Large-capacity shipment and display bin
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser Company
InventorWilliam J. Remaks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The container 10 comprises a bottom cover 12, a plurality of stackable trays 14 for holding produce, a sleeve 18, and a top cover 20. Each tray 14 is filled with produce and placed within the bottom cover 12. After the trays 14 are stacked, a film may be wrapped around the trays 14 to stabilize the produce. The sleeve 18 is then lowered over the trays 14 and the container 10 is capped with the top cover 20. When assembled, the container 10 may be secured by securement members, such as straps 64, and placed on a base member 22 for supporting the container and facilitating the shipping of the container. At the point of sale, the top cover 20 and sleeve 18 may be removed, exposing the produce, thereby forming a display bin capable of displaying the shipped produce to customers for purchase.
Claims18
A container for shipping and displaying produce, comprising:
- a bottom cover having a bottom wall and upwardly extending sidewalls substantially transverse to said bottom wall defining a pre-selected shape and forming an interior cavity;
- a plurality of produce trays stacked in overlying relationship to said bottom wall of said bottom cover, a portion of said plurality of produce trays disposed within said interior cavity of said bottom cover;
- a sleeve having sidewalls defining said pre-selected shape and defining an interior cavity, said sleeve disposed around said plurality of produce trays so that said plurality of produce trays are positioned within said interior cavity of said sleeve, a lower portion of said sidewalls positioned within said sidewalls of said bottom cover;
- and
- a top cover having a top wall and downwardly depending sidewalls substantially transverse to said top wall defining said pre-selected shape and forming an interior cavity, said top cover overlaying a top portion of said plurality of trays, an upper portion of the sidewalls of said sleeve positioned within the sidewalls of said top cover.
A method of assembling a container for shipping and displaying produce, comprising:
- providing a base member having a top surface;
- placing a bottom cover upon said top surface, said bottom cover having a bottom wall and upwardly extending sidewalls which define an interior cavity;
- stacking a plurality of produce trays in overlying relationship to said bottom wall, a portion of said plurality of produce trays disposed within said interior cavity of said bottom cover;
- placing a sleeve having sidewalls that form an interior cavity over said plurality of produce trays and into engagement with a portion of said bottom cover;
- and
- placing a top cover upon and in engagement with a top portion of said sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.