Abstract:
A tray for providing at least three levels of stacking between vertically adjacent trays includes a tray having four walls, a bottom, and an adjustment member. The adjustment member can be a pin. The tray includes multiple grooves, multiple extensions, multiple recesses, and multiple projections for engagement with another vertically adjacent stacked tray. The adjustment member in combination with the multiple grooves, multiple extensions, multiple recesses, and multiple projections define a first stacking level, a second stacking level, and a third stacking level, which is intermediate to the first stacking level and the second stacking level. An additional stacking level is defined when vertically adjacent stacked trays are rotated 90° with respect to each other.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/615,807 filed on Oct. 4, 2004, and provisional patent application Ser. No. (awaiting reporting from United States Patent Office) filed on Feb. 23, 2005, which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to containers and more particularly to bakery trays or baskets, which can be vertically stacked or nested.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Stackable and nestable tray-like containers are available in various sizes and designs. In general, these tray-like containers are most widely used in the bakery industry for transporting mass quantities of baked goods such as bread loaves and buns. Generally stacking and nesting containers are known in the art. Typically the trays can be stacked on top of each other and nested within each other. The prior art discloses a number of ways this can be accomplished, including stacking with and without an aligning means and nesting of trays when aligned relative with one another and when rotated 180° relative to one another. Such trays are desirable for their ability to stack when loaded for maximum packing and their ability to nest when empty for minimal use of storage space. A three position tray allows the trays to be positioned between a stacking and nesting position for the loading of goods with a lower height. The trays allow the use of a single tray design for differing product sizes, while efficiently utilizing available space.  
         [0004]     Incorporated by reference U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,274.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     The present invention is a three-way tray or container that provides at least three levels of stacking between vertically adjacent stacked trays. The tray includes a first wall, a second wall located opposite from the first wall, a first side wall, a second side wall located opposite from the first side wall, a bottom connectible between the four walls, and means for adjustably stacking vertically adjacent containers. The adjustably stacking means can include, a plurality of complementary extensions and grooves, a plurality of complementary protrusions and recesses, and at least one adjustment member.  
         [0006]     The adjustably stacking means can comprise a first stacking level defined when vertically adjacent stacked trays are in an identical orientation with respect to one another and a plurality of protrusions of one tray are received by a plurality of grooves of another tray, a second stacking level defined when one tray is rotated one-hundred eighty degrees (180°) with respect to another vertically adjacent stacked tray, an at least one adjustment member of the one tray is in a disengaged position, and a plurality of extensions of the another tray are fully received by a plurality of recesses of the one tray, and a third stacking level intermediate with respect to the first stacking level and the second stacking level and defined when one tray is rotated one-hundred eighty degrees (180°) with respect to another vertically adjacent stacked tray, the at least one adjustment member of the one tray is in an engaged position, and the extensions of another tray are partially received by the recesses of the one tray to a depth limited by the at least one adjustment member.  
         [0007]     The at least one adjustment member can be a pin receivable by a channel of at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall. The pin can include detent means for defining a plurality of stop positions relative to the channel.  
         [0008]     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  
       [0009]     The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tray according to the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2 a  perspective view of a side of the tray;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of multiple vertically adjacent stacked trays;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of multiple stacked trays;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of multiple stacked trays;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of an adjustment member of the tray; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the adjustment member. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     Referring to the drawings, a container or tray  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1-7 . The tray  10  has four vertical walls including a first wall  12 , a first side wall  14 , a second wall  16 , and a second side wall  18 , and has a lower planar surface or bottom  20  connected between the four walls  12 - 18 . The first side wall  14  and the second side wall  18  are mirror images of each other and, therefore, only one side will be discussed.  
         [0018]     As best seen in  FIG. 3-5 , multiple trays  10 A- 10 D can be stacked such that an operator can select between multiple stacking levels between each pair of vertically adjacent trays  10 A- 10 D. The stacking levels are each associated with a relative distance between the bottoms  20  of each pair of adjacent trays  10 . When the top tray  10 A is oriented in a stacked position such that the first wall  12  of the tray  10 B is facing in the same direction as the first wall  12  of the tray  10 A, then the distance between the bottoms  20  will be at one level. When the tray  10 D is oriented in a reversed manner with respect to the tray  10 C such that the second wall  16  of the tray  10 D is facing in the same direction as the first wall  12  of the tray  10 C and the pin  22 C is in a retracted position, then the distance between the bottoms  20  of the trays  10 A-B will be at a different level. Additionally, if the tray  10 C has a reversed orientation with respect to the bottom tray  10 B and the pin  22 B is in an engaged position, the distance between the bottoms  20  will be at a middle or intermediate level as compared to the two distances described above. Thus, the invention provides for at least three levels of stacking.  
         [0019]     Referring again to  FIGS. 1-5 , the bottom  20  can include a plurality of apertures  24  to allow ventilation between the trays  10 . By way of example and not limitation, the apertures  24  can be arranged in at least one of a grid pattern, a honeycomb pattern, and a parallel slotted pattern.  
         [0020]     In a preferred configuration, the first wall  12  and the second wall  16  have lower heights relative to the first side wall  14  and the second side wall  18 . The first wall  12  can include an angular step portion  26  proximate to each corner  28  with a lower ledge  30  therebetween. The second wall  16  can include an angular step portion  31  proximate to each of the corners  28 . On an upper surface  32  of each of the angular portions  26 ,  31  of the first wall  12  and the second wall  16 , respectively, and adjacent to the side walls  14 ,  18  is a first notch  34  and a first rail lip portion  36 , which commences a non-continuous inner rail  38  for guidance along the side walls  14 ,  18  when stacking one tray  10  vertically adjacent to another tray  10 . Adjacent to the first rail lips  36  and inboard from the side walls  14 ,  18  is a second notch  40 . Each second notch  40  is sized to accommodate one of the side walls  14 ,  18  when one tray  10  is stacked vertically adjacent to and positioned rotated (90°) ninety degrees relative to another tray  10  for storage of the unloaded trays  10 .  
         [0021]     As discussed above, the first side wall  14  and the second side wall  18  are mirror images of each other. An upper continuous wall portion extends the entire length of the side walls  14 ,  18 , herein referred to as the outer rail  42 . A groove  44  extends between the inner rail  38  and the outer rail  42 . The first wall  14  includes multiple extensions or feet  46 . The feet  46  can have non-uniform spacing with respect to the length of the first side wall  14 . The foot proximate to the first wall  12  is referred to as  46 A, and the foot proximate to the second wall  16  is referred to as  46 B. Each foot  46 A,  46 B is generally rectangular in shape and can include at least one angled corner or chamfer  47 A,  47 B. At the bottom of each foot  46 A,  46 B, there is a protrusion  48 A,  48 B respectively, where the protrusions  48 A,  48 B have a complementary shape and a complementary spacing with respect to the groove  44 . The side walls  14 ,  18  each can include multiple recesses  50 A,  50 B. The recesses  50 A,  50 B can have a complementary shape to the feet  46 A,  46 B, respectively. The number of the recesses  50 A,  50 B and spacing of the recesses  50 A,  50 B along the first side wall  14  are complementary to the number and spacing of the feet  46 A,  46 B, respectively. The first side wall  14  can include at least one window or aperture  52  in order to allow at least one of gripping the tray  10  by an operator and viewing of items or merchandise contained in the tray  10 . The aperture  52  can be generally rectangular in shape and can include rounded corners  54 .  
         [0022]     The first side wall  14  can include a channel  56  for receiving the pin  22 , as can be seen in  FIGS. 1-5 . The channel  56  can intersect the recesses  50 A,  50 B and can be positioned between the aperture  52  and the rail  42 . The channel  56  can include retaining means  58  for retaining the pin  22  in the channel  56 . By way of example and not limitation, the retaining means  58  can include at least one aperture  60  for receiving at least one retaining member  62  of the pin  22 . The aperture  60  can be a longitudinally extending slot.  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the pin  22  can include multiple steps  64 . The pin  22  can include a first end  66  and a second end  68 . The at least one retaining member  62  can be generally cylindrical in shape. A first step  70  is located proximate to the first end  66  and is equal in height to a second step  72 , which is located proximate to the second end  68 . A corner  74  can be chamfered and is located between the first step  70  and an upper portion  76 . A notch  78  is located between the upper portion  76  and the second step  72  and is lower in height than the second step  72 . The length of the pin  22  is shorter than the length of the channel  56  allowing movement of the pin  22  within the channel  56 . The first end  66  of the pin  22  is inserted into the channel  56  first. The distance from the second end  68  of the pin  22  to the notch  78  is equal to the distance between the first end  66  to the corner  74 . The shape of the corner  74  can be complementary to the angled corners  47 A,  47 B of the feet  46 A,  46 B, respectively. The pin  22  can include detent means for defining a plurality of stop positions  80 A,  80 B of the pin  22  relative to the channel  56 . The detent means can be a detent member  82  for engaging one of a plurality of detent apertures  84 A,  84 B of the channel  56  where each detent aperture corresponds to a stop position  80 A,  80 B.  
         [0024]     Referring again to  FIGS. 3-5 , there is shown a first stacking level, which is defined when the tray  10 B is in the same orientation as the tray  10 A. When the first level of stacking is selected, the protrusions  48  of the feet  46  are received by the groove  44  of the tray  10 A. This results in a maximum distance between the bottoms  20  of the trays  10 A,  10 B relative to other stacking levels described herein.  
         [0025]     A second stacking level is shown where the tray  10 D is in a reversed or 180° orientation with respect to the tray  10 C where the second wall  16  of the tray  10 D faces the same direction of the first wall  12  of the tray  10 C, and the pin  22 C of the tray  10 C is in a first position where the detent member  82  is engaged with the detent aperture  84 B. When in this stacking level, the feet  46  of the tray  10 D are received in their entirety by the recesses  50  of the tray  10 C. This results in a minimum distance between the bottoms  20  of the trays  10 C,  10 D relative to other stacking levels discussed herein.  
         [0026]     A third stacking level is defined, as discussed above, when the tray  10 C is in the reversed or 180° orientation relative to the tray  10 B, and the pin  22 B of tray  10 B is in a second position where the detent member  82  is engaged with the detent aperture  84 A. When the pin  22 B is in the second position, it is moved relative to the channel such that the steps  70 ,  72  of the pin  22 B of the tray  10 B are in a corresponding location to the recesses  50  of the tray  10 B. This limits the depth of the recesses  50  so that when the tray  10 C is stacked vertically onto the tray  10 B the feet  46  of the top tray  10 C rest on the steps  72 ,  70  of the pin  22 B and are only partially received by the recesses  50  of the tray  10 B. This results in a middle or intermediate distance between the bottoms  20  of the trays  10 B,  10 C relative to the first stacking level and the second stacking level described above.  
         [0027]     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.