Patent Publication Number: US-2019168909-A1

Title: Collapsible crate

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/469,183, filed on May 11, 2012, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/485,116, filed May 11, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Crates for produce may include a base having a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of opposed end walls extending upward therefrom. The side walls and end walls may be pivotably connected to the base, such that they can be collapsed onto the base when the crate is empty. 
     A clamshell container is a known plastic container often used for shipping and selling fruit, such as strawberries, or other items that require refrigeration. The clamshell container includes an upper portion hingeably connected to a lower portion, such as by a living hinge. The upper portion includes a rim portion extending around a periphery of a lid portion. A plurality of upper ventilation openings are formed through tapered side walls and an upper wall of the lid portion. The lower portion includes a rim portion extending around a periphery of a base. A plurality of lower ventilation openings are formed through tapered side walls and a lower wall of the base. A plurality of connectors connect the rim portion of the upper portion to the rim portion of the lower portion. The connectors also space the upper portion from the lower portion to provide additional ventilation. 
     SUMMARY 
     A crate includes a base, a pair of opposed side walls extending upward from the base and a pair of opposed end walls extending upward from the base. The base includes a plurality of container support areas each defined by a rectangular perimeter defined by a plurality of vents. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one example crate according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the crate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the crate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the crate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the crate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a clamshell container. 
         FIG. 7  is an end view of the container of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the container of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the container of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 10  is a bottom view of the container of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a plurality of the containers of  FIG. 6  in the crate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of the crate and containers of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a wireframe side view of the crate and containers of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  is an end view of the crate and containers of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a wireframe end view of the crate and containers of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 16  is a top view of the crate and containers of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 17  is a bottom wireframe view of the crate and containers of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 18  is a top view of the crate and containers of  FIG. 11  cross-stacked on identical crate and containers. 
         FIG. 19  is a bottom view of the stack of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 20  is a wireframe bottom view of the stack of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of the crates and containers of  FIG. 18  arranged end-to-side. 
         FIG. 22  shows the crates of  FIG. 21  without the containers. 
         FIG. 23  is an end view of the crates of  FIG. 22  without the containers. 
         FIG. 24  is a wireframe end view of the crates of  FIG. 23 . 
         FIG. 25  is an end view of the crates of  FIG. 21  with the containers. 
         FIG. 26  is a wireframe end view of the crates of  FIG. 25 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A crate  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The crate  10  includes a base  12 , a pair of opposed side walls  14  and a pair of opposed end walls  16 . The side walls  14  and end walls  16  are collapsible onto the base  12 . The end walls  16  may include handles  18 . Latches  20  selectively connect the side walls  14  to the end walls  16  to maintain the walls in the upright, use position. 
     The base  12  includes an upper panel  22  having a plurality of openings or vents  24  formed therein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the side walls  14  each include a lower panel portion  26  on an inner surface of the side wall  14 , an outer panel portion  28  at an outer surface of the side wall  14  and above the lower panel portion  26 , and an upper panel portion  30  at an inner surface of the side wall  14  and above the outer panel portion  28 . A plurality of ribs  32  extend outward from the lower panel portion  26  and upper panel portion  30  and inward from the outer panel portion  28 . 
     Vertically-oriented vents  27  are formed in the lower panel portion  26 . Horizontally-oriented vents  29  are formed in the outer panel portion  28 . Horizontally-oriented vents  31  are formed in the upper panel portion  30 . Horizontally-oriented lower vents  34  are formed in the lower panel portion  26  below the vertically-oriented vents  27 . 
     The base  12  includes a plurality of spaced-apart upstanding side portions  40  defining lower openings  38 . The side wall  14  is pivotably connected to the upstanding side portions  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the end walls  16  each include a lower panel portion  46  on an inner surface of the end wall  16 , an outer panel portion  48  at an outer surface of the end wall  16  and above the lower panel portion  46 , and an upper panel portion  50  at an inner surface of the end wall  16  and above the outer panel portion  48 . A plurality of ribs  52  extend outward from the lower panel portion  46  and upper panel portion  50  and inward from the outer panel portion  48 . 
     Vertically-oriented vents  47  are formed in the lower panel portion  46 . Horizontally-oriented vents  49  are formed in the outer panel portion  48 . Horizontally-oriented vents  51  are formed in the upper panel portion  50 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the crate  10 . The base  12  includes a plurality of vents  24 . The vents  24  include a plurality of rows of vents  56  in which the rows extend parallel to the side walls  14  (in this example, there are six rows of vents  56 ). The vents  56  are elongated in a direction parallel to the end walls  16 . The vents  24  further include a plurality of columns of vents  58 , wherein the columns extend parallel to the end walls  16  (in this example, there are six columns of vents  58 ) and the vents  58  are elongated generally parallel to the side walls  14 . The vents  24  further include three columns of offset vents  62  (the vents  62  elongated in a direction generally parallel to the side walls  14 ) between the first and second columns of vents  58 , the third and fourth columns of vents  58  and fifth and sixth columns of vents  58 . Vents  60  are formed between the second and third columns of vents  58  and fourth and fifth columns of vents  58 . The arrangement of vents can also be viewed as a 3×3 array of container support surfaces, each having a rectangular perimeter of elongated vents that are oriented perpendicular to the perimeter.  FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the crate  10 . 
     The spacing and arrangement of the vents  24  in the base  12  is further explained with reference to clamshell containers  100  shown in  FIGS. 6-10 . The clamshell container  100  is a known plastic container often used for shipping and selling fruit, such as strawberries, or other items that require refrigeration. The clamshell container  100  includes an upper portion  102  and a lower portion  104 . The upper portion  102  includes a rim portion  106  extending around a periphery of a lid portion  108 . A plurality of upper ventilation openings  110  are formed through tapered side walls and an upper wall of the lid portion  108 . The lower portion  104  includes a rim portion  112  extending around a periphery of a base  114 . A plurality of lower ventilation openings  116  are formed through tapered side walls and a lower wall of the base  114 . A plurality of connectors  118  connect the rim portion  106  of the upper portion  102  to the rim portion  112  of the lower portion  104 . The connectors  118  also space the upper portion  102  from the lower portion  104  to provide additional ventilation. 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , a plurality of clamshell containers  100  can be placed in the crate  10  (in this example, nine).  FIG. 12  is a side view of the crate  10  and containers  100  of  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 13  is a wireframe view of  FIG. 12 . Referring to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the lower ventilation openings  116  of the containers  100  align with the lower openings  38  and lower vents  34  of the crate  10 . The vents  29  in the outer panel portion  28  of the crate  10  align with the gap between the upper portion  102  and the lower portion  104  of the container  100 . The vents  31  in the upper panel portion  30  of the crate  10  align with the upper ventilation openings  110  of the containers  100 . 
       FIG. 14  is an end view of the crate  10  and containers  100  of  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 15  is a wireframe view of  FIG. 14 . Referring to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the vents  49  in the outer panel portion  48  of the crate  10  align with the gap between the upper portion  102  and the lower portion  104  of the container  100 . The vents  51  in the upper panel portion  50  of the crate  10  align with the upper ventilation openings  110  of the containers  100 . 
       FIG. 16  is a top view of the crate  10  and containers  100  of  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 17  is a bottom wireframe view of the crate  10  and containers  100  of  FIG. 16 . The lower ventilation openings  116  along the long wall of the container  100  align with the rows of vents  56 . The lower ventilation openings  116  along the short wall of the container  100  align with the columns of vents  58 . Some of the vents  58  align between containers  100 , as do some of the offset vents  62  and vents  60 . Each of the containers  100  is received on a container support surface defined by the perimeter of elongated vents, such that the elongated lower ventilation openings  116  of the container  100  are aligned with the elongated vents along the perimeter of each container support surface. 
     The alignment of vents on the crate  10  and containers  100  provides improved flow of cold air into the containers  100  when the crate  10  and containers  100  are placed in refrigeration. 
     The crate  10  can stack on an identical crate  10  either in an aligned orientation (not shown) or in a cross-stacked orientation, as shown in  FIG. 18  (as part of a cross-stacked stack of crates  10 , in a known arrangement). As shown, the upper crate  10  is rotated ninety degrees relative to the lower crate  10 , so that two thirds of the crates  10  overlap (if the crate&#39;s  10  width is two-thirds of its length).  FIG. 19  is a bottom view of the crates  10  of  FIG. 18 . As shown, in the cross-stacked orientation, the vents  56  of the upper crate  10  align with the vents  58  of the lower tray  10 , and vice versa. The offset vents  62  also align with vents  56 . This would also mean that the vents in the base  12  of the upper crate  10  are aligned with the upper ventilation openings  110  of the containers  100  (just as the vents in the base  12  aligned with the lower ventilation openings  116  of the containers  100 , because the upper ventilation openings  110  are aligned with the lower ventilation openings  116 ). 
       FIG. 21  shows the crates  10  and containers  100  aligned with the end wall  16  of one crate  110  adjacent one edge of a side wall  14  of the other crate  10 . This is part of a lower layer of crates  10 , where another layer would be stacked thereon, as in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . As shown in  FIG. 24 , the vents  29 ,  49  align, the vents  31 ,  51  align and the vents  27 ,  47  align. 
     The crate  10  is thus designed to provide good ventilation when cross stacked with identical crates. Also, the crate  10  and the containers  100  in combination provide improved ventilation. This permits more rapid, even cooling of the produce (e.g. strawberries) in the containers  100 . 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.