Container for eggs

• US 9,315,317 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yta Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ten Media Llc
• Inventors: Chait, Mitchell Barry, Blackburn, Richard, Hegyi, Marco Armand
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Luan K
• Application Number:
  US13/401,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20130212981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 2065211-5219, 220/508, 426/87, 426/106, 426/119, 426/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 15/00 Egg products; Preparation or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/26 Thermography B41M5/20, B41M5/24 take precedence; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used B23K takes precedence; thermographic or photothermographic systems using noble metal compounds G03C1/494
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 23/06 Arranging, feeding, or orientating the eggs to be packed; Removing eggs from trays or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators see also B65D5/4212, B65D33/004
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/321 Trays made of pressed carton and provided with recesses
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/322 Trays made of pressed material, e.g. paper pulp
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/324 Containers with compartments made of pressed material

Abstract

A container for eggs which uniformly orients eggs so that a substantial amount of surface area of the egg is uniformly presented for marking and viewing. The container has receptacles that may include one or more guidance features configured to automatically guide eggs to settle into a preferred resting orientation with the eggs uniformly centered and tilted slightly backward within their receptacles. The receptacles are designed to resist movement of the eggs from their resting orientation during marking, shipping or handling. Optionally, guidance and stabilizing features may cooperate to maintain eggs in a desired resting orientation.

Claims

1. A container for holding a plurality of eggs at a tilted angle within the container, the container comprising:

a front portion of the container and rear portion of the container opposite the front portion;

a plurality of receptacles disposed in a plurality of rows, wherein the plurality of receptacles includes a first row of receptacles and second row of receptacles disposed in a first row and second row respectively of the plurality of rows;

a first compartment within a first receptacle of the first row of receptacles wherein the first compartment is configured to

accept a first egg of the plurality of eggs, wherein the first egg has a long axis of the first egg along the first egg, and

hold the first egg in a resting orientation where the long axis of the first egg is tilted at a first tilted angle towards the rear portion of the container offset from a vertical axis of the container; and

a second compartment within the second receptacle of the second row receptacles, wherein the second compartment is configured to

accept a second egg of the plurality of eggs, wherein the second egg has a long axis of the second egg along the second egg, and

hold the second egg in a resting orientation where the long axis of the second egg is tilted at a second tilted angle towards the rear portion of the containers offset from a vertical axis of the container.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the compartment is asymmetrically shaped with respect to the vertical axis.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein a long axis of the compartment is tilted toward the rear portion of the container at an angle slightly offset from the vertical axis.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein each receptacle includes at least one guidance feature adapted to guide the egg upon entry into the compartment to reach the resting orientation.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the at least one guidance feature comprises at least one railing element having a flexible surface and configured to guide a lower end of the egg toward a front portion of the receptacle and into the resting orientation.

6. The container of claim 4, wherein the at least one guidance feature comprises at least one protrusion having a flexible surface providing sufficient friction based on a weight of the egg and surface contact area of the at least one protrusion with the egg so as to substantially resist movement of the egg from the resting orientation.

7. The container of claim 1, further comprising a lid for closing the container and covering the compartment of each receptacle.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the lid comprises a stabilizing feature adapted to gently hold the egg in the resting orientation.

9. The container of claim 8, wherein the stabilizing feature comprises for each receptacle one or more depending members positioned and dimensioned to bear lightly upon the surface of an egg in the receptacle.

10. The container of claim 8, wherein the stabilizing feature is constructed and arranged to contact the egg at a region distal from that where at least one guidance feature is constructed and arranged to contact the egg.