Abstract:
An open top bakery tray that is stackable and nestable on trays of like design. The tray has a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls. One of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials and the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed to allow free access to the tray and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window to preclude the inadvertent displacement of merchandise from the tray.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims benefit of provisional patent application No. 60/696,093, filed Jul. 1, 2005, entitled BASKET HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE MERCHANDISING WINDOW. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
     Field of the Invention  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to containers and more particularly to bakery trays or baskets which can be nested or stacked.  
       Background of the Invention  
       [0003]     Containers of the nesting and stacking type are well known in the bakery art. In the bakery industry, bake goods come in different heights and sizes such as hamburger buns, loaves of bread and cakes. It is therefore desirable to provide a stackable tray that accommodates the varying sizes of the baked goods. A number of multi-level stacking trays have been developed and at least some of the prior art trays include a merchandising window in one or more sides of the tray to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials. While convenient, such windows allow the possibility of merchandise being inadvertently displaced from the tray. The windows also significantly reduce the strength of the tray and allow excessive deflection of the sides defining the windows, which deflection can lead to product damage.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     This invention relates to an improved bakery tray.  
         [0005]     More specifically this invention relates to the provision of a bakery tray having a merchandising window which may be selectively opened or closed to facilitate loading and unloading of merchandise into the tray and preclude inadvertent discharge of merchandise from the tray.  
         [0006]     The bakery tray of the invention is stackable and nestable on trays of like design and has a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls.  
         [0007]     According to the invention, one of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials in the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window. This arrangement allows the provision of a merchandising window while yet preserving the strength and integrity of the tray to reduce tray deflection and potential product damage.  
         [0008]     In one embodiment of the invention, the gate is mounted for sliding movement between its open and closed positions.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment of the invention, the gate is mounted for pivotal movement between its open and closed positions.  
         [0010]     According to a further feature of the invention, the sidewalls have upper edges that are spaced below upper edges of the end walls and the merchandising window is defined in one of the sidewalls.  
         [0011]     According to a further feature of the invention, the merchandising window is defined in each sidewall and a gate is provided in association with each window.  
         [0012]     According to a further feature of the invention, the window extends across only a portion of the one sidewall and leaves a solid portion of the one sidewall adjacent the window and the gate is mounted for sliding movement between an open position in which it is received in a slideway defined by the solid wall portion and a closed position in which it extends from the slideway across the window.  
         [0013]     According to a further feature of the invention, the window extends across a major portion of the one wall and opens upwardly and the gate is pivotal along a lower edge thereof to a lower edge of the window and pivots upwardly as it moves from its open to its closed position.  
         [0014]     According to a further feature of the invention, another merchandising window is provided in the other sidewall extending across only a portion of the other sidewall and leaving a solid wall portion of the other sidewall adjacent the other window.  
         [0015]     According to a further feature of the invention, the window in the one sidewall is positioned in opposition to the solid wall portion of the other sidewall and the window in the other sidewall is position in opposition to the solid wall portion of the one sidewall.  
         [0016]     According to a further feature of the invention, each gate comprises a bar and each slideway opens at an outboard end thereof in a respective end wall to allow insertion of the bar into the slideway.  
         [0017]     Other applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:  
         [0019]     FIG. I is a top perspective view of a multi-level tray having a slidably merchandising window;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of a multi-level tray having a pivotally adjustable merchandising window;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a front wall of the multi-level tray taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the front wall of the multi-level tray taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application or uses.  
         [0024]     Referring to the drawings, a multi-level tray  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 . Tray  10  is open topped and has a generally rectangular configuration. Tray  10  has four vertical sides and a lower, generally planar bottom wall  20  interconnected with and extending between the four vertical sides. The four vertical sides include a front sidewall  12  extending upwardly from a side edge of the bottom wall  20 , a left end wall  14  extending upwardly from an end edge of the bottom wall  20 , a back or rear sidewall  16  extending upwardly from a side edge of the bottom  20 , and a right end wall  18  extending upwardly from an end edge of the bottom wall  20 . Sides  14  and  18  are mirror images of each other. Likewise, sidewalls  12  and  16  have the same configuration.  
         [0025]     Tray  10  preferably has a unitary construction and can be molded from any of a variety of known plastic materials. Bottom wall  20  may be a solid floor or preferably perforated or cross-hatched (not shown) to provide ventilation between the layers of goods and/or materials being transported in the tray. Front and rear sidewalls  12  and  16  have lower heights than end walls  14  and  18 . That is, the upper edges of the sidewalls  12  and  16  are spaced below the upper edges of end walls  14  and  18 .  
         [0026]     Specifically, front sidewall  12  includes small full height portions  12   a  proximate the corners  30  and  32  of the sidewall, vertical steps  26  at the inboard edges of each wall portion  12   a , a first vertical step  28  joined to a step  26  by a long lower edge  12   b , a second vertical step  28  joined to the other step  26  by a short upper edge  12   c , and a lower edge  48  extending between steps  28  and coacting with the steps to form a merchandising window  46 .  
         [0027]     A rectangular notch  36  is provided in each wall portion  12   a  and a continuous rail  38  extends along the upper edge  14   a ,  18   a  of the end walls  14  and  18 . Rails  38  provide a means for guiding two similarly configured trays into a stacked position when the two trays are oriented at either 0 or 180° relative to one another. Horizontal surfaces  12   b  and  12   c  engage a lower edge  44  of front and back sidewalls  12  and  16  when two similarly configured trays are stacked 90° relative to one another.  
         [0028]     Multiple similarly configured trays may be stacked one on top of the other. The stacking height between successive trays  10  is dependant on the stacking orientation of the trays relative to one another. Multiple stacking heights allows differently sized goods and/or materials to be stored while utilizing the most space saving configuration of the tray. Two similarly configured trays can be positioned in an upper stacking height so as to achieve the maximum storage volume by orienting the baskets at either 0 or 180° relative to one another. The baskets can be positioned in the first level stacking height by engaging a lower edge of the left and right sidewalls  14  and  18  with rail  38  extending along the upper longitudinal edge of each sidewall. Likewise, two similarly configured trays may also be orientated 90° relative to one another to achieve a second level stacking height. In this position, bottom edge  44  of front and rear walls  12  and  16  rest on horizontal surfaces  12   b  and  12 c of the front and rear walls.  
         [0029]     As noted, edge  48  and steps  28  together define a merchandising window  46  in sidewall  12 . Merchandising window  46  facilitates removal of materials from tray  10  as well as enhancing viewing and/or inspecting of products stored in the tray. To reduce the chance of material inadvertently being displaced from the tray through the merchandising window, tray  10  employs a sliding gate  52  that can be selectively positioned across the merchandising window so as to act as a barrier. As shown in  FIG. 1 , gate  52  may be alternately disposed between an open and closed position. For example, gate  52  associated with rear wall  16  is shown disposed in a closed position so as to operate as a barrier to prevent material from passing through the merchandising window. Conversely, gate  52  associated with front wall  12  is shown disposed in an open position wherein the gate is horizontally displaced so as to be substantially disposed within front wall  12  thereby enabling unimpeded access to the interior of the tray through the merchandising window.  
         [0030]     Gate  52  has a generally elongated bar shape with the longitudinal axis of the gate being positioned generally parallel to a horizontal plane of the tray. Gate  52  preferably has a thickness that is less than a thickness “T” of front sidewall  12 . Gate  52  is preferably perforated or cross-hatched to provide ventilation and to enable at least partial viewing of the contents of the tray. Gate  52  includes a finger pocket  54  recessed in an end  56  of the gate. Finger pocket  54  is preferably accessible from outside the basket and provides a means for actuating gate  52  between the open and closed positions.  
         [0031]     Tray  10  includes an elongated slideway or slide pocket  58  adapted for slidably receiving each gate  52 . At least a portion of each slideway  58  consists of a generally “C” shaped channel  60  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The open side of the channel  60  is preferably oriented to face outward from the basket so as to allow gate  52  to be visible from outside the basket when in the closed position. Slideway  58  is preferably sized to be slightly larger than gate  52  to allow generally unimpeded movement of gate  52  within slideway  58 .  
         [0032]     An interior wall  62  of front sidewall  12  defines a rear edge of slideway  58 . A transverse wall  64  extending between an interior wall  66  of front wall  12  and interior wall  62  defines an upper edge of slideway  58 . A second transverse wall  68  extending between exterior walls  66  and interior walls  62  and positioned below transverse wall  64  defines a lower edge at slideway  58 . Slideway  58  can be accessed from merchandising window  46  through a rectangular shaped aperture  70  provided in upstanding step  28  of front and rear walls  12  and  16 . Aperture  70  preferably has the same general cross-sectional shape as gate  52 .  
         [0033]     A second aperture  72  for receiving an end  74  at gate  52  is provided in step  28  opposite aperture  70 . When placed in the closed position end  74  of gate  52  can be engaged with aperture  72  to prevent the end of the gate from deflecting laterally when subjected to a predetermined load.  
         [0034]     An aperture  75  is provided in each end wall  14 / 18  for assembling gates  52  to tray  10 . Apertures  75  communicate with and provide access to slideways  58  and enable gates  52  to be slid into slideways  58  from outside the tray.  
         [0035]     Note that the merchandising windows  46  are each offset with respect to the center of the respective sidewall and the merchandising window  46  in front sidewall  12  is staggered with respect to the merchandising window  46  in rear sidewall  16  so that the merchandising window  46  in the front sidewall is opposite the solid portion  16   b  of rear sidewall  16  and the merchandising window  46  in the rear sidewall is opposite the solid wall portion  12   b  of the front sidewall.  
         [0036]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a second embodiment of an adjustable merchandising window gate  76  is shown. A Gate  76  is positioned in each of the front and rear walls  12 / 16  of the tray within a merchandising window  85 . Each merchandising window  85  extends across a major portion of the respective wall and opens upwardly. Each gate  76  has a generally elongate shape with the longitudinal axis of the gate being positioned generally parallel to the horizontal plane of the tray. Each gate  76  is preferably perforated or cross-hatched to provide ventilation and to enable at least partial viewing of the contents of the tray. A lower edge  78  of each gate  76  is hingedly mounted in the respective merchandising window  85  by a pair of pins  84  extending laterally outwardly from the opposite longitudinal ends  80  and  82  of gate. Pins  84  are engaged with a pair of corresponding notches  86  provided in front sidewall  12  and positioned along an outer periphery of merchandising window  85 . Pins  84  are preferably sized larger than corresponding notch  86  so as to produce a slight interference between the pin and notch so as to maintain engagement between the pin and notch. Hingeably attaching gate  76  to tray  10  allows the gate to be selectively pivoted between the open and closed positions. For example, gate  76  associated with back sidewall  16  is shown disposed in the closed position whereas gate  76  associated with the front sidewall  12  is shown disposed in the open position.  
         [0037]     Each gate  76  also includes a pair of tabs  86  extending laterally from longitudinal ends  80  and  82  of the gate. A corresponding pair of notches  88  a are provided in front and rear sidewalls  12  and  16 . Each of the notches  88  is positioned on opposite sides of merchandising window  85 . Tabs  84  are engageable with notches  88  for releasable retaining gate  76  in the closed position. Notches  88  and corresponding tabs  84  are sized so as to produce a slight interference fit when the tabs are engaged with their respective notch.  
         [0038]     The tray of the present invention is advantageous over previous tray designs having a merchandising window in that it precludes inadvertent displacement of merchandise from the tray. Further, the present invention allows the provision of a merchandising window while yet preserving the strength and integrity of the tray to reduce tray deflection and potential product damage. Further, the present invention also allows merchandising from both sides of the basket. This feature may be advantageous when stacking multiple baskets in opposite directions such as when consecutive baskets are oriented 180° relative to one another.  
         [0039]     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.