Patent GB-1443597-A (GB)
Title: Nestable tray with cup supporting recess
IPC: A47G23/06
Filed: 1974-04-23
Abstract: 1443597 Cup carrying tray KEYES FIBRE CO 23 April 1974 [4 Oct 1973] 17638/74 Heading A4A A cup carrying tray 10 molded with sloping wall portions 14, 16 for the nesting of like empty trays includes means 20 for holding a beverage cup, the cup holding means having a theoretical vertical centreline CL, a cup supporting bottom, and sides in which are at least two cup cradling apertures 22, 24 opposite each other about the centreline, at least a portion 26, 28 of the lower edge of each aperture lying in a common horizontal plane coinciding with the bottom of the cup holding means, the side edges, 34, 36 of each aperture diverging away from each other in the downward direction from a level T defining the top of the cup holding means to widen the aperture to permit a portion of the bottom of a cup in the holding means to protrude through the lower portion of the aperture. The horizontal distance, TR, between each side edge at the top, T, of the cup holding means and the centreline CL is greater than the horizontal distance, BR, between each side edge at the bottom of the holding means and the centreline by (TR-BB). The vertical spacing between the distances is H and a taper angle for the sides of the cup holding means is less than about 10 degrees from the vertical. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4, the arcuate upper edge 38 or 40 of at least one of the apertures 22, 24 has a horizontal distance from the centreline approximately equal to TR of side edges 34, 36, which are relatively straight. The lower edges, 26 of 22, 28 of 24, lie in a common horizontal plane coinciding with the bottom B of the holding means and support a cup at spaced contact points around the bottom periphery. Each edge includes an upwardly extending locating segment 30, 32 to ensure centring of a cup bottom. In the embodiment of Figs. 5-8 (not shown), nestable tray (100) has a flat bottom portion (102), side walls (104), end-walls (106), a flange (108) and two identical cup supporting recesses (110) for holding beverage cups each having three non-symmetrical cup-cradling apertures (112), (114), (116). The upper edge (132) or (134) of at . least one of the apertures (112), (114) respectively is recessed outwardly so that its horizontal distance from the centreline is greater than the horizontal distance TR of side edges (126), (128). Upper edges (136) have a horizontal distance from CL of approximately the distance TR of the side edges (130). The lower edge of at least one of the apertures extends inwardly, the horizontal distance from the centreline being less than the distance BR. The bottom of each cup holding means is defined by a cup supporting web (124) connecting the lower edges of the apertures. In the embodiment of Figs. 9-11 (not shown), the generally rectangular tray has four cup supporting recesses (210), one at each corner, each with three cup-cradling apertures (212), (214), (216).having upper edges (234), (236), (238) respectively. At least one of the apertures includes inwardly directed positioning tabs (240), Fig. 11 (not shown) which provide lateral cup support at the top of the cup holding means for a small cup, but which can be displaced downwardly by a larger cup (Fig. 10). The lower edge (218), (220) or (222) of at least one of the apertures extends inwardly, as in the embodiment of (Figs. 5-8), and the bottom of each cup holding means is defined by a T-shaped cup supporting web (224) which includes an upwardly protruding boss 226 facilitating proper centring of the bottom of a flanged cup. The side edges (228), (230), (232) are slightly curved in outwardly bowed position. The horizontal distance between each side edge at the top of the cup holding means and the centreline is less than 2À315 cm greater than the horizontal distance between each side edge at the bottom of the holding means and the centreline, the vertical spacing between the distances is 3À6 cm and the taper angle of the holding means sides is less than 5 degrees from the vertical.