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US 4,709,852 AGranted
Produce transport and cooling container and method for using same
AssigneeLiberty Diversified Industries
InventorMark S. Stoll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A produce transport and cooling container of a generally boxlike shape with bottom support panels having retroverse tabs and apertures which strengthen the container bottom as progressively heavier loads are added. Lid and drainage apertures, and stacking projections, allow the containers to be stacked in a stable manner, and cool water misted over the produce to keep it fresh during transit.
Claims9
A produce transport and cooling container comprising:
- four substantially rectangular and generally vertical wall panels each having a top edge and a bottom edge, and assembled to form a generally box-shaped receptacle;
- and
- at least two bottom support panels extending generally downward from the bottom edges of two opposing said wall panels and hingedly connected thereto along score lines, said bottom support panels each having a bottom edge, one of said bottom panels defining one or more apertures extending through the surface of said panel proximate to said bottom edge of said bottom support panel, the other of said bottom support panels having the same number of retroverse tabs extending from the bottom edge of said other bottom support panel as the number of said apertures, said retroverse tabs positioned along said bottom edge of said other bottom support panel to overlap and communicate with said apertures when said bottom support panels are folded upwardly and inwardly at generally right angles along said score lines to a horizontal position between said vertical wall panels, said retroverse tabs having one or more score lines traversing said retroverse tabs adjacent to and in overlapping comunication with said apertures, said retroverse tabs being insertable through said apertures and foldable over and generally parallel the planar surfaces of said bottom support panels.
The method of storing and transporting perishable foodstuff such as produce which consists of the steps of:
- placing the produce into containers having lid apertures at the top of said containers and drainage apertures at the bottom of said containers;
- stacking said containers in a vertically aligned column with a top and a bottom container, the drainage apertures of one container in fluid communication with the lid apertures of a like container below said one container;
- and
- supplying cooled water to the top of said column;
- whereby the cooled water flows into the top container through the lid aperture, over the foodstuff, out through the drainage apertures of the top container, and successively through the stacked containers to the drainage apertures of the bottom container.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.