SET-UP TRAY

• US 3,647,105 A
• Filed: 05/18/1970
• Issued: 03/07/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clifford R. Keeslar
• Original Assignee: Clifford R. Keeslar
• Inventors: Keeslar, Clifford R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lowrance, George E.
• Application Number:
  US05/038,065
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 220/20,22,23.4 206/3,72 229/2.5,15
• US Class Current: 220/23.4
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0204 and joined together by interconnecting formations forming part of the container, e.g. dove-tail, snap connections, hook elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/04 Partitions

Abstract

A tray assembly having a channel-shaped base into which plural disposable trays are slidably receivable for holding a variety of articles. Each tray has a bottom wall connected to one or more pairs of cooperating, channel-shaped sidewalls with integral releasable gripping means for releasably holding said sidewalls together to form a recess or compartment which normally opens upwardly. The entire tray can be fabricated by a vacuum molding process from a single sheet of plastic material. Plural trays and plural bases can be interconnected in side-by-side relationship.

Claims

1. A tray assembly for holding a plurality of articles comprising:

channel-shaped base means having plural sidewall means;

tray means slidably and snugly disposed within said base means for movement lengthwise of said sidewall means, said tray means having first and second, channel-shaped sidewall members with abutting edges;

bottom wall means integral with and extending between corresponding ends of said sidewall members; and

cooperating first and second gripping means on said abutting edges for releasably holding said first and second sidewall members together so that the channel-shaped sidewall members and bottom wall define an upwardly opening compartment into which said articles are receivable.

2. A tray assembly according to claim 1, wherein said tray means includes plural pairs of sidewall members and each sidewall member has plural and parallel channel-shaped recesses, said recesses in each pair of sidewall members being aligned to define plural compartments, and said pairs of sidewall members being interconnected along adjacent edges extending lengthwise of said sidewall means.

3. A tray assembly according to claim 2, including second tray means having first and second channel-shaped sidewall members with abutting edges and first and second connecting means integral with said abutting edges for releasably holding said sidewall members of said second tray means together to form an article-receiving compartment;

and bottom wall means integral with and extending between adjacent ends of said sidewall members of said second tray means.

4. In a tray assembly having channel-shaped base means with substantially parallel sidewall means, article-receiving tray means comprising:

plural pairs of first and second sidewall members having plural, parallel and side-by-side channels;

bottom wall means integral with and extending between adjacent ends of each pair of sidewall members;

first and second releasable gripping means on said first and second sidewall members between said channels for releasably holding said sidewall members together so that said channels are aligned to define a plurality of upwardly opening, article receiving compartments; and

hinge means connecting the first sidewall member of one pair thereof to the adjacent, second sidewall member of another pair thereof, said hinge means extending lengthwise of said sidewall means of said base means, and said tray means being snugly disposed between said sidewall means.

5. A tray means according to claim 4, wherein said compartments and articles are cylindrical;

wherein said gripping means comprises a tongue and groove connection; and

wherein said sidewall members, said gripping means and said bottom wall means are fabricated from a single sheet of plastic material.

6. A tray assembly according to claim 4, wherein said sidewall members have substantially parallel flanges projecting upwardly beyond said channels;

wherein said hinge means is secured to adjacent pairs of said flanges; and

wherein said sidewall means of said base means have lengthwise parallel ridges projecting toward each other near the upper edges of said sidewall means for engagement by the upper edges of said flanges when said tray means is disposed within said base means.

7. A tray assembly according to claim 1, including a pair of elongated, spaced and parallel slide members integral with and extending lengthwise of one sidewall means on the side thereof remote from the other sidewall means, said slide members projecting outwardly from the sidewall means and then away from Each other;

and a pair of elongated, spaced and parallel guide members integral with and extending lengthwise of the other sidewall means on the side thereof remote from said one sidewall means, said guide members projecting outwardly from said other sidewall means and then toward each other, the spacing between said pairs of slide and guide members being such that a pair of slide members on one base means is slidably receivable between and within a pair of guide members on a second base means for firmly holding the two base means in side-by-side relationship.