Can tray assembly

• US 5,316,172 A
• Filed: 06/01/1993
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Original Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Inventors: Apps, William P., Lang-Ree, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollard, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US08/069,677
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 206/503, 206/505, 220/515, 220/519, 220/509
• US Class Current: 220/519
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0212 Containers presenting local stacking elements protruding from the upper or lower edge of a side wall, e.g. handles, lugs, ribs, grooves B65D21/0211, B65D21/0215, B65D21/023 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2501/24108 corresponding to part of the height of the bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/70 Trays provided with projections or recesses in order to assemble multiple articles, e.g. intermediate elements for stacking

Abstract

A molded plastic low-depth tray for beverage cans or the like. The low-depth tray walls angle inwardly to provide for deep empty tray nesting. Outer abutment tabs depending down from the top lip and on the outside of the walls prevent the empty trays when nested from wedging together. The walls each have a plurality of can receiving openings out through which lower portions of cans, when held in the tray on the tray floor, partially extend. Interior surfaces of the walls above the openings are outwardly curved to conform to the cylindrical sidewalls of the adjacent cans. The tray floor thereby has smaller length and width dimensions than that of the array of cans held in the tray. Redoubts or standoffs on the bottom of the floor lock on to the rims of cans in subjacent trays. Stable palletized stacking and cross-stacking of these trays when loaded with cans is thereby provided.

Claims

1. A low depth nestable can tray for containing a four-by-six layer array of substantially cylindrical, rimmed beverage cans, said tray having a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed side walls, said end and side walls together forming a low-depth can tray wall structure, a floor construction secured to said wall structure for supporting thereon said array of cans, said floor construction having an open gridwork and a can receiving area for each can of said array, a peripheral top lip protruding outwardly from a top of said wall structure, and said cans of said array extending a distance above said top lip in a low-depth arrangement relative to said wall structure;

wherein the improvements comprise;

at least portions of each of said side and end walls angled inwardly to provide for empty tray nesting;

a plurality of can receiving openings in each of said side and end walls, wherein portions of peripheral cans of said array partially extend out beyond said walls through said openings;

a plurality of interior curved wall portions disposed on each said wall, said curved wall portions generally conforming to the sidewalls of adjacent cans, and generally disposed above each said opening and below said top lip; and

at least one tab structure extending down from said top lip on outer surfaces of said walls to prevent empty nested tray wedging.

2. The low depth nestable can tray of claim 1, wherein said walls include inwardly bulging portions extending generally up from said floor construction, each said bulging portion is shaped generally as an upwardly tapering column, and each said wall includes at least one said bulging portions.

3. The low depth nestable can tray of claim 1, wherein said floor construction includes a circular member at each said can receiving area, floor rib members interconnecting said circular members, and wherein the bottom surface of said floor construction is configured to lock onto the top rims of a subjacent layer array of cans.

4. The low depth nestable can tray of claim 3, wherein said floor construction includes a plurality of radial ribs, said radial ribs extending out from said circular members.

5. The low depth nestable can tray of claim 1, wherein said floor construction has on an upper surface thereof circular recesses areas for seating cans in the tray.

6. The low depth nestable can tray of claim 1, wherein each said can receiving opening has the lower surface thereof disposed at the top surface of said floor construction, and each said can receiving opening is generally configured as a trapezoid having tapered oppositely angling sides, tapering downwardly toward said floor construction, a horizontal bottom side and a horizontal top side longer than said bottom side.

7. The low depth nestable can tray of claim 1, wherein said top lip extends horizontally out from the top of said wall structure and has a cantilevered horizontal free end.

8. The low depth nestable can tray of claim 1, wherein said tab structure extends outwardly from the outermost surfaces of said walls and in an exposed position.