Abstract:
The container assembly is adapted for high speed packaging of perishable items. The container is formed with ribbed walls to add rigidity to the structure. The reinforcing ribs are perforated to allow air to circulate through the packaged goods. The ribs are shaped to maintain the perforations open during stacking and shipping. The mouth of the container has a peripheral flange. The flange has integral hinged closures for securing a separate top.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to containers for perishable items such as fruit and vegetables and, in particular, to a container designed to facilitate high speed packaging and maintain packaged items in a protected, vented structure during shipping and storage.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    One of the more important aspects in the food industry is packaging of perishable items for delivery to market. The packaging must be accomplished with speed and must protect the packaged goods for a significant period of time for delivery. Saving man hours in packaging and reducing spoilage of perishable goods both contribute directly to profitability in the industry.  
           [0003]    With regard to packaging of perishable items, the conventional method is to fill individual containers either by hand or mechanically. After the containers are filled a closure or top must be applied to the containers in such a manner that the closure or top will not be dislodged in normal shipping conditions. This application and sealing of the top or closure is a labor intensive operation.  
           [0004]    With regard to the package itself, plastic materials have generally replaced the use of natural fibers and materials. The old baskets and sacks had both strength and porosity sufficient to maintain the integrity of the package and provide ventilation to the items inside. However, these older materials have been replaced, in large part, by plastic bags and plastic boxes. To provide adequate ventilation to the interior of the these molded or extruded plastic containers requires some form of perforation of the walls of the containers. The amount of perforation is restricted in these plastic containers because the perforations reduce the strength of the material. With a small number of perforations, the possibility of ventilation becoming blocked increases. Without proper ventilation, the perishable goods inside the package quickly become damaged.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Disclosed is a container assembly adapted for high speed packaging of perishable items. The container is formed with perforate ribbed walls to add rigidity and allow air to circulate through the package. The ribs are shaped to maintain the perforations open during stacking and shipping. The mouth of the container has a peripheral flange. The flange has living or integral hinged closures for securing a separate top.  
           [0006]    Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a container which may be filled and securely closed with a minimum amount of labor.  
           [0007]    It is also an object of this invention to provide a plastic container with perforations providing adequate ventilation for perishable goods.  
           [0008]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a container shaped to prevent the perforations from being closed during shipment.  
           [0009]    Another object of the invention is to provide a the container with a mouth structure which permits high speed registration of a separate closure therewith.  
           [0010]    It is a further object of invention to provide the mouth structure with hinged fasteners which may be mechanically closed to secure the closure to the container.  
           [0011]    Objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.  
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of the invention with a top in place;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the container;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the interior of the container;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a cross section of the hinge structure;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a plan view of one embodiment of a top;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a perspective showing the interior of another embodiment of the container with another top;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a perspective of the embodiment of FIG. 6 with another top in place; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a cross section on line  8 - 8  of FIG. 7.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the container  10  with side walls  11 , end walls  13  and a separate top  12 . The container  10  has a bottom  25  shown in FIG. 2. The container is made of any conventional plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl or the like. The container is self supporting in that it will stand alone when empty. The side walls and end walls of the container have reinforcing ribs  16  extending from the top to the bottom of the walls. The ribs curve around the bottom of the side walls and end walls and form supporting surfaces  26  for the container. The bottom  25  of the container is recessed within the confines of the supporting surfaces  26 .  
         [0021]    The ribs  16 , shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 , have a greater depth  27  toward to top of the container  11  and a lesser depth  28  toward the bottom. Each rib has a shoulder  17  tapering inwardly and downwardly. Each shoulder  17  contains an opening  18 . The opening  18  extends upwardly as a slit in the rib. As shown in FIG. 1, the slit terminates at  19 . The openings  18  provide ventilation to the interior of the container when it is sealed with top  12 . The shoulder  17  provides protection for the opening  18  assuring ventilation even if the side walls and end walls are blocked. The mouth of the container  11  has a flange  24  extending outwardly about the periphery of the container. Flange  24  has a vertical extension  15  formed about the outer edge. The planar flange  24  also includes integrally formed hinged fasteners disposed above the side walls  11 . The hinged fasteners  14  are movable from the open to closed position due to the flexibility and resilience of the plastic material from which the container is constructed. Also formed in the planar flange  24  are recesses  23  disposed to receive the pin  21  carried by the fastener  14 . The fastener  14  is secured through friction forces, such as complimentary wedges shapes, between the pins  21  and the recesses  23 .  
         [0022]    As shown in FIG. 4, the pin  21  and the recess  23  are shaped to provide a snap fit. The separate top  12  shown in FIG. 5 has an apertures  20 . The top may be made of paper, cardboard, plastic or foil. The apertures  20  are placed in the top  12  to accommodate the pins  21 . The periphery of the top  12  closely approximates the shape formed by the upstanding edge  15  of the flange  24 .  
         [0023]    The container  30 , shown in FIG. 6, has the general shape of the container of FIG. 1. The sides  31  and end walls  32  are formed with reinforcing ribs  33  extending from near the top of the container to the bottom. The ribs  33  continue around the bottom of the wall and form supporting surfaces  34  for the container. The bottom  35  is recessed within the supporting surfaces. The ribs  33  are formed with a generally constant depth throughout the length. Some of the ribs have ventilating apertures  36  in the form of elongated slits. The upper end of the ribs terminate in the side and end walls below the mouth of the container.  
         [0024]    The mouth of the container  30  is formed with a raised circumferential shoulder  37  and a lower integral planar peripheral flange  38  extending outwardly beyond the sides and end walls generally parallel to the bottom  35 . The flange overhangs the upper ends of the reinforcing ribs  33 . The overhanging flange  38  prevents the apertures in the ribs from being blocked. The peripheral flange  38  has opposed recesses formed adjacent outward extensions  40  which carry pins  41 . Because of the flexibility and resilience of the plastic material from which the container is made, the extensions  40  may be folded inwardly in the nature of a hinge. The pins  41  are received in the recesses in a snap fit, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. The flange  38  has vertical extensions  42  located above the side walls and vertical extensions  43  located above the end walls.  
         [0025]    The top  44 , shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, is formed as a concave-convex enclosure having an opening approximating the exterior dimensions of the shoulder  37  and having a peripheral planar flange  45 . The flange  45  has opposed apertures  46 . When the top is registered with the container, the flange  38  and flange  45  are superposed and the peripheral edges of the flange  45  contact the vertical extensions  42  and  43 . When the top  44  is fastened to the container  30 , the pins  41  extend through the apertures  46  into recesses  39 .  
         [0026]    In the high speed packaging operation, the containers of this invention may be filled and the tops may be fastened without manual labor. Because of the flexibility and resilience of the fasteners, they may be hinged and secured mechanically.  
         [0027]    It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.