Patent Publication Number: US-8522967-B2

Title: Cell tray

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to logistics equipment. Particularly, the invention relates to cell trays used for transporting a plurality of bottles. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Cell trays are a commonly known medium for transporting and temporarily storing bottles. The majority of bottles transported on cell trays are bottles with a circular cross-section. Cell trays have traditionally been designed to accommodate a bottle of certain standardized size such as 0.5 or 1.5 liter. This creates a problem for not only logistics and warehousing but also production planning at beverage producers, for example, as the demand for a certain bottle size fluctuates. Accordingly, great stocks of cell trays suitable for a certain size of bottle need to be maintained, which absorbs capital and increases warehousing costs. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cell tray suitable for accommodating different sizes of bottles having circular cross-section. It is a particular aim to provide a cell tray suitable for accommodating circular cross-section having bottles of different proportions for adapting to diameter fluctuations of a given bottle volume between bottle standards in different market areas. 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the invention is achieved with a novel cell tray for transporting a plurality of bottles. The cell tray comprises a quadrilateral base which has on one side a loading surface adapted to receive bottle bottoms in a matrix-like loading pattern. The cell tray also comprises holding devices provided to the base on the opposite side to the loading surface such that the holding devices are adapted to receive and lock into place bottle mouths of bottles loaded onto a similar cell tray beneath said holding devices in a stack of cell trays. The holding devices are arranged as to align with at least two separate loading patterns on the loading surface. The first loading pattern is formed by a first plurality of holding devices which are arranged in a matrix-like formation which consists of a first number of rows and of a first number of columns. The second loading pattern is formed by a second plurality of holding devices which is arranged in a matrix-like formation which consists of a second number of rows and of a second number of columns. The second number of rows is at least one less than the first number of rows, and the second number of columns is at least one less than the first number of columns. On the other side of the base the loading surface comprises protruding ridges which have a shape inverse to that of a combination of the first loading pattern of bottle bottoms having a circular profile with a radius and second loading pattern of bottle bottoms having a circular profile with a radius larger than that in the first loading pattern. 
     Considerable benefits are gained with aid of the present invention. 
     Because the tray is equipped with different size recesses, bottles of different sizes may be accommodated, which enables the use of only one standardized cell tray for at least two different packages. In addition to obvious benefits in reducing the variety of load carriers in logistics and warehousing, the cell tray according to the invention helps in supplying products regardless of fluctuations in demand regarding bottle size and shape since one cell tray may be used to carry large and small bottles. Particularly the protruding ridges on the loading surface of the base are shaped in an inverse manner to the loading patterns, whereby the ridges guide bottle bottoms having a radius smaller than that of the bottles on the first loading pattern, whereby the cell tray is able to accommodate bottles of three different sizes. This is particularly advantageous in beverage production facilities with automated handling equipment, wherein one type of cell tray is applicable to 1.5 liter bottles, for example, having the cross-sectional diameter of 95 mm or 90 mm depending on bottle standards as well as to larger bottles of 2 or 3 liter, for example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following certain embodiments of the invention are described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  presents an isometric view of a cell tray according to one embodiment without protruding ridges for improved legibility, 
         FIG. 2  presents a top elevation view of the cell tray according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  presents the cell tray of  FIG. 2  with sketches of two different bottle bottom profiles A, B arranged to loading positions at opposing ends of the cell tray, 
         FIG. 4  presents a cross-sectional view along the center line of the cell tray of according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 5  presents an isometric view of a cell tray showing said protruding ridges, 
         FIG. 6   a  presents a bottom elevation view of the cell tray of  FIGS. 1 to 5  illustrating two pluralities of holding devices which form two corresponding matrix-like loading patterns LP 1  and LP 2 , 
         FIG. 6   b  presents the cell tray of  FIG. 6   a  without the second plurality of holding devices, i.e. only the first loading pattern LP 1 , 
         FIG. 6   c  presents the cell tray of  FIG. 6   a  without the first plurality of holding devices, i.e. only the second loading pattern LP 2 , and 
         FIG. 7  presents a detail view of a group of protruding ridges of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the cell tray  100  has a conventional basic structure featuring a quadrilateral base  70  which is surrounded by four lateral edges  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40  chained together for surrounding the base  70  such that the lateral edges  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40  provide lateral support for the contents of the cell tray  100  in all four lateral directions. In the figures the first and second lateral edge  10 ,  20  are arranged to oppose each other in parallel. The third and fourth edge lateral  30 ,  40  are arranged to oppose each other in parallel but orthogonally to the first and second lateral edge  10 ,  20 , whereby a loading pattern may be formed between the lateral edges  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40  on the loading surface  71  of the base  70 . Each lateral edge  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40  is provided with a plurality of subsequent primary recesses  50  which are adapted to receive the outer envelope surface of the bottle in an embedded manner. The primary recess  50  therefore has a radius r 50  which corresponds to that of the circular bottle profile A best seen in  FIG. 3  in which the bottle profile A of first bottle type has been sketched with dashed line. In the illustrated example, the first and second lateral edges  10 ,  20  each have four subsequent primary recesses  50 , whereas the third and fourth lateral edges  30 ,  40  have six resulting in a matrix-like first loading pattern (LP 1  in  FIG. 6 ) of four by six. The cell tray  100  is therefore adapted to carry 24 bottles of a small diameter, such as 95 mm, for example. 
     As is also apparent from the figures, a plurality of subsequent secondary recesses  60  has been arranged to the same lateral edges  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 . Each secondary recess  60  is disposed between two subsequent primary recesses  50  such that the secondary recess  60  connects two subsequent primary recesses  50 .  FIG. 2  illustrates how the circumferential imaginary extensions of an adjacent primary and secondary recess  50 ,  60  intersect, wherein loading positions being defined by said circumferential imaginary extensions of adjacent primary and secondary recesses  50 ,  60  overlap. In other words, the secondary recesses  60  have been embedded between two primary recesses  50 , whereby there is one less secondary recess  60  on each lateral edge  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40  leading to one less loading position per column and row in the matrix-like second loading pattern (LP 2  in  FIG. 6 ) resulting from the secondary recesses  60 . It is to be noted that the loading patterns LP 1 , LP 2  co-exist on the same cell tray  100 , i.e. the loading patterns LP 1 , LP 2  are superposed in an embedded manner. 
     What is also noticeable is that the radius r 60  of the secondary recess  60  is different to the radius r 50  of the primary recess  50 . Particularly, the radius r 60  of the secondary recess  60  is larger than the radius r 50  of the primary recess  50 . As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the radius r 60  of the secondary recess  60  corresponds to that of another bottle profile B which has a larger radius to the radius r 50  of the primary recess  50  and bottle profile A. In the illustrated example, the first and second lateral edges  10 ,  20  have been provided with three secondary recesses  60  which is naturally one less than the number of primary recesses  50  which the secondary recesses  60  connect. The third and fourth lateral edges  30 ,  40  have been provided with five secondary recesses  60  for the same reason. Accordingly, the matrix-like loading pattern formed by the secondary recesses  60  features  15  bottle positions arranged in a three by five matrix. In the given example, the diameter of the first bottle profile A corresponding to the primary recess  50  is 95 mm (1.5 liter) and the diameter of the second bottle profile B corresponding to the secondary recess  60  is 113 mm (2 to 3 liter). 
     When loaded, the bottoms of the bottles are supported laterally by the lateral edges,  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40  such that the outer envelope surface of the bottles engage with the recesses  50 ,  60 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the loading surface  71  of the base is illustrated as being free of support members. On the opposing side to the loading surface  71 , the base  70  comprises a plurality of holding devices  72  ( FIG. 4 ). The holding devices  72  are adapted to receive and lock into place bottle mouths of bottles loaded onto a similar cell tray  100  beneath the holding devices  72 , when loaded cell trays  100  are stacked on top of each other. The holding devices  72  are aligned with center points of the radii r 50 , r 60  of each recess  50 ,  60 . The holding devices  72  are thus arranged to correspond to both loading patterns LP 1 , LP 2  on the bottom side of the cell tray  100 . 
     Bottles with different the bottom profile radius typically have same size corks and bottle mouths, whereby the holding devices  72  may be similar under bottle positions being formed by primary and secondary recesses  50 ,  60  alike. Due to the size difference between the bottles to be received and therefore to the radii r 50 , r 60  of the recesses  50 ,  60 , the holding devices  72  are spaced from each other such that there is ample space for providing lateral support structures for the bottle mouths. As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , adjacent bottle positions in alternative loading patterns are closer to each other farthest away from the center of the cell tray  100 , whereby holding devices  72  on the peripheral area of the cell tray  100  may have to be partially merged. 
     In the illustrated examples, holding devices  72  are provided as locking sleeves which are known in the field per se. Alternatively, any suitable device known in the art for holding in place the mouth portion of a bottle is applicable, such as ribs arranged in a circle or a locking membrane with a center aperture. The shape of the holding devices  72  is therefore not be considered as limited to cylindrical but as any suitable shape for locking the top terminal end of the bottle. 
     Referring now back to the example given above, the first bottle profile A (Ø 95 mm) can be a typical 1.5 liter bottle and the second bottle profile B (Ø 113 mm) can be a typical 2 or 3 liter bottle. Thanks to the shape of the protruding ridges  73  and the cooperating arrangement of holding devices  72  on the opposite side of the cell tray  100 , a third bottle profile has a diameter of 90 mm corresponding to an inner volume of 1.5 liter according to another standard may be loaded into the first loading pattern LP 1  instead of the original 95 mm corresponding to the same volume. In fact, 1.5 liter bottles, for example, may are produced globally with slightly different cross-sectional diameters depending on market areas. It is therefore advantageous that the protruding ridges—while not tightly laterally supporting the smaller 90 mm diameter bottle—yet prevent the third profile bottles from dislocating and guide the bottle mouths into the correct holding devices  72  provided on a similar cell tray  100  above in a stack of cell trays. Thus, a bottle of a diameter smaller than that of the first profile A may be loaded into the first loading pattern LP 1 . 
     In another example (not shown) the diameter of the first bottle profile A corresponding to the primary recess  50  is 65 mm (0.33 to about 0.5 liter), which results in a matrix-like loading pattern of 54 bottle positions arranged in a six by nine matrix. In the same example, the diameter of the second bottle profile B corresponding to the secondary recess  60  is 95 mm (1.5 liter), which results in a matrix-like loading pattern of 24 bottle positions arranged in a four by six matrix. It is therefore to be noted, that the secondary recesses  60  need not connect two subsequent primary recesses  50 . In fact in this embodiment, there are two fewer secondary recesses  60  than primary recesses  50  in the first and second lateral edge  10 ,  20  and three fewer secondary recesses  60  in the third and fourth lateral edge  30 ,  40 . It is therefore to be concluded that the difference in the radii r 50 , r 60  of the recesses  50 ,  60  and also of the bottle profiles A, B is to be selected according to the given bottle sizes such that the loading patterns match up. The dimensions of the lateral edges  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40  shall be selected accordingly. 
     Other arrangements are naturally also possible and considered to be obvious design alternatives for a skilled person now introduced to the novel cell tray concept according to the invention. 
     According to one embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the loading surface  71  of the base  70  is not flat as in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 to 4 , but comprises protruding ridges  73 . Said ridges  73  are shaped to engage with bottle bottoms having a radius smaller than that of the primary recess  50 , whereby the cell tray  100  is able to accommodate bottles of three different sizes. The ridges  73  are designed to surround the center points of the radius r 50  of the primary recesses  50  for provide lateral support for bottles which have a cross-sectional radius smaller than that of the primary recess  50  and which are positioned into the primary recess  50 . 
     The protruding ridges  73  comprise annular protrusions  73   a  on bottle positions in which the combination of the loading patterns LP 1 , LP 2  permit. The annular protrusions  73   a  are shaped according to the base shape of the bottle helping the bottles to settle into position while being loaded into the loading pattern. Such annular protrusions  73   a  may result, e.g. from bottles with a pentalon shape. 
     In this context the term “comprise” is used to indicate inclusion instead of limitation, i.e. in addition to the stated elements, other elements may also be present. Furthermore, the above description is only to exemplify the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection defined by the claims. Indeed, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. 
     Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS. 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 number 
                 part 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 10 
                 first edge 
               
               
                 20 
                 second edge 
               
               
                 30 
                 third edge 
               
               
                 40 
                 fourth edge 
               
               
                 50 
                 primary recess 
               
               
                 60 
                 secondary recess 
               
               
                 70 
                 base 
               
               
                 71 
                 loading surface 
               
               
                 72 
                 holding device 
               
               
                 73 
                 protruding ridge 
               
               
                     73a 
                 annular protrusion 
               
               
                 100  
                 cell tray 
               
               
                 A 
                 bottle profile (fitting to primary recess) 
               
               
                 B 
                 bottle profile (fitting to secondary recess) 
               
               
                 r 50   
                 radius of primary recess 
               
               
                 r 60   
                 radius of secondary recess 
               
               
                 r A   
                 radius of the bottle profile A of the first  
               
               
                   
                 loading pattern LP 1   
               
               
                 r B   
                 radius of the bottle profile B of the second 
               
               
                   
                 loading pattern LP 2   
               
               
                 LP1 
                 first loading pattern 
               
               
                 LP2 
                 second loading pattern