Back to results
US 4,379,508 AGranted
Nesting tray with stacking keyed interlock
AssigneeNestier Corporation
InventorsDaniel R. Miller, Thomas Deaton, Robert Royer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Each tray in a plurality of 90 degree nestable and stackable trays is formed with a specific key portion along the upper edge of the end walls and a corresponding specific groove and web structure along the lower edge of the end walls. A first group of trays has a specific key structure different from a second group of the trays, each group of trays having its own key structure. Trays of a first group cannot be stacked in vertical alignment with trays of the second group, since the key structure of the first group is adapted to be received by the web structure of the first group, and not by the web structure of the second group, and vice versa.
Claims8
A plurality of trays, comprising:
- each tray being of a one piece construction molded from synthetic resin material, having a rectangular structure, parallel opposed side walls, a bottom wall and parallel opposed end walls, said side walls and said end walls extending vertically upward from said bottom walls, said end walls having a height greater than said side walls, and said end walls having free upper and lower edges:
- said side walls and said end walls having surface means formed thereon for enabling said trays to be stacked in a vertically aligned position, and for enabling said trays to be stacked in a nested position when one of said trays is rotated at least 90 degrees relative to another of said trays about an axis perpendicular to said bottom walls from said stacked position;
- said surface means including upper stacking elements formed integrally with said end walls extending along said upper edges of said end walls, and lower stacking elements formed integrally with said end walls at said lower edges of said end walls;
- one of said upper and lower stacking elements comprising a ridge and the other of said upper and lower stacking elements comprising groove means wide enough and deep enough to receive said ridge;
- web means extending across the width of said groove means for preventing the seating in said groove means of portions of said ridge which are vertically aligned with said web means when said upper and said lower stacking elements of adjacent stacked trays engage;
- said ridges including notches having dimensions that correspond with the dimensions of said web means such that the engagement of said web means within said notches permits the seating of said ridge within said groove means of adjacent stacked trays;
- a first plurality of said trays being identical and having a unique pattern of said web means and corresponding said notches of said upper and said lower stacking elements so that when said first plurality of said trays are stacked on and vertically aligned with one another each of said web means will be received within a notch of the adjacent tray;
- a second plurality of said trays being identical to each other and differing from said first plurality of said trays substantially only in having a second unique pattern of said web means and corresponding said notches of said upper and said lower stacking elements so that when said second plurality of said trays are stacked on and vertically aligned with one another each of said web means will be received within a notch of the adjacent tray;
- and
- said first plurality of said trays unique pattern having a difference between said second plurality of said trays unique pattern such that said difference prevents the seating of said ridge of any one of said first plurality of said trays within said groove means of any one of said second plurality of said trays.
7 more elements
A plurality of trays, comprising:
- a single piece construction molded from synthetic resin material having a generally rectangular shape and having a bottom wall, parallel opposed side walls, and parallel opposed end walls, said end walls having upper and lower edges, said side walls and said end walls being substantially vertical and perpendicular to said bottom wall, said end walls being greater in height than said side walls;
- said side walls and said end walls having surface means formed thereon for enabling said trays to be stacked in a vertically aligned position, and for enabling said trays to be stacked in a nested position when one of said trays is rotated at least 90 degrees relative to another of said trays about an axis perpendicular to said bottom walls from said stacked position;
- upper stacking elements formed integrally with one of said end and said side walls and extending along said upper edge of that one of said walls, and lower stacking elements formed integrally with one of said walls at said lower edge of that one of said walls;
- key means on one of said stacking elements and groove means on the other of said stacking elements providing for the telescoping interlocking of said upper and said lower stacking elements of a first plurality of said trays when stacked in vertical alignment on one another and said key means and said groove means providing for the telescoping interlocking of said upper and said lower stacking elements of a second plurality of said trays when stacked in vertical alignment on one another;
- said key means cooperting with said groove means to prevent the shifting between said trays of said first plurality when said trays of said first plurality are aligned in a vertical stack and said key means cooperating with said groove means to prevent the shifting between said trays of said second plurality when said trays of said second plurality are aligned in a vertical stack, in directions parallel to and perpendicular to said end walls;
- and
- said first plurality of said trays being substantially identical to and differing only from said second plurality of said trays in that said key means cooperating with said groove means acts to prevent the stacking with telescoping interlocking of said trays of said first plurality with said trays of said second plurality.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.