Patent Abstract:
A tray for storing and transporting bottles according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a base and a plurality of corner columns and side columns extending upwardly from the base, including center side columns. The center side columns and the corner columns having outer ledges defining a nesting height of the tray, such that the side walls of a similar tray nested thereon would contact and rest on the outer ledges of the center side columns and the corner columns. According to another, independent feature of the present invention, the noncenter side columns are offset inwardly relative to adjacent columns. This accommodates the handle of the tray in a ninety-degree cross-stacked configuration. As another optional feature, end columns are offset inwardly relative to adjacent corner columns in order to accommodate the handle of a similar tray nested thereon.

Full Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/167,776, filed Apr. 8, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a stackable low depth tray for storing and transporting beverages containers, such as bottles. 
     Plastic bottles are widely used as containers for soft drinks and other beverages. These bottles are often stored and transported in trays, particularly plastic trays having side walls, end walls and dividers defining pockets between the side walls and end walls. There are many known tray designs that are referred to as “low depth” trays in which the side walls, end walls and dividers are lower than the height of the stored bottles, and in which the bottles support the weight of additional trays and bottles stacked thereon. 
     One known type of low-depth tray had sidewalls and dividers all at the same height. In later versions of this tray, a portion of the dividers was lowered to reduce weight. This height of the side walls and dividers was the nest stop for empty crates stacked thereon in both a column (i.e. trays aligned) and cross stack (i.e. each row of trays is ninety degrees relative to the row of trays below it, or the trays are longitudinally aligned and longitudinally offset by 50%). 
     In the known trays, the bottom ribs of the tray base extend down approximately 0.1″ further than the sidewall. Raising the bottom edge of the sidewalls in this manner makes it easier for a delivery person to get a hand truck blade under a stack of crates to move them. As a result, the sidewalls of stacked empty crates do not rest on each other. It is the bottom ribs extending down from the base that rest on top of the dividers when stacked. One problem with this raised side wall design is that empty stacks are not as stable because the footprint is much smaller stacking on dividers only. 
     Later generation trays improved on this design by adding ribs on the outside of the walls to capture the sidewall of the crate above and also widening the lower part of the castle to capture the bottom ribs of the crate above. 
     In another tray, the side walls between the columns and the dividers are lowered for more visibility. As a result, the side walls do stack on the top of the side walls of the tray below. In this design, the columns are taller in order to better support bottles with a portion of reduced diameter between the base and a mid-portion of the bottle. One problem with this design is that the taller columns extend into the handle area of the tray above, in both a column stack and a cross stack position. In order to accommodate the handle, the columns are aggressively tapered on the outside face of the columns on the perimeter of the tray. However, the center columns still do not accommodate the handle in a longitudinal cross-stack arrangement. Also, this design results in corner columns that are more fragile because they include the aggressive taper on two sides. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A tray for storing and transporting bottles according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a base and a plurality of interior columns extending upwardly from the base, including a center interior column. A plurality of side columns extend upwardly along sides of the tray, including two noncenter side columns and a center side column on each side of the tray, each center side column between the two noncenter side columns. Corner columns are at corners of the tray. The center side columns and the corner columns have outer ledges defining a nesting height of the tray, such that the side walls of a similar tray nested thereon would contact and rest on the outer ledges of the center side columns and the corner columns. The noncenter side columns do not include an outer ledge at the nesting height. 
     According to another, independent feature of the present invention, exterior surfaces of opposing noncenter side columns on opposite sides of the tray are spaced from one another by a distance less than that by which exterior surfaces at the first height of opposing center side columns on opposite sides of the tray. In other words, the noncenter side columns are offset inwardly relative to adjacent columns. This accommodates the handle of a tray stacked thereon in a ninety-degree cross-stacked configuration. 
     According to another, independent feature of the present invention, exterior surfaces of the end columns are offset inwardly relative to the respective adjacent corner columns. This accommodates the handle of a tray nested thereon in a column stack configuration. 
     According to another, independent feature of the present invention, the center interior column and the center side columns include spaced apart halves, defining a passage therethrough. The halves of the center interior column are spaced further apart than the halves of the center side columns in order to accommodate the handle cross-stacked longitudinally thereon. 
     These and other features of the application can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the tray. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the tray. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the tray. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the tray. 
         FIG. 6  is an end view of the tray. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective of the tray with a similar tray column stacked thereon. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective of the tray with the similar tray cross-stacked ninety degrees thereon. 
         FIG. 9  is an end view of the trays of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a section view through the trays of  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
         FIG. 11  shows the tray with the similar tray cross-stacked longitudinally thereon. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A tray  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The tray  10  includes a base wall  12 . A plurality of longitudinal dividers  14   a  and a plurality of lateral dividers  14   b  (or, together “dividers  14 ”) extend outward from a plurality of interior columns  20   a ,  20   b  which, together with the base walls  12 , longitudinal dividers  14   a  and lateral dividers  14   b  define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets. The interior columns include a center interior column  20   a  and two noncenter interior columns  20   b  arranged generally along a longitudinal centerline of the tray  10 . 
     The lateral dividers  14   b  each connect one of the interior columns  20  with one of a plurality of side columns  22   a ,  22   b  positioned along a side edge of the tray  10 . The side columns  22   a ,  22   b  (collectively “side columns  22 ”) center side columns  22   a  and noncenter side columns  22   b . The tray  10  further includes four corner columns  24  extending upwardly from the corners of the tray  10 . End columns  26  extend upwardly from ends of the tray  10 , between the corner columns  24 . 
     Side walls  28  on each side of the tray  10  define outer ledges  30   a ,  30   b  adjacent the center side columns  22   a  and noncenter side columns  22   b , respectively. The side walls  28  further define outer ledges  32  adjacent the corner columns  24 . Exterior surfaces  34   b  of the noncenter side columns  22   b  adjacent the outer ledges  30   b  are offset inwardly relative to the exterior surfaces  34   a  of the center side columns  22   a  adjacent the outer ledges  30   a  and relative to the exterior surfaces  36  of the corner columns  24  adjacent the outer ledges  32 . The outer ledges  30   a  of the center side columns  22   a  and the outer ledges  32  of the corner columns  24  define the nesting height, and the outer ledges  30   b  of the noncenter side columns  22   b  are slightly lower than the nesting height. Alternatively, the outer ledges  30   b  of the noncenter side columns  22   b  could be eliminated. 
     At the ends of the tray  10 , an end wall  46  defines outer ledges  42  at the nesting height adjacent exterior surfaces  44  of the corner columns  24 . The end wall  46  also defines an outer ledge  48  below the nesting height adjacent an exterior surface  51  of the end column  26 . The exterior surface  51  of the end column  26  is offset inwardly relative the exterior surfaces  44  of the corner columns  24 . A handle  49  is defined by a downwardly open recess formed in the end wall  46  below the end column  26 . 
     The center side columns  22   a  are split to define a lateral passage  50  therethrough, which is aligned with a lateral passage  52  through the center interior column  20   a . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the lateral passage  52  through the center interior column  20   a  is wider than the lateral passage  50  through the center side columns  22   a , such that the interior surfaces  54  of the center interior column  20   a  are offset away from center relative to the interior surfaces  56  of the center side columns  22   a . The lateral divider  14   b  aligned with the center interior column  20   a  is at the same height as a lower surface  58  of the lateral passage  52  through the center interior column  20   a , which is below the nesting height. The lower surface  60  of the lateral passage  50  through the center side columns  22   a  is at the nesting height, continuous with the outer ledges  30   a  of the center side columns  22   a.    
     As a result, only the outer ledges  30   a  and lower surface  60  of the lateral passage  50  of the center side columns  22   a  and the outer ledges  32 ,  42  of the corner columns  24  are at the nesting height. Considering the tray  10  as two sets of 2×2 pockets, this creates nesting stops only at the four corners of each of the sets of four pockets. This provides stable, consistent nesting in a column stack and in cross-stack (longitudinal or lateral). 
     Further, within each set of 2×2 pockets, if one considers the split center interior column  20   a  and the center side columns  22   a  as two separate columns each, then the non-corner columns along the perimeter of each 2×2 set (i.e. end column  26 , noncenter side columns  22   b , and one half of the center interior column  20   a ) are each offset inwardly relative to its adjacent “corner columns” (now also considering the split center side columns  22   a  as “corners” within each 2×2 set). The offset end column  26  provides clearance for the handle  49  of a similar tray column stacked thereon. The offset noncenter side columns  22   b  provide clearance for the handle  49  of a similar tray cross-stacked laterally (i.e. 90 degrees) thereon. The offset halves of the center interior column  20   a  provide clearance for the handle  49  of a longitudinally cross-stacked similar tray. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are bottom perspective views of the tray  10 . The base  12  includes a plurality of interconnected ribs  58  generally defining the lowermost plane of the tray  10 . The lowermost edge of the side walls  28  and end walls  46  are spaced slightly above the lowermost plane of the ribs  58 . Additionally, a channel  60  is formed laterally through the center of the ribs  58  (i.e. aligned with the center lateral divider  14   b ) to provide another surface that is in the same plane as the lowermost edges of the side walls  28  and end walls  46 . These are the bottom nesting surfaces of the tray  10 , i.e. the surfaces that contact the nesting stop surfaces at the nesting height of the tray  10  nested below. Thus, these lower perimeter surfaces of the trays  10  support the trays  10  in any nesting configuration, rather than the ribs  58  which are spaced inwardly from the perimeter. This provides increased stability of the stacked trays  10 . The ribs  58  also form cone-shaped bottle-cap receiving recesses  62 , which receive the bottle-caps of bottles in a tray  10  stacked therebelow when the trays are loaded. The cone-shaped recesses  62  increase the stability of the stacked, loaded trays  10 . 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the tray  10 . Again, the outer ledges  30   a  and  32  are at the nesting height, while the outer ledges  30   b  and longitudinal dividers  14   a  (and lateral dividers  14   b ,  FIG. 2 ) are spaced slightly below the nesting height. As a result, all of the contact with the upper tray  10  is only on the surfaces that are at the nesting height. Also, as shown, the ribs  58  of the base  12  extend downwardly slightly further than the side walls  28  (and end walls  46 ,  FIG. 3 ). The channel  60  through the center of the base  12  provides another surface at the same height as the side walls  28  and end walls  46 . 
       FIG. 6  is an end view of the tray  10 . As shown, the outer ledge  48  adjacent the end column  26  is slightly lower than the outer ledges  42 ,  32  of the corner columns  24 , which are at the nesting height. 
       FIG. 7  shows the tray  10  with a similar tray  10 ′ column stacked thereon. The side walls  28 ′ and end walls  46 ′ rest on the outer ledges  30   a ,  32 ,  42  of the lower tray  10 . The offset end column  26  of the lower tray  10  nests in the handle  49 ′ of the upper tray  10 ′. 
       FIG. 8  shows the tray  10  with the similar tray  10 ′ cross stacked ninety degrees thereon. In this configuration, one side wall  28 ′ of the upper tray  10 ′ rests on the lower surfaces  60  of the passages  50  through the center side columns  22   a  of the lower tray  10 . The other side wall  28 ′, shown in  FIG. 9 , rests on the outer ledges  42  of the corner columns  24  of the lower tray  10 . 
       FIG. 10  is a section view through a portion of the trays  10 ,  10 ′ of  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Because the outer surface  34   b  of the noncenter side column  22   b  is offset inwardly, the noncenter side column  22   b  can nest behind the handle  49 ′ of the upper tray  10 ′. The side wall  28 ′ of the upper tray  10 ′ is received within the passage  50  through the center side column  22   a . The end wall  46 ′ of the upper tray  10 ′ rests on the outer ledge  30   a  of the center column  22   a  of the lower tray  10 . 
       FIG. 11  shows the two trays  10 ,  10 ′ in a longitudinally cross-stacked configuration. The end wall  46 ′ of the upper tray  10 ′ is received within the passages  50 ,  52  of the center side columns  22   a  and the center interior column  20   a  and rests on the outer ledges  30   a  of the center side columns  22   a . The side walls  28 ′ of the upper tray  10 ′ rest on the outer ledges  32  of the lower tray  10 . 
     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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1