 ) correspond the open areas. The remainder of the underside of the deck  82  is defined by ribs  95  extending downwardly from the upper wall  83  ( FIG. 23 ) of the deck  82 . 
         [0051]    Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.